Well, chaos got the better part of me for the last part of 2005. I'm hoping that 2006 will be the year I start moving forward with some of my ideas.
Happy New Year! Please be safe when you're out and about.
Friday, December 30, 2005
Saturday, November 26, 2005
Chaos: 1, Me: 0
So, it's been over a month since my last post.
Sometimes, the chaos wins.
Quite a bit has happened in the past month; I'll go into more detail about one thing in particular in the next post. But the rest of it, well...
On November 1, I did something I haven't done in over 20 years: I bought a video game (for my PC) on the day it was released (the last time I did that was with Pac-Man for the Atari 2600 back in 1. The game was Star Wars Battlefront II, and I played it quite a bit the first few days. Being a Mac user, it's a refreshing change of pace to be able to experience a new game when it first comes out (since we usually get games months or years later, if at all). There is one exception to that rule, though, and that is...
...Blizzard, the publisher of games like Diablo, StarCraft, and WarCraft. Blizzard actually figures pretty heavily into the events of the past month, because I got my first taste of World of Warcraft a couple of weeks ago, and I'm hooked. For those of you who don't know, World of Warcraft (WoW)is a Massively Multiplayer Online RolePlaying Game (or MMORPG). The game retails for about $30 - $50, but there is a monthly subscription fee of about $15, as well. Along with many game fans, I knew about WoW for over a year prior to its release in late 2004, but the subscription model was a turn-off for me, so I never actually bought the game. That is, until I ran across a free trial period for the game, which I fell for hook, line, and sinker. I'm very glad I did, though, and here's why:
The production value of the game is incredible. The online world (called "Azeroth") is quite large and detailed, and the social aspect of the game alone is worth the subscription price. I found myself creating characters to play on several different servers (referred to in the game as "realms") to play with different groups of friends (or in some cases, just to have different affiliations of characters). Players can advance their characters by completing predetermined quests given by NPCs (Non-Player Characters, or "bots," in a sense), by developing and practicing a profession (like mining or cooking), or by simply running around and killing all the monsters they can (much slower than the quests). There is another aspect of the game referred to as PvP (Player vs. Player) that allows for players to battle each other, as well. Additionally, there is a built-in IRC-like chat client, and a "buddy list" so you can keep track of your friends in-game. It looks like Blizzard is constantly upgrading and improving the game (during my trial period, the game was updated with a patch), and they closely police the activities of their players to minimize cheats and exploitation of newer players. I am now a believer in the subscription game model.
The downside of WoW is that it is extremely absorbing. I found myself neglecting chores, ignoring family, and staying up way too late just to log in more play time. When my trial period ended, I felt like an addict needing a fix...but I held off buying the game (it's only been a couple of days, but even that has helped curb the compulsion to play). I still want to buy it, and I probably will soon. It fills in a gap that was left when I "retired" from my day-to-day involvement with the running of Clan MacAddict (a gaming clan affiliated with the magazine of the same name). I enjoyed my time as one of Clan MA's officers, mostly due to the social aspect of what I was doing. When activity tapered, so did my level of involvement and enjoyment. WoW looks to be able to fill that gap. I just need to be sure I play in moderation.
On a related note, I hear that there is currently a Star Trek-based MMORPG in development. God help me, please (after that comes out, good luck finding me!).
As far as Star Wars Battlefront 2, it's a fun game, but there's almost no social interaction. There are a few flaws with it, as well...most notably that the characters can no longer go into the prone position, which kinda sucks if you're using a sniper (since that's the most effective position for a sniper). The space battles are a great addition, but there are some bugs to iron out with regard to bombs not rendering properly in some instances. The interface for the game is also somewhat cumbersome. Oh well, it was fun to play for a while...but it's time for it to find a new home.
In other news, since my last post, I've passed my A+ OS exam, which (along with the previous A+ Hardware exam) makes me an official CompTIA A+ Certified Professional. Not a big deal on the PC side of things, but coming from a Mac perspective, that was one confusing test to pass. In fact, I failed the OS exam once prior...in studying for it (and in my job of the past 10 months), I was reminded that I made the right choice in OS. Speaking of Mac OS X, I also passed my Apple Certified Help Desk Specialist (ACHDS) for Mac OS X 10.4 exam, so that's a big relief. Apple Certified Desktop and Portable Technician exams, here I come! (Hopefully, I'll have those by the end of December).
The other big thing that happened to me is something that I've been documenting in the MacAddict forums, and something that I'll write a comprehensive post on for next time. Think "too good to be true," only...it's not. ;)
Sometimes, the chaos wins.
Quite a bit has happened in the past month; I'll go into more detail about one thing in particular in the next post. But the rest of it, well...
On November 1, I did something I haven't done in over 20 years: I bought a video game (for my PC) on the day it was released (the last time I did that was with Pac-Man for the Atari 2600 back in 1. The game was Star Wars Battlefront II, and I played it quite a bit the first few days. Being a Mac user, it's a refreshing change of pace to be able to experience a new game when it first comes out (since we usually get games months or years later, if at all). There is one exception to that rule, though, and that is...
...Blizzard, the publisher of games like Diablo, StarCraft, and WarCraft. Blizzard actually figures pretty heavily into the events of the past month, because I got my first taste of World of Warcraft a couple of weeks ago, and I'm hooked. For those of you who don't know, World of Warcraft (WoW)is a Massively Multiplayer Online RolePlaying Game (or MMORPG). The game retails for about $30 - $50, but there is a monthly subscription fee of about $15, as well. Along with many game fans, I knew about WoW for over a year prior to its release in late 2004, but the subscription model was a turn-off for me, so I never actually bought the game. That is, until I ran across a free trial period for the game, which I fell for hook, line, and sinker. I'm very glad I did, though, and here's why:
The production value of the game is incredible. The online world (called "Azeroth") is quite large and detailed, and the social aspect of the game alone is worth the subscription price. I found myself creating characters to play on several different servers (referred to in the game as "realms") to play with different groups of friends (or in some cases, just to have different affiliations of characters). Players can advance their characters by completing predetermined quests given by NPCs (Non-Player Characters, or "bots," in a sense), by developing and practicing a profession (like mining or cooking), or by simply running around and killing all the monsters they can (much slower than the quests). There is another aspect of the game referred to as PvP (Player vs. Player) that allows for players to battle each other, as well. Additionally, there is a built-in IRC-like chat client, and a "buddy list" so you can keep track of your friends in-game. It looks like Blizzard is constantly upgrading and improving the game (during my trial period, the game was updated with a patch), and they closely police the activities of their players to minimize cheats and exploitation of newer players. I am now a believer in the subscription game model.
The downside of WoW is that it is extremely absorbing. I found myself neglecting chores, ignoring family, and staying up way too late just to log in more play time. When my trial period ended, I felt like an addict needing a fix...but I held off buying the game (it's only been a couple of days, but even that has helped curb the compulsion to play). I still want to buy it, and I probably will soon. It fills in a gap that was left when I "retired" from my day-to-day involvement with the running of Clan MacAddict (a gaming clan affiliated with the magazine of the same name). I enjoyed my time as one of Clan MA's officers, mostly due to the social aspect of what I was doing. When activity tapered, so did my level of involvement and enjoyment. WoW looks to be able to fill that gap. I just need to be sure I play in moderation.
On a related note, I hear that there is currently a Star Trek-based MMORPG in development. God help me, please (after that comes out, good luck finding me!).
As far as Star Wars Battlefront 2, it's a fun game, but there's almost no social interaction. There are a few flaws with it, as well...most notably that the characters can no longer go into the prone position, which kinda sucks if you're using a sniper (since that's the most effective position for a sniper). The space battles are a great addition, but there are some bugs to iron out with regard to bombs not rendering properly in some instances. The interface for the game is also somewhat cumbersome. Oh well, it was fun to play for a while...but it's time for it to find a new home.
In other news, since my last post, I've passed my A+ OS exam, which (along with the previous A+ Hardware exam) makes me an official CompTIA A+ Certified Professional. Not a big deal on the PC side of things, but coming from a Mac perspective, that was one confusing test to pass. In fact, I failed the OS exam once prior...in studying for it (and in my job of the past 10 months), I was reminded that I made the right choice in OS. Speaking of Mac OS X, I also passed my Apple Certified Help Desk Specialist (ACHDS) for Mac OS X 10.4 exam, so that's a big relief. Apple Certified Desktop and Portable Technician exams, here I come! (Hopefully, I'll have those by the end of December).
The other big thing that happened to me is something that I've been documenting in the MacAddict forums, and something that I'll write a comprehensive post on for next time. Think "too good to be true," only...it's not. ;)
Saturday, October 22, 2005
(I hope) I get by with a little help from my Mac
Here I go again.
Getting distracted. Doing a whole buncha nothing, while there's plenty to do.
I'm at the car dealership, waiting for my vehicle to be serviced. I decided to bring my PowerBook along so I could force myself to actually do something.
I did something, alright: I spent the last 45 minutes playing Solitaire.
To be fair, just prior to launching Solitaire, I thought I'd organize the fonts on my computer. That lasted all of about 20 minutes, before I realized it was going to monopolize the system resources and not let me do anything else for the next God-knows-how-long I'll be here. Enter Solitaire.
I could be organizing my list of supported Macs at work. I could be studying for my A+ OS exam. I could be working on my blog or on one of my website ideas. I could be creating.
Creating. There's something I haven't done in a while. The last creative project I worked on was a logo design for FreeBSD. They held a logo design contest, which I learned of only hours before the deadline. I started playing around to see what I could come up with, and I managed to put together (or, more accurately, pull out of thin air) what I think is a pretty decent design in a matter of a couple of hours, so I submitted it. I'm still waiting for the results of that (not that I'm holding my breath).
I remember the original reason I stated for getting a computer was to help me create. I was so full of ideas, and a computer was going to help me get those ideas in motion.
Bullshit.
I didn't count on the impact that computer ownership would have on my life. Pandora, let's see what's in that Box....
No sooner did I have a computer that I was online with it. My wife quickly became an "internet widow;" I dove head-first into whatever I could: Online chat. Gaming. Free porn. All the news and information I could ever need at my fingertips.
I've never been much of a "recreational reader;" that is, I don't read novels or fiction very much. But information...my Lord, when I was growing up, I used to snag a volume of the World Book encyclopedia for reading material before I went to the bathroom. I can't get enough information.
There was a time when I was a young adult where I was down on my luck. Thanks to the generosity of family, I had a place to stay, but I wanted out badly, so I thought I'd start a small catalog of services and products for Sci-Fi fans. I remember busting my ass and putting together novelty buttons, hand-sculpting little penguins and pins, and a few other items. I drew pictures of everything I offered, typed up some descriptions, and cut-and-pasted the catalog together (we're talking scissors and glue here, folks). I placed an ad in a national Sci-Fi magazine, and the next thing I knew, I was buried in catalog requests. And soon after that, I was buried in orders.
I had been so busy just trying to get the catalog done that I completely forgot to plan exactly how I was going to fulfill all the orders. Realizing my mistake, I filled what orders I could, and returned the payments on the ones that I couldn't, along with an apology.
"Damn," I thought to myself. "This would've been a whole lot simpler with a computer to help me along."
So, a few years later, as fate would have it, I finally got a computer. What did I do with it? I played games. I surfed the internet. I downloaded porn. I talked in chatrooms. I had the chance to use this new incredible tool, along with my creativity and talents, to produce great things, and I squandered it. I kept squandering it for many years to come. I do suffer from attention deficit disorder (so the resulting behavior should really come as no surprise), but that's really not much of an excuse.
Sure, I've kept up on the Mac community, and I've learned a lot of technical stuff about how it all works...enough so that I'm now working as a Mac help desk technician, so I suppose it hasn't all been for naught. Still, though...I miss the creativity. I miss the adrenaline rush of cramming for a last-minute deadline and the sweet euphoria that follows when a great project is completed.
I suppose it all comes down to organization. I've never been an organized person, and even today, organization plays little part in my life. There is a reason this blog is called "Chaos Deconstructed" -- I'm on a journey to rediscover my creative side, but also to establish some semblance of order so that I can be as productive as I can be -- for me, and more importantly, for my family.
I first got a computer because I thought it would get me organized and productive, but I learned over time that there is NO tool that do that for me; that's something that must happen from the inside out. The computer is a powerful tool for doing so, but it's still just a tool: a hammer won't drive a nail without someone there to swing it. The problem with computers is that they're such varied and diverse tools that one can easily get lost in all its other functions. That's what happened to me; the computer didn't organize me, it just gave me a whole new world of things to organize.
Yes, this blog will focus on Macs and tech and whatnot, but it will also focus on my journey from chaos and frustration to productivity and sanity. Having established that, I'll end this entry with a funny anecdote:
As part of this journey, I discovered a couple of great resources to help get me started: Merlin Mann's excellent 43 Folders website, and David Allen's book "Getting Things Done." I ordered GTD from Amazon and started reading it with great enthusiasm. I also bookmarked and regularly checked 43F for a while. However, it's been a few months since I've done either: I misplaced the book, and the website is lost in my long list of bookmarks that have yet to be organized.
Now please excuse me while I beat my head on the desk for a bit....
Getting distracted. Doing a whole buncha nothing, while there's plenty to do.
I'm at the car dealership, waiting for my vehicle to be serviced. I decided to bring my PowerBook along so I could force myself to actually do something.
I did something, alright: I spent the last 45 minutes playing Solitaire.
To be fair, just prior to launching Solitaire, I thought I'd organize the fonts on my computer. That lasted all of about 20 minutes, before I realized it was going to monopolize the system resources and not let me do anything else for the next God-knows-how-long I'll be here. Enter Solitaire.
I could be organizing my list of supported Macs at work. I could be studying for my A+ OS exam. I could be working on my blog or on one of my website ideas. I could be creating.
Creating. There's something I haven't done in a while. The last creative project I worked on was a logo design for FreeBSD. They held a logo design contest, which I learned of only hours before the deadline. I started playing around to see what I could come up with, and I managed to put together (or, more accurately, pull out of thin air) what I think is a pretty decent design in a matter of a couple of hours, so I submitted it. I'm still waiting for the results of that (not that I'm holding my breath).
I remember the original reason I stated for getting a computer was to help me create. I was so full of ideas, and a computer was going to help me get those ideas in motion.
Bullshit.
I didn't count on the impact that computer ownership would have on my life. Pandora, let's see what's in that Box....
No sooner did I have a computer that I was online with it. My wife quickly became an "internet widow;" I dove head-first into whatever I could: Online chat. Gaming. Free porn. All the news and information I could ever need at my fingertips.
I've never been much of a "recreational reader;" that is, I don't read novels or fiction very much. But information...my Lord, when I was growing up, I used to snag a volume of the World Book encyclopedia for reading material before I went to the bathroom. I can't get enough information.
There was a time when I was a young adult where I was down on my luck. Thanks to the generosity of family, I had a place to stay, but I wanted out badly, so I thought I'd start a small catalog of services and products for Sci-Fi fans. I remember busting my ass and putting together novelty buttons, hand-sculpting little penguins and pins, and a few other items. I drew pictures of everything I offered, typed up some descriptions, and cut-and-pasted the catalog together (we're talking scissors and glue here, folks). I placed an ad in a national Sci-Fi magazine, and the next thing I knew, I was buried in catalog requests. And soon after that, I was buried in orders.
I had been so busy just trying to get the catalog done that I completely forgot to plan exactly how I was going to fulfill all the orders. Realizing my mistake, I filled what orders I could, and returned the payments on the ones that I couldn't, along with an apology.
"Damn," I thought to myself. "This would've been a whole lot simpler with a computer to help me along."
So, a few years later, as fate would have it, I finally got a computer. What did I do with it? I played games. I surfed the internet. I downloaded porn. I talked in chatrooms. I had the chance to use this new incredible tool, along with my creativity and talents, to produce great things, and I squandered it. I kept squandering it for many years to come. I do suffer from attention deficit disorder (so the resulting behavior should really come as no surprise), but that's really not much of an excuse.
Sure, I've kept up on the Mac community, and I've learned a lot of technical stuff about how it all works...enough so that I'm now working as a Mac help desk technician, so I suppose it hasn't all been for naught. Still, though...I miss the creativity. I miss the adrenaline rush of cramming for a last-minute deadline and the sweet euphoria that follows when a great project is completed.
I suppose it all comes down to organization. I've never been an organized person, and even today, organization plays little part in my life. There is a reason this blog is called "Chaos Deconstructed" -- I'm on a journey to rediscover my creative side, but also to establish some semblance of order so that I can be as productive as I can be -- for me, and more importantly, for my family.
I first got a computer because I thought it would get me organized and productive, but I learned over time that there is NO tool that do that for me; that's something that must happen from the inside out. The computer is a powerful tool for doing so, but it's still just a tool: a hammer won't drive a nail without someone there to swing it. The problem with computers is that they're such varied and diverse tools that one can easily get lost in all its other functions. That's what happened to me; the computer didn't organize me, it just gave me a whole new world of things to organize.
Yes, this blog will focus on Macs and tech and whatnot, but it will also focus on my journey from chaos and frustration to productivity and sanity. Having established that, I'll end this entry with a funny anecdote:
As part of this journey, I discovered a couple of great resources to help get me started: Merlin Mann's excellent 43 Folders website, and David Allen's book "Getting Things Done." I ordered GTD from Amazon and started reading it with great enthusiasm. I also bookmarked and regularly checked 43F for a while. However, it's been a few months since I've done either: I misplaced the book, and the website is lost in my long list of bookmarks that have yet to be organized.
Now please excuse me while I beat my head on the desk for a bit....
Thursday, October 20, 2005
YADR (Yet Another Dvorak Rebuttal)
Well, John Dvorak is at it again. I really should just ignore him like I always do, but for some reason, I felt compelled to respond. Call it the straw that broke the camel's back, or whatever you like. I've posted his article in sections with my replies following in italics. (Considering I'm using this as an editorial piece, I would think this is fair use). Whatever you call it, here goes:
See Dvorak's original article here: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,1872175,00.asp
Media Bias and Technology Reporting
ARTICLE DATE: 10.17.05
By John C. Dvorak
As big and as important as Microsoft is, the coverage of the company is quite mediocre. This is particularly true in the mainstream press. The reason for this is that today's newspaper and magazine tech writers know little about computers and are all Mac users. It's a fact.
**
It's a fact, eh? Well, being the esteemed journalist you claim to be, you shouldn't have any problems backing that "fact" up. Let's see it, Dvorak: provide definitive evidence that your tech writer colleagues "know little about computers." You arrogantly presume that if someone prefers a Mac over a Windows PC, that they must be technically illiterate. The job qualifications alone for a tech writer require familiarity with all sorts of technology. How could any decent writer make any sort of informed comparison without familiarizing himself with the various options available? Do you honestly think that the tech columnists for publications like the New York Times or Wall Street Journal would be able to keep their jobs if they were unfamiliar with Windows, which is what 95% of their readership uses?
This must be some sort of flame bait designed to draw clicks to your article, because I can't imagine any other reason for making such an uninformed, idiotic blanket statement. In three short sentences, you insult and alienate not only the majority of the high-profile tech press (99% of whom are much more respectable and knowledgeable than you appear to be), but also anyone who chooses a Mac over Windows.
**
This is why when Microsoft actually does have a good idea, people look to trash it out of hand. With 90 percent of the mainstream writers being Mac users, what would you expect? The top columnists in the news and business magazines fit this model too. The technology writers fit this model. The tech writers and tech columnists for the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, and Fortune are all Mac users. I could list them by name, but I'd hate to leave one out. Maybe I'll blog them by name. I could list 50. Readers should thus not be surprised by the overcoverage of Apple Computer. Every time Steve Jobs sneezes there is a collective chorus of "Gesundheit" from tech writers pounding away on their Macs.
**
Did you pause to think that, just maybe, the reason that the press pays attention to Apple is because Apple has a proven track record of establishing tech trends and coming up with generally useful and innovative technology? Or that maybe the reason that the press largely ignores Microsoft is because they really haven't done anything much worth writing about? Perhaps your colleagues have chosen to use Macs because they find them to be more productive for their needs. Maybe, like many people are now discovering, they find Mac OS X to be a superior user experience than Windows. Given the generally user-hostile environment of Windows, could you really blame them?
**
This reality is not going to change. In fact it will only get worse as technology coverage is handed to newer, less-qualified observers who simply cannot use a Microsoft Windows computer. With no Microsoft-centric frame of reference, Microsoft cannot look good. The company essentially brought this on itself with various PR and marketing policies that discouraged knowledgeable coverage. I'll save those complaints for a future gripe session.
**
Again, you presume that someone who chooses not to use Windows does so out of ignorance. My experience finds the opposite to be true: the majority of Windows users are unfamiliar with (or at least unexperienced with) the Mac. However, unlike you suggest, most Mac users are quite familiar with Windows, by sheer virtue of the fact that Windows is everywhere. Who hasn't had to learn to use it in their work or education somewhere along the line? Maybe not with the proficiency of, say, a MCSE professional, but most people have a basic working knowledge of some iteration of Windows.
Oh, and since you brought it up -- what makes someone "qualified" to use Windows? Obviously, the folks that are paid to write about technology fall short of your standard. Is Windows so complicated and unintuitive that one must be somehow deemed "qualified" to even use it? If that's the case, then 95% of the people that use Windows every day in some aspect of their job aren't qualified to use it. The only people who seem impassioned about Microsoft are people whose livelihoods rely on supporting or writing about Microsoft products. Yes, I'm looking at you, Dvorak...along with nearly the entire IT industry. What does it say about a company's products when it requires a global army of (expensively) trained technicians just to keep the basics up and running? To me, that speaks volumes for Windows as an operating environment.
**
What's bad for Microsoft is that the bias against it is subtle?kind of like any sort of media bias, whether religious or political. As one critic once said regarding the supposed left-wing slant of the daily news media, "It's not what they write, it's what they write ABOUT that matters." Story selection. Microsoft can roll out a dozen cool products, and the media goes ga-ga over the video iPod?a rather late-to-market Apple product. They all swoon over the prospect of paying $2 to download an otherwise free TV show so they can have the privilege of watching it on a 2-inch screen.
**
I don't think there have been a dozen cool Microsoft products in total. There was the Xbox, and Halo. There was the biometric fingerprint ID pad, and arguably a couple of its input peripherals. Their operating systems should impact the list negatively, since they tend to create far more problems than they solve. My point is, Microsoft isn't creating any stories here for the press to report. It's the same crap year after year, only with higher system requirements and more draconian activation schemes. Microsoft can't create a buzz about its products, because there's nothing buzzworthy coming out of Redmond. Apple, on the other hand, plays the press like a bard with a lute, and usually, the products they announce trailblaze a new direction for a good part of the tech industry. Everyone wants to know what Apple's next idea will be, because most of their ideas are gold mines.
**
The newsroom editors are generally so out of touch that they can't see this bias. Besides, they use Macs too. There are entire newsrooms, such as the one at Forbes, that consist entirely of Macintoshes. Apparently nobody but me finds this weird.
**
Why would using the most efficient tool for any particular job be "weird?" You're just burning bridges left and right, aren't you? I hope this job continues to work out for you, because I'd be hard pressed to hire you if I were an editor looking at your resume and you had just summarily dismissed my colleagues and me as morons.
**
Even Jack Shafer, who recently wrote about Apple's skewed coverage in Slate fails to point out the connection between the skewed coverage and the existence of this peculiar conflict of interest based on the national writers' use of Macs.
I often confront these guys with this assertion, and they, to a man (I've never confronted a female reporter about this), all say that they use a Mac "because it is better." Right. And that attitude doesn't affect coverage now, does it?
**
To an objective reporter, no, it doesn't. Of course, I'm not surprised at your incredulity at such a notion, given your time-tested bias against Apple and the Mac in general (and now, apparently, Mac users). I mean, if an esteemed journalist such as yourself can be just the slightest bit biased, then there can be no doubt the rest of those lesser writers are just transparent Apple shills.
**
Now this phenomenon is nothing new. I mean the phenomenon that an analyst will compare everything to his or her personal preferences, and naturally do it to excess. I first observed this during the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s, when all the writers, myself included, used WordStar. Everyone used WordStar. I would run into writers here and there and grill them about what they used. Anne Rice used WordStar, for example. Thus, when a new word processor came out, it was naturally compared to WordStar and, unless it was a clone of WordStar, it was always given poor marks. It was only the catastrophic failure of the WordStar company that ever allowed the competition to take over.
**
This is understandable, and is only human nature. We relate what we know. The Mac OS has traditionally been the benchmark against which all other GUI-based operating systems are compared...Why do you think that is? It certainly wasn't because of the business model around which it was built.
**
Probably the smartest thing Microsoft could ever have done was copy as much of the Mac OS as it could insofar as look and feel were concerned, since in the final analysis there were customers doing AB comparisons between the Mac and the PC?which kept the PC on the desktop. The PC was cheaper and seemed about the same functionally.
**
From a business standpoint, it was a brilliant move, but I predict it will end up being their undoing. Now that Windows has saturated the world's desktops, people are starting to realize that Microsoft isn't the only solution available. In Microsoft's push to conquer the world, they miscalculated one very important factor: people aren't sheep. The novelty of the computer has worn off, and now that people are beginning to rely on computers for multiple facets of their lives, they are starting to become aware of the quality and security issues that plague Windows. The world won't tolerate unreliable products for much longer, and unless Microsoft truly starts to innovate and change their underlying culture, there will be a steady exodus of defectors to alternate platforms like Mac OS X and Linux. The time of luring people with bargain basement system prices is nearing an end; the writing is on the wall.
**
Microsoft should make some headway with this biased crowd once the fanciful Xbox 360 arrives. It's got a creative GUI, is easy to use and navigate, and kind of has a Mac look to it. It also interfaces perfectly with the iPod. "Oh golly gee whiz wow!" And that feature alone will be the clincher.
**
I know many Mac users who own Xboxes. They own and use them for (imagine this): gaming. An Xbox isn't a computer, John...even an unqualified Mac user knows that!
See Dvorak's original article here: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,1872175,00.asp
Media Bias and Technology Reporting
ARTICLE DATE: 10.17.05
By John C. Dvorak
As big and as important as Microsoft is, the coverage of the company is quite mediocre. This is particularly true in the mainstream press. The reason for this is that today's newspaper and magazine tech writers know little about computers and are all Mac users. It's a fact.
**
It's a fact, eh? Well, being the esteemed journalist you claim to be, you shouldn't have any problems backing that "fact" up. Let's see it, Dvorak: provide definitive evidence that your tech writer colleagues "know little about computers." You arrogantly presume that if someone prefers a Mac over a Windows PC, that they must be technically illiterate. The job qualifications alone for a tech writer require familiarity with all sorts of technology. How could any decent writer make any sort of informed comparison without familiarizing himself with the various options available? Do you honestly think that the tech columnists for publications like the New York Times or Wall Street Journal would be able to keep their jobs if they were unfamiliar with Windows, which is what 95% of their readership uses?
This must be some sort of flame bait designed to draw clicks to your article, because I can't imagine any other reason for making such an uninformed, idiotic blanket statement. In three short sentences, you insult and alienate not only the majority of the high-profile tech press (99% of whom are much more respectable and knowledgeable than you appear to be), but also anyone who chooses a Mac over Windows.
**
This is why when Microsoft actually does have a good idea, people look to trash it out of hand. With 90 percent of the mainstream writers being Mac users, what would you expect? The top columnists in the news and business magazines fit this model too. The technology writers fit this model. The tech writers and tech columnists for the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, and Fortune are all Mac users. I could list them by name, but I'd hate to leave one out. Maybe I'll blog them by name. I could list 50. Readers should thus not be surprised by the overcoverage of Apple Computer. Every time Steve Jobs sneezes there is a collective chorus of "Gesundheit" from tech writers pounding away on their Macs.
**
Did you pause to think that, just maybe, the reason that the press pays attention to Apple is because Apple has a proven track record of establishing tech trends and coming up with generally useful and innovative technology? Or that maybe the reason that the press largely ignores Microsoft is because they really haven't done anything much worth writing about? Perhaps your colleagues have chosen to use Macs because they find them to be more productive for their needs. Maybe, like many people are now discovering, they find Mac OS X to be a superior user experience than Windows. Given the generally user-hostile environment of Windows, could you really blame them?
**
This reality is not going to change. In fact it will only get worse as technology coverage is handed to newer, less-qualified observers who simply cannot use a Microsoft Windows computer. With no Microsoft-centric frame of reference, Microsoft cannot look good. The company essentially brought this on itself with various PR and marketing policies that discouraged knowledgeable coverage. I'll save those complaints for a future gripe session.
**
Again, you presume that someone who chooses not to use Windows does so out of ignorance. My experience finds the opposite to be true: the majority of Windows users are unfamiliar with (or at least unexperienced with) the Mac. However, unlike you suggest, most Mac users are quite familiar with Windows, by sheer virtue of the fact that Windows is everywhere. Who hasn't had to learn to use it in their work or education somewhere along the line? Maybe not with the proficiency of, say, a MCSE professional, but most people have a basic working knowledge of some iteration of Windows.
Oh, and since you brought it up -- what makes someone "qualified" to use Windows? Obviously, the folks that are paid to write about technology fall short of your standard. Is Windows so complicated and unintuitive that one must be somehow deemed "qualified" to even use it? If that's the case, then 95% of the people that use Windows every day in some aspect of their job aren't qualified to use it. The only people who seem impassioned about Microsoft are people whose livelihoods rely on supporting or writing about Microsoft products. Yes, I'm looking at you, Dvorak...along with nearly the entire IT industry. What does it say about a company's products when it requires a global army of (expensively) trained technicians just to keep the basics up and running? To me, that speaks volumes for Windows as an operating environment.
**
What's bad for Microsoft is that the bias against it is subtle?kind of like any sort of media bias, whether religious or political. As one critic once said regarding the supposed left-wing slant of the daily news media, "It's not what they write, it's what they write ABOUT that matters." Story selection. Microsoft can roll out a dozen cool products, and the media goes ga-ga over the video iPod?a rather late-to-market Apple product. They all swoon over the prospect of paying $2 to download an otherwise free TV show so they can have the privilege of watching it on a 2-inch screen.
**
I don't think there have been a dozen cool Microsoft products in total. There was the Xbox, and Halo. There was the biometric fingerprint ID pad, and arguably a couple of its input peripherals. Their operating systems should impact the list negatively, since they tend to create far more problems than they solve. My point is, Microsoft isn't creating any stories here for the press to report. It's the same crap year after year, only with higher system requirements and more draconian activation schemes. Microsoft can't create a buzz about its products, because there's nothing buzzworthy coming out of Redmond. Apple, on the other hand, plays the press like a bard with a lute, and usually, the products they announce trailblaze a new direction for a good part of the tech industry. Everyone wants to know what Apple's next idea will be, because most of their ideas are gold mines.
**
The newsroom editors are generally so out of touch that they can't see this bias. Besides, they use Macs too. There are entire newsrooms, such as the one at Forbes, that consist entirely of Macintoshes. Apparently nobody but me finds this weird.
**
Why would using the most efficient tool for any particular job be "weird?" You're just burning bridges left and right, aren't you? I hope this job continues to work out for you, because I'd be hard pressed to hire you if I were an editor looking at your resume and you had just summarily dismissed my colleagues and me as morons.
**
Even Jack Shafer, who recently wrote about Apple's skewed coverage in Slate fails to point out the connection between the skewed coverage and the existence of this peculiar conflict of interest based on the national writers' use of Macs.
I often confront these guys with this assertion, and they, to a man (I've never confronted a female reporter about this), all say that they use a Mac "because it is better." Right. And that attitude doesn't affect coverage now, does it?
**
To an objective reporter, no, it doesn't. Of course, I'm not surprised at your incredulity at such a notion, given your time-tested bias against Apple and the Mac in general (and now, apparently, Mac users). I mean, if an esteemed journalist such as yourself can be just the slightest bit biased, then there can be no doubt the rest of those lesser writers are just transparent Apple shills.
**
Now this phenomenon is nothing new. I mean the phenomenon that an analyst will compare everything to his or her personal preferences, and naturally do it to excess. I first observed this during the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s, when all the writers, myself included, used WordStar. Everyone used WordStar. I would run into writers here and there and grill them about what they used. Anne Rice used WordStar, for example. Thus, when a new word processor came out, it was naturally compared to WordStar and, unless it was a clone of WordStar, it was always given poor marks. It was only the catastrophic failure of the WordStar company that ever allowed the competition to take over.
**
This is understandable, and is only human nature. We relate what we know. The Mac OS has traditionally been the benchmark against which all other GUI-based operating systems are compared...Why do you think that is? It certainly wasn't because of the business model around which it was built.
**
Probably the smartest thing Microsoft could ever have done was copy as much of the Mac OS as it could insofar as look and feel were concerned, since in the final analysis there were customers doing AB comparisons between the Mac and the PC?which kept the PC on the desktop. The PC was cheaper and seemed about the same functionally.
**
From a business standpoint, it was a brilliant move, but I predict it will end up being their undoing. Now that Windows has saturated the world's desktops, people are starting to realize that Microsoft isn't the only solution available. In Microsoft's push to conquer the world, they miscalculated one very important factor: people aren't sheep. The novelty of the computer has worn off, and now that people are beginning to rely on computers for multiple facets of their lives, they are starting to become aware of the quality and security issues that plague Windows. The world won't tolerate unreliable products for much longer, and unless Microsoft truly starts to innovate and change their underlying culture, there will be a steady exodus of defectors to alternate platforms like Mac OS X and Linux. The time of luring people with bargain basement system prices is nearing an end; the writing is on the wall.
**
Microsoft should make some headway with this biased crowd once the fanciful Xbox 360 arrives. It's got a creative GUI, is easy to use and navigate, and kind of has a Mac look to it. It also interfaces perfectly with the iPod. "Oh golly gee whiz wow!" And that feature alone will be the clincher.
**
I know many Mac users who own Xboxes. They own and use them for (imagine this): gaming. An Xbox isn't a computer, John...even an unqualified Mac user knows that!
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
10 Things I Hate About Apple
Even though I work Mac support and I'm generally an Apple fanboy, one of the reasons I think it's nice not actually working for Apple is that I get to criticize the company from a customer's standpoint. It's not often that I find myself doing so, but I'm starting to build up a small list of annoyances that have piqued my ire of late, so I thought it might be healthy, in the interest of balance, to bitch about my favorite computer company for a change. Here goes:
10. .Mac
Yes, I've been a subscriber from day one, and yes, I just renewed for my fourth year...this time, I even went for the .Mac "Family Pack," where I get to spend $180 for a modest set of web services. Sure, Apple upped the storage space and bandwidth, and yes, it's nice to get the freebies they throw our way every now and again (although, it seems a lot less frequent these days), but still...it would be nice to have some sort of discount or incentive for renewing, seeing as how we're repeat customers of a service that really hasn't lived up to the Apple standards of usefulness.
9. The iPod
Yes, I know...BLASPHEMY! The truth is, I have yet to purchase one. Yes, they're cool, but I haven't been able to justify dropping $250+ on a music player. From the time the iPod was first introduced, I thought it was cool that it could double as a bootable FireWire drive, and I was intrigued at the possibility of it evolving into a portable media device (with one possible function being on-the-fly conversion to DV from a FireWire video source). I promised myself I'd hold off until that actually happened, but I'm still waiting. The recent generations have been getting close, with color screens and higher storage capacities than ever...let's see what happens tomorrow.
8. Repair Procedures
I work the Mac Help Desk, so I see a fair amount of Mac hardware. Sometimes, things aren't how they're supposed to be, and I'll occasionally have to send a computer in for warranty service, or simply order replacement parts. The other day, I needed to order a replacement optical drive for a brand new G5 tower, and I couldn't get the part sent to me without first giving a credit card number. Now, as I said before, I'm the Help Desk guy...I don't have a stinking credit card to provide them with, so I asked if I could just have them send out an empty box, and I'd send them back the defective part first, and they could send me out the replacement....no can do, they said. (grrrrr...) So, after determining that they wouldn't actually charge the card unless the defective drive wasn't returned within 10 days, I reluctantly gave my personal credit card. I asked how much the charge would be if I failed to return the drive, and they told me it would be $320. $320?!?! IT'S A $50 FREAKIN' DRIVE!!! Gawd, I hope it got back there OK....
7. Elitist Pricing
Yes, I know the Mac mini is out there, and it's cheap. But it doesn't deliver the whole Mac OS X 10.4 experience, mainly because of its crippled video card that can't run Core Image. The previous-generation processor doesn't help, either...I see lots of PC folks buying the mini to try Mac OS X, only to sell it a couple of weeks later because they're so disgusted with the performance. Granted, most of those folks are the more technically literate anyhow (like, those one might find posting on internet discussion forums about such things), but still...it leaves a bad impression. No, I'm talking about the run-of-the-mill consumer, pro, and portable Macs....although arguably, the portables are competitively priced. And yes, I also realize there's a premium to be paid for a great OS and some great bundled apps, not to mention the built-in security...but still, it's a tough sell to the crowd who's used to paying $400 for a Dell POS. You and I (addressing the Mac users here) know that Mac OS X alone is worth double the price of admission, but Joe PC User doesn't see things that way. Remember, Microsoft is the richest company in the world, so they *must* have the best OS, right?
6. Dreadful Ad Campaigns
The Think Different campaign was probably the closest thing I remember to capturing the Mac experience and trying to relate it to those who just didn't "get it." Unfortunately, in order to "get" the Think Different campaign, you had to first "get" the Mac...so the public wrote the whole thing off as too artsy-fartsy or west-coast hippie for their taste. Every other ad campaign has seemed sad and desperate in comparison. Sure, we all got a kick out of "switcher" Ellen Feiss, but that was mostly those of us already firmly entrenched in the Mac camp...like those of us who "got" the Think Different campaign...(aaarrrghhh!)
5. Zombie Generation
Mac users have a huge image problem; we're typically seen as the radical fringe of computer users, largely due to the very loud and very small faction of Mac Zealots who make it their self-appointed duty to Go Forth and Educate the Masses about the Computing Nirvana that is the Mac. I know the type all to well...I used to be one. But I quickly found that being a computer snob that went around itching for an operating system debate got real old, real quick. 95% of the world was against me from the outset, and no matter how much hard data and passion I had to back up my claims, it still somehow shriveled when confronted with the age-old wisdom of "Macs Suck!"
So, something that really should be a badge of pride (inspiring people so much that they REALLY want to spread the word about this New Wonderful Thing they've discovered -- in this case the Mac OS), instead backfires and creates over-enthusiastic, unstoppable Mac minions who will stop at nothing to crush any criticism of the Mac or Apple wherever it rears its ugly head. Really, it's just the radical (and very vocal) few; we're mostly normal folks. Well, except we don't have to deal with malware. Neener-neener.
4. Reality Distortion Field
We're in the middle of one right now. It's October 11, 2005 as I type this, and there is this "One More Thing..." product launch event happening tomorrow that has everyone in the tech world abuzz with speculation. No matter what's announced tomorrow, it will be embraced by many and hailed as the coolest thing to come out of the tech sector in months, if not years. Everyone who attends or watches the carefully orchestrated media event will be glazed over, "oooh"ing and "aaah"ing and praising Steve Jobs as the second coming of Christ. Again. Then the buzz will quell, and the pundits will start their barrage of attacks on whatever it was and somewhere in the midst of it all, folks will start to look objectively at the product...but not before it sells out across the board and has early adopters waiting for 2-3 week ship dates due to overwhelming initial demand. (Why can't Apple create this kind of sensation with their campaign advertising?!)
3. Culture of Excellence
By way of higher standards throughout the user experience, Apple has spoiled us Mac users. I honestly had never really thought much about using a Windows PC for as long as I could remember, when a couple of years ago, I had to use one for an online study program. It wasn't until then that I realized just how good we had it on the Mac. I mean sure, I knew about Windows and its world of problems, but I never realized just how disparate and random the various applications could be. It's as if there are no guidelines or anything for developers, and the developers range anywhere from "very competent with human interface design" to "screw 'em if they can't understand binary!" If I had started off in the Windows world, I wouldn't have such high expectations from the applications I use.
2. Gag Orders & Related Lawsuits
Well, at least, Apple's policy of not commenting on future products, and their iron-fist tactics in trying to stifle the various fan sites that feed the buzz machine that keeps them the topic du jour at the caffeine wells of tech geekdom. Sure, Apple needs to protect its unreleased property and maintain control of its PR, but the shroud of mystery and intrigue in which they wrap their unannounced products -- along with the fact that most of their products are just That. Damn. Cool. -- begs for speculation and conjecture. Personally, I think Apple knows this all too well, and the lawsuits must just be theatrics designed to veil the strategy behind the "leaks" that seem to "plague" them just prior to new product announcements.
...and, the number 1 thing I hate about Apple:
1. Making Me Want Every Damn Thing They Make
(Well, except for maybe the Mighty Mouse...but even that looked appealing for a day or two.)
It wouldn't be so bad if I were filthy stinking rich -- I'd just go to the Apple Store every six months or so and say, "One of each, please!" But, as fate would have it, I'm on the lower end of the Mac demographic pay scale, so when I buy hardware, I'm stuck with it for a while. Until February of this year, my main Mac was (and still sorta is) a G4 Sawtooth that I bought new in June of 2000. I still love that Mac (and it's seen a few upgrades to keep it current), but this little PowerBook 12" has stolen my attention as my current main Mac (I treated myself after landing the Help Desk gig). At any rate, the annoying thing about being a Mac user and an Apple fan is lusting after all the industrial design candy that comes out of Cupertino's magic factory: G4 Cube. Cinema Displays. Power Mac G5. Mac mini. Any given iPod. iMac G5. Hell, I even loved the clamshell iBooks (Key Lime, anyone?) and the Blue Dalmatian iMacs. That's not to say I've always been in agreement on the price point, but if price were no object, I'd have a house full of Apple products right about now.
10. .Mac
Yes, I've been a subscriber from day one, and yes, I just renewed for my fourth year...this time, I even went for the .Mac "Family Pack," where I get to spend $180 for a modest set of web services. Sure, Apple upped the storage space and bandwidth, and yes, it's nice to get the freebies they throw our way every now and again (although, it seems a lot less frequent these days), but still...it would be nice to have some sort of discount or incentive for renewing, seeing as how we're repeat customers of a service that really hasn't lived up to the Apple standards of usefulness.
9. The iPod
Yes, I know...BLASPHEMY! The truth is, I have yet to purchase one. Yes, they're cool, but I haven't been able to justify dropping $250+ on a music player. From the time the iPod was first introduced, I thought it was cool that it could double as a bootable FireWire drive, and I was intrigued at the possibility of it evolving into a portable media device (with one possible function being on-the-fly conversion to DV from a FireWire video source). I promised myself I'd hold off until that actually happened, but I'm still waiting. The recent generations have been getting close, with color screens and higher storage capacities than ever...let's see what happens tomorrow.
8. Repair Procedures
I work the Mac Help Desk, so I see a fair amount of Mac hardware. Sometimes, things aren't how they're supposed to be, and I'll occasionally have to send a computer in for warranty service, or simply order replacement parts. The other day, I needed to order a replacement optical drive for a brand new G5 tower, and I couldn't get the part sent to me without first giving a credit card number. Now, as I said before, I'm the Help Desk guy...I don't have a stinking credit card to provide them with, so I asked if I could just have them send out an empty box, and I'd send them back the defective part first, and they could send me out the replacement....no can do, they said. (grrrrr...) So, after determining that they wouldn't actually charge the card unless the defective drive wasn't returned within 10 days, I reluctantly gave my personal credit card. I asked how much the charge would be if I failed to return the drive, and they told me it would be $320. $320?!?! IT'S A $50 FREAKIN' DRIVE!!! Gawd, I hope it got back there OK....
7. Elitist Pricing
Yes, I know the Mac mini is out there, and it's cheap. But it doesn't deliver the whole Mac OS X 10.4 experience, mainly because of its crippled video card that can't run Core Image. The previous-generation processor doesn't help, either...I see lots of PC folks buying the mini to try Mac OS X, only to sell it a couple of weeks later because they're so disgusted with the performance. Granted, most of those folks are the more technically literate anyhow (like, those one might find posting on internet discussion forums about such things), but still...it leaves a bad impression. No, I'm talking about the run-of-the-mill consumer, pro, and portable Macs....although arguably, the portables are competitively priced. And yes, I also realize there's a premium to be paid for a great OS and some great bundled apps, not to mention the built-in security...but still, it's a tough sell to the crowd who's used to paying $400 for a Dell POS. You and I (addressing the Mac users here) know that Mac OS X alone is worth double the price of admission, but Joe PC User doesn't see things that way. Remember, Microsoft is the richest company in the world, so they *must* have the best OS, right?
6. Dreadful Ad Campaigns
The Think Different campaign was probably the closest thing I remember to capturing the Mac experience and trying to relate it to those who just didn't "get it." Unfortunately, in order to "get" the Think Different campaign, you had to first "get" the Mac...so the public wrote the whole thing off as too artsy-fartsy or west-coast hippie for their taste. Every other ad campaign has seemed sad and desperate in comparison. Sure, we all got a kick out of "switcher" Ellen Feiss, but that was mostly those of us already firmly entrenched in the Mac camp...like those of us who "got" the Think Different campaign...(aaarrrghhh!)
5. Zombie Generation
Mac users have a huge image problem; we're typically seen as the radical fringe of computer users, largely due to the very loud and very small faction of Mac Zealots who make it their self-appointed duty to Go Forth and Educate the Masses about the Computing Nirvana that is the Mac. I know the type all to well...I used to be one. But I quickly found that being a computer snob that went around itching for an operating system debate got real old, real quick. 95% of the world was against me from the outset, and no matter how much hard data and passion I had to back up my claims, it still somehow shriveled when confronted with the age-old wisdom of "Macs Suck!"
So, something that really should be a badge of pride (inspiring people so much that they REALLY want to spread the word about this New Wonderful Thing they've discovered -- in this case the Mac OS), instead backfires and creates over-enthusiastic, unstoppable Mac minions who will stop at nothing to crush any criticism of the Mac or Apple wherever it rears its ugly head. Really, it's just the radical (and very vocal) few; we're mostly normal folks. Well, except we don't have to deal with malware. Neener-neener.
4. Reality Distortion Field
We're in the middle of one right now. It's October 11, 2005 as I type this, and there is this "One More Thing..." product launch event happening tomorrow that has everyone in the tech world abuzz with speculation. No matter what's announced tomorrow, it will be embraced by many and hailed as the coolest thing to come out of the tech sector in months, if not years. Everyone who attends or watches the carefully orchestrated media event will be glazed over, "oooh"ing and "aaah"ing and praising Steve Jobs as the second coming of Christ. Again. Then the buzz will quell, and the pundits will start their barrage of attacks on whatever it was and somewhere in the midst of it all, folks will start to look objectively at the product...but not before it sells out across the board and has early adopters waiting for 2-3 week ship dates due to overwhelming initial demand. (Why can't Apple create this kind of sensation with their campaign advertising?!)
3. Culture of Excellence
By way of higher standards throughout the user experience, Apple has spoiled us Mac users. I honestly had never really thought much about using a Windows PC for as long as I could remember, when a couple of years ago, I had to use one for an online study program. It wasn't until then that I realized just how good we had it on the Mac. I mean sure, I knew about Windows and its world of problems, but I never realized just how disparate and random the various applications could be. It's as if there are no guidelines or anything for developers, and the developers range anywhere from "very competent with human interface design" to "screw 'em if they can't understand binary!" If I had started off in the Windows world, I wouldn't have such high expectations from the applications I use.
2. Gag Orders & Related Lawsuits
Well, at least, Apple's policy of not commenting on future products, and their iron-fist tactics in trying to stifle the various fan sites that feed the buzz machine that keeps them the topic du jour at the caffeine wells of tech geekdom. Sure, Apple needs to protect its unreleased property and maintain control of its PR, but the shroud of mystery and intrigue in which they wrap their unannounced products -- along with the fact that most of their products are just That. Damn. Cool. -- begs for speculation and conjecture. Personally, I think Apple knows this all too well, and the lawsuits must just be theatrics designed to veil the strategy behind the "leaks" that seem to "plague" them just prior to new product announcements.
...and, the number 1 thing I hate about Apple:
1. Making Me Want Every Damn Thing They Make
(Well, except for maybe the Mighty Mouse...but even that looked appealing for a day or two.)
It wouldn't be so bad if I were filthy stinking rich -- I'd just go to the Apple Store every six months or so and say, "One of each, please!" But, as fate would have it, I'm on the lower end of the Mac demographic pay scale, so when I buy hardware, I'm stuck with it for a while. Until February of this year, my main Mac was (and still sorta is) a G4 Sawtooth that I bought new in June of 2000. I still love that Mac (and it's seen a few upgrades to keep it current), but this little PowerBook 12" has stolen my attention as my current main Mac (I treated myself after landing the Help Desk gig). At any rate, the annoying thing about being a Mac user and an Apple fan is lusting after all the industrial design candy that comes out of Cupertino's magic factory: G4 Cube. Cinema Displays. Power Mac G5. Mac mini. Any given iPod. iMac G5. Hell, I even loved the clamshell iBooks (Key Lime, anyone?) and the Blue Dalmatian iMacs. That's not to say I've always been in agreement on the price point, but if price were no object, I'd have a house full of Apple products right about now.
Monday, October 10, 2005
"One More Speculation..."
As a longtime follower of all things Apple (read: "fanboy"), I can tell you one thing that won't be happening to the iPod: it won't just get video playback ability. It just doesn't fit with Apple's design philosophy.
The iPod was so revolutionary in that it provided a simple and elegant way for people to enjoy music in a whole new way (yes, other portable music players came first, but nobody else ever really got it "right" like Apple did). Music can be, and often is, quite inspirational...and more importantly, music can be enjoyed in the background while performing other tasks (like driving, working out, painting, etc.). Video playback is more absorbing, and arguably, a lot less inspiring.
So whatever is announced Wednesday won't be merely the ability to watch video on the iPod. However, it could be one of many new features on a new iPod or other new media device. I've given up on trying to guess what Apple will come up with (well, not really, as you'll see...but don't quote me on any of this...), but if it involves portable video, I'd be surprised if it wasn't integrated somehow with QuickTime or even Apple's iLife products. Some wild guesses:
A portable media vault onto which one could stream DV video on-the-fly or unload a full memory card from a digital camera.
A QuickTime-integrated device that offers basic cut/paste NLE functionality (a portable version of "iMovie").
ThinkSecret claims no new iPods, but new Power Mac and PowerBook revisions. I'm gonna go out on a limb and disagree with them on this one...although the "video" announcement could involve a new product line altogether, have a look at the iPod's evolution: it has grown from 4GB to 60GB (arguably, much larger than even the largest personal music collection); it has grown from monochrome to color, with the ability to import and view an iPhoto library (and 3rd party accessories to allow direct-from-camera downloading); the iTunes Music Store has started carrying music videos within the last 18-24 months, and started supporting Podcasts (including video content) within the past 6 months. All of which leads to yet another speculative product:
The iPod as a portable Podcast creation studio: imagine hooking your iSight camera up to your new "iPodcast station" and being able to record yourself wherever, whenever you feel like, editing an uploading all from your portable device.
So, what's up Apple's sleeve? It's really anyone's guess at this point. But given Apple's track record, I really doubt it will simply be video playback capabilities on the iPod.
The iPod was so revolutionary in that it provided a simple and elegant way for people to enjoy music in a whole new way (yes, other portable music players came first, but nobody else ever really got it "right" like Apple did). Music can be, and often is, quite inspirational...and more importantly, music can be enjoyed in the background while performing other tasks (like driving, working out, painting, etc.). Video playback is more absorbing, and arguably, a lot less inspiring.
So whatever is announced Wednesday won't be merely the ability to watch video on the iPod. However, it could be one of many new features on a new iPod or other new media device. I've given up on trying to guess what Apple will come up with (well, not really, as you'll see...but don't quote me on any of this...), but if it involves portable video, I'd be surprised if it wasn't integrated somehow with QuickTime or even Apple's iLife products. Some wild guesses:
A portable media vault onto which one could stream DV video on-the-fly or unload a full memory card from a digital camera.
A QuickTime-integrated device that offers basic cut/paste NLE functionality (a portable version of "iMovie").
ThinkSecret claims no new iPods, but new Power Mac and PowerBook revisions. I'm gonna go out on a limb and disagree with them on this one...although the "video" announcement could involve a new product line altogether, have a look at the iPod's evolution: it has grown from 4GB to 60GB (arguably, much larger than even the largest personal music collection); it has grown from monochrome to color, with the ability to import and view an iPhoto library (and 3rd party accessories to allow direct-from-camera downloading); the iTunes Music Store has started carrying music videos within the last 18-24 months, and started supporting Podcasts (including video content) within the past 6 months. All of which leads to yet another speculative product:
The iPod as a portable Podcast creation studio: imagine hooking your iSight camera up to your new "iPodcast station" and being able to record yourself wherever, whenever you feel like, editing an uploading all from your portable device.
So, what's up Apple's sleeve? It's really anyone's guess at this point. But given Apple's track record, I really doubt it will simply be video playback capabilities on the iPod.
It's ALIVE! Rise, my creation!
Well, I'm reviving this forgotten old blog. I've been trying to figure out exactly how I was going to proceed with my blogging endeavors, and I've decided to just get back to basics (especially now that blogger is offering a lot more features than last year, when I last posted here).
I wrestled with whether or not to delete the previous posts (the ones from 2004, below), but I decided that they serve to remind me just how much things sucked for me last year, and how much better off things are this year, so I left 'em.
So, without further ado, here goes nuthin'....
I wrestled with whether or not to delete the previous posts (the ones from 2004, below), but I decided that they serve to remind me just how much things sucked for me last year, and how much better off things are this year, so I left 'em.
So, without further ado, here goes nuthin'....
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