Macworld: 25 Years of the Mac

The Macintosh computer turns 25 on Saturday, January 24. Macworld celebrates this anniversary with an entire week of articles looking at the Mac’s past and speculating about its future. I’m particularly fond of John Gruber’s piece on lessons OS X could learn from the Classic Mac OS.



Ars Technica: Paradigms lost: The Windows 7 Taskbar versus the OS X Dock

I’ve seen some complaints from Mac users that the new Windows 7 Taskbar seems eerily similar to Mac OS X’s Dock. Ars’ writer Peter Bright does a nice job in this article deconstructing the separate design philosophies and functionalities between these two interface elements and comes to the conclusion that they are more different than alike. Good stuff.



CNET: Obama Wants to Know: Why Open Source?

President Barack Obama is a smart guy. Where others zig, he zags. It's perhaps not surprising, then, that he's been asking around about the benefits of open source, according to Sun Chairman Scott McNealy, who has been asked by President Obama to author a white paper on the benefits the U.S. government can derive from open source.

Despite my love for Macs, I’ve found myself quite the advocate for open source software in government. It’ll be interesting to see where this goes.

Tags: apple inc, macintosh, politics, microsoft

Zune Spotlight: Zune Takes Music Discovery to the Next Level With New Ways to Find and Access Digital Music

The Microsoft Zune gets a nice update with new software features and a new blue color. The neatest feature allows users to tag songs they hear on FM radio to buy from the Zune Marketplace. This is great if you are one of those people who always forgets what that song is they really like!



Engadget: Microsoft's BlueTrack mice are here -- laser bids a tearful goodbye

Another nice new Microsoft product. These mice use a new wide-angle blue beam that allows them to accurately function on a greater variety of surfaces.



Lifehacker: A First Look at OpenOffice.org 3.0

Jason Fitzpatrick takes a look at how the new version of OpenOffice is shaping up with emphasis on the improvements in the Mac version.

Tags: microsoft, zune, software

Venture Beat: Xbox 360 defects: an inside history of Microsoft’s video game console woes

This is a very insightful article covering the production and marketing of the XBox 360 with a strong emphasis on Microsoft's handling of the Red Ring of Death. It's six fascinating pages of history and intrigue about (what has become) my favorite console.

I hope Microsoft learns from these experiences when it's time to release the next generation of XBox.



LiveScience: Autism and Vaccines: Why Bad Logic Trumps Science

Interesting stuff. As far as I know, no truly conclusive studies have managed to connect childhood vaccinations to autism.

According to lead author Dr. Mady Hornig, "We found no relationship between the timing of MMR vaccine and the onset of autism." In fact, the new study showed that often the first autism symptoms actually preceded the vaccination shots, and therefore could not have been caused by them.

The Seattle Times: How Obama got to convention's center stage

This is a truly fascinating insight into Obama's journey from being unable to get into the Democratic convention eight years ago to being the center of it today. Eight years ago, he couldn't get in to see Gore accept the nomination as a presidential candidate. This year, Gore was his lead-in.

Tags: microsoft, asd, politics

43: Folders: Deciding Whether to Read a Book: Some Wildly Reductive Heuristics

Merlin Mann shares some completely unfair and subjective criteria to which one should subject potential reading material – specifically nonfiction. However unfair, though, I think these guidelines would prove quite effective.



Mozilla Labs: Introducing Ubiquity

It's like Quicksilver for Firefox – except you would only understand that reference if you are a Mac user. Here, watch this video. Then follow the link.


Ubiquity for Firefox from Aza Raskin on Vimeo.



National Interest: Reflections on Leaving the Party

Susan Eisenhower writes about leaving the party for whom her grandfather had served as president.

Hijacked by a relatively small few, the GOP of today bears no resemblance to Lincoln, Roosevelt or Eisenhower’s party, or many of the other Republican administrations that came after…

As an independent I will now feel comfortable supporting people of any political party who reflect those core values.

Photosynth

This is a really amazing product coming out of Microsoft Live Labs. Unfortunately, the site only works on Windows machines at the moment, but here's a video of it being demonstrated at this year's TED conference.

Tags: politics, literature, firefox, microsoft, technology

While I'm preparing for a Simply Presentation workshop this summer, I've been browsing the TED Talks website for possible examples to share with the attendees. This involves watching every TED Talk I don't instantly recognize as one I've already viewed or downloaded. One of the joys of this process is discovering some of the technical demonstrations that happen at the TED conference every year.

In this video, Blaise Aguera y Arcas of Microsoft Live Labs shows off a piece of software called Photosyth. The demo is simply jaw-dropping.



Another joy is the outright bizzare but astonishing talents some individuals share. This video has Arthur Benjamin showcasing some unimaginable mathematical skills.

Tags: microsoft, ted

Ars Technica: Yahoo to Microsoft: talk to the hand, we say Nohoo!

Yahoo! turns Microsoft's lucrative offer down. At this point, Microsoft can either try to come up with more cash or attempt to overturn Yahoo!'s board. For the record, I called this one completely wrong.



YouTube: The Dark Knight Trailer. IN LEGO!!!

Tags: silly, microsoft

The Washington Post: Why I'm Backing Barack Obama

There's nothing surprising in this article when compared to others who have chosen to back Obama – except for the author. Susan Eisenhower. Yes, his granddaughter. Wow.

Update: And now the Grateful Dead are reuniting to support this guy! I have a feeling lots of people are going to feel disappointed if he doesn't take the Democratic nomination.



Ars Technica: Microsoft Adds Yahoo! to Shopping Cart

Can't get your rival to cooperate? Just buy them with more money than they can refuse. Like John Gruber, I can't see Yahoo!'s shareholders turning this one down.



PC Magazine: Apple's MacBook Air Will Soar

You know, I'm beginning to believe this thing might be a hit. I was listening to some decidedly non-techie friends talking about the MacBook Air over dinner recently, and they were all intrigued by it, a couple implying they were considering getting one. None of these friends are current Mac-owners either.

Tags: politics, microsoft, apple inc

Ars Technica: Amazon rounds out DRM-free music offering with Sony BMG

As John Gruber puts it: "Maybe they’re not so dumb after all."



Ars Technica: Under pressure from EMI, RIAA could disappear

From the article:

EMI was the first of the majors to drop DRM at iTunes and Amazon, moves that have made its digital music a more attractive option. But if EMI can force a restructuring of the IFPI and RIAA, the impact could be just as significant for the industry.

Windows Errors That Are Really Funny

"Error: The operation completed successfully." Even Windows admits how unusual it is for it to do something right. (Zing!)

Tags: drm, microsoft, riaa

BW Online: Commentary: Sorry, Steve: Here's Why Apple Stores Won't Work

Here's an article from 2001 about why the Apple stores would all be closed within two years. It's been making rounds through the Mac blogs, but I thought I'd post it here too!



TED: Announcing 2008 TED Prize winners

The TED Prize was introduced in 2005, and it is unlike any other award. Although the winners receive a prize of $100,000 each, the real prize is that they are granted a WISH. "A wish to change the world." There are no formal restrictions on the wish. We ask our winners to think big and to be creative. The goal is that it creates an incredible sense of excitement and common purpose. It inspires the TED community, and all those who hear about the wish, to offer their help in making the wish come true.

TED is a neat organization. I don't always agree with some of the positions they promote, but I like their hearts and the inspiration they foster.



TechCrunch: Q&A With Senator Barack Obama On Key Technology Issues

Obama is one of the only politicians out there who actually seems to get technology and be able to discuss it intelligently.



CNET: Top Ten Terrible Tech Products: Windows Vista

Really? Vista is one of the ten worst technology products? By what standards? Methinks someone is desperate for attention, and I just gave it to them...

Tags: politics, ted, technology, microsoft, apple inc

Ars Technica: Dell staunches the market share bleeding while Apple sees big growth

As predicted last quarter, however, Apple broke its tie for third place with Gateway by shipping 1.33 million units and growing by a whopping 37.2 percent (double that of any other US vendor) from third quarter 2006 to claim 8.1 percent of the US market for the quarter.

I remember the Mac's U.S. marketshare dropping to around 3% shortly after the introduction on OS X. Who knew a recovery like this would be possible?



Lifehacker: First Look at Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac

I am looking forward to the native speeds that Office 2008 will bring, but I'm not sure where they are going with the interface. It looks like some strange mutant child of iWork and Office 2004, with no single driving vision. As for Entourage, it just looks like a visual mess at the moment...



Destructoid: This is the end, my only friend: Nintendo drops NES support

The Nintendo Entertainment System, released for the U.S. back in 1985, will reach the end of its supported cycle on October 31. I have to admit that it never occurred to me that the NES might still be a supported product.



Ars Technica: Sony confirms $400, 40GB PS3 for the US, price drop for 80GB model

So is anyone going to sue Sony for a million bucks because they lowered the price? Seriously though, does anyone else feel like Sony just can't figure themselves out right now?

Tags: apple inc, microsoft, video games

The "Blog" of "Unnecessary" Quotation Marks

I don't think I've giggled so much since I found Engrish.com!



Daring Fireball: The ‘Un’ in ‘Unsupported’

I think I finally understand a certain misguided mindset that I’ve been baffled by for a decade. This mindset is exemplified by the sort of person who thinks that Apple “screwed them over” with the release of the iPhone 1.1.1 update.

The mindset manifests in many forms, but what it boils down to is this: a sense of entitlement that users should be able to do unsupported things and yet still be supported. That it makes no sense to expect support after taking unsupported actions is why I’ve found it baffling.

I also think more people are going to be affected by this mindset as these unsupported hacks become more accessible to the general public. What was once accomplished by only the most hardcore is now freely downloadable with easy-to-use interfaces that typical users can understand. Personally, I don't understand why you would want to take the risk with such an expensive purchase, but to each his/her own.



Mac Mojo: Welcome to Word Publishing Layout View

On the one hand, I'm glad to see this evolution of Word, but, on the other, I've already been doing this in Pages for a couple of years. Also, I find some of the design decisions baffling. Custom background surfaces? Who knows, maybe it will grow on me if I pick this up. I'm living sans Office at the moment, and it's not impossible, just inconvenient at times.

Tags: silly, technology, microsoft, iphone

Gateway One


image from Gateway

Surprisingly, it doesn't look half-bad, and it features some decent specs with prices between $1300 and $1800. Unfortunately, the processor speeds are pretty shameful compared to competing products (and yes, I feel a tinge of irony typing that sentence).



Ars Technica: A day on the Surface: a hands-on look at Microsoft's new computing platform

This looks pretty cool, and the videos are amazing. Anyone familiar with Jeff Han's research will instantly recognize what's going on here, but Microsoft's implementation is very smooth and accessible. I just wish they would be a little more aggressive at making this available to consumers. The industry needs progress like this.



Daring Fireball: The New Zunes

Why is Microsoft being so hush-hush about their new media players – unveiling the new Zunes at midnight? Are they ashamed of them or something?



Macworld: Is Apple On the Wrong Path?

Christopher Breen makes some good points about some of Apple's recent decisions and how they hurt Apple's image as a customer-friendly corporation. However, for the record, I've tried the new keyboard, and I like it.



Ars Technica: Picking a new fight: Halo 3 multiplayer review

Ars reviews the multiplayer portion of Halo 3.

It's clear that the real value of the Halo 3 purchase is in online play, and Bungie.net is the glue that holds all of this together ... Dump in a few more players, take the time to design your own game types, and you have the next few months of your life planned out.

Tags: technology, microsoft, video games, zune, apple inc

One of the things that really bugs me about the interface of Internet Explorer 7 is the menu arrow at the end of the address bar. If you are on a standard website, the arrow is in one place, but if you visit a secure website, the arrow moves to make room for another interface element.





See that lock icon. Yeah, it makes the address bar menu jump about 30 pixels to the left. Like I pointed out back in this post, I don't like moving targets. Really, who does? Would it not have made more sense to stick that icon inside the address bar perhaps? What about directly under the Refresh button to the left of the Home icon?

I'm not a professional designer, but it surprises me that both Microsoft and Apple let this mistake get past. People rely on motor memory instinctively, and moving interface elements impede that simple element of human adaptation. If you want to make your application more learnable and usable, all clickable elements of the main interface should consistently appear in the same place – not suddenly move due to a specific circumstance. The only one who should be able to move interface elements around is the user.

Tags: software, microsoft, browsers

Presentation Zen: Steve Jobs and the art of the swordsman

This is a good post by Garr Reynolds about the Art of Steve when it comes to presentations. Good stuff.



Ars Technica: Adobe, Microsoft accused of infringing on browser-related patents

Here we go again. All I want to know is why this company was awarded this patent years after this specific interface paradigm was already in use.



Apple – QuickTIme – Apple Special Event – August 2007

If you want to watch Steve Jobs' presentation from yesterday, it's right here. A fast connection is recommended.



Apple – iWork – Trial

If you have a Mac, you should download the trial version of iWork '08. It's only a 469 MB download!



Wired: Aug. 7, 1991: Ladies and Gentlemen, the World Wide Web

The "tubes" went public, and the world began to change.



Engadget: Apple calls multitouch Mac a "research project"

Sounds like Apple is still considering adding multitouch support to Macs. Chances are, this will show up in notebooks before desktops. I was not suprised that yesterdays announcements did not include a multitouch Mac.

Tags: powerpoint, microsoft, software, macintosh, apple inc, browsers, adobe

Nobel Intent: The mathematics of language acquisition

Fascinating stuff, and it reinforces the difficulties adults have acquiring new languages. Remember that next you get frustrated that someone is having difficulty with English when they have moved here from another country.



TUAW: Microsoft Office 2008 for the Mac delayed until January 2008

This does not make Robert happy, but what can you do?



Realmac Software: What's New in RapidWeaver 3.6.2

All I care about here is the smart publishing bug fix, but some nice new features have been added as well.

Tags: science, microsoft, rapidweaver, education

I saw this a while ago but forgot to post about it. It seems Microsoft is subtly trying to steal thunder from Ubuntu nowadays. Compare below and ask, "Could this be mere coincidence?" I think not.


Here is the Ubuntu logo.


Here is the Microsoft Alumni Network logo.

Aping a Linux distribution logo? I mean really. Props to whoever pointed this out to me...

Tags: technology, microsoft, opinion, linux

Intrepid Liberal Journal: Workers Have the Right To Remain Silent: A Podcast Interview With the ACLU's Bruce Barry

Basically, employers can currently ignore the First Amendment rights of their employees – and this should be especially important to bloggers. If you write or say something that upsets them, contradicts decisions, upsets their political views, or merely generally irritates them, they may fire you. The podcast discusses the issue very thoroughly.

It's ironic that I should stumble upon this story on the tenth anniversary of this Supreme Court decision (and I don't mean ironic in the rain-on-your-wedding-day way).



PC Magazine Review: Dell XPS M1330

This is, without a doubt, the sexiest Windows-based laptop ever created. If it weren't for the blue LEDs and the obligatory marketing stickers, it might just be as drool-worthy as a MacBook Pro.

However, we need to work on the name. XPS M1330? That's like running into a strikingly beautiful and achingly intelligent woman but learning her name is Hanktrude. It just mars the experience. Anyway, cool features, light, small, $2,200. Check it out if you use THOSE computers.



Here are a bunch of prerelease reviews of the iPhone. Nothing staggering here at all. THe general gist is that the iPhone works exactly as advertized (including the improved battery life). The touch screen works well but takes getting used to. EDGE is slow. If you want to read the full reviews, click away!

• The Mossberg Solution: The iPhone is a Breakthrough Handheld Computer
• NYT: The iPhone Matches Most of Its Hype
• Newsweek: At Last, the iPhone
• USAToday: Apple's iPhone Isn't Perfect, But It's Worthy of the Hype

So will the iPhone do to the mobile phone industry what the iPod did for digital music. Who knows? It could be incredible. It could be the next iPod HiFi. Still, if I try one out in a store and don't instantly dislike it, that will say a lot about it as a cell phone!

via DF and TUAW



Oliver Toast: Introducing MiniMail

This small app creates a small notification window for Apple's Mail application – much like the notifier featured in modern versions of Outlook.


screenshot by Oliver Toast

It's a neat idea, and it costs $9. Personally, I'm happy with Mail.appetizer which offers the same basic functionality for free. (However, MiniMail definitely offers more features.) Here's what Mail.appetizer looks like:





Ars Technica: Microsoft's anti-virtualization stance: forget DRM, think Apple

Ken Fisher thinks Microsoft's stance that limitation of Home editions of Windows virtualization based on DRM concerns is a snowjob. The real motivation may be to make it more expensive for Mac users to create virtual Windows machines.

Microsoft using arbitrary methods to stifle the competition? I can't imagine...



Ars Technica: Exonerated defendant sues RIAA for malicious prosecution

The title says it all.

Tags: technology, software, microsoft, riaa

Wired: Homestar Runner Rejects TV to Stay True to Web

The Brothers Chaps have rejected deals from both Cartoon Network and Comedy Central in favor of keeping Homestar Runner a webtoon. That's investiga-awesome for fans of the site!



1UP.com: Microsoft Suing Immersion

Immersion sues Microsoft over rumble features and wins. Immersion sues Sony over rumble features and wins. Now Microsoft is suing Immersion because Immersion sued Sony and won. What now? I'm lost.

Tags: silly, video games, microsoft

YouTube: Paul McCartney - Dance Tonight - Apple iPod + iTunes TV Ad



via TUAW



Guardian Unlimited: Call to ban all school exams for under-16s

Well, this is interesting...



Newsweek: On A Roll, Or, How Microsoft Secured Yet Another Exclusive--Beautiful Katamari--From Namco Bandai

Okay, this just made the whole "which expensive console should I buy" question a whole lot more complicated ... unless, of course, Newsweek is wrong.

via Opposable Thumbs



Ars Technica: AMA chimes in on gaming/violence connection, gaming addiction

From the article:

Overall, the committee seems to have produced a fine report that both accurately affects the current state of knowledge and puts the impetus for acting on it where it belongs: on parents, acting in consultation with family physicians.

Parental responsibility? Imagine that.

Tags: education, video games, itunes/ipods, microsoft

Introducing Sibelius 5



I'm happy to see this Universal Binary of Sibelius finally come out. I'll post some impressions of the demo once I get done with the RapidWeaver posts.

PS – It's lame that Scorch is still PPC-only. C'mon, how hard is it to update a browser plug-in?



Opposable Thumbs: Microsoft seeks answer to question, "Would global warming make for a good game?"

I picture controlling Al Gore racing his hybrid through angry mobs of staunch republicans in a Grand Theft Auto-inspired gore-fest. (No pun intended!) After escaping, you would have to coordinate your fellow environmentalists in covert stealth missions (Sam Fisher-style) that infiltrate heavily-armed Big Oil corporate offices where you ultimately will battle Mother Brain. (After all, there is no possible way these oil execs are really human.)

Side missions may include freezing ice cubes big enough to cool the oceans, setting up polar bear habitats, and discovering alternatives to using oil in producing plastics. Man I need to learn game design. I think I have a winner. Now if I can only talk Al into some voiceovers...



Apple – Safari 3 Public Beta

This is a smart move by Apple. More users will drive better support by web developers. This benefits Mac users and iPhone users. Not to mention (as DF points out) that this will lead to a bunch more integrated search revenue from Yahoo! and Google.

Windows users, get downloading! Mac users, hold your horses. It doesn't offer much the current version lacks, and updating may hose other WebKit-based apps and widgets. (Trust me on this one.)



Daring Fireball: WWDC 2007 News

He calls it "WWDC 2006 2.0." While I am stoked about Leopard, I have to admit that I felt pretty "meh" about the other announcements.



Apple.com



I like. When you visit, try the search field in the upper-right corner. I was pleasantly surprised.

Tags: software, video games, environment, microsoft, browsers, wwdc, apple inc

Engadget: Microsoft Surface - surface and gesture based computing lands

I am perhaps more infatuated with multi-touch devices than I am with Al Gore! This looks really cool, but I wonder how long it will take to practically implement this into home technology.



Ars Technica: Why writing in games matters: Part III—creating character with Susan O'Connor

In this installment, Ars interviews game writer Susan O'Connor about the challenges facing game writers and about some games she feels contain examples of good writing.

Tags: microsoft, video games

Apple, Microsoft, and Nintendo all had very lucrative financial statemets last quarter. Apple was the quietest of the three with a quarterly profit of (only) $770 million. Nintendo didn't break out their last quarter from the statement, but they raked in about $1.5 billion in yearly profits, and Microsoft continues its profitable enterprises with nearly $5 billion in quarterly profits. The only bad news in the Microsoft statement is its entertainment division (home of the XBox 360 and the Zune), which posted a $200 million loss.

Can you imagine being so filthy rich that you can swallow a $200 million loss? I know I can't.

• Apple Reports Second Quarter Results
• Ars Technica: Nintendo reports monster profits, promises increased Wii production
• Microsoft Reports Record Profits – Robust demand for Windows Vista and the 2007 Microsoft Office system drives 72% growth in earnings per share

Ars Technica: We come not to bury Kutaragi, but to praise him

The "Father of the PlayStation" is stepping down from his position as chairman of Sony Computer Entertainment for unannounced reasons. Kazuo Hirai will be taking his place.



Daring Fireball: Interview: Dino Dai Zovi

Gruber has a nice and thorough interview with one of the individuals who recently hacked a Mac at CanSecWest. If only Maynor or Elich had been this open to discussion a year ago...



Engadget: Meizu updates miniOne: clearly, it's no iPhone clone

Uh-huh... Even the order of some of the icons are the same.


left: iPhone, right: miniOne (in case you couldn't tell)



Flickr: Photos from etchasketchist

Just wow! I could never get past geometric shapes on an Etch-a-Sketch. This person must have tons of patience.

Tags: technology, video games, apple inc, microsoft, security, iphone, silly

WinInfo: Game Over for the Xbox 360?

However, Microsoft can't hide the fact that the Xbox 360, like its predecessor, has been a financial disaster for the company. Maybe it's time that Microsoft stopped hemorrhaging cash and looked to other markets that would be more rewarding for the company and its shareholders.

I can't see this happening. Microsoft is too proud to abandon such a high-profile product. 10 million XBox 360s are in the hands of consumers. As a product, the 360 is a success (and the article notes this). Unfortunately, as is the often the case with consoles, it is a financial black hole.



Ars Technica: Despite revenue slump, RIAA still not getting the big picture

I really didn't expect them to. The RIAA is large, inflexible, and quickly becoming obsolete. They blind themselves to the changing of their own industry much the same way AMerican auto makers have for years.

Tags: video games, riaa, microsoft

Ars Technica: How the RIAA views its customers: completely untrustworthy

"DMCA scholars often spar over whether or not the blanket prohibition against circumventing access controls truly applies to fair use, but I think it's quite clear what the RIAA and the content industry thinks: the DMCA makes circumvention illegal, period. Does this all-or-nothing principle sound familiar? If you're thinking of Prohibition in the United States, you're right on the money."

Opposable Thumbs: Reviewing reviews: a rebuttal

I didn't even know this was an issue, and I don't know why anyone at Sony would care ... unless they are just bitter about the negative press the PS3 and some of its launch titles have been receiving.

Let's see, instead of focusing on games I've avoided due to reviews, here are some games I never would have bought had it not been for the reviews I read: Burnout 3, Katamari Damacy, Ico, Shadow of the Colossus, Ratchet & Clank, Jak & Daxter, Pikmin 2, Dark Cloud, Beyond Good & Evil, Lego Star Wars, SSX Tricky, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, Silent Hill 2, and Animal Crossing.

For the most part, if I want a game enough, I'll at least rent it despite the reviews. On the other hand, good reviews have turned me on to properties that I might have otherwise dismissed, and many of these have sequels I've picked up. In my opinion, reviews are good as long as some other consumers are like me.



Nobel Intent: An ancient solar observatory

"Dating suggested that the towers were constructed around the 4th century B.C., making them over 2,300 years old. According to Ghezzi, "Chankillo reflects well-developed astronomical principles, which suggests the original forms of astronomy must be quite older," than previously believed."

Macworld UK: Mac Users were Microsoft's "Guinea Pigs"

You know what? Ignore this article. Read the real memo instead. It tells the story of someone working hard to keep an important Mac application alive despite upper management. The "guinea pig" quote in the memo really comes off as Waldman trying to appeal to Gate's judgment. Mac sites are making this more sensational than it is, and they are making the good guy in the story sound like a villain...

I post this because I am getting tired of the Mac web going out of its way to vilify any individual even remotely associated with Microsoft.

Tags: riaa, video games, science, microsoft, media

Steve Jobs: Thought on Music

In a completely unexpected and uncharacteristic move, Steve Jobs writes an open letter on the Apple website regarding his thoughts on DRM, muisc labels, and future possibilities. He even goes so far as to say Apple would embrace DRM-free sales through the iTunes store if they could get the labels on board. Of course, this has generated a lot of feedback. Here's just a fraction:

• Presentation Zen: DRM Must Die
• Daring Fireball: Reading Between the Lines of Steve Jobs 'Thoughts on Music'
• Playlist: Partners, Rivals React to Jobs' Anti-DRM Comments

Neatorama: 11 Most Important Philosophical Quotations

I took some philosophy in college for fun. I haven't studied it much since, but I still find it, and the individuals involved, endlessly fascinating.



Tech Republic: Don't Be Misled By These 10 Windows Vista Myths

When upgrading to a new operating system, it is good to be informed, but don't get caught up in negative hype.

Tags: riaa, microsoft, drm

Apple – QuickTime – Macworld 2007 Keynote

This is totally worth watching for the iPhone demonstration. (Oh, and I want the version of Keynote he's using in his presentation.)

x



Infinite Loop: Ars at Macworld: Microsoft

Charles Jade at Ars Technica takes a look at Office 2008 for the Macintosh due out later this year. The UI has had a major overhaul from Office 2004. It looks one part Office 2007 for Windows and one part Apple iWork. I'm going to borrow one of the Ars screenshots, so you can see the difference:

x

Tags: macworld, microsoft

Cabel Sasser: Apple's Next-Generation Themes

Cabal Sasser blogs about Apple's patent for resolution independent interfaces and draws some interesting conclusions. He also posts some information about Apple's own theme creation tool.

via Daring Fireball



IntelliAdmin: The Progression of Vista Through Screenshots

This is a really simple but nice trip trough Vista's development from the first alpha release to the final shipping version. I like screenshots.



Ars Technica: IPTV on the XBox 360: Ars digs deep

This could become a big deal, and it could really help the XBox 360 gain even more momentum in the US market.



Nobel Intent: Even more ethical stem cells

I've always found myself torn on the issue of stem cell research. On the one hand, the investment can be unreasonable (potentially human life). On the other hand, the benefits of studying stem cells seems staggering. A new technique that recovers stem cells from amniotic fluid may succeed in dispelling much of the controversy around this research.

Tags: technology, microsoft, video games, science, leopard, os x

Apple: Welcome to 2007

I hope the rest of the year is as cool as this splash on Apple's front page at the moment. I'm getting all hot-and-bothered about Macworld now.





Market Share: Browser Market Share for December 2006

Safari breaks 4% while IE dips below 80%. Can we please now stop the pundits saying things like "the Mac has only 2% market share?" Shouldn't Macs account for at least 4% based on Safari usage seeing that Safari is a Mac-only browser and all?



Dashboard Themes

This site is nice just in case you wanted to see what those themes on the XBox Live Marketplace look like. I really can't believe Microsoft doesn't have a way of previewing these in the online store...

Tags: technology, microsoft, browsers, apple inc

I have to admit that I have been Microsoft hating just a little more than I would like lately, so I thought I would balance the karma with a post about something Microsoft is currently working on that intrigues me.



This is a picture of the Ribbon in MS Office 2007 (yoinked from Jensen Harris' great journal about the evolution of the MS Office interface and all of the work that goes into a project like this). Basically, it takes the place of the complicated system of menus, submenus, and toolbars Office has been using for the last decade or so.

Why does this intrigue me so?

First of all, the Ribbon reminds me of the Inspector found in Pages and Keynote (probably inherited from their NeXT ancestors), which are two of my favorite applications. Now don't get me wrong. I am not saying Microsoft is copying Apple with the Ribbon. I think the manners of implementation are different enough to be considered distinct concepts. However, despite its shortcomings, I like the iWork Inspector, and I find myself drawn to the Ribbon in Office 2007 because of the noted similarity.

Additionally, the Ribbon seems like an effort on the behalf of Microsoft to demystify Office to a certain extent. How often have you or someone you've worked grown frustrated with PowerPoint, Excel, or Word because feature XYZ is so buried in a sea of menus and dialog boxes that a strategy guide is needed to traverse the apparent labyrinth? I know I have. With the Ribbon, more features are accessible at the highest level of interface – right in front of your face.

Unfortunately, the Office Ribbon still contains some of Microsoft's signature clutter:



I mean, really, where do you even begin with this mess? How can this be streamlined and simplified without losing functionality and meaningfulness? Right now, this Write Ribbon from MS Word 2007 is an aesthetic nightmare. In all respect, though, pretty much any setting you need for formatting text is very accessible. In direct contrast, the default toolbar for Pages 2 is very unobtrusive, but a user (who has not found the Inspector) may be left wondering how to do so much as make his/her text bold or change the font size.

Where is the happy medium? Where does usability meet simplicity, and how can feature- richness be communicated without visual clutter? Can the ideas of the iWork Inspector, the Office 2007 Ribbon, and the simplicity of an Apple toolbar be merged? To me, the Ribbon is the most interesting interface element to come out of Redmond in years, and I am interested in seeing how it evolves as Office 2007 nears completion.

Tags: software, microsoft

Not more than a couple of days after I learn about Monaco, I see this little entry on M-Dollar about Windows Live Product Search and Academic Search, and I've come to a conclusion. I don't think Microsoft purposefully sets out to be the big imitator it comes off looking like. I think this "me too" image is purely the result of not knowing when to say, "enough is enough."

For the past decade (give or take), Microsoft has basically owned the operating systems market. Atop that, they dominate the market for office productivity. These two markets are highly lucrative, but it doesn't stop there.

• The Internet becomes popular. Browsers begin to emerge, and, after a few years of watching, Microsoft decides it wants to own the browser market and releases Internet Explorer. Of course, for the best web experience, websites should be optimized for IE. Sure, it may damage how they render in other browsers, but that's just collateral damage.
  
  
• Microsoft wakes up one day and notices that game consoles have been popular for the last twenty years. Perhaps it's time to jump into that market and try to dominate it with the One Development Platform to Rule Them All (which only works with Windows-based PCs and XBox, but you didn't want to develop for anything else). However, Microsoft did get online console gaming right.
  
  
• Security seems like a growing market on PCs. After all, active viruses are only a small problem (and this list doesn't even count trojans as far as I can tell). Microsoft notices a couple of companies are making money selling security software, so they decide that they will try to own that market as well with OneCare.
  
  
• Digital music seems to be doing well. There are quite a few retailers of digital music, and many of them require Windows Media Player. This seems to Microsoft like a great market to jump in and try to dominate as well.
  
  
• Companies like Google and Yahoo do well with the search market. In fact, Microsoft has already been overtaken in the initial round of the search engine battles. Does this deter Redmond? No. Defeat merely serves to infuriate the giant.

Is this list comprehensive? It is not even close, but it does serve to illustrate how Microsoft comes off as a copier. In each of these instances, Microsoft was late to the market. In fact, the market was well established before the Redmond Giant lumbered in. They can't sit back and allow other companies to fulfill the various niches the technology market allows. Microsoft seems to feel it has some Manifest Destiny to dominate in each and every sector of the market. As a result, Microsoft has to play catch-up with the products already available to consumers, and feature replication (a la Froogle) becomes inevitable. In the end, Microsoft looks like a bully, and their "innovative" features are just variations on what is already available. Hence, "Redmond, start your photocopiers."

Tags: opinion, microsoft, software

As watermarked, this photo is from MacMinute.com.

You know, back in 2004, when Apple unveiled this poster and others like it at its World Wide Developers Conference, it seemed like a pretty snarky thing to do. Despite the snide approach, many Mac users would say it rings true. Even some Windows users attest to it:

"If you're familiar with iCal, you know all you need to know about Windows Calendar."

"...just know that a DVD movie making application, similar to Apple's iDVD, is on the way."

--Paul Thurrott's SuperSite for WIndows December Vista Preview 2.

Still, some of Microsoft's moves seem logical at the time. For example, Outlook will not be shipping with the Home & Student edition of Office 2007, so bundling a simple Calendar application with Vista makes sense. Microsoft Movie Maker (a blatant rip-off of iMovie) is already offered for XP. Adding a DVD creator is the next logical step. Okay, it would have been a logical simultaneous step, but we're talking about Microsoft here, and slow progress is expected.

In truth, up until now, I was never much of a "Microsoft copies Apple" screamer. I mean, really:

• Adding a nicer interface and finally making use of graphics cards just makes sense even though OS X has been concentrating on this aspect for a while now.
  
  
• Yes, Safari beat Internet Explorer to RSS support, but I believe Firefox had RSS even before Safari.
  
  
• Yes, Apple had iTunes before Microsoft added a store to Windows Media Player, but they could've gotten that idea from anyone.
  
  
• Sure, Vista gadgets look like a Windows version of Apple's Dashboard, but Konfabulator and Desktop X were doing this first.
  
  
• Yeah, Apple supported drag-and-drop positively years before Microsoft did, but isn't drag-and-drop a natural evolution of GUI?
  
  
• Sorry, Windows had Fast User Switching before OS X.

Yes, Apple has beaten Microsoft to the punch with many things we now take for granted, but the tables have been turned from time to time. It is not a foregone conclusion that Microsoft just sits back and waits to see what Apple does so they can copy it. At least, that's what I thought.

Then I came along this – a project codenamed Monaco. I'm sorry, but how blatant and cheap is that? Let's see. Apple fulfills a niche market by offering GarageBand to its users through iLife, and Microsoft says, "Hey, they have a toy we don't! Let's do it too." It's not enough that there are plenty of third-party music sequencers for Windows. No, it seems that because Apple is making the product and bundling it with their computers (effectively making it seem like part of the OS), Microsoft absolutely has to do the exact same thing.

This is just sad. Redmond, start your photocopiers indeed.

Tags: software, microsoft, opinion, wwdc

Wow. Just wow. Things must be really cold right here at the moment. Thanks to Boot Camp (have to love Apple product names, even the temporary ones), Intel Macs can now dual-boot Mac OS X and WIndows XP.

I have to admit to not knowing what to think of this. On one hand, this could generate a lot of consumer interest in the Macintosh as switching is no longer an all-or-nothing proposition. Furthermore, this could be great for the education sector. Think about it; you can now teach about all of the major operating platforms on one machine.

On the other hand, I remember talking once to a developer who thought creating a Mac port of her product was a waste of time because Mac users could always pay for a copy of Virtual PC + Windows to run her software really slowly, and that solution was good enough. This move could potentially encourage some developers to get really lazy. "You want to use our software? Just dual-boot."

Should Apple be able to retain the developers, this could be a good move. As I earlier mentioned, this could entice people who might otherwise view purchasing a Mac as a risky investment.

Despite the weirdness of this announcement, you have to love some of the barbs Apple dishes out to Microsoft on the Boot Camp product page:

On BIOS & EFI:

"Macs use an ultra-modern industry standard technology called EFI to handle booting. Sadly, Windows XP, and even the upcoming Vista, are stuck in the 1980s with old-fashioned BIOS. But with Boot Camp, the Mac can operate smoothly in both centuries."

On Security:

"Windows running on a Mac is like Windows running on a PC. That means it’ll be subject to the same attacks that plague the Windows world. So be sure to keep it updated with the latest Microsoft Windows security fixes."

(Actually, I would avoid the internet with the Windows partition as much as possible!)

In the end, in case you can't tell, I really don't know what to make of this announcement. The thought of running Windows on a Mac makes me want to wash my brain out with soap, but I can understand the appeal to others. I just hope the major Mac-supporting developers stay on board, and I hope the smaller developers like Delicious Monster, RealMac Software, Panic, and the Omni Group continue to make their awesome Mac-only products that help make this platform unique.

I guess I, like many others, will just have to sit back and see where this goes.

Update 4/6:
A favorite blogger of mine, John Gruber posted this interesting write-up on what this whole Boot Camp thing means for the Mac. The article is called, "Windows: The New Classic." (Warning: language.) Toward the end of the article, he makes an interesting observation about the Boot Camp icon (which seems spot on), and he includes one of my favorite recent geek jokes in the article as well:

"What's the difference between OS X and Vista? Microsoft employees are excited about OS X..."

Additionally, I mentioned the potential for the Boot Camp solution in the classroom. Actually, this looks like a much more interesting solution for multiple platform environments.

Tags: software, microsoft, opinion, os x

Screenshots of a new build of Windows Vista (formerly known as Windows Longhorn) appeared on Paul Thurrott's SuperSite for Windows a few days ago. Being the desktop voyeur I am, I couldn't help but pop over and ogle the screens for a while. For reference, here are links to his screenshots: Installation; Desktop, My Computer, and Network; Control Panel and Aero Glass Customization; and Applications.

Once I started to delve into the screenshots a couple of things struck me.

• Translucency and text can work. If you look at the screens, you will notice that translucency is subdued behind areas that need text, like the Start Menu and location and search fields. In the case of window contents, translucency is completely eliminated, and that looks almost out of place in Vista. Translucent elements are prevalent in Vista, but they are implemented in a fairly nice manner.
  
  
• What did they do to the Start Menu? The Start Menu has been receiving tweaks pretty much since its first appearance. Now they have removed "Start" from the icon that activates the window, and have made the icon into a sphere that awkwardly protrudes from the task bar. This protrusion carries over to the user icon atop the Star Menu (when active). The user icon proudly protrudes from the top of the menu like some royal crest. Let's hope they kill this whole icon protrusion thing before people come to accept it.
  
  
• Outlook Express has become Windows Mail. Alright, call this Apple copying if you must, but I feel the name change is logical and welcome. "Outlook Express" tells you nothing of the application's function unless you use Outlook in your workplace. "Windows Mail" is a much more user-friendly name, and it's nice to see this change.

Overall, Windows Vista seems to be coming along well. Installation is still an ugly process (visually), but I'm sure that will be cleaned up before the public release. After all, installation gives users the first impression of your system. I can't say I've ever been a fan of Microsoft's default user interface for any of its versions of Windows. (I was a user back in the days of Windows 95 and Windows 98.) However, Vista seems to be gaining a nice sheen previously absent from Windows.
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Unfortunately, my mind keeps going back to Whistler. This was a nice evolution of the Windows interface that eventually transformed into the eyesore that is Windows XP. (Oddly enough, both Mac and Windows themers have created themes based on this visual style that never made it into a publicly available version of Windows.) Hopefully, Microsoft will keep these nice touches that are present in current builds of Vista and refine them rather than pulling out something completely different at the last minute. Windows XP is not nice to look at. Vista is, and I hope it stays that way.

Tags: microsoft, technology, software, opinion

Journals.ars has an entry posted in the M-Dollar section with screenshots of Longhorn Build 5203. For those of you unfamiliar with what I'm talking about, Longhorn is the code name for the next iteration of Microsoft Windows that is set to replace WindowsXP. Currently, Longhorn (or whatever it will be called) is set for release in late 2006, but some sources claim that the date will probably slip to early 2007. Being the geek that I am, I couldn't help but check the images out. Even though I'm a pretty die-hard Mac user, I still love ogling screenshots, especially desktops of any yet-to-be-released operating system (OS).

I can't comment on things like functionality or performance of this build. I personally haven't had the opportunity to play around with any Longhorn builds, so anything I say on those matters would be uninformed speculation. Therefore, these comments will be limited to the appearance of the Longhorn interface in this build. Please note that these comments may quickly become out of date seeing that this is unfinished software, and the interface may go through several revisions before the product's release.

Nice Comments

On the whole, the interface seems pretty sleek and elegant. It retains familiar Windows metaphors while visually separating itself from prior releases. With this release, Microsoft has definitely addressed the garishness of WindowsXP and the criticisms leveled toward the "plex" interface of previous Longhorn builds. Also, the icons are showing improvement. I especially like the Recycle Bin icon, but I wish the screenshots here included the full state of the Recycle Bin as well.

The "Computer" window in screenshot seven has nice progress bars visually representing how much of the disk space is currently being used. I have to admit that a similar function is lacking in the Mac OS X Finder. (Yes, I know that the FInder shows how much space is available at the bottom of the Finder window, but visual indicators are nice too.) Also the Spotlight...err, Search field in the Start Menu is a nice touch.

Concerns

Interface translucency is a very cool thing, and I am a sucker for glassy effects. However, translucency in the title bars may not be a good idea, especially in Internet Explorer and Windows Explorer where the location and search fields are also translucent. Some serious usability issues could come out of this (as Apple learned in the early OS X days when inactive title bars became translucent.) On the other hand, the blurring of the background through the translucent objects may alleviate this problem.

Another issue could be performance. Okay, now I'm speculating, but eye-candy like translucency and gaussian blurs eat processor cycles. Also, cool 3D effects have also been demoed – again more cycles. Hopefully the new Desktop Composition Engine (DCE, code named Avalon) will help take care of this, much as Quartz Extreme helps offload much of the eye-candy in Mac OS X onto the graphics processor. Additionally, Microsoft will probably let the user decide what eye-candy is active in the Appearance Manager.

Finally, Microsoft seems to be falling prey to the visual inconsistencies that have been cropping up in Mac OS X for the past few years. In Longhorn, there is a black gradient Taskbar which opens to a Start Menu that follows similar aesthetics. This contrasts with glassy windows in Windows Explorer as well as some applications like Paint and Internet Explorer. Furthermore, one of the screenshots shows navigation and information elements within two different file windows where the information has backgrounds of different colors. (Perhaps this isn't so bad because the different colors may represent different directories, but it still seems like overkill.) Then, also in this category, is Windows Media Player, which seems to follow its own set of rules separate and apart from the rest of the OS (much like iTunes does in Mac OS X).

Miscellany

What is with Microsoft's obsession with green elements? They are all over the place in XP, and here we see that the Star Menu's active state is green. Oh well, at least it doesn't clash with the rest of the interface like it does in XP's Luna style.

Is it me, or does the search icon in the Start Menu, Windows Explorer, and Internet Explorer look exactly like the icon for Apple's Spotlight and the search field in Safari? (Edit: I'll take this one back. After looking over GUIdebook, this icon seems a natural evolution of the icon Microsoft has used for search since Windows 95. Also, it's pointing the opposite direction from Spotlight's and Safari's icons.)

Conclusion

Microsoft is making progress with WIndows Longhorn, and it looks to improve on Windows' strengths while addressing some of its past weaknesses. It has hit some serious bumps in its development, and it will be some time before Longhorn reaches the potential that it initially promised. Regardless, this looks like it is shaping up to be a decent upgrade for Windows users, and while it may not inspire any switchers off the Mac (not me at any rate), it will have some of us wishing Mac OS X had translucent windows instead of brushed metal.

For further reading on Windows Longhorn, visit the Longhorn section of the SuperSite for Windows.

Tags: technology, microsoft, opinion, software

Okay, I don't know if Steve Ballmer really amuses me or really scares me. Between the developer's brainwashing mantra and the famous "monkey" dance, that man has demonstrated he has little to no dignity. I also love this article, where a USA Today reporter is interrupted three times by Ballmer. Ballmer claims that Microsoft "likes to be first" when the reporter is making the point that Microsoft is not always first to the market with a new idea or innovation. Actually, the reporter probably would have managed to put a positive spin on his point had Ballmer not been so belligerent.

Apple may not have the marketshare Microsoft has, but it can always point at Redmond and say, "Our CEO is cooler than your CEO."

Tags: technology, microsoft