Dumber?

In January Apple released the January Software Update for iPod Touch. Let's leave aside the fact that you have to pay $20 for it, and talk about the update stream.

They're using iTunes to push it on you, so that you can then buy it through the store and update right away. This is smart, this is easy etc etc. I'm all for it.

The problem is that, for a number of reasons, I just don't have the $20 to spend right now.

No problem right? I click "Remind me later" or whatever...

And then I get caught in a circle of the same damn screen and I can't actually control the contents of my iPod.

I wrote an email to Apple about this, they replied very quickly telling me that they were sorry and they were working to fix this problem.

Oh Apple..

While I'm not a fan boy by any extent*, I love Apple products. I've never bought any other kind of computer, I prefer to work on them, I currently have six (in various states of repair) around our house. I like how the OS works, I like the hardware, I like the industrial design (hmm. MB I am a fan boy).

All of this to say that I have used tons of Macs, both personally and professionally. I've owned at least 15, I've worked with and done simple upgrades on just about every Mac since the LCII. So it is with this experience that I say this: The mighty mouse's track ball? It sucks.

Oh, when it works it's amazing. It's wonderful. The side to side and diagonal tracking? Cool beyond all measure. The up and down? Crisp.

It's just that it is flaky as all get out.

Look, I don't wash my hands before I use my computer. I've been known to snack at my desk. This is probably bad. It breaks rules of computing. But if this were a jailable offense, we'd have to build really, really big jails.

The mechanism is located under the ball. It's enclosed. There is no way at it. So food particles, body grease, cat hair, whatever gets in there. It gets between the ball and the mechanism. The ball stops working. Or it skids. Or it goes up by not down. Or down but not up.

Apple's solution. Hold the mouse upside down and rub it back and forth vigorously.

What. The. Hell?

This is one time that hte design failed.





*Jobs is about as god like as any other CEO of a major company, the constant sniping at the corporate uses of the PC, while amusing, are probably off putting, plus IT'S A COMPANY PEOPLE.

Facebook v. MySpace

Ok, so at the insistence of my sister and some friends I got a Facebook account. I had been resisting because of my feelings about MySpace.

For your consideration here are those feelings:

1. It's ghetto as fuck
2. Everyone is 18
3. Or naked
4. Or both
5. User customizable CSS templates does not = good
6. Usability? What? Huh? OMG THE GOGGLES! THEY DO NOTHING!
7. AUTOPLAY MUSIC IS FROM SATAN!

Compare that with Facebook:

1. 100% less ghetto
2. Many people are young, but there are tons who are not
3. I have not been confronted with anything more than a bathing suit shot (It's not the naked that bothers me per se, its the "of course I just want to be your friend, oh did I mention my porn site?"thing)
4. One template. One look. It's pretty. Much AJAX. Yay!
5. I can find things. It doesn't burn my eyes. Soothing!
6. They might go into music hosting/band pimping. Wanna bet they do it better than Myspace?

Great Wall of HP or, Why it's not always fun to share offices with tech folks

The walls! THEY ARE CLOSING IN ON ME!!!


10 HP desktop computers about to be readied for roll out.

Gargh!