Am I the only one who finds Apple’s upcoming “iTV” box a bit underwhelming?

I think it’s a great piece of technology for streaming content from your Mac or PC to your TV, but … that’s it then, isn’t it?

For $299, however, I have to ask: Where’s the recording capability? I want to time-shift the programming content I’m already paying for through my DirectTV subscription and, surprisingly, there are no inputs for pumping your satellite box into the “iTV.” So, though it’s tentatively called “iTV,” I see no evidence of there being any “TV” involved other than the TV content you purchase through the iTunes Store. It’s more of an AirPort Express for video.

Ideally, and perhaps this is the end goal we have not yet been made privy to, Apple would meld the “iTV” with a Mac mini and slam a tuner in as well, so that not only do we have the Mac with a big honkin’ hard drive recording shows for us (as scheduled by our iCal calendar) and automatically placing them into our iTunes library, but then we’d have the outputs to drive it to our television as well.

Yes, of course this can be done we third party solutions, but we shouldn’t have to do that, should we? Apple is known for elegant solutions, so why — when they are sooooo close — would Apple put on the brakes and stop short like that?

I guess this shows my age. I take issue with spending 99 cents per music track, $1.99 per episode of a TV show or even $9.99 for a movie when I can get that same content at higher quality, with more features, AND be able to rip that content to my computer or iPod if I so choose, getting the best of both worlds for the same or less money.

Well … that’s it then isn’t it? Nothing like spending $1.99 per show and then streaming it to your $299 “iTV” box.

After reading comments on various message boards about the “iTV,” I can see that it is a generational thing. People aged 28 – 30 and younger have no issues at all with downloadable content and don’t seem to realize what they’re giving up in exchange. Then again, I still note the lack of liner notes and extra album cover art that was lost in the transition from LP to CD.

Now … where did I put my “walker”…?

Republished from ESC!Webs Blogitorials, September 2006

Today, April 1st, marks Apple Computer‘s 30th birthday.

It seems strange, doesn’t it, to celebrate a computer manufacturer’s BIRTHDAY. Most, I expect, would note an anniversary of incorporation or some such dealy, but not with Apple. No, it’s a birthday.

I have to admit I’m not as big a zealot as many of Apple’s “enthusiasts,” but Apple has played quite a role in my love of computers and, ultimately, my career choices. Let me explain:

If you were to ask me outright, I’d say that I’m a “Sinclair” guy. The first personal computer I ever owned was a Sinclair ZX80 purchased from my friend Ray F. The transaction took place in the school cafeteria in high school. I believe I paid around $70 for it. Shortly after that, I moved to the American version of the Sinclair ZX81, the Timex/Sinclair 1000, which I purchased from Osco using money earned from bottle returns. It was a $100 computer and I think I earned 80 cents per 8 pack of bottles. In 1983, I moved to the TS 2068 color computer and finally to the Sinclair QL. Soon the “IBM PC” revolution took place and somewhere around the middle of college, with the slow demise of Sinclair, I finally switched to a PC. More in a moment.

In any event, long before the ZX80, my first personal computer experience came in 7th grade when a couple of brand spanking new (and extremely expensive) Apple II+ computers were installed in the “library.” I remember spending a lot of time playing “Lemonade Stand” as well as tinkering around with various graphical applications such as Logo. I would spend as much time on the computers as possible with my friend Scott R. and we’d even continue at his folks house where his Dad had an Apple II as well (being Principal had its perks I suppose).

In high school, I got my first real (paying) job. It was as a lab supervisor in the North building of my high school. Of course the lab was filled with Apple IIe computers and I spent a good part of my time working out Print Shop problems and printer issues. This also afforded me my first opportunity to pop open an Apple and get to the “guts” inside.

At the same time, the main library at the high school’s campus got in, not a Macintosh, but a Lisa. Wow! That was an awesome computer and I was lucky enough to get to play around with it for a few minutes, but I recall that it was “for the teachers” so I never really got to fully experience this precursor to the Mac as it was too expensive to let the kids use it.

In college, I brought my trusty T/S 2068 with me, but one of the reasons I had so much trouble with my accounting and calculus classes was because I spent so much time helping Tina M. with her “computer graphics” course. This involved not only work on her Apple IIgs, but the occasional trip to the computer lab to get some hands on work with an early Apple Macintosh (512? Plus? — I don’t remember.)

So, really, for the first 10+ years of my love affair with computers, I was a Sinclair and Apple guy! I guess I never really thought about how much of a role Apple played in those years until I sat down to type this entry. Unfortunately, the Mac (and IIe) was always too expensive for me to own, so I traveled the route of DOS / GEM / Windows which allowed me to build my own computers and thereby save a bunch of money for things like … food. And shelter.

I always thought Windows was somewhat of a pain in the ass, but in August of 95 when Windows 95 hit the streets, I became more of a proponent of Microsoft products for the home. Mostly, I think, because they were “more affordable.” Windows 98 was the best OS Microsoft made for home users and soon we all looked forward to Windows 2000 after the much more difficult to use but more powerful, Windows NT (Microsoft’s fork of OS/2) attempted to make inroads in our homes and businesses.

Over in the Mac camp, however, OS 8 and OS 9 were pretty stuck in the 80’s/early 90’s where I last used them. There was little support for running multiple applications at the same time and the interface was suffering from age.

Soon “we” all moved on to Windows XP, but it turns out Apple had a few aces up its sleeve as well. And their trump card was OS X. A ‘written from the ground up’ replacement for the beleaguered OS 9.

When both Windows XP and OS X came out in 2001, we IT guys tried to show that XP was superior to Apple’s product, but over the years, as Microsoft kept sticking its foot up its own ass over and over and over again while Apple managed to release multiple revisions of its OS with greater improvements in usability and security, I quickly realized that I would soon need to switch back to my original path and abandon my foolish trip down the “shortcut” path that was Windows.

So here I am, on Apple’s 30th anniversary, waiting for a 17″ MacBook Pro to be released so I can replace this Windows laptop I’ve been using the last few years with something much more stable, secure and fun to use than anything Microsoft could dish up. After 11 years of Windows 9X and NT/XP, I’m tired of dealing with the constant security problems and I honestly don’t think “Vista” is going to be any better.

So here’s to you Apple on your 30th birthday! Thanks for the memories past … and memories yet to come.

(Republished from ESC!Webs Blogitorials, April 2006)

So after harping on some of the problems I’m having integrating a couple of new PowerMacs into our business environment (here and here), I thought I’d take a second to mention something that Apple does better than any other computer manufacturer out there.

In truth, I hesitate to mention this at all because I don’t want them to sell out too quickly, but Apple’s little secret in the Apple Store Online is the Apple Certified Refurbished products link.

I’ve been using this quite a lot and I am very impressed with the quality of the packaged product and Apple’s attention to detail when boxing up the computers.

Some of the things I’ve noticed when buying a refurbished Mac:

1) If Apple’s standard equipment or software packages change, you’ll often get a machine that meets the new spec even if it says otherwise on their site. Of course this means you may very well NOT get the new spec, but a couple examples of where this worked in my favor include: the purchase of an iMac G5 that was supposed to come with 256MB of RAM but came with 512MB instead — the new Apple standard; a PowerMac that was supposed to ship with iLife ’05 came with iLife ’06; and another Mac that was supposed to ship with OS X Panther came with OS X Tiger in the box. Thanks Apple!

2) Despite warnings the refurbished Mac may arrive with scratches or other blemishes (they ARE returned/used after all), I have yet to see one come that way. The iMac, PowerMac and a monitor I ordered all arrived in perfect condition. In fact, the PowerMac arrived wrapped up much nicer than the “new” one I purchased. Go figure.

3) By purchasing a refurbished Mac, you know that someone has had their “hands on it” making sure it’s up to spec before boxing it back up to be sold. It’s not like Best Buy where they slap an “Open Box” sticker on a box that is, in many cases, still open. No, these are fully checked out, certified and then put up for sale.

4) Unlike other manufacturers who sell refurb but offer virtually no warranty, Apple offers their full standard warranty on each machine they sell. That in itself makes it a no brainer in my book.

5) The discounts are substantial! They don’t want this stuff sitting around too long, so to move these products out the door, you’ll see some deep cuts off the sticker price. As a great example, as I write this there is a 15″ MacBook Pro listed on the site for $300 off list … plus free shipping! Sweet.

So what’s the catch?

There are a couple of “gotchas” to be on the look out for:

1) The machine may not be free of surface defects. If that matters at all to you, then don’t take a chance.

2) The quantities are very limited. If you really are in the market for a new computer and you see something you like on their sale page, you better not drag your heels for too long.

3) The savings come off the original list price of the computer in question. In other words, if Apple releases a new model with a lower price, the refurb model with the old feature set and higher price might not be all that great a deal in comparison. I’ve noticed that primarily with the iPod line.

(Republished from ESC!Webs Blogitorials, March 2006)

So the rumor mill this past week has been flooded with conjecture about the next video iPod. Sporting a touch sensitive 3 1/2″ screen, the speculation is the next iPod will have a “virtual” click-wheel that appears when you touch the screen and disappears when no longer needed.

That’s very cool technology … But I hope the rumors are false.

Wha … Why?

One word: Fingerprints.

You think iPod owners are going crazy now constantly wiping fingerprints off their glossy white portable jukeboxes? Just wait until they have to deal with a greasy circular smudge on their video iPod’s screen – right in the middle of Mr. Incredible’s face.

It will be a constant battle for picture clarity as they use the click wheel, wipe the fingerprints off so they can watch their video, use the click wheel again, wipe the fingerprints off again… Well, you get the idea.

My guess is that IF this rumor is true and the next video iPod does indeed sport this virtual click wheel interface, it will only be in cahoots with the 3rd Party iPod Accessories industry that Apple releases this device.

Imagine the possibilities: silicone finger tip covers and multi-colored “socks” for your fingers await!

(Republished from ESC!Webs Blogitorials, February 2006)

So the big news today is that Apple is going to move from using PowerPC processors to Intel processors – the processors used by every Windows PC out there. And since everyone has been weighing in on this topic over the rumor-filled weekend, I thought I’d throw my hat into the ring as well.

On the whole, I’m not so sure this move is the best Apple could be making at the moment. With the recent push to get more switchers, it seems telling all those folks the new Mac mini or iMac they just bought is not the future of the company is a bad move.

It’s true new Apples will not be sold running Windows. They’ll be running OSX. The same operating system the Apples run now. The general buying public, however, does not understand the differences between processors or even operating systems, so Apple will have an even tougher row to hoe convincing buyers that the Apple computer running an Intel processor is different than the Dell computer running an Intel processor. On the other hand, the whole GHz to GHz comparison will now be a moot point. You’ll literally be able to compare Apples to … hmmm … let’s go with lemons.

You see, it’s not the processor that makes the computer useful, friendly, safe and secure. It’s the operating system. And, whether OS X is running on an Intel or a PowerPC, it will still be infinitely more powerful and secure than anything running Windows.

And that’s what is really bothering me.

Should Apple decide to make their computers capable of running Windows as well as OS X, we’ll have a whole lot of people who slap Windows on it just so that it’s “more familiar” rather than run the much better OS X. And then, my friends, the same issues plaguing commodity PC users running Windows today will plague Apple computer users running Windows tomorrow.

Even if Apple says “No way” to running Windows on their hardware – which is unlikely – there will still be some enterprising hacker who gets Windows to run on it anyway.

What should Apple do?

Apple already invests heavily in the open source community. I’d like to see Apple really dump a ton of cash and development time on the WINE project. Wine is an environment for Linux desktop computers that allows them to run Windows applications without running Windows. Cool huh? You bet!

If Apple were to put its development muscle behind the project, they might be able to create a nice, Windows compatibility layer for OS X Leopard on Intel (a la Classic mode in OS X) that would allow folks to go ahead an install most of their Windows applications without needing Windows itself. And then, with that capability, if they further “sandboxed” those apps to keep them from interfering with the core OS, they would have a KILLER combination on their hands!

In the mean time, we have to wait until 2006 to see a bigger glimpse of what Apple has up their sleeve.

*ASIDE: Undoubtedly there are a couple big motivations for Apple to move from the PowerPC platform. One is cost. Intel chips, by the nature of their production volume, are much cheaper to procure than PowerPC chips.

The other is technology. Currently Apple is having trouble bringing their notebook line to the G5 processor and their desktop line to the 3 GHz mark. By moving to Intel, they could achieve this goal right now.

But what does that do to their arguments that the PowerPC processors are superior to the Intel processors? Have they been lying to us this whole time? Definitely not. The PowerPC processor IS better … for now. But Apple’s question to IBM is, where will the PowerPC be in two years? If there is an answer, it’s surely one Steve Jobs didn’t like.

With all the pros and cons of moving to Intel aside, my question to Apple is, “Who’s going to buy a PowerPC Mac in the next 12 months knowing that the Intel Macs are coming out so soon?”

(Republished from ESC!Webs Blogitorials, June 2005)

I first caught a glimpse of a new fad for folks-who-have-too-much-time-on-their-hands called “transparent desktops” the other week and thought it was pretty cool.

Check this out:

No, that’s not a hole in the screen. This person took a digital picture of their workspace, set it as their desktop wallpaper on their computer and lined everything up just right so it would appear to be a “transparent” computer screen.

How cool is that? Now, if you want to see some real clever applications of this technique, bop on over to this site and check out some of the more extreme “transparent desktops.”

Then, if you’re like me, you’ll be itching to give it a try yourself!

NOTE: Updated April 7th to point to a different photo site. The original site referenced (http://files.macbidouille.com/transparent/index.html) now seems to be down.

(Republished from ESC!Webs Blogitorials, March 2005)