My Favorite Paintings

I love art. You may not know that, but I love art. Paintings, for example. Paintings are beautiful if done right. I'm not going to talk about them; just look at them and enjoy them. Click on them for a bigger, nicer picture.

The Daily Utopian

"Derek's Tablet" is now history. Say hello to "The Daily Utopian". The layout's been slightly changed, the graphic design is completely different, and most importantly, I have a brand new partner who's going to be helping with the blog who should be making his first post soon. Obviously I can't exactly call this "Derek's Tablet" anymore now that it's not just me. The new name is The Daily Utopian. I'm in love with it.

Here are my goals with the blog from now on:

-Post a variety of different subjects, not just Technology and Apple. Arts, music, lifestyle, philosophy, politics, movies, etc will all be covered.
-Promote the blog more. Right now, the amount of readers the blog has is pathetic. If you're actually reading this, drop us a line and then pass the blog onto your friends. We need all the attention we can get.
-Organize the posts better. A lot of really old posts aren't in categories. We'll change this soon.
-Be relevant to others.
-Implement new features.

By the way, my email is derektherock@gmail.com (sorry, I can't do an email link). Please bear with us while we make this into a great blog.

-Derek

Frequent Apple Criticisms

One thing I notice with people complaining about Apple is that they always use the same arguments, which are arguments that are very old and have been answered a million times. This is a summary of those questions, plus my response to them.

Apple just makes overpriced computers with no upgraded specs.

This is very untrue. People assume that just because there are $600 PC's and $2000 Macs, that must mean that those are the only price ranges for both computers and they must have the same specs. Macs have many specs that $600 PC's don't have. Let's look at MacBooks for example:

-Intel Core 2 Duo Processor (at least)
-Built-in iSight camera (high quality)
-Glossy glass display
-Full Aluminum unibody enclosure
-Giant trackpad
-Multitouch Trackpad
-LED display

These things cost money to put in a notebook. Am I saying that no PC has these things? No. What I'm saying is that they do, but they are about $1000-$2000 dollars, which is the same as Macs. I'm leaving out a lot of other features, but those are the main ones. Macs aren't overpriced any more than high-quality PC's are overpriced.

PC's have a much bigger market share than Macs do; they must be better if more people use them!

This one just won't die, and even Steve Ballmer himself is trying to fuel it. Just because more people use a product doesn't mean it's better. It means that it's more attractive for them to spend money on. PC's can cost as little as $350, which people figure isn't much. But add all the expensive fixes and upgrades, and it costs more than that. But my point is, PC's are the McDonald's of computers. Less people eat at, say, Olive Garden, than McDonald's by far. Nobody takes that to mean McDonald's is better. They're just cheaper, and they're everywhere. That's the other reason so many people buy PC's: everybody else seems to have one, so they're afraid of something different.

Mac's are a dying company which isn't successful at all.

Apple couldn't be further from dying. Their market share has risen like crazy over the last couple years. Go to an Apple Store, and look at all the people inside. It's always really busy. Studies show that half of those people in the store are new to the Mac, and a huge percentage of that ends up buying a Mac eventually. And by the way, people have a passion for Mac more than any other computer. Which brings me to this:

Mac users are all just stupid, crazed fanboys.

This is a huge stereotype that's all over the place. I understand that some people are crazy enough to stand in line for an iPhone weeks ahead of time just to get the first one, but that doesn't mean every Apple user is like that. I'd go as far as to say that not even 1% of Mac users would consider doing that. All the Mac users I know are just normal people. Get this idea out of your head please.

Macs are only good for graphic design, movie-making, etc, while PC's are better at business.

This is another one that just won't die. The fact is, Mac runs Microsoft Office. It also runs iWork, which is far better. iWork is even compatible with Microsoft Office, using the same formats (.doc, etc). The next version of Mac will be able to run Microsoft Exchange (finally!). If there's something PC's can do in business and Macs can't do, read the next criticism.

Macs are hardly compatible with any software, as opposed to PC.

First of all, Mac is compatible with tons of software. Pretty much any big game for PC has a Mac version. However, if you find something that isn't PC compatible, just buy a version of Windows and run it on a Mac. Yes, you can run Windows on a Mac. Mac comes with a program called Boot Camp where you can run either Mac OS X or Windows on your Mac computer. This eliminates all compatibility problems with Mac.

Bill Gates is a better man than Steve Jobs because he donates to charity.

You can't say this for certain. There's such thing as anonymous donations, which Steve could've done. He may think that publicizing your donations makes it selfish, which is an opinion I share.

Apple can't go on without Steve. It's going to fall apart.

Just because we see Steve all the time in keynotes, Apple events, and so forth, doesn't mean that there's no other skilled people at Apple. As long as Apple has talent and focus, it will go on. I'm not saying it will be the same without Steve. It will be a different company. But it will go on if it has the talent. Also, you shouldn't jump to conclusions and say that Steve's out of the company forever.

I might post more of these eventually. Thanks for reading.

-Derek

New "Premium Games" section of App Store on the way?

Rumors are starting up about Apple getting ready to release a new section of the App Store called "Premium Games". In this section, games will be priced at at least $19.99, and they will be similar to console games.

I love this. This is a step in the right direction. Apple has been bragging about how the iPhone can compete with the DS and PSP, but now they might have something to fall back on. Not to mention, I'm a hardcore gamer despite hardly ever talking about it on this blog (maybe I should start). I'd love to see some great games on the iPhone. Only problem is, it kind of destroys the original "help the little developers" spirit that the App Store started out with; according to the rumor, only big-time companies, such as Electronic Arts, will be making games for this section.

Here's what I want for the Premium Games section of the App Store:

-New Super Mario Bros. (a port)
-A classic Nintendo series, like Zelda or Metroid
-Mega Man, maybe in the style of Mega Man X
-Metal Gear Solid
-Street Fighter (a brand new portable version)
-Mortal Kombat (maybe Mortal Kombat vs. DC)
-Yoshi's Island (the controls could work really smoothly)
-Some brand new concepts for games that work perfectly with the touch/accelerometer controls
-Last but not least, a video game completely developed by Apple themselves

Just imagine the possibilities!

Next iPhone Software Expectations

I wouldn't be surprised if there was a new iPhone software update within the next month. If this happens, then here's what I and many other people want:

-COPY AND PASTE.
-MMS messaging
-Horizontal keyboard support in Email (and all other applications)
-Javascript and Flash support in Safari
-iChat
-Video Recording

Please bring this to us, Apple.

-Derek

Monty Python releases videos on YouTube, sales increase; RIAA's flaws show

Monty Python now has their skits on YouTube for free. Here's a message straight from them:

For 3 years you YouTubers have been ripping us off, taking tens of thousands of our videos and putting them on YouTube. Now the tables are turned. It's time for us to take matters into our own hands.

We know who you are, we know where you live and we could come after you in ways too horrible to tell. But being the extraordinarily nice chaps we are, we've figured a better way to get our own back: We've launched our own Monty Python channel on YouTube.

No more of those crap quality videos you've been posting. We're giving you the real thing - HQ videos delivered straight from our vault.

What's more, we're taking our most viewed clips and uploading brand new HQ versions. And what's even more, we're letting you see absolutely everything for free. So there!

But we want something in return.

None of your driveling, mindless comments. Instead, we want you to click on the links, buy our movies & TV shows and soften our pain and disgust at being ripped off all these years.

Pretty funny. But what's also pretty funny is the fact that their sales increased 23,000%. I'm not kidding. I'm dead serious. RIAA? Are you listening? In fact, I won't start ranting about this. I'll have Gizmodo do it for me.

Are you paying attention, MPAA and RIAA? A controlled release of free material keeps people from resorting to piracy and keeps them in your controlled ecosphere, which can include, yes, ways for fans to give you money. But when you're a bunch of pricks, people go to The Pirate Bay and think of you as the enemy, and then you don't get any money. Take notes, you idiots.

-Gizmodo

Awesome. Make sure to find Monty Python's channe here, but remember, it has mature content.

-Derek

Get well Steve

In honor of Steve, here are some really cool clips that I found of him. Let's all hope for the best for him and the company!

Steve to his employees on what Apple means to him:


Steve paying respect to Microsoft where it's due:


Steve criticizing Apple's competitors:


Steve demonstrating Dashboard, with the best sense of humor from him I've ever seen:


-Derek