I'm at the Rivera residence again. Everybody comes trick-or-treating in broad daylight, and then there are none when it actually gets dark. Kind of ironic.
Time for this week's Top 5. This time it's the Top 5 Psychedelic Songs.
5. Jimi Hendrix- "Third Stone From The Sun"
4. Traffic- "Paper Sun"
3. TIE: Beatles- "A Day In The Life", Beatles- "Strawberry Fields Forever"
2. Pink Floyd- "Bike"
1. Talking Heads- "Once In A Lifetime"
I love all those songs.
Nothing new with Apple. The Beatles just signed a video game deal, so hopefully this means their music will be on iTunes soon.
-Derek
Friday, October 31, 2008
Monday, October 27, 2008
$99 iPhone
Anybody who thinks Apple's going to think about lowering the iPhone's price to $99 is dreaming. Having said that, it would be brilliant because their sales, according to an analyst, would "triple", meaning they'd make about 1.5 times the amount of money they're making now. If this happens, Apple will also be able to rub it in Windows Mobile's face. But it's never gonna happen. Trust me.
-Derek
-Derek
Job Layoffs
All I hear about on the news and on the internet anymore is people being laid off. Twitter's CEO Jack Dorsey is no longer in the company. Revision3 has had a lot of layoffs today which is really sad. I don't want my dad to be next. We'll see.
-Derek
-Derek
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Podcast?
Could my friend and I run a podcast? It's a tough question. We'd have to meet literally every week to make it work. We could use iMovie or something, put music in the background and talk over it. But what could it be about? What would be the agenda for each podcast? Maybe Nintendo... but the news on Nintendo is so slow lately. Maybe Apple... I dunno. What would it even be called? We'd totally come up with nicknames to disguise ourselves. I would go with Charlie.
Something I've been thinking about.
Something I've been thinking about.
Handsome Tom, come on.
So I'm a g1 at ScrewAttack, a fantastic video game site that emphasizes community. And I know it's been like almost maybe a year now, but I still wish Handsome Tom was still on ScrewAttack. I mean seriously, what's the problem? Why can't the two founders of ScrewAttack be in the same room anymore? I don't care who the jerk is, or if it's both; I want Handsome Tom back at ScrewAttack.
So where is he now? He's at this really crappy site called The Game Heroes. That's a really lame name. I mean seriously, is that all they could come up with? You've got to be kidding me. It's pitiful. That's the perfect word to describe it with. It's a really pitiful attempt to stick it to Craig and say, "I don't need ScrewAttack!" Now that's great and all, but there's one problem: You're wrong. You do need ScrewAttack. If you want to ever be popular on the web again, then you need ScrewAttack. Let's face it, that's where you started. That's where you became popular. And now you're leaving it and starting something really dumb that you think is going to beat ScrewAttack.
Okay then, fair enough, I go to The Game Heroes' website. Looks like multiple ex-ScrewAttack people are here. Handsome Tom, Perfect Liz, and 8-Bit Mickey (previously New School Mickey) have all succumbed to the will to "stick it to Craig". Looking around, I see they have a lot of rip-offs of ScrewAttack features. There's Submission Saturday, there's a weekly podcast (actually two podcasts, I don't understand why they need two), there's a forum (but they're sneaky; they call it the 'message boards'), there's even a store. Now, Tom, none of this is going to work, for at least two reasons. Number one: the website is so freaking hard to navigate! I can't even find any videos with Handsome Tom in them. I can hardly find any videos at all. I would listen to the podcast but really, I don't give a crap about it. I don't care about The Game Heroes. It's just a heartless attempt to try to call themselves independent from ScrewAttack. Anyway, reason number two on why this is not going to work. Nobody cares about The Game Heroes. Let's face it. Nobody gives a crap. Just go on the forums at any time. Right now there are 3 people online on the Game Heroes 'message boards', only one of which is actually a registered user. At the same time, there are 24 people online at the ScrewAttack forums. And by the way, it's three in the morning. Nobody has passion for your fake site like people have passion for ScrewAttack.
Tom. Man. Please. Stop embarrassing yourself. It's just getting more and more embarrassing with every day that you choose to stay with your really stupid website. I remember when you were cool, when you actually made videos all the time, and you were friends with Craig. Please. Please. Go back to ScrewAttack. I'm sure they'll accept your apology. Just go. Hurry. Right now. They're waiting. And bring Mickey along. And Liz. Sell your website or something. Just leave the anger behind. Okay? Thanks.
-Derek
So where is he now? He's at this really crappy site called The Game Heroes. That's a really lame name. I mean seriously, is that all they could come up with? You've got to be kidding me. It's pitiful. That's the perfect word to describe it with. It's a really pitiful attempt to stick it to Craig and say, "I don't need ScrewAttack!" Now that's great and all, but there's one problem: You're wrong. You do need ScrewAttack. If you want to ever be popular on the web again, then you need ScrewAttack. Let's face it, that's where you started. That's where you became popular. And now you're leaving it and starting something really dumb that you think is going to beat ScrewAttack.
Okay then, fair enough, I go to The Game Heroes' website. Looks like multiple ex-ScrewAttack people are here. Handsome Tom, Perfect Liz, and 8-Bit Mickey (previously New School Mickey) have all succumbed to the will to "stick it to Craig". Looking around, I see they have a lot of rip-offs of ScrewAttack features. There's Submission Saturday, there's a weekly podcast (actually two podcasts, I don't understand why they need two), there's a forum (but they're sneaky; they call it the 'message boards'), there's even a store. Now, Tom, none of this is going to work, for at least two reasons. Number one: the website is so freaking hard to navigate! I can't even find any videos with Handsome Tom in them. I can hardly find any videos at all. I would listen to the podcast but really, I don't give a crap about it. I don't care about The Game Heroes. It's just a heartless attempt to try to call themselves independent from ScrewAttack. Anyway, reason number two on why this is not going to work. Nobody cares about The Game Heroes. Let's face it. Nobody gives a crap. Just go on the forums at any time. Right now there are 3 people online on the Game Heroes 'message boards', only one of which is actually a registered user. At the same time, there are 24 people online at the ScrewAttack forums. And by the way, it's three in the morning. Nobody has passion for your fake site like people have passion for ScrewAttack.
Tom. Man. Please. Stop embarrassing yourself. It's just getting more and more embarrassing with every day that you choose to stay with your really stupid website. I remember when you were cool, when you actually made videos all the time, and you were friends with Craig. Please. Please. Go back to ScrewAttack. I'm sure they'll accept your apology. Just go. Hurry. Right now. They're waiting. And bring Mickey along. And Liz. Sell your website or something. Just leave the anger behind. Okay? Thanks.
-Derek
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Ed Wood
"Plan 9 From Outer Space" is infamous as a bad movie, and it is often called the worst movie of all time. Now I really disagree. I didn't have a hard time watching it; I love watching it just because of how bad it is! It definitely entertains me. It's so bad it's good. I would much rather watch "Plan 9" than some movies that are out there, which are just plain painful to watch. It's good for a nice laugh. But I didn't just laugh. I was intrigued. I was intrigued at the idea of this. How could a man direct a movie like this and not realize that it's terrible? How could he be so blind that he doesn't know that the continuity problems, terrible acting, ridiculous special effects, and laughable concept don't exist?
Edward D. Wood gained cult status long after his death when "Plan 9" was named the worst movie of all time, and Wood the worst director. People loved him and saw him as an inspiration for some reason, and now I can see why that is.
Tim Burton made a movie in 1994 that was simply titled "Ed Wood". It was the true story of an eccentric director who followed his passion despite all of the problems he faced. Tim Burton himself has said many times that Edward Wood is a huge inspiration to him, and Burton looks at Wood with sympathy and recognition. The first thing I thought of when I heard about the movie "Ed Wood" was, "What's there to make a movie about? He's a bad director and he made a bad movie. What else is there?" But the second thing I thought was that Tim Burton is an amazing director, and therefore he should be good at picking out another great director.
What makes Burton's films grab the attention of people like me is that they all have one common theme: an outcast. Whether it's Batman, Edward Scissorhands, or even Pee Wee Herman, most of them deal with a person who thinks, acts, or feels different from everybody else and can't fit in with society. I think Tim Burton can relate to these characters as he is an eccentric person too, as I can be. So I watched "Ed Wood" hoping that it would be a good addition to this collection of misfits.
So how was the movie? In a word: amazing. It was simply amazing. I can't believe how great it was. I would have never guessed that the director of such a goofy movie ("Plan 9") could have such a compelling and inspirational life story. Now I realize that a lot of the character may be fictional in order to add feeling to the movie, but it's mainly based on reality.
The movie stars Johnny Depp in possibly his best role ever, as Ed Wood. Ed is struggling to get his movies made and has to make deals with second-rate companies who don't care about making good films. As Ed makes more and more films, he gains more and more creative control over them. I think Depp absolutely nailed the character, because he is so interesting to watch. He speaks fluently and in a way that's almost comically artificial, like a 50's business man.
Just like the real man, this Ed Wood is overly optimistic about every movie he makes no matter how low the budget is or how terrible the odds are. Every single time he is seen shooting a scene in a movie, he shoots it once and says, "That was perfect!" despite it being an obviously bad take. People working with him keep questioning his filmmaking abilities, as Ed dismisses them all, believing what he is making will "be seen by millions and touch the world".
Ed is a very eccentric person for many reasons, the most obvious of them being that he likes wearing women's clothing, though he's quick to point out that he's heterosexual afterwards. The film follows his making of his three most well-known films: "Glen or Glenda," "Bride of the Monster," and of course, "Plan 9 From Outer Space".
If you don't think anything in this movie can top Depp's acting, you obviously haven't taken a glance at Martin Landau's stunning performance as Bela Lugosi (the actor of Dracula, and an actor in many Ed Wood films). It was captivating the whole way through, and Landau definitely did the great actor he's portraying justice. His Hungarian accent is absolutely spot-on, his character is so interesting to watch, and he performed many emotional scenes based on Lugosi's use of illegal substances. Which one is the most haunting? Is it the one where he is in the hospital, strapped to a chair, screaming? How about the part where he recites the line, "Home? I have no home!... I will build a race of human beings, and I will use them to take over the world!" with amazing feeling and depth, as if he was under the influence when he recited that cryptic Ed Wood line? Or even the scene in which he attempts suicide? No, I have to settle for one that most people probably don't remember: the scene where Lugosi is fresh off of injecting himself with morphine and drinking a bottle of whiskey, and he has to act like he's being strangled by a fake rubber octopus that didn't move at all. I don't know about anybody else, but that part was so haunting. For at least 15 or 20 seconds, he flails around in the arms of the octopus, screaming so intensely and hauntingly, as if the drugs are actually making him insane. That had to be the most memorable part of the movie.
As the movie progresses, Wood and Lugosi build a great relationship together as director and actor, and Depp's and Lugosi's acting just compliments the other's. The movie offers us new, fictional details about how the movies really came about. For example, there is one scene where Wood is telling Lugosi about his role in "Glen or Glenda", which is to be "a kind of god-like character. You know, a puppet master?" to which Lugosi enthusiastically replied, "Ah yes, I pull the strings!" And thus, the "Pull the strings!" dialogue from the beginning of "Glen or Glenda" is conceptualized.
The entire movie is filmed in black and white, which looks great. It is also filled with inside-jokes about the Edward Wood movies. There's all kinds of clever humor as well, including one scene where Wood shows a man two shirts of different colors and asks how they are, and the man replies that he's color-blind and can't tell what color they are. Just like us!
What's important about "Ed Wood" is that you can feel the whole movie. You can feel the pressure Wood is under when he's making these movies. His wife leaves him because of his terrible movies and his cross-dressing, Lugosi dies, Wood becomes broke, a group of religious people try to take control of his movies' direction; everything basically becomes overwhelming for him. But what matters to him most is that he does what he's passionate about: he finishes his films, despite impossible odds (and budgets). By the time he's making "Plan 9," the movie he considers his pride and joy, the audience is already in love with the character and the actual man. If the audience wasn't, I know I was.
What it all comes down to is this: Edward Wood was an artist, like me. He didn't make his movies for money or fame. He made them for the sake of making them. It was his passion. It was his life. And thus, both the man's life and this movie teach what's probably the most important lesson of all: that passion is the key to life. You have to be passionate about what you do in life, and for Ed Wood, his passion was making movies. And for following his one passion, I salute Edward D. Wood.
It is an inspirational story for absolutely anybody. I mean, absolutely anybody age 17 and up; it's rated R. So if you're 17 or up, or you think you can handle the language, go watch. And while you're at it, watch some "Plan 9" too. You'll laugh. Five stars.
-Derek
Edward D. Wood gained cult status long after his death when "Plan 9" was named the worst movie of all time, and Wood the worst director. People loved him and saw him as an inspiration for some reason, and now I can see why that is.
Tim Burton made a movie in 1994 that was simply titled "Ed Wood". It was the true story of an eccentric director who followed his passion despite all of the problems he faced. Tim Burton himself has said many times that Edward Wood is a huge inspiration to him, and Burton looks at Wood with sympathy and recognition. The first thing I thought of when I heard about the movie "Ed Wood" was, "What's there to make a movie about? He's a bad director and he made a bad movie. What else is there?" But the second thing I thought was that Tim Burton is an amazing director, and therefore he should be good at picking out another great director.
What makes Burton's films grab the attention of people like me is that they all have one common theme: an outcast. Whether it's Batman, Edward Scissorhands, or even Pee Wee Herman, most of them deal with a person who thinks, acts, or feels different from everybody else and can't fit in with society. I think Tim Burton can relate to these characters as he is an eccentric person too, as I can be. So I watched "Ed Wood" hoping that it would be a good addition to this collection of misfits.
So how was the movie? In a word: amazing. It was simply amazing. I can't believe how great it was. I would have never guessed that the director of such a goofy movie ("Plan 9") could have such a compelling and inspirational life story. Now I realize that a lot of the character may be fictional in order to add feeling to the movie, but it's mainly based on reality.
The movie stars Johnny Depp in possibly his best role ever, as Ed Wood. Ed is struggling to get his movies made and has to make deals with second-rate companies who don't care about making good films. As Ed makes more and more films, he gains more and more creative control over them. I think Depp absolutely nailed the character, because he is so interesting to watch. He speaks fluently and in a way that's almost comically artificial, like a 50's business man.
Just like the real man, this Ed Wood is overly optimistic about every movie he makes no matter how low the budget is or how terrible the odds are. Every single time he is seen shooting a scene in a movie, he shoots it once and says, "That was perfect!" despite it being an obviously bad take. People working with him keep questioning his filmmaking abilities, as Ed dismisses them all, believing what he is making will "be seen by millions and touch the world".
Ed is a very eccentric person for many reasons, the most obvious of them being that he likes wearing women's clothing, though he's quick to point out that he's heterosexual afterwards. The film follows his making of his three most well-known films: "Glen or Glenda," "Bride of the Monster," and of course, "Plan 9 From Outer Space".
If you don't think anything in this movie can top Depp's acting, you obviously haven't taken a glance at Martin Landau's stunning performance as Bela Lugosi (the actor of Dracula, and an actor in many Ed Wood films). It was captivating the whole way through, and Landau definitely did the great actor he's portraying justice. His Hungarian accent is absolutely spot-on, his character is so interesting to watch, and he performed many emotional scenes based on Lugosi's use of illegal substances. Which one is the most haunting? Is it the one where he is in the hospital, strapped to a chair, screaming? How about the part where he recites the line, "Home? I have no home!... I will build a race of human beings, and I will use them to take over the world!" with amazing feeling and depth, as if he was under the influence when he recited that cryptic Ed Wood line? Or even the scene in which he attempts suicide? No, I have to settle for one that most people probably don't remember: the scene where Lugosi is fresh off of injecting himself with morphine and drinking a bottle of whiskey, and he has to act like he's being strangled by a fake rubber octopus that didn't move at all. I don't know about anybody else, but that part was so haunting. For at least 15 or 20 seconds, he flails around in the arms of the octopus, screaming so intensely and hauntingly, as if the drugs are actually making him insane. That had to be the most memorable part of the movie.
As the movie progresses, Wood and Lugosi build a great relationship together as director and actor, and Depp's and Lugosi's acting just compliments the other's. The movie offers us new, fictional details about how the movies really came about. For example, there is one scene where Wood is telling Lugosi about his role in "Glen or Glenda", which is to be "a kind of god-like character. You know, a puppet master?" to which Lugosi enthusiastically replied, "Ah yes, I pull the strings!" And thus, the "Pull the strings!" dialogue from the beginning of "Glen or Glenda" is conceptualized.
The entire movie is filmed in black and white, which looks great. It is also filled with inside-jokes about the Edward Wood movies. There's all kinds of clever humor as well, including one scene where Wood shows a man two shirts of different colors and asks how they are, and the man replies that he's color-blind and can't tell what color they are. Just like us!
What's important about "Ed Wood" is that you can feel the whole movie. You can feel the pressure Wood is under when he's making these movies. His wife leaves him because of his terrible movies and his cross-dressing, Lugosi dies, Wood becomes broke, a group of religious people try to take control of his movies' direction; everything basically becomes overwhelming for him. But what matters to him most is that he does what he's passionate about: he finishes his films, despite impossible odds (and budgets). By the time he's making "Plan 9," the movie he considers his pride and joy, the audience is already in love with the character and the actual man. If the audience wasn't, I know I was.
What it all comes down to is this: Edward Wood was an artist, like me. He didn't make his movies for money or fame. He made them for the sake of making them. It was his passion. It was his life. And thus, both the man's life and this movie teach what's probably the most important lesson of all: that passion is the key to life. You have to be passionate about what you do in life, and for Ed Wood, his passion was making movies. And for following his one passion, I salute Edward D. Wood.
It is an inspirational story for absolutely anybody. I mean, absolutely anybody age 17 and up; it's rated R. So if you're 17 or up, or you think you can handle the language, go watch. And while you're at it, watch some "Plan 9" too. You'll laugh. Five stars.
-Derek
In the news
This is Derek reporting from the lovely Rivera residence, the home of a friend of mine. I'm doing one of my favorite activities: using a Mac. It's not that great though, because this is an iMac G4, the one with the half-circle computer and the monitor that sticks out of it. It's a good computer, but old by today's standards. The screen was amazing because it can be positioned pretty much anywhere, as shown in this commercial:
So anyway, in Apple news, not much has happened since the release of the new MacBooks. Rumor has it that a new iMac is on the way, and I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if it happened. I'm sure it will look the same but have a better hard drive, better screen, and better graphics (NVIDIA). It won't be a huge update, because really, what is there to update? It's at the top of its class.
In other news, Apple has stood up for gay rights in California. I actually didn't know it was legal for same-sex citizens to be married anywhere in the US, but apparently it's true. Apple put it this way:
"Apple is publicly opposing Proposition 8 and making a donation of $100,000 to the No on 8 campaign. Apple was among the first California companies to offer equal rights and benefits to our employees’ same-sex partners, and we strongly believe that a person’s fundamental rights — including the right to marry — should not be affected by their sexual orientation. Apple views this as a civil rights issue, rather than just a political issue, and is therefore speaking out publicly against Proposition 8."
That's from Apple Hot News. My response is: good for them. No seriously, good for them. I'm not being sarcastic. Apple has always been a symbol of "Thinking Different". I started to doubt that it still was until this Proposition 8 news. They are doing a fantastic thing putting effort towards civil rights, and I applaud them for that since I too am concerned with these kinds of issues. I think it's unacceptable that these kinds of people are treated unfairly and not offered the same basic human rights that the government has worked so hard to promote. If you're born a homosexual, then "too bad," the government says, "you don't get to marry the people you love, even though we are making it appear that marrying is mandatory for everybody." So bottom line: I'm glad that Apple is standing up for its political beliefs. The thing is, would $1 million be too much to ask for? Never mind.
Walt Mossberg of the Wall Street Journal is loving the new MacBook and MacBook Pro. Calling it "a terrific choice for consumer and students," it is "solid, speedy, innovative, and comfortable to use, and with very good battery life." Maybe Steve Ballmer should think about that next time he accuses Macs of having bad battery life. It's good to see that the most respected technology analyst and expert on the planet seems to prefer Macs to PCs. By the way, if you've read Fake Steve, you'll see that he makes fun of Mossberg's constant use of "I," and "me" in his articles. This is still true in this article. I didn't count the number of times he said those words, but he kept saying stuff like “I’ve been testing the base model of the new MacBook for the past five days, and I like it a lot." Pretty funny.
And finally, Apple has released yet another new commercial: "Bake Sale".
Pretty good. Basically the same thing they were saying before. I'm guessing this one will be on TV. One problem though: he said that PC is trying to fix Vista. No! You can't let PC users hear that! The last thing Microsoft wants to do is fix Vista, because it would be expensive, and they already spent too much on the ad campaign. Oh well.
-Derek
So anyway, in Apple news, not much has happened since the release of the new MacBooks. Rumor has it that a new iMac is on the way, and I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if it happened. I'm sure it will look the same but have a better hard drive, better screen, and better graphics (NVIDIA). It won't be a huge update, because really, what is there to update? It's at the top of its class.
In other news, Apple has stood up for gay rights in California. I actually didn't know it was legal for same-sex citizens to be married anywhere in the US, but apparently it's true. Apple put it this way:
"Apple is publicly opposing Proposition 8 and making a donation of $100,000 to the No on 8 campaign. Apple was among the first California companies to offer equal rights and benefits to our employees’ same-sex partners, and we strongly believe that a person’s fundamental rights — including the right to marry — should not be affected by their sexual orientation. Apple views this as a civil rights issue, rather than just a political issue, and is therefore speaking out publicly against Proposition 8."
That's from Apple Hot News. My response is: good for them. No seriously, good for them. I'm not being sarcastic. Apple has always been a symbol of "Thinking Different". I started to doubt that it still was until this Proposition 8 news. They are doing a fantastic thing putting effort towards civil rights, and I applaud them for that since I too am concerned with these kinds of issues. I think it's unacceptable that these kinds of people are treated unfairly and not offered the same basic human rights that the government has worked so hard to promote. If you're born a homosexual, then "too bad," the government says, "you don't get to marry the people you love, even though we are making it appear that marrying is mandatory for everybody." So bottom line: I'm glad that Apple is standing up for its political beliefs. The thing is, would $1 million be too much to ask for? Never mind.
Walt Mossberg of the Wall Street Journal is loving the new MacBook and MacBook Pro. Calling it "a terrific choice for consumer and students," it is "solid, speedy, innovative, and comfortable to use, and with very good battery life." Maybe Steve Ballmer should think about that next time he accuses Macs of having bad battery life. It's good to see that the most respected technology analyst and expert on the planet seems to prefer Macs to PCs. By the way, if you've read Fake Steve, you'll see that he makes fun of Mossberg's constant use of "I," and "me" in his articles. This is still true in this article. I didn't count the number of times he said those words, but he kept saying stuff like “I’ve been testing the base model of the new MacBook for the past five days, and I like it a lot." Pretty funny.
And finally, Apple has released yet another new commercial: "Bake Sale".
Pretty good. Basically the same thing they were saying before. I'm guessing this one will be on TV. One problem though: he said that PC is trying to fix Vista. No! You can't let PC users hear that! The last thing Microsoft wants to do is fix Vista, because it would be expensive, and they already spent too much on the ad campaign. Oh well.
-Derek
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Listening to: Piper At The Gates Of Dawn
which is Pink Floyd's first ever album. It's really, really psychedelic and experimental; just the way I like it. This was when the late, great Syd Barrette was in the band, before he went psychotic off drugs. I especially like Bike, Lucifer Sam, Flaming, and other songs. This album is definitely an acquired taste, but I acquired it very quickly.
At times, the stereo mixing hurts my ears when I'm listening to it on my iPod because it's unbalanced. Sometimes that technique works though. Syd has very eccentric guitar playing and lyrics, but it definitely fits the mood. Overall, great album. But don't expect it to be like Dark Side or Wish You Were Here, because it's completely different.
At times, the stereo mixing hurts my ears when I'm listening to it on my iPod because it's unbalanced. Sometimes that technique works though. Syd has very eccentric guitar playing and lyrics, but it definitely fits the mood. Overall, great album. But don't expect it to be like Dark Side or Wish You Were Here, because it's completely different.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Oh my god, that's hilarious
Have you seen Apple's new ads? "Bean Counter" and "The V Word"? "The V Word" was pretty good, but "Bean Counter" made me laugh a lot! It's so spot on!
Let me give you an idea: Since Apple's advertising works so well and is making a lot of people switch to Macs, Microsoft is all "We can't have this!" so they spend 300 million dollars to launch some really stupid ads. But these ads are bad because instead of pointing towards their operating system, they distract people from how bad that operating system is. Apple's advertising points TOWARDS the operating system because they know they have nothing to hide, because the OS is amazing.
Here's an example of a Vista ad today:
Okay, that's great, all these people who are unaware of Macs use PC's, but that doesn't change the fact that the operating system sucks really bad. Also, what's with that really dorky music?
So here's "Bean Counter":
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Oh my god, Apple has a really good sense of humor! I didn't think they would even go there! I can't believe they actually did that ad!
And here's "The V Word":
Also good. Not as good, but pretty good. It's because Microsoft's new ad doesn't say 'Vista' anywhere in it. I like it!
So as we can see, Microsoft has tried to distract people from their bad OS by making these commercials, but Apple is able to extinguish everything Microsoft does with the truth.
-Derek
Let me give you an idea: Since Apple's advertising works so well and is making a lot of people switch to Macs, Microsoft is all "We can't have this!" so they spend 300 million dollars to launch some really stupid ads. But these ads are bad because instead of pointing towards their operating system, they distract people from how bad that operating system is. Apple's advertising points TOWARDS the operating system because they know they have nothing to hide, because the OS is amazing.
Here's an example of a Vista ad today:
Okay, that's great, all these people who are unaware of Macs use PC's, but that doesn't change the fact that the operating system sucks really bad. Also, what's with that really dorky music?
So here's "Bean Counter":
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Oh my god, Apple has a really good sense of humor! I didn't think they would even go there! I can't believe they actually did that ad!
And here's "The V Word":
Also good. Not as good, but pretty good. It's because Microsoft's new ad doesn't say 'Vista' anywhere in it. I like it!
So as we can see, Microsoft has tried to distract people from their bad OS by making these commercials, but Apple is able to extinguish everything Microsoft does with the truth.
-Derek
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Outrageous Ballmer Interview
Steve Ballmer, AKA Uncle Fester, CEO of Microsoft, crazy man and idiot, was recently interviewed by PC Magazine. I'd like to take you through the Mac portion of this interview and give some commentary.
PC Magazine: Microsoft is the icon of the PC. What do you think about the Apple commercials: "I'm a Mac, and I'm a PC"?
Ballmer: I think they need a little bit of correction, and you'll see us be much more vigorous about stating the case for the PC. The truth of the matter is, this is ironic. The PC outsells the Mac 33 to 1—32 to 1.
Derek: (And as we all know, if product A sells better than product B, product A is ALWAYS better. That's some grade-A logic right there. That's like saying McDonald's must be better than Majjiano's because it's more popular.)
Ballmer: ...look, PCs are better than Macs. That is not something that can be debated. 32 out of every 33 times, somebody buys a PC instead of a Mac.
Derek: (Yeah, we heard you the first time. This is typical Microsoft, trying to pull wool over the customers' eyes and not giving them all of the facts. The real facts are that Apple's becoming more and more popular every day, as more and more people are being frustrated with Windows Vista, Microsoft's big mistake. And what's even more entertaining is that while Microsoft said before that Vista wasn't what they wanted at all, now they're trying to make it look like Vista was great all along.)
Then Ballmer starts saying all these meaningless lies about Mac and PC that he's hoping PC users won't realize are lies.
Ballmer: You know, they act like Macs are lightweight, but there are much lighter weight PC notebooks.
Derek: (Okay, maybe TECHNICALLY there exist lighter weight PCs than the MacBook Air. But really, how much lighter than three pounds do you need it? And besides, are you willing to bet that those lighter weight PCs suck much harder than MacBook Airs do? I certainly am!)
Ballmer: Macs-- Do they have the best battery power? Of course they don't have the best battery power.
Derek: (.................Wasn't this guy just talking about how lightweight you can get a PC? Now he's talking about battery power? Let me clarify one thing: lightweight PCs don't have ANY kind of good battery power. The MacBook Air has very good battery life for its kind because it has a huge battery. Plus, MacBooks have at least a 5 hour battery life. That's all I really need. And this ultra-thick PC I'm having the displeasure of using right now? You unplug it when it's fully charged and it'll go out in about fifteen minutes. I am dead serious.)
Ballmer: Do Macs work in a business? No, they do not.
Derek: (Uh... yes they do. They have Microsoft Office which Microsoft gave Apple. And if that's not enough, Macs have iWork 08, which has way better software than Microsoft Office, and it's compatible with the same document formats. Also, MacDailyNews.Com made an insightful statement about this kind of accusation: "This is why Mac users should not buy Office, by the way; Microsoft will take your money and then immediately turn around and ignore your very existence." And by the way, for the last time, ANY MAC CAN RUN WINDOWS XP OR VISTA. You can have anything that's on a PC put on a Mac, except now it runs way better because it's on better hardware. So therefore, they're actually BETTER in a business than PC's are.)
There were some parts where Fester just started stuttering, talking too fast for his brain, and looking like he's about to go out of control. As he insightfully said at one point:
Ballmer: You know, there are so many-- You know, can you find Macs in-- I'm very sensitive to what mouse I have on my laptop.
Nicely said. And by the way, can't you get pretty much any USB mouse for a Mac? Not to mention Mighty Mouse works perfectly for me. He is seriously running out of arguments.
Ballmer: So 32 out of 33 times, people chose PCs, there must be something better about the PC, and that's a story that deserves to be told. I think it's a story of choice.
Derek: (There he goes again with the "32 out of 33 times" crap, since he's run out of things to say. We heard you the first and second times! We get the point!)
So overall, what's most funny about these Mac and PC debates I keep getting into with people on the Internet and in my regular life is that I keep making the same points, and nobody has ever made a counter-point. For example, Macs can run both Mac OS X (the most advanced operating system in the world) and Windows. PC's obviously can't beat that! They can't run Mac OS X so there's no way they can beat Macs. Not to mention, Windows runs much better on Macs. Sure it may cost some money, but if you get a PC, it will cost more money to keep upgrading the memory, buying new batteries, taking it in to get fixed, possibly buying a new one, etc etc etc, until you realize that all those costs added up to over twice the amount you would've paid just for a Mac. I've had three computers in my life. Every one of them except the current one screwed up somehow, and I'm sure any day now, this one will bite the dust too. How much money is that... about $2000?
Bottom line as always: Get a Mac. It will make you happy.
PC Magazine: Microsoft is the icon of the PC. What do you think about the Apple commercials: "I'm a Mac, and I'm a PC"?
Ballmer: I think they need a little bit of correction, and you'll see us be much more vigorous about stating the case for the PC. The truth of the matter is, this is ironic. The PC outsells the Mac 33 to 1—32 to 1.
Derek: (And as we all know, if product A sells better than product B, product A is ALWAYS better. That's some grade-A logic right there. That's like saying McDonald's must be better than Majjiano's because it's more popular.)
Ballmer: ...look, PCs are better than Macs. That is not something that can be debated. 32 out of every 33 times, somebody buys a PC instead of a Mac.
Derek: (Yeah, we heard you the first time. This is typical Microsoft, trying to pull wool over the customers' eyes and not giving them all of the facts. The real facts are that Apple's becoming more and more popular every day, as more and more people are being frustrated with Windows Vista, Microsoft's big mistake. And what's even more entertaining is that while Microsoft said before that Vista wasn't what they wanted at all, now they're trying to make it look like Vista was great all along.)
Then Ballmer starts saying all these meaningless lies about Mac and PC that he's hoping PC users won't realize are lies.
Ballmer: You know, they act like Macs are lightweight, but there are much lighter weight PC notebooks.
Derek: (Okay, maybe TECHNICALLY there exist lighter weight PCs than the MacBook Air. But really, how much lighter than three pounds do you need it? And besides, are you willing to bet that those lighter weight PCs suck much harder than MacBook Airs do? I certainly am!)
Ballmer: Macs-- Do they have the best battery power? Of course they don't have the best battery power.
Derek: (.................Wasn't this guy just talking about how lightweight you can get a PC? Now he's talking about battery power? Let me clarify one thing: lightweight PCs don't have ANY kind of good battery power. The MacBook Air has very good battery life for its kind because it has a huge battery. Plus, MacBooks have at least a 5 hour battery life. That's all I really need. And this ultra-thick PC I'm having the displeasure of using right now? You unplug it when it's fully charged and it'll go out in about fifteen minutes. I am dead serious.)
Ballmer: Do Macs work in a business? No, they do not.
Derek: (Uh... yes they do. They have Microsoft Office which Microsoft gave Apple. And if that's not enough, Macs have iWork 08, which has way better software than Microsoft Office, and it's compatible with the same document formats. Also, MacDailyNews.Com made an insightful statement about this kind of accusation: "This is why Mac users should not buy Office, by the way; Microsoft will take your money and then immediately turn around and ignore your very existence." And by the way, for the last time, ANY MAC CAN RUN WINDOWS XP OR VISTA. You can have anything that's on a PC put on a Mac, except now it runs way better because it's on better hardware. So therefore, they're actually BETTER in a business than PC's are.)
There were some parts where Fester just started stuttering, talking too fast for his brain, and looking like he's about to go out of control. As he insightfully said at one point:
Ballmer: You know, there are so many-- You know, can you find Macs in-- I'm very sensitive to what mouse I have on my laptop.
Nicely said. And by the way, can't you get pretty much any USB mouse for a Mac? Not to mention Mighty Mouse works perfectly for me. He is seriously running out of arguments.
Ballmer: So 32 out of 33 times, people chose PCs, there must be something better about the PC, and that's a story that deserves to be told. I think it's a story of choice.
Derek: (There he goes again with the "32 out of 33 times" crap, since he's run out of things to say. We heard you the first and second times! We get the point!)
So overall, what's most funny about these Mac and PC debates I keep getting into with people on the Internet and in my regular life is that I keep making the same points, and nobody has ever made a counter-point. For example, Macs can run both Mac OS X (the most advanced operating system in the world) and Windows. PC's obviously can't beat that! They can't run Mac OS X so there's no way they can beat Macs. Not to mention, Windows runs much better on Macs. Sure it may cost some money, but if you get a PC, it will cost more money to keep upgrading the memory, buying new batteries, taking it in to get fixed, possibly buying a new one, etc etc etc, until you realize that all those costs added up to over twice the amount you would've paid just for a Mac. I've had three computers in my life. Every one of them except the current one screwed up somehow, and I'm sure any day now, this one will bite the dust too. How much money is that... about $2000?
Bottom line as always: Get a Mac. It will make you happy.
Me? Work at an Apple Store?
Not a bad idea. Maybe I could train to be a Genius. Or a concierge. Or a Mac Specialist. Or something. I really don't know. But I need experience first, so it's going to take a while to try to apply there. Not to mention, I kind of need a Mac to do this job. Or do I?
-Derek
-Derek
Saturday, October 18, 2008
New MacBooks Pt. 2
Derek here, reporting from the Apple Store. The MacBooks are here (they've been here for a long time of course). They're great. I'll post pictures later. The keyboard is really nice to use, I'm typing on it right now. I'd love to use this keyboard. It's a great pleasure, because typing on everything is so smooth.
The whole trackpad being the button is cool. The only drawback I've seen so far is that I like to have my thumb on the button below normal trackpads while my index finger navigates the pointer, but you can't do it that way with this computer because it detects both your thumb and index finger and it can't move very well unless you have one finger on it at a time. But this is only one tiny drawback. The screen looks great, since it's glass, and LCD-backlit. All the things you would expect on a MacBook except FireWire are there. I don't need FireWire personally, so it's no problem. The computer is pretty light when it comes to computers. The NVIDIA graphics really show, because they're super-fast. Try using the iSight camera to look at yourself and you'll see what I mean.
The MacBook Air is pretty much the same as the old one, except for the better processor and better hard drive. Overall, this is a great addition to the Apple family, and I look forward to buying it.
-Derek
The whole trackpad being the button is cool. The only drawback I've seen so far is that I like to have my thumb on the button below normal trackpads while my index finger navigates the pointer, but you can't do it that way with this computer because it detects both your thumb and index finger and it can't move very well unless you have one finger on it at a time. But this is only one tiny drawback. The screen looks great, since it's glass, and LCD-backlit. All the things you would expect on a MacBook except FireWire are there. I don't need FireWire personally, so it's no problem. The computer is pretty light when it comes to computers. The NVIDIA graphics really show, because they're super-fast. Try using the iSight camera to look at yourself and you'll see what I mean.
The MacBook Air is pretty much the same as the old one, except for the better processor and better hard drive. Overall, this is a great addition to the Apple family, and I look forward to buying it.
-Derek
The New MacBooks
I like them. I don't exactly like the price, but I guess if that's what Apple has to do, that's what they have to do. But the MacBooks are stunning. They hit it right out of the park with this one. Today I'm going to the Apple store to check them out, followed by hopefully going to my friend's house if he's available for today.
The new MacBooks have all-glass displays, they are unibody, meaning they're basically made with one part instead of many parts, etc. The unibody thing is important for a number of reasons. It makes the MacBook lighter, better-looking, more durable, and it's very "environmentally responsible". The whole trackpad is one big button, so you have more space to use it. Also, it's a glass trackpad. Very cool! The MacBooks are encased in aluminum just like the MacBook Pro. In fact, the only basic differences between the two are these:
-MacBook has 13", MacBook Pro has 15".
-MacBook Pro has FireWire compatibility, MacBook doesn't.
-Better processor, hard drive on MacBook Pro
So all the new, cool features the MacBook Pro has, consumers can get those with the MacBook. That's fantastic. Both notebooks have all-new NVIDIA graphics, meaning that they're 3-5 times faster, which excites me.
So yeah, I'm excited. Even though it's $1299, I can definitely take that. Besides, you can still get the old MacBook for $999 (it should be something like $799). I hope to get one of these guys. Also, I realize that this was announced on the 14th and I'm just posting this today. I was getting around to it.
-Derek
The new MacBooks have all-glass displays, they are unibody, meaning they're basically made with one part instead of many parts, etc. The unibody thing is important for a number of reasons. It makes the MacBook lighter, better-looking, more durable, and it's very "environmentally responsible". The whole trackpad is one big button, so you have more space to use it. Also, it's a glass trackpad. Very cool! The MacBooks are encased in aluminum just like the MacBook Pro. In fact, the only basic differences between the two are these:
-MacBook has 13", MacBook Pro has 15".
-MacBook Pro has FireWire compatibility, MacBook doesn't.
-Better processor, hard drive on MacBook Pro
So all the new, cool features the MacBook Pro has, consumers can get those with the MacBook. That's fantastic. Both notebooks have all-new NVIDIA graphics, meaning that they're 3-5 times faster, which excites me.
So yeah, I'm excited. Even though it's $1299, I can definitely take that. Besides, you can still get the old MacBook for $999 (it should be something like $799). I hope to get one of these guys. Also, I realize that this was announced on the 14th and I'm just posting this today. I was getting around to it.
-Derek
Friday, October 17, 2008
Ideas: Mac OS X Snow Leopard
One thing that I think will be hard for Apple to do right now is come up with new ideas since Mac OS X Leopard covers almost everything. I hear that there will be the so-called "Cocoa Finder" and "Image Boot" (the latter I don't understand), as well as other features such as Microsoft Exchange support. Here are some ideas I have that could make Snow Leopard great.
Style is one thing. In the late, great Secret Diary of Steve Jobs, Fake Steve Jobs parodied Apple by saying that the first things they think about are the commercials, the design, and the style, and then work on engineering. I think this isn't too far off, because Apple really puts style into their products. So with Snow Leopard, it would be cool if you could make the style go all-out. For example, I like the windows as they are right now: aluminum colored, properly shaded and textured, stylish. However, they could improve on it even more by letting you do stuff like choose different colors for the aluminum, as if the windows are colored like iPod Nanos or something. I don't like having a bunch of Safari and iTunes windows open on my desktop with them all being the same color, so if you could choose to color-code it, that would be great. You should also be able to do this with other stuff like folders, Word or Pages documents, the pointer, certain things like that. It would be cool if you could design your own color schemes on your computer by doing this. Just a minor idea. Also, they could make so that the textures of the windows can be completely different, like instead of aluminum, you could choose to make it shiny, glossy white, like their old iMacs. Or you could make it black glass like the iPhone, iMac, and MacBook screens. Just another idea about the windows.
But seriously, what useful things could they put in Snow Leopard? What problems do OS X users have all the time? I can't think of that many. It's just too reliable of a system to pick on. They might be able to introduce new software, but what could it be? Does Mac have an image editor program? If not, it needs one. The Spaces application could be updated so that it has at least six spaces for windows. Also, they could use an animation effect for when you're switching spaces, like if there are six spaces, it could look like a cube that you're rotating, and each side of the cube is one space. Each space can have a different wallpaper, color scheme, etc.
By the time OS X Snow Leopard comes out, new iMacs should be out which all have HD screens (unless they're already HD). Then you can watch HD movies using super graphics (NVIDIA, just like the MacBooks) on your huge 24-inch screen (which will be what the minimum iMac screen size will be). The 24-inch model will cost only $1199 at most, though I'd prefer they lower the price because of this bad economy. But if asking for a lower price with 24 inches is asking too much, then that's fine. But I expect huge screens. So with Snow Leopard, Quicktime should be drastically improved, so there aren't lines or squares of different parts of the video scattered throughout. I don't know if that's what it's like on a Mac, but that's what it's like on a PC.
Maybe in some places, icons will look like iPhone apps, where they look like squares with the rounded edges. More and more Apple elements are starting to look like that, such as the artists in iTunes 8's grid view, or MobileMe's web apps. Apple seems to like making things like this seem consistent among all their products.
Maybe Snow Leopard should also focus on useability. For a lot of people, computers are really hard to use for multiple reasons. Macs shouldn't fall for the same problems PC has. For example, maybe there should be an option that absolutely any text shown on the screen (except images with text in them) can be enlarged up to about four times its size. Since there's such a huge screen to work with, and since there's the Spaces application, there's no excuse not to help people who can't see very well.
I'll post more ideas for Snow Leopard if I think of any more.
Style is one thing. In the late, great Secret Diary of Steve Jobs, Fake Steve Jobs parodied Apple by saying that the first things they think about are the commercials, the design, and the style, and then work on engineering. I think this isn't too far off, because Apple really puts style into their products. So with Snow Leopard, it would be cool if you could make the style go all-out. For example, I like the windows as they are right now: aluminum colored, properly shaded and textured, stylish. However, they could improve on it even more by letting you do stuff like choose different colors for the aluminum, as if the windows are colored like iPod Nanos or something. I don't like having a bunch of Safari and iTunes windows open on my desktop with them all being the same color, so if you could choose to color-code it, that would be great. You should also be able to do this with other stuff like folders, Word or Pages documents, the pointer, certain things like that. It would be cool if you could design your own color schemes on your computer by doing this. Just a minor idea. Also, they could make so that the textures of the windows can be completely different, like instead of aluminum, you could choose to make it shiny, glossy white, like their old iMacs. Or you could make it black glass like the iPhone, iMac, and MacBook screens. Just another idea about the windows.
But seriously, what useful things could they put in Snow Leopard? What problems do OS X users have all the time? I can't think of that many. It's just too reliable of a system to pick on. They might be able to introduce new software, but what could it be? Does Mac have an image editor program? If not, it needs one. The Spaces application could be updated so that it has at least six spaces for windows. Also, they could use an animation effect for when you're switching spaces, like if there are six spaces, it could look like a cube that you're rotating, and each side of the cube is one space. Each space can have a different wallpaper, color scheme, etc.
By the time OS X Snow Leopard comes out, new iMacs should be out which all have HD screens (unless they're already HD). Then you can watch HD movies using super graphics (NVIDIA, just like the MacBooks) on your huge 24-inch screen (which will be what the minimum iMac screen size will be). The 24-inch model will cost only $1199 at most, though I'd prefer they lower the price because of this bad economy. But if asking for a lower price with 24 inches is asking too much, then that's fine. But I expect huge screens. So with Snow Leopard, Quicktime should be drastically improved, so there aren't lines or squares of different parts of the video scattered throughout. I don't know if that's what it's like on a Mac, but that's what it's like on a PC.
Maybe in some places, icons will look like iPhone apps, where they look like squares with the rounded edges. More and more Apple elements are starting to look like that, such as the artists in iTunes 8's grid view, or MobileMe's web apps. Apple seems to like making things like this seem consistent among all their products.
Maybe Snow Leopard should also focus on useability. For a lot of people, computers are really hard to use for multiple reasons. Macs shouldn't fall for the same problems PC has. For example, maybe there should be an option that absolutely any text shown on the screen (except images with text in them) can be enlarged up to about four times its size. Since there's such a huge screen to work with, and since there's the Spaces application, there's no excuse not to help people who can't see very well.
I'll post more ideas for Snow Leopard if I think of any more.
Listening to: "You Got Lucky"
by Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers. It's fantastic. Listen to the words. You can feel Petty's fury. He's angry at his ex-lover, saying "Good love is hard to find. You got lucky when you found me." a very cocky statement indeed, but I think any guy who's broken up with someone before can connect with it.
Also, the instrument choice is great. You mainly hear a synthesizer, a second synthesizer, and an electric guitar. I like how they take turns playing the main tune at the end while the drums intensify it even more. You can kind of hear a grand piano right after he says "you got lucky, babe". It works really well.
Overall this is my favorite Tom Petty song, and I recommend it highly.
Also, the instrument choice is great. You mainly hear a synthesizer, a second synthesizer, and an electric guitar. I like how they take turns playing the main tune at the end while the drums intensify it even more. You can kind of hear a grand piano right after he says "you got lucky, babe". It works really well.
Overall this is my favorite Tom Petty song, and I recommend it highly.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Today's the Day
I'll be in school today, but I'll still be able to check out Apple.com and see the news on the new MacBooks. Pretty exciting!
I'll update the blog about them as soon as I can.
I'll update the blog about them as soon as I can.
Monday, October 13, 2008
My Trip To The Apple Store
I had a little adventure trying to get to the local Apple store, but I made it. For the most part, it was worth it. I gave one last look at the current MacBooks and MacBook Pros, knowing that they'll probably be out of the store by tomorrow, replaced by the new notebooks coming out tomorrow. I also surfed the web on an iMac, a MacBook Pro, a MacBook Air, and a Mac Mini. To tell you the truth, they all seemed about the same: super-fast. That's how fantastic Apple is. I also surfed the web with a Mac Pro, and I've never seen so much incredible processing power before. I also used a Mac connected to the 30" Cinema Display, and it was simply stunning. That's almost three feet. It's like looking at a TV! Speaking of which, I used the Apple TV for the first time. Not bad. I also checked out the 4th Generation iPod Nano's. They're incredibly thin, and the new ad for them is really artistic in my opinion. The MacBook Air is also very thin. It's really amazing to hold one in your hand.
But the best part was definitely at the end, when I decided to interview an employee. I asked him, "Do you know anything about the new MacBooks and MacBook Pros that are supposed to be announced tomorrow?" and he was like, "I'm not supposed to talk about that." I was like, "Oh, okay, that's fine. You're just doing your job." But then I said, in a kind of quiet voice, "But seriously, how much do I have to pay you to tell me?" I was totally kidding. I tried to make it clear with my voice that I was kidding. But you'll never believe what happened next. He friggin kicked me out. I am dead serious. He kicked me out of the store. I couldn't believe it. I just cooperated though, since he works for Apple and all that. I tried going back after a while, and I stayed there for like 30 minutes and nobody recognized me. Which is a good thing for me.
I'm surprised the employees of an Apple store are even allowed to say that they know about tomorrow's keynote. I'm also surprised that they can kick you out for bribing them to tell secret info. They're really serious about keeping these announcements secret until they're made. I mean seriously, what harm's it going to do if he told me about it just ONE DAY before it was announced? It wouldn't make any difference at all. Anyway, whatever. Like I said, he was just doing his job.
I'll post pictures soon.
But the best part was definitely at the end, when I decided to interview an employee. I asked him, "Do you know anything about the new MacBooks and MacBook Pros that are supposed to be announced tomorrow?" and he was like, "I'm not supposed to talk about that." I was like, "Oh, okay, that's fine. You're just doing your job." But then I said, in a kind of quiet voice, "But seriously, how much do I have to pay you to tell me?" I was totally kidding. I tried to make it clear with my voice that I was kidding. But you'll never believe what happened next. He friggin kicked me out. I am dead serious. He kicked me out of the store. I couldn't believe it. I just cooperated though, since he works for Apple and all that. I tried going back after a while, and I stayed there for like 30 minutes and nobody recognized me. Which is a good thing for me.
I'm surprised the employees of an Apple store are even allowed to say that they know about tomorrow's keynote. I'm also surprised that they can kick you out for bribing them to tell secret info. They're really serious about keeping these announcements secret until they're made. I mean seriously, what harm's it going to do if he told me about it just ONE DAY before it was announced? It wouldn't make any difference at all. Anyway, whatever. Like I said, he was just doing his job.
I'll post pictures soon.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Apple's History of Notebooks
Since we're about to have an Apple event revolving around notebooks, let's see how Apple got to this point.
First, there was the iBook in 1999, which I believe was their first consumer notebook ever.
Arguably the next big step was the MacBook Pro in 2006.
And then there was the MacBook Air in 2008.
Part 1:
Part 2:
First, there was the iBook in 1999, which I believe was their first consumer notebook ever.
Arguably the next big step was the MacBook Pro in 2006.
And then there was the MacBook Air in 2008.
Part 1:
Part 2:
Supposed Next-Gen MacBooks
With the Apple's Notebook-themed event coming up this Tuesday, everybody's rambling on about what new notebooks could be announced. Lots of 'leaked' photos of new MacBooks are coming in all the time, so here are a few of the hi-lights.
These three are from Apple.Pro and Engadget. They are supposedly the brand new aluminum MacBooks, or at least the casing for them. I'm really skeptical, though. Do you have any idea how easy it is to make a homemade aluminum case and pose it as a real leaked MacBook casing? I'm betting that this is just a bunch of nerds trying get their five minutes of fame, and if that's the case then, well, mission accomplished.
Now this is more like it. These two images, one from Technominds, and one from Cult of Mac (which is, by the way, my favorite Apple site), are supposedly ones of the upcoming MacBook Pro. They are supposedly taken by Apple employees. The images are very good. Notice how the second one shows the Apple employee taking the picture, as shown by the iSight camera in the MacBook. Boy, that guy must be in big trouble with Steve now. Another thing: Notice that the side of this model is the same as the side of one of the previous pictures of the MacBook casing. It has the same... I dunno what they're called... 'dot things' on the side. It all keeps adding up. I can't really imagine them being fake. But who knows, people have been able to do crazy stuff with Photoshop.
Thanks to all the blogs that these images came from!
-Derek
These three are from Apple.Pro and Engadget. They are supposedly the brand new aluminum MacBooks, or at least the casing for them. I'm really skeptical, though. Do you have any idea how easy it is to make a homemade aluminum case and pose it as a real leaked MacBook casing? I'm betting that this is just a bunch of nerds trying get their five minutes of fame, and if that's the case then, well, mission accomplished.
Now this is more like it. These two images, one from Technominds, and one from Cult of Mac (which is, by the way, my favorite Apple site), are supposedly ones of the upcoming MacBook Pro. They are supposedly taken by Apple employees. The images are very good. Notice how the second one shows the Apple employee taking the picture, as shown by the iSight camera in the MacBook. Boy, that guy must be in big trouble with Steve now. Another thing: Notice that the side of this model is the same as the side of one of the previous pictures of the MacBook casing. It has the same... I dunno what they're called... 'dot things' on the side. It all keeps adding up. I can't really imagine them being fake. But who knows, people have been able to do crazy stuff with Photoshop.
Thanks to all the blogs that these images came from!
-Derek
Saturday, October 11, 2008
So I email Dan Lyons (AKA Fake Steve Jobs)...
...asking him a couple things: a) are Options (his book) and The Secret Diary of Steve Jobs (the compilation of the blog of the same name) available in bookstores? and b) I know that Steve Jobs might be a tiny bit unhealthy, but why can't you start back up the Fake Steve thing?
He responds on the very same day, saying literally one whole sentence of a response: "Options is available in paperback and should now be in stores" He literally says that. No period at the end either, which seems unlike him. Maybe he was using his phone to type. And notice that he didn't respond to question B. Probably because that's the number one thing people email him about.
So I email him again, saying a) what about the Secret Diary of Steve Jobs? Is that also in bookstores? and b) If you were able to respond to an email I sent you on the very same day, why haven't you updated your blog in like a week?
He didn't respond.
I don't like his attitude. I mean, I'm sure he's a nice guy, but he's acting like he's more important than me and the rest of the fans. And to say that he's more important than us is a kind of contradiction, because we're what made him into a famous person in the blogging community. So it's only fair that he should take our suggestions and at least make 50% of the blog about what we want it to be. I mean, let's face it, a blog run by Steve Jobs is much more interesting and captivating than a blog run by some Forbes-turned-Newsweek reporter in his 40's who is negative about pretty much everything in the tech industry. So if we, the fans, say we want Fake Steve Jobs to come back, it's a good idea to bring him back, because that's what's going to give Dan more views, more money, and more fame. Plus it's way more fun to read.
But no. Dan is ignoring my opinion and everybody else's opinion, only thinking about the blog he's running right now, and condemning himself to not have the attention he once had. He's pretty much saying, "This guy doesn't matter. He's just some reader who doesn't know what he's talking about."
-Derek
He responds on the very same day, saying literally one whole sentence of a response: "Options is available in paperback and should now be in stores" He literally says that. No period at the end either, which seems unlike him. Maybe he was using his phone to type. And notice that he didn't respond to question B. Probably because that's the number one thing people email him about.
So I email him again, saying a) what about the Secret Diary of Steve Jobs? Is that also in bookstores? and b) If you were able to respond to an email I sent you on the very same day, why haven't you updated your blog in like a week?
He didn't respond.
I don't like his attitude. I mean, I'm sure he's a nice guy, but he's acting like he's more important than me and the rest of the fans. And to say that he's more important than us is a kind of contradiction, because we're what made him into a famous person in the blogging community. So it's only fair that he should take our suggestions and at least make 50% of the blog about what we want it to be. I mean, let's face it, a blog run by Steve Jobs is much more interesting and captivating than a blog run by some Forbes-turned-Newsweek reporter in his 40's who is negative about pretty much everything in the tech industry. So if we, the fans, say we want Fake Steve Jobs to come back, it's a good idea to bring him back, because that's what's going to give Dan more views, more money, and more fame. Plus it's way more fun to read.
But no. Dan is ignoring my opinion and everybody else's opinion, only thinking about the blog he's running right now, and condemning himself to not have the attention he once had. He's pretty much saying, "This guy doesn't matter. He's just some reader who doesn't know what he's talking about."
-Derek
iPhone Apps: BlogPress
I'm updating using BlogPress on my iPhone. I was skeptical at first, and I'm still not that sure about it. The $9.99 price was definitely not worth it so far. I've already noticed a couple design flaws, and the developer's grammar is very unprofessional. But it works okay, and I can live with it. I give it three stars.
-Derek
-Derek
Friday, October 10, 2008
Apple Announces "Notebook Event" Oct. 14
Apple announced a new "Notebook Event" yesterday. Word on the street is there will be a new MacBook that will start at $800. This would really help seeing as, as "Weird Al" Yankovic would say, "our economy's in the toilet", and Apple's sales can't be improving from that. It also would make sense since it would follow suit with the new iPhone costing $200. I hope the new MacBook looks a lot like the iMac, because I think the iMac looks very stylish. I really want a MacBook, and the $800 dollar price looks pretty good. It isn't anywhere near my budget, but it still looks good.
Thanks to Cult of Mac for the info.
-Derek
Thanks to Cult of Mac for the info.
-Derek
My Third Blog
Yes, this is my third blog. I mean, technically, this is probably my tenth blog. But it's my third 'main' blog. The others were called "The Life of Derek" but I'm calling this one "Derek's Tablet" just because... I dunno, I just am. It's my tablet to write on. I am in fact aware that nobody will probably be reading this. That's okay, though. I just feel like blogging. I just love blogging. It's in my blood. It's the way I think. Sometimes I stop blogging, but those couple months are just a vacation from my passion.
What will I blog about? Whatever's on my mind. I might as well introduce myself. I'm a music fan, a musician, a poet, a tech fan, and a retro video game fan. I'll tell about these things.
I love music a lot. It's what keeps me going through the day. I couldn't stand not having my iPhone with me so I can listen to music. What do I like? Beatles, Bob Dylan, John Lennon, Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Radiohead, and a lot, lot more. I'm into creativity. I'm into thinking different.
I create music too. You probably don't want to hear it. It's not very good. It's just something I like doing. I like the process of creating it. I like performing it. It's not very pleasing to listen to though.
My music's taking a backseat to poetry right now. I love poetry. It's becoming a huge part of my life. As the day goes by, things keep happening that make me think of ideas for poems. I've written tons of poems, which are probably a lot better than my music.
I am also interested in technology. I am a big Apple fan. However, I do not think they're perfect. They are better than Microsoft though. Much better. I stay in touch with what's going on with technology. Pretty cool.
I also like retro video games. I grew up on the Nintendo Entertainment System. I have every Nintendo system (not counting the handhelds, which includes the Virtual Boy). I have an average amount of games, but I still have a lot of collecting to do. It's a fun hobby.
So bottom line: I hope you enjoy my blog somehow. Thanks for reading!
What will I blog about? Whatever's on my mind. I might as well introduce myself. I'm a music fan, a musician, a poet, a tech fan, and a retro video game fan. I'll tell about these things.
I love music a lot. It's what keeps me going through the day. I couldn't stand not having my iPhone with me so I can listen to music. What do I like? Beatles, Bob Dylan, John Lennon, Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Radiohead, and a lot, lot more. I'm into creativity. I'm into thinking different.
I create music too. You probably don't want to hear it. It's not very good. It's just something I like doing. I like the process of creating it. I like performing it. It's not very pleasing to listen to though.
My music's taking a backseat to poetry right now. I love poetry. It's becoming a huge part of my life. As the day goes by, things keep happening that make me think of ideas for poems. I've written tons of poems, which are probably a lot better than my music.
I am also interested in technology. I am a big Apple fan. However, I do not think they're perfect. They are better than Microsoft though. Much better. I stay in touch with what's going on with technology. Pretty cool.
I also like retro video games. I grew up on the Nintendo Entertainment System. I have every Nintendo system (not counting the handhelds, which includes the Virtual Boy). I have an average amount of games, but I still have a lot of collecting to do. It's a fun hobby.
So bottom line: I hope you enjoy my blog somehow. Thanks for reading!
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