After ten years of working on Apple laptops, I’ve left the fold. Not only was the expense of owning and maintaining Apple hardware a key factor in my switch, but the operating system had become a frustration to me. Details like not having a tree-view in the right hand panel of the Finder window slowed me down. Ubuntu, on the other hand, feels more like an operating system made for grown-ups. And what’s especially nice is that Ubuntu scales nicely to the expertise of the user. Your cousin the computer geek or your Grandma can install and use Ubuntu and get as deep as they like. Combine this with the recent rash of cheap, powerful laptops, and Ubuntu’s market share is bound to grow.
Archive for the ‘Apple’ Category
Linux Music Workflow: Switching from Mac OS X to Ubuntu
Wednesday, August 5th, 2009Apple Downplays Fiery iPod Incidents
Wednesday, July 22nd, 2009An exclusive KIRO 7 Investigation reveals an alarming number of Apple brand iPod MP3 players have suddenly burst into flames and smoke, injuring people and damaging property.
It’s an investigation that Apple has apparently been trying to keep out of the public eye.
It took more than 7-months for KIRO 7 Consumer Investigator Amy Clancy to get her hands on documents concerning Apple’s iPods from the Consumer Product Safety Commission because Apple’s lawyers filed exemption after exemption. In the end, the CPSC released more than 800 pages which reveal, for the very first time, a comprehensive look that shows, on a number of occasions, iPods have suddenly burst into flames, started to smoke, and even burned their owners.
Is Apple ‘open enough’ to rule the next decade of mobile?
Wednesday, June 24th, 2009For all the discussion of the importance of transparency and openness on the Web today, it’s very telling that the world’s fastest-growing mobile platform may also be the most proprietary.
Apple wins rave reviews (including from me) on its technology but certainly not for its commitment to sharing its innovations with the world…unless, of course, you fork over $299 and sign a two-year mobile service commitment.
Indeed, Apple has earned the dubious honor of being more closed than Microsoft.
Flash to Brighten Most Smartphones - iPhone, BlackBerry to Stay Dim
Wednesday, June 24th, 2009With the news that its omnipresent-on-the-desktop Flash player will be available in more mobile forms before the end of the year. Adobe is finally following through on its goal of joining the smartphone party — but the two biggest names in that market are still missing from the invitation list.
Apple’s iPhone and Research In Motion’s BlackBerry won’t be getting the beta version of Flash Player 10 at the Adobe Max conference in October. Flash will be making its official debut on the Google Android, Symbian, webOS (Palm) and Windows Mobile operating system platforms.
10 reasons why open source makes sense on smart phones
Friday, June 19th, 2009Open source brings a host of benefits to the mobile market, starting with cost savings, better security, more customization options and more prolific application development.
Android and Palm Pre phones will outshine the rest of the market for one simple reason — open source. Why is open source going to help raise these phones above the competition? I have 10 reasons why.
Watch Video…without Flash
Thursday, June 4th, 2009Dailymotion is excited to launch a new R&D platform dedicated to open video formats and web standards. You don’t need the Adobe Flash plugin to watch videos on this platform - the only requirement is the latest version of Firefox, 3.5 beta.
Why I’ll Never Buy A Mac
Thursday, June 4th, 2009I’ve often been asked why I don’t own a Mac. The answer is simple, and yet complex, and requires a trip down memory lane.
So now you know … I have a massive distrust for Steve Jobs and his flock. Based on their prior track record, I’m convinced they are fully capable of screwing their partners and their developers, not to mention their customers and early adopters.
The Mac, for all its Insane Greatness and cool factor, as well as having all the DNA to make it an enterprise platform, doesn’t get a lot of traction in large enterprises, so there isn’t a lot of motivation for me to own a system which has no bearing on stuff that I work with to make a living.
Arrogance and wishful thinking on the part of Apple and its rabid fan base will not stop Mac clones. But it will certainly stop me from buying a computer with an Apple logo on it.