Apple’s September Music Event: The Good, The Bad, and the Meh
Filed under: Apple Bashing, Apple Fanboyism, Opinion, iPhone, iPod, iTunes
Well, another Apple special event has come and gone, and odds are you have no idea how you feel about it. Well, fear not, I’m here to tell you what you think. So without further ado, here is what was Good, Bad, and Meh about today’s music event.
The Good
iOS 4.1 – HDR photos, Game Center, Proximity sensor and other bug fixes…. Well, obviously we’d have to test these things out to know for sure, but as a fan of HDR (High Dynamic Range) photography, I am really pleased to see this come to the iPhone as a native implementation. As for Game Center, Read more
Microsoft tells us why PCs are better than Macs
Filed under: Apple Bashing, Apple Fanboyism, Fight! Fight!, Microsoft Bashing, Opinion
Microsoft has launched a new page comparing PCs to Macs, and guess who comes out on top?
Let’s see if you can find six misleading statements hidden in Microsoft’s arguments below: (thanks to faithful Macenstein reader Billy for the tip!)
Macs can take time to learn.
The computer that’s easiest to use is typically the one you already know how to use. While some may say Macs are easy, the reality is that they can come with a learning curve. PCs running Windows 7 look and work more like the computers you’re familiar with, so you can get up and running quickly.
Macs might spoil your fun.
There are some things you simply can’t do out of the box with a Mac like watch, pause, rewind, and record TV like a DVR.
It’s showtime.
You can’t get a Mac that ships with a Blu-ray player, TV tuner, Memory Stick reader, or built-in 3G wireless. You can with PCs running Windows 7.
Macs don’t work as well at work or at school.
If most of the computers in your office or school run Windows you may find it harder to get things done with a Mac.
Macs don’t like to share.
At least half the fun of having a computer is sharing the stuff that matters to you with other people. This is harder to do on a Mac.
Macs might not like your PC stuff.
Plain and simple, if you’re a PC user, lots of your favorite stuff just might not work on a Mac. With PCs outselling Macs 10 to 1, the reality is that most computer software is developed to run on PCs.
Macs don’t let you choose.
PCs give you a lot more choice and capabilities for your money. You can get the PC you want, in the size and color you want, with the features you want. You just don’t have as many options with a Mac.
I’m sure it’s just a coincidence
Here’s something odd… As we all know, the iPhone 4 does NOT have a reception issue with its antenna. Yet The New York Times is reporting that Mark Papermaster, that hot shot engineer that Apple wanted so badly to head up their iPhone Hardware Engineering department they had to fight IBM for him, and who coincidentally appears to be the driving force behind the iPhone 4’s “non-issue-having” antenna design, has left Apple.
There’s no official word from Apple or Papermaster as to whether he left on his own accord or was fired, but… he was fired.
Of course that’s just my educated guess. However I’m sure it had nothing to do with the iPhone 4’s antenna design or bad press. Odds are he was stealing Post-Its or something.
via 9to5
OK, so is Apple OK with exploitive App Store content or not?
Filed under: Apple Bashing, Apple Fanboyism, Cynicism, Double Standard, Girls, iPhone
I have a theory that there is ONE guy on the iTunes App Store Submission Approval Team (I call him Larry) who has decided to just say “Screw it” and is stamping “Approved” on all the sexually risque Apps that have been recently slipping back onto the iTunes store. Case in point, My Virtual Girlfriend.
Now to be clear, I have no problem with this app or Larry’s decision to approve it, nor do I consider it to be “porn”. But I certainly didn’t consider any of the 1000’s of bikini girl apps Apple pulled to be porn either, and I think one could argue that this app “objectifies women” far more than a slideshow of girls on the beach. Here’s hoping Larry is still on duty if and when we finally get our Mac Chick of the Month app going.
(Oh, and for the record, Playboy, Hooters
, and Sports Illustrated
all still have their “come ogle the ladies” apps on iTunes.)
ohohohoh
There is so much going on here that it’s hard to really pick out individual things to make fun of, so I’ll let you do that in the comments. Thanks to faithful Macenstein reader Justas for the tip!
Apple pulls those deflection videos from their site
As noted by Tech Crunch, Apple has pulled all those beautifully shot “But their phones do it too!” comparison videos Apple was using to show how common the iPhone 4’s drop in reception is when held “in a certain way”.
I don’t know why, but I decided to go over to the Canadian Apple site and grab all the videos before they disappear from that site too. I guess since they are being pulled they feel more special, like collectors items – sort of like how Michael Jackson’s album sales soared after he died. Maybe I’ll sell a DVD of them on eBay and retire.
Guess what I’m humming?
Filed under: Apple Bashing, Apple Fanboyism, Humor, iPhone
Yes, even I, the king of the iPhone 4 bitching, must admit to getting a bit burned out on bashing Apple over the iPhone reception issue. In fact, I was more than willing to put on my happy fanboy mask, pretend the iPhone works as advertised, and call it a lesson learned. But when I see someone put forth actual effort into an iPhone 4-bashing song, especially one with a catchy chorus, then I feel I just have to share. So here is faithful Macenstein reader Mark Yoshimoto Nemcoff’s opus, “The Antennagate Song “. Enjoy.
4 Reasons Why an Apple-Branded Tivo/DVR Would Probably Suck
Yesterday’s rumor du jour was that Apple will be partnering with Tivo for an upcoming update to the Apple TV which will finally bring DVR capabilities to Apple’s “hobby”. Given that I am in the market for a new DVR, on the surface this would be welcome news for me, as an Apple=branded DVR would likely fit in perfectly with my Mac-Centric entertainment system. However, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that an Apple-branded DVR would likely suck. Here’s why.
Above: Tivo’s remote may look cheesy compared to Apple’s, but it works great and actually feels good in your hand.
The remote would suck
Tivo has long been applauded for its remote (at least until the Premiere model). Its many buttons made navigating around the interface a breeze, and put most of what you would wish to access quickly at your fingertips without the need to for deep menu searching. Apple on the other hand, has an almost equally long history of having the most pathetic remote ever created. The Apple TV remote is almost identical to the one that (used to) ship with Macs back in the day, and its minimalist design, while futuristic-looking, would certainly not work with a real DVR. Apple would likely make Read more
Darth Vader vs AppleCare
Filed under: Apple Bashing, Apple Fanboyism, Awesomeness, Humor, iPhone
We all know Darth Vader invented the original iPod, so it’s no wonder that he’s an iPhone 4 owner as well.
Thanks to faithful Macenstein reader Jeff for the link!
via tuaw
“Adding function to form”
While I appreciate the “Band Aid” metaphor Antenna Aid used, I think the “End Call” decal might be the best take on the Antennagate thing so far.
via The Daily What via Gizmodo
