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
Gamblers put even money on updated iPhone 4 tomorrow
Filed under: Apple Fanboyism, Opinion, Rampant Speculation, Rumors, Slow News Day
According to the good folks over at Bookmaker.com, who specialize in providing off-beat gambling odds, there’s an even chance that we might see a retooled iPhone tomorrow, among other things.
I’ll admit I am the worst gambler ever, having literally lost the shirt of my back at one point (a sweet Def Leppard Hysteria tour concert-only exclusive) but I would say the tweaked iPhone 4 is the LEAST likely to happen in my view, while a new iPod touch is all but certain. But then, who am I to argue with the folks who put together lines for television shows such as Project Runway and Dancing with the Stars?
Review: Fun in the Sun with the Eco Extreme All-Terrain MP3 Speaker
Ever since the app store first opened, I’ve pretty much become addicted to internet radio. In fact, it’s one of the main reasons I’ve chosen to keep my unlimited data plan for the iPhone – I pretty much have to have music everywhere, common courtesy and Wi-Fi be damned. And this summer one of my favorite places to listen to tunes is at the Jersey Shore, Snookie-watching. Of course, the idea of letting sand, water, or Snookie anywhere near my iPhone was almost as frightening as the idea of trying to listen to music via the iPhone’s tiny speakers, so I began searching around for a rugged, portable iPhone speaker that could not only crank out the tunes, but also protect my precious glass-backed iPhone 4 from the elements.
Grace Digital, more famous for their wireless speakers, has built a truly impressive portable iPhone/iPod sound system with their Eco Extreme All-Terrain MP3 Speaker. Available in black, blue, or orange and costing only $49.99, you might be surprised to find just how tough and rich sounding this somewhat “toy-looking” speaker is. 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
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
Poll: Who should be Apple’s new enemy?
Following Apple’s latest earnings report, CNN Money’s David Goldman wrote a post comparing Apple’s Market Cap and quarterly earnings to that of Microsoft. A few months back Apple surpassed Microsoft in Market Cap for the first time, and with Microsoft about to report its own quarterly earnings tomorrow, most analysts are suspecting Apple will actually have surpassed its long time rival in quarterly revenue for the first time as well. But Goldman brings up a very good point when he asks, should Microsoft care?
It’s no longer 1997, and now that Apple makes the majority of its money from consumer electronics versus its software, is Microsoft even Apple’s rival anymore? Sure, its fun to see Apple beat Microsoft given their history, but one could make the argument that the two companies currently do not really compete the way they used to, and newer threats have reared their multi-colored logoed head.
Now, we all know a large part of being a fanboy is not only sharing a common love of a company, but a common hatred of competing companies. So to that end, we’re putting out a poll: Who should we, as Apple fans, focus our outrage, hatred, and biting blog posts on? Who can we burn in virtual effigy?
Loading ...RIM responds to Apple’s “But they’re doing it too!” campaign
Filed under: Apple Bashing, Apple Fanboyism, Glitch, Not Cool, Opinion, design, iPhone
RIM’s Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie issued an official response to Apple’s press conference yesterday. I won’t comment on it, for risk of further angering my fanboy readers, except to say, they’re completely right.
“Apple’s attempt to draw RIM into Apple’s self-made debacle is unacceptable. Apple’s claims about RIM products appear to be deliberate attempts to distort the public’s understanding of an antenna design issue and to deflect attention from Apple’s difficult situation. RIM is a global leader in antenna design and has been successfully designing industry-leading wireless data products with efficient and effective radio performance for over 20 years. During that time, RIM has avoided designs like the one Apple used in the iPhone 4 and instead has used innovative designs which reduce the risk for dropped calls, especially in areas of lower coverage. One thing is for certain, RIM’s customers don’t need to use a case for their BlackBerry smartphone to maintain proper connectivity. Apple clearly made certain design decisions and it should take responsibility for these decisions rather than trying to draw RIM and others into a situation that relates specifically to Apple.” – Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie
via Crackberry
10 things we learned from today’s iPhone event
Filed under: Apple Bashing, Apple Fanboyism, Glitch, Opinion, iPhone
Well, today’s iPhone event has come and gone, and I think we all learned a couple very important things.
1 – We learned Apple loves its users.
2 – We learned that “all” smart phones have signal reception issues depending on how you hold them. In fact, Apple made a point of showing us all a comparison of various phones dropping reception bars as you hold them. But one thing that was conspicuously absent was a comparison between the iPhone 3G S and and the iPhone 4. You see, while I can consistently make my iPhone 4 drop from 4 bars to “SEARCHING” in my house, I can’t get my wife’s 3G S to drop below 4 bars no matter HOW I hold it (and no, it doesn’t have a case, nor would it need one, as the antenna is INSIDE the damn phone!)
3 – We learned the reason Apple charges $30 for the bumper case. It is now obvious to me that Read more
“The iPhone 4 Antenna Song” focuses a spotlight on the problem of Apple fanboyism
Filed under: Apple Bashing, Apple Fanboyism, Glitch, Opinion, iPhone
The infamous Song-a-Day troubadour Jonathan Mann has penned a wonderfully catchy song about the latest iPhone antenna debate, and while I can’t say I agree with him, I must admit I AM humming this tune while I write this.
Yes it’s funny. Yes, it’s catchy. And yes, Mann IS a fanboy. In fact, he’s the very definition of a fanboy. Mann admits he can cause the signal to drop by holding the iPhone in the “death grip” (and by the way, the way he is “showing the “death grip” is very exaggerated), but he claims he’s never had a dropped call. So basically he’s admitting the problem is real (as does the world) but he’s saying what many other fanboys are, which is “I appear to live near a very strong signal, so even if this cuts my signal in half, I still am good to go, so there’s no problem” instead of “Wow, I guess Apple dropped the ball here. Lucky for me it hasn’t been an issue, but they should really fix it”.
It’s interesting how all things are relative. Before starting Macenstein I thought I was the ultimate fanboy. I certainly was Read more
