Click Here Technology Columns

Book Review Mac OS X Leopard: The Missing Manual

2008-05-04T20:34:00.001-05:00

Mac OS X Leopard: The Missing Manual

My review of Leopard: The Missing Manual won't be nearly as complete as David Pogue's typical brilliance. How can someone write about the Mona Lisa? You must actually experience it to fully understand it. (Ohh...now I just made my trip to France tax-deductible). As always, Pogue's Missing Manuals contain the nitty-gritty of every available function and possible combination. I compared the excellent Tiger edition with the Leopard edition side by side to see what changed.

The 300 extra functions in Leopard only added about 50 pages to the book, which is larger than a phone book and more complete! The Leopard edition had less handholding for Windows users, which is ironic because Boot Camp attracts more Windows users. Cut from the Tiger version of this book were among other things .Mac and iSync integration as well as some terminal tips and tricks.

Missing Manuals are well known for covering each and every function of the subject they cover and of course this version does not disappoint. Do you want to know the in-and-outs of Bluetooth on your Mac? No Problem. Screen Sharing? It's got it. Every single function of Leopard is covered. The book is designed as a reference guide, not a tutorial

This is not the book for basic user who just wants to send emails and surf. There will be too much information and the almost 900 pages will be intimidating. This is for the person that wants to eek every last ounce of performance and function from the computer. They squeeze the toothpaste to the very bottom and use double coupons for items on sale. Novices may also be turned off by no coverage of iLife.

Pros: It's all there. Every function, every System Preference. You name it, it's got it along with Pogue's style of easy to understand explanations

Cons: Consult a doctor before lifting this book, it's heavy. Might scare off novices.

Five out of Five DogCows

Article was republished by the Lawrence Apple User's Group 2.0 here as well as other groups listed on the right

Hardware Review: Contour Design Rollermouse Pro

2008-03-31T07:28:00.003-05:00

They say there is no such thing as love at first sight, unless of course you are watching a Hollywood movie. On the big screen, you see your life partner from across the room and you both know you'll end up together, though it may take years.

I saw the Contour Design Rollermouse at Macworld '07 and instantly fell in love. I'm in that tiny minority that actually like track pads. I type pretty darn fast and hate having to stop typing and remove a hand from the keyboard to control the mouse. Also, it's an awkward strain to reach over all the time, and I have particular shoulder problems on that side of my body from repetitive mousing over. When I bought my first USB-only Mac I was devastated I couldn't use my old trackpad keyboard on the computer. It was my old pal from the days of my IIvx and was still running strong. I used an ADB to USB converter, but it's software was flaky and I eventually gave up.

When I gave up on my original ADB trackpad keyboard, I tried a few trackpad USB keyboards designed for PCs, but they were clunky and I hated not having the keys mapped for a Mac. I suffered along, accepting I couldn't have what I wanted and started doing more serious work on my laptop, because I could type faster on that unit. I accepted it was better to have love and lost, than to have never loved at all. At Macworld, I saw Sarah Bullock and found my next true love...ooops...we're talking about computers here. Seeing the RollerMouse was years later! As soon as I started using it, I knew I was hooked. I could type quickly and actually control the mouse better than I could on a trackpad. The RollerMouse is hard to describe, and much easier to see. Contour Design's website has a great video of it.

In a nutshell, the RollerMouse simulates a trackpad environment in that you can control the mouse movement without having to take your hands off the keyboard. Your thumbs do all the work. Best of all, it acts as a keyboard tray and wrist rest, so you can use any keyboard you want with the RollerMouse. Note that because it has it's own wrist rest, ergonomic style keyboards with their own wrist area do not work well with the RollerMouse. I had to give up my Logitech Wireless and Use a Macally Icekey instead. What we do for love!

The RollerMouse is a rubberized rod that is placed in-between the two wrist rests, you slide the dowel right to move right, left to move left. However, it also acts like a scroll wheel, you can click the RollerMouse and roll up and down. The RollerMouse combines the best of a track-pad, a trackball, and a mouse. Unlike a track-pad, the faster I roll the the RollerMouse, the faster the mouse moves on the screen. One quick flick of the thumb and I've scrolled all the way up, because the momentum of the physical RollerMouse carries the icon up the screen. Unlike a mouse or trackpad, the RollerMouse allows 360 degrees of movement. It's very easy to move between any two points on the screen in one fluid motion. Although I'm not a video editor, I do occasionally watch TV shows via QuickTime. The RollerMouse accurately simulates the functions of the jogwheel video editors use. I can easily skip commercials and get right to the beginning of the show.

The RollerMouse comes in two flavors: Classic and Pro. The Pro features higher DPI for more precise movements and more programmable buttons. I tried out the Pro. One of the minor problems with the RollerMouse is an inability to program what each button does. There is a tiny "dip" switch that gives you 3 different combinations of what the buttons will do, which is somewhat limiting. USB Overdrive allows you a greater range of choices regarding each button's function, but other mice don't limit your choices as much as the RollerMouse. If we were scripting the Hollywood love story, this would be equivalent to not replacing the toilet paper when the roll is empty. Annoying, but unless you are Seinfeld, it's not a deal-breaker in the relationship.

Of course, love knows no price. I believe the going rate for a wedding ring is two month's salary, and my love of this mouth carries just a hefty price tag. The RollerMouse Classic is $189 and the RollerMouse Pro is $199. Ouch. Eliot Spitzer knows love sometimes comes at a high price. Fortunately, Contour Design has a generous 30 day free trial (how many relationships give you that?) I doubt if many people return it after using it for a while.

This mouse is not for the casual user. This is for the person who spends hours a day at the computer and in particular, begins to develop repetitive stress injury. If all you do is check email and surf the web on your computer, you are unlikely to see the true value in this input device. On the other hand (figuratively and literally), if your shoulder aches at the end of a busy day from using the mouse so much, then this mouse is for you! You can spend more time at your keyboard, and less time reaching over for your mouse. I'm truly in love with it and I wrote my old mouse a nice Dear John letter. It found a lovely home on eBay and is making a grandmother in Pittsburgh very happy. My MacBook trackpad is wondering why I spend so much less time with it. Yes, I've found another input device. When I need to do input on the road MacBook, your trackpad will satisfy my needs, but when I'm at my desk I'm delighted to see my MacPro will get my full attention with the help of my RollerMouse Pro.

Pros: Saves valuable time and effort by putting a mouse accessible to your hands without leaving the keyboard. Perfect for fast typists
Cons: Lack of button choices, cost.

Five out of Five Dogcows

Article was republished by the Lawrence Apple User's Group 2.0 here as well as other groups listed on the right

Hardware Review: Laptop Desk Futura

2008-03-16T13:27:00.004-05:00

My laptop tends to be my best friend ..tagging along with me places I wouldn't ask my worst enemy to follow. Unfortunately, using a laptop in these conditions take their toll. Balancing a latte and a $2,000 laptop is a recipe for destruction. That is, if you don't have a Futura Laptop Desk. The Futura combines elegant design and world-class ergonomics to provide a 'body-friendly" workspace at almost any location.

The Futura serves two main purposes: a laptop desk for, well, your lap, and a ergonomic desk stand. First, the Futura folds out flat to create a portable stable surface across your lap. No longer are you straining your back and folding your legs to create a faux stand. My leg always falls asleep doing that. Before I got a Futura, I would keep an old breakfast-in-bed tray in the car for when I wanted to go to a coffee house. Not only was the tray bulky, but I looked like such much of a dork that Napoleon Dynamite seemed GQ in comparison. With the Futura, my dorkiness is solely attribute to me and not my laptop accessories. The Futura folds to about one inch think and fits snugly behind my Macbook in its laptop bag. I like the fact the Futura creates extra stability in the bag and provides an extra level of protection. I worry a little less each time I put my laptop underneath the seat on an airplane. Our bodies have redundant protection for vital organs...and my laptop is a vital organ of my brain! The unit helps keep the heat of a laptop away from your body and helps with cooling, but the ol' leg across the thigh will achieve a similar goal and I wouldn't buy it solely because it keeps things cool.

When I actually find a desk somewhere to work with my laptop, the ergonomics are often the pits. Because I'm taller than average, I have to hunch over to use my laptop. Shoulders, back and neck are all in a position that would make a chiropractor weep. The Futura folds up to create a 45 degree angle stand to raise the laptop to a more "neutral" position for my body: elbows at 90 degrees, neck not pointing down, etc. In fact, their website, www.laptopworks.net, has some great ergonomics tips. I may not follow them all, but my chiropractor has to feed her family, so I can't completely put her out of business.

Generally, the unit is well constructed, though the gun-metal grey won't win any fashion awards. Sources indicate more colors are "on the way". I wonder what color ribbon is for "back pain?" Might be a good tie in. The rubber feet keep the unit from slipping off the desk or the laptop base. This is a simple device that really saves your back, neck and shoulders. The only potential design flaw I see is a "mousing" surface for those people that prefer mice rather than a trackpad (though a trackpad is better for you in reducing strain).

A Futura is a must have accessory for any road warrior struggling with their laptop in awkward locations. At $30 retail, the price is right and is a no-brainer.

Pros: Makes almost any work surface ergonomically friendly.

Cons: Could come in more colors and have a mousepad, could reduce the income of your chiropractor

Five out of Five Dogcows.

Article was republished by the Lawrence Apple User's Group 2.0 here as well as other groups listed on the right

Hardware Review: ElGato EyeTV 250 with QAM

2008-03-02T10:31:00.003-06:00

Elgato EyeTV 250 with QAM

Watching TV and using a computer are fairly distinct activities. TV programs do not crash. The characters on "Lost" don't start walking slowly and stuttering when too many people are watching the show at the same time. Unlike Microsoft Office, Dwight Schrute from "The Office" won't unexpectedly quit at the worst possible time (which is more then can be said for his writers!)

Still, TV does have a lot in common with your Mac...both require you to watch what goes on on a screen, and these days, both contain digital content that you, as a consumer ought to be able to watch and use at whatever time you see fit. In our brave new world of TiVo, video on demand, and YouTube, television is no longer "broadcast" to your home on the schedule of some fat cat TV executive; consumers today have more control then ever of how and when they watch their favorite shows.

The EyeTV 250 (with QAM) from Elgato brings the party to your MacOS computer in a big way. This small (about the size of two desks of cards) USB device allows anyone with a modern Mac to enjoy TV on their computer. At its most basic, the Elgato device is a TiVo for the Mac; you can watch live TV, pause shows in the middle (great for bathroom breaks on your schedule), and record your favorite shows. Recorded shows can be watched faster then if they were live, because you can quickly fast-forward through commercials. You can enjoy shows on your Mac's crisp LCD display, or if you want, export them to your Apple TV to watch on your big-screen in the living room, or save shows to your iPod to watch on the go.

The EyeTV works in conjunction with the free TitanTV online programming guide to give you an interactive listing of TV programs, similar to what you might see on a TiVo or TV Guide. As you view a listing of channels and shows in the familiar grid, you can click on any show title to get a complete description of the episode and schedule it for recording. If there's a show you watch every week, you can set up a "season pass" to have the EyeTV automatically record each week's new episode.

In addition to a more traditional computer-like interface, with an on-screen 'virtual' remote control for controlling normal TV functions, the EyeTV has the capability to enter a full-screen mode. This can be controlled using the Apple remote as well as EyeTV's own included full-function remote. Utilizing a view similar to the Apple TV, you can scroll through the channels you receive to watch live TV, or browse your previously recorded shows. This mode works great with the new iMacs, and watching TV on one of these systems (especially HD programming) is an amazing experience.

But, we are getting ahead of ourselves. Before you can enjoy all of this, you do have to set up the EyeTV. Luckily, Elgato's software walks you though most of the process automatically (with one big exception - more on that later). You hook the USB device to the back of your Mac, install the software, enter your activation code, and then EyeTV will ask you some basic questions about your setup, such as where you live (so it can download the correct program guides for your cable service). After scanning for channels (which takes a few minutes) you are ready to go.

The EyeTV 250 (with QAM) works with analog cable TV (the cable most of us have) as well as with digital over-the-air television (if you have an external antenna). There is also a port to hook up a VCR or other analog input device such as a game console or older camcorder. The newest EyeTV 250 also supports free digital cable, which is known by the industry acronym QAM. Both over-the-air digital signals and QAM digital cable signals can optionally, depending on the station, be high definition, which the EyeTV supports (both 720p and 1080i for those who speak geek).

Now a brief digression (if you were watching "Mythbusters" right now, you would see the "Warning: Science Contents" alert at this time!):

QAM is a geek feature. For those lucky enough to have cable companies using unencrypted QAM, and those with the geek skills and patience to use it, the EyeTV 250 will give you many dozens of crystal-clear digital channels, including (possibly) many HD channels, all for free (well, free beyond the normal monthly fee you already pay for cable). QAM is not documented much by Elgato, and not at all by your cable company, so actually using it is an arcane art, primarily because the cable providers do not provide the "channel mapping" for QAM that they do for regular, old-fashioned analog cable. QAM channels also sometimes (but not frequently) might "jump" to different locations depending on the whims of the cable gods. Anyway, if you use the QAM feature of the EyeTV, you end up with a list of some 100 or more unlabeled channels with names like "105-14." You, the geek, can then manually tune each of these channels, figure out what network it is by the programming being shown, and then label the channel in the EyeTV interface. Once you do this time-consuming step, you then will have a nice list of properly-labeled channels and can use the program guide. It is well worth the effort it takes to do this - your reward is usually a bunch of crisp digital channels and a lot of glorious high definition programming. If any non-geeks have ready this far, please do not be scared away - you can enjoy easy-to-use program guides and properly labeled analog cable with the EyeTV without doing anything at all beyond running the installation wizard. QAM and its complexity is just for the geeks. Nothing to see here, so move along.

Obviously, you can use the EyeTV for simple channel surfing, but you'll probably start using it to record shows. As I mentioned above, the interface to do this is very easy, a matter of simply clicking on a show's title in the on-screen program guide. When it is time for a show to be recorded, the EyeTV software will launch (if it is not running) and record the show. After a show is recorded, you can watch it in EyeTV itself, or automatically have the show exported to iTunes where it can then be transferred to your iPod or an Apple TV. This is a very powerful feature, since the Apple TV doesn't include DVR functionality. Even if you do not have an Apple TV, the EyeTV software itself supports streaming over your household wireless connection to other computers, so you could record television on your Mac in the home office and later watch it on your MacBook in the bedroom.

If you already have an Apple TV, the EyeTV is a perfect companion, especially if you would prefer to record shows yourself rather then pay Apple $2.00 per episode. Likewise, plugging in your iPod in the morning and having last night's TV shows copied to it is a great convenience if you need something to watch on the morning train ride to work. Shows are exported as they were recorded, which means the commercials are included, but the EyeTV software includes a basic video editor, so if you have the time, you can edit out the commercials directly from the EyeTV software interface prior to watching or exporting the video.

Finally, the EyeTV has the standard RCA component inputs, allowing you to hook up a VCR or old camcorder. This is a great way to digitize your VHS video collection or any old camcorder tapes you might have. Once your video is in EyeTV, you can then edit it or export it into iMovie or another dedicated video editing application.

The EyeTV is indisputably one of the most useful and fun devices available for the MacOS. However, it is not without a few flaws. The EyeTV software, which just recently got updated to version 3.0, is somewhat buggy, and I have had it crash on me a few times. Elgato is aware of many of these problems and just released 3.0.1, which I am hoping improves stability. My EyeTV 250 also initially would not properly display analog signals from cable or a VCR, resulting in a screen full of wavy lines. I was able to resolve this issue by power-cycling the unit, but still, this was not a good first impression. Since then, the unit has performed fine, however.

Another issue with the EyeTV is not so much a technical failure of the device itself, but rather a risk that Elgato may be left behind by rapid technical changes in the cable television industry. Analog cable is gradually being phased out, and future digital cable technologies may require additional equipment from cable companies to utilize new features such as video on demand and encryption of digital content. The EyeTV cannot receive encrypted content, such as premium channels (like HBO). Future Elgato products may support the addition of a special card, called a cable card, to allow it to receive encrypted channels, but for now, you cannot use the EyeTV to watch this content.

One additional concern is that the Elgato technical support is very, very slow. I reported an issue with the EyeTV in order to test out their support process, and it took over a week before I got any kind of response through Elgato's formal channels. Luckily, Elgato offers an online forum where other uses, and Elgato technical staff, often visit, which got me a quick answer to my questions. Unless I had to, I would skip the "official" support system and just use the forum.

These minor issues aside, I strongly recommend the EyeTV 250 to any Mac user who wants to watch television on their computer. Simply put, the EyeTV is one of those "wow" devices that will make both your television and computer experiences better. The software and hardware is well-designed and easy to use, yet also offers advanced features for experienced users. It is a winner.

Pros: excellent hardware and software design, very easy to use, packed with features, supports both analog and digital sources and HD content

Cons: doesn't support encrypted digital cable

4.5 out of 5 dogcows

Article was republished by the Lawrence Apple User's Group 2.0 here as well as other groups listed on the right

Book Review: Getting StartED with Mac OS X Leopard

2008-03-02T10:03:00.001-06:00

Getting StartED with Mac OS X Leopard

Apress and the freindsofed division is a fairly new player to the Mac book industry, having focused in the past on heavier topics for programmers and hard core web designers. They are a welcome addition to the Mac Family.

Justin Williams wrote a very first-person account of his adventures with OS X Leopard. This should not be considered a beginners book, especially given the family this book is in. The book is designed for Tiger or other OS X users wanting to know what is new in Leopard. The book is a great effort, but at points I got annoyed that he was stating the obvious things a OS X user knows. Williams writing however was spot-on: easy to understand with plenty of screen shots and detailed examples. He also includes the basics of iLife '08, which is a bonus, though makes the title a bit misleading and leaves the reader with the assumption Leopard includes iLife '08. Unless you upgraded to iLife '08 and Leopard, 30% of the book isn't applicable to you. Even with the iLife '08 the book is refreshingly short and can't be used a child's booster seat like so many technical books can be.

Though I'm an experienced Leopard user, I even learned a few tricks from this book, based on Williams personal experience with the operating system. This would be a good book to give a experienced Mac user that wants to know "what's new" in Leopard. It was quick, straightforward and to the point: a good book for people who don't like to read manuals.

Pros: Excellent tips, easy to understand for a experienced OS X user new to Leopard
Cons: Covers iLife '08 which adds unnecessarily to the book, covers thins many in the target audience would consider obvious

Three out of Five DogCows

Article was republished by the Lawrence Apple User's Group 2.0 here as well as other groups listed on the right

Software Review: Serene Saver 2 HD

2008-02-25T20:46:00.002-06:00

Serene Saver 2 HD

While at Macworld, I usually pick one product I simply can't wait to try until I get home. When I saw Serene Saver, I knew it would be the product I'd try that very night. The booth's location was in the "low rent district" as I like to call it. These are small kiosks usually staffed by the writer of the software. There aren't sales people or flashy presentations because there isn't any room. The quality of the product needs to stand on it's own and Serene Saver doesn't disappoint. Of course, when I saw "Serene Saver", I immediately remembered the Seinfeld episode of a similar name. Ironically, that episode was inspired by "The Net" which was filmed at a Macworld Expo I was at.

The program really has three components. First, there are "live" backgrounds. Instead of static images, the program has stunning scenes that loop on the full desktop complete with sound. Your desktop could be a gentle moving waterfall, or the swaying of grass in a meadow. Of course, some of the scenes I don't like. I never quite get why there is a carnival scene, but to each his own. Unfortunately I haven't seen my desktop in about four years because it's always hidden by my active work. In addition, I'm usually listening to music, so the background music isn't always helpful. The program is configurable so that you can have the live backgrounds without the sound. Fortunately, the live backgrounds really encourage me to move my current work to the side, turn off the dance music and chill out.

The most useful aspect of the program is the way it request you to take a "Automatic Serenity" break. I work so fast sometimes I think my keyboard starts smoking like it did in Superman. These breaks can be configured to occur on a regular interval or up to four specific times during the day. The program chimes and gently reminds you it's time to take a break. You can snooze the break if you wish, though each time I do I feel guilty. When you take the break, your current work goes into the background and the live background comes to the foreground. I love it...I really try to sit there for a few minutes and do the "Serenity Now" meditation ala Frank Costanza. If you are a type-A person like me, you can press escape and get back to work before the break is over.

Of course, the background scenes act as a screen saver, but that's really a tiny aspect of the program, notwithstanding the fact that screen savers are considered superfluous in these days of LCDs and Energy Saver monitors.

My only major concern with the program is it does take up quite a bit of CPU cycles. I do notice a slight slowdown while running the program, especially with the "sharper image" mode. Obviously this was more noticeable on my slower laptop I brought with me to Macworld. My MacPro had no problem with the processor hit of the program. Fortunately you can download the free demo and see how your computer holds up to the extra work. Who knows, maybe it's a feature, as it might force you to work a bit slower.

I don't expect to reach some higher plane of existence with this program, but it's indispensable to anyone who gets lost in their work and loses focus on the day. Depending on my day, I set the Serenity breaks to remind me to take a lunch or simply to stop working on a project and move on to the next. Heck, I've set the Serene desktop to show while I'm waiting on hold with tech support. Annoying tasks are more tolerable when you are viewing a peaceful nature scene.

I highly recommend this program to anyone who wants to maintain focus and balance during a hectic workday.

Pros: Keeps you remembering that you work to live, not live to work. Great visual and auditory cues to take a break and gives your keyboard a rest.

Cons: Some scenes a bit goofy and it does slow down less powerful computers.

If all you do is check email and surf the web on the computer, you may not need a Serene break. However, if you tend to keep your nose to the grindstone, wonder where your day has gone, and feel your blood pressure rise throughout the day, Serene Saver helps make the fact your stuck in front of a computer for 4, 6, 8 , 10 hours at a time more tolerable.

Four out of Five DogCows

Article was republished by the Lawrence Apple User's Group 2.0 here as well as other groups listed on the right

Book Review: The iPhone Book: How to Do the Things You Want to Do with Your iPhone

2008-02-03T10:34:00.002-06:00

You know that one episode of Family Guy where Peter makes some seemingly random reference to something that connects him to Generation X'ers and then the sketch goes on for too long. You don't quite get the reference, it's bearing to the story, or why Fox didn't let sleeping dogs lie. Oh yeah, that's pretty much every episode.

However, this reference to pop culture does actually have some bearing on my review of "The iPhone Book". This was a series of disjointed short "tips" about the iPhone that included way too many pop culture references that made you scratch your head and want to put on Futurama instead. The book was cowritten by Scott Kelby and Terry White and their styles mixed like oil and doorknobs. In the intro the authors warn the book is "quirky.", and if you want "quirky" buy this book. If you want a great book on how to use your iPhone, put this book back on the shelf.

Writing a cohesive and comprehensive review of a book that is neither is actually quite difficult! Every topic is was exactly half a page. On the top is a picture of the iPhone or other item and the bottom has a paragraph or two of verbage. Flipping the "silent mode" switch is given about the same attention as troubleshooting the connection to a wireless network? Huh? The saving grace of their book is the admission that they stole some tips from David Pogue in spite of the fact that he writes for a competitor to Peachpit. Why accept a substitute when the Pogue's book is a few clicks or steps away. You could drive a semi through the gaps in coverage. Complex topics are left to the reader to figure out for themselves and Windows users are completely left in the dust: there are no screen shots or tips for Windows users. Discrimination!

The book had both a poor table of contents, but at least a decent index. While I was able to find the topics a majority of people care about, the coverage was so weak in some areas that I would classify it as one step above useless. Does an entire page need to be devoted to clicking the Safari button to open the browser and only a page to setting up your email?

Unless this is the only book on the shelf regarding iPhones and your helping a freind on a gameshow, skip this book and go to the source they acknowledge as the true master: David Pogue

Pros: They are probably pros at technology, just not writing books together
Cons: The reader is conned out of the $25 they spent for the book. Book is difficult to follow and sorely lacking on explanations

Article was republished by the Lawrence Apple User's Group 2.0 here as well as other groups listed on the right

MacWorld Expo: Final Thoughts

2008-01-18T16:50:00.000-06:00

First off here are the Day 2 pictures

Now that the show is over officially, I'll give my overall review of the show. Brian will give his review here

My overall impression. Apple was accurate with it's theme of the show: Something in the Air

Something in the Air tonight indeed. It's called vaporware, or as another person put it...Engineering by Powerpoint (or in this case keynote). Some were Betas, meaning they are actually programs, but the vendors expect users to find the bugs. So many vendors were showing off product and then said "This isn't out yet...but we expect to ship in...March...December...next Macworld." That's usually followed with "Buy our product now and we'll give you the next version when it ships." Here are some of the guilty:

Equinox: Tubestick (viewing HD TV on your Mac) and iSale 5. However, they are forgiven for having a great press pack...more on that later.

Neat Receipts for Mac: they expect to be fully compatible with the Mac...by December '08.

Intuit: No new version of Quickbooks (does anyone trust it?) and replacing Quicken with another money managment program called Quicken financial life: "some time in the third quarter 2008 we'll have a beta"

Retrospect X: they gave out cool glasses known as "Retrospecs" to pacify the fact they still don't have a Intel native version. Public Beta available. Gee...I'd trust a Beta of backup software...not

Avery: they will have design software for the Mac. Sign up for the Beta, but if you do, you have to agree for us to Spam you.

Thus I passed on this.

Now Software: Nighthawk. It was in beta at Macworld 2007 and still is beta in 2008. Yawn. Give up already!

iBank 3: Supports downloads from banks, just like Quicken. Will be released "in the next few weeks."

Garmin: Beta Software to access your GPS from the Mac (have I mentioned how upset I am mine was stolen!!!)

Micromat TechTool: All they could say is if you buy version 4.0 now, you get a free upgrade to 5.0 which will ship on DVD "some time in the future"

Google Picassa: great booth, great products...still waiting.

The other theme that continued and expanded was iPod and iPhone cases. Every Tom, Dick, Harry, Jane, Sally and on and on had a take on the same basic theme of a wrap around silicone case. If you've seen one, you've seen them all. Some differentiated themselves with features like "feet" or " easy access slider", but still the same. Mike just got a Nano and wanted a good case, I really had no clue. They all looked the same to me. Rough estimate is about 30% the show is cases for your iPhone/iPod cases, with another 10-15% cases for your laptop. Pratically every non case vendor I spoke with were annoyed that this is the "iShow" with the ocassional Mac product thrown in. At this point, I'm not sure if I'll go next year, and IDG (the company that puts on Macworld) will have to make some changes and either limit the amount of case vendors, or have seperate shows. This is after all MacWorld, not AppleWorld, and while these products have value to Mac users, they don't help promote Mac Products...which is a key goal of Macworld.

MacWorld tradition at the end of the show is to flicker the lights, applaud, and then begin the teardown. Macworld was split between two different buildings this year (Moscone South and Moscone West), but teardown began at about 30 minutes before the end of show and there was no applause...just security guards at 4:15 kicking out people who shouldn't be there.

In sum, there wasn't "much there" this year. If you factor out the companies merely announcing their intention to sell a product at some later date, and the companies selling the same basic iPod silicone case and zipper bag, not much to report on.

So as was last year's tradtion, I'll give my "Best of Show" along with some other commentary

Best Program:
Busysync: it won one of the "Best of Show" awards. It allows you to sync *and* edit iCal info without buying .mac. The next version (more vaporware...but he's forgiven because the product is cool right now), will sync with Google Calenders.
(runner up) SereneSaver: it gets a strong mention because it was the first program I installed on my laptop. Serene Saver is an active background that helps you relax. I always look for ways to relax! Check it out.

Best Swag (swag is free stuff):
Drivesavers: to be fair, I was given access to their VIP room as a vendor, but apparently they gave this out on the showroom floor as well: bag, luggage tag, buttons, coffee cups, mouse

Best Press Kit:
Equinox: These were the guys a few years back that had no press kit, refused to give out a review copy and were generally rude. This time I got a Macbook case, a free copy of their Leopard Mail Templates, a USB massager, printed information, and apparently demos on a 1 gig USB flash drive. Only problem...image was corrupt on the flash drive. Oh well.

Best Booth in terms of information:
Dr. Bott: because they showed my company logo.
Serious answer: Parallels. Great demos, fun swag (stress balls), lots of knowledgable people

Best Booth as far as cool factor
Belkin: they used this same booth last year, but the created an entire house on the showroom floor. Wow.

Best Booth to annoy the daylights out of you
Skullcandy: they were blasting their music non stop--right next to the pzizz booth and annoying all the people in Moscone West.

Best booth to theoricetically take a nap in:
Pzizz, which is a program to "program" you to relax or be energized, used these cool Metronap pods, but IDG in it's brillance placed them next to Skullcap. According to multiple vendors, skullcap told people to go away when asked to turn down the music.

Best surprise no show to the show:
BareBones software: These guys have been there as long as I can remember. Really great T-Shirts. Heck, they even had a product to announce. Personally, I chalk it up to a bad PR firm: Pearce Communication I spoke with the Naomi once...very pushy and over the top. Bad decision not to show this year BareBones!!! You and your T-shirts were missed. If she tells you to give away iPod cases instead, please fire her on the spot.

Best thing about the show:
The contacts I made. I got about 75 business cards this time of not just PR people, but engineers and tech support people. This helps me with my clients, because I can wade through the phones trees and outsourced call centers to get to the right person to get me the information I need for my clients.

Best booth that I wish I saw a few weeks ago:
Gadgettrak: helps you recover stolen laptops, iPods and GPS. Unfortunately not an easy thing to test.

Best time for the show:
I was done in about six hours. I established contact with every booth that 1) didn't have an iPod case, 2) had something that would interest myself or my clients and 3) I understood what they were talking about. I was still exhausted.

BestMacs?:
Despite us being in the same place many times, we couldn't hook up to actually see each other in person. The fact that AT&T's network near the Moscone was overwhelmed with iPhones meant we couldn't easily call or text each other.

Watch this space for more reviews of all the great products I'll be getting in the mail

Greetings from Macworld: Day 1 Review

2008-01-18T12:02:00.000-06:00

Hello Everyone. As always, I had less time then I thought to do a detailed post. Expect that later today. I did about 75% of the show on Thursday and arrived home dead tired after a great meal at a local restaurant.

Here are my photos so far. Why is it version 5.?. Well, it's my fifth Macworld and it's day one.

Brian's been blogging quite a bit about Macworld: Check out his thoughts as well.

I'm writing this from the Media Center at the show, starting day 2. In general, I was unimpressed with the show so far. The fact I was able to see most everything in about six hours is evidence there wasn't anything to write home about, figuratively and literally. I'll reserve final judgement until I finish the show. My initial thoughts is "evolutionary" not "revolutionary". I have a term for stuff like this: "with sprinkles". It refers to that episode of the Simpsons in which Homer gets enticed to eat donuts because it now has sprinkles. Most of the items I saw added a few bells and whistles and called it a new product. Many vendors said "Now we are compatible with Leopard" or "Now for iPhone". Yawn. We kind of except that, it's been out for a while.

More later!

Note: this item is cross-posted from the Lawrence Apple Users' Group:

Midwest Complaint: Final Resolution and lessons all around

2008-01-13T21:39:00.000-06:00

Our story draws to a close and has a very happy ending. I'm satisifed
with Midwest's resolution to my problems on my recent flight. While
they couldn't comment on human resource issues, I suspect the 28,000
people who read my complaint put some gentle pressure on Midwest to
fix a personnel issue that they knew was a problem.

What about that "free voucher?" Good question. I didn't get that,
but I didn't necessarily want it. It was a way of negotiating. I was
a bit disappointed at the lack of creativity shown by Midwest to come
up with an interesting solution. Per their request, I'm letting
everyone know that they didn't offically revoke that $25 voucher.
However, since they didn't mention it when denying my free voucher
request, and based on past behavior, I assumed it was off the table.

I've been on both sides of customer service situations, and the key is
to figure out what the customer wants rather than offer a boilerplate
solution. It's about listening and asking questions. When your meal
comes out wrong at a restaurant, being offered dessert when you are on
a diet adds insult to injury. My father taught me a lesson early on
in my life on how to handle any complaint, personal or professional:
"What can I do to make this right?" Let the customer come up with the
idea.

I was never asked that question, so I proposed it. Just give me the
exit row on the next flight. Though it's reserved for elite flyers of
Midwest, I think it's fair compensation since I came early to that
flight and was denied. I suspect that was even cheaper to Midwest
than any kind of voucher and it made me very happy. I don't have to
arrive three hours early for my next flight and can keep my knees from
banging the person in front. Sometimes, the simpliest solutions are
most elegant and are directly tied into the problem. My complaint
wasn't about the cost of the flight, so why give me a discount?

The happiest part of the ending is obviously the Internet. That
customer you treat poorly could start a virtual frenzy. If you are in
customer service, then provide service to your customers. Plain.
Simple. Elegant.

Over 20,000 Webhits: My response to Midwest

2008-01-08T20:40:00.001-06:00

Hi visitors from Consumerist and BoingBoing among other great websites, I wanted to share with you the letter I received back from Midwest and my response to them. I took ALL your comments into consideration. My only classification is that I never actually complained to Roger. Once I realized that I wasn't getting the exit row, I simply told a FA I was told I received the exit row in check in and would like to find out what went wrong...that is when Roger came on the plane. I didn't pester, raise my voice, or badger anyone. The only person I argued with was Ramone who refused to check me in early and then refused to give me the available exit row seat because I wouldn't like it. Midwest was concerned I wasn't sharing their side, so I'm posting my response to them along with Mr. Vanderbeck response. I'm amazed at the power of the Internet to hold companies accountable. Personally, I try to treat everyone with respect, but after this incident, I realize that no customer service incident should be ignored. You never know when a customer brush-off can be spread over the world. Regardless of Mr. Vanderbeck response, I know the flight staff at LaGuardia has been reprimanded and will probably not treat a customer like this again!
*****

Mr. Vanderbeck,

As an FYI, this has also showed up on BoingBoing: http://www.boingboing.net/2008/01/07/midwest-airlines-to.html. You already know about the Consumerist. I'll let you know if my complaint posts on any other sites. I'm posted this letter in it's entirety on my blog.

I've gotten over twenty thousand hits to my blog. I'm amazed at how many people are interested in this subject. WOW. I wanted to avoid posting it on the Internet for just this reason. I like Midwest, but again, I fear the culture has changed since AirTran's takeover bid. Cutbacks have been slow and steady. After reading comments on our conversation, I apologized for the harsh tone. I tried the "nice" route and got nowhere, unfortunately. I believe we can come to a fair resolution on this issue. Because I didn't get a response to my letter, that is why I went on the Internet.

To address the specific points in your letter....

"I am very appreciative of your feedback regarding the service you
received at LaGuardia. As I mentioned before, we take our customers
feedback very seriously and I can assure you it is being used to ensure
Midwest Airlines continually delivers the service standards we expect. "

This isn't "feedback" but a "complaint". Feedback is "it would be nice to have signature seating on all flights" or "I miss real silverware on flights" while a complaint is a problem a customer had that needs resolution. If you are perceiving this as merely feedback, that might explain the lack of responsiveness. Because this is a complaint, I expected a response that would indicate some kind of understanding of the real problems at LaGuardia. I've flown Midwest out of many cities and this is the only problem I have encountered in any way, shape, or form. Generally Midwest employees go out of their way to accommodate passenger needs above and beyond the call of duty. Because I was told by your CSR that you've had not only complaints about your LGA crew, but in particular Roger (and based on responses to the internet postings, many other customers have been bullied by Roger as well), I am stil concerned this complaint is being brushed off and others flying out of LGA will have problems. Originally I was told thatRoger was "British". I'm not sure how his cultural heritage is relevant to the situation. I was disappointed that you didn't check up on the issue and appeared to be merely going with what Ramone/Roger reported to you. As I said, blocking my seat and holding my boarding pass prevents me from getting to my assigned seat. I consider that a threat.

As I indicated before, I can not honor your request for a complimentary
ticket for this situation. It would be unfair to our employees that
deliver customer service every day to implement such a practice. Once
word got out that a report of poor or rude customer service earned you a
free trip on Midwest Airlines, we would have an impossible time sorting
through what feedback we may trust, and what feedback is self serving to
receive compensation. Our promise to customers has always been that we
will use their feedback to make Midwest Airlines a better airline.

I completely agree that if you give a free flight to everyone that complained...you go out of business quickly. Of course it would be a strong incentive to reduce complaints, that's for sure. I'm disappointed by your wording of "earning" a free flight. I certainly don't think I "earned" anything. This isn't payment for what I went through, but a good will gesture saying..."Yes, we made a mistake." This is the first time you have indicated anything was wrong. What happened was "Poor or Rude" customer service, rather than a misunderstanding. I haven't had Midwest acknowledge what was done to me was rude our outside the norm. Simply a "misunderstanding. However, your CSR indicated that there have been numerous complaints about Roger and the LGA crew in particular. When I was on the phone with her I asked if that was a Midwest crew or one that was outsourced. WIth my knowledge of Midwest, I know some gates are "serviced" by other airlines and the flight agents are not Midwest employees. She confirmed they are in fact Midwest employes and problem ones at that. Keepinga crew around that consistently gets complaints contradicts "Best Care in the Air."

I was hoping for some kind of counter offer. "I can't give you a free flight, but what I'd like to do is...." According to your CSR, a $25 voucher is given to any customer that calls in a complaint--even the one that didn't get 2 lumps sugar with their coffee.

You indicate in your latest email that you feel I don't believe the
employees did anything wrong. Anytime our staff does not effectively
communicate with a customer or makes them feel that they are not valued;
I feel they did something wrong.

That's the language that concerns me. You are lumping this into the same category as a FA that forgot to give me sugar with my coffee. This was poor customer service and not a misunderstanding, in my opinion. Blocking a seat and holding a boarding pass is a serious offense. Compounding it was Roger staying on the plane and the gate door remaining open until he left the plane. That's why I had my cell phone out--I was fully convinced I was being taken off the flight. Note that I never actually complained to Roger. I said to the FA I'd like to be re-seated because I requested exit row at the gate and thought I was getting it.

In fairness, I must point out that two of your comments on the
consumerist are misleading. First you state, "And Midwest's response?
Nothing until I did an email "carpet bomb" of their entire executive
staff". Our records indicate a member of the customer relations staff
spoke with you on the phone regarding this issue on November 19th. At
that point you were offered a $25 discount certificate as an apology and
the LaGuardia manager was immediately contacted with your complaint.

You may be "out of the loop" on this. *I* called your CR staff to complain. I was very polite and said a $25 voucher was not acceptable and she gave me your CEO's information. She said only your CEO could offer alternative compensation and her hands were tied. I sent the CEO a letter return receipt and didn't hear any reply back. That letter had my phone number and street address, but not my email. That was deliberate.

However, you responded via my email and first asked for my phone number. That shows that you weren't responding to my letter or in response to my complaint of 11/19, but to my group email to the Midwest executive staff. Thus my dissatisfaction with CSR response nor my letter was acting upon...only my email to the entire exec board got a response.

I'm delighted the LGA manager was contacted, however that was only to get their side of it. Again, your CSR said she simply couldn't understand Ramone's broken English and Roger comes across strong because he's British.

Oh and thanks for acknowledging this was a complaint and not feedback!

In addition, you indicate that you received a form response letter
regarding this complaint. This simply is not true as I personally typed
you an apology addressing your concerns. I can assure you your
situation is very unique, and we do not have form letters for this type
of situation. Rather than prepare form letters, we prefer to focus on
fixing the issues that they would be designed to address.

I'll agree this seems unique as Midwest has been stellar in the past. I believe while your email was personally typed and was not a "Dear Customer" letter, it however failed to address any of my concerns, just that there was a misunderstanding and you sincerely apologized for the misunderstanding. That did not address Roger's aggressive behavior nor Ramone's inability to communicate with customers. That concerned me that they have done this in the past and will do this again.

Our transaction with TPG Capital is currently not scheduled to close
until the end of January. I can assure nothing has changed with our
management structure or with our customer service philosophy. In
addition, our customer service philosophy will not be changing once the
deal with TPG Capital is complete. Midwest was acquired because of our
unique approach to customer service, not to change it.

As I'm sure you know that while it isn't until the end of January, it has been in the works for a while. Already Signature Seating on some flights costs extra and other amenities appear to be dwindling. AirTran's takeover bid did hurt the airline in my opinion and TPG's relationship with Northwest (not a well-respected airline) is of further concern. In other words, I believed my incident was insight into what was to become of Midwest under TPG and I received no assurances otherwise. This was chalked up to a "misunderstanding" rather than dealing with the actual problem of poor service out of LGA. This is a key time for Midwest and customers and former investors need to know things won't change. This is the first time you are addressing this issue and I thank you for that. I posted this to my technology blog because while *you* might think that TPG won't change things..companies say that all the time. The only person I know who doesn't change things after a buyout is Warren Buffett. To think that TPG won't change things is heroic, but probably unrealistic. Midwest no longer answers to public shareholders anymore, which I think is always key to treating the public well.

Mr. Greenbaum, thank you again for your feedback and your past support
of Midwest Airlines on savethecookie.com. I again sincerely apologize
for your dissatisfaction. Our intent has never been to "revoke" the
offer of a $25 discount voucher that was provided to you back in
November. I apologize if you implied differently because we stated we
could not honor your request for a free ticket. The offer of a $25
discount certificate remains.

Let's talk specifics here. What would be fair and right? I learned early on in customer service that when I customer complains the *best* phrase you can respond with is "What can I do to make this right?" Giving someone something they aren't interested in doesn't help. This simply isn't about money, as they say it's about the principle. I only asked for the acknowledgment of my concerns, assurances it wouldn't happen again to others or to me, and a feel good token to know that my complaint was serious and you want my continued business. I thought offering miles would be an interesting idea because it costs you less. I was disappointed you never looked at my Midwest Miles account because that would have given you my full contact information and you would have seen my flight history. If you would have looked, I'm a few thousand miles away from a free trip anyways and I expected you to respond "While we can't give you a free flight, how about I top off your miles so that way you can get a free trip if you wish." Early on I mentioned I have an upcoming flight to SF in two weeks which is why I wanted resolution on this issue.

You can tell by the letter, my willingness to arrive extremely early for my flight and my polite complaint to the FA when I didn't get the exit row, I like the exit row. I have back and leg problems and being able to keep my knees elevated makes the flight more tolerable. I can move them around to keep the circulation going and preventing my feet from numbing. Yes I could fly other airlines and get first class, but I'm not rich and can't afford it. However, I like Midwest. I always fly Midwest when I can. I believe in Midwest. It's the only airline in my portfolio. I like the fact it started as an offshoot of Kimberly Clark often doing charitable flights for sick children. Much better than bar and strip club approach of a certain other airlines that flies out of Love Field.

To me, the solution seems very obvious. Mr. Greenbaum was told by Ramone he would have an exit row, he was blocked from his seat by Roger...by golly why don't we make sure Mr. Greenbaum gets an exit row on his next flight. Only Elite Frequent Flyers on Midwest get to request those before the date of flight. You could easily check my reservation and put me in the exit row (if available) to put me in the same position I'd be if Ramone and Roger hadn't treated me poorly.

It is my sincere hope that you will have the opportunity to fly with
Midwest Airlines again and enjoy the customer service that you were
previously accustomed to. We look forward to welcoming you aboard.

I apologize for not being direct with my request. Midwest used to bend over backwards to treat their customers like royality (as I understand you started initially as a airlines for Kimberly Clark executives), so I was reaching for the stars figuratively and literally with my request hoping we'd meet somewhere in the middle. I can understand how my request seemed extreme, but I believed with so many problems with customers being denied boarding for silly reasons, I assumed you'd want to go overboard to assure me that isn't Midwest under TPG's approach. When I couldn't get a response, I needed to yell louder on the Internet to be heard.

It was not my goal to put Midwest in a poor light, my goal was to improve Midwest for myself and others. Sure I could fly another airlines, but I *want* to fly Midwest. I want assurances that asking about an exit row isn't "failing to follow crewmember instructions". It is nice to be welcomed aboard rather than blown off. I hope that your LGA crew also welcomes people aboard and when they request a certain seat aren't tricked into believing they have that seat and then blocked from taking their seat when they complain about it.

Fact is, whether you say it or not, the fact that as of this writing my page has gotten over 12,679 hits about this issue, I suspect there will be changes at LGA regardless of whether you can confirm it or not. Of course, this was the long way around the issue.

So in sum, I'd simply like the exit row on my next flight if it isn't already taken. Frankly, I'd rather have that than the free ticket. That to me is more important. A $200 free ticket won't make or break me, however seating in the exit row saves me hours of discomfort and a chiropractor bill. That to me is priceless. Whether you do it or not, I'll probably still fly Midwest because while I believe the cookie has crumbled..cookie crumbs are better than pretzels any day.

Sincerely,

David Greenbaum

Book Review: iPhone: The Missing Manual

2008-01-07T23:01:00.000-06:00

iPhone: The Missing manual

The "Missing Manual", in case you didn't already know, is the gold standard of technical publications. Heck, it's the platinum standard at this point. Any book that has the "Missing Manual" in the title is sure to be a must have. I've never been disappointed and "iPhone: The Missing Manual" carries the torch for the series yet again. Some books are only edited by David Pogue, but this one was written exclusively by hi, most likely because the iPhone was a hard find for anyone.

While Pogue expertly covered all the features of the iPhone, he also helped readers work around some of the limitations such as the lack of a word processor or a instant messaging program. I learned quite a few tips even for my mere mortal Treo 650. He helps you save money on text messaging, much to the chagrin of AT&T's accountants. I had very high hopes for the book, and Pogue exceeded every one.

Ideally, the iPhone should be straightforward and obvious for most people, but occasionally you aren't quite sure about a feature or how to combine features together to do what you want. For example, how does one avoid SPAM on the iPhone...yuck. This is more than the typical Missing Manual in my opinion. This includes those handy tips and tricks most companies write a separate book on. The list of websites that will simulate desktop apps is worth the price of admission alone.

As always, the Mac and PC platforms are covered equally and with respect. He explains how to sync contacts on a PC and a Mac. Most important, Pogue covers all the troubleshooting steps you need to know when your iPhone stops doing what it wants. Because the iPhone is so new, there aren't many guides to fixing problems and I've had to google way too much in order to fix problems. Now I've got all I need in one guide.

No features of the iPhone is left undiscussed! Even experts with the iPhone (can you say you are an expert when it's been out less than a year?), will find something in this Missing Manual. I think that anyone who has a smart phone will get ideas from this guide. If you can't have an iPhone, get the next best thing.

Of course, if the manual were hard to understand or disorganized it wouldn't do anyone much assistance. Fortunately, Pogue's easy to understand writing style explains things in such a way novices can understand without talking down to them or boring expert users. The index and table of contents are very easy to use to hone in the particular features you are interested in. Extensive use of full color photos helps make sure you can follow along with the book.

Pros: Amazing guide to the iPhone. I suspect Steve Jobs secretly keeps a copy on his desk.
Cons: Besides the fact it doesn't come with an iPhone, absolutely no cons.

Five out of Five Dogcows

Article was republished by the Lawrence Apple User's Group 2.0 here as well as other groups listed on the right

Book Review: Switching to a Mac for Dummies

2008-01-07T22:48:00.000-06:00

Switching to a Mac For Dummies

I have a traditional love/hate relationship with Dummies books. When I am truly a dummy in the subject, I like their broad overviews. "Switching to the Mac for Dummies" is a new title for the Dummies series and is the first Dummies book by author Arnold Renhold. Generally Dummies books are designed to give you the information you need in a lighthearted way so that the reader doesn't feel intimidated or overwhelmed.

I'm not sure what mark Reinhold was shooting for but he clearly missed it. The book is overwhelming yet inadequate and in some places just wrong! As an example, Reinhold said you can't run Appleworks on newer Macs. That is simply untrue. But why would someone switching to the Mac ever care about older version of Appleworks? Based on the contents of the book, it was more akin to "New Macs for Dummies". Reinhold covered PC to Mac issues as well as Mac to Mac issues. While that's nice, why would a PC user need that info? It creates an information overflow that makes the book harder to read and confusing for new Mac users.

While I realized Reinhold did not intend the book to be funny, I had to laugh at some of the topics he covered. Few users switching to the Mac need to know that back in the 1980s some PCs used MicroChannel Architectures (MCA) and Macs used NuBus. This minutae reminds me of the sketch on Airplane when the air traffic controller is asked how we got into this crisis, and he starts talking about dinosaurs creating oil and people buying expensive cars. Funny on a big screen, but not for a dummies book. That's just an example of the massive overkill of useless information. Is the author prepping people for an appearance on a trivia show?

Too much information isn't that bad so long as critical information is included and Reinhold simply failed to deliver on critical information. In particular I am comparing his book to the Missing Manual series of the same title and the Dummies version seems like a really poor rough draft of the Missing Manual. When people switch computers from either Mac to PC or PC to Mac they are most concerned about their data (including pictures and music), their emails and address book, and their favorites. Reinhold comes up with rather elaborate Rube Goldbergesque style ways of moving the information, but way beyond the skills (or budgets) of the average switcher. He also fails to cover how to convert email from PC to Mac, which is a top question for switchers.

Those topics Reinhold covers well are horribly disorganized and hard to follow with few, if any, illustrations or screen shots. You simply have to take his word for what he's saying and use your imagination. I asked typical "How do I?" question on the Mac and none were covered. A new PC user might be calling Microsoft after reading this book asking for reconciliation.

Sorry for such a harsh review. I'm sure Reinhold knows his stuff and was simply trying to be helpful. Switching is a relatively new topic. Apple had to make a Newton before it could make the iPhone and I'm sure version 2.0 of this book will be much better. Skip this one though.

Pros: Interesting for trivia buffs, might increase Windows sales and Apple returns.
Cons: Disorganized, inconsistent coverage. Hard to read and follow.

Two out of Five DogCows

Two DogCows

Article was republished by the Lawrence Apple User's Group 2.0 here as well as other groups listed on the right

One Laptop Per Child (OLPC): First Impression Review

2007-12-21T18:01:00.000-06:00

When I first heard about the $100 laptop project I was really excited at the concept. I thought "This will empower all individuals in a society to have access to information and to participate in the global economy." Denizens of poor nations may not have factories in their countries, or natural resources, but each individual has a mind. Whether that person be in Nebraska or Nigeria, they both have the potential to be the next Warren Buffett. It's about the opportunities and barriers presented to them. Giving children a laptop, when they barely have enough food, clothing and shelter seems foolish and rings or a warped South Park cartoon.

In reality, though, these children have the same intellectual potential as any child in the US. Empowering this generation with knowledge is the single greatest tools to stop the cycle of problems. Yes, we all know that it's better to teach someone to fish rather than give them fish. The OLPC project goes beyond that and not only teaches them how to fish, but how to design the fishing pole and raise the fish to maximize yield and minimize impact on the environment.

When I found out *I* could buy one of these laptops and be a part of the project, I raced to participate. I was up at 5am to make sure I could keep refreshing my browser to get the first one. I believed I was part of something that could have as much impact on society as the Gutenberg press. Sure, I'm an idealist, but so is Steve Jobs and Bill Gates.

When my OLPC laptop arrived I opened it so fast I sliced my finger open. Honestly and truly. I was disappointed there was no documentation (and no T-Mobile free access information). A letter said to go to the web for more information. Of course, the website was down...or rather just extremely overloaded as the page kept timing out.

The first problem I had was how to open it. It wasn't intuitive. There was no handle or clasp indicating how to open the device. In my struggles I did get to examine the seams on the plastic. They were sturdy, and none "gave" indicating where I could open it. I decided to flip the rabbit ears and then it opened. No big deal, but couldn't they have put a symbol indicating how to open it? Just a simple arrow?

I then gave it a name and choose my colors. Limited choice, but that's ok. Why couldn't they integrate some fun kid functions like on the Wii and let you design the colors you wanted instead of picking from preselected designs? Next I was faced with a bunch of circles with my avatar in the middle. It reminded me heavily of Bezerk or Robotron 2084. I eventually realized this was a list of networks. I found my SSID and clicked to connect and put in my WPA password. Didn't work. I then used my main computer to go the OLPC web site and found out that WPA isn't fully yet implemented. Arrrgh. So I reset my router to WEP and got on. I still don't know what the "mesh networks" listed are or what the colors mean, if anything.

When these are given to children who have never used a computer before, the system should be very easy to figure out. Granted, I grew up with computers all my life, so I don't know what it's like to see your first computer. Like a child, I started pressing buttons and found out what things did. I found the browser and surfing was actually quite good. However it was horribly slow and my cell phone is significantly faster. Nonetheless my Gmail loaded, as did Google documents and spreadsheets meaning that I had access to a MS compatible word processor and spreadsheet.

Typing on the laptop was a challenge. I realize these are designed for kids' hands, but I think any child who would have the manually dexterity to type properly would probably find the keys too small. It wasn't any worse than the portable bluetooth keyboard I have for my cell phone. In addition, the keys were spaced well part and I rarely found myself double typing like I do on other devices.

I then went to Youtube...videos didn't play because in the effort to be 100% open source, they don't have an Adobe Flash player but an open source equivalent.

I then tried the "eBook" type function by moving the screen and hiding the keyboard and touchpad. The screen has navigational controls on the side and even let's you change the orientation of the screen in 90 degree angles. I was able to page up and down on the page and move it left to right. Only problem is I had no way of clicking on the page. Arrrgh. That isn't very useful. What's the point of the eBook if you can't go to the next page. I'm a reasonably smart guy, but I couldn't figure out the bookmark function or if you can have tabbed browsing.

I gave up and went to the RSS newsreader. No dice. Couldn't get any of my feeds to work. Even the included feeds didn't work. Well, that's a bust. Speaking of bust, by this time, I had been using it two hours and the fully charged battery died. This was supposed to energy efficient for long treks in the desert?

There are a host of other programs included and I tried them all. Most are examples like a video recorder, calculator and a "turtle" that is a modern implementation of LOGO. I approached them like a child would: press buttons and see what happens. Nothing did. Kids museums are based on the fact that children like to touch things and see an effect. I'd press a button, a program would load, but then nothing would move. Arrrgh. That's as bad as telling a youngster "Look...but don't touch"

To an extent, I can understand that this is a proof of concept device. The hardware works and I was even able to hook up a external mouse. Alas, it did not have the SD card reader promised, but that's ok. The keyboard, while small, was well sealed. I'm not going to test it under the elements...but I wouldn't be afraid of using it in harsh conditions. I wouldn't leave my laptop in the car all day, but I'd feel comfortable with this. I wouldn't worry about a case for it. I think it could take some abuse.

The failure of the software functions to work right is annoying, but not insurmountable. I've used beta software before and this unit is clearly a beta. The beauty of open source is that these problems will be fixed by the user community. Instead of relying on a group of programmers in a corporate office, this device will rely on the world's brain trust to make it better. Why are there like a zillion plug-ins for firefox....same concept!

My greatest concern is the interface. It just doesn't make sense. They call it "Sugar" but it's pretty sour to me. Again, I've never lived without computers and I can't guess how a child in Africa might view how a computer works. In reality though, they won't be drop shipping these laptops. People in the US will be trained to train people in Africa to train people in the villages. OK...how are those teachers going to figure out this unit? It has to be based on concepts that teachers would recognize. If I'm a tech and I can't quickly figure this stuff out, how is a third grade teacher going to teach a teacher in Africa these concepts?

I'm disappointed, but hopeful. This is so much more than a laptop, it's a tool for change. The founding principle is “It's an education project, not a laptop project." The laptop is actually pretty good, but the project is failing. I simply can't see this interface being usable without a significant overhaul. In addition , the failure to have proper documentation is a significant hindrance to adoption by decision makers. How is a world leader going to be able to figure out how to use it? I wouldn't buy these for my school even if it were $25. The laptops just don't make sense. Without the education project behind it, these will be used to send out some more phishing attempts of 419 scams.

I'm sure the idea was to get this laptop in as many hands of influential people as possible. They'll then provide the buzz to keep the project alive and get open source programmers on the bandwagon. OLPC is facing stiff competition from Intel and Asus: both are coming out with $200 laptops that could run more familiar operating systems like windowed linux, or even a scaled back version of Windows. While OLPC is a non-profit, these other companies are for profit and can take a loss in order to push OLPC out of the market. OLPC was smart to get these laptops in the hands of as many people as possible in order to create and "installed base" to protect themselves from being crushed by Asus and Intel. OLPC is already successful in it's mission because whether it's a OLPC or a Asus eee PC in the hands of these children, they *will* be getting laptops. If OLPC however fades away, then Asus and Intel can quickly raise prices going back to their old practices of focusing on profit instead of social change.

Will the OLPC be recorded as the next major technology in the advanced of civilization? Will the OLPC be the equivalent of a Gutenberg bible or the Magna Carta? That depends on the open source community. As it stands right now, the OLPC is less powerful and harder to figure out than your average $49-after-rebate cell phone. If it stays in that stage, it will be a crying shame. However, I'm an idealist, and the more people talking about OLPC, the more people showing up at coffee shops with it and airports with it, the more likely programmers will get on board and make the laptop even better. When I saw these laptops were going for $400 on ebay, I seriously thought about selling mine. But $400 is too cheap to sell your dream of making the world a better place: one laptop at a time.

BOTTOM LINE: A great concept worthy of continuing, but don't be fooled for a second that this is ready for implementation. Buy it to share in the dream, not for a useful computing device

Laptop Bag Review: Papa's got a brand new bag

2007-12-09T17:19:00.000-06:00

Papa's got a brand new bag!

If industry expert predictions hold true, laptops will outpace desktop sales again this holiday season. Unfortunately people pay thousands of dollars for a laptop , yet protect it with something that is stylish, but offers little more protection than a ziplock bag. If you give or get a laptop this holiday season, please protect it. Screen cracking can be eliminated in our lifetime, but only if we work together!

You really can't blame some people for not protecting their laptop properly. Most bags are ugly. Butt-ugly. Black behemoths that scream "I have a laptop and you should steal me". College students opt for the stylish laptop sleeves, because, well they want dates and don't want to look stupid. Function over form comes later in life. Older people buy Volvos, younger people buy Minis or Hummers. Don't buy your college student a laptop bag unless you are sure they will use it. Those ubiquitous black bags simply won't fill the bill.

I, who couldn't get dates in college, did have one of those black bags until this year . Now that I'm staring down at my 20th college reunion on the calendar I feel obligated to grow up from my sturdy yet functional black bag that my original Powerbook 180c was carried in. I was reluctant to say goodbye, but yet my stylish Macbook wouldn't fit snug in the bag at all. That's the only thing from college that fits "too loose." Also, people coming up to me in coffee shops saying "I remember when I had a bag like that" certainly didn't help.

So I was on a quest for a new bag. I didn't want to sacrifice protecting my laptop just so I didn't want to look like a dork either. Can something be stylish and functional, yet provide quality protection ? Oh, I should add that it shouldn't be too stylish. I don't want a bag that screams "Pretty in Pink" Onward to my journey....

I contacted a variety of vendors for samples of their cases that would fit this my demands. Some didn't respond and were rather smug about having their cases compared--partially I think because they know their popular messenger bag style cases simply don't provide protection. An ideal case should be padded on all sides, so the computer is protected from every angle. Many simply provide some padding on the sides, but none on the edges, which is a more likely impact zone.

First up was the Targus radius Convertible Messenger/Backpack, a well-known industry name. They provided me a "hybrid" case that was supposed to be a backpack and a messenger bag style at the same time. In reality, it was simply a backpack with a shoulder strap. Not the end of the world, but backpacks remind me of my days in A/V club and not hanging out with the cool kids. The case had some nice nooks and crannies specifically designed for Mac laptops: square holder for power adapter, space for your iPod, etc. It had some kind of conduit to hold your iPod headphone cord while listening, but I couldn't figure it out. That was a common trend I found: features I didn't quite get. I'm not sure I want tech support for my laptop bag. Ironically, when I asked press people about some of these features, they couldn't always answer my questions. Only the designers I think truly understand what they designed

Though there Targus bag had nice storage room and met the protection criteria, it wasn't stylish. Even without my nerd day hangups, the backpack wasn't very good looking. It reminded me of one of those square Pan-Am travel bags grandma used to have. I had this sudden urge to offer people breath mints while using it...or at least save teabags for future dunks (Grandma: "You can reuse a teabag at least 3 times, stop wasting money young man"). However, I've seen those type of bags at Urban Outfitters, so maybe it actually attempted to be retro. Nonetheless, the shoulder strap didn't adequately distribute the weight and I felt very uncomfortable walking with it. It was great on the bike though. After forcing myself to use it for the review, I quickly put it on the shelf and abandoned it. It's a backpack with a messenger bag strap, nothing more. Sorry Targus, no offense, but I don't think you'll be seeing too many marketing or fashion majors using your bag. Maybe you can do some cross-promotion on Warcraft, or hit the other end with http://www.aarp.org/. It was an upgrade, but not by much. The only reason I'd upgrade from my black bag to this is because my Macbook fits perfect. However, I had to remove my Neocase sleeve to use it.

Second to respond is http://www.crumplerbags.com/. It's marketing is hip and trendy with distinctive Aussie roots. They want to be as popular as Men At Work was in the 80's. Their Macworld booth reflected their eagerness to make it on the scene, and their website is about as easy to understand as the lyrics of "Down Under" (Imagine looking up vegimite in pre-internet days!) . Huge display with funky giveaways like tiny matchbooks. Does all that flash translate into a good laptop bag? Somewhat. Crumpler bags came in a variety of styles and colors. I was sent a "Hee-Goer". Name is promising because many bags feel too much like a purse. Unfortunately, I ran into technical difficulties with this one as well. No info on the website about what all the straps do including it's "third leg" (their words, not mine). I made an importu visit to their store in New York (next to my new favorite veggie restaurant S'Nice) and they had a handout because I wasn't the only one confused by the third leg. Sorry, third leg sometimes can have some rather inappropriate connotations.

Crumpler adequately held all my items, though I didn't like the fact my Macbook was being held in place by a velcro strap instead of a zipper or a clasp. The outside of the case used both velcro and clasps. That was frustrating because the velcro would have to be readjusted constantly to properly place the clasps. While Crumpler clearly was tops on style, including a fun store and funky website, I didn't find it had enough room to hold my myriad of connectors and adapters. Crumpler gets bonus points on style (how can you go wrong with the name He-Goer), it was average on function and protection. The Macbook's spine stuck out a bit, and while it would have been well protected against a standard drop, given the bag's balance, I found it easily fell on the spine with my test laptop.

Next on the list was BBP (bum bak pack) . I was intrigued after MacWorld seeing their Hampton "hybrid bag". This bag looks like a standard messenger bag, but you can convert the single shoulder strap into a dual backpack module. You click a snap in the middle of the strap and then adjust the backpack straps as such. Yes it is 3 steps, and at first I was confused. Fortunately, they had a video on their website and I quickly got an idea. It even has a top handle, so I'd actually call it a tribrid: backpack, messenger bag, and briefcase. I liked that briefcase handle, because it made it very easy to pull it up when it was on the floor. Other bags, you had to grasp the straps. Did BBP secretly steal someone from Apple or SFMOMA to design this bag?

Out of open disclosure, I got sent this bag first, so I may be slightly biased. When I'd try the other bags, I kept slipping back into my BBP bag. First, I really dug the hybrid concept. With gas prices they way they are, I'm biking more and I didn't feel comfortable with a messenger bag that moves around while you ride, or could even slip off. Though to be fair the "third leg" on the Crumpler was helpful in that. However the feature I liked the most was the padding. Why didn't someone think of this sooner? The shoulder strap is padded which is not uncommon. What is padded is the bag wall of the messenger bag itself. When used as a backpack, it releases the pressure on your back, but when you use it as a messenger bag, it's uniqueness really shines through. They say they "protect your bum" and they sure do. I'd walk around with this bag, and I kid you not, I was worried at times that I left my laptop somewhere, the padding eased the pressure enough, I thought there was something wrong. My hip often times would get sore walking with a laptop bag. Instead of being butt-ugly, this bag is butt-friendly.

Other great bonus features was a variety of nooks and crannies to hold my accessories. I counted a total of sixteen compartments. Though none were specifically designed for Mac products , I was able to find a home for almost everything I carry with me. In particular, there was a separate "hidden" holder for the laptop bag that had a water resistant zip enclosure. Someone could open up your messenger bag and rummage around and never find your laptop. The compartment that had the laptop was closest to your body, making it near impossible for a passerby to pilfer your bag. I was impressed that STM bags (another Aussie company)had that feature, but alas, they didn't provide me a review unit. I've been traveling a reasonable amount lately and more than once said "test over" and switched from one of the other bags to my BBP bag...it was just so darn handy with travel. Of the three I tested, it fit best underneath an airplane seat.

My only complaint with BBP was the color. I was sent the chocolate brown and orange bag. It reminded me of a Reeses Pieces. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but I didn't feel very professional. However the better half said it was "zune" brown. Yuck. I think beggers can't be choosers as they say. I'd recommend "he-man" try the urban camouflage style. With the style and color, it's not just a hybrid backpack messenger bag, but a hybrid bag that will gain appeal with both men and women.

So what's papa's brand new bag.? If you haven't figured it out yet it's the BBP bag. Not only is it comfortable on your "bum" but its ample storage and hybrid convertibility makes it the bag for me. I love the bag. I trekked all over New York and Seattle with it and felt very comfortable. In fact, I brought one of the other review bags with me on a trip, and I decided I needed something that worked and quickly transfered to my BBP. BBP has a zen like balance of style, function, and protection that will make it the only bag I trust my laptop in and bumping my bum.

Article was republished by the Lawrence Apple User's Group 2.0 here as well as other groups listed on the right

Review: The Missing Sync for Palm OS 6.0.1

2007-12-09T17:16:00.000-06:00

Palm’s treatment of the Mac reminds me of that girl in high school who suddenly showed interest in me the time choosing lab partners came around...and then dumped me at the end of science class. Palm’s market share grew because of loyal Mac users. We were dedicated to the Palm and shunned it’s pale imitation: Windows CE and then Windows Mobile. However, Palm later joined the dark side, began making Windows Mobile devices and left us in the dust. Development of Palm software for the Mac stalled out and Palm left it to Apple to pick up the slack. Just like I was left stood up the week after science class was over. Whatever.

Fortunately, iSync works OK to do basic syncing of Palms with the Mac, so Palm can choose it’s own lab partner---the Mac is fine on its own. It fact, we created a better Palm: the iPhone. Of course that girl in grade school we dated..the Newton. I hope she doesn’t show up at the 20 year class reunion. She never did understand what I said anyways, so she’ll probably get the date wrong. iSync gets the job done, but some of us want more.

While iSync will move contacts and dates, MissingSync does so much more. iSync is your best friend's sister that will be your date to the prom so you don’t go alone, while MissingSync is the supermodel of Palm synchronization. While it does move contacts and dates, it retains more of that information from address book and iCal such as work addresses and calendar groups. Not only that, but for Treo users it will backup your call log and SMS messages, and then synchronize the information with your address book. In my line of work, it's great because I can easily determine every call and message to a particular client. The killer feature for me is it's ability to synchronize with Yojimbo by Barebones.

Just like that supermodel, MissingSync is high maintenance, flaky and unreliable. Maybe I was stood up because my lab partner was using Missing Sync and didn't realize the date? MissingSync randomly won't sync some of my contacts and randomly changes the notes synchronization. I was given excuse after excuse by tech support. Eventually I bought a new Mac and got a new phone--and it still didn't work reliably. Best (or worst) of all, if you want to speak to a human it will cost you $60. Oh, it gets better. That $60 gives you the right to a "call-back"--you specify a time window and they call you. Funny, that supermodel also required me to buy her something before she would give me the time of day. I'm sorry, but spending for $60 for support of a $40 program just seems wrong. If the program were reliable, that would be one thing, but it isn't!

In general, MissingSync's ability to synchronize so much more data than iSync or Palm's hotsync manager make it a compromise that still leaves you ahead in the end--even when you combine the support costs. Yeah, all being said and done, it's better dating a supermodel than your best friends's sister, but not by as much as you think. Markspace will need to improve the quality of its product and tech support policies to persuade casual Palm users to use their product rather than iSync.

Pros: Transfers much more data to your Palm than iSync or Palm's software
Cons: Flaky, temperamental, and poor tech support policies.

Two out of Five DogCows

Article was republished by the Lawrence Apple User's Group 2.0 here as well as other groups listed on the right