Author: steve

Slight moan. Dad was using Vista to view photos on media player. When he had finished viewing, he tried to close media player down. Media player didn’t play ball and decided to lock up.

So Dad’s first play with Vista ended up with a Ctrl-Alt Del and kill media player via Task Manager.

I know I’m going to get so many calls regarding that piece of shit call vista. If it pisses me off too much I’m going to stick XP on it.

That Media Player front end is no Front Row

Two things that tend to send a shiver down my spine. Now I have no problem with either, except when m Dad buys a laptop from said show.

On first look at the new laptop I notice a stuck pixel (not dead, stuck). So off to Comet, had a disagreement with the counter twat about policy (1day old laptop). Eventually ended up with a replacement (despite me asking for a refund). Anyway, they may be within their rights with regards to stuck pixels, however customer service has always been an issue for Comet when it comes to anything technical.

O.k. I admit I’m an Apple fanboy, so naturally I’m always going to hate an Microsoft product. That said the issue I had today wasn’t with Microsoft. I know the issues with Vista and I really do hate the different menus/navigation. Today’s issue is more PC than Microsoft, why does it take 30 minutes to get past the initial setup.

Once that has passed I have to spend the next hour de-shittifying the desktop. Removing all the sponsered internet links (Ebay, Amazon), removing all the trial software, removal of all the time limited software (McAfee 30 day licence) and all the useless applications (picasa, google desktop and some rubbish photo app).

Once all this crap has gone it’s time to de-vista vista – Now this is Microsoft’s fault!
To my Dad all the new features would just be in the way. So out goes gadgets along with the side bar. Also changed is the start menu, the Vista implementation is just crap. Does seem to be any flow to it. So set to standard (as in from Windows 95) start menu, pity I couldn’t select the XP start menu. The final bit of clearing up was to disable the Themes service, thus killing off Aero (or what ever it’s called).

So Dad’s laptop now does what it was bought for, powers up and goes straight to the desktop. DVD player works, desktop isn’t cluttered.

Issues:

No Anti-Virus – Shouldn’t be an issue, as it’s not going onto the internet – if it does it’ll only be Windows update from behind my router.

Shutdown – Seems by default to come up as Sleep, so will need to search for this hack (or GUI) setting.

Bits to do:

Office application – probably will go with OpenOffice.
Dad’s Digital camera – It’s 3 years old, will it work?
Printer – New HP all in one thing bought – should be fine.

We’ll see………….

/edit Found a solution to the Shutdown/Sleep……

Yes, this can be changed. Do the following:
1. Select Start button, "Control Panel" menu item.
2. Click "Power Options".
3. Click "Change plan settings" under the active plan.
4. Click "Change advanced power settings".
5. Locate and expand "Power buttons and lid" option.
6. Locate and expand "Start menu power button" option.
7. Change the "On battery" and "Plugged in" options from "Sleep" to
Shutdown".
8. Click OK button.

This should do the job.

- Chirag

So hopefully Chirag’s solution will be the one.

Nice and easy innit

/edit 2. It worked!

Another big build up and Steve (Jobs) announces 3 brand new iProducts.  What are these I hear, well they are…..

A new MacBook, MacBook Pro and a 24″ Cinema display.  I’m not going to bother linking images, cos you’ll see one eventually.

The MacBooks both are carved out of a solid slab of aluminium (using some funky new process), anyway they look really smart however, several issues affect these new iProducts.

• Glossy screens – even on the MBP, glossy on all screens cos brighter is better apparantly
• No firewire on the MacBook (pro has FW800)
• Stupid Apple pricing

Glossy Screens

For years graphic pro’s have been able to purchase the old MBP with matte of glossy screens.  I’d guess the majority of them chose the matte.  Matte is easier to calibrate and doesn’t reflect as bad.  Apple’s response to screen reflection is to increase the brightness.  Think they’ve dropped a bollock on that one.   I have a few customers still using their old white 24″ iMacs as they don’t want to go glossy.  Now Apple state all screens will be glossy.  So that potentially wipes out iMac sales for graphic/image work.

For these users where next?  Get a MacMini and a decent screen, or a MacPro and a decent screen?  or ditch Apple and get a PC setup and crossgrade the Adode products to PC.  The latter would be a cheaper option.

No Firewire

Probably not a big point for some, but for many firewire enables users to fully use iMovie with their DV camcorder, or it used to.  Apple for some unknown reason have decided to remove all firewire support from the MacBook (Alu).  I use this for my firewire drives, just as well I’ve not bothered to update.

Pricing

Now this is where Apple have lost the plot.  With the current downturn you’d expect common sense pricing.  Though I do concede the new funky aluminium case will be expensive to produce, however as Apple really make a lot of cash on hardware I felt they could’ve not taken the piss.

A few prices to compare:

Macbook (white)

2.1ghz Combo £699 – now has a superdrive but costs £20 more

MacBook (Alu – comparision with previous plastic MB in terms of speed)

2.4ghz SD £799 – Alu version 2.4ghz £1,149 (o.k. it has better GPU, HDD and a backlit keyboard!)

To save you a little cash they do a cheap version..

2.0ghz SD (Alu) £949 – smaller HDD and no keyboard back light, also as with it faster brother no FW.

Now they are still producing the old faster plastic MB with FW for £229 less than bottom spec Alu model.

In the US the base plastic MB dropped by $100, the UK went up by £20.

The moronic pricing continues with the MBP and MBA.

Jobs went on to say that the ‘pro’ features in the new Alu MB are a cost saving of $700 over the base MBP price.  I think he was trying to say ‘look, you’re getting a pro, but paying less’

Nice try Steve, but we are not getting a MacBook Pro.  In fact we’re getting a less than pro.  A MacBook with a glossy screen and no FW.  That’s not pro.

Also released (available Nov) was a speed and gpu bump for the MBA – frankly no one gives a shit about this featureless ‘but very light’ laptop.   Also announced is a new cinema display, woo woo woo.  But hold on, this is newApple (putting spin and gloss on to hide the cracks).  The new 24″ Cinema display is glossy and is designed to compliment the new MacBooks (all 3).  It has a unique cable that has a USB, Magsafe and Mini Display Port connector.  Seems they don’t want old tech connecting to this new funky LED display (running at a laughable 14ms and 1000/1 contrast ratio).  Have Apple reinvented the ADC again?  Seems so, I guess an adapter to convert DVI to MDP (I assume that’s the correct abreivation) will be available at a bargain £50 or so.

Eventually you’ll have to buy an adaptor whatever you get, unless you buy newApple to newApple kit.  Of course if they ever decide to update the MacMini then it’ll have MDP on board as Steve said ‘it’ll be on all new Apple products’ (or words similar).  So as I do want an Apple glossy display I’ll need and MDP to DVI/HDMI converter, again costing £50.

So kind of at a loss with the current updates.  I know from the Q&A session with Steve Jobs, Jony Ives and someother bloke that a Netbook isn’t in Apples plans.  So maybe my next purchase will be an Acer Aspire netbook (with Linux).

I really love using my Mac, seems Apple are doing their best to move many over to a PC with this update.  I really can’t see any reason to update my MB for a good while yet.

Apple need to look at price, you can get PC laptops for half the price, but with better technology (bar the OS in my opinion).  No doubt some fanboy wankers will get upset with this post, but I care not.  I’m a very happy Apple user, I love their products.  I feel this update is more about style, maybe that is Apples new direction.

Style – Like Bang and Olufson – Stylish, overpriced and weird looking.