Category Archives: Technology

Operating Systems, Technology

Are OSes being dumbed down too much?

Thanks to the invention of the Apple iPad, the world believes that everything should be an app and that your desktop should look like a children’s playground.  This is not how business professionals see it.  Being a power user, I enjoy a daunting task on one of my PCs every now and again.  With the advent of latest Mac OS X update, Lion, it seems like you can flush technological goodness goodbye, right?

No.

Meet Windows 7, not only is this operating system easy and fun to use, it does not look like my 6 year old niece should be able to access anything in my system.  However, let’s not argue with Apple’s marketing strategies here, make a product (iOS) that succeeds and why not run with it.  We all know that Apple has the LOWEST PC market-share and the only thing that they have created is a successful mobile campaign so why not port that?

Windows 8 is supposed to be taking on this “tile” theme, however, unlike Apple, Microsoft will not make that the only way that you can use the system.

Bottom line: I am all for having an easy to use system; yet, a computer is a sophisticated machine, it is only so dumb that you can make it LOOK before you hit it’s nerves.  Win for Microsoft.

Technology

Bandwidth Caps….Fair or Un-fair?

With more streaming and file downloads encompassing the internet, capping a users bandwidth per month seems to be the only way to go, correct?  Wrong.

For the average consumer, checking email, logging on to Facebook and playing an online game might be the most data that they use.  Honestly speaking, that could be less than 1GB of data transfers for the  month(remember this is an AVERAGE consumer).  However, with the advent of all media becoming digital and services such as Netflix and Hulu Plus that are causing some users to reach their data caps according to their ISP.  Let’s look at the bigger picture, if I am a cable company and I have 100 customers:

  • 15 customers log on once a day to check email
  • 35 customers upload various files during work hours, otherwise their connection is un-used
  • 50 customers stream HD movies via Netflix

You can see that I have purposefully split it 50/50, in reality this is far from the case!  Most people I know, use their connection for casual surfing and most people are not power users.  So why should internet caps be put in place when the majority of the populous is not using a lot of data when only a minority are.  I find myself to be a power user, I have a high-speed wireless network in my home where I stream movies and television shows by the dozen on a day to day basis. 

Question:  Is this what the usual person does?

No.

Being an IT Specialist, I am well versed in technology.  So, I decided to substitute my data usage(Netflix/Hulu) for cable and other means.  Does that mean I should be capped when the vast majority of people that are subscribed to my ISP rarely use their connection for anything else but email?  No.

Bottom line: Internet bandwidth caps are hot air, there are honestly enough users that do not use their connection for streaming and intense uploading that it balances out those that do.

Operating Systems, Technology

Apple = Scared of Competition

Every day it seems like Apple Co. is pushing for a ban on this and taking legal action on that!  Why?  Well, since Apple already has a laughable 12% in the PC market, no wonder they are fighting for their slumping mobile market because it is the ONLY place where they can keep up(and lately they’ve been doing a terrible job at THAT as well).

When the Apple iPhone was first released there was a tremendous amount of early adopters, while everyone else hopped on the bandwagon post App-Store.  For the next few years Apple dominated the mobile scheme, Windows Mobile was terrible and lacked features while it seemed Apple had finally found their niche.  However, what is a market without competition?  Nothing.  Microsoft competes with Apple and Linux on the desktop side of things, while Apple would now compete with the rising Android OS.  Android had several things on it’s side though:

  • Built on Linux
  • Not limited to one carrier
  • Not limited to one device
  • Advanced multi-tasking

Apple could boast on none of these things, except for the fact that they had cute little apps.  Android continued to surge and has taken over the mobile market, currently holding the top spot in the US.  How could this be so?  Every carrier has their flagship Android devices, while Apple just ported the iPhone to Verizon(a better network, that should’ve had the device in the beginning since AT&T proved incapable of maintaining).

In addition to the iPhone, Apple released it’s big brother, the iPad.  The happened to be the EXACT same device with a larger screen that you couldn’t talk on.  It rose to popularity;however, the competition rose to the occasion and created equally and in some cases more powerful devices to compete.  So, why can’t Apple handle competition in the market?

Bottom line:  Apple wants to succeed in something, so why not start pushing everyone, who makes a superior product, to the wolves if they get frightened?

Operating Systems, Technology

So, you’re still using XP?

Windows XP was truly a remarkable operating system from Microsoft.  Not only did it completely demolish previous versions in terms of usability, stability and performance.  This system was also very secure.

However, it is 2011; Windows 7 is out (Windows 8 is brewing).  Windows Vista was a bust with poor usability, slow start-up times and a decent interface.  Windows 7 changed it all.

When Vista was released I bought a brand new Acer Aspire laptop and the operating system came preloaded.  However, it was slow to start; but at least it was pretty right?  Many people I knew actually still had Windows XP on their machines because of its unrivaled security and stability.  However, the advent of Windows 7 changed all of the minds of those that thought Microsoft couldn’t create another great operating system.  On the other hand, for the company that revolutionized the way that we use personal computers, you should’ve expected them to bring a clean, polished system after the demise of Vista(similarly to how XP was received after Windows ME was put on the back-burner).

So, XP user do not fret, this is not Vista nor is it ME.  As a user who switched back from Ubuntu Linux, I was blown away by the beautiful design, ease of use, secure functionality and sheer speed of this system.

Bottom line:  Secure, stable and easy.  Windows XP is dated(granted still good) and a refresh of your OS and possibility your hardware could be great for your productivity.

Software, Technology

Image editing, Adobe or Open-Source?

Adobe Creative Suites, this collection….more than any other could deserve the title: The most powerful suite of programs offered by a company.

However, this certainly is not the only way that you can go.  With prices ranging from $1300-2600, there certainly are other options available to rival the most popular parts of the suite, Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator are two key programs that are included in the suite.

GIMP – This is probably the most successful open-source piece of image editing software, from it’s robust list of features to it’s ability to correct anything, this software is a must have.  It may lack the sheer power of Photoshop;however, this doesn’t stop this non-resource hog from being able to fully substitute for Photoshop.

Inkscape – Think Adobe Illustrator had a twin and it’s twin is cooler.  This sleek program stylistically looks very similar to Illustrator and tools-wise this program does not disappoint.  Inkscape boasts a very easy to use interface that you can learn within the first 10 minutes of using it.  In addition, if you have used any design program before this application will be cinch to learn and push out some unique pieces of art. Add Inkscape and GIMP on any system and you’ll have a powerful one-two punch for image manipulation.