Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Windows 2 Apples Episode 10
I know I had scheduled a review of the new iWork and iLife 08 suites but the recent debacle with the Microsoft Genuine Advantage or as most seem to prefer calling it Genuine Disadvantage gives me a chance to speculate on why Apple and Microsoft view and deal with piracy in radically different ways.
First let me state, I am not defending Microsoft or others with similar copy protection schemes but I would like to add my two cents (and with the fall of our currency this colloquialism should appropriately qualify my comments).
As a hardware designer and software developer I have been on both sides of the fence. I have two small companies that have, for the last 25 plus years, been developing hardware and software for the physiological monitoring markets.
Our markets have traditionally been small and our products priced accordingly. We were never in the $29.95 a copy market place and had to generate enough income to support our customers and fund the R&D needed to remain competitive in a niche market. Any lost sale to piracy would have been a substantial loss in revenue.
In some cases our software supported devices developed by other companies as well as our own and we were in competition with their software and other third party software developers. We have always prided ourselves on supporting our customers and distributors. This commitment to support and a superior software solution allowed us to thrive in a very competitive niche market.
From the beginning I realized we could only survive if we protected our assets and I developed several copy protections schemes most of which were dependent on hardware dongles spliced between the device and the RS-232 port of the PC. There was no need for software protection when shipped with devices we developed because that hardware was always bundled with our software. This of course is the case with Apple.
Unlike Windows, which can be installed on any Windows compliant computer, OS X is only available on computers manufactured by Apple. The Apple hardware is in fact their software protection. I have to wonder how Apple would handle things if it ever released its OS to third party hardware manufactures. I believe they tried this once and pulled the license from the manufacturer early in the game.
Would Apple continue to ship unprotected copies of their Operating System and applications if some enterprising entrepreneur developed a virtual machine product similar to bootcamp allowing OS X to be run inside existing Windows PCs?
I suspect it was Apples historic reliance on using proprietary hardware to copy protect their software that lead them to surprise and even anger some pundits and Apple fans when they released the locked iPhone. The controversy continues eat up hours of tech podcast time as the attempts of hackers to open the iPhone to cell service provider other than AT&T and to develop third party applications not sanctioned by Apple remain the focus of the geek tribes. The way Apple and AT&T react to the iPhone hacks may offer a glimpse of how Apple would treat customers if its OS were not locked down by the Apple hardware.
As I said, I am not supporting or advocating the draconian schemes of Microsoft or the recording industry but have some appreciation of the costs of piracy. Our copy protection dongle rarely caused any of our customers any grief. And over the years I received many reports from our distributors as well as calls to our own office from people wanting to know why our software, “ so kindly given to them by a friend”, could not be used with their devices supported by our software but not developed by us. The revenue generated by legitimate sales allowed us to continue to support our software long after the manufactures of the other devices dropped them like hot potatoes.
Both Apple and Linux distributions are in a unique position. With Apple, the hardware is the software “dongle” and with Linux most developers profess a non-commercial philanthropic intent.
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Windows 2 Apples Episode 9
Today I realized I spend close to 80% of my time at the iMac! It is an adventure and as the the “Macites” like to say tis even fun. I have usually enjoyed working at my PCs in the past but that was because I enjoyed my work wether it be developing software, hardware or web content. The PC was a means to an end and became the ultimate erector set for me.
“Work” on my iMac differs in that I am simply enjoying the ease with witch I can implement my ideas. The user interface and physical design are all esthetically very pleasing and, in a new way to me, seem to encourage my creative side. I feel I have have less to fear from hitting another sharp learning curve so give myself the freedom to dream a bit bigger.
I suspect you can detect I am becoming an Apple convert. I have given up on seeking the perfection portrayed in the Apple Advertisements and reconciled myself to the reality that my dream of a perfect computing experience may never happen in my professional life time. Yet, I still hope to see that day and to revel in it.
My shift to the iMac is largely the result of a recent contrast I saw in backing up my Mac and office Windows based machines as well as the new iWorks 08 and iLife tools which make creating media rich content much easier. I still find many of the seemly unnecessary limitations in Apple software and hardware frustrating but not as frustrating as the unnecessarily complex design of equivalent Windows tools.
I have not abandoned Windows altogether and if I were still actively designing hardware and coding I would have no choice but to use my PCs. The applications I require are simply not available for the Mac. I still find the Windows implementation of MSN Messenger the best all round tool for one on one collaborative work with skype a close second. Unfortunately, the Apple implementation of both products are not as evolved for the Mac, but skype has become my de-facto Mac messenger.
I did finally make my PC disk images using both Ghost and Acronis True Image. I had prepared a long rehash of my nightmare but have decided to simply say that I can not recommend Ghost to anyone wanting to maintain a healthy blood pressure. After almost three hours of trying to do a full Ghost back up and then having to resort to a Spin Rite ten hour level four refresh of my hard drive, I was able to finely get a disk image or so Ghost reported.
By the time I got to that point I had lost confidence in the Norton product. My mistrust of Ghost is heightened by the fact that I was unable to get any support from Norton. When it repeatedly failed to complete the backup because of a bad sector on my drive I was lead to the Norton Web where their own active x based tool failed to diagnose my problem. This is truly the preverbal dog chasing its tail plot in that their on-line diagnosis is a pre-requisite to connecting me with support!
I ended up using the free trial Acronis True Image workstation backup product and it worked as advertised. They offer accessible on-line support and even followed up the next day with a phone call to offer assistance and to get feedback. I will purchase the Workstation program and recommend to all Windows users needing a reliable full image back up of their systems. Bravo Acronis! And, a thumbs down for Norton.
In my next episode I will give my feedback on the new iWork 08 applications and the enhanced 08 GarageBand.
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Windows 2 Apples Episode 8
This is the text of our Netcast currently posted on the iNetSynch site blog. If iTunes is installed on your computer use this link to open and locate our podcast feed and subscribe:
iTunes
Paste the following in the subscribe field of other poscast managers such as ZENcast Organizer:
http://inetsynch.podbean.com/feed/
I come to you today somewhat humbled and more appreciative of my iMac and Apple applications. This changing heart is a result of my recent experiences with a Windows music creation and audio production program and the ease with with I have been able to backup up my iMac.
I purchased Music Creator 3 to use in place of GarageBand on my Windows XP tower. Although it came with easy install instructions, manual and separate video tutorial disk it is suffers from the feature over load and poor human interface design issues that plague many Windows applications. I soon realized that my time would be better spent using GarageBand on my Mac than taking the many hours if not days to become equally productive with Music Creator 3.
My second glimpse of the iMac halo effect was the discovery of how easy it is to make a complete boot-able image of the OS, applications and data using disk utility and a external firewire drive. In less than two hours I was able to install, reformat and copy a complete image of my iMac to a Western Digital 1 Terabyte My Book drive. I am very impressed given the dismal history I have had using products like Ghost to attempt a full system back up of my PCs.
I now feel a warm glow when using my Mac ... could I be a new convert in the making?
Windows 2 Apples Episode 7
To prevent confusion and the spread of misinformation, I need to add this quickie update to my last post … episode 6 of Windows 2 Apples.
I was almost ready to throw in the towel today and stop trying to use the iMac as my primary tool for creating media rich web content. I seriously began searching for a Windows replacement for GarageBand and to refocus my time on using the many excellent media development programs that came bundled with my Sony Tower or that I have added over time.
iWeb has been a huge waste of time and I have had to redo my simple .Mac Web 3 times so far. Contrary to my initial impressions of the 08 version there is no simple way to manage multiple Web sites. You still have to move the domain file before booting iWeb in order to force it to ask for a site different from the one you worked on last. I must have assumed the prompt for domain was always present at launch because I had to reinstall iLife 08.
This inability to select the desired project without manually moving files around is so very limiting, prone to error and lame I am hoping that I have missed something and that I am wrong. As it is iWeb seems to be primarily intended for setting up and maintaining one .Mac site. Apple says it is possible to manage other domains but you have to remove the last used domain file to insure iWeb boots with a prompt for the domain you want to work with! This is a huge step backwards! I don’t understand this kind of short-circuited software development.
I do long for FrontPage even though Microsoft sometimes seemed to insist on generating some very peculiar and Explorer dependent html code. I remember the exhilaration I felt the 1st time I used it to complete a relatively complex WEB within a few hours of installing it. I was able to create, upload and maintain several sites with ease. I still use FrontPage for two brochure type sites, leaving the commercial sites to hand coded html. Microsoft has discontinued FrontPage and I am reluctant to use it to create new sites. But iWeb seems to suffer from a lack of flexibility and function that makes it almost unusable as a tool to efficiently create and maintain multiple webs.
I truly hope I am wrong but the iWeb 08 online help suggests that since iWeb 1.1 this is the way users switch between WEB projects. I still can’t believe this is the kind of software design that has gained Apple so many fans and accolades. I will hang in a bit longer and see if I can really begin to get things done as efficiently and as quickly on a Mac as I can in Windows.
I did find one very nasty “I got ya” worth passing on. First save, save, save your work as you create or alter a site using iWeb. I had painfully re-built the 1st two pages on my .Mac account and accidentally dropped my html code on the grey html widget placeholder window instead of the black snippet window and iWeb locked up tighter than a lid on a jar of home made preserves. I finally was able to force quit iWeb but lost all my work prior to the lockup.
Windows 2 Apples Episode 6
iLife 08 is installed and I have had a chance to experiment with iMovie, GarageBand iPhoto and iWeb. As a relative iMac newbie, I suspect my comments regarding the new iMovie maybe a bet less harsh than those heaped on it by long time Apple users and admirers.
I bought into the Apple hype and waited to really spend much time learning iMovie until I upgraded to the much-ballyhooed iMovie 08. As some may recall I hoped Apple would not follow the lead of Windows developers and just heap on a pile of unnecessary new features just to make a compelling argument to buy the latest upgrade. In the Windows world we have grudgingly grown expect code bloat and feature overload.
Well it does seem I had nothing to worry about from that quarter. Many old line Apple users are a bit miffed, to say the least, that Apple actually striped features in the name of enhanced easy of use. Some bloggers and forum contributors somewhat despairingly refer to the new iLife 08 audience as grandparents wanting to through together a movie even as their brains are turning to a demented mush.
I had not spent much time with iMovie 06, but when I did open it and play with it as well as the 08 version I realized why the frustration and even feelings of betrayal are so frequently expressed in blogs and forums. The new “improved” iMovie is a bit bewildering to me and seems so crippled that it is best left to put together a quickie clip for YouTube. iMovie 06 on the other hand seems a fairly good choice for producing semi-professional videos. Even though Apple kept the 06 version on my Mac I lost the quick start PDF file and 06 help now references iMovie 08 only. Of course Apple seems to have also removed the iMovie 06 video tutorials. Would have been awfully nice of Apple to have shipped the iLife 06 tutorials with my iMac.
So now I have both 06 and 08 iMovies to work with but virtually no documentation on using iMovie 06. I did find and down load the 06 PDF documentation but even after a new down load and install of 06 from Apple, I have seem to be unable to regain the iMovie 06 help files. Oh well as they say be careful for what you wish for.
iWeb and GarageBand for me have improvements that are almost worth the $80. I love the ability to easily splice in html code and to be given a choice of where to load and save my iWeb domain files. The Magic in GarageBand does not do much for me but I do like the opportunity to inspect and modify the auto-assembled scores. I most appreciate the ability to directly save my podcast file as an MP3! One nick picking and personal observation regarding the Magic GarageBand feature, to me it makes the program look a bit more like a toy or game than the true podcast workhorse it is for many including myself.
iPhoto still appears to have no option for overlaying text or graphics on photos. This seems so peculiar to me. I use that feature all the time on my windows machines and there must be half a dozen programs including the free Windows paint program that offer that option.
After playing with iMovie I took another look at the Microsoft moviemaker software shipped with windows and I am impressed with its ease of use and features compared to the Apple programs. If Microsoft could offer an counter part to GarageBand and continue with the free Office Works series it would make Vista machines a far better out of the box experience than the iMac. Well almost, I also need to add that Microsoft would have to improve stability and have more vendors on line fully supporting and running in Vista. Vista is still sending me to a nasty blue screen crash about every 6 to 8 weeks and would be hard to trust on a machine I intend to use in making a living.
Windows 2 Apples Episode 5
Before I begin let me assure you I wanted to see Apple shame Microsoft with a painless and inspired install of iLife 8. When the package arrived I had already spent hours watching one of my Web hosting services struggle to stay on line and was ready for some Apple magic.
Instead, I was met with one challenge after another and I am firmly convinced that as clever as Jobs and his team are they can screw up big time. Two DVDs were shipped with my order … the iLife install and a trial version of iWork. No manual of course only a few pages describing system requirements and install instructions … instructions which first admonished me to make sure my OS was up to date. I did try to check for OS updates but after the progress bar had stalled at the 30% mark for at least 20 minutes, I cancelled the query and inserted the DVD. I first read and then agreed to the Terms of use (yes I always read the fine print) and began what I was sure to be an uneventful install.
After the install was begun and supposedly doing its thing I tried to register my iLife 08 only to be met with a request to enter the registration code supposedly to be found on my iLife packaging. I look and see 3 series digits. Of course the print is tiny and nothing labeled as the registration code. I flip a coin and try the 1st I.D. beginning with an M but have trouble deciphering the next to last digit … is it a 1, an I, an L, lowercase l, or perhaps a lower case i. None of the above work so I try the other two longer series of digits with no luck. I look down more only to see more hairs have fallen to my keyboard and I am not happy at all. Why not simply label the dang thing as my registration code and make it large print!
I look at the packing list and again see 3 possible series of digits one of which I hope is the mysterious registration code. The one beginning with an M has a slash as the next to last digit … not an i, or L but a slash. In the 30 years I have been working with computers and software I have never seen a slash character in a registration code. This little twist in the Apple way of doing things cost me at least an additional 10 minutes of my time bathed in rush of stress hormones. Apple is not alone in this obscure labeling of codes and model numbers but I had hoped they were going to raise the bar rather than set it a tad lower.
After I finally register my new iLife I look and the install is only a third of the way through … must be one whopping huge install I mumble and fix lunch and make a few phone calls. Sixty minutes later I again peek at my iMac screen to see the install meter still stuck at the 30% complete mark and after putting my ear to the iMac case and hearing nothing I as a well schooled Windows user assume the system is hug and try to force the install to terminate. Several soft re-boots later I had to use the trusty power switch to shut my system down.
After my cold re-boot, I braved another attempt at installing. This time I was told the DVD could not be read but the install proceeded anyway and soon announced iLife 08 was now on my machine. I decided to start GarageBand and was, as in the past, was informed the Midi drivers were not loaded but this time the Mac kept running and the GarageBand startup screen was displayed. To be safe, I closed GarageBand and again launched. This time no warnings of missing files were displayed and the new Magic GarageBand icon on the intro screen attracted my attention. I clicked and was greeted with a stage replete with clever representations of musical instruments as well as the option to view video tutorials. Wonderful I thought … remembering how they had helped in the past. I dutifully click to view the tutorials, which launched Safari and the Apple Web and I began to understand why the software update query had stalled.
It seemed obvious, all the other new iLife 8 customers were over whelming the Apple site resulting in many pages loading painfully slow. Most of the on line tutorials would only lead me to a now familiar Quick Time logo with a question mark in it suggesting it was not responding. My knee jerk response was to check QT on other sites. I encountered no issues with other sites nor with my ISP and it seemed clear Apple could not handle the traffic.
Why not ship the tutorials and eliminate this strangle hold on the Apple servers and Internet pipes. A few additional cents in pressing a companion DVD or CD would have been much more cost effective as well as accommodating Apple users with slower connections or no connection at all. This poor planning is telling. Even with the brilliant Mr. Jobs at the helm and a very creative team at his side skimping on a complementary video tutorial disk has I am sure cost Apple in lost good will and perhaps even sales because their WEB was temporarily reduced to a crawl by the hoard new iLife 8 customers.
Worse yet, when I finally got the new and improved iWeb 8 to log on to my .Mac web it locked up and I was again forced to do a hard re-boot. By now Apple is making Microsoft look darn good. I have since been able to connect with my .Mac web and to view a few jerky tutorials but will have to wait till the storm subsides to run the full library of tutorials. Perhaps this just a poorly implemented Machiavellian scheme to get users to read rather than watch.
Apple could have dropped the trial iWork disk and enclosed an off line tutorial disk instead but it is of course all about bottom line after all and there is no special handling for Apple customers only the same old take it and struggle with it philosophy embraced by Microsoft and most 3rd party vendors. I would have been happy to have paid Apple for a tutorial DVD but was never given the option.
Perhaps I can log on to Apple in the wee hours of the morning and with eyes burning after a very full day of staring at computer screens finally begin to appreciate what I have purchased. But another chance to experience an Apple “it just works” experience has again escaped me.
Windows 2 Apples Episode 4
As I look back over my previous posts and podcasts I suspect some interpret my comments as Microsoft biased rants against Apple and the Macintosh. I want to take this opportunity to assure my audience I am not wedded to Windows and I truly want an alternative to the PC that delivers the kind of security, utility, beauty and robustness that Apple adds imply can be already found in the Mac.
Tonight I have been trouble shooting the Windows IE 7 browser on my Sony VIAO tower. As I write this I have the second Virus scan running … a good old 2 or 3 hour scan is always my knee jerk reaction when things go sour in Windows. And, there is often more sour than sweet when using Windows. Prior to this scan I had reinstalled IE7, which took a surprisingly long time even as Microsoft reinstalls go.
The problem I am currently fighting is the inability to stream podcasts on my Sony XP using IE7. I can usually get one to play but Explore locks up when a second stream is attempted. Opera, FireFox, and Safari (yes I even have the Windows Safari beta) all seem to work as expected. IE 7 works without failing on my Vista laptop so I am caught as is so often the case trying to ferret out the offending dll, 3rd party app or setting that is giving me so much grief. I turn and look at the beautiful Sony monitor and still impressive super quite Sony tower and long for a workable way out of the Microsoft strangle hold.
As I look at my iMac I want it to “reach out” and comfort me … to assure me that it will “just work” as my Macintosh friends always say. Believe me, I do want that. So many months of my professional life have been wasted on fighting Microsoft OS issues and I want that ideal computer I can turn on knowing no more wasted time fighting the unknown.
But as you know from my other podcasts I have already spend hours fighting problems with the iMac and the angst is intensified by the longing for the Machine Jobs says he is delivering. The machine he claims I can use immediately out of the box with no fuss no muss … no long downloads of security updates … no worries … just sit back and enjoy my new found increased productivity and the Zen like piece of mind I would surely feel if the Apple advertising copy were my reality. But alas I have not had that wonderfully liberating experience and wonder if in my career technology will ever advance to the level of perfection that Apple and some of the Ubuntu Linux community suggest is already a reality.
By the way I have tried Ubuntu and have experienced the same issues I always encounter when trying a new “user friendly” desk top Linux distribution … too many things simply don’t work, drivers are not available for my installed hardware, applications don’t have a shared look and feel, Windows applications I count on to make my living are not available or are a work in progress, and of course there is virtually no support or documentation. Maybe one day Linux will happen for me but not yet.
Rather than a crank and Apple basher I am simply a technology consumer wanting more for my investments in money and more importantly my time. I continue to hold out hope that some creative genius or collective genius will eventually deliver the computing experience I feel I deserve.
But until then, I am looking forward to the delivery of the new iLife suite, willing to trust Apple with get closer to delivering on the hype. At present they are I suspect my best hope of finding that better computing experience I crave but I will keep a watchful eye on the Linux efforts and Google as it shifts into the OS on line model.
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Windows 2 Apples Episode 3
This is the text of our Netcast currently posted on the iNetSynch site blog. If iTunes is installed on your computer use this link to open and locate our podcast feed and subscribe:
iTunes
Paste the following in the subscribe field of other poscast managers such as ZENcast Organizer:
http://inetsynch.podbean.com/feed/
I will spend this time commenting on the suite of applications shipped with my iMac. The wonderfully entertaining and often so true Apple vs. Windows commercials make much of the wondrous out of the box experience that supposedly awaits us as we become acquainted with the iLife suite.
What Apple fails to mention is that there will be no Word processor, spreadsheet or presentation software bundled your new lovely sleek Mac. I was advised by my Apple convert friends to purchase the Microsoft Office suite because it was still the best Word Processor and Spreadsheet for the Mac … as of today this has been their only concession to a Microsoft ascendancy.
As I speak these words I am looking at the recent announcement by Apple of the reintroduction of the iWork and updated iLife suites but it is unclear as to whether iWorks will be shipped with the new thinner iMacs (it does seems that Apple is in lock step with the modeling and movie industries preoccupation with thinness, perhaps this is a natural result of its close proximity to Hollywood). I suspect many of us that teethed on Microsoft DOS and Windows 3.0 are now built more like the recently introduced bulkier HP Touchsmart PC than the svelte new iMacs.)
First the many pluses of the iLife suite… the consistency in the look, feel and integration among iLife and other Apple applications is refreshing and does much to help a newbie quickly become at least moderately skilled in producing simple projects. The learning curve is made considerably less steep by the wonderful Apple on-line “how to” videos and forum feedback from more seasoned Mac users.
I am most familiar with GarageBand and iWeb and find the former an excellent tool for producing my podcasts while iWeb pared with a .Mac account is a simple and almost painless way to establish a minimal presence on the WEB. The tight integration intergraded between all iLife applications is a big plus in shifting an idea from the ether to the Internet. The down side to this interdependency is that simple functions such as saving your GarageBand projects as MP3’s or other common audio formats require you pass the project to iTunes where I learned a bit late in the game, if preferences are set correctly, you can finally end up with an MP3… the de-facto file standard of audio podcasts.
Given the dominance of Apple in promoting netcasting, I was surprised to find that I had to jump though these hoops to create my podcasts. I can see the efficiency in not duplicating features and the advantage of maintaining consistency with the Apple round robin concept in creating a finished project but would prefer each application be a bit more independent of the other. It would be particularly welcome if GarageBand projects could be directly saved as MP3s.
Halleluiah and dejà vu all over again, wouldn’t you know it, as I was writing this narrative I tried to log on to GarageBand and to my shock it reported the Midi drivers were not loaded and to please check with the with the manufacturer to correct the problem. Who might the culprit manufacturer be and how am I to look for help when the iMac is in a familiar Windows like gridlock not allowing me to do anything but repeatedly acknowledge I have seen the scary little warning.
I tried to shut down using the system menu and Apple keyboard version of the infamous Windows Ctrl, Alt Delete and all I got was a dark screen with the power light eerily dimming and reappearing very much reminiscent of Hal as it was being dismantled in 2001 The Space Odyssey. I half expected it to being singing Daisy and pleading with me “please stop Sam, I’ll be ok if only you give me some more time!”
Finally after holding the power button in long enough to do a true hard re-boot I was able to re-open GarageBand and load the file I wanted to play. Yes, Macintoshes do crash and with alarming frequency! These total system lockups are all the more alarming when running native Apple applications. I have grown accustomed to the now thankfully rarer crashes on my XP but when they do occur I can at least often hang the fault on one of the many 3rd party applications I have installed over the last two years. My iMac on the other hand is a relative virgin … only a few 3rd party applications installed.
I had planned to comment on the rather lame iPhoto application and the surprising lack of thumb nail photo previews as I look for pictures but I am too rattled by the latest crash to continue without being unduly harsh in my critique. I am always so disappointed when the Mac begins to feel like just another computer in a sexy enclosure rather than the promised nirvana of the Apple adverts and enthusiasts.
Anyway, I plan to purchase the iLife upgrade and hope it addresses some my concerns about the existing suite. I will cross my fingers that is does not follow the Windows legacy of breaking things already so painfully fixed and adding frustration with feature over load.
Until next time trust that change is forever with us and tomorrow is always a new adventure.
Monday, August 6, 2007
Windows 2 Apples Episode 2
This is the text of our Netcast currently posted on the iNetSynch site blog. If iTunes is installed on your computer use this link to open and locate our podcast feed and subscribe:
iTunes
Paste the following in the subscribe field of other poscast managers such as ZENcast Organizer:
http://inetsynch.podbean.com/feed/
In my first podcast I gave some background on my history with Microsoft products, my first impressions of the 20-inch Intel iMac as well as my initial impression of the of the Apple design philosophy. I had planned to focus on the iLife Software highlighted so often in many of the Apple commercials, however, I would like to spend this podcast reviewing a few additional issues I have with the iMac hardware and utility software.
As is often the case features with strong positives also have negative flip sides that are easy to ignore or gloss over if viewed from a biased position. I have already mentioned my distress at finding an unlabeled magnet at the bottom right corner of my iMac which although aesthetically pleasing and clever is also in my opinion dangerous as well as almost unusable in meeting the objective of holding the controller to the side of the case.
When I initially researched the Apple computer line and accessories I was encouraged by the very positive reviews of the iSight webcam. For many years I have used a wide variety of Webcams when communicating with distant members of our design team and customers as we developed computer based physiological monitoring systems. It was often convenient and very efficient to simply take the camera and point at a section of a circuit board, a component or enclosure and then in real time review the pros and cons of that particular board layout or component with engineers and clients as far away as Germany, Japan and Taiwan.
Of course, this strategy required that I be able to take the webcam in hand and focus on the part or device we were reviewing. The best webcam for the PC in my opinion was produced by Intel and has sadly been discontinued. All other webcams have paled in comparison but at least I have had many from which to pick and experiment with over the years.
Most iSight reviews gave me hope that the iMac could be used with the seemly superior Apple webcam. In fact I believe a number of Apple advertisements and press releases claimed that the iMac had “finally” brought video and audio teleconferencing to the forefront of the Internet by enclosing the highly touted iSight webcam and a microphone in the iMac monitor enclosure.
Claims of Apple legitimizing A/V conferencing were made while blissfully ignoring the fact that for many years Windows PC users have had a slew of Webcam and microphone accessories available from many different manufactures and that these devices worked well with all popular web conferencing software and audio / video enabled chat room services.
True to the reviews, the built-in iSight camera in fact produces an excellent image and the built-in microphone seems to do a relatively good job of recording speech. It was designed of course to be elegant and as unobtrusive as possible but as in many current PC laptops the design suffers from a very limited viewing angle.
Unfortunately, straight on clearly focused, high resolution, color correct pictures of my face are not particularly flattering and the built-in the camera is of no use to me when trying to review a board layout or to show my friends how cute our cat is as he naps at my feet. It is for all intent and purposes a component I will almost never use.
At least with my ACER Aspire Windows Vista laptop I can rotate the camera a maximum of 225 degrees enabling me to record and/ or stream the scene directly in front of me while “magically” maintaining the correct vertical orientation of my subject.
The internal microphone, as good as it is, still picks up far too much ambient noise and most people using their Macintosh computers to generate podcasts such as this are forced to use external USB microphones. I say forced because as I was shocked to learn the iMac audio input jack unlike any other PC I have ever used is a line in jack … line input is the only audio input on the iMac and excludes the use of almost all off the shelf microphones and microphone headset combos. This seems this extremely bizarre and limiting given the iMac is promoted as “the system” for producing creative audio and video projects such as netcasts.
When I first realized how limited the iSight camera was in terms of positioning I assumed I could simply purchase an external iSight webcam, however Jobs in his divine wisdom has apparently decided the built-in cam is the only Webcam I should ever need and took the external iSight cam off the market! I have been spoiled by the Windows PC accessory market and frustrated by the lack of Webcam manufactures that can claim to fully support the Mac operating system. The few available 3rd party iMac webcams do not generally get sterling reviews.
To my dismay I also discovered that there was no way to tweak or modify the settings for my internal iSight camera. Admittedly, the iSight cam and software normally do an excellent job of automatically adjusting to varying light and focal distance but there have been times where a simple Windows like tweak would have made it ever so much more useable.
Perhaps these limiting design decisions are are to be expected from a company culture that because of its exclusive control over the hardware can dictate to its minions and customers what is best for them. I believe this is also the primary reason the Macintosh community can comfortably embrace the belief that Apple computers are less prone to system failures and are inherently more reliable. I am just as certain Windows systems would be much more stable and reliable if manufactured by single company and if the user’s ability to modify settings and features were as restricted as those in the Apple product line.
Given the external iSight cam has been pulled from the market why not make the iSight cam a cleverly docked component that could be removed from an internal mounting and tethered to the computer via firewire wire port. Why not include a standard microphone jack? Why force users to download 3rd party applications just to make simple adjustments in the Webcam settings when this option has been a given in the PC world since the introduction of webcams?
Too many design decisions seem to fly in the face of consumer needs and make the system less flexible than it could be with a few simple concessions in elevating function at least equal to form. I am not Apple bashing when I make these observations … I make them because I want the perfection that Apple advertisements, Apple fans and the stock market numbers keep suggesting Apple has already achieved. I want a better computing experience and an alternative to Vista and the plethora of Linux distros. After all I can only experience the wonders of OS X on a system manufactured by Apple … there are no other companies licensed to use their OS in a competitive piece of hardware.
For the most part becoming familiar with the iMac and Apple community is a refreshing and exciting adventure for this old PC hack but I am ever so much more frustrated when the Mac does not live up to the considerable hype.
In the next episode I will focus on the iLife software experience and the iMac as an out of the box tool for creating WEB 2 media rich content.
Until next time trust that change is forever with us and tomorrow is always a new adventure.
Windows 2 Apples Episode 1
Windows 2 Apples
This is the text of our Netcast currently posted on the iNetSynch .Mac Web at
http://web.mac.com/inetsynch/iWeb/Site/Welcome.html
Good day and good morning or evening as the case may be. This is Sam Caldwell of the Windows to Apples podcast. As you might suspect this netcast focuses on comparisons between Apple and Microsoft products from the perspective of a long time Microsoft user. My intension is to offer a balanced comparison and constructive critical review of the strengths and weaknesses of both companies as well as tips to others shifting to the Apple way of doing things.
First a little background on your host. At the time I entered college, engineers were being laid off at an alarming rate … the papers were posting stories of engineers working at McDonalds and I the perpetual tinker chose psychology rather than engineering as my major.
In 1977 I purchased a Commodore Pet replete with built-in monochrome screen, a whopping 8 K of ram, tape drive and infamous chicklet keyboard. Unbeknown to me at the time I had begun a chain of events that would lead to a major shift in my career and life. I also purchased a Rockwell AIM computer … which was an exceptional machine in its day in that it had a built-in 40 character LED display and thermal printer. With a 3rd party enclosure it was very much like a line powered laptop. At work I used the Pet and AIM computers to implement communication aides and accessible teaching systems for our physically challenged clients.
Within a few years I had quit my job and started my first company using 6502 based microcomputers including the Apple II as the “brains of” of systems designed to measure subtle changes in physiology such as my old friend skin resistance.
When Apple made the shift away from the open architecture of the Apple II to the closed “we know what’s best for you” Macintosh I abandoned Apple and focused on Microsoft based machines from IBM and others. Most of our early code was written for DOS and we would only shift to Windows after the introduction of Windows 95.
I had ignored Apple and the Mac until recently when I made the decision to start to new business focusing on what some call WEB II technologies. I might add I also shunned the advice of my long time friend and Apple fan to buy Apple when it was $20 a share. I assured him Apple could never effectively compete with Microsoft and I would put my money on Mr. Softy. Ah the pain of hind site …. now of course he can enjoy the lifestyle befitting an Apple true believer while I watch the flat line laid down by the chart of my Microsoft stock.
Last year I bit the bullet and purchased an Intel based 20 inch iMac and 30 gig iPod and thus began my foray into the kingdom of Jobs. I must admit that my first exposure to Apple was refreshing and very reassuring. There was some small glitch in my on-line order that required I call Apples sales and I still remember how professionally and smoothly the problem was handled. The fix was made even sweeter with the offer to drop the shipping charges. I remember thinking, “this really feels good … now if only I have bought that stock at $20 a share”.
The warm fuzzy feelings continued to build when the iMac arrived on schedule and was un-boxed. I was immediately struck by the packaging. So neatly wrapped and clearly marked or at least so I thought (later I was to discover a nasty little surprise that would have been a non event if the labeling had been as complete as I initially assumed).
The machine itself was a work of art … a beautiful white monitor with acrylic plastic cover protecting the glossy white finish and best of all no nest of wires to connect all the bits and pieces. I had always been fond of all in one PCs and this was a beautiful implementation of that design concept. I admit this was the first time in a very long time un-boxing and setting up a new computer was more fun than work.
As I set the system up on my desk I had to lay it on its side. Once erect, I stood back to admire it only to my horror to see a clump of paper clips stuck to the bottom right corner. I was shocked and more than a bit angry knowing that the unlabeled controller magnet had been within few millimeters of my external hard drive. I had never expected a rather powerful magnet to be in my LCD iMac case and was unhappy Apple had not seen fit to warn me. Luckily it only served to snare my lose paper clips and not erase my data.
In my mind the magnet which by the way does a very poor job of holding on to my controller is a Job’s design decision that exemplifies his preoccupation with beauty over all else. A simple Velcro patch or molded holster would be more utilitarian and safer but admittedly not as unobtrusive or “elegant” as the magnet.
I had begun my iMac adventure with a preponderance of positive feelings which continued to build as I admired the beautiful display, keyboard, hidden indicator lights and almost instant on response to powering up. However, the lovely warm glow began to dim when after only ten minutes of powering up it locked on to the net and began a lengthy series of security updates. Shades of Windows and not the out of the box experience portrayed in the wonderfully entertaining Apple advertisements.
The glow was almost extinguished when I discovered the machine had been connected to the internet for almost two days with the Apple firewall disabled by default. Luckily I had connected though my firewall enabled router and I assume no damage was done. This exemplifies what I feel is a pervasive belief by Apple in their own advertising copy and the foolish promotion of Apple machines being immune to hackers. I am convinced this will change as more and more attacks are made using platform independent security holes in WEB 2 tools such as Java scrip and as the Apple OS and Safari now embedded in the iPhone make Apple a much more attractive target to hackers.
Future netcasts will document my exploration of the preloaded Apple software that according to Apple make it ever so more fun and productive than the staid old PC. I will also share my feelings of déjà vu as I see the increasing frequent Microsoft like security updates to my iMac that eventually lead to a face off between Apple and Microsoft support as well as an introduction to the refreshingly helpful Apple enthusiasts many of whom publish excellent how to blogs and podcasts.
Please feel free to share your own feedback and the lessons you have learned.
Until next time trust that change is forever with us and tomorrow is always a new adventure.
Cheers
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