Randomness from an overactive mind
Posts tagged tech talk
Does Microsoft get it?
02 years ago
by bangbang023
in tech talk
I’m a Windows Mobile user and I don’t think that Microsoft gets it.
When you use an iPhone or see one in use, you can’t help but be amazed by the beautiful fading and sliding transitions. You’re bound to have a similar reaction to some of the nicer Android phones out there. Then, in comes Windows Mobile with its bland interface that lacks customization abilities or any animation, whatsoever. It drives me nuts. Presentation may not be everything, but it does count for something.
The problem with WM is that there’s a lot of power locked behind an out dated interface that fails to inspire or hold one’s attention. Sure, there are masks put on it by companies like HTC, but even those replacement interfaces feel tacked on and never really seem to truly blend in with the rest of the operating system. This isn’t a problem that can be fixed by a mask, either. It runs throughout the system and always manages to rear its head at one point or another, despite how thorough of a masking job has been done.
My eyes were really opened to the importance of presentation, and specifically, animation in this article that I read a few days ago. It’s an interesting read and explains how exaggerated animations are important in creating the illusion of speed and an overall better “feel” to the device. It’s worth a read. What I find interesting is that, while using various test builds of the next version of Windows Mobile (6.5.1), I’ve witnessed Microsoft implement some of these exaggerated animations, particularly with scrolling, and then proceed to remove them in a later build. Don’t they get it?
This isn’t meant to be a full length article. I want to post more, but don’t wish to creatively drain myself. To keep a balance, I’m hoping to discuss aspects of my life or thoughts on the world around me in a way that stimulates discussion
Amazon gets me so well
22 years ago
by bangbang023
in tech talk
To say I haven’t illegally downloaded music would be an outright lie. Can you blame me? Like the rest of you, the ease of doing so was almost as tempting at the price. By our nature, we feel like we’re entitled to this stuff and,if we can get it for free, then we’ll do that without a second thought. Should we stop? Maybe, but I’m not going to completely stop and I’m sure you won’t either.
I must say, though, I have been legally purchasing music more and more often because of Amazon. These guys just get it. They offer great quality files in a format that is universally supported by every single media player out there. How can it get better? Well, when they sell brand new albums at $3.99, it definitely gets better.
That’s what happened, today. I actually illegally downloaded the new Paramore album, “brand new eyes”. Before getting a chance to give it a listen, a tweet from Amazon’s MP3 Store appeared in my Twitter feed. They were offering, for a limited time, the album for only $3.99. The CD and iTunes versions are selling for $9.99. How can anyone say no to an entire album for a measly four bucks? You can’t. I deleted the illegal download and bought the album from Amazon. Why? Because these guys just get me.
Palm Pre hardware concerns
02 years ago
by bangbang023
in tech talk
With the Palm Pre launching tomorrow, I had a whopping two minutes to play with one at work. Since I didn’t have time to analyze the software, I just took quick looks at the physical hardware to see what’s what.
Even in the two minutes worth of use, I was quickly able to realize how bad the keyboard is. Now I used to own a Samsung Blackjack (a phone with notoriously small keys), so I’m ok with a cramped keyboard. The problem here, though, isn’t down to the size of the keys or even how close they are. The real problem is two fold. First of all, the keys near the edges, especially the left side, were particularly hard to press. In the case of the ‘A’ key, I kept missing the key, outright, and hitting the raised edge immediately to the left of it. It was very frustrating. The second problem rests in the texture of the keys. They have a VERY rubbery feel to them and it was actually difficult to slide my fingers from one key to the next. A co-worker of mine, who came over as I was looking at the device, came to the same conclusion very quickly. He was amazed at how bad the keyboard was.
Best weather gadget for Vista/7
12 years ago
by bangbang023
in tech talk
Weather gadgets have been a pain in the ass for me because I could never find one that fit my needs. The default Microsoft weather gadget didn’t show enough information unless you took it off of the sidebar and I prefer to keep my gadgets in one place. Then, when I found one that fit in the sidebar and showed more information, it would randomly stop updating or showing a moon for the current conditions at 1pm. In comes Simply Weather.
Well, I finally found a gadget I like. Simply Weather , from Blue Onion Software, is a little simplistic in appearances, lacking any glossy graphics and what not, but works very well and shows all of the information I could expect to see in such a small space. If you’re like me and looking for a weather gadget, this is the one to use.
Bang On: Those Apple and Microsoft ads are annoying
12 years ago
by bangbang023
in tech talk
It’s a battle that’s been waged in the public arena for years now: Apple vs Microsoft. Now, it’s advertised as “Mac vs. PC”, but Macs are PCs so that nonsense should stop. Either way, though, Apple has been the top dog for a while, forcing Microsoft to back into a corner like a geek with a pocket full of money in the lunchroom of his elementary school. After taking a beating for years, Microsoft finally decided it had enough and launched its own campaign, first flaunting the uniqueness of PC owners and then moving on to how there’s a different PC for every individual out there as opposed to the more “one size fits all” approach that Apple takes. Apple claims that their competition will give you nothing but crashing, viruses, frustration and cancer while Microsoft claims that Macs are ridiculously overpriced, limited in variation, and slightly douchey (I can say that here).
Bang On: It’s easy to hate the Xbox 360
02 years ago
by bangbang023
in tech talk
This is all thanks to yesterday:
My first Xbox 360 unit was only three months old when it decided to take its own life. On a glorious day, when I was off from work, I decided to play some MLB 2k7. Maybe my Xbox knew how bad the game was and decided to give me a hand; I couldn’t tell you. Whatever it was, though, the console decided to stop reading any and all media. Neither games nor movies would work anymore. Back to the store I went and home came a replacement.
Xbox number two didn’t fare much better. In fact, it decided that not only should I not play Project Gotham Racing 3, but I also should not get my disc back. The DVD drive simply lost all power. I have no idea how this happened, but there I was, with a screw driver, prying open the tray to get my darn disc back. Another trip to the store was in order and I was already feeling the pain and anguish of knowing I was going to be stuck in this relationship, continually coming back for more abuse.
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Bang On: I love Windows Mobile
02 years ago
by bangbang023
in tech talk
Hopefully this one won’t incite so much anger lol
…If the iPhone “just works”, then a standard Windows Mobile installation just makes you want to put your head through a wall. Maybe it’s not that horrible, but its close enough to make anyone realize, pretty quickly, that work is needed. If you put in that work to tweak the experience, though, what you’ll get is what I love: A mobile phone that works with me instead of forcing me to change my ways.
One of the most critiqued areas of Windows Mobile is the user interface. It usually requires too many clicks. Even worse, for touch screen devices, most of the OS isn’t very finger friendly, requiring either a stylus to reach those tiny touch points or a knife to stab yourself in the chest and end your misery. The great thing about Windows Mobile’s interface, though, is that it’s not like the iPhone’s or Android’s…
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Bang On: We all need Apple
22 years ago
by bangbang023
in tech talk
Here’s my latest “Bang On” column on Neowin:
Before Windows and OS X started going head to head on a more mainstream level, Microsoft was perfectly fine with releasing a product that not only looked terrible, but was as secure as a paper bag left in the rain tethered to a pair of scissors. Granted, some bad publicity from some high profile viruses nudged Microsoft along, it was Apple and their marketing that really forced Microsoft’s hand, especially with Windows 7. For the first time, Microsoft can’t just develop an operating system for the corporate world and give it to the public with a few consumer friendly add-ons. The entire OS is being designed to be more consumer friendly and more secure than ever before. Why? Because Apple has made it very clear to the public that its operating system is as user friendly and safe as a golden retriever puppy in a room full of pillows. Some Apple zealots would probably argue that OS X is even cuter than that puppy in that pillowy room, but they’re just crazy.
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Bang On: Vista killed the skinning star
42 years ago
by bangbang023
in tech talk
This week’s column isn’t going to incite nearly as much anger as last week’s. I was just reminiscing about the earlier days of Neowin and this is what resulted from it.
Windows XP was ugly. There was no way around that fact. The default Luna interface looked as though it was drawn by a crayon on a crumpled up napkin. Nothing about it was clean or polished. It was bad enough that, after a while, Microsoft released the Royale visual style to spruce up the appearance of their star operating system. However, before Royale, there was a large community dedicated to changing the appearance of XP. A few select members of that community were celebrities, in their own right, and had a large portion of the geek community captivated by their works of art.
Many artists, such as Neowin’s own Kol, Bant, and , jumped onto the scene, shortly after XP was released, and started to create beautiful new visual styles for it. You didn’t even have to pay for them, though some of the pieces were surely worth a lot more than the free price tag attached to them. All you had to do was download a small program, let it patch your uxtheme.dll system file (regardless what some companies would have you believe, it’s perfectly safe), and install any visual style of your choosing. It seemed as though every week a new theme was coming out as these artists consistently pushed the threshold in an attempt to cover the face of that ugly baby known as XP.
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Bang On: Firefox, you’re kind of ugly
03 years ago
by bangbang023
in tech talk
Latest in my weekly column:
…Firefox is the plain Jane girl. She’s not much to look at, especially when standing next to the other two, but she makes up for her lack of physical beauty with a nice amount of intelligence and the ability to adapt and grow with you. Of course, in public, you may deny that you even know her or, before going out, encourage her to throw on a few pounds of make-up to cover up your shame.
Before you beat me with sticks for insulting your favorite browser or collect as an angry mob and storm my apartment with torches because I’m being sexist, you have to understand that I like Firefox. I wouldn’t use it if I didn’t like it. I’m just not blind enough to lie to myself and say it looks good, at all. Sure, the Mac version is nice enough looking, but the Vista version is just horrendously ugly….
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