Probably the definitive Windows 7 review from Ars if you’ve got the time to read all 16,537 words I counted.
The live webcast is working surprisingly well. I guess that Akamai network technology really works. The new iDrive technology is fairly intriguing. Looks like they’re going to be rolling out Mac OS X throughout the next year with sales starting during the summer (presumably around MacWorld).
Wow! MacOS X looks great! Makes me want to run out and become and Apple Developer so I can get the new betas later this year.
The only disappointing item in the presentation was that the Microsoft Rep sounded like IE 5 for the Macintosh won’t be out until the end of January. I guess their official press release will be in a half hour.
One new IE 5 feature that is definitely a good thing is that there is a mode to make pages render at the 96 dpi industry standard and end the micro font rendering woes that occur when reading PC generated pages. I noticed Mozilla build 12 for the Mac does the same thing a while back as well. Standardization is always a good thing!
I’ve successfully connected to the live web broadcast of Steve Job’s keynote. Boy, do they play some cheezy music while we’re waiting for it to begin.
I am really looking forward to the Macintosh version of Internet Explorer. Hopefully it will be released today sometime, rather than later in the week. I checked the Microsoft Mactopia, but there was no sign as of yet. Of course Steve Job’s keynote address isn’t for another half hour anyway.
Lest everyone think I’m a freakish Microsoft loving Mac user I should point out I’m also really looking forward to the next version of Netscape Communicator, although I wish it was going to be a standalone browser rather than integrated with composer and email. Mozilla build 12 is definitely promising and if the final product works better for me than IE I will make the switch.
Right now I prefer to use IE 4.5 for the Mac, but I’m forced to use Netscape Communicator as well because it works better with Blogger. Communicator also crashes more and seems to want use its own, older Java run time rather than Apple’s newer improved model (which IE uses).
Today has been sleep in and clean the apartment day. Might as well start the millenium off on a clean note I say. I don’t really have any specific resolutions though. I wonder if there are any good resolutions out there in the web world. Here’s an amusing top ten list of resolutions you won’t keep this year. I found resolution 0 to be especially amusing (yes, there are actually more than ten).
0. When I hear “Where do you want to go today?” I won’t reply “MS Tech Support.”
Got a question about Mathematics? Go to the CRC Concise Encyclopedia of Mathematics. Everything mathematical from Abacus to Zsigmondy Theorem.
Holy site personalization! Nike’s starting to let you customize your shoes online. And that includes putting a Nike approved eight character identifier on the back of the shoes!
MacWeek has part two in a three part series on installing and using LinuxPPC. I’m hoping to play with my LinuxPPC box tonight, we’ll see if I can fit it in.
I’m taking Mozilla Milestone 11for a spin and it seems to be working fairly well. There are still clearly some things to be ironed out, but it’s looking like Microsoft hasn’t won the browser war yet.
MacWeek has an informative article on upcoming RAM technologies. It’s disappointing, but not surprising, to see various companies like Apple (firewire) and Intel (Rambus) pushing the proprietary technology standards that require licensing fees. Of course interestingly enough in the case of both those examples the same two companies are developing competing technologies which is a good thing.
Here’s Cringely’s solution to the Microsoft monopoly.
Okay, what can I say? Joey Galloway came out after just a week of practice and delivered tonight against the Broncos. I’m still annoyed that he turned down a fair offer.
Hmm. This Washington Post article about possible remedies to the Microsoft antitrust situation brings up a good point that I hadn’t thought of. Namely, if you split Microsoft into two companies (OS and Applications), you just end up with two companies with monopolies rather than one.
Cringely, of Triumph of the Nerds fame, is going to offer his solution next week.
Webmonkey has a useful article comparing the pros and cons of four server side scripting languages: ASP, ColdFusion, Perl, and PHP. Personally I’m hoping to give PHP a try on one of my home machines sometime soon, and further down the road a little modperl action. Of course it’s always a matter of finding the time to do it.
Hey all you basketball fans. December 4th in Cleveland baby!
Fruit Loops I kiss you. I hear a tour with Mahir is in the works…
Even though in most ways I agree with the recently released Findings of Fact against Microsoft, as a resident of Washington State I’ve had similar thoughts about how what’s bad for Microsoft is bad for the local state economy.
Here’s an interesting dissenting view on the whole Microsoft deal. [via Scripting News]
The concluding paragraph of Judge Jackson’s findings leaves me with the impression that the jig may be up for Microsoft:
412. Most harmful of all is the message that Microsoft’s actions have conveyed to every enterprise with the potential to innovate in the computer industry. Through its conduct toward Netscape, IBM, Compaq, Intel, and others, Microsoft has demonstrated that it will use its prodigious market power and immense profits to harm any firm that insists on pursuing initiatives that could intensify competition against one of Microsoft’s core products. Microsoft’s past success in hurting such companies and stifling innovation deters investment in technologies and businesses that exhibit the potential to threaten Microsoft. The ultimate result is that some innovations that would truly benefit consumers never occur for the sole reason that they do not coincide with Microsoft’s self-interest.
So what’s the solution going to be? Breaking Microsoft into an applications company and an OS company?
Looks like the MS findings website is partially slashdotted. I have succeeded in downloading a good chunk of the document however and intend to comment more once I have had a chance to peruse its contents.
Okay, so it’s a week after I first heard it might happen, but the judge overseeing the Microsoft antitrust case is finally releasing his finding.
Uh, oh. It looks like today could be a big dayfor Microsoft. It’s going to be interesting to see what happens with this, especially since Microsoft is part of the Dow now too.
Hmm… I guess the big announcement isn’t going to happen until next week sometime.
I went to a fairly entertaining and informative presentation on Windows 2000 Professional (Microsoft’s replacement for Windows NT 4.0) this morning at the Spokane Convention Center. The rep who presented was knowledgeable and entertaining. He even made fun of his company quite a bit.
