Thursday, September 30, 2004

dooce: Second Amendment

I swear this is the best web site around. She reminds me so damn much of a friend of mine with her own adorable little child. I really need to see those two cuties more.



If you haven't stopped by Dooce before... You really can't say you're on the internet.





dooce: Second Amendment

Wednesday, September 22, 2004

First iPods, Now Computers: Apples Are In

Following iPod Craze and Concerns About PCs Crashing, More Students Buy Macs



By Owen Hearey

Columbia Spectator Online



September 22, 2004





When Jordan Ledy, CC '08, went shopping for a new computer, it took a little prodding from his mother for him to consider a Macintosh.



He'd used Windows-based computers for much of his life, and he was a little concerned about leaving the PC world. But now, after having his new Apple Powerbook for little over a month, he's enthusiastically joined the bandwagon.



"Macs are the shit," Ledy said. "They're the easiest to use and Apple's interface is just so slick. [By comparison] XP looks like Fisher-Price." Ledy isn't the only one who's fallen in love with Apple. According to market tracker IDC, in 2003 Apple sold 193,000 Macs to people in colleges and universities, a jump of 17.7% over the previous year. If you only consider laptops, the computer of choice for most new college students, Apple sales to higher education grew by 58.5% in the same period.




For many students, the decision to get a Mac is about one thing: music. Ever since Apple released it's industry-standard iPod, audiophiles have been joining the Mac crowd in droves.



Even though Apple enabled iPods for PCs last year, there is some evidence that iPods are functioning as a "gateway product" for consumers to switch from PC to Mac.



In an effort to catalyze this effect, Apple introduced a $200 iPod rebate over the summer for students who purchased an Apple laptop. At the Columbia University Apple Store, that effectively brings down the entry-level iPod's price to $69. Students can still take advantage of Apple's "Cram And Jam" rebate until September 25th.



Among the other possible reasons for the rise in sales is ease-of-use. Macs' Unix-based system software is much more stable and less prone to crashing than PCs' Windows software, many say. The sales surge comes at a time when Microsoft is scrambling to react to increasingly frequent and damaging virus attacks. For many computer users, the difficulty of switching to a new operating system is made up for by the safety and ease of the Apple environment.



"With PCs I always had problems with compatibility," says Dana Balitzer, CC '08. "I haven't had those problems with Macs. It doesn't breakdown."



Furthermore, for most laptops, Macs are comparatively priced or even cheaper than their competitors. Currently, both Apple and Dell offer discounts to Columbia students for computer purchases. With the discounts factored in, a standard 14" Apple iBook laptop with a 1Ghz G4 processor, 40GB hard drive and a CD-RW/DVD-ROM drive costs $1200. A comparable Dell Latitude costs $1730.



"It was far cheaper than the equivalent [PC]," said Deborah Beim, CC '08, who debated whether to get a Mac or a PC over the summer. "Everybody who I talked to said they were far easier to use."



For people in certain professional fields, however, there may not be a choice between platforms. Macs are widely known for being the premier platform for individuals in the arts, especially those involved in graphic design. Conversely, PCs are known to have an edge in data processing and programming. However, for the wide majority, including most students, it's merely a question of preference.



Despite Apple's growing popularity, the company still holds only a 3.7 percent market share in the overall personal computer market. The "Wintel Empire", it seems, is a little harder to break down than limited successes on college campuses might suggest. Brett Chung, SEAS '07, is one student who wasn't swayed by Apple.



"I considered buying a Mac, but I don't know it as well as the PC. I stuck with the more familiar computer," he said.

Tuesday, September 21, 2004

Duke's Slideshow


Flowers
Originally uploaded by Jay Runquist.

If you would like to see a slide show from Duke's wedding...

CLICK HERE!

Monday, September 20, 2004

DVD: 'Star Wars' trilogy coming out on DVD

It's about freakin' time! I can't wait to get my hands on this DVD set. I'm not a fanatic like so many others out there... But these three movies really pulled me into the visual medium of story telling. Escapism at it's best.



Of course, I ordered it from Amazon with THX 1138 hoping it would ship on Monday so I would have it on Tuesday but no. No shipping confirmation email. Nothing. So I'll be waiting an extra day (of course I got overnight deliver! Duh.) and I work a double on Wednesday. So rats.



Oh well. May the force be with all of us.





DVD: 'Star Wars' trilogy coming out on DVD

Dan Playin'


Dan Playin'
Originally uploaded by Jay Runquist.

Note to self: Find out Dan's last name and where I can hear some of his album music from Duke! Killer voice and talent on that guitar. I wonder if he's covered anything as he seems more fitted for that. I also wonder if you can post a series of photos -- a slideshow of sorts.

Ask celina? Who knows....

The Mac is a Harsh Mistress

We can never go back and change the past, but we can start now to create a new ending!





I was asked for advice today from someone who was apprehensive about buying a new Mac, and wanted to know my opinion. This, of course, is sort of like going up to Dick Cheney and saying ?You know, I?m not sure about that Iraq thing. What do you think??



Microsoft, ladies and gentlemen, is a cheap whore. She lives on the fringes of the law, but there?s no getting rid of her because she fulfils a certain need in our society. People want what she is selling.



There?s a certain painted-on mystique to her, of course. We?ve all been indoctrinated with the propaganda, the hooker with the heart of gold, the disturbingly wide-mouthed Pretty Woman. When you find her, though, beneath the paint she?s really quite plain. You take what you need from her, but reluctantly and because you have no alternative. You get what you want, but she is almost peripheral to the act.



Apple is a lover.



From the moment you meet her, you know that she wants you to be happy. She wants to be a part of your life, and you can?t help but be drawn into wanting to be a part of hers. She is beautiful and elegant in ways that the layers of paint on the Microsoft street-walker can only desperately try to imitate.



I have bought more software for my Mac than I ever did for my Windows PCs, most of it shareware. Is it really that much higher quality? Or am I buying her presents?



There is one danger, though. So long as you are careful to protect yourself from infection, Microsoft can not hurt you. Microsoft is a transaction, and if the transaction goes sour, you?re only out of pocket. When your lover hurts you, she can break our heart.



And Apple, for all her charm and grace, is notoriously thoughtless at times: scratch the surface of the Internet and you?ll find a string of bitter, abandoned ex-?s who still curse her name.



And yes, this is possibly the most disturbing post I?ve ever written.



(See also: And Linux is your psychotic ex?)



[REPRINTED FROM: The Fishbowl]

Tammy & Duke


Tammy & Duke
Originally uploaded by Jay Runquist.

Here is another shot from this past weekend's wedding of my boss, Duke Zurek. The wedding was almost an Apple ad as the DJ and I were spinning our 15" Powerbooks. One had all the music and the other showed off shots taken earlier that day.

I think I really like this Blogger/Flickr combo. I've tried so many different blogging options (TypePad was my favorite) but I really don't know. At least with Blogger I can can my own server thing at some point and still have a presence online. Do I really need a server? A domain is nice but I can always redirect. Cheesy? Yes. But cheap.

Duke's Wedding

duke
duke,
originally uploaded by Jay Runquist.
Another test of a photo blog from flickr