magicg's Profile

  • Sep 08, 2008
  • 8
  • 0

Latest comments made by: magicg

  • Yeah I love Macs and iPhones and iPods. I converted in 2002 when they were making standout software, and they still are. But lately Apple is really starting to suck.
    magicg had this to say on Oct 01, 2008 Posts: 8
    iPhone Devs: Don't Bite the Apple that Feeds You
  • I agree 100%. Apple TV is a classic example of hardware that's capable of so much but limited by software. I think Apple doesn't want people watching netflix movies or other online content on their device. They want to lock you in to the Apple ecosystem. But that is shortsighted. Apple TV needs a new iPhone like interface, Safari, Mail, and a few other iphone-like applications. That would be a killer product, well worth the $229! And that would get Apple into the living room...
    magicg had this to say on Jun 05, 2008 Posts: 8
    Come on Steve, at WWDC Make the Apple TV Great
  • Apple TV is a computer. It's souped up with composite video and HDMI and whatever else, but it's still a stripped down computer. The problem is that they've stripped away TOO much. It's a great media player, but only for what's compatible with and purchased from Apple. Outside of the Apple ecosystem it's useless. I recently hooked up a mac mini to my 32" HDTV. It's a 1st gen G4 @1.25 GHZ and 1 GB memory. Bluetooth keyboard and mouse. I bought it in 2004 and it's almost obsolete compared to the new macs. But guess what? It's pretty awesome. I can do everything Apple TV can and much more. The biggest difference? The internet. I can use Firefox or Safari or whatever and watch content for FREE. I can watch Lost on ABC or the Office on Hulu, etc... This is a very interesting comment at http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/personal_tech/article3640139.ece "There’s a pretty simple way to place a losing bet in the technology game. Try to build an alternative to the web, or try and pretend it’s not there. The brutal Darwinian politics of networking mean that the web, like the house, always wins. It’s always better, faster, and stronger. I think a good web experience is really the biggest weapon that Apple has smuggled into the carrier’s world via the iPhone – it’s a Trojan horse that brings the power of the web into their walled gardens. They don’t stand a chance. In five years you’ll have a great web browser on your phone and the web will have eaten the mobile data industry." So why would I buy another computer (Apple TV) that doesn't have the web? That's the biggest problem with Apple TV. The good news is they could fix it with a software upgrade. The bad news is that they haven't, and maybe aren't going to. Apple's loss. It's ironic - you'd think they'd do to TV what they did to the cell phone industry.
    magicg had this to say on Apr 25, 2008 Posts: 8
    Undooming the Apple TV
  • There is a void in current operating systems. No one has made a user interface that allows the user to interact with a computer that has a TV display. I recently discovered this when I connected my mac mini to a 32" widescreen TV. The idea: to browse the internet, check email, and view media from my couch. The problem: at 1366x768 pixels, the resolution is excellent, but the buttons, menu items, and icons are all way too small. Even with my glasses on, I can barely read what's on the screen. Apple needs to make a next gen user interface (doesn't even need to be an OS, could just be a shell that calls up functions from the OS). -It should present as the main interface, with "regular" OS X interface available by exiting the shell environment. -It should have bright, clear, crisp icons that are easy to see from 6-10 feet away. -It should have a home screen similar to iphone that acts as an application launcher. -Applications should be pointer based, and require minimal use of the keyboard. When typing is required, it should call up a virtual keyboard, like iPhone. Now, imagine using this interface with a bluetooth mouse (or better yet - pointer device - think Duck Hunt, the old nintendo game with the zapper). You click on internet and a firefox plugin allows you to navigate with the aid of the virtual keyboard and a menu of bookmarks that is large and easily readable. You go back to home screen, click on weather, back to home, click on email (again, using a similar plugin), and back to home, then click on music. For movies, music, and photos, no new software is required; Apple already has it in Front Row.
    magicg had this to say on Mar 14, 2008 Posts: 8
    What's Next for Apple: OS 11
  • jer's novel writer - mac only, brilliant program
    magicg had this to say on Feb 14, 2008 Posts: 8
    7 Reasons Why Mac OSX Is the Best OS for Writers
  • Yeah really. We know this stuff already, and we're all psyched. I'm glad you're excited though.
    magicg had this to say on Aug 21, 2007 Posts: 8
    The Times Are A Changin'
  • Patience.
    magicg had this to say on Aug 13, 2007 Posts: 8
    7 Reasons Why Keeping the iPhone Locked Down is Stupid and Arrogant
  • What the hell? Apple makes an editing tool for digital photographers, and suddenly that means that they're about to release a Photoshop replacement - correction - an entire image application suite? This is how rumors get started, (esp when anything Apple is concerned) but even rumors need some semblance of a source. The only statement given to support this is that Apple doesn't use Flash. Hardly concrete. ANY source of information would lend this article some credibility: patent filings, Apple hiring software engineers, references to other websites, references to unknown applications within current Apple software, ANYTHING. Without sources, this is conjecture and should be treated as such.
    magicg had this to say on Aug 02, 2007 Posts: 8
    Is Apple Building A Photoshop Replacement?