Okay, bear with me here for a moment. I just want to make sure I have this right; Real has reversed engineered the iPod to make their own propriety music format files (the songs they sell) work on the iPod. Well, I don’t know that they actually reversed engineered the iPod, I am just assuming that is what they did. The iPod is a closed architecture, meaning Apple does not release specs on how it work, or at least they don’t share it with everyone.
So Real gets its protected music files to work with the iPod, right? Meaning people have more choice on where they purchase their music. And now, Apple is all pissed off, calling Real actually, this is what they had to say:
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I love Macs. Unfortunately, I’m not paid to love Macs, so I work for the Federal Government. Working for the Government or the Military means one thing. Acronyms. Unless you are fluent in acronymic speech, you undoubtedly will have a short career working (in whatever manner) for the government. For the English as a second language or just those that don’t know (or care), an Acronym is defined as followsAHEM.
Acronym – acro·nymic or a·crony·mous - adj. – A word formed from the initial letters of a name, such as WAC for Women’s Army Corps, or by combining initial letters or parts of a series of words, such as radar for radio detecting and ranging.
A quick round of applause for dictionary.com.
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Following Mark’s recent discourse (and Chris’s subsequent accomplishment) concerning which budget Mac portable computer to purchase prompts me to go public with a little-recognized appraisal of the best MacLaptop of all. In my work as a traveling computer tutor I sample everything from Apple’s original 100 series PowerBooks through the mighty monster PB 17” G4.
Looking backward, PowerBook 3400 is a great computer that runs forever but has limited memory capacity and won’t work with OS X. The current PowerBooks and iBooks are lean, mean, workhorse machines, but they only run OS X.
Computers are expensive things. A premium laptop Continue reading »
can cost as much a decent second hand car, and even
at the budget end something like an iMac still demands
expenditure comparable to a really good television
or sound system. Even the bits and pieces added afterwards,
like software, printers, and so on can easily come
in at over a hundred dollars a throw. Even the best
computers can seem to have a frighteningly short
shelf life: without significant upgrades, after two
to three years it can be difficult to find new games
that will work on your once top of the line desktop
computer, and only slightly longer for multimedia
applications and things like Internet browser plug-ins.
All told then, people who place high demands on their
computers for their work and entertainment can easily
tie up two or three thousand dollars in them, and
expect to replace a large portion of that every few
years.
After two weeks of looking and searching I finally broke down and replaced my aging iBook 500. Being a serious cheap skate. I was looking at all of my options. I rarely buy anything of substance new. My entire Harmon Kardon stereo system from the mid 80′s was a demo model I picked up at half price. My Celestion speakers (hint: the best speakers are either American or British) were bought used in 1990. My cars have all been lease returns or former rentals. Every computer I’ve owned starting with a Commodore 64 has been a demo model.
So, with that background in mind I was focused on my new laptop being reconditioned. In the beginning of my search I was focused on the Apple Store online, however, I needed to sell my current iBook, so that option fell by the wayside. Luckily for me, I have three Apple retailers within five minutes of each other: The Apple Store, Mac Store NW, and CompUSA. The Apple Store doesn’t accept trade-ins so scratch Steve’s shop. Mac Store NW has been serving the area for decades and they have a nice selection of reconditioned iBooks and PowerBooks, plus they accept trade-ins. Since my father was an independent pharmacist, they were my first choice.
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iLap lap stand
Rain Design, Inc.
$49.95 15" model
Is your Titanium toasting your thighs?
Is your Aluminum PowerBook always too hot?
Don’t like typing with your PowerBook flat on the desk?
Rain Design’s PowerBooks iLap lap stand may the solution you’ve been looking for. Plenty of Titanium ‘Book owners, as well as a smaller number of AluBook owners, feel the underside of their machine radiates too much heat for comfortable work.
The iLap, which comes in sizes to fit 12", 14", 15" and 17" PowerBooks, is a simple yet elegant lap stand that gets your computer off your thighs to your legs cool. iLap also tilts your computer toward you, producing what many find to be a more comfortable angle.
MyMac Labs found the iLap to be well constructed. There are no hidden sharp edges or screws waiting to reach out and grab you in places you don’t want to be grabbed; it’s called the iLap, after all. The velvet end pad nearest the user holds the front edge of the PowerBook firmly enough to keep the machine from sliding off the iLap. The adjustable pad that rests on your thighs is also velvet.
We used the iLap for several hours of surfing and typing, and found the it to be very comfortable. My normally horrible typing improved with the tilt provided by the iLap. Your words per minute count may vary…
The only drawback is that the iLap may be difficult to travel with. It won’t fit in many computer bags, and would take up a fair amount of space in a standard suitcase.
For use around the house, the iLap works very well. If you love your PowerBook, but tire of poor typing posture, or third-degree thigh burns, get an iLap.
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