Just finish the Job, Jobs

So, if you spec out a pc laptop with as equivalent as possible parts as an apple, they typically run about the same price... sometimes the mac is even cheaper! For example, I just turned away from this post to spec out a dell laptop, a 13.3" screen model, for comparison to the macbook. With similar features to the macbook it comes out at right around $1000 bucks (a little under actually). Now the apple, with the same specs is more expensive... But if you factor in the cost of software that comes with the apple, they are neck to neck. You could consider buying the cheapest macbook, which albeit has a slower processor, but provides a much better graphics card. The GC in the dell is the same model as in the old macbook air, the intel x3100. A decent card, but nothing compared to the nvidia 9400.

So whats the point? Well the point is I think apple should give you iwork for free. You are already getting a great computer at a great price. Why not just finish the job and do the one thing that PCs never do... come with good word processing software, out of the box.

Pages is a great program, it is my word processor of choice! I hardly ever use word (twice a year for writing student evals)... Why doesn't apple produce pageslite? Something like wordpad (not notepad, wordpad, it is in accessories for all you pc users who didn't know it was there) but better. Most people don't need much from their word processor.

The other stuff, that's extra, presentation software, spreadsheet software, a lot of people don't use it. Make people pay for that. Lots of people use word processing!

Of course this is all really moot. Apple should really put out a web based verision of iwork and skip the computer altogether. Google docs, except by apple, and therefore, nicer looking and a little bit better functioning.

This was rambling. Sorry. But I'm in class and needed something else to pay attention to.

Here in MEXICO

Lila, Lila's parents (tobe and meg)and I are in mexico.

We are in cozumel, a great destination and we are staying here.

Maybe in a day or so I'll upload some pictures. I didn't bring the cable for the underwater camera, so only above ground photos while we're here. Maybe we'll have some video on this trip!

Last minute

Well today was an adventure...
I've misplaced my passport, I can't find it anywhere, and I've really looked. So a few days ago, I made an appointment at the Regional Passport Office in New York City. Basically, you can go in with the proper forms and get a passport same day, or next day.

I print my forms, fill them out, print out my proof of immediate travel, get my passport photos taken, get my certified copy of my birth certificate, and get all this prepared the day before. This morning, I wake up, and I get ready to go. Then I look to make sure I have everything, and the photos are gone! Completely gone. They were in an envelope, and now the are not. I assume that they slid out of the envelope somehwere...

What do you do at 7:00 in the morning when your appointment is at 8am and you need passport photos? Well you do what I did... freak out. Thankfully, Lila was thinking and made me stand against the wall (which is white) and she took some pictures with me with her camera. I raced down to Rite Aid, printed the photos then hailed a cab.

While I was in the cab, I measured and trimmed the photos to 2x2. Lila equipped me with sisccors and a ruler before I left.

I got to the passport office a few minutes late, but it wasn't a big deal. They sent me right up. Then the passport agent looked over my documents. I breathed this huge sigh of relief when he stapled the photo to the form.

It all worked out. I get my new passport tomorrow and I'll be able to go to mexico on Sunday.

Let this be a lesson to you. Don't loose your passport. If you have photos taken, SEAL the envelope. And, if you do it right, you can take your own pictures. Lucky for me, Lila was thinking this morning, instead of freaking out.

All you really need to play Quake for real...

This are both real items. Anyone know where the aliens are?

A seriously awesome combo

Try these together:
Polar Clock by the team at Pixel Breaker


And set it as your wallpaper with wallsaver


I had a little trouble getting Wallsaver to "see" PolarClock, although it supposely searches the directory that user installed screensavers go to... I moved it to ~/System/Library/Screensavers and then I had no problem.

Where I buy all apple related stuff from

Check out these guys: Powermax.com

Since it is in Oregon, you don't pay sales tax, and their prices are definitely competitive with apple, especially for refurbished computers. My Macbook Air, after you factored in tax, was $300 less expensive than the identical model from apple.

Their customer service was superb, and the shipping was as fast as anyone else. Save some money and have a more satisfying and safe shopping experience with Powermax!!

Hardware Review

Lets see:

If you already have a nice desktop, this is a great computer. I had problems with using remote disk, I think due to the Teacher's College firewall. Rather than spend some time on the phone with CIS, I decided that I really could use an external DVD-RW drive. Rather than buy the completely useless apple model (only, only works with the Air) I went for an LG model:

The drive has performed perfectly, and given that it is the same price as the apple model, and that it will work on any system (mac or pc) I can't imagine why you'd buy the other.

Obviously a sick laptop requires a sick case, and for that I turned to one of my three favorite computer bag companies, Waterfield Designs:

Mine's the same, except I put the flap on a vertical orientation to allow easier backpack access to the laptop. Hmm... I just realized how small this image is. Oh well!

Now, I'm thinking about mobile me... It seems like the type of thing that is a gimmick, but it really isn't that expensive... Only about $8 a month... And it will allow easier syncing across macines, of which I have three now... Hm... Lots of... Any one have any tips?