Chris Pirillo » leopard http://chris.pirillo.com News and Reviews! Geek, Internet Entrepreneur, Hardware Addict, Software Junkie, Book Author, Once TV Show Host, Technology Enthusiast, Shameless Self-Promoter, Tech Conference Coordinator, Early Adopter, Idea Evangelist, Tech Support Blogger, Bootstrapper, Media Personality, Technology Consultant, Thicker Quicker Picker Upper. Wed, 25 Nov 2009 02:25:42 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 en hourly 1 © chris@pirillo.com () chris@pirillo.com() Geek, Internet Entrepreneur, Hardware Addict, Software Junkie, Book Author, Once TV Show Host, Technology Enthusiast, Shameless Self-Promoter, Tech Conference Coordinator, Early Adopter, Idea Evangelist, Tech Support Blogger, Bootstrapper, Media Personality, Technology Consultant, Thicker Quicker Picker Upper. chris@pirillo.com No no http://chris.pirillo.com/wp-content/plugins/podpress/images/powered_by_podpress.jpgChris Pirillohttp://chris.pirillo.com 144 144 How Community Works: Past, Present, and Futurehttp://chris.pirillo.com/how-community-works-past-present-and-future/ http://chris.pirillo.com/how-community-works-past-present-and-future/#comments Mon, 12 Jan 2009 19:51:38 +0000 coupons http://chris.pirillo.com/?p=11826 How Community Works: Past, Present, and Future is a post from Chris Pirillo

The following is a partial transcript of my presentation at Macworld. For full effect, you might just press play on this embedded video on How Community Works: Past, Present, and Future.

How Community Works: Past, Present, and Future

I’ve been a geek for much of my 35 years on this Earth. Most of my life I spent as a Windows user. Yes, I know, and I’m sorry. Don’t worry, since I’ve obviously seen the light to a better path now. It took a long time, and there were actually three key things that led me to throw myself deeper into the Apple community:

  • Apple switching to the Intel platform
  • Leopard
  • Vista

You could say that in the past, I was a person who championed the idea of software on the Windows platform. I was a community leader of sorts, writing a lot of material primarily relating to Windows. When Vista’s Beta 2 began to ship, I met Jim Allchin in person at a Blogger’s Roundtable. He told me specifically that he wanted my honest feedback. So – I gave it to him. My post Windows Vista Feedback listed more than 100 issues that I had with Vista. Little things bothered me, such as the developers using three different fonts in the same window. I was cast out of the Windows community because they said “Who cares?!”. Well, I DID care. I DO still care. To make that long story much shorter: one of my most prized possessions is a DVD of Windows Vista Beta 2, autographed by Jim Allchin. Under his name her wrote: “I’m sorry”.

Community is Already There, Inside Everyone.

The idea of community… of belonging… is everywhere, including inside of you. You are a walking Venn diagram. Think of circles that sometimes intersect with one another. You are a part of many various communities. I live in Seattle, so I belong to that community. I’m now a Mac user, so I’m part of that community as well. There are others who both live in Seattle, and use a Mac. There may even be another layer of people who own a Tenori-On. The idea of community intersects – it flows in between us all. This idea goes with you. It may be odd to think about, since the Internet is set up in silos. You have to say you’re someone’s friend on one website, and then again on another, and yet again on another! It’s unintuitive, and very non-user-centric, this idea of community.

Community isn’t about a Company – It’s about a Culture.

Years ago, I read the Cluetrain Manifesto, and the revelation came to me. The book is based on the idea that markets are conversations. Given the news that Apple will no longer be participating in Macworld, it makes me realize more that this is about the culture, but not necessarily the company. Most of you are disappointed in the news. I am not really surprised by it. To me, this is less about the company, and more about the culture… and the people you connect with. Hopefully you’ve made good connections here. That’s my favorite part of going to events like this. If given a choice between an event like this where I know I’ll share a common bond and some hoity-toity “other” conference… I’m choosing this every time. Making those connections, and spending time with people who want to be here, instead of being told they have to be, is invaluable to me. It doesn’t matter how large a trade-show floor is. A conference is all about the value of the connections you make with people.

Community is Becoming Increasingly Distributed.

This idea of community online used to exist in silos, but those walls are starting to be broken down; the idea of being able to connect with someone on one site and know that you are going to be able to connect with them everywhere else. There are people that know me, just as there a lot of people who DON’T know me. That’s fine. The people that do know me, don’t have to know me through a certain website to connect with me. They don’t have to go to website XYZ to get to know me – I bring that community with me. So if I’m on Twitter, FriendFeed, Facebook, MySpace… if I know someone on one, they are as much of a friend on the others. Community no longer exists in only one place. It’s everywhere – omnipresent. You bring those relationships with you, whether you are visiting another website, or you are actually meeting people in person, in “meatspace.”

Community Requires Tools that Can’t be Built.

People ask me all the time what I use to build a community. It’s impossible to pinpoint this. A community isn’t something that you just create by installing something. It doesn’t happen that way. The best community tools are ones that cannot be built. It exists in your heart, and extends from there. From your heart, it goes to your mind, then your mouth, and potentially to your fingers (depending on how you are communicating). The idea of putting something in front of a group of people and just expecting things to happen is asinine. I’ve seen people over and over cry out “I started a forum, but no one is joining!”. Well, gee – it’s not like they started the only forum dedicated to whatever it was. What makes one stand out over another? It’s all about what is in your heart, what you take with you wherever you go – that sense of community.

This is just the beginning of what I covered in this presentation at Macworld 2009. There’s more to be discovered about community in this video, including:

  • Community is a Commodity, but People Aren’t.
  • Community Cannot be Controlled, only Guided.
  • Community is no Longer Defined by Physical Boundaries.
  • Community Grows its own Leaders.
  • Community is the Antithesis of Ego.
  • Community needs Macworld more than Apple Does.
  • Community is Everywhere – Including Inside of You.
]]> How Community Works: Past, Present, and Future is a post from Chris Pirillo

The following is a partial transcript of my presentation at Macworld. For full effect, you might just press play on this embedded video on How Community Works: Past, Present, and Future.

How Community Works: Past, Present, and Future

I’ve been a geek for much of my 35 years on this Earth. Most of my life I spent as a Windows user. Yes, I know, and I’m sorry. Don’t worry, since I’ve obviously seen the light to a better path now. It took a long time, and there were actually three key things that led me to throw myself deeper into the Apple community:

  • Apple switching to the Intel platform
  • Leopard
  • Vista

You could say that in the past, I was a person who championed the idea of software on the Windows platform. I was a community leader of sorts, writing a lot of material primarily relating to Windows. When Vista’s Beta 2 began to ship, I met Jim Allchin in person at a Blogger’s Roundtable. He told me specifically that he wanted my honest feedback. So – I gave it to him. My post Windows Vista Feedback listed more than 100 issues that I had with Vista. Little things bothered me, such as the developers using three different fonts in the same window. I was cast out of the Windows community because they said “Who cares?!”. Well, I DID care. I DO still care. To make that long story much shorter: one of my most prized possessions is a DVD of Windows Vista Beta 2, autographed by Jim Allchin. Under his name her wrote: “I’m sorry”.

Community is Already There, Inside Everyone.

The idea of community… of belonging… is everywhere, including inside of you. You are a walking Venn diagram. Think of circles that sometimes intersect with one another. You are a part of many various communities. I live in Seattle, so I belong to that community. I’m now a Mac user, so I’m part of that community as well. There are others who both live in Seattle, and use a Mac. There may even be another layer of people who own a Tenori-On. The idea of community intersects – it flows in between us all. This idea goes with you. It may be odd to think about, since the Internet is set up in silos. You have to say you’re someone’s friend on one website, and then again on another, and yet again on another! It’s unintuitive, and very non-user-centric, this idea of community.

Community isn’t about a Company – It’s about a Culture.

Years ago, I read the Cluetrain Manifesto, and the revelation came to me. The book is based on the idea that markets are conversations. Given the news that Apple will no longer be participating in Macworld, it makes me realize more that this is about the culture, but not necessarily the company. Most of you are disappointed in the news. I am not really surprised by it. To me, this is less about the company, and more about the culture… and the people you connect with. Hopefully you’ve made good connections here. That’s my favorite part of going to events like this. If given a choice between an event like this where I know I’ll share a common bond and some hoity-toity “other” conference… I’m choosing this every time. Making those connections, and spending time with people who want to be here, instead of being told they have to be, is invaluable to me. It doesn’t matter how large a trade-show floor is. A conference is all about the value of the connections you make with people.

Community is Becoming Increasingly Distributed.

This idea of community online used to exist in silos, but those walls are starting to be broken down; the idea of being able to connect with someone on one site and know that you are going to be able to connect with them everywhere else. There are people that know me, just as there a lot of people who DON’T know me. That’s fine. The people that do know me, don’t have to know me through a certain website to connect with me. They don’t have to go to website XYZ to get to know me – I bring that community with me. So if I’m on Twitter, FriendFeed, Facebook, MySpace… if I know someone on one, they are as much of a friend on the others. Community no longer exists in only one place. It’s everywhere – omnipresent. You bring those relationships with you, whether you are visiting another website, or you are actually meeting people in person, in “meatspace.”

Community Requires Tools that Can’t be Built.

People ask me all the time what I use to build a community. It’s impossible to pinpoint this. A community isn’t something that you just create by installing something. It doesn’t happen that way. The best community tools are ones that cannot be built. It exists in your heart, and extends from there. From your heart, it goes to your mind, then your mouth, and potentially to your fingers (depending on how you are communicating). The idea of putting something in front of a group of people and just expecting things to happen is asinine. I’ve seen people over and over cry out “I started a forum, but no one is joining!”. Well, gee – it’s not like they started the only forum dedicated to whatever it was. What makes one stand out over another? It’s all about what is in your heart, what you take with you wherever you go – that sense of community.

This is just the beginning of what I covered in this presentation at Macworld 2009. There’s more to be discovered about community in this video, including:

  • Community is a Commodity, but People Aren’t.
  • Community Cannot be Controlled, only Guided.
  • Community is no Longer Defined by Physical Boundaries.
  • Community Grows its own Leaders.
  • Community is the Antithesis of Ego.
  • Community needs Macworld more than Apple Does.
  • Community is Everywhere – Including Inside of You.
]]> http://chris.pirillo.com/how-community-works-past-present-and-future/feed/ 1 What’s in the Next Mac OS X: Snow Leopard?http://chris.pirillo.com/whats-in-the-next-mac-os-x-snow-leopard/ http://chris.pirillo.com/whats-in-the-next-mac-os-x-snow-leopard/#comments Thu, 12 Jun 2008 06:39:55 +0000 Chris http://chris.pirillo.com/?p=7275 What’s in the Next Mac OS X: Snow Leopard? is a post from Chris Pirillo

Add to iTunes | Add to YouTube | Add to Google | RSS Feed

The current shipping version of Mac OS X is dubbed Leopard. At the recent Apple Worldwide Developer’s Conference, Steve Jobs announced the next version, which is named Snow Leopard. Doesn’t sound like much difference on the surface, does it?

It’s going to be an upgrade, certainly. They’re telling us there won’t be so many “in your face” new features, as there were with Leopard. Apple is claiming the new version will ship within a year. They’re saying it’s going to be an incremental upgrade. This is going to be full of tweaks as far as performance, security and stability go. Snow Leopard will purportedly be able to support Terabytes upon Terabytes of memory. They plan to make it fully compatible with 64-bit. It will also be optimized for multi-core systems.

In a roundabout way, Apple is telling us that the new operating system will make your current hardware run faster and better. Well, it will if your system is 64-bit capable, and on the Intel platform. It will be interesting to see the speed differences. I think Snow Leopard is going to be all about speed and performance overall. According to Apple themselves:

Taking a break from adding new features, Snow Leopard — scheduled to ship in about a year — builds on Leopard’s enormous innovations by delivering a new generation of core software technologies that will streamline Mac OS X, enhance its performance, and set new standards for quality. Snow Leopard dramatically reduces the footprint of Mac OS X, making it even more efficient for users, and giving them back valuable hard drive space for their music and photos.

They are planning to push something called “OpenCL”. To quote them again:

Another powerful Snow Leopard technology, OpenCL (Open Computing Language), makes it possible for developers to efficiently tap the vast gigaflops of computing power currently locked up in the graphics processing unit (GPU). With GPUs approaching processing speeds of a trillion operations per second, they’re capable of considerably more than just drawing pictures. OpenCL takes that power and redirects it for general-purpose computing.

I think what they’re saying is that you’re going to have the ability, with optimized software, to take better advantage of your hardware. Your GPU will potentially be turned into basically another CPU. They’re going to redirect the GPU, and make it do more for you. That’s fantastic!

Another thing worth mentioning for those of you, like me, who are using Microsoft Exchange Server, Snow Leopard will provide out-of-the-box support. This will be built into Mail, Address Book and iCal.

Snow Leopard is all about taking what you have, and making it one heck of a lot better. I’d take boosted performance and speed over a bunch of new features any day.

Want to embed this video on your own site, blog, or forum? Use this code or download the video:

]]> What’s in the Next Mac OS X: Snow Leopard? is a post from Chris Pirillo

Add to iTunes | Add to YouTube | Add to Google | RSS Feed

The current shipping version of Mac OS X is dubbed Leopard. At the recent Apple Worldwide Developer’s Conference, Steve Jobs announced the next version, which is named Snow Leopard. Doesn’t sound like much difference on the surface, does it?

It’s going to be an upgrade, certainly. They’re telling us there won’t be so many “in your face” new features, as there were with Leopard. Apple is claiming the new version will ship within a year. They’re saying it’s going to be an incremental upgrade. This is going to be full of tweaks as far as performance, security and stability go. Snow Leopard will purportedly be able to support Terabytes upon Terabytes of memory. They plan to make it fully compatible with 64-bit. It will also be optimized for multi-core systems.

In a roundabout way, Apple is telling us that the new operating system will make your current hardware run faster and better. Well, it will if your system is 64-bit capable, and on the Intel platform. It will be interesting to see the speed differences. I think Snow Leopard is going to be all about speed and performance overall. According to Apple themselves:

Taking a break from adding new features, Snow Leopard — scheduled to ship in about a year — builds on Leopard’s enormous innovations by delivering a new generation of core software technologies that will streamline Mac OS X, enhance its performance, and set new standards for quality. Snow Leopard dramatically reduces the footprint of Mac OS X, making it even more efficient for users, and giving them back valuable hard drive space for their music and photos.

They are planning to push something called “OpenCL”. To quote them again:

Another powerful Snow Leopard technology, OpenCL (Open Computing Language), makes it possible for developers to efficiently tap the vast gigaflops of computing power currently locked up in the graphics processing unit (GPU). With GPUs approaching processing speeds of a trillion operations per second, they’re capable of considerably more than just drawing pictures. OpenCL takes that power and redirects it for general-purpose computing.

I think what they’re saying is that you’re going to have the ability, with optimized software, to take better advantage of your hardware. Your GPU will potentially be turned into basically another CPU. They’re going to redirect the GPU, and make it do more for you. That’s fantastic!

Another thing worth mentioning for those of you, like me, who are using Microsoft Exchange Server, Snow Leopard will provide out-of-the-box support. This will be built into Mail, Address Book and iCal.

Snow Leopard is all about taking what you have, and making it one heck of a lot better. I’d take boosted performance and speed over a bunch of new features any day.

Want to embed this video on your own site, blog, or forum? Use this code or download the video:

]]> http://chris.pirillo.com/whats-in-the-next-mac-os-x-snow-leopard/feed/ 18 How to Switch Operating Systems: Linux, Windows, OS Xhttp://chris.pirillo.com/how-to-switch-operating-systems-linux-windows-os-x/ http://chris.pirillo.com/how-to-switch-operating-systems-linux-windows-os-x/#comments Mon, 24 Mar 2008 02:35:40 +0000 Chris http://chris.pirillo.com/2008/03/23/how-to-switch-operating-systems-linux-windows-os-x/ How to Switch Operating Systems: Linux, Windows, OS X is a post from Chris Pirillo

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Are you thinking about switching Operating Systems? Here are five things to keep in mind prior to making that big move.

  • Stability You want to make sure that the Operating System you are going to use is functional. A buggy Operating System is more or less useless. From my experience, XP is the most practical Windows Operating System to use at the moment. I’m relatively new to Linux, but my favorite distro is Ubuntu, due to the ease of my migration over from XP. MacOS X I know absolutely nothing about, but I have heard that Leopard is somewhat more buggy than previous versions. I haven’t tried it, this is only what I have heard.
  • Compatibility (Hardware) This is mostly for Windows and Linux, as OS X hardware is pretty much controlled by Apple. Check to make sure that your video card, sound card, printer, motherboard, and etc has drivers for, or is compatible with the Operating System of your choice. Some dated hardware will not be supported by some of the newer Operating Systems (speaking mostly to Vista). Make sure that everything you have will work in the future.
  • Support Know where to go for help. You are bound to run into problems whenever doing something for the first time. Find websites or communities with experienced users of the product that you can reach to for help when you need it. Example: When I first installed Ubuntu, the X Server could not detect my graphical hardware no matter what I did. I went to the Ubuntu forums, and I was directed to a program called Envy that automatically setup the X Server for me, and installed the latest nVidia drivers for my video card.
  • Have a Life Line Data is bound to be lost when installing and uninstalling Operating Systems. Make sure that all critical data on your current OS is backed up, and can be restored in your new OS. When in doubt, I recommend partitioning the empty portion of your hard drive. Then install the OS you want, and try it out. This way, your entire system hasn’t been hosed, and you can revert to what you were using before. Dual booting is also a great option for compatibility (hardware and software). My current setup is 370gb Ubuntu and 130gb XP. This is so Ubuntu (my primary OS) has enough room for documents or work-related files, and Windows has enough for programs that have no equivalent in Linux (Good for gamers who want Linux, but don’t want to sacrifice performance with something like WINE or a virtual machine).
  • Can the OS do what you want it to do? A key point for Linux is the eye candy. It’s great, we love it. Eye candy is why a lot of people get Linux over Windows or OSX. But this isn’t practical. If a program you need for school or your work is only available in Windows, and you are running a pure OS X or Linux machine, you need to either find a comparable application, run a virtual machine, or reinstall Windows. This is another reason I strongly recommend not confining yourself to only one Operating System. Different Operating Systems are good at different things. Take advantage of this and use all at your disposal.

Want to embed this video on your own site, blog, or forum? Use this code or download the video:

]]> How to Switch Operating Systems: Linux, Windows, OS X is a post from Chris Pirillo

Add to iTunes | Add to YouTube | Add to Google | RSS Feed

Are you thinking about switching Operating Systems? Here are five things to keep in mind prior to making that big move.

  • Stability You want to make sure that the Operating System you are going to use is functional. A buggy Operating System is more or less useless. From my experience, XP is the most practical Windows Operating System to use at the moment. I’m relatively new to Linux, but my favorite distro is Ubuntu, due to the ease of my migration over from XP. MacOS X I know absolutely nothing about, but I have heard that Leopard is somewhat more buggy than previous versions. I haven’t tried it, this is only what I have heard.
  • Compatibility (Hardware) This is mostly for Windows and Linux, as OS X hardware is pretty much controlled by Apple. Check to make sure that your video card, sound card, printer, motherboard, and etc has drivers for, or is compatible with the Operating System of your choice. Some dated hardware will not be supported by some of the newer Operating Systems (speaking mostly to Vista). Make sure that everything you have will work in the future.
  • Support Know where to go for help. You are bound to run into problems whenever doing something for the first time. Find websites or communities with experienced users of the product that you can reach to for help when you need it. Example: When I first installed Ubuntu, the X Server could not detect my graphical hardware no matter what I did. I went to the Ubuntu forums, and I was directed to a program called Envy that automatically setup the X Server for me, and installed the latest nVidia drivers for my video card.
  • Have a Life Line Data is bound to be lost when installing and uninstalling Operating Systems. Make sure that all critical data on your current OS is backed up, and can be restored in your new OS. When in doubt, I recommend partitioning the empty portion of your hard drive. Then install the OS you want, and try it out. This way, your entire system hasn’t been hosed, and you can revert to what you were using before. Dual booting is also a great option for compatibility (hardware and software). My current setup is 370gb Ubuntu and 130gb XP. This is so Ubuntu (my primary OS) has enough room for documents or work-related files, and Windows has enough for programs that have no equivalent in Linux (Good for gamers who want Linux, but don’t want to sacrifice performance with something like WINE or a virtual machine).
  • Can the OS do what you want it to do? A key point for Linux is the eye candy. It’s great, we love it. Eye candy is why a lot of people get Linux over Windows or OSX. But this isn’t practical. If a program you need for school or your work is only available in Windows, and you are running a pure OS X or Linux machine, you need to either find a comparable application, run a virtual machine, or reinstall Windows. This is another reason I strongly recommend not confining yourself to only one Operating System. Different Operating Systems are good at different things. Take advantage of this and use all at your disposal.

Want to embed this video on your own site, blog, or forum? Use this code or download the video:

]]> http://chris.pirillo.com/how-to-switch-operating-systems-linux-windows-os-x/feed/ 46 The Microsoft Windows Vista Rant Continueshttp://chris.pirillo.com/the-microsoft-windows-vista-rant-continues/ http://chris.pirillo.com/the-microsoft-windows-vista-rant-continues/#comments Mon, 10 Mar 2008 07:18:57 +0000 Chris http://chris.pirillo.com/2008/03/10/the-microsoft-windows-vista-rant-continues/ The Microsoft Windows Vista Rant Continues is a post from Chris Pirillo

Recently, I posted a video about Windows and Microsoft, specifically Vista. My main point is that Microsoft needs to really listen to the Community, and pay attention to our wants and needs. I’ve received many comments, both in favor and against what I said that night. This one is so well thought out, I had to post it to share. Some excellent points here, so please read.

I have also used Windows since 3.1, and even now use Vista. The RTM of Vista was a joke… but now a year later I think its o.k. Not amazing… but o.k.

Microsoft needs to listen to the community for sure, but they also need to take a little bit more control. They should have taken Longhorn by the horns so to speak. My example will be 64bit. It is widely known that Vista x64 or even XP x64 leaves A LOT to be desired. I have a 64bit machine. Surprisingly, driver support was there but software is still lacking. Microsoft needs to be firmer in the push to this new platform, they need to tell developers, hardware vendors, and OEM’s that in order for Windows to continue to grow, 32bit is going to be left behind. I was impressed with 64bits compatibility with 32bit programs.

There wouldn’t be an issue if software and hardware developers started moving to 64bit NOW, instead of later. Windows Vista was going to be only x64 but that changed. They then said Windows 7 would be only x64, but now I learn that Windows 7 will STILL have a 32bit version. I don’t know if its for legacy or if they still aren’t ready to switch, but it should have happened in the XP days. Vendors are holding them back I think… whether it be laziness or some unknown complication they are NOT pushing x64 Hardware and Software like they should be.

A simple pricing scheme and two versions would also be nice. What was wrong with XP home and XP Pro? Why couldn’t there have been a Vista Home and a Vista Professional? Scrap Tablet edition, Media Center Edition, just make Home and Pro BOTH come with those features. Make the differences more obvious and make it more obvious that only PROFESSIONALS would need the Pro version. Vista’s ultimate add-on’s are a joke. As a Vista Ultimate user I am EXTREMELY disappointed. I expected some really cool things to be released. Instead, I’m playing my expensive game of Texas Hold’ Em. Do I dare say they need to stop copying Apple? They are not being innovative at all. While I appreciate the search box in the start menu and the instant searching… couldn’t they have done something more with it? For example, someone inside Microsoft wrote a PowerToy that I’m testing. Its in Alpha stage and sometimes buggy. Iwouldn’t recommend it for everyone right now. It further enhances the start menu in Vista which should have been done to begin with. How it works is lets say I want to Google something. I can type Google or just g and follow it with lets say your name it shows your blog and I click the link it opens in a browser. Little things like that to make things convenient for the user and community would be nice. That tool also implements definitions through google, Wikipedia, and you can type play followed by a song name and it pops up in your default media browser. While not amazing… I think it’s nice. Flip3D is… well it shouldn’t have been made as anything more then maybe a technology demo to show that the desktop is now rendered in 3D. Its pretty much useless when you have 10+ windows open, and Alt+Tab is the winner. Alt+Tab is not getting replaced by Flip3D anytime soon. Microsoft, if you’re going to introduce new features that exist in other Operating Systems, make sure they work at least as good… if not better… then what is already out there.

OEM’s have been dropping the ball for years and years, even before Vista was in the picture. The fact that I can’t go into a store and buy a PC without crappy software on it disappoints me. My non-geeky friends often bring me with them to pick out a good machine. I pick out the hardware, they buy it and then they give it to me to freshly install. I have not found one OEM that does not load up so much garbage that the system is unusable. I picked out a nice little laptop for a friend going to college. It had plenty of power for what she needed to do and most importantly it had 2GB of RAM. She however insisted I don’t mess with it and she took it home. The next day, she calls me frustrated that she hasn’t gotten it to even turn on. I looked at it and it consistently blue screened after login. She blamed Windows Vist,a which I’m sure a lot of people who buy PC’s off the shelf do. Upon a fresh installation, I gave it back to her. she was mad that I put Vista on it and insisted Windows XP. I told her I would hunt down drivers and to just test it out again because it worked much faster. I got the drivers and talked to her again and she said “No now that I’m used to it I don’t want to use XP”. OEM’s are another one of Microsoft’s enemies, perhaps one of the largest ones they have.

As someone who likes to play games I can’t see myself switching Operating Systems any time soon. I do own a Mac Mini now, and after a few weeks with it find Leopard rather slick. It is WAY more polished then Windows Vista is, and it disappoints me that my Operating System of choice is NOT as good as an Operating System I don’t think I could live in full time. I don’t want new features. I want a fast, usable, Operating System that I know is going to work. If I had the choice between the new Aero visuals OR faster performance and stability improvements on the same old Windows XP desktop API… well I think it is obvious which one I would have chosen.

Microsoft should take some control, but at the same time listen to the community about what THEY want in the Operating System, and OEM’s should stop loading up all that junk-ware and start caring about the consumer NOT how much money they can make with trial-ware.

See ya in the chat room tonight.

TheDub

]]> The Microsoft Windows Vista Rant Continues is a post from Chris Pirillo

Recently, I posted a video about Windows and Microsoft, specifically Vista. My main point is that Microsoft needs to really listen to the Community, and pay attention to our wants and needs. I’ve received many comments, both in favor and against what I said that night. This one is so well thought out, I had to post it to share. Some excellent points here, so please read.

I have also used Windows since 3.1, and even now use Vista. The RTM of Vista was a joke… but now a year later I think its o.k. Not amazing… but o.k.

Microsoft needs to listen to the community for sure, but they also need to take a little bit more control. They should have taken Longhorn by the horns so to speak. My example will be 64bit. It is widely known that Vista x64 or even XP x64 leaves A LOT to be desired. I have a 64bit machine. Surprisingly, driver support was there but software is still lacking. Microsoft needs to be firmer in the push to this new platform, they need to tell developers, hardware vendors, and OEM’s that in order for Windows to continue to grow, 32bit is going to be left behind. I was impressed with 64bits compatibility with 32bit programs.

There wouldn’t be an issue if software and hardware developers started moving to 64bit NOW, instead of later. Windows Vista was going to be only x64 but that changed. They then said Windows 7 would be only x64, but now I learn that Windows 7 will STILL have a 32bit version. I don’t know if its for legacy or if they still aren’t ready to switch, but it should have happened in the XP days. Vendors are holding them back I think… whether it be laziness or some unknown complication they are NOT pushing x64 Hardware and Software like they should be.

A simple pricing scheme and two versions would also be nice. What was wrong with XP home and XP Pro? Why couldn’t there have been a Vista Home and a Vista Professional? Scrap Tablet edition, Media Center Edition, just make Home and Pro BOTH come with those features. Make the differences more obvious and make it more obvious that only PROFESSIONALS would need the Pro version. Vista’s ultimate add-on’s are a joke. As a Vista Ultimate user I am EXTREMELY disappointed. I expected some really cool things to be released. Instead, I’m playing my expensive game of Texas Hold’ Em. Do I dare say they need to stop copying Apple? They are not being innovative at all. While I appreciate the search box in the start menu and the instant searching… couldn’t they have done something more with it? For example, someone inside Microsoft wrote a PowerToy that I’m testing. Its in Alpha stage and sometimes buggy. Iwouldn’t recommend it for everyone right now. It further enhances the start menu in Vista which should have been done to begin with. How it works is lets say I want to Google something. I can type Google or just g and follow it with lets say your name it shows your blog and I click the link it opens in a browser. Little things like that to make things convenient for the user and community would be nice. That tool also implements definitions through google, Wikipedia, and you can type play followed by a song name and it pops up in your default media browser. While not amazing… I think it’s nice. Flip3D is… well it shouldn’t have been made as anything more then maybe a technology demo to show that the desktop is now rendered in 3D. Its pretty much useless when you have 10+ windows open, and Alt+Tab is the winner. Alt+Tab is not getting replaced by Flip3D anytime soon. Microsoft, if you’re going to introduce new features that exist in other Operating Systems, make sure they work at least as good… if not better… then what is already out there.

OEM’s have been dropping the ball for years and years, even before Vista was in the picture. The fact that I can’t go into a store and buy a PC without crappy software on it disappoints me. My non-geeky friends often bring me with them to pick out a good machine. I pick out the hardware, they buy it and then they give it to me to freshly install. I have not found one OEM that does not load up so much garbage that the system is unusable. I picked out a nice little laptop for a friend going to college. It had plenty of power for what she needed to do and most importantly it had 2GB of RAM. She however insisted I don’t mess with it and she took it home. The next day, she calls me frustrated that she hasn’t gotten it to even turn on. I looked at it and it consistently blue screened after login. She blamed Windows Vist,a which I’m sure a lot of people who buy PC’s off the shelf do. Upon a fresh installation, I gave it back to her. she was mad that I put Vista on it and insisted Windows XP. I told her I would hunt down drivers and to just test it out again because it worked much faster. I got the drivers and talked to her again and she said “No now that I’m used to it I don’t want to use XP”. OEM’s are another one of Microsoft’s enemies, perhaps one of the largest ones they have.

As someone who likes to play games I can’t see myself switching Operating Systems any time soon. I do own a Mac Mini now, and after a few weeks with it find Leopard rather slick. It is WAY more polished then Windows Vista is, and it disappoints me that my Operating System of choice is NOT as good as an Operating System I don’t think I could live in full time. I don’t want new features. I want a fast, usable, Operating System that I know is going to work. If I had the choice between the new Aero visuals OR faster performance and stability improvements on the same old Windows XP desktop API… well I think it is obvious which one I would have chosen.

Microsoft should take some control, but at the same time listen to the community about what THEY want in the Operating System, and OEM’s should stop loading up all that junk-ware and start caring about the consumer NOT how much money they can make with trial-ware.

See ya in the chat room tonight.

TheDub

]]> http://chris.pirillo.com/the-microsoft-windows-vista-rant-continues/feed/ 27 PC or Mac for Education?http://chris.pirillo.com/pc-or-mac-for-education/ http://chris.pirillo.com/pc-or-mac-for-education/#comments Fri, 29 Feb 2008 06:41:05 +0000 Chris http://chris.pirillo.com/2008/02/28/pc-or-mac-for-education/ PC or Mac for Education? is a post from Chris Pirillo

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I received an interesting email the other day, from a subscriber who goes to University in Australia. I’m going to copy his email here for you all, and then do my best to answer his very though-provoking questions.

Hi Chris, I am one of your YouTube subscribers (B0BGE0RGE). I’ve been watching your switch from PC to Mac as your main computer. I recently made the switch from PC to Mac myself. But this email is not about individuals switching to Mac. It’s about educational institutions switching to Mac.
Currently, I’m studying IT at Uni in Queensland, Australia. Although when I look around the classroom I see half the students typing up notes on their MacBooks, everything we learn has to do specifically with Windows based machines (aka PCs). It’s been this way for the last 10-15 years at least, as far as I can remember. I learnt the Windows way of doing things all the way through primary school (elementary school in the states) and high school. I had just always accepted that that’s the way it is in schools. They teach Windows because that’s what everyone has in their homes. But nowadays this is not really the case. More people still use Windows machines than Macs. But if I can look around the classroom and see at least a dozen MacBooks, then that tells me it’s probably time to start incorporating Macs into IT education. The students are using them, and the teachers are using them. I found it amusing the other day in class that our teacher hooked his Mac up to the projector screen and used parallels to show us how to do something on Windows XP. More and more people are usingMacs. Isn’t it time for schools to make the switch too?
I’d like to hear your thoughts on this. Should schools start incorporating Macs into IT education? Do you think that with more and more people switching to Mac they are going to have to teach both the Windows way and the Mac way of doing things? Or has Microsoft got such a tight grip on many educational facilities that schools will never anything but Windows at least while Microsoft is still around? Share your thoughts.

To me, it’s not about “Mac vs PC”. It’s about teaching people how to do things a different way. People need to be helped to understand the many different ways things can be done. I would not only teach OS X and WIndows… I would introduce Linux, as well. I know schools cannot afford to update their entire infrastructure. So, why not get students involved in the curriculum, using their Mac. Students teaching and learning from each other actually tends to work better at times, than having an Instructor do it. This is the beauty of the Internet… anyone has the ability to be a teacher.

It’s very important to not be biased one way or another. As Bob mentioned in his email, it’s not just a Microsoft world. Heck, it’s not just a Mac world, either. Things have evolved. We are in the middle of history being made, as far as choices. If you aren’t presented with the opportunity to learn, how then can you be a part of it?

Want to embed this video on your own site, blog, or forum? Use this code or download the video:

]]> PC or Mac for Education? is a post from Chris Pirillo

Add to iTunes | Add to YouTube | Add to Google | RSS Feed

I received an interesting email the other day, from a subscriber who goes to University in Australia. I’m going to copy his email here for you all, and then do my best to answer his very though-provoking questions.

Hi Chris, I am one of your YouTube subscribers (B0BGE0RGE). I’ve been watching your switch from PC to Mac as your main computer. I recently made the switch from PC to Mac myself. But this email is not about individuals switching to Mac. It’s about educational institutions switching to Mac.
Currently, I’m studying IT at Uni in Queensland, Australia. Although when I look around the classroom I see half the students typing up notes on their MacBooks, everything we learn has to do specifically with Windows based machines (aka PCs). It’s been this way for the last 10-15 years at least, as far as I can remember. I learnt the Windows way of doing things all the way through primary school (elementary school in the states) and high school. I had just always accepted that that’s the way it is in schools. They teach Windows because that’s what everyone has in their homes. But nowadays this is not really the case. More people still use Windows machines than Macs. But if I can look around the classroom and see at least a dozen MacBooks, then that tells me it’s probably time to start incorporating Macs into IT education. The students are using them, and the teachers are using them. I found it amusing the other day in class that our teacher hooked his Mac up to the projector screen and used parallels to show us how to do something on Windows XP. More and more people are usingMacs. Isn’t it time for schools to make the switch too?
I’d like to hear your thoughts on this. Should schools start incorporating Macs into IT education? Do you think that with more and more people switching to Mac they are going to have to teach both the Windows way and the Mac way of doing things? Or has Microsoft got such a tight grip on many educational facilities that schools will never anything but Windows at least while Microsoft is still around? Share your thoughts.

To me, it’s not about “Mac vs PC”. It’s about teaching people how to do things a different way. People need to be helped to understand the many different ways things can be done. I would not only teach OS X and WIndows… I would introduce Linux, as well. I know schools cannot afford to update their entire infrastructure. So, why not get students involved in the curriculum, using their Mac. Students teaching and learning from each other actually tends to work better at times, than having an Instructor do it. This is the beauty of the Internet… anyone has the ability to be a teacher.

It’s very important to not be biased one way or another. As Bob mentioned in his email, it’s not just a Microsoft world. Heck, it’s not just a Mac world, either. Things have evolved. We are in the middle of history being made, as far as choices. If you aren’t presented with the opportunity to learn, how then can you be a part of it?

Want to embed this video on your own site, blog, or forum? Use this code or download the video:

]]> http://chris.pirillo.com/pc-or-mac-for-education/feed/ 92 Tips for Keeping your Computer Running Perfectlyhttp://chris.pirillo.com/tips-for-keeping-your-computer-running-perfectly/ http://chris.pirillo.com/tips-for-keeping-your-computer-running-perfectly/#comments Thu, 28 Feb 2008 07:39:54 +0000 Chris http://chris.pirillo.com/2008/02/28/tips-for-keeping-your-computer-running-perfectly/ Tips for Keeping your Computer Running Perfectly is a post from Chris Pirillo

Even though it has all been said many times and in many places, it will never be enough until every computer user knows exactly how to properly care for their computer… inside and out. One of my regular community members who goes by the handle of Night sent in the following list. These are ten excellent ways to take good care of your computer.

I am avid about my computer’s performance and so I take a great deal of care in keeping it running smoothly. It is often little more than running a scan once every week or taking 5 minutes out of your schedule to wipe your computer case’s exterior of dust. I have several friends who several times within a year find themselves with a system full of spyware/adware, occasionally in a completely un-usable state. I rack my brain trying to figure out how the heck this is possible if I’ve never had any major incidents; we’ve all had one or two in our life since being online, but repeatedly is counter-productive and unnecessary.

  • Stick to what you know and trust. Often times we have friends who spend their days doing God knows what, visiting websites that are unknown or full of ads. There’s a reason they have so many ads, pop-ups, etc. Sites that are heavily covered in advertising are dependent on it for maintaining their service online, however, some merely use this to make money. I am not going to put down other search engines, but I am going to say, stick to Google. I have always used Google as my primary search engine since it came online years ago and have yet to be directed at a site that caused me any types of issues. It was when visiting sites that were out of the ordinary that i found myself at risk.
  • Don’t download everything you see. Just because it’s freeware does not mean you must have it. Several of these programs come with a catch. Real world rules apply online, trust no one or only those you know, but always be wary. Some things you really need, you shouldn’t cut corners on. Sure, that program does the same thing as this, and yes it’s free, but it comes full of spyware and internet trackers. I’d rather pay $10 and have my peace of mind.
  • Be paranoid. More often than not, this alone will keep your system safe and clean. Can you afford down time? Maybe you can. But it’s time wasted over poor judgment.
  • How well do you know this person? I must confess, one time several years ago I met this person online. I had a program I wanted to try out. It was a netbus trojan. Sure enough, I gained their confidence, had them try it out, disguised as a fun game. I had them visit a site through which I was able to capture their IP address. It was all for fun, all I did was open their tray a few times, scare them a little. And after, well, I felt bad, and worried. It’s easy to trust someone you’ve never met based on their word, however, it’s a bad call on your part. If someone sends you something always, always, ALWAYS scan it before you run it. And if it’s an *.exe file, don’t run it. Ask them for a link to the site where they got it from and try it there. If they can’t provide one, you’re better off missing out on the “fun”.
  • Scan your system. There are a multitude of free applications from known and trusted developers available online. AVG, Avast!, DrWeb CureIt!, SuperAntiSpyware, Comodo, etc.. the list goes on. There is no reason for you not to have at the very least an Anti-Virus. Nevermind the fact that some of the more well known products are resource hogs that just bog down your system, people have them installed. If you bought a new pc recently, chances are it came with your system. For those of you who don’t have one already, get one. AVG and Avast are free Anti-Virus programs. I use AVG myself and i am firm on what i run on my hardware. If it slows my system down at all, I’d rather not run it. If you’re paranoid about being online from hackers, you can try Comodo firewall. It’s free for personal use and it’s among the best, if not the best. A simple scan once a day will keep you safe.
  • Defrag your drive. It can be scheduled to run once a week at any time, I’d suggest while you’re sleeping or when you’re away from home as it can take several minutes to an hour or two if you have a large drive. This is important in maintaining an optimal running system. Heck, do it right now, go get some air, go grab a bite away from the screen for a few, talk to your siblings, or your parents, give that friend a call like you’ve been meaning to.
  • Organize your files. If you were more strict about where you put this and that, you wouldn’t waste time having to search through entire folders to find a single file. Keep a folder for your downloads, a folder for your documents, a folder for your programs, etc. It’s a bit of work at first to set up, but once it’s in place, you’ll be so much more efficient you’ll wonder why you hadn’t done it sooner. This also makes it easier when using applications that scan for a certain type of file ie: Winamp, WiMP, etc. These programs will offer to scan your entire computer looking for specific files, now, if you kept them all in a specific folder, you just point it there, it does its job and you’re able to enjoy it rather than having it scan your entire system pointlessly.
  • Finally, just learn when to say no. If it looks questionable, just say no and go elsewhere. You know when you’re somewhere you shouldn’t be. A folder on your system or a site online. Give a 5 year old a box of crayons and put him in a room with no paper and blank white walls, what’s gonna happen? Don’t be that 5 year old. You receive an email from someone you don’t know, it has an attachment..hmm, what should I do? you know what to do. Curiosity is a dangerous thing here too.

    • In closing, what else can I say but, be aware of your surroundings. You know some people here, you know there are bad among the good, don’t forget that and you should be okay. I’ll add one more pun to this, it’s like the ad for safe driving, “Just because you’re a good computer user, doesn’t mean your friends are”. How do you think most of the major viruses/worms have spread so fast? Let your friends know what you know so they can be safe as well. If they put you at risk, maybe you should be more careful about how you interact with them. Just a thought.

    Oh, and if you’re gonna keep your computer on the floor, have a can of compressed air handy, blast them every now and then and airflow should not be a problem. Think of it as keeping your computer’s pores clean, you don’t want it getting a pimple do you?

    ]]>     Tips for Keeping your Computer Running Perfectly is a post from Chris Pirillo

    Even though it has all been said many times and in many places, it will never be enough until every computer user knows exactly how to properly care for their computer… inside and out. One of my regular community members who goes by the handle of Night sent in the following list. These are ten excellent ways to take good care of your computer.

    I am avid about my computer’s performance and so I take a great deal of care in keeping it running smoothly. It is often little more than running a scan once every week or taking 5 minutes out of your schedule to wipe your computer case’s exterior of dust. I have several friends who several times within a year find themselves with a system full of spyware/adware, occasionally in a completely un-usable state. I rack my brain trying to figure out how the heck this is possible if I’ve never had any major incidents; we’ve all had one or two in our life since being online, but repeatedly is counter-productive and unnecessary.

  • Stick to what you know and trust. Often times we have friends who spend their days doing God knows what, visiting websites that are unknown or full of ads. There’s a reason they have so many ads, pop-ups, etc. Sites that are heavily covered in advertising are dependent on it for maintaining their service online, however, some merely use this to make money. I am not going to put down other search engines, but I am going to say, stick to Google. I have always used Google as my primary search engine since it came online years ago and have yet to be directed at a site that caused me any types of issues. It was when visiting sites that were out of the ordinary that i found myself at risk.
  • Don’t download everything you see. Just because it’s freeware does not mean you must have it. Several of these programs come with a catch. Real world rules apply online, trust no one or only those you know, but always be wary. Some things you really need, you shouldn’t cut corners on. Sure, that program does the same thing as this, and yes it’s free, but it comes full of spyware and internet trackers. I’d rather pay $10 and have my peace of mind.
  • Be paranoid. More often than not, this alone will keep your system safe and clean. Can you afford down time? Maybe you can. But it’s time wasted over poor judgment.
  • How well do you know this person? I must confess, one time several years ago I met this person online. I had a program I wanted to try out. It was a netbus trojan. Sure enough, I gained their confidence, had them try it out, disguised as a fun game. I had them visit a site through which I was able to capture their IP address. It was all for fun, all I did was open their tray a few times, scare them a little. And after, well, I felt bad, and worried. It’s easy to trust someone you’ve never met based on their word, however, it’s a bad call on your part. If someone sends you something always, always, ALWAYS scan it before you run it. And if it’s an *.exe file, don’t run it. Ask them for a link to the site where they got it from and try it there. If they can’t provide one, you’re better off missing out on the “fun”.
  • Scan your system. There are a multitude of free applications from known and trusted developers available online. AVG, Avast!, DrWeb CureIt!, SuperAntiSpyware, Comodo, etc.. the list goes on. There is no reason for you not to have at the very least an Anti-Virus. Nevermind the fact that some of the more well known products are resource hogs that just bog down your system, people have them installed. If you bought a new pc recently, chances are it came with your system. For those of you who don’t have one already, get one. AVG and Avast are free Anti-Virus programs. I use AVG myself and i am firm on what i run on my hardware. If it slows my system down at all, I’d rather not run it. If you’re paranoid about being online from hackers, you can try Comodo firewall. It’s free for personal use and it’s among the best, if not the best. A simple scan once a day will keep you safe.
  • Defrag your drive. It can be scheduled to run once a week at any time, I’d suggest while you’re sleeping or when you’re away from home as it can take several minutes to an hour or two if you have a large drive. This is important in maintaining an optimal running system. Heck, do it right now, go get some air, go grab a bite away from the screen for a few, talk to your siblings, or your parents, give that friend a call like you’ve been meaning to.
  • Organize your files. If you were more strict about where you put this and that, you wouldn’t waste time having to search through entire folders to find a single file. Keep a folder for your downloads, a folder for your documents, a folder for your programs, etc. It’s a bit of work at first to set up, but once it’s in place, you’ll be so much more efficient you’ll wonder why you hadn’t done it sooner. This also makes it easier when using applications that scan for a certain type of file ie: Winamp, WiMP, etc. These programs will offer to scan your entire computer looking for specific files, now, if you kept them all in a specific folder, you just point it there, it does its job and you’re able to enjoy it rather than having it scan your entire system pointlessly.
  • Finally, just learn when to say no. If it looks questionable, just say no and go elsewhere. You know when you’re somewhere you shouldn’t be. A folder on your system or a site online. Give a 5 year old a box of crayons and put him in a room with no paper and blank white walls, what’s gonna happen? Don’t be that 5 year old. You receive an email from someone you don’t know, it has an attachment..hmm, what should I do? you know what to do. Curiosity is a dangerous thing here too.

    • In closing, what else can I say but, be aware of your surroundings. You know some people here, you know there are bad among the good, don’t forget that and you should be okay. I’ll add one more pun to this, it’s like the ad for safe driving, “Just because you’re a good computer user, doesn’t mean your friends are”. How do you think most of the major viruses/worms have spread so fast? Let your friends know what you know so they can be safe as well. If they put you at risk, maybe you should be more careful about how you interact with them. Just a thought.

    Oh, and if you’re gonna keep your computer on the floor, have a can of compressed air handy, blast them every now and then and airflow should not be a problem. Think of it as keeping your computer’s pores clean, you don’t want it getting a pimple do you?

    ]]>     http://chris.pirillo.com/tips-for-keeping-your-computer-running-perfectly/feed/ 16     Is Mac OS X Leopard Better than Apple’s Tiger?http://chris.pirillo.com/is-mac-os-x-leopard-better-than-apples-tiger/ http://chris.pirillo.com/is-mac-os-x-leopard-better-than-apples-tiger/#comments Mon, 11 Feb 2008 07:44:46 +0000 Chris http://chris.pirillo.com/2008/02/11/is-mac-os-x-leopard-better-than-apples-tiger/ Is Mac OS X Leopard Better than Apple’s Tiger? is a post from Chris Pirillo

    Add to iTunes | Add to YouTube | Add to Google | RSS Feed

    I had someone call in tonight on the 888-PIRILLO line to ask me whether Leopard is so much better than Tiger that it is worth paying for the upgrade. He asked “is it extremely better… is it worth $120.00?”.

    Is it worth the money? YES. Is it “extremely better”? I wouldn’t say that. However, the incremental improvements definitely make it worth the cost. There have been a few issues that have been raised with certain applications on Leopard.

    He also asked me if the new features on Leopard are “cool”. Yes, they are. It was worth it for me to upgrade, for sure. My system is actually faster with Leopard than it was with Tiger. That was shocking and unbelievable. With Windows… I always dreaded upgrading an OS… knowing it would likely make my system slower. To have an OS that is actually faster with each new OS is refreshing.

    The best feature in my mind is Time Machine. Time Machine uses a unique interface that turns the rather boring task of backing up and restoring files into something that you may actually enjoy doing. And you may not even have to think too much about the “backing up” portion of the exercise—according to Apple, Leopard will automatically back up your files as you work.

    The next caller asked about the Sony PSP software. I happen to think it is pretty much crap. The caller wanted to argue, saying that the software for Vegas is great. I reminded him that Sony didn’t make Vegas… they acquired it. To me, it’s quite smart for companies to buy software and refine it for themselves, instead of creating something from scratch. Why reinvent the wheel?

    Want to embed this video on your own site, blog, or forum? Use this code or download the video:

    ]]>     Is Mac OS X Leopard Better than Apple’s Tiger? is a post from Chris Pirillo

    Add to iTunes | Add to YouTube | Add to Google | RSS Feed

    I had someone call in tonight on the 888-PIRILLO line to ask me whether Leopard is so much better than Tiger that it is worth paying for the upgrade. He asked “is it extremely better… is it worth $120.00?”.

    Is it worth the money? YES. Is it “extremely better”? I wouldn’t say that. However, the incremental improvements definitely make it worth the cost. There have been a few issues that have been raised with certain applications on Leopard.

    He also asked me if the new features on Leopard are “cool”. Yes, they are. It was worth it for me to upgrade, for sure. My system is actually faster with Leopard than it was with Tiger. That was shocking and unbelievable. With Windows… I always dreaded upgrading an OS… knowing it would likely make my system slower. To have an OS that is actually faster with each new OS is refreshing.

    The best feature in my mind is Time Machine. Time Machine uses a unique interface that turns the rather boring task of backing up and restoring files into something that you may actually enjoy doing. And you may not even have to think too much about the “backing up” portion of the exercise—according to Apple, Leopard will automatically back up your files as you work.

    The next caller asked about the Sony PSP software. I happen to think it is pretty much crap. The caller wanted to argue, saying that the software for Vegas is great. I reminded him that Sony didn’t make Vegas… they acquired it. To me, it’s quite smart for companies to buy software and refine it for themselves, instead of creating something from scratch. Why reinvent the wheel?

    Want to embed this video on your own site, blog, or forum? Use this code or download the video:

    ]]>     http://chris.pirillo.com/is-mac-os-x-leopard-better-than-apples-tiger/feed/ 35     Mac Help is Great in OS X Leopardhttp://chris.pirillo.com/mac-help-is-great-in-os-x-leopard-3/ http://chris.pirillo.com/mac-help-is-great-in-os-x-leopard-3/#comments Tue, 30 Oct 2007 22:45:40 +0000 Chris http://chris.pirillo.com/2007/10/30/mac-help-is-great-in-os-x-leopard-3/ Mac Help is Great in OS X Leopard is a post from Chris Pirillo

    Add to iTunes | Add to YouTube | Add to Google | RSS Feed

    There is a new feature in Leopard that is available for every application and program on your Mac. This Help feature is so amazing, it will save you an incredible amount of time and trouble.

    How often have you been working inside of a program, and just couldn’t find something buried in a menu that you KNEW was there? Face it, no matter how much you know… it’s happened to us all. Leopard has made it easy for you to find what you’re looking for.

    Up on your Menu bar, all the way to the right is the Help menu. When you click on it, the first thing you’ll now see is a Search bar with a blinking cursor inside it. Type a keyword for what you are looking for, and a menu pops down with every place on your Mac that keyword may appear. Hover over the one that is correct, and it will open it for you… and even point a large blinking arrow at it.

    Let’s say I need to tweak some settings on my firewall. Click on Help, type in firewall. Not only will it open System Preferences for me, it takes me to the proper place, and even the correct TAB for the firewall settings. It just doesn’t get any easier than that.

    Want to embed this video on your own site, blog, or forum? Use this code or download the video:

    ]]>     Mac Help is Great in OS X Leopard is a post from Chris Pirillo

    Add to iTunes | Add to YouTube | Add to Google | RSS Feed

    There is a new feature in Leopard that is available for every application and program on your Mac. This Help feature is so amazing, it will save you an incredible amount of time and trouble.

    How often have you been working inside of a program, and just couldn’t find something buried in a menu that you KNEW was there? Face it, no matter how much you know… it’s happened to us all. Leopard has made it easy for you to find what you’re looking for.

    Up on your Menu bar, all the way to the right is the Help menu. When you click on it, the first thing you’ll now see is a Search bar with a blinking cursor inside it. Type a keyword for what you are looking for, and a menu pops down with every place on your Mac that keyword may appear. Hover over the one that is correct, and it will open it for you… and even point a large blinking arrow at it.

    Let’s say I need to tweak some settings on my firewall. Click on Help, type in firewall. Not only will it open System Preferences for me, it takes me to the proper place, and even the correct TAB for the firewall settings. It just doesn’t get any easier than that.

    Want to embed this video on your own site, blog, or forum? Use this code or download the video:

    ]]>     http://chris.pirillo.com/mac-help-is-great-in-os-x-leopard-3/feed/ 45     Apple Trusts Users more than Microsoft?http://chris.pirillo.com/apple-trusts-users-more-than-microsoft/ http://chris.pirillo.com/apple-trusts-users-more-than-microsoft/#comments Tue, 30 Oct 2007 04:00:47 +0000 Chris http://chris.pirillo.com/2007/10/29/apple-trusts-users-more-than-microsoft/ Apple Trusts Users more than Microsoft? is a post from Chris Pirillo

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    I bought the Family Pack for Leopard. Apple gives me licensing to install my copy of Leopard on up to five Macs. The thing is… the disc is the exact same as the one for ONE install. Apple TRUSTS me to install this as I say I will. They BELIEVE in me. How many others companies DO that?

    You heard me right, folks. Apple trusts us. They believe that I will install my copy on only up to five computers. They believe if you buy a single install disc, you’ll only install it on one computer. There is no “activation”. All you do is install. How many of you have had nightmares with Windows activation in the past? That type of pain and frustration is what happens when a company inherently does not trust its customers.

    This is more than just “mac vs pc” guys and gals. This is about core beliefs. It’s about trust. Yes, that word again. Tired of it yet? How can you be? How often is it in this day and age you find someone who just trusts you automatically? Most of the time, individuals and companies alike generally distrust anyone and everyone until proven wrong. It’s nice for once to have the opposite be true.

    Apple… kudos to you. I applaud you, and I thank you. I am going to be honest. I purchased the Family pack, and plan to install it on four Macs in my house. I appreciate you giving me the opportunity to tell the truth.

    This is the way it should be. Always. Period.

    Want to embed this video on your own site, blog, or forum? Use this code or download the video:

    ]]>     Apple Trusts Users more than Microsoft? is a post from Chris Pirillo

    Add to iTunes | Add to YouTube | Add to Google | RSS Feed

    I bought the Family Pack for Leopard. Apple gives me licensing to install my copy of Leopard on up to five Macs. The thing is… the disc is the exact same as the one for ONE install. Apple TRUSTS me to install this as I say I will. They BELIEVE in me. How many others companies DO that?

    You heard me right, folks. Apple trusts us. They believe that I will install my copy on only up to five computers. They believe if you buy a single install disc, you’ll only install it on one computer. There is no “activation”. All you do is install. How many of you have had nightmares with Windows activation in the past? That type of pain and frustration is what happens when a company inherently does not trust its customers.

    This is more than just “mac vs pc” guys and gals. This is about core beliefs. It’s about trust. Yes, that word again. Tired of it yet? How can you be? How often is it in this day and age you find someone who just trusts you automatically? Most of the time, individuals and companies alike generally distrust anyone and everyone until proven wrong. It’s nice for once to have the opposite be true.

    Apple… kudos to you. I applaud you, and I thank you. I am going to be honest. I purchased the Family pack, and plan to install it on four Macs in my house. I appreciate you giving me the opportunity to tell the truth.

    This is the way it should be. Always. Period.

    Want to embed this video on your own site, blog, or forum? Use this code or download the video:

    ]]>     http://chris.pirillo.com/apple-trusts-users-more-than-microsoft/feed/ 116     iChat is More than Instant Messaginghttp://chris.pirillo.com/ichat-is-more-than-instant-messaging/ http://chris.pirillo.com/ichat-is-more-than-instant-messaging/#comments Tue, 30 Oct 2007 02:17:01 +0000 Chris http://chris.pirillo.com/2007/10/29/ichat-is-more-than-instant-messaging/ iChat is More than Instant Messaging is a post from Chris Pirillo

    Add to iTunes | Add to YouTube | Add to Google | RSS Feed

    When Apple released the features of Leopard, some Mac users got their hoodies in a twist over iChat. They compared it to Windows Messenger… but couldn’t be further from being correct.

    iChat isn’t just for instant messaging. Just some of the cool enhancements to iChat include:

    • With the new video backdrops built into iChat, you can make it look like you’re chatting from the Eiffel Tower, under the sea, or from the moon. You can also create your own custom backdrops by dragging a picture or video from iPhoto or the Finder into the video effects window. Backdrops even show up on the screens of buddies who don’t have Leopard.
    • Transform your video chats using new Photo Booth effects. Add kapow! to a chat with the comic book effect. Get twisted with twirl. Soften your image with glow. Just choose an effect and your video changes instantly.
    • Why wait for a darkened room and a projector to present vacation photos or Keynote slides? iChat Theater Now you can do it all remotely, right in iChat. Put on a photo slideshow, click through a Keynote presentation, or play a movie — in full screen, accompanied by a video feed of you hosting — while your buddy looks on. In fact, you can show any file on your system that works with Quick Look.
    • Thanks to iChat screen sharing, you and your buddy can observe and control a single desktop with iChat, making it a cinch to collaborate with a colleague, browse the web with a friend, or pick plane seats with your spouse. Share your own desktop or your buddy’s — you both have control at all times. And iChat automatically initiates an audio chat when you start a screen sharing session, so you can talk things through while you’re at it.
    • Now you can save your audio and video chats for posterity with iChat recording. Before recording starts, iChat notifies your buddies and asks for their permission to record. When you’re done chatting, iChat stores your audio chats as AAC files and video chats as MPEG-4 files so you can play them in iTunes or QuickTime. Share them with colleagues, friends, and family or sync them to your iPod and play on the go.

    Who says that Instant Messaging has ever had this much functionality… and been this much fun?

    Want to embed this video on your own site, blog, or forum? Use this code or download the video:

    ]]>     iChat is More than Instant Messaging is a post from Chris Pirillo

    Add to iTunes | Add to YouTube | Add to Google | RSS Feed

    When Apple released the features of Leopard, some Mac users got their hoodies in a twist over iChat. They compared it to Windows Messenger… but couldn’t be further from being correct.

    iChat isn’t just for instant messaging. Just some of the cool enhancements to iChat include:

    • With the new video backdrops built into iChat, you can make it look like you’re chatting from the Eiffel Tower, under the sea, or from the moon. You can also create your own custom backdrops by dragging a picture or video from iPhoto or the Finder into the video effects window. Backdrops even show up on the screens of buddies who don’t have Leopard.
    • Transform your video chats using new Photo Booth effects. Add kapow! to a chat with the comic book effect. Get twisted with twirl. Soften your image with glow. Just choose an effect and your video changes instantly.
    • Why wait for a darkened room and a projector to present vacation photos or Keynote slides? iChat Theater Now you can do it all remotely, right in iChat. Put on a photo slideshow, click through a Keynote presentation, or play a movie — in full screen, accompanied by a video feed of you hosting — while your buddy looks on. In fact, you can show any file on your system that works with Quick Look.
    • Thanks to iChat screen sharing, you and your buddy can observe and control a single desktop with iChat, making it a cinch to collaborate with a colleague, browse the web with a friend, or pick plane seats with your spouse. Share your own desktop or your buddy’s — you both have control at all times. And iChat automatically initiates an audio chat when you start a screen sharing session, so you can talk things through while you’re at it.
    • Now you can save your audio and video chats for posterity with iChat recording. Before recording starts, iChat notifies your buddies and asks for their permission to record. When you’re done chatting, iChat stores your audio chats as AAC files and video chats as MPEG-4 files so you can play them in iTunes or QuickTime. Share them with colleagues, friends, and family or sync them to your iPod and play on the go.

    Who says that Instant Messaging has ever had this much functionality… and been this much fun?

    Want to embed this video on your own site, blog, or forum? Use this code or download the video:

    ]]>     http://chris.pirillo.com/ichat-is-more-than-instant-messaging/feed/ 58     Mac OS X Leopard Bugshttp://chris.pirillo.com/mac-os-x-leopard-bugs/ http://chris.pirillo.com/mac-os-x-leopard-bugs/#comments Wed, 10 Oct 2007 20:46:15 +0000 Chris http://chris.pirillo.com/2007/10/10/mac-os-x-leopard-bugs/ Mac OS X Leopard Bugs is a post from Chris Pirillo

    Jeff Hatz asks a good question:

    I know that you have likely signed a non-disclosure agreement with Apple, so you may not be able to answer my question. Given how Microsoft has dropped the ball with both Windows XP and Vista by releasing them for sale before they were done, do you feel that Mac OS X Leopard is/will be ready for prime time by the time it is released?

    According to appleinsider.com, sources tell them that the last full build (Sep. 21, 9A559) only contained 1 bug, which was patched shortly later. So when it comes to Leopard, can we trust the statement that there are no known bugs, or are there some that Apple does not plan on fixing before going mainstream but will fix after the release?

    First, nobody at Apple has ever reached out to me (I think that’s just the nature of the beast). Second, no operating system is without its share of bugs. Third, any showstoppers have likely already disappeared (in stark contrast to the various showstoppers that obviously still exist in Windows Vista as well as Vista’s first service pack beta).

    Fourth, both Apple and Microsoft have a track record of breaking app functionality between OS revisions. Apple generally sacrifices backwards compatibility for overall improvements – whereas Microsoft places shims and hacks throughout Windows to ensure backwards compatibiity at countless costs. Make no mistake: Apple is not Microsoft, for better or for worse.

    If your favorite developers aren’t already on the ball, you may just find yourself sticking with Tiger for the time being.

    ]]>     Mac OS X Leopard Bugs is a post from Chris Pirillo

    Jeff Hatz asks a good question:

    I know that you have likely signed a non-disclosure agreement with Apple, so you may not be able to answer my question. Given how Microsoft has dropped the ball with both Windows XP and Vista by releasing them for sale before they were done, do you feel that Mac OS X Leopard is/will be ready for prime time by the time it is released?

    According to appleinsider.com, sources tell them that the last full build (Sep. 21, 9A559) only contained 1 bug, which was patched shortly later. So when it comes to Leopard, can we trust the statement that there are no known bugs, or are there some that Apple does not plan on fixing before going mainstream but will fix after the release?

    First, nobody at Apple has ever reached out to me (I think that’s just the nature of the beast). Second, no operating system is without its share of bugs. Third, any showstoppers have likely already disappeared (in stark contrast to the various showstoppers that obviously still exist in Windows Vista as well as Vista’s first service pack beta).

    Fourth, both Apple and Microsoft have a track record of breaking app functionality between OS revisions. Apple generally sacrifices backwards compatibility for overall improvements – whereas Microsoft places shims and hacks throughout Windows to ensure backwards compatibiity at countless costs. Make no mistake: Apple is not Microsoft, for better or for worse.

    If your favorite developers aren’t already on the ball, you may just find yourself sticking with Tiger for the time being.

    ]]>     http://chris.pirillo.com/mac-os-x-leopard-bugs/feed/ 11     Vista Rantshttp://chris.pirillo.com/vista-rants/ http://chris.pirillo.com/vista-rants/#comments Fri, 28 Sep 2007 09:05:45 +0000 Chris http://chris.pirillo.com/2007/09/28/vista-rants/ Vista Rants is a post from Chris Pirillo


    Chris | Live Tech Support | Video Help | Add to iTunes

    http://live.pirillo.com/ – Last night, I tried to install a Beta of SP1 for Vista. To put it mildly, it didn’t go so well. Coincidentally, two viewers have written in to ask me how I feel about Vista.

    Okay then. Here we go.

    First and foremost, I do NOT base my opinion on Vista solely on the failed upgrade using the beta of SP1. That was just the second straw that broke the camel’s back. Yes, it’s beta code – but I’ve long contended that Vista itself is still very much acting like a beta. If you have watched any of my previous videos about Vista, you’ll see that I’ve had issues and concerns from the beginning. Why should you listen to my opinion? It’s not necessarily an opinion. It’s based on facts – and with plenty of supporting evidence.

    So I install the service pack. The machine reboots a couple of times during the install… and suddenly I’m at a black screen, with nothing other than my mouse cursor on it. O-kayyyy. Reboot a couple of times. Nothing. Reboot into safe mode. Oh! That worked. Tried rebooting normally… black screen of nothing. Repeat this process several times.

    Fine, whatever. Get out the Vista disc and go into the recovery console. Great! I can roll back to yesterday, before I began this mess. So, I tell the machine to do so! Uhm… what do you mean there is no space left on my HD to perform this operation? That’s not a Vista beta problem – that’s a Vista final shipping version problem.

    Boot into XP, which was already residing on this machine. Delete some useless files to free up space. Go back into recovery console. Holy hell you’re kidding me!!!! Going into XP deleted all the restore points in Vista!

    I am now left with a crippled and useless Vista. Did I reinstall it? Absolutely not. I am running Windows XP again now. Yes, I miss the look of Vista, and maybe the way the desktop is handled. But… XP is running. It’s faster. It WORKS!!

    Do I recommend Windows Vista [for everyone]? Not a snowball’s chance in… I’m waiting on Apple to release Mac OS X Leopard. As far as I’m concerned at this point, Microsoft is taking a huge hit. The future of Windows, in my opinion, is inside a Virtual Machine or Boot Camp on a Mac. Understand, too, that I’m still in love with my Xbox 360 (and I think they’re doing amazing things with Popfly) – so this rant should not be taken as an all-out Microsoft-bashing diatribe.

    Want to embed this video in your blog? Use this code:

    Formats Available: MPEG4 Video (.mp4) Flash Video (.flv) MP3 Audio (.mp3)

    Thank you for all of your emails, videos, and comments. Let me address some of those now.

    From the beginning, Vista has had issues. In many instances, we’re not talking minor problems. Driver incompatibility, hardware incompatibility, software not running, programs or the computer itself randomly crashing… all just the tip of the iceberg. For many people, the software incompatibility issue was a nightmare. They installed Vista, only to find a very long list of programs that simply would not work. For other people, they simply did not have the proper hardware to run Vista. Upgrading your hardware can be quite expensive, as you well know.

    Some of the feedback I have received today has been phenomenal. It’s interesting to see what other people are saying… and finding it to be much of the same things, over and over again.

    From schagg311:

    The EXTREME lack of x64 driver support for a multitude of things. For example, I have a Belkin N1 wireless desktop card (F5D8001 v1.0). They (Belkin) tout their products as ‘vista compatible’ yet this is misleading because there are NO Vista 64-bit drivers for ANY of their products. Although I’m only concerned about the one I have. There are two things that really bother me about this.

    1. Vista was supposed to include so many drivers (native support) for a great many things but this apparently doesn’t include Vista x64. and
    2. )not only is it misleading for a company like Belkin to say they’re ‘vista compatible’ when that’s not completely true (false advertising anyone?) but for MS to allow companies to say that when it’s not entirely true is just as bad.

    From PyroPictures:

    Another minor irritation is that I have 2 MS Mouse 3000 input devices and both are Vista certified/approved/whatever. About twice a day Vista loses track of my input devices. I have 3 USB ports, so it’s not the port. I have 2 mice, so that’s not it either. I’m big on re-booting to maintain contiguous blocks of free memory but twice a day is a bit too much, particularly since I have 4 GB.

    From Akula:

    i bought vista home premium, my scanner, fax and printer do not work, my Ethernet wireless does not work and also i am having problems with my laser printer!

    From hardasfeth:

    upgraded to vista from XP nothing but problems mainly with drivers freezing or vista telling me not compatible when they are all vista approved drivers and programs.

    Wait, back up. What’s that you said? You are having driver issues with Vista-approved drivers? You’re not alone, unfortunately. from Mark Kaelin:

    Drivers seem to be the most pressing problem for Windows Vista right now. If you are lucky enough to have equipment and peripherals that have updated drivers or old drivers that don’t cause problems you are probably wondering what all the fuss is about. But for those of us with problem drivers, this is just not acceptable. Vista has been coming for five years – make the darn drivers for it already.

    I have already blogged about the SP1 features, as written by Microsoft. My question is, why are these issues being resolved in a service pack? Many of these issues should have been addressed long before Vista was released. You knew this was coming for five years, Microsoft. Why release an operating system that truly wasn’t ready to be unleashed on much of the computing public? Larry Dignan made an excellent post surrounding Vista SP1. He says it best:

    When you look at the sheer volume of additions / fixes / etc. in SP1, you’d be a dunce not to wait for it before pondering Vista. In some corners, the SP1 is an indictment of the first Vista, which you could argue wasn’t ready for prime time in the first place.

    There you have it in a nutshell. THIS is why I’m fed up with Windows… and I’m not alone. Microsoft dropped the ball in a very big way when they released something they never should have. They left themselves wide open to losing a very large number of people. I stand by my earlier opinion… the future of Windows… at least in MY house… is likely to be inside of a Virtual Machine.

    Every OS has its problems – OS X had problems when it started, too (as did Windows XP). But this is 2007, and consumers demand more from their experiences (and rightfully so). This is why Apple mindshare continues to expand… which is more an indication of Microsoft Windows failures than Apple’s successes, I believe. Are we supposed to sit idly by and wait… and wait… and continue to wait after we wait some more?

    Sure. Whatever.

    Let’s play the blame game, instead? Let’s blame the user, let’s blame the OEMs, let’s blame the hardware vendors, let’s bl… why does it matter who is to blame? At the end of the day, we’re still left wrestling with a cavalcade of quirks and a questionable future. We still get the runaround.

    Microsoft can succeed with the next version of Windows, provided they…

    • Shove backwards compatibility for software into virtual machines.
    • Make those quality seals and “compatible” labels mean something FOR ONCE.
    • Come back to a single Windows SKU for consumers.
    • Hire a marketing team that understands the product they’re pitching.
    • Listen to their most passionate users instead of giving them the middle finger.
    • Abandon the notion that UI doesn’t matter.
    • Pay as much attention to average consumers as they do the enterprise market.

    Ed Bott wanted less whining, and more complaining – but that line is incredibly fine. These issues aren’t petty, and our decisions aren’t always based on logic. Human beings are emotional, and it’s okay for them to be upset about being handed a product that… well, here’s what Microsoft claims Vista does:

    The computer stops responding or restarts unexpectedly when you play video games or perform desktop operations.

    Case closed.

    ]]>     Vista Rants is a post from Chris Pirillo


    Chris | Live Tech Support | Video Help | Add to iTunes

    http://live.pirillo.com/ – Last night, I tried to install a Beta of SP1 for Vista. To put it mildly, it didn’t go so well. Coincidentally, two viewers have written in to ask me how I feel about Vista.

    Okay then. Here we go.

    First and foremost, I do NOT base my opinion on Vista solely on the failed upgrade using the beta of SP1. That was just the second straw that broke the camel’s back. Yes, it’s beta code – but I’ve long contended that Vista itself is still very much acting like a beta. If you have watched any of my previous videos about Vista, you’ll see that I’ve had issues and concerns from the beginning. Why should you listen to my opinion? It’s not necessarily an opinion. It’s based on facts – and with plenty of supporting evidence.

    So I install the service pack. The machine reboots a couple of times during the install… and suddenly I’m at a black screen, with nothing other than my mouse cursor on it. O-kayyyy. Reboot a couple of times. Nothing. Reboot into safe mode. Oh! That worked. Tried rebooting normally… black screen of nothing. Repeat this process several times.

    Fine, whatever. Get out the Vista disc and go into the recovery console. Great! I can roll back to yesterday, before I began this mess. So, I tell the machine to do so! Uhm… what do you mean there is no space left on my HD to perform this operation? That’s not a Vista beta problem – that’s a Vista final shipping version problem.

    Boot into XP, which was already residing on this machine. Delete some useless files to free up space. Go back into recovery console. Holy hell you’re kidding me!!!! Going into XP deleted all the restore points in Vista!

    I am now left with a crippled and useless Vista. Did I reinstall it? Absolutely not. I am running Windows XP again now. Yes, I miss the look of Vista, and maybe the way the desktop is handled. But… XP is running. It’s faster. It WORKS!!

    Do I recommend Windows Vista [for everyone]? Not a snowball’s chance in… I’m waiting on Apple to release Mac OS X Leopard. As far as I’m concerned at this point, Microsoft is taking a huge hit. The future of Windows, in my opinion, is inside a Virtual Machine or Boot Camp on a Mac. Understand, too, that I’m still in love with my Xbox 360 (and I think they’re doing amazing things with Popfly) – so this rant should not be taken as an all-out Microsoft-bashing diatribe.

    Want to embed this video in your blog? Use this code:

    Formats Available: MPEG4 Video (.mp4) Flash Video (.flv) MP3 Audio (.mp3)

    Thank you for all of your emails, videos, and comments. Let me address some of those now.

    From the beginning, Vista has had issues. In many instances, we’re not talking minor problems. Driver incompatibility, hardware incompatibility, software not running, programs or the computer itself randomly crashing… all just the tip of the iceberg. For many people, the software incompatibility issue was a nightmare. They installed Vista, only to find a very long list of programs that simply would not work. For other people, they simply did not have the proper hardware to run Vista. Upgrading your hardware can be quite expensive, as you well know.

    Some of the feedback I have received today has been phenomenal. It’s interesting to see what other people are saying… and finding it to be much of the same things, over and over again.

    From schagg311:

    The EXTREME lack of x64 driver support for a multitude of things. For example, I have a Belkin N1 wireless desktop card (F5D8001 v1.0). They (Belkin) tout their products as ‘vista compatible’ yet this is misleading because there are NO Vista 64-bit drivers for ANY of their products. Although I’m only concerned about the one I have. There are two things that really bother me about this.

    1. Vista was supposed to include so many drivers (native support) for a great many things but this apparently doesn’t include Vista x64. and
    2. )not only is it misleading for a company like Belkin to say they’re ‘vista compatible’ when that’s not completely true (false advertising anyone?) but for MS to allow companies to say that when it’s not entirely true is just as bad.

    From PyroPictures:

    Another minor irritation is that I have 2 MS Mouse 3000 input devices and both are Vista certified/approved/whatever. About twice a day Vista loses track of my input devices. I have 3 USB ports, so it’s not the port. I have 2 mice, so that’s not it either. I’m big on re-booting to maintain contiguous blocks of free memory but twice a day is a bit too much, particularly since I have 4 GB.

    From Akula:

    i bought vista home premium, my scanner, fax and printer do not work, my Ethernet wireless does not work and also i am having problems with my laser printer!

    From hardasfeth:

    upgraded to vista from XP nothing but problems mainly with drivers freezing or vista telling me not compatible when they are all vista approved drivers and programs.

    Wait, back up. What’s that you said? You are having driver issues with Vista-approved drivers? You’re not alone, unfortunately. from Mark Kaelin:

    Drivers seem to be the most pressing problem for Windows Vista right now. If you are lucky enough to have equipment and peripherals that have updated drivers or old drivers that don’t cause problems you are probably wondering what all the fuss is about. But for those of us with problem drivers, this is just not acceptable. Vista has been coming for five years – make the darn drivers for it already.

    I have already blogged about the SP1 features, as written by Microsoft. My question is, why are these issues being resolved in a service pack? Many of these issues should have been addressed long before Vista was released. You knew this was coming for five years, Microsoft. Why release an operating system that truly wasn’t ready to be unleashed on much of the computing public? Larry Dignan made an excellent post surrounding Vista SP1. He says it best:

    When you look at the sheer volume of additions / fixes / etc. in SP1, you’d be a dunce not to wait for it before pondering Vista. In some corners, the SP1 is an indictment of the first Vista, which you could argue wasn’t ready for prime time in the first place.

    There you have it in a nutshell. THIS is why I’m fed up with Windows… and I’m not alone. Microsoft dropped the ball in a very big way when they released something they never should have. They left themselves wide open to losing a very large number of people. I stand by my earlier opinion… the future of Windows… at least in MY house… is likely to be inside of a Virtual Machine.

    Every OS has its problems – OS X had problems when it started, too (as did Windows XP). But this is 2007, and consumers demand more from their experiences (and rightfully so). This is why Apple mindshare continues to expand… which is more an indication of Microsoft Windows failures than Apple’s successes, I believe. Are we supposed to sit idly by and wait… and wait… and continue to wait after we wait some more?

    Sure. Whatever.

    Let’s play the blame game, instead? Let’s blame the user, let’s blame the OEMs, let’s blame the hardware vendors, let’s bl… why does it matter who is to blame? At the end of the day, we’re still left wrestling with a cavalcade of quirks and a questionable future. We still get the runaround.

    Microsoft can succeed with the next version of Windows, provided they…

    • Shove backwards compatibility for software into virtual machines.
    • Make those quality seals and “compatible” labels mean something FOR ONCE.
    • Come back to a single Windows SKU for consumers.
    • Hire a marketing team that understands the product they’re pitching.
    • Listen to their most passionate users instead of giving them the middle finger.
    • Abandon the notion that UI doesn’t matter.
    • Pay as much attention to average consumers as they do the enterprise market.

    Ed Bott wanted less whining, and more complaining – but that line is incredibly fine. These issues aren’t petty, and our decisions aren’t always based on logic. Human beings are emotional, and it’s okay for them to be upset about being handed a product that… well, here’s what Microsoft claims Vista does:

    The computer stops responding or restarts unexpectedly when you play video games or perform desktop operations.

    Case closed.

    ]]>     http://chris.pirillo.com/vista-rants/feed/ 207     Tiger vs Leopard vs Microsoft Service Packshttp://chris.pirillo.com/tiger-vs-leopard-vs-microsoft-service-packs/ http://chris.pirillo.com/tiger-vs-leopard-vs-microsoft-service-packs/#comments Tue, 07 Aug 2007 19:14:48 +0000 Chris http://chris.pirillo.com/2007/08/07/tiger-vs-leopard-vs-microsoft-service-packs/ Tiger vs Leopard vs Microsoft Service Packs is a post from Chris Pirillo


    Chris | Live Tech Support | Video Help | Add to iTunes

    http://live.pirillo.com/ – There is a fundamental difference between a “service pack” and an Apple update. When Microsoft rolls out its free Service Packs, it generally only addresses security flaws, which were the fault of Microsoft anyway. When Apple releases an update, it costs money. However, these updates are major upgrades to the system’s functionality and features.

    While Microsoft issues its Service Packs on a regular basis, it can take quite a while before Apple releases an update to its operating system, OS X. The current version is called Tiger. The new version, due in October, is called Leopard.

    Microsoft’s Service Packs are free, yes. As I said above, they pretty much only fix security holes that should have been fixed to begin with. Any major upgrades on a Microsoft O/S are generally left until an entire new operating system is released. Vista – in my mind – still feels very Beta. Will a Service Pack address some of that? I guess we’ll hope for the best, and wait to see.

    With Leopard, Apple is unveiling a lot of new features and functionality. It has totally revamped how you find files within the system. It now will work more like iTunes, and have a better interface. There is a very cool new feature called Time Machine. This will allow you to go back to any previous version of a file and re-save it if need be. Let’s say you made some changes to a picture, and saved it with the same name. Two days later, you realize you don’t LIKE those changes. Good news! With the Time Machine, you can access that previous version of the picture. Leopard will also have better parental controls, an integrated virtual desktop, and nifty new ways of organizing your desktop. I’m not going to give everything away here. You can read about them on Apple’s site. I’m definitely looking forward to the new version myself.

    What’s your opinion on the differences? Do you like OS X? Are you looking forward to Leopard, or are you happy with Tiger? Do you prefer Vista, and the way Microsoft handles its updates? We always want to hear from you.

    If you want to embed this video into your blog, use this code:

    Formats Available: MPEG4 Video (.mp4) MP3 Audio (.mp3) Microsoft Video (.avi)

    ]]>     Tiger vs Leopard vs Microsoft Service Packs is a post from Chris Pirillo


    Chris | Live Tech Support | Video Help | Add to iTunes

    http://live.pirillo.com/ – There is a fundamental difference between a “service pack” and an Apple update. When Microsoft rolls out its free Service Packs, it generally only addresses security flaws, which were the fault of Microsoft anyway. When Apple releases an update, it costs money. However, these updates are major upgrades to the system’s functionality and features.

    While Microsoft issues its Service Packs on a regular basis, it can take quite a while before Apple releases an update to its operating system, OS X. The current version is called Tiger. The new version, due in October, is called Leopard.

    Microsoft’s Service Packs are free, yes. As I said above, they pretty much only fix security holes that should have been fixed to begin with. Any major upgrades on a Microsoft O/S are generally left until an entire new operating system is released. Vista – in my mind – still feels very Beta. Will a Service Pack address some of that? I guess we’ll hope for the best, and wait to see.

    With Leopard, Apple is unveiling a lot of new features and functionality. It has totally revamped how you find files within the system. It now will work more like iTunes, and have a better interface. There is a very cool new feature called Time Machine. This will allow you to go back to any previous version of a file and re-save it if need be. Let’s say you made some changes to a picture, and saved it with the same name. Two days later, you realize you don’t LIKE those changes. Good news! With the Time Machine, you can access that previous version of the picture. Leopard will also have better parental controls, an integrated virtual desktop, and nifty new ways of organizing your desktop. I’m not going to give everything away here. You can read about them on Apple’s site. I’m definitely looking forward to the new version myself.

    What’s your opinion on the differences? Do you like OS X? Are you looking forward to Leopard, or are you happy with Tiger? Do you prefer Vista, and the way Microsoft handles its updates? We always want to hear from you.

    If you want to embed this video into your blog, use this code:

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    ]]>     http://chris.pirillo.com/tiger-vs-leopard-vs-microsoft-service-packs/feed/ 10     The Windows Vista Challengehttp://chris.pirillo.com/the-windows-vista-challenge/ http://chris.pirillo.com/the-windows-vista-challenge/#comments Mon, 11 Sep 2006 09:32:54 +0000 Chris http://chris.pirillo.com/2006/09/11/the-windows-vista-challenge/ The Windows Vista Challenge is a post from Chris Pirillo

    Charlie Owen has issued a challenge, but I’m not quite sure he understands why I’m complaining so much about the UI oversights found in Vista. Mind you, I haven’t said a word about Windows Vista’s Media Center – I haven’t had a chance to play with it extensively yet. Before I respond, I’d like everybody to read Why Vista will mean the end of the Microsoft monolith:

    The Vista saga has two interesting lessons for the computer business. It raises, for example, the question of whether this way of producing software products of this complexity has reached its natural limit. Microsoft is an extremely rich, resourceful company – and yet the task of creating and shipping Vista stretched it to breaking point. A lesser company would have buckled under the strain. And yet while Microsoft engineers were trudging through their death march, the open source community shipped a series of major upgrades to the Linux operating system. How can hackers, scattered across the globe, working for no pay, linked only by the net and shared values, apparently outperform the smartest software company on the planet?

    Challenge?! You can operate an XGL desktop perfectly without having to upgrade your video card first. To add insult to injury, XGL sports infinitely better (and reasonably more) eye candy than Aero does. Windows Vista is hardware hungry, no doubt – and I’m challenging Microsoft’s assertion that Aero is a “breakthrough user experience.”

    No, it’s not – Vista’s UI is not breakthrough, Charlie. It’s broken. XGL, on the other hand, is breakthrough – and I find myself wondering how long it’s going to take for someone to port that to OS X. Windows Vista is not revolutionary – it’s evolutionary (barely, at that). A recently releaesd Mandriva Linux 2007 RC1 comes bundled XGL and AIGLX with Compiz, by the way.

    Vista is already taking a beating, whether by Apple fanboys from InfoWorld, UAC task forces, or old Latvian women. There is no perfect operating system, and I’m certainly not suggesting that Linux and/or OS X are totally teh shiz. What I am saying, however, is that as far as cohesive, compelling user experiences go – I believe that Vista’s Aero fails (on the whole).

    I understand that thousands of people poured their blood, sweat, and tears into pushing Windows Vista out the door – but I started to get impatient two years ago, only to be handed an RC that looked more like a early beta (I said “alpha” earlier, but perhaps that was a little harsh on my part). If Linux (with XGL) and Leopard (with UNO) aren’t challenging Microsoft to take UI more seriously, nothing ever will. In this arena, Windows has already been challenged – and remains truly challenged.

    ]]>     The Windows Vista Challenge is a post from Chris Pirillo

    Charlie Owen has issued a challenge, but I’m not quite sure he understands why I’m complaining so much about the UI oversights found in Vista. Mind you, I haven’t said a word about Windows Vista’s Media Center – I haven’t had a chance to play with it extensively yet. Before I respond, I’d like everybody to read Why Vista will mean the end of the Microsoft monolith:

    The Vista saga has two interesting lessons for the computer business. It raises, for example, the question of whether this way of producing software products of this complexity has reached its natural limit. Microsoft is an extremely rich, resourceful company – and yet the task of creating and shipping Vista stretched it to breaking point. A lesser company would have buckled under the strain. And yet while Microsoft engineers were trudging through their death march, the open source community shipped a series of major upgrades to the Linux operating system. How can hackers, scattered across the globe, working for no pay, linked only by the net and shared values, apparently outperform the smartest software company on the planet?

    Challenge?! You can operate an XGL desktop perfectly without having to upgrade your video card first. To add insult to injury, XGL sports infinitely better (and reasonably more) eye candy than Aero does. Windows Vista is hardware hungry, no doubt – and I’m challenging Microsoft’s assertion that Aero is a “breakthrough user experience.”

    No, it’s not – Vista’s UI is not breakthrough, Charlie. It’s broken. XGL, on the other hand, is breakthrough – and I find myself wondering how long it’s going to take for someone to port that to OS X. Windows Vista is not revolutionary – it’s evolutionary (barely, at that). A recently releaesd Mandriva Linux 2007 RC1 comes bundled XGL and AIGLX with Compiz, by the way.

    Vista is already taking a beating, whether by Apple fanboys from InfoWorld, UAC task forces, or old Latvian women. There is no perfect operating system, and I’m certainly not suggesting that Linux and/or OS X are totally teh shiz. What I am saying, however, is that as far as cohesive, compelling user experiences go – I believe that Vista’s Aero fails (on the whole).

    I understand that thousands of people poured their blood, sweat, and tears into pushing Windows Vista out the door – but I started to get impatient two years ago, only to be handed an RC that looked more like a early beta (I said “alpha” earlier, but perhaps that was a little harsh on my part). If Linux (with XGL) and Leopard (with UNO) aren’t challenging Microsoft to take UI more seriously, nothing ever will. In this arena, Windows has already been challenged – and remains truly challenged.

    ]]>     http://chris.pirillo.com/the-windows-vista-challenge/feed/ 23     Leopard vs. Windows Vistahttp://chris.pirillo.com/leopard-vs-windows-vista/ http://chris.pirillo.com/leopard-vs-windows-vista/#comments Fri, 08 Sep 2006 22:44:40 +0000 Chris http://chris.pirillo.com/2006/09/08/leopard-vs-windows-vista/ Leopard vs. Windows Vista is a post from Chris Pirillo

    As you can imagine, I’ve been involved with countless Windows Vista email threads over the past few days. One of them is with Stardock’s own Brad Wardell (a good friend of mine). He tried to hit me with the classic “I don’t pay for service packs” argument when discussing Apple’s impending Leopard upgrade.

    “I challenge you to name what in Leopard justifies $149,” Brad interjected. “Because I sure can’t think of one.” Apparently, you’re not thinking hard enough – or you haven’t done your homework:

    • Time Machine (amazing interface, long overdue)
    • Mail updates (To Do, Notes, Stationery, RSS – Outlook killer)
    • iChat (live video backdrops, photobooth effects, screen sharing)
    • Spaces (awesome virtual desktop behaviors)
    • Dashboard (Dashcode, .Mac syncing)
    • Spotlight (search Macs on your network, inline preview)
    • iCal (CalDAV support, auto schedule, event dropbox)
    • Core Animation (for developers who understand design)
    • Boot Camp (’nuff said)
    • Other optimizations and tweaks (combined)

    You *MUST* watch every single one of these Leopard videos to understand why I believe the price is completely justified. Apple issues security updates constantly (and no doubt will wrap them into Leopoard as well). This isn’t a service pack, dude. These are not trivial upgrades. You combine the features of this list with better parental control, seamless 64-bit compatibilities, wider accessibility, and… and… and… knowing that Apple will have another set of new, incremental, and system-wide upgrades in another couple years? Game over.

    Microsoft’s Service Packs are free, and they offer us… security updates, which should be free to begin with. Oh, wait – and pop-up blockers for browsers that are sadly past their prime. I appreciate that “smaller” Microsoft teams release useful tools every so often (like Windows Live Writer), but your mom probably couldn’t find them in the first place – and doesn’t care about them to begin with. Apple has invested a significant amount of time to ensure that both our personal and professional lifestyles will be enhanced and extended by Leopard. Microsoft has been shuffling deck chairs on the Titanic – and Windows Vista proves it.

    If it’s asinine to spend money on a set of tools which serve to make my life better, then could you please explain to me Stardock’s business model? Moreover, could you explain why Microsoft is allowed to charge for Windows Vista and Apple isn’t for Leopard? Don’t get hung up on version numbers, dude – they’re “pointless” at this stage of the game. Then, aside from the “given” nature of security updates, could you give me ten solid reasons why someone would want to pay $149 for a service pack from Microsoft!?

    All you Windows fanatics need to get off your high horse for a second and realize what’s happening here. My name isn’t Chicken Little, and I’m certainly not alone in my belief that Leopard is far more compelling than Windows Vista.

    ]]>     Leopard vs. Windows Vista is a post from Chris Pirillo

    As you can imagine, I’ve been involved with countless Windows Vista email threads over the past few days. One of them is with Stardock’s own Brad Wardell (a good friend of mine). He tried to hit me with the classic “I don’t pay for service packs” argument when discussing Apple’s impending Leopard upgrade.

    “I challenge you to name what in Leopard justifies $149,” Brad interjected. “Because I sure can’t think of one.” Apparently, you’re not thinking hard enough – or you haven’t done your homework:

    • Time Machine (amazing interface, long overdue)
    • Mail updates (To Do, Notes, Stationery, RSS – Outlook killer)
    • iChat (live video backdrops, photobooth effects, screen sharing)
    • Spaces (awesome virtual desktop behaviors)
    • Dashboard (Dashcode, .Mac syncing)
    • Spotlight (search Macs on your network, inline preview)
    • iCal (CalDAV support, auto schedule, event dropbox)
    • Core Animation (for developers who understand design)
    • Boot Camp (’nuff said)
    • Other optimizations and tweaks (combined)

    You *MUST* watch every single one of these Leopard videos to understand why I believe the price is completely justified. Apple issues security updates constantly (and no doubt will wrap them into Leopoard as well). This isn’t a service pack, dude. These are not trivial upgrades. You combine the features of this list with better parental control, seamless 64-bit compatibilities, wider accessibility, and… and… and… knowing that Apple will have another set of new, incremental, and system-wide upgrades in another couple years? Game over.

    Microsoft’s Service Packs are free, and they offer us… security updates, which should be free to begin with. Oh, wait – and pop-up blockers for browsers that are sadly past their prime. I appreciate that “smaller” Microsoft teams release useful tools every so often (like Windows Live Writer), but your mom probably couldn’t find them in the first place – and doesn’t care about them to begin with. Apple has invested a significant amount of time to ensure that both our personal and professional lifestyles will be enhanced and extended by Leopard. Microsoft has been shuffling deck chairs on the Titanic – and Windows Vista proves it.

    If it’s asinine to spend money on a set of tools which serve to make my life better, then could you please explain to me Stardock’s business model? Moreover, could you explain why Microsoft is allowed to charge for Windows Vista and Apple isn’t for Leopard? Don’t get hung up on version numbers, dude – they’re “pointless” at this stage of the game. Then, aside from the “given” nature of security updates, could you give me ten solid reasons why someone would want to pay $149 for a service pack from Microsoft!?

    All you Windows fanatics need to get off your high horse for a second and realize what’s happening here. My name isn’t Chicken Little, and I’m certainly not alone in my belief that Leopard is far more compelling than Windows Vista.

    ]]>     http://chris.pirillo.com/leopard-vs-windows-vista/feed/ 88     How to Handle Remote Tech Support <em>Using <a href="http://www.gotoassist.com/chris">GoToAssist</a> is the easiest way to view and control another person's computer online. Use it to provide instant technical support to family, friends and customers. Start a session with just one click, and instantly connect with the other party. </em> chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) Partner Mon, 13 Jul 2009 06:30:00 GMThttp://gotoassist.com/chris/ http://gotoassist.com/chris/ Network Tools for Windows You need these network tools, no matter which operating systems and networks you have to support. <a href="http://support.solarwinds.com/updates/New-Customer.cfm?ProdID=568&campaign=ipmon_DL_lockergnome&CMP=BAC-ipmonDL_lockergnome">SolarWinds ipMonitor</a>: Affordable Network Monitoring for SMBs. Get turnkey network, server and application availability monitoring with SolarWinds ipMonitor v9.0. This easy-to-use, reliable solution for SMBs delivers out-of-the-box availability monitoring so you always know exactly what's up with Active Directory, DNS, Exchange, FTP, Web, IMAP, MS SQL Server, and SMTP. <a href="http://support.solarwinds.com/updates/New-Customer.cfm?ProdID=568&campaign=ipmon_DL_lockergnome&CMP=BAC-ipmonDL_lockergnome">Download your free trial today</a>. Or, try their <a href="http://www.solarwinds.com/products/freetools/">totally free tools</a>! And, through 2/29, save 20% when you purchase <a href="http://store.solarwinds.com/s.nl/sc.16/.f">ipMonitor 9.0</a>. chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) Partner Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:30:00 GMThttp://support.solarwinds.com/updates/New-Customer.cfm?ProdID=568&campaign=ipmon_DL_lockergnome&CMP=BAC-ipmonDL_lockergnome http://support.solarwinds.com/updates/New-Customer.cfm?ProdID=568&campaign=ipmon_DL_lockergnome&CMP=BAC-ipmonDL_lockergnome Get Your Own Web Site Starting at just $3.99/month, web hosting from <a href="http://www.godaddy.com/gdshop/default.asp?isc=cp2">GoDaddy</a> includes 99.9% uptime, 24/7 support and free access to GoDaddy Hosting Connection, THE place to install over 30 FREE applications sure to help you get the most from your hosting plan and Web site. Enter <a href="http://www.godaddy.com/gdshop/default.asp?isc=cp2">code CP2</a> at checkout, and save an additional 10% on any order. <p>Plus, as a friend of Chris Pirillo, enter code <a href="http://www.godaddy.com/gdshop/default.asp?isc=chris7">CHRIS7</a>, that's C-H-R-I-S and the number 7, when you check out, and save an additional 10% on any order. Get your piece of the internet at <a href="http://www.godaddy.com/gdshop/default.asp?isc=chris7">GoDaddy.com</a>.</p> chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) Partner Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:30:00 GMThttp://www.godaddy.com/gdshop/default.asp?isc=cp1 http://www.godaddy.com/gdshop/default.asp?isc=cp1 VMware and Parallels for Virtual Machines It doesn't matter if you're running on Windows or Mac OS X - every power user needs either <a href="http://send.onenetworkdirect.net/z/13766/rn_a32755/">Parallels</a> or <a href="http://send.onenetworkdirect.net/z/17081/rn_a32755/">VMware</a> (or both). There's never been an easier way to test software without destroying your primary operating system's stability. Think of how many times you wish you could press a 'reverse' button on your computer. Plus, there's no easier way to try new Linux distributions - see what all the fuss is about. Run Windows in OS X, run Linux in Windows, but the best way to do either is with <a href="http://send.onenetworkdirect.net/z/17081/rn_a32755/">VMware</a> and/or <a href="http://send.onenetworkdirect.net/z/13766/rn_a32755/">Parallels</a>. chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) Partner Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:30:00 GMThttp://chris.pirillo.com/2008/02/19/parallels-or-vmware/ http://chris.pirillo.com/2008/02/19/parallels-or-vmware/ Coupons for Online Shopping <p style="color: red">This feed is fueled by Lockergnome <a href="http://www.lockergnome.com/buy/">Online Shopping and Coupon Codes</a></p> <p> Before you shop next time, see if we have <a href="http://coupons.lockergnome.com/">a coupon</a> first. </p> chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) Partner Sat, 12 Jul 2008 07:56:13 GMThttp://coupons.lockergnome.com/ http://coupons.lockergnome.com/