For The Two Or Three Of Us, Another Mac Topic

[FortNinety]

Since the newest OS... well, a substantial update to current one to be more precise... Snow Leopard just came, why not?

First off, was actually gonna pick it up, till I saw this...

http://www.cultofmac.com/adobe-cs3-not-tested-on-snow-leopard-many-industry-pros-could-halt-snow-leopard-upgrades/15143

... which has been updated, and it's not as bad as initially feared, but one of the comments sez InDesign is broken, and that's pretty much a deal breaker.

In other news, the Apple App Store continues to be run by fucking retards...

http://www.cultofmac.com/its-another-crazy-app-store-rejection-this-time-apple-thinks-everyones-stupid/15258

And I for one think the upcoming Apple tablet is a really stupid, STUPID idea...

http://gizmodo.com/5347191/rumor-apple-may-be-working-on-xl-tablets-running-full-mac-os-x

... I don't care what OS it's running, Leopard or iPhone, I want a fucking physical keyboard. Why the hell won't they just release a netbook sized version of the MacBook and make an easy billion? Also via Cult of Mac, which might be the most obnoxious Mac blog ever, which is saying a lot...

http://www.cultofmac.com/how-apples-tablet-will-rock-for-gaming/15139

... Speaking as a guy that currently is developing iPhone software, or at least trying to, the statement that playing games on the iPhone is "a ton of fun" is REALLY stretching the truth.

[dhex]

the cult of mac writer is apparently not very familiar with adobe and their business practices. (nevermind that you don't actually have to upgrade every 15 minutes - especially if you like running stable platforms - but i'm guessing that's sort of their thing.)

[loopback]

looking at that blog about the tablet and how gaming will be its killer app, I can only draw the conclusion that the "anonymous grad student" who has been spending "a lot of time thinking about the apple tablet" isn't an actual gamer.

The controls suggested all require a certain amount of finesse, which when playing a FPS is the first motor skill to go out the window when you're flailing like a giant space octopus. The idea that World of Warcraft (or any MMO) would be a great fit for this device misses the fact that huge amounts of the game involve chatting with other people. Sure there's voice, but a lot of people use this weird archaic medium known as 'text'. without a keyboard, you lose all of that. I don't know much about multi-touch touchscreens, but unless they can support someone holding down 6 different fingers at once and parse what that is 'supposed' to mean, they won't work. When I am being Captain McNerdPants in WoW, at any point in time I am using a minimum of 2-3 keys on the keyboard and at least one mousebutton, frequently while also swinging the camera around like a moron.

Games on the iPhone are quite fun (or CAN be) but it has fuckall to do with some Paradigm-Breaking Shift In UI Design. they're fun because you can pick them up and play and you get potentially awesome graphics and audio right in your pants.  Plus it's a phone, and an mp3 player and a dessert topping or whatever.

That blog post just makes me think, "yet another apple zombie who is going to claim games are the killer app for an apple product, and then complain for 10 years when game developers don't develop games for this new custom system fast enough, and blame them when it tanks."

[FortNinety]

FYI, that guy also believes that if Apple had been able to keep Halo, the G4 would have usurped XP in the PC gaming wars. Yes, he's that fucking stupid.

If you look hard enough, you'll see me bitch at one of the writers, about how the amount of people packed in the 5th Ave Apple Store is indicative of how much money is being spent despite the shit economy. Oh yeah, it has NOTHING to do with the fact that they're just a bunch of stupid tourists that want to check their email for free or pissed off Apple users who've been waiting for two hours of condescending tech support.

On a related note, I stopped by Techserve yesterday to take care of some business, and sure enough, got into another shouting match with one of the hipster dispters behind the counter. Which seriously happens everytime, and I also seriously try my best to avoid it. They seriously hire the worst of the worst there.

Anyway, gonna go get Snow Leopard. Why the fuck not. If anything goes wrong, I have all my important files backed up.

[dhex]

how the hell do you get into a shouting match at tekserve? they're so milquetoast as to be toast dipped in milk a la classic french toast.

[FortNinety]

Well, when they force everyone who walks in to take a number, and then make them stand around and wait for their digits to get called, which takes way too long, not because all the clerks are busy helping people but because they're too busy flirting amongst each other, or in yesterday's case everyone is gathered around someone's iPhones to watch a YouTube video, and then when it's finally your turn they're immediately impatient and condescending, as well as flat out lie about shit, it's hard to not raise one's voice.

It sucks that I want to pick up Snow Leopard, and where I'm going later is near that area, so going to an Apple Store is a bit of a pain in the ass, but I honestly don't want to give them an dime of my scratch.

[FortNinety]

BTW, I nabbed a copy yesterday and installed it last night, without a hitch. I will admit, I was nervous going in since I've had Time Machine disabled for some time now (I basically need a new hard drive, the one I have is too small at this point).

The process took longer than expected, and is different from the past; there's no booting into the installation disc, you just start from your own environment. But thus far, it's pretty good! There's a few quirks here and there, but that's with anything .0. I like the little improvements, and most of all, my CS3 stuff seems to work. There actually is a little weirdness with InDesign, but one can work around it with no hassles.

I'm just bummed that all my screensavers no longer work, plus the new QuickTime, for lack of a better word, is just strange. Thank God they kept the one I had before.

[FortNinety]

BTW, regarding Tekserve....

http://www.tuaw.com/2009/08/29/a-bit-of-big-apple-history-visiting-tekserve/

... Be sure to scroll down for my diatribe and idiots crying foul.

[dmauro]

Not to start a flame war but...

@FortyNine: You suck. People like you are the reason Tekserve employees are so hostile.

In the end, libel is still a crime, Matthew Hawkins. Stick to cartoons, not blog comments, and stay out of my favorite Mac shop!!

lol

[dhex]

"not to start a flame war, but hitler was right."

also if anyone can confirm that they had parts janked, they should contact the better business bureau immediately. that's theft.

(350 to replace and clone a hard drive is also awfully close to theft, for that matter.)

[Fitz]

also if anyone can confirm that they had parts janked, they should contact the better business bureau immediately. that's theft.

Also keep in mind that making accusations like that in public forums without confirming evidence can come back to bite you. I may not agree that you suck but the fellow is right about the libel issue.

[dhex]

somewhat related:
there was a us libel case back in the 50s or 60s where a department store staff (chicago? minneapolis?) sued because a local rag claimed they were besotted with communists or homosexuals or something defamatory as a group. they were denied in their claim because no one was singled out; the entire department store was too amorphous and broad to be libeled.

more to the point, i know part of the whole ouvre of "mac people" is being a helpless puppies on purpose or whatever, but if people double-checked after the fact and had third party parts where there had been first party beforehand and *that wasn't* part of the deal, they really should have at the very least started a bbb file against tekserve. a more "fun" thing to do would have been to show up at the store, call the cops and try to have them arrested for theft.

we buy all our mac parts for work (and by we i mean i) at b+h, even though they're kinda bad at keeping track of invoices and payments. next day service is pretty great.

[FortNinety]

My primary problem is how I don't have a smoking gun, or no longer have access to it… that friend with Mac with the extra software when it came back to them for example, sold her machine on Craigslist a long time ago.

And everyone else that had their Macs tinkered with unnecessarily also no longer have their machines or I simply am not in contact with them anymore. I suppose if I get slapped with a libel suit, I will have to start making phone calls and the like, but if that happens… I am going to laugh very long, and very hard.

I also don't see how my, if you get down to it, baseless accusations (since evidence that's no longer available, along with anecdotal evidence, no matter how compelling and logical, as well as the pure amount of it) would be enough to get someone to call their lawyers, even when everyone is talking shit about everyone on in the internet. So in that sense, if legal action is pursued, that might speak more about legitimate accusations more than anything else. But tell that to the judge, I know.

Anyhow, the real issue with Tekserve as one other reader who was in agreement pointed, as to why they will never go away, is how Apple does not service old machines, especially if they have third party ram. Even though Apple used third party items, like ram, themselves. Thankfully there are other Mac repair shops in the city.... some damn fine ones I hear... that I should really get around to checking out.

[Fitz]

Think of it more as "protect your neck" advice. Never count on being too insignificant a voice to find yourself in someone's cross-hairs for shooting your mouth off.

[dhex]

accusations of crimes, even indirectly, should be handled hearsay style. i.e. "a friend of mine swears..."