Dell's Hilarious cycle of endless fail.
True story:
About 6 months before the Windows 7 launch, Dell sent a representative to Brown University’s bookstore to preview the software and show us the guts.
I really liked where Windows 7 went and was excited to upgrade my Windows partition (I was using Ubuntu full time at that point) from XP.
At the end of the conversation about Windows 7, the rep genuinely inquired with students about what the products were that we wanted to see Dell build. Clearly this was not just a marketing opportunity but a market research opportunity for Dell as well.
There could not have been a clearer message. A full two and a half years before Intel would describe the “ultrabook”, a room of 30 or so tech savvy college students begged Dell to create a 13” laptop with a really good screen that was thin and light and didn’t suck.
He said they had exciting things we were going to like in that form factor and that Dell was very aware that this the “way of the future”.
They still haven’t made that laptop.
Convert DVDs to UltraViolet digital copies without leaving home
I would definitely pay for the equivalent of iTunes Match for movies, except skipping the part where I used an actual file. I’m looking into the process of finally ripping my collection of Blu-ray [^1] and I am not looking forward to it. It’s also a pain in the ass that there aren’t better devices to play HD video with full TrueHD sound for about $100 with a great interface. The AppleTV is somewhat restricted by not playing popular containers like Matroska (MKV), and most of these devices are set up for internet streaming rather than local files.
[^1]: I had to look up the canonical spelling/punctuation around this. Also, I am abandoning my DVDs because 480p is just not ok on 60” of TV. I really have to figure out how to sell those DVDs, even for cheap, with little effort.
Smart idea…
…if any Apple devices were compatible with UltraViolet.
…or if anyone had any idea what UltraViolet was.
I wonder if Apple does something like this eventually as well. It’s like “Rip. Mix. Burn.” — except you pay for it. But I actually think that’s fine if you get an upgrade to HD along the way and automatically get your movies into iCloud (to access from any iDevice).
As someone who has tried to rip their entire DVD collection for several years now, I can tell you what a pain in the ass it is (hence, “several years now”).
Hypercritical: CES: Worse Products Through Software
Watching the CES coverage out of the corner of my Internet eye, I’m reminded of exactly how bad most hardware makers are at writing software. Mat Honan summed it up nicely last month: No One Uses Smart TV Internet Because It Sucks. Amen to that. But it’s not just TVs. Who really likes the…
Someone asked me recently about a “good smart TV”. The reality is there isn’t a TV out there worth buying for smart features. Luckily, a really great panel can be made a really great smart TV with any number of <$100 devices. Considering I spent over $2000 on my last TV and a cable subscription costs more than that for 1 month, I’m not rushing to our future software overlords.
A Very Interesting Surface Review
Found this from Marco Arment, who was under fire for his own Surface experience. I think a lot of what is said in this article matches my feelings about Windows Phone. I really like the look and feel of Metro UI. I love the Live Tile concept. I think the OS is beautiful and inventive.
But every time I think about leaving iOS and the investment I made there for something like WP, I realize that I am grading on a curve. The lack of ecosystem is a huge deal. The lack of systemwide notifications system is a big deal. Lots of little things that are missing is a big deal. It’s really a shame.
Microsoft is doing the most interesting UI work of any major software company. Think about that for a second. I wish this was actually going to place some competitive pressure on Apple.
Killing Hollywood Will Require Learning Hollywood’s Game
A new model will be required for Silicon Valley to kill Hollywood- a recognition that quality content is valuable, not just popular content.
We Are The 0.6%
Android use shows few have access to up-to-date versions of the OS
