Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Off the cuff Apple rant

It seems funny to me that Apple inc. is such a praised corporation.  Why do people clamor over an Ipod and shun a common Mp3 player?  Why do graphic designers demand an apple as industry standard?  Why is the Iphone considered so innovative when PDAs have been around for years?  To answer all these questions: its marketing.  Steve Jobs always gets it right and hits all the right notes.  Itunes was not the first online music store, but it was the first music store with the Apple brand.   It was the Apple name that won the trust of the RIAA to sell music online.  Ipod was not the first Mp3 player, but it was one of the first to feature a decent menu system.  Ipod shuffle is just pointless because an Mp3 player for a third the price has the same amount of memory and can shuffle just as well.  Macintosh computers cannot boast better PPC processors anymore, because they are now under the same x86 arcitecture as intel.  Iphone looks pretty but it really isnt all that innovative, just another touch screen PDA.  It would seem the only claim to fame of owning anything made by Apple is for the bragging rights of having something your friend cannot afford.  I will give the Apple design team credit for making all the products really shiny, because everyone is drawn to shiny things.

Sunday, July 13, 2008

Intro

Most of this blog will be about alternative transportation (mostly bicycling) and other topics I feel like talking about. As of this post I have been a full time bicycle commuter for three years and I recommend it for everyone. The reason bicycling is so important to me is that it is quick and dependable. During my childhood, my bicycle was my primary means of getting to school, and now as an adult I see no reason to stop. I live in a relatively bike-able area. I love talking to other people about cycling and I’m trying to put myself out there. I ride a recumbent most days but I have a standard diamond frame for winters and crappy weather. Maybe I will post some pictures later.