While I ultimately do drafts and final work on my laptop, I still have to brainstorm ideas longhand. So this morning it was breakfast scribblings about an academic assessment and survey analysis I had to write up. And now, at 2am, technically the following morning, the draft it kicked off is done, and I figured I’d post the picture that started it all to wrap things nicely up.
I wrote earlier about Microsoft’s stumble on Vista. But let me say, even as a satisfied current Mac owner with no regrets about my recent switch from Microsoft, I’m ambivalent about Apple’s growth. The gist of it is that I view Apple in the same way I view newly fledged, fragile, quasi-democracies. Oh sure, the regime is embracing democratic ideals now, when it needed to make the transformation or face extinction, but old habits of authoritarianism and patronage are hard to break.
Likewise, with Apple, it’s wonderful that they’re adopting a more democratic approach toward their products: hardware is more accessible for user upgrades and fewer parts are proprietary, and the OS (via Darwin) is similarly less proprietary and more accessible. But the seeds of authoritarianism are still there. Apple’s decision to wed their OS to their hardware is in a sense a form of patronage (”vertical integration” has the taste of nepotism to it), and while that choice helps avoid compatibility problems (the trains all run on time), it cuts out what could be some creative and productive competition. And while we laud Apple’s eye toward design, the company also has plenty of past examples of where that same dogmatic devotion to a focused design vision has created products that weren’t flexible enough to meet the varied needs of its users. (Some of Apple’s past work reminds me of Frank Lloyd Wright houses… beautiful to look at, but not always great spaces to live with or adapt.) And let’s face it, there’s still Steve Jobs, who (when it comes to Apple at least) is no one’s idea of a democratic idealist or fan of the masses. So while Apple is making some strides, it’s probably much too early to say if it’s really taken deeply to heart the lessons that the market is trying to teach it.
I wrote about this earlier, but I thought I’d flesh out the musing.
I think Microsoft might be facing some serious trouble.
1. There’s been a significant growth in consumer interest in purchasing computer systems (*), and the impending rollout of Windows Vista is leaving consumers with a lot of unpleasant questions.
(a) What computer system will run Vista? It’s not simple to decipher the meaning of the “Windows Vista Capable” and “Windows Vista Premium Ready” badges. And have you tried getting competent technical assistance at a computer retail outlet lately? Even once you’ve deciphered the meaning of these compatibility assurances, there’s the fundamental question of trust. Do you trust that Microsoft won’t or hasn’t make a technical mistake that affects compatibility? Do you trust that computer manufacturers or Microsoft will fully and quickly make good on their promise of compatibility if/when problems emerge when Windows in released? (Here’s what my past computer experience leads me to predict: when the inevitable compatibility issues come up, Microsoft and hardware manufacturers will bicker about who is to blame for the problems, while consumer are left waiting without a fix.)
(b) Do you even want Vista in the first place? Can you articulate how Vista will improve your, or anyone’s, daily computer use? Given’s Microsoft’s past track record and the pre-release reports on Vista, how confident are you that Vista will be a stable and secure operating system? Vista is making DRM (digital rights management) a core focus in the OS — but is restricting user access and freedom with media what you want prioritized in your computer?
2. There is now a credible, mainstream-friendly alternative. Apple’s current operating system works well, with a better track record of stability and security (the “basic human needs” of an OS). Their shift to Intel-based chips means that Microsoft Windows emulation is now simple and attractive: Windows emulation, even while running simultaneously with MacOS, is very close to the same speed as if you were just running Windows on a comparable Windows only/native/non-Mac system. And there’s less reason than ever to need emulation, since most business and personal apps have versions for the Mac.
The confluence of Microsoft’s enormous stumble and Apple’s giant strides forward is what led me to switch from Windows to Mac earlier this year. At the time, I figured it was a narrow window of opportunity for the Mac. But Microsoft’s delay in rolling out Vista, the lackluster appeal of Vista, and the growing momentum of Mac’s success, is making that window of opportunity for Apple wider and wider. It’s not as if Microsoft is in any impending doom of loosing it’s outlandishly dominant position in the marketplace, but I do think it spells some serious trouble for the company.
Delicious Chinese food (Joe’s Noodle House) and a good film (Good Shepherd).
As I slog through grading end-of-semester papers and final exams, I can’t help but appreciate this guide to grading exams.
Today was a happy day: my faculty edition of the new version (v15) of SPSS arrived. Lately I’ve been doing most of my quantitative data explorations and analysis with JMP, since it’s more intuitive and Mac-friendly than SPSS. And I suspect I’ll still stick with JMP for most of my work, but the updated faculty edition of SPSS does come bundled with a bright and shiny new toy (well, new for me), the complex sample module.
It’s handy, because it makes inferences from cluster sampling far easier to evaluate. And that’s a good thing, because if you’re doing research on a shoe string, in a wide geographic area, and/or in potentially hostile situation–all of which are pretty common in conflict research and program evaluation–then cluster sampling helps your time, budget, and hide. (For example, it was the natural choice for the recent Lancet surveys of Iraq mortality.)
Ok, that probably wasn’t very interesting for very many people. I can accept that. But still… new toy!!!
* Yes, yes… I live. It’s the end of the semester, so that officially makes it CrazyTown when it comes to my workload and whatnot with final exams and grading. Note to self: one of these days I really should opt for writing multiple-choice final exams. Reality: it’s never going to happen.
* Of course I got a Wii. Is it as fancy as the new PS3? Nope. So what does it have going for it? Fun! To illustrate, here’s the argument for the Wii made Apple-style. (Note: not a workplace-safe video.)
* After spending all day lecturing on negotiations and agreement drafting, it was nice to find this humorous take. (Note: this isn’t a workplace safe video either. That just made you click on it faster, didn’t it?)
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