The other side...

Wednesday, October 31, 2007
It is funny... not HAHAHA funny, not HAHA funny, not even (ha) funny, but ironic funny.

I made that long post about Leopard, and I had pretty much decided to get it soon, even asking for my birthday present to be money earmarked for that purchase.

But then I thought, why? Do I really need it? Sure, there are some great features, and I will get it eventually, but is it worth the $70 to get a prettier looking OS? Or would the money be better at paying off debt, or maybe even given to a local church?

So after I had decided on buying it, I thought against it, thinking I will just get it later, and I would ask for money to be earmarked for me getting out of debt ("Kicking Sallie Mae out of the spare bedroom" is what Dave Ramsey would say... but I live in an efficiency... hmm.....).

But now that I type it, my thoughts are: "If I am going to get it in three months for $60 on e-bay anyway, why not just get it for $70 now?" I guess something deep down (some would call it the Holy Spirit) is making me feel bad about spending money on myself. But I can't figure out why.

Any thoughts?

Matthew

Can you guess?

OK, I tend to not do the Halloween thing, but when I do, it is the So-Cheep-It-Is-Hokey kind of costume.

Case in point:

From Leper to Leopard: Why 2008 will be the biggest year for Apple since 1981.

(This article was written entirely by me; special thanks to Leo Laporte and the rest of the TWIT gang for your ideas and motivation)

Most family and friends of mine would call me an Apple Fanboy, but I insist that I am only an Apple Fan. There is a distinct difference between a fanboy and a fan; a fanboy will praise the item no matter what the entity does, a fan can be critical of the entity when it is wrong. For example, I am a Dallas Cowboys Fanboy; no matter how much they suck, I will root for them in every game (OK, this year they are half decent, but in years past, I cheered for them even at their worst).

I consider myself an Apple Fan because I am able to be critical of Apple. I don't like that they have kept the iPhone closed (they will fix this next year) and how expensive their products are (they have a 33% profit rate, a number that makes most technology companies jealous). However, I am a huge fan because I think that they are the most forward thinking technology company (more on this later).

Now, on a slightly related topic, I do not consider myself a Windows Hater. I simply hate Windows. I don't consider myself a Windows Hater because I empathize with Microsoft: they have a huge problem to overcome! The problem is "legacy," which means that with nearly a billion computers in the world running Windows, Microsoft can't just come out with a fully new version (like Apple or Palm can). Because of this, they have not created a "new" Windows in the last 15 years; they have simply updated their old version. For example, there are still snippets of code in Vista that were written for Windows 95! This means that there is code running on most machines that is over 15 years old! This is absurd! Would you buy a new TV with technology from 15 years ago, or a 15 year old printer? Would you listen to music on a tape, or use Super-8 to film your home movies?

Like I said, I do empathize with Microsoft. There is no easy solution for this. Because of this legacy problem, I consider Microsoft a "backward thinking" company. Their legacy problems force them to cater to people running old software, old computers, and computers that they can't control. They are spending more time fixing problems then looking forward at new features. This is why the OS has not changed in 15 years. Windows 95 and Windows Vista are, deep down, the same product. Sure, they look different, they have a few new features (search, backup). But your use of the OS as a user is the exact same. You install programs the same, you open files the same, the desktop has not changed.

Now, this post is not here to bash Windows, but this point is important. See, I find that people are tired of using the same OS, looking at the same thing, doing things the same way, and having an operating system that reminds them of 1995.

OK, enough about Microsoft, lets drive 850 miles north to Apple. Apple, is by definition, a "forward thinking" company. They have a small market share, so they are forced to revolutionize to draw more customers (look at the iPod... these days, we take the iPod for granted, but when it came out, it blew all of the competition out of the water by being innovative and customer-centered). They are forced to make things better so that more people are interested in their product. If Apple had not changed their OS in 15 years (they did in 2001 with OS X), than they would be out of business right now.

And Leopard, Apple's latest operating system (released last week) is the perfect example of this. Most reviews of Leopard are downplaying the importance of Leopard. But they are wrong, because Leopard will be the spring board to bring new customers to OS X.

A specific example between the backward thinking of Vista and the forward thinking of Leopard:

How do you view files in Windows?



Not too bad. You can see what type of file it is (Word file, PowerPoint file, Audio File), and for the pictures, it gives you a thumbnail of the photo, so you can see what it is. But lets say you are looking for a specific file, how would you find it? The same way as you did in Windows 95: by name.

Now, here are the same files using OS 10.4 (the now "old" Apple OS):



Pretty much the same thing: the icons for the files are a simple generic icon (even the photos, which aren't saved with a thumbnail).

Here are the same files in Leopard:



It looks the same, but if you look close, the thumbnails of all of the files are actually previews of the files. It doesn't matter if the file is a Word Document, a PowerPoint document, a photo, a PDF... (almost) anything your computer can read, it will show you an actual preview of the file (including album art for the music). Apple has created a new technology called "Quick Look" that shows live previews of all files. No more looking at the name of a file to see what to open, you now can SEE inside of every file.

But it doesn't stop there. For those that use iTunes, you may have been using Cover Flow, which was released a few versions ago. In this view, you can see the album art of your songs, and the art flips by as you scan your music:



When I first saw it, it was one of those "oh, OK, whatever" reactions. But now I have it in all of my play lists. Not that it adds a whole lot of functionality, but it is cool to watch and play with it.

With Leopard, Apple has introduced Cover Flow into the finder. Mixed with Quick Look, it makes it amazingly fast to find your documents. Here are the same files as above in Cover Flow:



Lets say you are looking for a project in a folder. Now, instead of looking for the file name, you look for the content of the file! And this isn't just photos; it will show you previews of movies, text documents, presentations, spread sheets. If your computer can open it, it will show you a preview of it. And not only does it show you a preview of, for example, the first page of a presentation, but you can scroll through the pages right there IN THE FINDER! Play movies, scroll PDFs, etc.

But it STILL doesn't stop there.

The preview in Cover Flow not big enough? Hit the space bar, and said file fills the entire screen in a preview. Again, scroll through presentations, see all of the pages in a spread sheet, watch movies, all in full screen, all in real time, all without opening a single program!


(note that when checking music, it uses the album art, and you can hear the music playing)

This will change the way that you browse files, and you won't be able to go back! (for a live preview of this example, I reccomend that you watch the Guided Tour on Apple's website, Cover Flow starts at 3 minutes and 50 seconds)

Another in depth example. Leopard has an automated backup that will backup (by default every hour) onto an external hard drive. No fuss, no worries, no set-up, it just happens. Vista also has this feature (in fact, some say that Apple stole the idea from Microsoft as this was an announced feature of Vista long before Apple implemented it). So the two are the same, right? Wrong.

While the backup mechanism that runs in the background operates the same, Apple has taken it one step further. In Vista, it simply backs up your information. Puts it into folders, so that if you loose your data, you have to go search in nested folders for what you lost. In Leopard, you open a "program" (a subset of the OS) called "Time Machine." What happens is hard to describe. Lets say that you had some files in a folder, but the files are now gone. With the folder open, select Time Machine, and you get this:



The window that you are in is now stretching "back into time." Each window behind the current window represents a backup of that window. To find your missing files, you simply scroll back in time until your files appear. Or, you can click the arrow in the lower right to jump back to the last time the folder was changed. Select the missing document(s) and hit "restore." The files are now back where they should be.

So, lets compare restoring files in the two Operating Systems:
Vista: open your external HD, open a few sub-folders, looking for the file in whatever convoluted manor Microsoft decided to use. Get frustrated and decide to do a search. Finally find the file; drag over to the other folder and hope it was the right version.
Leopard: with the folder open, activate Time Machine, press back arrow, select files, press Restore. Four clicks, no searching, no worry, no time wasted.

Which would you choose? (again, for a live preview of this example, I reccomend that you watch the Guided Tour, Time Machine starts at 9 minutes 35 seconds)

I have only mentioned two out of the many many many updates in Leopard (they claim 300 updates over the last OS, watch the rest of the Guided Tour for more of the improvements). The above examples prove my point: people are tired of the same old OS, and want something new, refreshing, and different. They are tired of using the same old OS, they crave a new way of browsing and opening files. Couple that with the ease of use of the rest of the OS, and it is a home run! I see Windows users wasting no time in migrating to Leopard. In the last quarter (summer 2007), Apple announced that half of the customers that bought Macs via Apple Stores were new to Macs. I think that that number will rise.

Five and a half years ago I purchased my first Mac. When I told people that I had a Mac, they looked at me like I was a leper. Now, with so many switchers, and attitudes towards Apple different, I am proud to be a Leopard.

Matthew

Work...

Sunday, October 28, 2007
OK, so I am writing a long, thought out deep post due any day now (half of my family will like it, the other half will think that I was brainwashed), but until then, a gripe:

I received my schedule for Chick-fil-A for next week. On Friday (I have all day off) I am scheduled to work 11:45-3:15.

Really. I have been working there for well over a year, and they throw a three and a half hour shift on me? Give me a break! (actually, I don't get a break because it is less than 5 hours) Am I the only one that feels like this is disrespecting me?

Truth is, I am sure I will offer to close for someone else so that I can get more hours. What else would I be doing on a Friday night? Watch a movie? *ZZZZZZZZZ*

Matthew

...thoughts...

Wednesday, October 24, 2007
I was just sitting here looking at my desktop picture (Matt Hurley and I on the side of the Grand Canyon), and I was thinking... I hate a lot of what is going on in my life right now. Stupid school, stupid work, stupid family politics, I am lonely, semi-depressed, and always tired. I am constantly thinking about how happy I was in the past (or at least how happy I choose to remember myself being). I am always wishing that I could go back and be happy again.

But I was just thinking, I am now closer to God than I have ever been, and I have put my addiction behind me. On that thought, do I really want to go back?

Matthew

$1,336.17

Tuesday, October 23, 2007
$1,336.17.

That is what it will cost me to take Advanced Film in the spring. It will be fun and challenging, but I don't know if I want to continue classes post-grad.

Decisions, decisions.

Matthew

Quotes...

Monday, October 22, 2007
Two quotes of the day:

"Well, that's stuff, that has stuff, that deals with that." ~my professor, trying to make a segue (unsuccessfully, I might add)

'What's wrong with wanting to live?"
"Any dog can do that. Are you a dog? You're not a human being until you value something more than the life of your body. And the greater the thing you live and die for, the greater you are." ~from "The Worthing Saga" by Orson Scott Card

Matthew

They're back!

It is cold outside, so you know what that means..



The fuzzy slippers are out of the closet!!!

Matthew
Friday, October 19, 2007
"Experts say that in order to provide like water, basic health and nutrition for everyone in the world, they say it, the estimates say that it would cost somewhere around twenty billion dollars... which is how much Americans spend in one year... on ice cream."

~ Rob Bell, "Rich"

Matthew

...i want milk...

Wednesday, October 17, 2007
From the "Wow, that's old!" department:


Matthew

Two (more) things...

Two things:
Today, we filmed the 100th episode of "Time with God," our five minute daily devotional that aires on TV in India, Washington DC, Canada, and in parts of England. Pray that God leads this ministry to touch lives.

Also, this afternoon I am going to have a meeting with someone... not trying to be secretive, but I just don't want to get into the whole story right now. Pray that this meeting goes well (I am sure I will explain later).

Matthew

PS: Yes, I know I have several e-mail addresses, but why do some people e-mail me to BOTH e-mails? Do they not understand that if they send me an e-mail AND CC me via a different address that I get it TWICE?? arg...

It had to happen...

Sunday, October 14, 2007
Overhead Television Camera Falls Onto Field During Saints-Seahawks Game

SEATTLE — An overhead NBC television camera mounted on wires collapsed onto the turf during a timeout in Sunday night's game between the New Orleans Saints and Seattle Seahawks, causing a 10-minute delay.

The Saints had just called timeout with 11:24 remaining in the first quarter when the camera slumped and then fell a few yards from where the Seahawks were huddling. After the camera was righted somewhat off the ground, it fell again — and nearly hit Bobby Engram as the Seattle receiver was walking to the sideline.

Game officials then cleared both teams from the middle of the field while the network got the camera back up to normal height. As the camera moved up and down the field for testing, Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren looked up at its every move with his mouth agape. When the camera moved to the sideline, Seattle's players all cleared out from beneath it.

After a 10-minute delay, the game resumed with the camera parked above the Seahawks bench area — with players and coaches making sure they did not stand under it.

Just before the game resumed, referee Jeff Triplette announced: "If any live ball were to touch the wires overhead, there will be a replay of the down, by rule."



I always wondered what would happen if the ball hit it...

Matthew

An Update...

Saturday, October 13, 2007
An update on Alfonso (see last post):

I heard that this morning, he was doing so well that he was released without having to stay the entire 24 hours. He is home and resting.

Thanks for the prayers!

Matthew

Al Gore and more

Friday, October 12, 2007
Tonight, my sister called me to let me know that the Apple homepage is giving tribute to Al Gore for his winning the Nobel Piece Prize (yes, the same one Drew is going to win).

I think it is nice that they are doing that... I don't think that the guy would have made a good president, but he has done a lot for the climate change issue.

Also, remember that Al Gore is a part of the Apple Board of Directors... THAT is why they are doing it. Nothing wrong with congratulating one of your board members.

Also, if you could pray for Alfonso tonight. He is a part of the kitchen crew at Chick-fil-A. Tonight, during work, he was complaining about chest pains and shortness of breath, so we took him to the hospital, and sure enough, he had a mild heart attack. They are keeping him there for 24 hours to make sure he doesn't have another. Please keep him and his family in your prayers.

Matthew

Say "No" to Ramsey

Most of you know that I am a Dave Ramsey fan, but I don't post this here as a fan, I post this because I know that you guys will be asking.

Dave Ramsey is starting a new TV show on the new Fox Business Channel, which starts on October 15th. I asked my cable provider if they will be carrying it, they said yes. What channel? 107. Darn, I don't get that high. It is in another tier that I will not be receiving, but I can't complain, I am getting free cable!

So, there you go. No Dave Ramsey on TV for me.

Matthew

lolCATZ

Tuesday, October 09, 2007
OK, I have just had the best laugh in a long time! Here is the original post (might I also suggest Job 1):

I think I'm too old to fully appreciate the LOLcat internet meme. But it would not be right if I let this go by unmentioned: a LOLcat translation of the Bible, in wiki format so that everybody can chip in and help with the translating. (Job 1 is particularly well-done.) I notice that at the time of this posting, nobody has made any progress on the LOLcat translation of the book of Zephaniah-so what are you guys waiting for?

And while I'm on the topic, despite my grumpy-old-man inability to find LOLcats hilarious, I must admit that I did crack a smile at Fred Sanders' collection of TheoLOLgians. Internet gibberish meets ancient church history:

Athanasius

There's plenty more along the same lines.

Excursion Me

I went and picked out what excursions I want for the cruise in December, and you should too!

Go check out the Kelling Family Forums and post something!

Matthew

How 'bout them Cowboys?

Monday, October 08, 2007
I just watched the best football game of the last five years.

Cowboys (third) playing the Buffalo Bills (23rd). Cowboys should have had (another) easy win.

But they didn't

Romo had 5 interceptions and two fumbles. We were missing tackles and blocking left and right. It came down to the end of the game... literally.

With thirty seconds left, we were down by 8. We made the touchdown (after several interesting plays) but missed the two pointer.

We then got the onside kick with 20 seconds left, so all we had to do was kick a field goal to win (we had to get into field goal range). After a bunch of plays (surprising how many plays you can run with 20 seconds on the clock), we kick the 52 yard field goal, and it goes in, but the play was called dead because of a timeout by the other team. So, with two seconds left on the clock, or kicker set up to kick his career longest field goal AGAIN. And it went in. It was so amazing.

But it took forever. Because of reviewing plays, timeouts, and touchdowns, the last 35 seconds of the game took 20 minutes to complete.

Stephen is right that we don't DESERVE the win, but who cares, we are one of four un-defeated teams in the NFL right now, and I will go with that any day!

Matthew

You pronounce it like "joist," but not really

Thursday, October 04, 2007
OK, JOOST is my favorite new friend/program/anything!

It is the best IPTV program ever! You run the program (yes, they have a Windows version too) and you can watch free TV, movies, shows, lots of things! Some items are made for JOOST, some are abbreviated episodes, but some are full movies/TV shows!

And all free!

For example, I missed last week's NCIS. So I go to JOOST.com, type in NCIS, click on the episode I want to watch, and hit play. That simple!

WEEEE!!!!!!!!!!

Matthew

EDIT: After watching a full episode, I am happy with the service.
Good:
(almost) no commercials!
OK quality
Full episodes for free!
(mostly) stutter free!

Bad:
During the entire hour show, there were only three commercials... or there was one commercial, three times, spread throughout the show. Very impressive that they can get away with 45 minutes of content with only 1.5 minutes of commercials!
The video needs de-interlacing BAD!!!
The video is presented in fixed letterbox, like you would see the show on a regular TV. See, in HD, the widescreen would fill the entire TV, but in HD, it adds the black on top and bottom; on my wide screen, it adds the black on top and bottom AND both sides... it should be exported AS widescreen, not letterboxed.
Slightly choppy, although, when it was bad, I would just pause it for a sec (let it buffer) and then play it again. Impressive for my slow connection!

Overall, I give it a B+ Good job on execution, just needs some work on the details.

Oh, and I got my internet back!!!!! YEA!!!!!!!

Matthew

My new Desktop...

Wednesday, October 03, 2007
My new desktop image (click for full view):



Matthew

Just like us...

Monday, October 01, 2007
I got a good laugh when I saw this story:

Sons Stab Each Other During Chicago Mom's Birthday Party
Monday, October 01, 2007

CHICAGO — A Southwest Chicago mother got the fright of her life Sunday night when her two sons stabbed each other during her birthday celebration, police said.

The men, ages 37 and 39, were hospitalized in critical condition, but were expected to live. No charges have yet been filed.

Matthew

EDIT: I just thought of something. "No charges have yet been filed." It would be funny if they both got jail for the fight, and they ended up in the same cell... hehe