My Thoughts ...

Video Gaming Will Never Be the Same …

Donnie Wilemon — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 21:08:59 GMT

Check out this live demonstration on ‘Late Night with Jimmy Fallon’ showing the upcoming “controller-less” functionality for the Xbox 360 … it’s revolutionary. Currently in development, available in the near future. Referred to as “Project Natal”. Extremely, wicked cool.

The Geek Rock Star

Donnie Wilemon — Thu, 07 May 2009 19:41:05 GMT

This kind of speaks for itself … I thought it was funny. I use USB all the time and so do you – the guy’s a rock star :)

An iPhone to Match Your Kicks – This is So Stupid …

Donnie Wilemon — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 17:35:00 GMT

Fashion: An iPhone to Match Your Kicks

OK, this is a physical manifestation of why I soooo hate the whole “Apple thing” … I mean, seriously.

Newsweek’s Lyons: The Media's Rotten Reporting on Apple

Donnie Wilemon — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 20:28:47 GMT

Also known as - “Welcome to the Party, Newsweek” or “Newsweek: Masters of the Obvious”

This article is dead-on. I couldn’t have said it better myself. Not to take anything away from Apple’s marketing excellence, but it becomes an order of magnitude more effective when the media is all too happy to jump on the bandwagon and stay there. Apple should be treated with the same skeptical and investigative eye that other technology companies endure, such as Microsoft. Thanks for Daniel Lyons for finally … FINALLY … saying something about this phenomenon. Read the entire article from the link below …

“The fact is, in the eyes of the media, Apple is the corporate equivalent of Barack Obama - a company that can do no wrong. Even in Silicon Valley, where much of the press corps are pretty much glorified cheerleaders (think of all those slobbering cover stories about the Google guys) Apple's kid-gloves treatment stands out. Reporters don't just overlook Apple's faults; they'll actually apologize for them, or rationalize them away. Ever seen reporters clapping and cheering at a press conference? Happens all the time at Apple events.”

Link: The Media's Rotten Reporting on Apple | Newsweek Daniel Lyons

Note: Video unrelated to Newsweek article …

The Apple Tax – Get Less for More

Donnie Wilemon — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 20:17:58 GMT

I’ve discussed previously how the consumer’s dollar doesn’t go as far with Apple products, but this chart illustrates it much better than words. The data below shows how you can save money on hardware that is actually more powerful (fast processors, more memory, bigger hard drives, etc).

As a consumer, make sure you understand the extra money Apple requires of you for your computing experience. Do real comparisons of their hardware versus other options in the marketplace and you may be surprised by the savings you can achieve. Don’t buy into the hype and hysteria; make informed decisions and get more for your dollar.

Microsoft’s Ability to Innovate Supported by Strongest Patent Portfolio

Donnie Wilemon — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 19:22:00 GMT

Periodically I’ll hear attacks on Microsoft and the company’s inability to innovate … often times the accusations are outright suggestions that Microsoft can only “copy” what others are doing in the marketplace and then through some “evil means” – this is usually where the monopoly stuff is thrown in for good measure – leverages their power to drive adoption. To counter this point of view, I thought this recent article was a good read … hard to argue with facts.

“Acquiring patents is seen as a way to gauge a company's ability to create and develop new technologies, so having a healthy patent pipeline tends to bode well for a company's ability to continue releasing relevant technologies that its customers will find useful.”

Link: http://www.cio.com/article/473922/Survey_Microsoft_has_strongest_patent_portfolio?source=home_ln

No, I will not fix your computer …

Donnie Wilemon — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 23:37:04 GMT

OK, this was just too good to pass up … might come in handy one day, huh ? Enjoy …

Remember: Going HDTV Is Not So Easy for Everyone

Donnie Wilemon — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 23:40:45 GMT

I think this kind of speaks for itself … watch the video.

Windows HPC Server Debuts in Top 25 of World’s Top 500 Largest Supercomputers

Donnie Wilemon — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 19:45:15 GMT

For anyone who might question Microsoft’s maturation into a truly “enterprise ready” alternative to other high-cost providers, check out the video above and this quote …

“Our experience with Windows HPC Server 2008 has been impressive,” said Robert Pennington, deputy director of the NCSA. “Deploying it was much easier than we expected, and the performance results have surpassed our expectations. When we deployed Windows on our cluster, which has more than 1,000 nodes, we went from bare metal to running the LINPACK benchmark programs in just four hours. The performance of Windows HPC Server 2008 has yielded efficiencies that are among the highest we’ve seen for this class of machine.”

Your 3G iPhone Is Broken - Do You Care ?

Donnie Wilemon — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 16:47:03 GMT

I thought this story on MSNBC was very interesting ... more proof about the growing issues Apple is dealing with around quality, technical issues, and customer satisfaction. It's so fascinating to see how the media continues to treat Apple with kid gloves by turning what would otherwise be very negative press for any other company, especially Microsoft, and spin it to something positive in regard to their "fanboy" base. As you can no doubt tell from my previous postings, I am ready for some "reality reporting" for Apple ... Yes, I understand what they do well and I am more than ready to admit that - but when they do some of the same things that other tech companies get crucified for in the press, I think they should be exposed and treated in the same manner.

"Such a string of mishaps and missteps might throw another electronics company into crisis. But of course, Apple Inc. isn't just another electronics company." ... This is exactly what I'm talking about ! I would ask this author for an explanation of just why Apple isn't just another electronics company. When they screw something up, they should be called on it roundly - even more so considering how the media has gushed over everything they've done for the last several years regardless of how truly innovative it was (or not).

"There was no going back at that point, but after I sold it, I quickly started to regret it," he said. Bruce's complaints echo countless Web forum posts: The device gets uncomfortably warm. Programs crash. And it so seldom connects to AT&T's speedier third-generation, or 3G, data network that Bruce carries the iPhone around with 3G turned off." ... Another quote from a devoted Apple fanboy. The device gets warm. It crashes constantly. It never connects to the 3G network (which was supposed to be the entire reason for the second iPhone release). Yet why isn't there some sort of outcry in the media to begin to paint Apple as a dismal failure with this release at least technically ? This article was buried 10 headlines deep on MSNBC.

This article also contains complaints about Macbook Airs getting too warm and other issues (iTunes, etc). That said, every tech company has issues with releases ... but everyone should be held to at least similar standards by at least the same media that routinely criticizes other companies. Apple's response to this article ?

"Apple, which declined to comment for this story, said little as complaints rolled in, then released a software fix it said would improve the device's ability to connect to 3G networks. Since then, users on various sites have reported no improvement."

Must be nice.

What about Blackberries ?

Donnie Wilemon — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 18:21:09 GMT

** Update: I've gotten some comments about inaccuracies here; investigation on my end ensues. Thanks for your patience and take this information with an asterisk for now. My apologies for now. **

I am an equal opportunity guy, so, while I'm at it, let's discuss some points about the Blackberry that you might not know ... especially in regard to a Windows Mobile device.

1. Did you know you can’t view HTML e-mail on any of the BlackBerry phones for sale today?
2. BlackBerry’s e-mail server has gone down several times over the last year, which means BlackBerry users couldn’t e-mail, possibly at vital moments.
3. With BlackBerry devices, you can only choose from a few devices that are on the market. Did you know that none of them offer a touch screen yet?
4. Did you know there’s almost no customization on BlackBerrys, besides changing the home screen?
5. To listen to music on a BlackBerry, you must use Roxio Music Manager. On Windows Mobile, just use your existing Windows Media Player playlists.
6. Document edits made on Blackberry devices are lost when transferred to a PC. With Office Mobile, only on Windows Mobile, you can work on docs just like your PC.
7. Windows Mobile works perfectly with Exchange ActiveSync. Advanced security policies help to secure corporate assets and personal data.
8. With a Windows Mobile Phone, you can display PowerPoint presentations on a screen by connecting to a Bluetooth projector. With a BlackBerry, you’ll always need your laptop.
9. You can keep in touch with Pocket MSN on Windows Mobile. Instant messaging enables you to say “hello” to your friends, just like on your PC.
10. With the Live Search application on your Windows Mobile phone, you can find cheap gas, the latest movies, and more ...

Is the iPhone Perfect ? What you might not know ...

Donnie Wilemon — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 20:09:41 GMT

Highly doubtful if you go by what is now beginning to leak out from those that would otherwise look for any reason to buy an iPhone. Apparently there is some momentum beginning to build behind the problems the iPhone is encountering. I thought this was a very interesting read from an Apple fanboy site you're probably already familiar with - www.gizmodo.com. Check this out ...

The iPhone 3G is infuriatingly buggy. It crashes. It doesn't get great speeds when it should, switching to EDGE in areas that have 3G coverage. Coming out of the subway, it takes minutes to find a signal again and stop claiming to get "No Service" in the middle of Manhattan, often requiring a restart. Requiring a restart to get service! What is this crap? And when I do have service, calls still drop and fail all the time. The keyboard lags so much that writing text messages is more annoying than using T9 texting on a number pad. The orientation switching when you rotate the phone is inconsistent at best. Backups take minutes, sometimes hours. Sometimes, the audio output dies and it needs to be restarted to listen to music through headphones ...

... but wait, there's more ...

I called Apple famed customer support to see if they had any solutions for these bugs. Their fix for my problem getting service when coming out of the subway? Turn Airplane Mode on and off. If there's a more ghetto fix for a problem than that, I'd like to hear it. Last time I checked the C train didn't have wings. As for when all of these bugs will be fixed, the guy on the phone said "Sooner or later it'll be working to its full potential ... If you're interested in reading the entire rant, check out http://gizmodo.com/5040593/cranky-windows-guy-apples-iphone-bugs-stopped-me-from-switching-to-a-mac.

>> In regard to Windows Mobile versus the iPhone, did you know ...

1. The iPhone has no physical keyboard. With Windows Mobile, you can choose a keyboard, a touch screen, or both! Your phone is truly personal.
2. Window Mobile lets you multitask, with two applications running at the same time. Only one application can run at a time on the iPhone.
3. Windows Mobile camera phones can take pictures up to 5 megapixels. The iPhone’s camera is only 2 megapixels with no flash, video, or optical zoom.
4. ... the iPhone can’t record videos? With Windows Mobile, you can, with up to 640×480 resolution and 30 frames per second (FPS).
5. The iPhone does not have an exchangeable battery. All Windows Mobile phones do.
6. The iPhone’s Web browser still doesn’t support Adobe Flash — if you visit a Flash website, all you’ll get is white space and error messages.
7. With an iPhone, you’ll pay extra if you leave the US— expect charges up to $20 per megabyte and no image downscaling or data compression.
8. Using an iPhone in the car isn’t really hands-free. No voice dialing and limited navigation and Bluetooth ...
9. The iPhone will cost more over the mandatory two-year contract than what its predecessors did, even with the lower price point.
10. Bottom line: the iPhone still has no removable battery, no voice dialing, no picture messaging, no video recording, no Copy and Paste.

Hyper-V Architecture, Scenarios & Networking

Donnie Wilemon — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:31:06 GMT

If you're even vaguely interested in server virtualization these days you've got to make some time to get up to speed on Microsoft's Hyper-V technology. It's making huge strides in a very short period of time and rattling the powers that be within the industry. Check out the link for a free video+slide+demo session from Microsoft TechEd to learn more - Microsoft Sr. Program Manager, Jeff Woolsey, does a great job reviewing the information and making it applicable. This is time very well spent over a lunch break or end of the day. Take a look !

IBM Reports Apple #1 in Reported Security Vulnerabilities

Donnie Wilemon — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 18:49:31 GMT

Infoworld is reporting that a new IBM security study is showing Apple as the #1 provider of security vulnerabilities. Final results were close, according to the IBM X-Force 2008 mid-year report , with Apple achieving vulnerability disclosure score of 3.2 percent, followed by Joomla (open source) with 2.7 percent and Microsoft at 2.5 percent. Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox browsers had a marked drop in critical vulnerabilities from 2007. Both browsers had six memory corruption vulnerabilities, down from 20 and eight respectively in 2007, however Firefox fell short of it's rival with one security zone bypass, and a single miscellaneous vulnerability. Firefox had 11 security zone bypass and four buffer overflow flaws in 2007.

NPD Study: Average Mac Computer Price More That Twice That of Average PC

Donnie Wilemon — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 00:20:32 GMT

Very interesting ... There are a couple of ways to look at this, but why stand on your head to explain away the blaring truth ?

Specifications often vary sharply for these systems, with Apple often focusing on faster processors than some rivals in notebooks but at the expense of memory and hard drive space. Its insistence on using mobile processors and custom designs for desktops, however, has created feature discrepancies where a Dell Inspiron 518 tower nearing the $700 mark features two more processor cores, three times as much memory, and twice the hard drive space of an $1,199 entry-level iMac despite both coming with near-equivalent LCDs. While the average price for Windows-based systems is described in the NPD data as having largely flattened and unlikely to drop further in the near future, the disparity between these and Macs has only widened in the last few months, according to eWeek. Apple's general policy of refusing to alter prices until its next hardware revision has reduced the value of its systems relative to Windows competitors.

"If Apple is going to continue its market share gains, or simply maintain that 8.5 percent U.S. share, prices must go down and configurations bulk up," eWeek notes. "The math is simply undeniable."