Eric

Member since: Oct 7th, 2008

Eric's Latest Comments

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Autoblog	1 Comment
TUAW.com	2 Comments
Engadget	4 Comments
Download Squad	1 Comment
WalletPop	1 Comment
Daily Finance	1 Comment

Recent Comments:

Steam shows massive adoption of Windows 7 by gamers (Download Squad)

Jan 24th 2010 2:40PM I'm not sure I entirely agree with that. Gamers are probably more likely to build their own system rather than buy a pre-built computer with an operating system pre-installed on it. Thus, gamers are probably more likely to choose and install the OS themselves.

Microsoft group manager: Windows 7 borrowing 'Mac look and feel' (updated: Microsoft responds) (Engadget)

Nov 12th 2009 1:48PM The Grendel said:
"We could say the same about MacOS ripping off the Windows Task bar for their new interface a few years back."

I heard that the dock in OS X was actually taken from NeXTStep, which was developed in the late 80s, before Windows had a taskbar. NeXTStep was started by Steve Jobs after he was forced out of Apple.. So I'd say the dock is pretty much an Apple original idea.

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UnixSystemsEngineer said:
"I'm glad they stole/borrowed/whatever the Dock. The old Windows taskbar/quicklaunch/systray was an absolute clusterfuck of a design."

I actually feel the opposite.. I think they actually took away some functionality with the Windows 7 taskbar. I felt that the old Windows taskbar/quicklaunch bar was more functional. I liked the separate functionality of the quick launch bar and task buttons, which are combined in Windows 7. Thankfully though, you can make Windows 7's taskbar work like the old taskbar.

Psystar sues over Snow Leopard, abandons reality (TUAW.com)

Nov 4th 2009 1:19PM I understand why Apple wants to tie its OS to their hardware - I've read that Apple wants to stay in the business of selling hardware, and selling hardware is where the majority of their revenue comes from.

However, I also agree with Psystar in that it would be nice to be able to install OS X on whatever computer you choose. Apple only makes a small number of computers in limited configurations. My ideal Mac would be something similar to the Mac Pro but with less expensive hardware, such as an Intel Core Duo rather than a Xeon CPU. I don't need a Xeon (it's a server-class CPU), but I like to be able to open my computer to upgrade it. As much as the Mac Pro costs, it seems hard to justify buying one. What it comes down to is that I like OS X, but Apple doesn't make a machine that I really like at a decent price. I actually have a Mac Mini, and I like it, but the only things you can really upgrade easily in it are the hard drive and RAM.

I also think that opening up OS X to be sold on any PC could provide more competition in the marketplace, which might be a good thing. It has been argued that Microsoft is a monopoly (or near monopoly) with their Windows OS, and having another major player such as OS X in the marketplace could help keep Microsoft in check.

Facebook 3.0 for iPhone released (TUAW.com)

Aug 28th 2009 2:53PM One thing that has confused me is that when new updates appear in the Apple Store, the release date is often months ago. For instance, I checked the App Store just now, and this new Facebook 3.0, which supposedly just came out yesterday (August 27), has a date of July 10, 2009.

I check the App Store fairly frequently, but it seems that the dates on all app updates are incorrect. Another example is the Yahoo Messenger app - I saw a new update for that app just now, but it had a date of March 2009.

After 101 years, why GM failed (Daily Finance)

Jun 1st 2009 12:32PM GM's failure may hurt economically in the short run, but in the long run, I think we'll be fine. Even with GM's failure, people will still need cars. Foreign auto companies still have factories here, and I've even heard that Volkswagen is planning to build (or already has built) a new factory in Tennessee, and they plan to manufacture their Jetta and a couple other models here in the US with North American parts. I'm sure other foreign auto companies will continue to operate factories here, too. And perhaps we'll also see a resurgence of Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac, and GMC. Either way, I'm sure that in the long run, we'll still be able to provide automotive jobs for future generations.

25 things vanishing in America, part 2: The stick shift (WalletPop)

Apr 6th 2009 2:41PM I very much enjoy driving a car with a manual transmission, and most of my driving years have been with manual transmissions. However, I recently bought a new car with an automatic transmission. It's a 2009 VW Rabbit 4-door, and a manual transmission was not an option with the 4-door model. Also, their automatic transmission has 1 more gear than their manual transmission (6 vs. 5). I was leaning toward an automatic anyway; as much as I enjoy a manual transmission, I was becoming fed up with continual clutching in stop-and-go traffic (especially on an incline). Although that doesn't happen very often, it was quite an annoyance. I find it comforting, though, that at least VW's uses their "Tiptronic" transmission that allows manual shifting up & down.

Windows 7 SKUs announced: your worst nightmare has come to pass (Engadget)

Feb 3rd 2009 5:13PM I agree with other posters who have said it's no big deal to have to choose from several different editions of Windows. What I don't particularly like is that it seems like a scheme to allow Microsoft to make more money. By giving users a choice, they expect that a significant number of users will be will willing to pay more for a higher edition. This really isn't uncommon though; many other companies do the same thing with their products.

I like that Apple offers just one edition of OS X that contains everything, but I think one of the main reasons they do this is that Apple considers itself primarily a hardware business and prices its products so that much of their revenue comes from hardware rather than software.

Digital TV transition delay bill fails to pass in House (Engadget)

Jan 28th 2009 6:21PM @Jay Voorhees: The reason for the DTV coupons is not that people can't afford it, it's because if we want to continue watching TV over the air, we have no choice but to buy a DTV converter box. If I had a perfectly good analog TV, it would bother me that I would be forced to spend some more money on something just to allow me to keep watching TV. I could afford to buy a converter box (I actually bought an LCD TV with built-in digital tuner a while ago), but I for one don't like spending money only because I have no other choice. It's a matter of principal. With the DTV coupons, the government understands that a DTV converter box is a necessary upgrade (not an option) and thus is willing to help offset some of the cost for consumers. This is not necessarily a government hand-out; it was the government that mandated the DTV switch in the first place.

Apple unveils all-new 17-inch MacBook Pro (Engadget)

Jan 6th 2009 3:25PM This new MacBook Pro sounds great, and I've been considering buying an Apple machine next time I upgrade, but there always seems to be something that keeps me from choosing Apple. This time, it's the non-removable battery. *sigh*

VW Rabbit gets a carrot from Consumer Reports (Autoblog)

Oct 7th 2008 11:13PM I think the reason that a lot of VWs in the US have had reliability issues has to do with where they're assembled, and I don't think many people consider this. Many VWs that have been sold in the US in the late 80s through 2005 or so have been assembled in Brazil and Mexico.

I bought a 2006 VW Rabbit new, and one of their advertising points then was the fact that many VWs they had were being assembled in Germany. The salesperson told me that VW's Mexico plant was having some quality control problems. They're supposed to inspect the cars and approve them off before shipping them, and the Mexico plant wasn't actually inspecting them. Thus, the New Beetles sold in the US - which are all assembled in Mexico - were known to have above-average reliability/quality problems. The Mexico plant manager was fired due to that.

Before my '06 Rabbit, I had a 2001 GTI that I had bought used, which was assembled in Brazil. The engine had some issues, although upon inspection by VW repair techs, I was told that that GTI had gotten a shoddy repair job (and an engine swap!) after it was in an accident at some point in its past.

I've heard good reliability ratings about the Passat - and I read somewhere that all the US Passats are assembled in Germany.

I still see plenty of older VW Rabbits/Golfs and Jettas (from around 1980 and onwards) on the road, as well as older VW Beetles. I think that's a testament to their reliability - at least the older VWs.

I no longer have the '06 Rabbit due to being in an accident where it was totaled, but I thought it was a good car. I plan on buying a new Rabbit fairly soon.