Alfreido's Blog

I’ve generally been a quite vocal fan of iTunes, the music management software provided our Microsoft-emulating friends at Apple, but I’ve never been a fan of their DRM-encoded (digital rights management) music library available on iTunes Store. I’ve begrudgingly put up with it as iTunes went hand-in-hand with my iPhone before I lost it, and I want to support my favourite artists. Although I understand the “record companies get most money, artists get none” excuse most people make when downloading music, I don’t subscribe to it. You either support the artist and give them a little money, or you download their material illegaly and give them nothing.

So I’m quite delighted by the latest news that Apple has finally agreed with those 3 big record companies with gold-plated walls in their HQs to release their music DRM-free. I truthfully believe this is a step in the right direction, and might be a factor in getting people back into paying for music again. Songs in iTunes are hardly expensive these days, less than a 600ml of Coke each ($1.69) and whole albums cost less than a ticket to the movies ($16.99). Of course, there’ll still be cheap-skates, but there’s not a lot you can do about them.

The main gripe I have with iTunes at the moment is its insistence at using AAC format for the music and the cost of TV shows for download. Technically, the AAC format is more advanced than MP3, so why don’t I like it? Just simply because it isn’t as supported yet. Some of my music players refuse to play AAC, so I’m forced to use a converter to make it MP3. In terms of the TV shows, $90 for LOST? You’re kidding.

By the way, I’m not an Apple sales person, as much as some of my work buddies would like me to be. I’ll use anything if its easy and cheap enough, and at the moment, iTunes is. Get on board!

A mate of mine asked me last night on MSN which operating system I prefer the most – considering that I use Linux at work (openSUSE 10.3 to be exact) at work and I use Windows XP at home (with Vista only a dual-boot away). I also own a MacBook Pro – unsurprisingly bundled with Macintosh OS X 10.5. Do you want to know my opinion? I hate them all equally, cos they all bring a case of FAIL in different areas:

Linux shits me because there is no solidarity in the community. Instead of all working together to create a kick-ass OS which shits all over Apple and Microsoft, they all decide to segregate and work on their own OS software. It also shits me that even the OS software directed towards absolute computer noobs still require some soft of computing expertise with Linux (I am not one of these noobs, but I digress).

Macintosh shits me because Apple insist on using their own standards and being a big supporter of copy protection software. Instead of using tried-and-tested standards for various things like audio and video, Apple force people to do things their way or hit the highway.

Windows shits me because Microsoft – even after numerous patches and service packs – hardly ever fix the bugs that actually matter, and usually instead throw in several products and features that hardly anyone use. Windows also shits me considering how much memory it insists on using (especially Vista) just to bloody run – and you’re expected to have your programs fit into the 5% of memory not being used. Tried running games on that? It fucking sucks.

So… you won’t be getting any recommendation from me. I’ll let the fanboys give you their opinion. Have fun decoding that clusterfuck.

Hail the fucking lord, that’s all I have to say.

Seriously, I am really loving my MacBook Pro at the moment. If you need to know, I have the 2.4ghz Intel Core-Duo version, with a 256mb 8600m GT, and it is seriously a slick, speedy piece of hardware with few faults. The only faults I could pick up were the lack of a double-buttom touchpad to emulate the left and right clicks of a normal mouse. Seriously, Apple, well done your OS is simple enough to use with only one mouse button. But for those actually living in the 21st century, we prefer to have the 2-button salute to do all the things the left click doesn’t do. Holding ‘Control’ and using the click button doesn’t cut it. I also noticed the laptop does get quite hot, negating the ‘lap’ in laptop. But those are the only things I can think of.

Regarding Mac OS X, I’m finding it more and more to be my OS of choice. I just love the form factor of the OS itself, it definitely looks more sleek and sexy than Windows XP, and arguably Windows Vista. I was one of the few who liked the look of Windows Vista, even if it runs like a dog with his feet stapled to the floor. It is also very awesome that Mac programs are installed by these single .dmg files as opposed to the clusterfuck that is the Windows program installers. To its credit though, Windows has a lot more programs available to it, something I found quite daunting to begin with, but I have gradually found Mac counterparts.

Speaking of Windows, I do have it installed in Boot Camp, to satisfy my mobile gaming needs. I installed World in Conflict, and have actually found with some tweaking, I can play the game on 1440×900 (the default resolution of the Apple MacBook Pro 15″ screens) at a very playable frame rate, and it looks very mint. I have been playing LAN games with my brothers and have had some good sessions on it. I don’t know if Apple intended it but these laptops could easily become a good gaming laptop. They have a lot of untapped power under the hood.

Overall, it’s a very awesome laptop, I’m loving it immensly. Go and get yourself one if you can afford it.