November, 2009 archive
Which is the best computer?
Nov
22
2009
I’ve been a Apple Mac user since the early 1990s so obviously I am biased - the same as anyone is, whatever computer you are used to has to be the best.
However, since I got involved in web design about 10 years ago, I’ve had to run a PC to test my sites and make sure everything is working across all platforms. This has given me dual view or running a PC and Mac side by side to compare the two operating systems.
What I have always loved about Macs is that they just work, in simple terms that you can intuitively understand - you’ve got a Hard Drive, so it’s called a Hard Drive - there’s no messing about with b / c / or d drives? You want to move a file from one place to another, you just click and drag it there.
Keep it simple stupid
Macs work from your perspective, making things simple, not technical. They boot up faster, they are more stable, the type is clearer, and graphics are better. You get everything you need in a box, rather than loading and registering software from dozens of different companies.
I think they have always been a winner because virtually the whole interface is image / icon based, rather than file sub directories and root folders. Plus, there is the added benefit that you can customize virtually every aspect of how you computer looks and behaves - I know this sounds daunting to most users, but it’s nice to have the option if you want it.
Mac’s reliability and stability have also come on leaps and bounds, and since the launch of OS X I haven’t had a single crash in 3 years.
While I’m getting into this, you also have to take into account the usual Mac hype about no viruses. Now this is true, it’s something that no Mac user has to worry about because we are such a minority (less than 10% of the market) that no self respecting juvenile hacker would want to bother us.
So I don’t have to worry about subscribing to Norton or some other software program and there are no annoying pop up windows that just tick me off. It just works they way you want it to.
Change happens
When I have gone on about Macs to my PC friends, they have come back with two arguments: that you can’t run PC software on a Mac and that the machines are too expensive. Wrong on both counts.
It’s easy to run your current PC software on a Mac, and for all those hard nosed business people looking for quality, value for money and reliability - this is an independent survey carried out the highly respected Which?:
Laptop Best Buys
| Model | Price | Score |
| Apple MacBook | £799 | 75% |
| Apple MacBook Pro | £850 | 73% |
| Samsung Q320 | £666 | 71% |
| Dell Studio XPS | £799 | 70% |
| Dell Studio 1555 | £749 | 70% |
| Acer Aspire 77352 | £414 | 70% |
| Dell Studio 17 | £699 | 70% |
Desktop PC Best Buys
Results of survey carried out by Which? magazine:
Apple
Apple gets an impressive 94% in our customer satisfaction measure. It’s also rated highly for support, earning a good overall rating. Apple computers are reliable too, with an above average reliability rating.
Sony
The Sony range is rather limited and priced at the luxury end of the market, but they’re well regarded, as is reflected by its customer score of 80%. There isn’t enough data for Sony to get a reliability rating, it receives a disappointingly poor rating for support.
Novatech
Novatech is popular with customers, achieving a satisfaction score of 79%. There isn’t enough data to get a rating for reliability or support.
Owners’ verdicts - At a glance: the brands rated most highly by Which? subscribers.
| Model | Score |
| Apple | 94% |
| Sony | 80% |
| Novatech | 79% |
| Dell | 75% |
| Asus | 75% |
| Medion | 72% |
| Hewlett-Packard | 71% | Acer | 65% | Compaq | 63% |
Information courtesy of Which?
Remembrance Sunday - Bramhope
Nov
08
2009
WHO ARE THESE MEN ?
Who are these men who march so proud,
Who quietly weep, eyes closed, head bowed?
These are the men who once were boys,
Who missed out on youth and all its joys.
Who are these men with aged faces,
Who silently count the empty spaces?
These are the men who gave their all,
Who fought for their country for freedom for all.
Who are these men with sorrowful look
Who can still remember the lives that were took?
These are the men who saw young men die,
The price of peace is always high.
Who are these men who in the midst of pain,
Whispered comfort to those they would not see again?
These are the men whose hands held tomorrow,
Who brought back our future with blood tears and sorrow.
Who are these men who promise to keep
Alive in their hearts the ones God holds asleep?
These are the men to whom I promise again:
‘Veterans’, my friends - I will remember them!
Poem by Jodie Johnson (aged 11)
Tags: jodie johnson, remembrance sunday, who are these men
Posted in personal | Comments
English language and the fear of American influence
Nov
01
2009
The English language can be weird, ask any 10 year old.
The trouble is with phonetics. We spent all those long hours at school, fidgeting and passing notes while some teacher tried to explain how two words that sounded exactly the same, were actually spelt completely differently. Ahh, there their.
So how come, many years later, educated adults have such a problem with simple words that are spelt just how they sound? Organized, specialized, mobilization, optimized, prioritize … are all spelt with a Z, not with an S.
There seems to be a dark fear or phobia about using a Z - as though it was some sort of dreadful American spelling.
This mistake has become so common, that replacing it with an S has even made it into the Oxford English Dictionary in recent years as (alternative spelling).
The irony of the situation is that the Americans are using the correct English spelling, whereas we are more frequently using a French alternative.
Zut Alors!
Tags: america, copywriting, spelling
Posted in copywriting | Comments