Category: General Tech
Keep it Classy, HP
Joel Mackey, on HP’s unfortunate habit of backdating warranties on computers:
If HP Computer does this to every single customer, or heck even if they just do this to 10% of their customers do you realize how much money they’re saving? They could be saving millions in warranty repair and service issues. Just systematically reduce people’s warranty by 6 months and you save millions. Brilliant!
Man, I love OEMs.
It’s a Wonderful Lie
I recognize that users don’t care about computers. The computer is a means to an end for them: a presentation to solicit more grant money, or a program to investigate a new computational method, or just simply sending a nice note to their family. They don’t want to “use the computer” so much as do something that the computer itself facilitates. I’m the same with with cars: I don’t want to know how an internal combustion engine works or know how to change my oil or in any other way become an automotive expert — I just want to drive to the grocery store!
‘You Can’t Put a Price on That’
What’s more, I remembered why I use Apple products in the first place. Sure there are a million choices in the PC (Windows/Android) world. I can make things look this way or that. I can download this or that utility. I can use this or that hardware. But really, I don’t want to. I want my phone to be done when I buy it. I want to know what it does, and how I’m going to do it. I don’t want to scour message boards for help when I’m in over my head.
On Managing Nerds #pastblast
Rands recent post on managing nerds is great. I’ve got a copy printed in the hanging folder where I keep my staff’s HR paperwork.
On the Helvetica Documentary #pastblast
This evening I watched “Helvetica: A Documentary Film by Gary Hustwit.” I was, admittedly, rather skeptical about whether I would enjoy a film about a type face; truth be told, I didn’t think it would be particularly interesting. On the contrary, it was one of the best films I’ve seen in some time.
I too loved the film, but I foolishly tried making my wife watch it with me. She got up and went to bed about 15 minutes after it started.
Bulletproof Backups #pastblast
The “you should backup regularly” argument needs little coaxing. Everybody “knows” they should backup the problem is they don’t. A backup plan is only as good as its followthrough – which is why Time Machine is so epic. It backs up every hour for you. You don’t even know it’s running but you hear the hard drive spinning, and watch your system slow down for a few minutes.
Knowledge Base Dumpster Diving #pastblast
This is from my 5th post ever here at ForkBombr, in which I discussed a challenge from a friend to find the oldest existing article on Apple’s support site:
An interesting challenge, but an easy one at the end of the day. I found article 116 which explains how “to use Apple Writer with the Paymar Lower Case Adapter.” The oldest article I found was number 3, which reads:
The Apple II and IIe power supply is a switching power supply. It is designed to accept 107 to 135 volts from DC to 60 Hz.
Cultered Code Still Doesn’t Get It
From the company’s FAQ page on cloud sync:
We will be doing a large scale test with quantifiable data to estimate server and bandwidth costs. It is not yet clear whether or not it will be necessary to pass any of those costs to the user base. This should not be taken as indication that there will, or will not, be any cost. A final decision will be made later based on the aforementioned testing.
Unplugging
Susan Maushart lived out every parent’s fantasy: She unplugged her teenagers.
For six months, she took away the Internet, TV, iPods, cell phones and video games. The eerie glow of screens stopped lighting up the family room. Electronic devices no longer chirped through the night like “evil crickets.” And she stopped carrying her iPhone into the bathroom.
Part of me envies those kids.
‘Trusted Advisors’
For each area I have a handful of people whom I trust and whom I know I can ask for their help. I know they have an educated and valuable position on the subject, and they meet two very important requirements:
- They shoot me straight 100% of the time. I prefer blunt honesty and genuine feedback. Don’t dance around my feelings. Tell me what you really think and why.
- They want me to succeed. Usually, by the time I’m ready for feedback from someone, I’ve gone about as far I you can go on my own. And that’s when I need someone to cheer me on to cross the finish line.
Wise words.
Topolsky, on Arrington
If you ever needed more proof that Michael Arrington is off his rocker and that Joshua Topolsky is a real journalist, go read this.