Jason Snell has published a video that hits the nail right on the head as far as the Mac’s place in tomorrow’s world. In it, he also breaks down the problems in Steve Jobs’ analogy about the Mac being a truck.
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RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic for iOS⇢
RollerCoaster Tycoon was hands-down my favorite game when I was a kid, and now I can play it on my iPad. 
The app is $5.99, and is a blend of the 1999 original and the 2002 sequel. There are three in-app purchases, but there is more than enough content in the base app to last a while.
I played one park this morning on my iPad, and the play mechanics are totally usable on a touch device. I’m impressed, and very excited to play more.
The Mac’s Marginalized Future
The Mac is my favorite computing platform on God’s green Earth. I find great joy in using it, but it makes me sad at the same time.
I’m not alone in that duality. Many of the Mac’s most hardcore fans have felt slighted — or even forgotten — as the iPhone and iPad have risen to prominence at Apple.
I don’t think the Mac is a dead platform yet, but I do fear its glory days are behind it. It isn’t seeing the types of innovation it once did. It’s not the focus for many third-party developers, but more importantly, it’s unique advantages are slipping away:
Kbase Article of the Week: Get Quick Info With Dashboard⇢
If you want to use Dashboard in El Capitan, this document is for you:
Dashboard is a collection of small programs, called “widgets,” that let you quickly do a wide variety of tasks such as checking stock prices, finding weather information, and more.
Oh, ok.
Note: You can also use widgets in Today view in Notification Center. For more information, see Use Notification Center.
Harsh.
AirPods Impressions
After months of waiting, I finally got my hands on a set of AirPods, Apple’s new wireless earbuds that were promised way back at the iPhone 7 event in September.
I’ve only had them for a day or so, so this isn’t a comprehensive review, but I wanted to share some initial impressions.
Tech
The AirPods are full of little touches of whimsy that make them feel a lot smarter than normal headphones:
Liftoff #36: Remembering John Glenn⇢
This fortnight on Liftoff, Jason and I talk about John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth, and the oldest person to travel in space.
20 Years Ago, Apple Bought NeXT
On Dec. 20, 1996, Apple announced that it had purchased NeXT:
Apple Computer, Inc. today announced its intention to purchase NeXT Software Inc., in a friendly acquisition for $400 million. Pending regulatory approvals, all NeXT products, services, and technology research will become part of Apple Computer, Inc. As part of the agreement, Steve Jobs, Chairman and CEO of NeXT Software, will return to Apple — the company he co-founded in 1976 — reporting to Dr. Gilbert F. Amelio, Apple’s Chairman and CEO.
Connected #122: 2016: Big, Heavy and Vaguely Disappointing⇢
With 2016 (finally) drawing to a close, the Connected trio hop in their time machine and revisit the biggest tech stories of the last 12 months.
My thanks to our sponsor:
- Smile: Give the gift of Smile, and you’ll be giving the gift of time.
We’re taking next week off, but Connected will be back on January 3.
IFixIt Tears Down AirPods⇢
Tim Cook: ‘Great Desktops’ Are Coming⇢
Apple’s CEO, in a posting to an employee message board that was leaked to TechCrunch:
The desktop is very strategic for us. It’s unique compared to the notebook because you can pack a lot more performance in a desktop — the largest screens, the most memory and storage, a greater variety of I/O, and fastest performance. So there are many different reasons why desktops are really important, and in some cases critical, to people.
Performa Apple Watch⇢
I’m just surprised this watch isn’t beige.
Dashboard
Remember this?
Introduction & Evolution
Introduced with Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger, Dashboard was easy enough to explain:
Dashboard is home to widgets: mini-applications that let you perform common tasks and provide you with fast access to information. With a single click, Dashboard appears, complete with widgets that bring you a world of information — real-time weather, stock tickers, flight information and more — instantly. Dashboard disappears just as easily, so you can get back to what you were doing.