Apple is pushing too hard It is one thing for Apple to promote OSX, and to encourage people to use it, it is another to leave OS9 slowly twisting in the wind with no support. Luckily others feel the same way I do, and I just discovered a great web site for the rest of us. http://www.os9forever.com/

ANOTHER new version of Microsoft Office Its reported here that a new version of Microsoft Office (version 11) will see the light of day soon. The current version: Office XP SR-2, aka Office 10, aka Office 2002, is a big yawn as far as having any significant improvements productivity wize. Years ago (1996?) Microsoft asked for suggestions for additional features. 80% of features asked to be added were already included. Of course with the "Typical" install leaving out many features, but installing many extra dlls to run at bootup to make Office Applications seem to load "fast" you have to wonder about Microsoft. Then again every new version has promotional material about the great new wizard (actually there since before Office 95) for doing a Mail Merge. Apparently so few people use it, Microsoft can always pretend it's a great new feature.

Windtunnel Macintosh Replacing fans in the power supply, contrary to published reports has no appreciable affect on the Windtunnel noise on System 9 reboots of the DDR G-4 Macintosh. That Windtunnel noise is caused by intake of air for the larger fan blowing on the Heat sink on the dual Processors.

A true Switcher story Read This !

Apple's Rebates and Promotions While some are reporting horror stories with Apple rebates, I apparently am having good fortune. I sent in get get a free copy of Adobe InDesign and in less than 4 weeks, it's being shipped to me. Apple has a web site one can use on checking on rebates.
Then Apple has a promotion where K-12 teachers can get a free copy of "Jaguar" OSX, so naturally I had my wife apply.

A Quieter G4 DDR Macintosh - Tonight I went to Fry's here in Houston to pick up the parts I need to make my Macintosh quieter. Apparently Apple cut corners in 2 places on these new models. First cheaper noisy cooling fans in the power supply, secondly, OS 9.2.2 does not have the firmware/software to control the fan speed, so they rev up to max for no apparent reason. These Macs have therefore deservedly been nicknamed the Windtunnel Macs.

Microsoft Lies and gets Caught - Microsoft put up a web page that was a blatant lie about someone switching from a Mac to a PC. Now it's all been documented. Whats even more amazing is the lengths Microsoft went to to cover it up. When my workplace had a confidential web page not properly secured we took it down, only to find out it had been cached by Google. It took us 3 weeks of effort to get Google to uncache it. Microsoft, it took them 12 hours.

DUDE - You're getting a Dell : That Dell campaign has been so successful that Dell has a web site for Steven. Of course when HP says its sales are down because of the economy, one wonders then why Dell's sales are up?

Yellow Meteorology I live in Texas and the local weather stations always want to scare you with how bad a hurricane is (or could become) and likely it is (or might possibly be) that it will hit where you live. No matter the National Weather Service is forcasting it 300 miles away. Reminds me of the 1974 Xenia tornado I narrowly escaped. Next year everytime sky turned gray, TV stations were scaring folks with how likely it was more tornadoes were on their way.
They have all lost their credibility with me.