Keep Thoughts on your iPhone with PogoNotes

PogoNotes is a web-based note-taking application that’s ideal for your iPhone.[...] Thanks to obeezy for providing this nice story on Digg (more than 32Diggs).

What other users say about this:

Lets Talk About iWork and Office for Mac

David Weiss is an employee at Microsoft’s MacBU, and while he has makes it clear that he doesn’t speak for Microsoft or the MacBU, his recent post about iWork ‘08 is interesting from a couple of directions.[...] Thanks to obeezy for providing this nice story on Digg (more than 767Diggs).

What other users say about this:

Oceansea: iWork is never going to fully replace Office, but what it is doing is giving Apple a suite with ‘good-enough’ compatibility which will probably improve year on year and if MS Office disappears, well with the Intel move there is always the nuclear option of using Office on Windows via Parallels or Bootcamp.

So it’s quite simple really as to what you should be using:

- If you work in business, you need MS Office for Mac.
- If you work for a corporate with all sorts of automated spreadsheets and documents, you need to use Office 2007/2003 via Parallels desktop or something.
- If you just need to share a few documents with friends, social groups etc. iWork is fine.

Andboom: I like iWork ‘08, but its standard file formats don’t seem to be as efficient when it comes to file sizes… I load up my CV using Pages (resume for any US readers!) which is a 68K Word document (the document contains mostly text except for one small graphic) and save it out as a Pages document. Suddenly it is 128K! When we’re dealing with a few extra K I can live with this, but if I load in, say a 1MB Word document, it can sometimes end up as a 6MB Pages doc! Okay, so I can export the file as a word document and get a smaller file size but it would be nice if I could save Pages documents without the extra baggage. Same goes for Excel files when they are imported into Numbers. Also, when opening Word documents in Pages, my embedded graphics disappear… I thought it would import .doc Word documents without any problems! This seems like a pretty basic requirement given the claims that iWork makes about being Word compatible.

spinkaliceous: What will happen with iWork is ported to Vista or XP (like Safari is now)? Any thoughts to how it would impact the causal home user ($349 for Microsoft Office?!?!?!)?

da5id: Let’s not.

jamminman: idk about you guys, but I just yar-har-har and have both Office and iWork. I’m pretty satisfied.

bromac: There’s been Word Processing and Spreadsheet programs ever since we’ve had PCs.

I still don’t get how Microsoft gets off selling $300 word processors. And it gets more expensive when there’s progressively less to polish on the software and nearly no development costs left to recoup.

It’s as if they’re still trying to hock Model Ts with fresh paint as new cars. I just don’t get it. One of these day’s people are going to realize what they’re handing three bills over for.

frostieDude: What happens if Apple makes a Windows version of iWork? I could see it happening because it would add to the value of iWork for Mac and help lure people to using Apple stuff.

totorototoro: I like David Weiss’s writing-he’s always tried to keep the Mac community engaged in what the MS MacBU is doing. But his whole compatibility thing is sad.

The issue isn’t about how compatible Apple’s iWork is-quite simply, its not compatible enough for IT managers to be interested in supporting in predominantly PC environments.

The real issue is how compatible Mac Office 2007 is-and quite simply, its not compatible enough EITHER for IT managers to be interested in supporting in predominantly PC environments. They left out just enough stuff (VB, macros) to give it the label “Almost completely compatible with the Windows versions.” Which is the label of death :p

dignick: I can see why it’s taking so long for office ‘08: they must be trying to understand how ooxml works.

qbqb: When he talks compatibility, he’s only talking file compatibility. If you want MS Office on a Mac, you should be Parallels or something similar – otherwise why bother?

Quix: Hmmm, $ for a suite of apps that are simple to use and put out great-looking documents and presentations (iWork) or $$$$$ for a suite of apps that include a bloatload of features that I and 95% of other users don’t ever use and don’t really need (Office).

Tough call…

Goodbye, Office.

bedouin: The MacBU has zero commitment to the Mac. Sometimes I wonder why it exists at all. I definitely wonder why they need so many employees to ship one product: Office. All other MacBU offerings were scrapped the minute a superior competitor arrived. For example, Parallels killed VirtualPC, Flip4Mac called Windows Media Player for Mac, Safari killed MacIE, and so on.

The minute a clearly superior alternative to MS Office for Mac arrives is the minute the MacBU closes its doors. Someone truly dedicated to their craft will see a superior product and work diligently to outshine it. The MacBU just throws in the towel, showing you time and time again where their true heart is.

If Roz Ho, who recently left the MacBU, was a symbol of their Mac enthusiasm then they have a /long/ /long/ way to go.

Altotus: Office and iWork aim for slightly different market segments. Office has all the features folks could want, while iWork works the way people would like to see MS Office work.

Macros exist in Keynote and Pages, but not Numbers, and they use AppleScript rather than OfficeBasic. Keynote is a far superior presentation app to PowerPoint by any metric. PowerPoint’s biggest selling point is that it’s the lowest common denominator. You’d be an idiot to use PowerPoint for giving a presentation, it exists merely as a way to collaborate with others that don’t have a choice.

Word for standard word processing is far more complete than Pages, but Pages beats it for ease of use, WYSIWYG, speed, page layout, and — oddly enough — compatibility with Word for Windows. MS Office for Mac’s biggest liabilities are that they are written for the PowerPC processor, meaning that they take 1G-2G of RAM to run on Intel and are slow and cumbersome, and they have an attrocious UI that’s even worse than the Windows version.

Numbers is a different beast entirely. It’s really nothing like Excel other than the superficial similarity of their being columns and, possibly, numbers and possibly a chart. I don’t think there’s any real comparison there.

However, for those requiring the more MS Office like features and behavior, OpenOffice will give you almost all of it (at the price that they function almost identically to the MS apps). iWork won’t replace Office, but iWork + NeoOffice or OpenOffice Mac certainly can.

cmadach: Seriously, why is it so hard for submitters to link to the original article, not the blog that comments on the original article?

proseandpromise: I’m just going to throw out that for usability, ease, and the amount of time it takes to make quality materials, Pages beats the pants off of publisher.

iPhone Made Out of Clay [Pics]

Check out this clay iPhone. Nothing more to say.[...] Thanks to Allsortgroup for providing this nice story on Digg (more than 25Diggs).

What other users say about this:

Allsortgroup: Hmmm, i dont know.

DaffyDuck: Why does it look so deformed?

iPhone Hacks – What Would 1975 (BUSTED!) Steve Jobs Do? Hack it Baby!

Apple’s founders got their start in 1975 by building and selling “Blue Boxes” that hacked AT&T’s network. Now they’ve flipped the script – cutting down others that are trying to Open the iPhone for use on other networks. Going to be hard for Apple to take the moral high ground on this one – especially when the evidence is on Woz’s website![...] Thanks to llsethj for providing this nice story on Digg (more than 17Diggs).

What other users say about this:

shuster420: Oh Snap! Time for Apple PR to start spin spin spinning!

Roads? Where we’re going, we don’t need roads.

The latest builds of Leopard are showing further signs of Apple phasing out the Aqua user interface that has been the mainstay of the OS X interface since 10.0 for something more futuristic. Rest in peace Aqua. Hello outer space.[...] Thanks to fcuk for providing this nice story on Digg (more than 934Diggs).

What other users say about this:

JeffS: Incremental backups and a star field background. Where’s my tent? I am going to line up for this right now. 10.5 is going to be incredible!

purdo: We are talking about a desktop wallpaper here aren’t we? Or have I missed something?

mrBitch: double post – digg won’t let me delete it – sorry…

mrBitch: actually anyone who equates Time Machine to ” Just another backup utility ” doesn’t get what Time Machine is all about – it’s not about ” another backup utility “… Time Machine is more like a SubVersion Version Control on EVERY SINGLE DATA FILE on your computer.

It’s less about backup and more about version control.

The power of version control built into your OS will blow your socks off – when you actually need to use it.

DonCarcharo: Leopard finally seems to be shaping up into a decent release. That said, since I haven’t actually tested it yet, have either of the following issues been addressed?

1. Merging files in the Finder. Vista does this especially well but the Mac OS just replaces folders and their content and doesn’t merge anything. As someone who deals with huge amounts of files (I manage 60 websites plus all my personal files and photos) this is very annoying.

2. Writing to FTP shares in the Finder. It’s not a huge issue but annoying nonetheless and it seems that any modern OS should be able to do this.

diggymow: Time Machine isn’t really useful and is just jazzed up by cheap effects. There are some great things about 10.5, but I don’t get all the attention on Time Machine.

samryan: MCFLYYYYYYY!

digitallysick: i hope the new dock will get rid of the square bar at the bottom, the rip off of the sun 3d desktop bottom bar. Please?

Dotdotdot: Will TimeMachine even work with Apple’s most popular and widely used laptop line?
It seems like it requires an external HD even though it could just bring up the files on the HD that, as we all know, are never truly deleted.

klaupacius: Who cares, it’s a wallpaper and some visuals. It’s not gonna be a tacky space theme. I do love the stars though ha Just not too much purple.

pHr34kY: Oh god, and the OpenOffice port to Aqua is still in the Alpha phase. It’d be obsolete by the time they get it out!

xxdesmus: Gee…someone has drank the Apple fanboy kool-aid. Wake up, Apple is just as capable of creating crap as Microsoft. Leopard offers nothing impressive, just like Vista. It’s a crappy year (or two) for OS releases…get over it.

HanSolo69: so…anything to back this up besides worthless opinion and one non-point video clip that featured no sort of interface preview of any sort?

Damien79: care factor= 0

skinturtle: You know what Digg users (besides me) are? IDIOTS!!
The features in Leopard are awesome. The little stack feature is great. I see a ton of detail to help keep things organized. Plus it looks great!

However all you guy do is sit there and lick the naked statue of Bill Gates you erected on the nads and pat his head saying, “That’s alright Bill..don’t worry bout it..”

After which you take a couple sucks on you retainers (dorks)..and finish by saying, “We’ll go on DIGG and show them!”

You’re freaks!!

5 awesome widgets for football junkies

As I write this, there are 12 excruciatingly long days until the start of the 2007 NFL football season. This year, the best-dressed Macs will have spiffy new dashboard widgets to help us follow our fantasy picks, favorite teams, league stats, and every game nuance we can think of.[...] Thanks to arbiterofcool for providing this nice story on Digg (more than 34Diggs).

What other users say about this:

Uncle Walt says the new iMac rocks Vista

“My iMac scored a 5.0, the best score of any consumer Vista machine I have tested.”[...] Thanks to havaslash for providing this nice story on Digg (more than 18Diggs).

What other users say about this:

ShinRaTDR: God this is so stupid. I own lots of macs, and I really like them, but seriously, just use the fucking computer and shut up. Stop trying to prove that its some super machine, or its better than a high end PC for tasks a high end PC was built to do, or any of this other shit. Apple’s strong suits are their designs and the Mac OS, which is good enough for me, but apparently some people aren’t content with that, and have to constantly be trying to prove something to a group of imaginary people.

geoken: How is a $2,300 machine hitting 5 in Vista’s performance rating supposed to be impressive?

This is exactly why this guy has no credibility. He’s comparing the $600 Gateway’s he’s testing to $2,300 computers.

falloutsyndrome: I was remarking on how it doesn’t make sense that it’s so “amazing” that it gets a 5.0 macs aren’t exactly bad machines. They aren’t expensive for their looks alone.

Damien79: What is there to be confused about? your system can run vista as it was designed. A shitload of RAM helps obviously.
Were you expecting a 2 rating? or 5.9?

devjt2: Im confused too. I have a one year old system; C2D 6400, 7900 GT, 4GB RAM, and vista also reports a 5.0.

falloutsyndrome: I’m slightly confused. I have a 2 year old system, x850 ati, 4gb ram and an fx-55, two raptors, anyway vista reports a 5.0 for me as well. o.O

LeeVal: Uncle Walt has become very biased over the years

Legal worries delay iPhone unlocking software

Fear of litigation has led to an indefinite delay in the planned Saturday release of software to unlock Apple’s iPhone.[...] Thanks to verge for providing this nice story on Digg (more than 37Diggs).

What other users say about this:

Parallels 3 Beta 2 is out

Just wanted to give everyone a heads up before you head out for the weekend that Beta2 of the Paralells Desktop 3.0 update is live on the site….[...] Thanks to mtchandler for providing this nice story on Digg (more than 17Diggs).

What other users say about this:

RyomaNagare: I tried Fusion 1.0 last week, on my 1gig Mac-book, at first I was delighted by how fast it was compared to parallels, (I use it to run Autocad and Microsoft Project), but with each consequential session, the program grew slower and slower, to the point i could no longer trust The app would launch when needed at work.
so i switched back to parallels, granted it is slower, it does heat my laptop a bit more, but at least its up and running in a predictable amount of time, and lets me work in a reasonable way.

Maybe its because I have low ram, but until i can afford the 500 dollar ram upgrade@ mac-store (lol my country) parallels will do, thous I’m happy with any enhancement they provide.

TastyLamp: Catching up to VMWare I see.

Dictionary.app has everything… (pic)

Quite a thorough dictionary….[...] Thanks to hookshotzz for providing this nice story on Digg (more than 2105Diggs).

What other users say about this:

JudeMaverick: That is awesome! It knows rare swear words!

hotani: Fry: Whuh, you went without me?
Bender: You were looking up curse words in the dictionary. It seemed a better use of your time.

ZoeBee: For anyone who’s curious, the Apple dictionary program also defines shit-eating, shit-faced, shit-kicking and shit-sacred. Useful!

Mac2492: The dictionaries are contained in the “Library/Dictionaries” folder. By default, the New Oxford American Dictionary and Oxford American Writers Thesaurus are installed. I assume there’s some way to get more.

8BitGaming: urban dictionary?

lukemandese: I think apple should have called there dictionary app “iDic”

slor90210: I just tried it and it took me to this: http://www.typicalmacintoshuser.com/

litheon: Seriously, this isn’t news.

heathuff23: wow…this is hilarious!!!…..If I was 7

j1337: Another relevant link brought to you by digg dot com….

vamos: I couldn’t find the definition of “moose knuckle” in there.

blup3ace: matches steve jobs…

neutrino15: dictionary.app uses the Oxford American Dictionaries.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Oxford_American_Dictionary

blacklint: So that’s why there are parental controls for the dictionary in OS X…

speaker219: http://wordweb.info/free/
Windows dictionary.app-like program.