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gekko
10-10-2005, 12:29 AM
Oops, did I screw up a few words in that title? Silly me.

http://macdailynews.com/index.php/weblog/comments/microsoft_debuts_dashboard_widgets_er_microsoft_gadgets/

Have you ever wondered how new technologies get developed in Microsoft? Wonder how a cool idea goes from incubation to release? Well, we’re excited to announce that we’ve started a blog designed to bring you closer to the process with the Gadgets blog and we’re kicking it off at the PDC," Microsoft's "Microsoft Gadgets" website reads.

MacDailyNews Take: No, we never wondered how new technologies get developed or how a cool idea goes from incubation to release at Microsoft. We even know the address from whence such cool ideas and technologies come: 1 Infinite Loop, Cupertino, CA 95014.

Microsoft's "Microsoft Gadgets" page also reads, "What are Gadgets? Gadgets are a new category of mini-application designed to provide information, useful lookup, or enhance an application or service on your Windows PC or the Web."

MacDailyNews Take: Gee, thanks for the explanation. Gadgets are Widgets, but the name was already taken, so Microsoft just copied the idea and introduced unnecessary complexity and usability issues, as usual.

"Gadgets come in three flavors," Microsoft says.

MacDailyNews Take: Flavors? Now where have we heard that before? Oh, yes, from Apple. One of Microsoft's "flavors" is "Gadgets for Windows Sidebar." You know, like "Widgets for Mac OS X Dashboard." Simple, huh?

Anyway, Microsoft's so "super-excited" about the "cool idea" they've been "incubating," that they want people to start start building their own. More info: http://www.apple.com/macosx/features/dashboard/ Oops, sorry: http://microsoftgadgets.com/

MacDailyNews Take: To those who wish to scream "Konfabulator," we present you "Apple Mac Desk Accessories" (http://daringfireball.net/2004/06/dashboard_vs_konfabulator) circa 1984.

On a related note, anyone see Office 12 for Windows (http://www.tuaw.com/2005/09/13/office-12-interface-revealed-os-x-ui-designers-weep/)?

Same yourself the hassle, just buy a Mac now.
GameMaster
10-10-2005, 01:00 AM
Haha, excellent post, gekko.

If Microsoft and Konfobulator are going to rip-off Apple's ingenious ideas, they should at least try to not be so blatantly obvious. Make it appear different, call it something different. Some people have no pride and feel no shame.

Absolutely atrocious and disgusting... :shakehead
Jonbo298
10-10-2005, 01:14 AM
Yay for Microsoft!

<end sarcasm>

:p
Xantar
10-10-2005, 02:19 AM
If Microsoft and Konfobulator are going to rip-off Apple's ingenious ideas, they should at least try to not be so blatantly obvious.

Uhh...didn't Konfabulator actually come first and then Apple took the idea and built it into OS X.4? Not that I blame them. It's a good thing to build into your OS. But I remember reading that there was some controversy about Apple essentially pushing the Konfabulator people out.
GameMaster
10-10-2005, 02:56 AM
Uhh...didn't Konfabulator actually come first and then Apple took the idea and built it into OS X.4? Not that I blame them. It's a good thing to build into your OS. But I remember reading that there was some controversy about Apple essentially pushing the Konfabulator people out.


MacDailyNews Take: To those who wish to scream "Konfabulator," we present you "Apple Mac Desk Accessories" (http://daringfireball.net/2004/06/dashboard_vs_konfabulator) circa 1984.


What I have to say to Konfabulator ----> :nono: No, no, no, Apple is better than you and Windows. :nono:
Professor S
10-10-2005, 12:04 PM
I'm currently getting my TLT certificate (Teaching and Learning with Technology), and I am in the middle of a PC v. Mac war. I'm a PC guy. Here's how the argument works out.

All the neo-commie pinko socialists love Mac... even though their product is more expensive by far and their "one company to make them all" attitude smacks more of fascism than freedom.

All the neo-fascist baby-killing Hitler youth love PCs... even though they are much cheaper and enable the consumer to create, fix, maintain and upgrade their own equipment which smacks of a red conspiracy.

All jokes aside, my college runs on Macs and I've never had more problems with computers than I've had with Macs. They run iMacs and Powerbooks and they constantly lose data and crash. Everytime I use a school computer I make sure I have my memory stick on hand. Mewanwhile I run a Dell, which is almost 2 years old, and it has only crashed a handful of times (mainly due to my careless ways) and I've never lost an ounce of data.

In the end, I'm more pro-PC in schools because of the price and ability of self-upgrade. With the monetary demands on schools cost and flexibility will outweigh any perceived quality gap.
gekko
10-11-2005, 02:28 AM
Every Mac hating PC user falls back on the "I use Macs in schools" argument. Guess what? Every Mac user hates the Macs they use in schools too. If you want to talk about problems, use a public PC. It's a joke.

Unless you own both, you can't make a good comparison.
Professor S
10-12-2005, 10:51 AM
Every Mac hating PC user falls back on the "I use Macs in schools" argument. Guess what? Every Mac user hates the Macs they use in schools too. If you want to talk about problems, use a public PC. It's a joke.

Unless you own both, you can't make a good comparison.

Well my girlfiend also owns a Mac, and I hate that one too and it has the same problems. So there. And since Macs are rediculously overpirced, I'm not willing to drop that much money so that I can "discover the greatness" of something I've already used and don't like.

My main issue with Macs is that their not "organic" enough, for lack of a better term. Mac does not want you to mess with their product. They want to control the software that is put in them and the upgrades and peripherals that are used with them. And of course, they feel free to charge whatever the hell they want since MS constantly takes all of the bnad computer media press and Mac is considered the original Mr. Jesus.

Meanwhile a PC pretty much invites you to upgrade it and mix and match both software and parts. Yes, their OS is almost always Windows, but other than that you have a fantastic array of affordable, third party products available. Do PC's have a history of security and stability issues? Yeah, but I have not had a problem since I installed XP Pro (or even 2000 with the service-packs) with stability and as for security the options available to protect your PC are remarkable, including MS's FREE anti-spyware program which is nothing short of brilliant.

But keep drinking your kool-aid and feeling superior because of what computer you own. Actual performance, affordability and user-friendliness are secondary to looking and feeling "cool" anyway.
gekko
10-12-2005, 01:23 PM
Again, unless you own a Mac, you're opinion is uneducated. Simple enough?

A PC invites you to upgrade it and discover the many hardware and software compatibility issues. As for user-friendliness, it can't be argued, Mac wins, hands down. I've never seen one educated person honestly say that Mac is not the most user-friendly OS available. You can hate Macs, but you can't argue that Windows is more user-friendly. It's like a GameCube fan saying Xbox isn't graphically powerful, it just shows their biased opinion and goes to discredit everything they've said.

And affordability is not an issue. Maybe to you, sorry about that. There's other options for you, congrats. Just because you can't afford it, or choose to spend your money elsewhere, does not detract from the quality of the product.

When you buy a Mac, and you still hate it, then you are more than welcome to come back and vent your anger.