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Miscellaneous Ramblings

Charles Moore - 2005.10.04 -Tip Jar

Acouple of weeks back, Russell A Beattie, a MobileTelecommunications and Internet Applications Developer who worksfor Yahoo! in Sunnyvale, California, posted 'Why I Might SwitchBack...,' a blog explaining why he might switch from Mac OS Xand go back to Windows. Beattie wrote:

'I've been using Macs almost exclusively now forabout 7 months - since just after I joined Yahoo! and got myPowerBook to go with my mini at home. Now that I've been using Macsfor a while, I'm wondering if they're all that special. Thehardware is nice, but OS X can be as slow, buggy,non-standard, frustrating and annoying as any other operatingsystem.'

He went on to deliver a critique of OS X with 33 explicitpoints. I hope Russell didn't get flamed too severely by Macdefenders, which I expect would do little to change his mind - andonly make Mac fans look fanatical and stupid.

Actually, I found much to agree with in his criticisms, althoughI don't concur that they constitute sufficient cause to dosomething as drastic as switching to Windows.

Here is what Russell Beattie had to say with my commentsinterpolated.

1. Anyone who says that Macs are more stable than Windows aresmoking dope. I have two brand new Macs and they regularly go wackyand need reboots.

I run two Macs with OS X 10.4 Tiger installed andam a moderately heavy and demanding user. While while I haveexperienced the odd kernel panic over the past three years with myiBook running earlier versions of OS X, it was never a major issue,and Tiger has been very stable. I've gone as long as 23 days (Ithink) without restarting in daily production use.

2. My mini and PowerBook are 1.42 GHz and 1.5 GHz,with 1 GB and 512 MB respectively. They are both sloooooow.Though the PowerBook is a bit better, neither is as snappy as mytwo year old Celeron, and not anywhere near the cutting edge x86laptops.

Hmmm. I don't think Russell would be very happy atall with my 550 MHz G4 PowerBook (and upgraded Pismo) and 700 MHz G3 iBook, and his point isinarguable. If you're after raw power on the low end, the PC iscurrently way out in front. That will be rectified over the nexttwelve months or so as the Macintel transition progresses.

3. Also, the graphics power suck. ATI Radeon 9200 is anemic in2005. Playing Halo on either computer is a drastically reducedexperience than on my Celeron 2 GHz Toshiba.

Can't gainsay this one either. The ATI Radeon 9200is indeed anemic - and it doesn't even support Core Image in Tiger,but the only Mac that still uses it is the mini. Hopefully Applewill ship more powerful video support in the low-end Intelmachines.

4. I don't like Mail or Safari. I much prefer Thunderbird andFirefox, both of which don't get much attention on the Macplatform.

I'm not that crazy about any of these applicationsmyself. I do use Firefox, but my favorite browser is Opera, and I'ma Eudora fan from way back for email. I'm just glad that there issuch a wide choice in these categories for OS X users.

Editor's note: My favorite browsers are Firefoxand Opera. My primary email client is GyazMail. As Moore notes, Macusers have a lot of good software choices. dk

5. I really dislike iPhoto. I much prefer the Windowsthumbnails.

Unofficial Gameplay Wiki

I have to say that I'm not a real big fan ofiPhoto either. I do most of my digital photography editing andmanagement in Photoshop Elements 3 and ToyViewer, plus severalfreeware slideshow applications. Again, there is lots of choice ifone is not enchanted with the Apple application software.

6. I hate the Finder. I thought the Windows Explorer was bad andwacky, but I had no idea. Finder makes me want to hurt someone. Iespecially love when folders don't merge, but replace.

Aside from its appearance, which is attractive, Idon't care much for the OS X Finder either compared with thewonderful old Mac OS Classic Finder, whose spatial predictabilityand stability is much missed in OS X. However, at least theFinder isn't butt-ugly like Windows is. I would find it dispiritingto have to look at the Windows interface all day.

Editor's note: Folders not merging is a commoncomplaint from Windows users. In Windows, when you copy a folder toone with the same name, the operating system adds the contents ofthe dragged folder to the existing folder. On the Mac, the OSreplaces the existing folder with the one being dragged. Applereally should add an option that asks, 'Do you wish to replace theexisting folder or merge the contents of this folder into theexisting folder?' This would make switching much easier for Windowsusers. dk

7. Trillian is so much better than Adium or Fire, and iChat isnon-starter.

I use MSN, but I'm not a heavy instant messaginguser, so this is not a big deal issue for me.

Editor's note: Except for voice & video chat,I have to agree on iChat. My messenger client of choice is Adium,although I have been playing with Proteus a bit lately. Iespecially like the way these clients can work with the AddressBook. I can't comment on Fire, since I haven't used it sinceversion 1.04 (it's now at 1.5). dk

• Link: Proteus

8. I'm not a musician, GarageBand to me isn't particularlycompelling.

I used to be an amateur musician, but chronichealth issues have put an end to my guitar playing, so GarageBandisn't especially compelling to me either, but it's still verycool.

9. Like it or not, it's a Windows world, and interop[erability]has to be a priority. If I take a few screen shots, paste them intoa PowerPoint for Mac presentation and send them off, and no one cansee them because the images have defaulted to some wacky QuickTimetiff? That's bad.

Windows world? Regrettably so. I've always foundmyself most comfortable swimming against the current, so thisargument doesn't speak convincingly to me. The QuickTime issue ismore of an idiosyncratic problem for particular users. I can'targue with Russell if it's a problem for him, and it sounds likesomething that Apple or Microsoft should address pronto.

10. Keynote and Pages are both interesting, but non-standard. Iwouldn't do any real work with them because I'd be afraid of tryingto send documents to my coworkers.

I don't use either. Text editors are the idealtool for most of my text crunching, and I don't use presentationsoftware. Russell's point is valid. For better or worse, PowerPointand Word are the standards. However, both are supported by the Mac,so compatibility in this context would be no reason to switch.

11. Yahoo! Products work better on Windows: Yahoo! Messenger andYahoo! Music Engine are awesome on the PC. Yes Y! could concentratemore on Mac products, but they're hardly alone here.

I don't as a rule use Yahoo! products or services,partly because of less than scintillating performance on Macs, andindifferent Mac support. Something Yahoo! should indeed concentrateon.

Editor's note: I've been using Yahoo! Messengerfor years. The current version is 2.5.3, and it hasn't been updatedsince 2003. It barely supports webcams - and then at a maximumframe rate of 1.67 per second. Although Macs have had standardaudio input since 1992, Y! has never supported it, so only Windowsusers get voice chat. Messenger for Windows also allows you to sendIMs to a group of people, but the Mac versions only lets you sendout one at a time. Yahoo's Mac client was the main reason I boughtmy first Windows PC - the Windows version is that much better.dk

12. In fact, most stuff is available on Windows first, sadly.And I'm a bleeding edge junkie.

Russell is correct. A prima facie topical example is therecent release of Photoshop Elements 4 for Windows only, althoughAdobe has announced that a Mac upgrade is in the works but overhalf of the refreshments and enhancements to version 4 would applyonly the Windows version anyway. I'm quite comfortable livingsomewhat distant from the bleeding edge (witness my antiquatedcomputer fleet).

13. I like UltraEdit 32 over TextWrangler or TextEdit

TextWrangler is excellent for some purposes.TextEdit isn't especially exciting. My favorite productionapplication is Tom Benders wonderful, AppleScript optimized, TexEdit Plus, which isn't available for Windows, which would be amajor inhibition to my ever switching away from the Mac OS.

14. You know, .mac is interesting, but way too expensive.

I agree and have been saying so ever since Apple terminated the free mac.com email service. While some users may perceive that they are getting fair value for their money, I certainly would not. As Russell says, some of the .mac features are interesting, but they fall well short of being $100 a year interesting in my estimation, and Gmail provides an excellent free email service.

15. The widescreen on the PowerBook is completely overrated. Webpages and documents are tall, not wide. Because the wide screenlowers the viewing center of the screen, I end up getting a crik inmy neck looking 'down' at the wide screen, rather than morestraight ahead on PC based laptops.

This is valid commentary. I would be more excitedabout the availability of a portrait formatted screen (perhapsrotatable?) than I am about widescreens. I also find the verticallimitation more annoying more often than the horizontal, althoughit is convenient to be able to open to documents side by side.

Editor's note: It all depends on how you work. Itypically have two windows side-by-side, and anything less than1152 pixels wide negatively impacts my work flow. 1280 pixels isbetter. For those who want a rotating display to use with theirPower Mac, Mac mini, or PowerBook, Dell makes a nice 17' 1280 x1024 flat panel display (the 1704FPV). I have one. I love it. But Ihaven't seen any reason to pivot it yet. dk

16. Having to remember my DVI to VGA adapter to hook up myPowerBook to an overhead is a pain in the ass. The wide-screen to800 x 600 presentation view is also jarring and painful.

The first part of this is a bit nitpicky, but Idon't dispute that it would be convenient to have a VGA adapterport on PowerBooks. I agree that the 800 x 600 view is essentiallyuseless.

17. What is the friggin' deal with the .dmg [disk image] files?The install process is so broken. Unzip .dmg.gz, mount .dmg, copyto Applications, unmount .dmg, delete .dmg, delete dmg.gz.Bleh.

Apple addressed this back in 2003 with theintroduction of an enhanced kind of disk images calledInternet-Enabled Disk Images. When you download one of thesepuppies, the .dmg file automatically decompresses to the Desktopand then the file automatically trashes itself. The problem, Isuppose, is getting developers to use them.

18. Do you know how long it took me to get the idea that I hadto empty the Trash before I disconnected any external drives,memory cards, etc.? Otherwise the files just stayed wherever theywere. And those fucking .DS_Store files...

Is this really such a major issue? I think Iprefer leaving Trash emptying with the requirement for positiveauthorization, than to have the system decide for you, which is aglobal criticism of mine about Microsoft software in general.

19. I don't use iMovie. It'd be nice if I did, but it's not aplus as I don't have a DVD burner, and if I wanted to buy one, it'dcost me a ton.

They aren't that expensive. I have a SuperDriveupgrade in my PowerBook. I don't use iMovie myself, but I mightsometime in the future if I ever get spare time to mess around withvideo.

20. Everything for Macs cost more. From my $50 Mighty Mouse tomy $150 iSight camera.

Usually because the quality is better with Macperipherals than it is with the bargain basement PC stuff. Youcertainly don't have to pay $50 for a mouse. Most PC mice will workfine with a Mac.

21. I thought having 'Unix' underneath would be an advantage.But it's not Linux. Linux is what I know; the wackiness that isOS X confuses the hell out of me. I can barely figure outwhat's running and not running. I installed some HP Printersoftware drivers months ago and the control panel starts upautomatically every day and sits in the Dock, despite my bestefforts to track down where the HELL it's started from.

I can't speak to this, as I am a commandignoramus, so will not argue, except to say that some Unix jockscontend BSD superior to Linux. I wouldn't know.

22. I thought Exposé was cool at first, but then realizedI was going blind trying to find the right window. Spatial memory,what? Exposé just randomly throws the windows around thescreen, it's nuts.

I partly agree with Russell about this one. I loveExposé for its ability to quickly clear the screen of openwindows, of which I usually have two dozen or more windowshaded,but I virtually never use the all windows display function. Justtoo hard to see.

23. I hate the Dock too. Each app responds differently. So someapps you can click on and the window appears at the top, others itignores. And if you Minimize the window, well, it never pops up.WHY?!?! Urgh. Thank god I discovered Command+~ to swap betweenwindows of the same app . . . I was losing my mind for awhile trying to find things.

I'm on the same page here. I have resigned myselfto semi-peaceful coexistence with the Dock, but I still dislike thewretched thing, especially when your target folder or the Trashfiendishly ducks away from something you are trying to drag to it.I absolutely loathe minimizing windows to the Dock and don't knowwhat I would do without Windowshade X.

24. The hardware support isn't great. I've got several deviceswhich just are completely ignored by the Mac, including a WebCamand several USB devices. And my iSight doesn't play nice withanything but iChat. WTF? Why isn't it just a DV device?

Apple definitely has more work to do in thiscontext. However, I continue to be amused by the frequentdistinction between the PC and Apple instructions respectively forinstalling peripherals. Plug and play is still much more of areality on Macs.

25. iSync is only marginally better than nothing. I thought itwas a holy grail . . . it's really not. In fact, I triedto sync my wife's phone and wasn't being careful and it defaultedto a destructive sync and blanked out my wife's phone. ARRRGGGH.WHY!?!?

I don't use iSync, so I have nothing to say otherthan that the experience related sounds very annoying.

Editor's note: Standard iSync behavior whensynchronizing a device for the first time is to ask whether youwant overwrite information on the device with date from yourAddress Book, copy the information from the device to your AddressBook, or merge the two sources. dk

26. I really don't like the fact that some apps close when theirwindow goes away (like System Preferences and Windows Video for theMac) and other apps stay there in memory forever until you noticethem by accident...

This inconsistency is perhaps a bit jarring. Itdoesn't bother me a great deal, because I am inclined towindowshade windows if I'm not through with the application ratherthan closing them.

27. Spotlight isn't great. It's slow and doesn't seem to findwhat I'm looking for.

I agree completely. I only hope that it willimprove with subsequent versions. I find Spotlight so frustratingthat I have mixed feelings about whether it is better thannothing.

28. Dashboard is pretty useless as well. I've installed Yahoo!Widgets (Konfabulator) and that's much more what Dashboardshould've worked like.

I'm not a heavy user of Dashboard, but I find itreasonably serviceable. I have never used Konfabulator, but ifsomeone likes it better, it supports the Mac, so what is theproblem?

29. Does anyone use Sherlock any more?

Not me, but then I never did except for directorysearches.

30. Windows Anti-aliasing for LCDs is more refined than OS X.You'd think it'd be opposite, but to me Macs seem fuzzy.

Broken Shrines - To Jam 13 Mac Os Catalina

I can't comment on this. I don't have enough frameof reference.

31. OS X mouse tracking isn't great. Why is that? Didn'tthey invent it? Why do I have to go get separate mouse drivers formy Microsoft, Logitech and Mighty Mouse mice? That's insane.

I emphatically I agree on this one. I continue tobe frustrated and puzzled by the crummy mouse tracking and clickingsupport and sporadically erratic behavior in OS X contrastedwith the rock solid input device support in the Classic Mac OS.This aspect has improved substantially in Panther and Tigercompared with the earlier versions, but there is still plenty ofpotential for improvement.

32. Rendezvous/Bonjour works as advertised . . . butsince no one around me uses a Mac, it really doesn't matter exceptfor iTunes, and the Windows version supports that functionalityanyways.

I don't use Rendezvous/Bonjour either.

33. Hitting F11 by accident is a wonderful way to lose yourmind. 'AHHH!'

If this is a problem, just reconfigure thekeyboard shortcut. Exposé toggling on my Macs requires theControl key modifier.

Russell does concede that there are benefits to running Mac OSX, which you can check out by reading his essay, but he suggeststhat 'Apple has sacrificed their vaunted simplicity, usability andconsistency in the face of sloppy Windows competition,' which Ithink may be the case as witnessed by the rough edges OS Xstill has after four and a half years.

'What's really needed,' he says, 'is a . . . Mac OS 11to clean up all the weird bits and get back to basics withusability and cleanliness, based on a world where most people useWindows,' but closes by admitting, 'I probably need to swap back toWindows for a bit to realize how good I have it.'

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, and it would be foolishto insist that there are no contexts in which the PC has someadvantages over the Mac.

However, even though I freely concede that OS X still hasplenty of room for improvement, I can express one gigantic reasonwhy I would never seriously consider switching to a Windows PC inone word: malware. Even if the Windows interface were substantiallysuperior to the Mac (which isn't), the Windows malware onslaughtwould be plenty enough reason to stay put.

• Why I MightSwitch Back..., Russell A Beattie, 2005.09.22

Initial Release: March 2013

Metacritic Score: 86-87 (details)

ESRB/PEGI Rating: Mature/18

Platforms: Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360. Later Mac OS X, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Stadia.

Game Info:TOMB RAIDER was released March 5, 2013. The list of bullet points below includes spoiler-free highlights and links to additional information.

The most recent TOMB RAIDER trailer, titled 'Survivor,' premiered December 7 on Spike's 10th Annual Video Game Awards. I'd love to hear what you think of it. Leave a comment on my YouTube channel or Tomb Raider Blog. More videos, screenshots, concept art and other goodies can be found in the TOMB RAIDER media section.

The Tomb Raider Definitive Edition came out at the end of January 2014 for PS4 and Xbox One. The gameplay and content are the same as the original game, but the TRDE comes with all the downloadable content and many tasty graphics enhancements. More info and FAQ in this blog post.

TOMB RAIDER Details

• Although the tagline 'A Survivor is Born' and the hashtag '#reborn' have been used to promote the game, its actual title is simply: TOMB RAIDER.
• TOMB RAIDER was developed by Crystal Dynamics, the same studio that created Tomb Raider: Legend, Anniversary and Underworld, as well as Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light, and will be published by Square Enix.
• The game begins with a 21-year-old Lara Croft shipwrecked on a mysterious island in the so-called 'Dragon's Triangle' off the coast of Japan.
• Before the accident, Lara is part of a group searching for Yamatai, the island domain of the legendary shaman queen Himiko. The expedition leader, an older man named Conrad Roth, can be seen in the game trailer and some of the screenshots. He is Lara's mentor, and she must help him survive when he becomes injured.
• In retelling Lara's origin story, the developers have said they hope to make her a more complex, human and culturally relevant hero, in part by putting her in an extremely dangerous and challenging situation through which she will ultimately prevail.
• This time around there is no real-life model representing Lara for promotional events; however, the game will employ extensive use of motion-capture technology.
• Camilla Luddington has provided both voice and motion capture for the Lara Croft character. She has appeared at various press events, though not in costume as a promotional model.
• The game was built using an updated version of the Legend-Underworld engine—the same engine used for Eidos Montréal's Deus Ex: Human Revolution—allowing for more realistic, physics-based interactions within the game world and much greater freedom of movement for Lara.
• The camera has also been completely revamped so as to move more dynamically and react to the in-game situation—closer to Lara in tight spaces, father back during combat, etc.
• Tomb Raider staples like puzzles, combat, exploration and action will still be the foundation of the game but will be more realistic and more fully integrated into the basic survival storyline.
• Although the press has speculated on the game drifting into survival-horror territory, this is not a Resident Evil or Silent Hill type game. There are definitely some scary and gory bits, but the game is much more 'survival-adventure' than 'survival-horror'.

• The auto-targeting feature used in previous games has been replaced by a free-aim system.
• Weapons include a bow, pistol, rifle and shotgun, as well as an axe, which Lara uses for climbing as well as self-defense. Lara starts out with practically nothing and gradually acquires each weapon and bit of gear. Players can upgrade Lara's equipment as they progress in the game.
• While not strictly 'open world,' the game is non-linear. Players can explore the island's diverse locations freely and can revisit areas as well as reach new areas as Lara's skills and equipment improve. However, there will be some scripted sequences that advance the story, and there is one main plot and one ending.
• Unlike past games, there is no health bar. Instead Lara's health/injury level is indicated by how she looks and moves, as well as by grime/blood spatter on screen during action sequences and combat. Health packs will not be required, and Lara's injuries will heal gradually over time.
• A system of 'base camps,' allow players to fast travel among various areas on the island. Base camps also provide opportunities to examine and combine inventory items and access an RPG-like skill system to enhance Lara's abilities. Check out this video, the Guide To Survival Episode #2 for details.
• There are optional side tombs and numerous collectibles to be hunted down, offering additional exploration and puzzle-solving opportunities.
• There are multiple difficulty settings to make the game accessible to a wider range of players.
• Changing weather conditions, Lara's improved gear and abilities, and the player's influence on the game world keep locations fresh when revisited.
• The game includes a hint system called 'survival instinct,' in which players can highlight clues and interactive elements in the game world by pressing a button.
• There are no vehicles and no swimming. That isn't to say Lara can't swim, just that the opportunity doesn't happen to arise.
• As in the original game, Lara has only one outfit—she's stranded far from civilization after all—however, the state of her clothes will evolve over the course of the game as she interacts with the environment. Additional costumes are available as downloadable content.
• At the heart of it all is a mystery reminiscent of the TV show LOST. What is this island all about? Who are its strange inhabitants? Why is it seemingly impossible to escape? Lara—and the player—must discover the truth.

• According to the developers, the characters and storyline are vital components of the game. TOMB RAIDER's story is a collaboration between in-house and outside writers, including Lead Writer Rhianna Pratchett, whose credits include Heavenly Sword, the Overlord series and Mirror's Edge. More about Rhianna here and here.
• There is also an optional multi-player mode in addition to the main, single-player storyline. For details check out these recent blog posts: 'Tomb Raider Multiplayer Details Emerge' and 'Tomb Raider Multiplayer Hands-On Preview.'
• The game is available for Windows PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The PC version is digital download only (no physical DVD) in the Americas. Both downloadable and DVD versions will be available in Europe. The developers have said they're looking into Macintosh version sometime in the future, but nothing has been finalized. There are no plans to release the game on Nintendo Wii or Wii U.
• Players can expect about 15 hours of gameplay, provided they take no detours and just play through the storyline. However, there are plenty of side areas to explore, collectibles to go after, and opportunities to revisit areas where you've already been.
• PC System Requirements:
  

Minimum system requirements:
OS: Windows XP Service Pack 3, Windows Vista, 7 or 8 (32bit/64bit)
Video Card: DirectX 9 graphics card with 512Mb Video RAM: AMD Radeon HD 2600 XT, nVidia 8600
CPU: Dual core CPU: AMD Athlon64 X2 2.1 Ghz (4050+), Intel Core2 Duo 1.86 Ghz (E6300)
RAM: 1 GB (2 GB on Vista)

Recommended system requirements:
Video Card: DirectX 11 graphics card with 1GB Video RAM: AMD Radeon HD 4870, nVidia GTX 480
CPU: Quad core CPU: AMD Phenom II X2 565, Intel Core i5-750
RAM: 4 GB

Antinomy Of Common Flowers Official Website(Japanese)

ALL PC VERSIONS, EVEN THOSE INSTALLED FROM A DVD, REQUIRE A STEAM ACCOUNT FOR ONLINE UPDATES AND ACTIVATION.