08.15.07
Posted in General Rant at 3:38 pm by Administrator
Well, Apple has finally laid to rest a classic - AppleWorks. In its heyday AppleWorks was industry’s best-selling piece of software, beating even Lotus 1-2-3 on the PC. The all-in-one suite of tools was 23 years old.
AppleWorks started life back in the “good old days” of 1984 for the Apple II and was one of the first of what would be known as “integrated applications”. It consisted of a word processor, spreadsheet and database that allinteroperated on a fairly integrated basis.
Long about 1991 it morphed into ClarisWorks and got a boost with communications and graphics tools - but retained its ease-of-use and integrated tool set. It remained a Mac-only product until the debut of the Windows version in 1993.
It was marketed by Claris, Apple’s wholly owned application software development/marketing arm that also was responsible for FileMaker Pro and some other great, but short-lived titles like Claris Emailer, Claris Impact, Claris Paint (from the old “MacPaint”) and Claris Draw (from the old “MacDraw”).
Claris then went on to focus solely on the FileMaker product (which it acquired from Nashoba Systems in 1988), and re-named itself FileMaker, Inc. At that point, ClarisWorks was returned to Apple and re-named AppleWorks.
AppleWorks was upated for Mac OS X and they even had a very basic presentation piece (the pre-cursor to Keynote) but it never was updated as a Universal application for MacIntel.
Then the beginning of the end came. In 2005 Apple brought out iWorks which at that time only included a word processor and presentation software (Keynote). I think at that point - everyone thought thatiWorks would morph into into the new AppleWorks. Hard to do if you don’t have a spreadsheet.
Well, last week - Apple added “Numbers“, it’s new iSomething spreadsheet to it’s new lineup in iWork ‘08 - and it even includes a filter to import AppleWorks files. As the final death throes of AppleWorks came near - Apple even changed the URL to redirect to the iWorks ‘08 suite.
I worked with ClarisWorks for quite a while - as no doubt countless thousands will continue to do for the foreseeable future. Still, it’s the end of an era -ClarisWorks, rest in peace!
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08.14.07
Posted in General Rant at 2:14 pm by Administrator
So, Google owns the world of search (and more) - and keeps a lot of “identifiable” information on everyone every time they perform a search. They track the IP address, search string, and timestamp for every search for 18 months.
They claim it’s to help them better optimize the search engine performance and relevance. Given their history as a geek-inspired company, I can believe that. There are a lot of other people that have their panties in a bunch because they are really, really concerned with their privacy. On the web. In a browser.
My knee-jerk reaction would be to tell those Prius-driving-Berkenstock-wearing-tree-huggers to just get over it and go back to mailing letters and using an encyclopedia. Then I got to thinking about how much I use Google tools.
Of course I use search - so they track what I search by, my IP and time stamp.
I use Google Desktop - so in theory they know everything about all my emails (non-gMail), music, chat histories and browser details.
I use Google mail occasionally - and they store all emails indefinitely.
I use Google talk sometimes - so they have a record of what I say and to whom as well as when.
I would be dead without my Google Calendar - so now they know what I’m doing and when - and also whom I know because of whom I chosen to share my calendar with (and all of their details as well).
I also use Google Documents to share and collaborate on (sometimes proprietary) documents rather than sending everything around via email.
I’ll admit that I occasionally view You Tube - so they know what I view and what I post.
Hmmmm. Sounds like the NSA’s wet dream, if you ask me.
I’m sure they could (I don’t know for a fact they do) add one more piece of data to each of those tables - like my Google login ID - and then they would have a pretty picture of me as an individual. Not that I give a rat’s ass, mind you.
Yes, there are other search engines - AOL, Yahoo, Alta Vista, Ask.com, etc. and all of them also collect the same kind of information.
BUT, the others don’t have the any other cool applications to use - so they really only have a view of surfing habits, while Google has a potentially vast data store on many, many individuals (at least on the IP level).
Like I said earlier, I believe that they are storing all the search stuff for 18 months so they can improve search accuracy, etc, etc. But I hope that an over-inflated stock price and market dominance won’t tempt them to do any evil things with all that data…
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08.02.07
Posted in General Rant at 9:28 am by Administrator
I’m not a huge fan of online, “virtual” worlds. Yes, it’s cool to make an avatar of yourself. Yes, it’s cool to “teleport” to different lands, and “meet” new people. And go to the Gap and buy clothes. And have a Coke. And, wait for it… do online searches at the Yahoo Pavilion.
People have even made some serious (real world) money by buying “real estate”, then “developing” it and renting it out to others or flipping it to another owner for a profit.
You can pimp your avatar with designer clothes, and modify your look and feel, and even go to a nude beach and engage in virtual sex with complete strangers. I have a feeling that this is what 95% of people do in virtual worlds.
Just like the “real” world - there are cottage industries of people creating bling, clothes, accessories and more that they offer for sale to others. It’s a little like having a mini eBay inside.
Which is JUST what we need - since the “real” eBay isn’t annoying enough…
Then there are the corporate sponsors. Since the article in BusinessWeek they have been setting up shops, kiosks, even entire islands of corporate-branded goodness. Do people really go into these shops. Probably. Are they making any money on it. Nope.
I think that corporate folks are scared sh**less because they don’t want to “miss out” on the “next big thing” like they (probably) did on the MySpace phenomenon - so it’s easier to throw a few hundred grand at a service provider to setup a “presence.”
Corporate Folks HOT TIP: spend your money on your own site instead. The whole reason that virtual worlds work is because people are fed up with the “real” world and want to go somewhere to engage in their fantasies and having a Burger King there reminds them too much of the “real” world - so they’ll avoid it like the plague.
OK - I know that there are a lot of people out there that have LOADS of time and have nothing better to do than sit inside, at their computer, and then linger in online “virtual” worlds.
Virtual World User HOT TIP: turn off the f**cking computer, open the door, and get out in the REAL world. Meet some “real” people, drink “real” soft drinks, go to a “real” hotel or island, buy some “real” real estate, have some “real” sex - it’s a lot more fun than “virtual” anything.
Really.
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