Year in Review
It's been a while since I've posted to this blog, so a quick review for the year.
First, on all things Microsoft. Vista (corporate) is out, but I haven't used it yet. I'm sitting by and letting others be the early adopters so they can sort out the inevitable problems. Internet Explorer 7 is out and my overall opinion is positive. Design wise, it's a vast improvement over 6, but we have yet to see if this translates into stability and security improvements as well. The improvement in design was easily forseen in any case as firefox has been picking up market share, and is, let's face it, the best browser available right now, so of course Microsoft will steal what they can. The one down side is that it did crash one computer and make the internet inaccessible until it was removed and rolled back to IE 6.
Windows Media Player 11 is out and... I couldn't try it as it crashed my computer. No worries though, I use the DVD software that came with my DVD drive, and it's a much better program then Media Player 10 was. Far fewer issues and easier to use.
For music I use iTunes, and it's about the best media player if you have a lot of music. The playlist creation and smart playlist functions are very well conceived and since it's free, it simply can't be beat. (I also have an iPod now, which makes it that much better as iTunes is needed for integration).
Back to Windows Vista, I'm disappointed so far. Some of the features I've been most looking forward to (a redesigned and conceived file system, virtual folders etc.) have been rolled back to maintain the release date, so we have to wait at least until the next version of Windows for all these new features, anywhere from 2 to 6 years from now.
I am looking forward to new interfaces. The Nintendo Wii has shown that new forms of more interactive controllers can be widely accepted. Coupled with an advancement in display technology (projectors that show images in the air, think non-solid form of Star Trek's holodeck.) the future for computer and entertainment interaction looks bright, and I'm confident we'll see a full "holodeck" mock-up that is fully functional within the next ten years (hopefully sooner).
PS3 made a splash and Sony bungled the release only in lack of quantity. We'll see how this round of system wars plays out, but it looks like Nintendo will do alright, falling ultimately to Sony as it picks up production and releases more units through 2007. The playstation will continue to dominate for at least one more round I think.
What I'm looking forward to: a complete Mind Machine Interface, allowing computers to be controlled by thought alone. The ultimate replacement for the keyboard and mouse.
First, on all things Microsoft. Vista (corporate) is out, but I haven't used it yet. I'm sitting by and letting others be the early adopters so they can sort out the inevitable problems. Internet Explorer 7 is out and my overall opinion is positive. Design wise, it's a vast improvement over 6, but we have yet to see if this translates into stability and security improvements as well. The improvement in design was easily forseen in any case as firefox has been picking up market share, and is, let's face it, the best browser available right now, so of course Microsoft will steal what they can. The one down side is that it did crash one computer and make the internet inaccessible until it was removed and rolled back to IE 6.
Windows Media Player 11 is out and... I couldn't try it as it crashed my computer. No worries though, I use the DVD software that came with my DVD drive, and it's a much better program then Media Player 10 was. Far fewer issues and easier to use.
For music I use iTunes, and it's about the best media player if you have a lot of music. The playlist creation and smart playlist functions are very well conceived and since it's free, it simply can't be beat. (I also have an iPod now, which makes it that much better as iTunes is needed for integration).
Back to Windows Vista, I'm disappointed so far. Some of the features I've been most looking forward to (a redesigned and conceived file system, virtual folders etc.) have been rolled back to maintain the release date, so we have to wait at least until the next version of Windows for all these new features, anywhere from 2 to 6 years from now.
I am looking forward to new interfaces. The Nintendo Wii has shown that new forms of more interactive controllers can be widely accepted. Coupled with an advancement in display technology (projectors that show images in the air, think non-solid form of Star Trek's holodeck.) the future for computer and entertainment interaction looks bright, and I'm confident we'll see a full "holodeck" mock-up that is fully functional within the next ten years (hopefully sooner).
PS3 made a splash and Sony bungled the release only in lack of quantity. We'll see how this round of system wars plays out, but it looks like Nintendo will do alright, falling ultimately to Sony as it picks up production and releases more units through 2007. The playstation will continue to dominate for at least one more round I think.
What I'm looking forward to: a complete Mind Machine Interface, allowing computers to be controlled by thought alone. The ultimate replacement for the keyboard and mouse.
posted by cyber-mountain guru at 8:41 AM
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