Outer Rim Territories

The early adopter tax, along with any associated tech risks, has not escaped the notice of most tech enthusiasts. In the end, its not much of a factor. We dont buy early because its a good deal. We dont buy early because its fiscally sound. We buy early because the technology is cool and we simply cannot or do not want to wait for our preciousssssss to finally come home with us.

We are the People Who Stand In Line.

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This is a blatantly computer (and Mac) related post. If you have no interest, move along.

A fellow seminarian at StL and Mac user asked how I keep the family computers and phones in sync with each other. Most of this is Mac-based but might be adaptable to the PC realm. First, I tried Apple’s MobileMe and was not impressed. For a newbie, its good solution. For the geeky crowd, its too limited. So, my solution is to use other free or inexpensive solutions. Over the last day I did some more tweaking that has helped significantly.

1) I host my website/blog with iPower. Today I’d use Dreamhost. Both are low cost web hosting providers. I prefer WordPress over the iWeb blog templates. Plus with FTP/MySQL support you can do almost anything. Cost: $60/yr

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Apple – MacBook Air

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I love the classic “Frosty the Snowman” or “Rudolph” stop-motion animated shows. Well, here’s Apple’s take on them:

Download

Personal Technology – WSJ.com:
Personal Technology columnist Walt Mossberg says the new operating system keeps Apple ahead of Microsoft, but it’s not revolutionary, with only a handful of core novelties. (Oct. 25)

The Mac is on a roll. Apple Inc.’s perennially praised but slow-selling Macintosh computers have surged in popularity in the past few years, with sales growing much faster than the overall PC market, especially in the U.S. By some measures, Mac laptops are now approaching a 20% share of U.S. noncorporate sales, up from the low single digits where they once seemed stuck.

There are several reasons for this, including the security problems in the dominant Windows platform from Microsoft; spillover from Apple’s blistering success with its iPod music players; the fact that Macs can now run Windows programs; and Apple’s highly successful chain of company-owned retail stores.

But another key factor has been the Mac operating system, called OS X, which came out in 2001. It has proved to be as powerful and versatile for mainstream consumers as Windows, yet easier to use and more secure. And Apple has upgraded OS X far more rapidly than Microsoft Inc. has upgraded Windows, bringing out major new releases roughly every 18 months, while Microsoft struggled for more than five years to produce the latest Windows iteration, Vista, which came out in January.

On Friday evening, Apple will release yet another new version of OS X, called Leopard, to replace the current version, known as Tiger. I’ve been testing Leopard, and while it is an evolutionary, not a revolutionary, release, I believe it builds on Apple’s quality advantage over Windows. In my view, Leopard is better and faster than Vista, with a set of new features that make Macs even easier to use.

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Apple – Mac OS X Leopard – Guided Tour:
Why you’ll love a Mac.

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Apple – To all iPhone customers:

Second, being in technology for 30+ years I can attest to the fact that the technology road is bumpy. There is always change and improvement, and there is always someone who bought a product before a particular cutoff date and misses the new price or the new operating system or the new whatever. This is life in the technology lane. If you always wait for the next price cut or to buy the new improved model, you’ll never buy any technology product because there is always something better and less expensive on the horizon. The good news is that if you buy products from companies that support them well, like Apple tries to do, you will receive years of useful and satisfying service from them even as newer models are introduced.

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Okay, just kidding. I didn’t see this one in Russia. Too bad, I would have picked one up for my heretical bookshelf in the office.

Where Can I Get One?

With iPhone arriving June 29th at 6 p.m. in AT&T retail stores, the wait is almost over. Use our online store locator to find the closest AT&T store that sells Apple iPhone (limit one per person). We’ll show you maps, directions, and everything you need to get your hands on an iPhone as quickly as possible.

AT&T Stores:
Find iPhone at an AT&T store

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