When will Apple become the new Microsoft ?

In some techies minds, Microsoft is a swear word. Using Vista is giving on to the dark side whilst using Internet Explorer "only perpetuates Microsofts dominance of the market". Microsoft are scorned for having to "patch" their software frequently whilst people ask why it is that Microsoft sells us software that is essentially broken and need repairing straight away.

But mention the company name Apple, and nobody bats an eyelid. Why ? Apple, after all, do exactly what Microsoft do, but worse. They use software for their iPods that really does not like working with other media players, they use file formats that do not work on all devices, they launch
- iPod Nanos where the screen scratches or cracks (which they replace a few weeks later). Oh, and it's not an urban myth. Read HERE, HERE & HERE .
- iPod Mini's where the battery dies very quickly (which they eventually agree to replace some months later.
- iPod Nanos which replace the old ones where the battery overheats to a dangerous level.
- iPhone 3Gs that are launched with major faults that require a patch just a few days later.

And all this in an MP3 player market that has become dominated by Apple. yet do people speak out against Apple ? No, because they are "cute and cuddly".

Actually, Apple and Microsoft are very very similar. The only difference is that Microsoft are getting better (could they have got any worse ?) whilst Apple are getting worse.

Update : The number of sad "anonymous" comments from Mac users, nearly all American, using phrases akin to "The Shermanator" in the film American Pie, sending torrents of abuse because I dared to liken Apple to MS is hilarious. What a sad bunch of techie geeks Apple users can be. Oh, by the way, cut out the abuse and I'll publish the comments, keep being abusive and I'll delete it. After all, it takes me less time to click on delete than it does for you to write the comment.

Why do I need Windows 7 & what exactly is wrong with a mouse ?

Microsoft have announced details today of the next version of Windows, called simply Windows 7 but it will probably get a fancy name before its release.

So why do we need a newer version of Windows ? Well I am asking that myself. I upgraded to Vista some months ago as I was having some problems with networking and sharing files in XP and Vista has done everything I have asked of it easily and without fuss, and more importantly without glitches and crashing.

Well apparently Windows 7 uses touch screen technology, and demo of it in action can be seen on the BBC website. Essentially, you will (with the right hardware) be able to do to a computer what you can already do with an Apple iphone (no, I don't mean take poor pictures and rely on very slow downloads). That's great surely ? Well no.

The problem is that touch technology is good when it replaces something that is awkward or slow. So having touch technology on a phone is great because your phone does not have a mouse and using a keyboard for some functions can be awkward. But with a computer a mouse is just what is needed. A mouse is pixel perfect, a mouse is very responsive and what's more, unlike the end of my finger, it is precise. I like sitting two feet away from my monitor but I don't want to have to lean across my desk to touch my screen all the time.

It's odd that when Nintendo have created the Wii-mote (their Wii controllers) which in effect act like a mouse in terms of responsiveness and the ability to use them away from the screen with precision, that Microsoft feel the need to go for touch screen when there simply isn't a need.

Microsoft say that Windows 7 will be out in 2009 or 2010, which in Microsoft talk means 2011 or 2012, so I guess it won't be an immediate concern. However, it does seem that Microsoft are rattled by Linux open source operating systems and are trying to put clear blue water between Windows and Linux. But in my opinion they are trying too hard. Too much clear blue water could leave them in to deep water.

The vested interests and hypocrisy of Microsoft and UK schools

For the first time in my teaching career I have heard something about ICT and software in schools that makes sense, when it come to talking about Microsoft.

After years of the government telling us all to install Microsoft software in school without hesitation, Becta, a government agency, have at last announced that schools should be very careful about signing any deals with Microsoft and should review whether open source software might be a better option.

The problem is with this advice is that it flies in the face of everything that schools are told and advised to do by education authorities and the government itself.

The problem is that some local education authorities have purchase agreements with Microsoft . this means that the LEA has a cosy relationship with Microsoft that they are not keen to break, even if it means schools pay more.

Then there are the ICT advisers who go out to schools from the local education authorities. I my old school when we went for Open Office, a free open source piece of software that replicate the functions of Microsoft Office, did everything they could to put us off it, told us it would not work, indeed they acted like agents for Microsoft such was the vigour of their opposition to the school's stance. In truth Open Office worked fine and the school are still using it without problems. We were lucky that we had a group of ICT competent teachers and support staff who could understand when the advice we were being given by the LEA was rubbish. Most schools are reliant on LEA advisers and will therefore have done what they said, and gone for Microsoft Office instead.

The final thing is the government's own attitude towards Microsoft. The government have made no attempt to ditch Microsoft Office for an Open source alternative. The Indian Government and others have done this recently, adopting Ubuntu ( A Linux based operation system) and use Open Office too, cutting out Microsoft completely and saving hundreds of millions of pounds of tax payers money in to the bargain. When will the UK government catch up with the third world on this ?

And what of the government's own relationship with Bill Gates. Didn't Labour award him with an honorary knighthood for his services to education ? This from the man who sells Microsoft software to UK schools for a profits whilst it is given away to US schools for free ?

So it is good news that Becta are advising schools to stay clear of Microsoft software, but let's hope this advice also gets to the local education authorities and to central government too.

I am installing Windows Vista - I may be gone some time !

If my blogging is a bit erratic over the next few days, please be patient. I am switching to Vista and guess there are bound to be problems.

Wish me luck.

Update : Now working - Everything is fine and dandy. Aren't Microsoft a wonderful organisation ? (note that was sarcasm)

Giving up on Internet Explorer

I've just about had enough of Internet Explorer 7. Whilst it seems to be better than most other browsers, in reality it is rubbish.

Why is this ?

It cannot seem to cope with blogs, or at least blogger ones using new templates.

I've had a problem for several weeks accessing Iain Dale's blog via IE7. One minute it accepts it, the next, it beings up an error message, but now it has started doing it with my blog too.

If anyone else is suffering these problems, please let me know.

In the meantime. I've now switched to Mozilla Firefox and I'd recommend anyone else to do the same.