Biggs' Zone

A Geek's Cogitations, Conjectures and other Cortical Experiences

Biggs On: More Microsoft Shennanigans

By

On April 1, 2011

In Apple, Microsoft, Technology

It’s really sad to see a grown monopoly pout. Microsoft has lost their innovative edge on the industry, they are grappling to keep up with all the new kids. The unfortunate thing about Microsoft is when someone beats them to the punch, they don’t take the high road and try to take the next innovative step, instead they sue you.

Microsoft hasn’t come up with something truly innovative in years; Apple, Google, even Barnes and Noble have been leading the industry with their innovative gadgets and tools. So instead of trying to think for themselves Microsoft decides they deserve a piece of everyone’s pie which can only be acquired with a lawsuit. Microsoft’s new paradigm is “if you can’t beat em, sue em!” First they start with Barnes and Noble who is being sued by Microsoft for patents violated with their nook e-reader. Barnes and Noble laid a golden egg with their nook (and the new nook Color) and since Microsoft didn’t make a successful e-reader they want a piece of the nook’s success – an e-reader from Microsoft probably would have sucked anyway! The part that disgusts me the most is that Microsoft will probably win their lawsuit, after all it worked with the iPod and now Microsoft receives a small royalty for every iPod sold.

The best is yet to come. Microsoft has filed a lawsuit against Google in the EU for anticompetitive search technology. It’s laughable that Microsoft is actually filing an antitrust suit and we all know they will win because the only thing Microsoft is good at anymore is antitrust law.

Microsoft should change their name to Dewey, Cheatum & Howe.

Its frustrating to be an IT professional, developing software using .Net when the manufacturer of your tools and technology is an embarrassment. When will we stop playing such petty games and get some real work done?

In closing, to add additional emphasis to the tone of my previous post, this post was completely written and published using the iPad 2! 🙂

iPad 2 – One Week Later

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On March 31, 2011

In Apple, Technology

iPad 2I have had my iPad 2 for about a week now and I’m sure many are wondering what I think so far. I could sum up my experience thus far by simply saying I’m an Apple hater turned fanboy. If you are looking for a more in depth analysis I will certainly oblige.

I have not put any of my music nor have I put any movies on my iPad. I didn’t buy it to be a toy, I bought it to be a tool for work and, so far, that has been what I have primarily used it for (though having a browser at my fingertips while sitting in my recliner and watching a movie is handy). I installed an app called Penultimate and bought a stylus from Best Buy. It is a great app. Penultimate has replaced the need to ever use a paper notebook again. I am using that app religiously at work now to take notes in all my meetings and to record my notes for my research.

Actually I have put very few apps on it and the only game is Angry Birds (because only real iPhone’s or iPad’s have Angry Birds). I’m saving the space on my iPad to develop my own apps – hence the research I alluded to above.

So far the iPad 2 is worth every penny I spent on it. It has already improved my productivity and soon it will improve my skills. I am very excited to start developing some of my own apps, though I hear Objective C can be pretty awful. The smart cover brings my iPad to life immediately, so I never have to wait to start using it. The display quality and graphics are superb, though I don’t intend to use my iPad for movies, I may watch one just to get an idea of the visual quality of movies on the iPad. The quality of the pictures the camera takes is pretty decent and the camera is a feature I hope to take advantage of when I am developing apps.

So yea, I love my iPad, its pretty sweet.

SWTOR: Jedi Knight Class

By

On March 24, 2011

In Gaming, SWTOR

I started my beta testing with the Jedi Knight class. So far it seems that this is basically your melee and tank class. If you have been following any of the details BioWare has been releasing you may already know that the Jedi Knight has two specializations that define whether the Jedi is a tank or melee DPS. The Guardian class is your Jedi Tank and the Sentinel class is your Jedi melee class.

So far the spells and combat make the class really fun to play. In fact I’m actually a little concerned that perhaps the Jedi Knight class is so enjoyable that there might be an overabundance of Jedi Knight players, an issue that plagued Star Wars Galaxies. Do you blame them, I mean who doesn’t want to be a Jedi??

The responses you choose and the decisions you make as you level through your storyline will determine whether you are a dark Jedi or a light Jedi. So far I haven’t been brave enough to pick any of the dark Jedi options though some of them are pretty humorous. Since my beta time is limited I will only be leveling my Jedi Knight to 10 so I can experience how a player selects the Guardian path or the Sentinel class.

I plan to try as many of the other classes as I can so check back when I go over the Bounty Hunter class.

Cheers.

 

Biggs On: IE, Chrome & Firefox

By

On March 23, 2011

In Biggs On, Technology

A very unusual thing happened this month, the top three browser companies all released majors versions of their browsers: Chrome 10, Internet Explorer 9 and Firefox 4. Since that time the internet and the competitive natures of their respective fans has been on a rampage trying to promote their favorite and discredit the others. ZDNet was quick to put each browser through a battery of performance tests and Chrome 10 was the victor for  most of the tests, IE and Firefox tied. ZDNet concluded that while Chrome 10 was clearly the faster browser, overall all three browsers were comparable.

It’s no secret to most that I am an avid Firefox fan. I have been using Firefox since its early versions. I only use IE if its absolutely necessary. I have tried Chrome a couple of times but I still find myself going back to Firefox every time. Naturally I became defensive when I see an article pop-up on ZDNet today with the heading “Why IE Will Survive and Firefox Won’t”. I completely disagree with the author, I think there is plenty of room for three competitors and its those “cult followings” that the author referenced that will keep Firefox a competitor. Microsoft is still playing catch-up. They haven’t come up with something truly innovative since C#. They are barely keeping their head above water trying to compete with everyone else; and if they can’t compete, they sue (ex: Microsoft is suing Barnes & Noble for patent infringement – obviously because Barnes & Noble is striking gold with the nook and Microsoft is pouting that they didn’t think of it first).

If the worst should happen, and Firefox starts to dwindle away, those that do jump the proverbial ship will most likely go to Chrome before going to IE. Honestly, I’m OK with Firefox losing to Chrome. It’s a nice browser. It’s a fast browser. It’s the dawning of a new era and the Internet Explorer era is the one that is reaching its twilight.

Cheers.

SWTOR: First Impressions

By

On March 14, 2011

In Gaming, SWTOR

So it has been a while since I last spoke of Star Wars The Old Republic, probably because I was a little upset that they teased me with a beta invite … and then had to cancel my testing group.

Well, I am excited to report that I have received another invite, this time to test the whole game and until May 17th. I have already created 2 characters, a Jedi Knight and a Sith Inquisitor. Now I can’t talk about things that Bioware has not already released publicly so if anyone were to post any questions, I may or may not be able to answer it depending on the context of the question.

So I will start with my first impressions and I will try not to geek out too much. The movement controls are familiar and comfortable, your standard WSAD. The graphics are pretty sweet, even for a beta. The environment details, the Jedi Temple details are just awesome. I have only gone a few levels so there is much more to try out but so far the combat is pretty sweet, some of the abilities you get early on just give me chills.

I really like the lore and the story that unfolds. I love the concept they are trying with quests where the NPCs actually speak to you and you are given three options as your reply. According to the developer videos, how you reply will alter the perception of your character in the future both by the NPCs and by other players. It is a really neat concept. Oh, and none of the NPCs that have actual dialog, sound the same. I believe Bioware said that they brought in several actors to provide voices for the story questlines. It really adds a new and unique level of quality to the experience.

Then there’s the music. I think its the music that really pulls me in. I love the music.

I am going to stop here for now, I don’t want to talk about too much because I want you guys to keep coming back. I will answer the one question I have had some people ask me already. Is SWTOR a WoW-killer? I am going to tell you what I told them. I think right now its too early to tell but I think TOR has the same groundwork (from a lore perspective) as Warcraft. So, to that end, my answer is, it has the greatest potential over any of the other MMOs which made the same claim to be a WoW-killer.

Movie Review: The Social Network

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On March 10, 2011

In Movies, Reviews

[rating:4]

Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake

Synopsis: The Social Network is a movie about Mark Zuckerberg and how he started the social phenomenon known as Facebook. The story is told as flashbacks during Zuckerberg’s two depositions, each where he is being sued by one of his co-founders (and ex-friend) and by two gentlemen who hired him to develop a similar website for Havard students.

Biggs’ Review: The first thing I want to do is dispel any impressions people have about Zuckerberg’s behavior. It was not sensationalized, a lot of brilliant people, especially computer people, really are that crass. I was completely unfamiliar with how Facebook became a phenomenon or where it got its start. I really enjoyed this movie. I actually found it to be inspiring though I know I would never have an idea that would erupt into a phenomenon like Mark Zuckerberg did with Facebook.

I find that this is a movie I would probably watch again and I would recommend it to others and I think others in the computer industry would have an increased interest in the film. For example in the beginning of the movie Mark narrates how he hacked the various facebook databases for the other Harvard residences.

I hope you find this movie as enjoyable as I did.

Also, if you found this review helpful or you have suggestions on how I can make movie reviews more helpful, please leave a comment and let me know.

Cheers!

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