June 8, 2008

Much speculation has been prompted by the photos from last week that showed Apple referring to their computer operating system as “OS X Leopard” instead of the previous “Mac OS X Leopard.” Some have theorized this is indicative of Apple licensing their OS to other computer makers.

In other words, OS X (the software) will run on something other than a Mac (the hardware).

I don’t recall anyone saying this is a slam-dunk, no-doubt expectation for tomorrow. In fact, John Gruber and Dan Benjamin spent a healthy portion of the most recent episode of The Talk Show shooting this rumor down. Basically, Apple makes way more money on a $2000 computer than they do on a $129 box of Leopard, so why would they screw up the revenue stream.

I agree with this. Apple will not license OS X to run on other companies’ non-Macs. But it got me thinking.

What if Apple is going to build something that does run OS X but is not a Mac?

Now, it’s been nearly 25 years since Apple built computers that weren’t Macs, but they have done it before. I don’t think they’d produce a normal desktop or laptop computer and call it not a Mac, but maybe they have something entirely different to surprise us with.

There’s been a persistent rumor of Apple working on a “tablet” Mac, either a full-blown, Leopard-running computer that fits in your hand or an oversized iPod Touch running “OS X iPhone.” I think it’s possible this could be the computer-but-not-a-Mac (CBNAM) I’m thinking of. That said, I don’t think this is a particularly likely announcement for WWDC tomorrow.

So, bottom line, I don’t have a great answer for what this CBNAM could be, but this line of inquiry interests me. I think most of the other expectations for Steve’s speech, while exciting, are relatively fleshed out.

This not-Mac could be how Apple surprises us tomorrow.

May 15, 2008

May 9, 2008

  • It quickly blows by titillating giggle and ends up at full-blown Bollywood epic jaw-drop. Just check out for the next 7 minutes and enjoy.

May 8, 2008

May 7, 2008

It seems to me that the last two months of the Democratic presidential race have played out exactly as most observers predicted after Obama’s narrow win on Super Tuesday (Feb. 5).

In other words, we’ve known all along that Obama was going to rack up victories in February. Clinton was going to win Pennsylvania. Obama, North Carolina. And Indiana was going to be close.

So why the sudden decision now that the race is over? It seems to me that if we were content to let this thing drag out for months and months, it’s just respectful to give Hillary the chance to see things through until she’s satisfied. What’s an extra two to six weeks at this point?

Anyway, if this race really is over, hats off to Hillary. She ran a great campaign and energized millions of Democratic voters. I was always moved by the stories of 90-year-old grandmas who remember a time before women could vote at all and were awestruck by one of their own running for President.

Now, let’s go out and stop McCain before he tricks another American into liking him.

May 5, 2008

April 30, 2008

April 24, 2008

Tracy made me watch the view this morning and Elisabeth Hasselbeck was ranting about something that really ticked me off. So here I am clearing up one of the worst misconceptions in American civic life.

Hasselbeck was complaining about Barack Obama’s tax plan that may - may - impose new taxes on American families making more than $97,000 annually. She was very, very concerned about “raising taxes on Middle America.”

Families making $100,000 a year ARE NOT middle class. Period. End of story.

The median household income in America is $48,201.00 according to 2006 US Census Bureau statistics. Fully one-half of American families survive on less than that income. If you and your husband both have $25,000 a year jobs, you’re not only not poor, you’re better off than half your neighbors.

I think the elite among us - including Elisabeth Hasselbeck and those who control our civic and cultural institutions - really have no visceral understanding of just how out of whack their understanding of “normal” really is.

That family making $97,000 a year that Hasselbeck is so worried about being taxed? Turns out that household is in the top 17% of American incomes. Now, I have a good word to describe a family better off than 4 out of every 5 American families - rich.

Read more about these numbers at Wikipedia.

April 19, 2008

April 13, 2008

April 9, 2008

April 8, 2008

March 30, 2008

March 29, 2008

March 28, 2008

March 24, 2008

The opening track to REM’s triumphant return to glory, Accelerate, Living Well… delivers on the rock and roll promise of the band’s IRS years. I’m especially fond of this super-acoustic in-car performance put together by budding music video auteur Vincent Moon.

This video is a free download on iTunes. The album version is pretty sweet too (below). Accelerate is released in finer record stores everywhere on April 1.


REM - Living Well is the Best Revenge (5.2 MB MP3)

March 23, 2008

March 22, 2008

March 21, 2008

March 20, 2008

Photos

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