Technology

[Cael K.]

Double post I know, but I decided to look at how different sites (my blog, different wikis) look like when viewed with a smartphone.

... Of course, being the sort of person I am, I decided to go one step further. Not content with busting out a smartphone and hitting up its browser (and more influenced by the fact that a smartphone was quite simply out of reach at the time), I just used my PC's browser to view my blog as if it were an Android, and Hatena (thinking I was an Android) sent me the mobile version of my blog... but dang, it was pretty nondescript. Same with some of the wikis I visited - there was some pretty stone-age looking stuff out there. For the record, these forums don't have a unique mobile version, but I'm guessing it's already mobile-friendly.

I wrote about it on my blog, so anyone wanting to do the same can take a look. The technical details might be a little too long for this thread.

[Scotty]

Weird! When I send the url to your blog to my phone, it defaults to unexciting mobile view. When I request desktop site it still defaults to mobile, and when I manually type in the url on my phone, it finally shows me the desktop site.

[altuixde]

I went to take a look at the MacBook Pro with Retina display today and the screen looks amazing.  Text is so sharp.  My iPod touch has a higher pixel density than the MacBook Pro's display, but the Mac's display is much bigger so it's that much more impressive.  The anti-reflective glass really helps too.  I couldn't see reflections in the screen unless I turned the brightness down.  Compare this to the current iMac where reflections are visible even when the brightness is turned all the way up.  I'd like to replace my monitor + 2008 MacBook with it, but ergonomically it's still inferior.  Even if I put it on a stand to raise its screen to the proper height (and use my external keyboard and mouse so they're still at desk level), the body of the Mac takes up space, so its screen will be about 9 inches further away than it should be.  Guess I'll have to wait for a Retina iMac.

[Scotty]

Yeah, that new MacBook is absolutely gorgeous.

[chikorita157]

I went to take a look at the MacBook Pro with Retina display today and the screen looks amazing.  Text is so sharp.  My iPod touch has a higher pixel density than the MacBook Pro's display, but the Mac's display is much bigger so it's that much more impressive.  The anti-reflective glass really helps too.  I couldn't see reflections in the screen unless I turned the brightness down.  Compare this to the current iMac where reflections are visible even when the brightness is turned all the way up.  I'd like to replace my monitor + 2008 MacBook with it, but ergonomically it's still inferior.  Even if I put it on a stand to raise its screen to the proper height (and use my external keyboard and mouse so they're still at desk level), the body of the Mac takes up space, so its screen will be about 9 inches further away than it should be.  Guess I'll have to wait for a Retina iMac.

I wish I had more powerful graphics so I can actually use the graphics acceleration in Adobe Premiere Pro. The GPU I have doesn't have enough video ram, thus video takes ages to render compared to when I use Final Cut Pro X, which actually supports my GPU...

Oh well, I could always buy an external GPU enclosure and use my laptop to render stuff.

[Scotty]

Microsoft announced their new tablet.

Surface:
http://youtu.be/dpzu3HM2CIo

I so want this.

[xkillo147]

Microsoft announced their new tablet.

Surface:
http://youtu.be/dpzu3HM2CIo

I so want this.

My take on it:This>iPad x 1000
Microsoft i'm impressed.

[animagic4u]

Any word on price? This interests me.

[chikorita157]

I give them some credit, but Windows 8 is still a failure in my view. Smashing a tablet OS into a desktop operating system and getting rid of the Start Menu is a nail in the coffin. I rather use Linux full time or stay with Windows 7 instead of use this crap if I have to use a PC.

But still, I think the price of this is going to be higher than the iPad, especially the Pro model probably being at $1000.

[Scotty]

I honestly don't mind not having Start anymore. Not that it went away, just got a huge upgrade.

[chikorita157]

Granted the Release Preview isn't as bad compared to the consumer preview, but it's still terrible. Shoehorning a tablet OS on a desktop is terrible and it's a waste of space considering that laptops and desktops have big screens and it's not a pleasant experience. Not to mention, it takes more steps just to turn off the computer compared to Windows 7, which is only 2. Metro on Desktops and Laptops is not intuitive and the experience is just disorienting switching from Metro and the so called "Legacy" desktop. Laptops and Desktops are meant to do something productive like programing, video editing, and stuff... not to transform a desktop into a big tablet which is a pain to use with a mouse and keyboard and you can't turn off... I don't want Metro and Microsoft shouldn't shove it down my throat.

(end rant...)

[Scotty]

Metro isn't being shoved down anyone's throat. Windows 8 is Windows 7 plus more. You still have your normal desktop experience, and Explorer is better than ever. That whole example of how many steps it takes to shut off compared to 7 is, quite frankly, dumb, seeing as how you shouldn't really be turning off a desktop or laptop often enough for you to complain about one extra step. I've switched from Metro to Desktop more times than I can count and it's not as bad as you're making it out to be. Spend time with it, and you'll get used to it. Your whole rant sounds as if all your features you've grown to love are being taken away and being replaced by Metro, when in reality, Metro is only on your Start screen. Do you have your Start menu open all the time when you're using your computer? I don't think so.


While I find Windows 8 to be more than alright, I don't agree with how Microsoft is doing this. They're digging a pretty deep hole here, with the whole 'one OS to rule them all' strategy. It could have severe repercussions if it doesn't end up working. Only time will tell if they strike gold, or die in their hole.

[SakuraMaxX]

Not to mention, it takes more steps just to turn off the computer compared to Windows 7, which is only 2.

I always thought normal people set the power button on their case to be the shutdown button...

[chikorita157]

Metro isn't being shoved down anyone's throat. Windows 8 is Windows 7 plus more. You still have your normal desktop experience, and Explorer is better than ever. That whole example of how many steps it takes to shut off compared to 7 is, quite frankly, dumb, seeing as how you shouldn't really be turning off a desktop or laptop often enough for you to complain about one extra step. I've switched from Metro to Desktop more times than I can count and it's not as bad as you're making it out to be. Spend time with it, and you'll get used to it. Your whole rant sounds as if all your features you've grown to love are being taken away and being replaced by Metro, when in reality, Metro is only on your Start screen. Do you have your Start menu open all the time when you're using your computer? I don't think so.


While I find Windows 8 to be more than alright, I don't agree with how Microsoft is doing this. They're digging a pretty deep hole here, with the whole 'one OS to rule them all' strategy. It could have severe repercussions if it doesn't end up working. Only time will tell if they strike gold, or die in their hole.

Granted that I barely use Windows nowadays since I spend majority of my time in Mac OS X and dealing more on the *nix side. I only use it to play computer games, run Windows only application and program stuff. Still, I think there are good things they did with Windows 8 with the task manager and stuff... but the Metro stuff just turns me off, especially since they got rid of Aero. Metroized windows just looks ugly compared to what I deal with in Mac OS X or even Linux, which looks ten times better.

It's not like I haven't spent time with it... I installed it on a virtual machine, but felt uninterested after playing around with it.

I always thought normal people set the power button on their case to be the shutdown button...

On most computers, it just put the computer on standby as the default.

[SakuraMaxX]

On most computers, it just put the computer on standby as the default.

set the power button

set the power button

set the power button

set the power button

set the power button

set the power button

set the power button