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I’m a windows guy. I like to have options in my computing platform because I want to customize my computer experience exactly how I like it to maximize productivity. There is no question the Windows platform is compatible with the widest array of hardware and software, allowing me to configure my user experience to match specific needs. One would assume, if you have a platform that offers so many choices, there is no need for any other. However, some users require fewer options, while others require even more options. I believe that the fewer options a user has when interacting with their technology, the easier it is to use. Conversely, the more options a user has, the more difficult that technology is to use. Furthermore, technology cannot both be easy to use and have many options (technology that is difficult to use with few options is just poorly designed). Thus there is, an inverse relationship between ease of use and functionality, and this relationship is irreconcilable.

Let us compare Mac, Windows, and Linux. Mac is undeniably the easiest of the three to use. It comes installed with pretty much any program you need to get going (strangely enough no games, save chess, and no drawing programs like MS Paint). The GUI is universal, so once a user learns an app, say iTunes, the skills are directly transferable to iPhoto, Safari, Mail, and other apple programs. Apple however, is a closed platform, meaning that it lacks robust 3rd part support and most every aspect to the operating system one way or another is approved by Apple. This creates a very solid and stable system, but it is very difficult to stray too far from the Apple approved path. Therefore, Mac’s ease of use means that it is less functional

Windows is by far the most compatible platform. Just about every single application and hardware works on windows. This means that Windows users can configure their system exactly how they need to run. As a system builder, I have built computers that are solely designed to play games. Of course it can do everything else any other computer can do, but I chose specific parts to maximize processing efficiency, graphics, and sound encode/decoding. I also designed the computer in my project studio that is built to endure high level of processing for extended period of time. The drawback is the lack of standards creates the potential of system mishaps and blue screens. Windows has been trying and failing to create the universal GUI Macs have, but their lack of innovation in this department makes it difficult to create a unifying trend among apps. Thus, if you have 10 programs on windows, you will have to learn 10 different interfaces. Thus, Windows is the middle of the road. It is an open platform, which makes it the most functional operating system, but the lack of a unifying interface makes it more difficult to use than Mac.

Finally, Linux is the most configurable system. Every aspect of the computing experience can be modified exactly to your liking, even down to the placement of your minimize, restore, and close buttons. Though Linux lacks the robust hardware support of Windows, it does have a bevy of free software to customize the user experience to customize their user experience to their liking. This makes Linux a somewhat closed system because it if fully integrated into the open-source community. Also, Linux is compatible with almost all the same internal hardware as Windows allowing similar configurations for personal, enterprise, or server use. However, Linux isn’t what I’d call out-of-the-box usable, though recent versions of the most popular distribution Ubuntu is getting increasingly better with this. For example, in order to play a DVD movie, you have to grab CSS decryption software and codecs from the repository. Some applications require that you go and manually find its dependencies and compile the package to install it. Despite the excellent GUI in Ubuntu, a user needs to be able to use the terminal to get the most out of it. Between a completely configurable interface and a wide variety of software (which is 99% free) Linux is the most functional system. But it is also the most difficult to use.

We can’t have our cake and eat it too. A platform can either let the user define their experience, or create the user experience for the user to enjoy. Though the relationship is in my opionion irreconcilable, creating a unifying experience that helps to mask a platform's short commings is essential for an enjoyable user experience.

Is one model better than the other? That is debatable, but what is empirical is Apple’s stock has increased (albeit mainly from iPhone sales) while Microsoft has lost money for the first time in 23 years. Linux is increasingly becoming more popular for netbooks, phones, and is now making a presence on laptops from Dell and HP. What this indicates is middle of the road is not good enough anymore, and Microsoft is in trouble. Somehow, Microsoft has to create an interface that creates a unifying experience. Mac does this with its GUI. iTunes, iPhoto, the iPhone all look the same. They share the same name. In Linux, the unifying factor is its vibrant and passionate open-source community. Microsoft lacks this. What they do (and it continually disappoints me) is emulate rather than innovate. They see Mac using a universal GUI, so they poorly implemented it with the ribbon interface. Windows Media Player is a cheap iTunes imitation. Microsoft really has to go to the drawing board and create mind-blowing new technologies, or they will find themselves in an unrecoverable flat spin.

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One of my FAVORITE sources for tech information is on the KenRadio World Technology Round podcast which I listen to via Stitcher (killer iPhone app by the way!) He plugged a brand new app called BumpTop, which is an interactive 3D desktop. The concept is simple: use your computer desktop like the one in your office.

We have grown accustomed to using folders to manage large amounts of similar data. With BumpTop, files can be stacked like papers on a desk and flipped through to make a messy desktop with a million icons far more accessible. The coolest feature however is the wall, onto which you can pin items of interest. You can even use a “picture frame” to hang up a photo of the family! The best feature of the wall is the applets. Currently, there is a Facebook, Twitter, and Email applet that lets you automatically post pictures to your Facebook page, send a tweet, and attach files, respectively. This app has some serious potential to increase productivity. Anything that makes the computing experience fasters gets an A in my book.

One improvement I’d like to see is better memory management. BumpTop uses a hefty 128MB of RAM, which makes it on the borderline of useable for power users, and not a great idea for users who do heavy multimedia work. My laptop on which BumpTop is running has 2GB of RAM, and there is no noticeable change in performance at all for normal use, but when I turn on my audio apps for making music, I feel the weight of the memory requirement. If there was a way to streamline the app to use around 35 to 50MB of RAM, I’m sure I can keep it on all the time. It may be out already, but I’d also like to see a theme that has glass walls so I can experience my desktop pictures in full resolution. I download a lot of desktop wallpapers, as well as make my own, so the scaled 3D version distorts the image more than I’d like. Plus, a 3D glass wall would simply look awesome. I also have to say, I’m surprised an apple version of this app isn’t out yet. Windows users tend to organize most of their folders in the “My Documents” folder, while Mac users seem to prefer using their desktops – this could be just the app for a many a Mac user!

Below is a screen of my desktop running BumpTop. In case you’re wondering, I’m running this on Vista Home Premium 32bit (using a customized taskbar) and the dock is from Rocket Dock.



Get BumpTop Here

Cashed strapped Americans are finding ways to save a buck these days. Cost saving measures including traveling less, eating out less, and engaging in less self-indulgent spending practices. The stock of a few companies as a result has skyrocketed. In the short term at least, investing in dollar stores and low-budget stores seems to be the trend. Pasta, a college student staple, has found its way on the dinner tables of penny saving Americans across the country.

Still, another trend in economically tough times is the usage of coupons, which has seen a 90% increase of usage since the recession began. One great site for getting coupons is FatWallet. This site has online coupons that you print out and bring to the store. Not just grocery stores however, Wal-mart, Best-Buy, Home Depot, amongst many others (over 2500 stores) are represented. From $2 off a 6-pack of tuna to 1% off for the sale of a TV, there is a coupon for just about anything. It may not amount to much, but any savings is a good savings.

Check Out Fat Wallet Here

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I recently caught wind of this interesting piece of technology. The concept is simple: bring an XM Radio-like experience to the user without the need for subscriptions and extra hardware. This means 1000 songs in a random playlist that requires zero setup; plug in the micro SD card into the player and you’re ready to go. The playlists come pre-installed with Billboard’s top 1000 songs in various genres.

I like the idea of quick music on the go. This gadget would be GREAT for car trips. It would sell very well at gas stations and rest stops. However, there are a few nagging issues I have with it. First, the player will launch at $100. It includes an FM tuner, a play button, and stop button, and a skip button (no rewind here), and an LCD screen with just the basic info – song title, time, and artist. Comparatively, the SanDisk Sansa 8GB Fuze player is $95 and is a fully featured mp3 player, with syncing capabilities, FM tuner, full song navigation, video playback, and a photo gallery. It also reads the very same SD cards that would play in the Slot Radio player.

The preloaded cards are not configurable. If you follow this blog, you’ll soon learn that one of my biggest technology pet peeves is the lack of customization. The preloaded cards have DRM protection on it so you can’t take your favorite songs on it and put it on a different medium. However, these preloaded cards cost $40 for 1000 songs which works out as 4 cents per song! Personally, I’d rather buy a Sansa Fuze and buy a bunch of those cards until the price of the player dropped significantly to something like $35.

This product is no threat to the iPod in any way, and it is targeted towards a different consumer, the on-the-go, plug-and-play kind. I think because it requires no effort to get working, it will do very well in the market, but the reach probably won’t extend far beyond the novice user consumer market.