How Did We Live Before Cloud Computing?

I reformatted my laptop today. It's something I like to do from time to time. It gives me that new laptop feeling and allows me to reevaluate which applications are truly important and are worth my harddrive space.

Anyhow, usually, a reformat means reconfiguring a bunch of stuff. But, with cloud computing and synching, reformatting gets easier every time. (I don't restore much from backups. For me, the point is a clean start. I backup iTunes, my Web Receipts Folders, iPhoto and a few important documents.)

Today, I reinstalled NetNewsWire and it immediately synched itself to Newsgator and my feeds were right back in the state I like them. I enter my gmail settings in Mail.app, and my emails are all right on Google's imap server waiting for me. I synch iCal up to Google Calendar, and poof, my events are right back on my computer.

Thanks to subversion, all my source code is easily checked out to working directories. So, in a very short time indeed, I have a fresh clean laptop that has the most important stuff and none of the old debris.

It's a Wonder Steve Jobs Doesn't Throttle People

Steve Jobs: 'We don't have 3G because it would drain the battery too much.'
People: 'We don't care, we want 3G yesterday!'
Steve Jobs: 'Alright already, here's your 3G'
People: 'The battery life sucks!'

Steve Jobs: 'Applications will be web based only to ensure stability'
People: 'No! We want native apps, give us an SDK!'
Steve Jobs: 'Alright already, here's your SDK'
People: 'My apps keep crashing my phone! This thing sucks!'

Do you think Steve Jobs would ever just like to reach out and choke people and say, 'I told you so, you nit-wit!'?

Mac Users CAN Right Click!

A coworker told me today that she would never buy a mac because there is only one mouse button and she's too used to right clicking. Once I explained that she could hook up any mouse she wants and that right clicking works on macs too, she was amazed.

So, if you're avoiding macs thinking you'd lose your right mouse button, take heart. You, too, can switch.

A Bit Disappointed

I was hoping the iPhone update today would give me the ability to copy and paste. No dice. I was also hoping for multi-media SMS and for stereo blue-tooth capabilities. Again, no dice.

I do really like the update to Google Maps though. I also love being able to add web apps to my home page, and to rearrange the home page.

As to movie rentals in iTunes, feh. I can get a movie for the same price from Pay-Per-View, save it on my DVR, and then burn it to a DVD to have forever. None of that silly 24 hour nonsense. But, I MIGHT use it from time to time on my Apple TV to rent older movies. We'll have to see.