Where does the ARM transition put Apple and others regarding virtualization and Windows? Well, the truth is, it doesn’t look good for anyone who NEEDs to use Windows. Apple’s Rosetta 2 software is flexible, but it’s unable to translate all the code that would be needed to run x86 copies of VMware or VirtualBox, and consequently, virtualize an x86 environment (be it 32 or 64 bit). Apple also seems to be including their own virtualization software in MacOS 16 “Big Sur”, as shown when they were running a Debian based VM on it.
Continue readingCategory Archives: personal opinion
Apple and ARM – Part 2
So, The Transition Kit that was presented Monday. No custom desktop CPU, no Thunderbolt ports, but 16GB of ram and 512GB SSD. Hey that’s still 10 GB of ram more than what comes standard on the iPad Pro with the same CPU!
But let’s talk realistically about this device. First of all, its not meant to represent anything that would be going into immediate production. It’s essentially a bodge where Apple redesigned an iPad Pro logic board to fit inside a Mac Mini case. Port wise, It will have 2x USB-C (3.1) ports, 2x USB-A (3.0) ports, and an HDMI 2.0 port. Networking, it has 802.11ac Wifi, Bluetooth 5.0 and Gigabit Ethernet. Essentially, it really is an iPad Pro stuck into a Mac Mini case. The HDMI port, Gigabit ethernet, and possibly the other USB ports are basically just your bog standard USB-C hub that provide the same exact ports that you can buy on Amazon for about $40. Only difference is that it is built into the logic board.
Continue readingApple and ARM – Part 1
So, Apple finally confirmed that it’s moving to ARM CPUs, something that was predicted for years by analysts. But what does it mean to consumers and professionals? Where does this leave professionals that need to use Windows? Those are some of the questions I’ll try to postulate in this and subsequent posts (Yes! I’ll be more active here!).
Continue readingPeeple, the review site you never knew existed, but that you’re on because someone else signed you up for it
So, another day, another App or Startup.
This time it’s Peeple, a service like Yelp, but for reviewing actual people! So, it’s like a site that manages a database of information of different people and their reputations. All comments are NOT anonymous, and if any negative comment violates the rules, it might be removed. All relatively nice and interesting, but there’s a catch. And it’s a big one.
Or, you don’t even have to sign up for it to be on it. And no, the text message is to confirm that your profile has been added to the site, and NOT to ask your permission to BE added.
The Up Selling of Education, part 1
I’ve been talking with people about the university system here in the States and it somehow always surprises me that even a Bachelors Degree is of limited value on the job market. With online schools trying to get people to “continue their education” by offering Masters Degrees or MBAs, while putting you in even more debt makes the higher education system seem even more like the payday loan system (you’re never educated enough for a job, but you end up being too old for that position). Continue reading
Guy Kawasaki, the Twitter resolution
So after replying to Guy Kawasaki’s tweet regarding Amazon, he apparently took offense to my response. Here’s his tweet that started this:
And here’s my reply:
While my disparaging comment about him being a “corporate schill”, is a bit off (I don’t know if he’s currently working with Amazon or not), but either way he took offense.
My first reply was regarding the comparison of Hachette as a company, to the act of buying a Kindle and having delivered in less than 24 hours. Continue reading
Guy Kawasaki, from Product Evangelist, to Corporate Shill
I’ve been following Guy Kawasaki’s twitter feed for a while. For those too young to know who he is, Guy Kawasaki worked at Apple for years trying to increase the popularity and acceptance of its Macs. You can read up more about him on his Wikipedia page.
Generally his twitter postings are reblogs from the site “Holy Kaw! All the topics that interest us.” (will not link to another Buzzfeed clone). While these reblogs at times can be interesting, it’s just the usual blathering and using one’s “geek fame” to self promote a website which only reblogs articles from other sites. But occasionally, he will blog something himself, such as today’s:
So he’s throwing himself into the Hachette – Amazon debacle (albeit a little late). The problem is that there seems to be a disconnect between reality and what he’s posting. Since, based on the tweet, he’s comparing ordering a physical Kindle off of Amazon on a Sunday and receiving one Monday as something that Hachette can’t do (in a negative sense). But in this cognitive dissonance, I think he’s forgetting that Hachette is a publisher, and not a retailer. Heck, they don’t even sell their own ebook readers.
Maybe this tweet can be considered as an insult? Insinuating that Hachette can’t sell books through Amazon while Amazon can sell their own products in an expedited way. Still, pretty low for someone who once considered himself a “Product Evangelist”, and not a lowly “Corporate Shill”.
And even his argument falls flat. Many Barnes & Noble stores are open on Sunday till late, and many local independent book stores are also open on Sundays. And if it’s too late, and everything is closed on Sunday in your area, well, you can always go to the store on Monday morning. Amazon’s main business strategy is not to offer everything from A to Z, but to sell it in a way that requires the least expenditure of time and EFFORT from the client. Convenience has it’s limits, and not getting out and being part of your local community is one of these. If you want instant gratification, you’ll still have to wait for Amazon to deliver your stuff. Go to a local store and buy from them. 20 minutes and you’ll have the book/game/thing you want in your hands, and that’s something that Amazon can’t do.
That is unless they start using those drones, but then it’ll be open hunting season for them as they fly over people’s houses.
Irrelevant Hacks 