Signs you might start worrying about Microsoft's future include

...when the army starts buying macs for security.

Actually, I think the combination of virtual machines (because they allow you to run one OS for backwards compatibility and another OS for newer stuff that actually, you know, works, thus providing a migration path out of Windows) and web applications (because they only need a web browser to work and are much easier to deal with maintenance-wise on the client's side) are the more likely downfall of Microsoft. But that won't happen for a while. 5 years at the very earliest, likely longer.

Fuck Apple

Despite being a relatively recent Apple convert, they still do things that piss me off. Case in point: if you want to upgrade the amount of RAM in your MacBook Pro, you can either order from Apple, or you can order the same goddamn thing from someone else for almost 1/4 the price.

The fuckers are taking advantage of the fact that people don't know any better to charge a 300-400% markup!

What the hell happened to arbitrage? If free markets worked, shouldn't this shit not happen?

My shame

I have this theory that the Universe sets out specifically to turn me into a hypocrite whenever it can possibly manage it.

Consequently, I caved and bought an iPhone yesterday. Look, alright, they dropped the price $200, gave me a $100 credit on top of that, and my absolutely shitful Cingular 8125 crapped out yesterday (how can you make a pda where IMAP doesn't fucking work? What the fuck is wrong with the Windows Mobile developers?). Oh, and did I mention the fact that it cut my data cost in half? The damn thing practically pays for itself!

I didn't have a choice.

Goddamn buttons

Did Steve Jobs endure a traumatic event involving buttons as a child?

Apple pulls a Microsoft

Just when you thought Microsoft had the lock on stupid UI bugs, Apple pulls the "let's fuck up URLs you send in email for no good goddamn reason!" bug.

To those of you getting emails from me with weird, broken-up, un-clickable URLs in them, well, I'm sorry. I didn't know. You have to tell me these things!

From now on your URLs will be enclosed in happy little angle brackets, which I'm told fix the problem. And if I don't, well, I forgot. Fuck off. You're lucky to hear from me at all.

Apple as shameless ripoff artists

Interesting little bit on all the stuff Apple has shamelessly ripped off. I like Apple's hardware and software, but let's not forget that they are, at core, a shameless, profit-driven company just like everyone else.

Uh-oh...

Remember that iPhone rant I went on? Well, I just found out that whereas my current data plan is $40/month, the iPhone data plan is $20/month. So really, it would effectively pay for itself in less than 2 years...

...

I think I'm safe, though. For all its fanciness, the iPhone won't be able to connect to my bluetooth GPS receiver, which is dumb. There are (totally unsubstantiated, probably wrong) rumors that the next generation, due out in spring '08 (maybe?) will have GPS built in. Regardless, guess I'm stuck with Windows Mobile for a while. Sigh.