Reports by Consumers

Good grief! First Paul Thurrott gets Tiger early, now he’s been early and accurate on the question of Apple switching to Intel processors. I had thought that it might be some product - eg an iPod or similar bit of consumer electronics - rather than the computers themselves. Still mulling this one. Too little information right now. The key one, I think, is: how are you going to get the laptops to run (a) cool enough (b) long enough?

Apple has used IBM’s PowerPC processors since 1994, but will begin a phased transition to Intel’s chips, sources familiar with the situation said. Apple plans to move lower-end computers such as the Mac Mini to Intel chips in mid-2006 and higher-end models such as the Power Mac in mid-2007, sources said.

I’ve personally seen this very scenario happen to several friends of the family who recently puchased new PCs. These are not dumb people, mind you. These are regular PC owners that rely on their computers to manage their business, keep track of personal finances or just edit family video clips. Have we come to the point where we now expect every PC user to become an expert in Spyware or Viruses? What percentage of time to do you spend on your PC just keeping it working by running all these necessary programs like SpySweeper, Ad-Aware and then another backup program or imaging solution? I can’t think of another product in my life that requires more upkeep than my PC. When is enough….enough?

In addition to providing the security services, it would also take care of basic tasks like de-fragmenting the system and taking backups of files on the hard disk. Most of these tasks are often either ignored or forgotten by the user. The service would also be very useful to the non-technical users of the computers who often have to rely on expert help to get their computer protected from external threats.

…Macs are less expensive. That’s not what you see in the PC press, but it’s reality. The explanation for that, besides dishonesty on the part of PC reviewers going as far back as 1984, is primarily that Apple’s product cycles resemble those of other consumer electronics manufacturers, not those of the PC industry.

Dell and Hewlett-Packard cut fees for their recycling programs this week in advance of Friday's Earth Day observance.

Tech companies have come under growing pressure in the past few years to address the growing mounds of dangerous waste created by outdated computer hardware. Gear such as monitors and circuit boards are full of hazardous chemicals that can leach into the soil and groundwater if dumped into landfills. Groups such as the National Electronics Product Stewardship Initiative have successfully pushed computer makers to responsibly recycle more and more of their obsolete goods.

HP announced Thursday that it was temporarily cutting in half the fees it charges customers to recycle old computer hardware. The promotion runs though May 31 and works in conjunction with a rebate program that gives customers as much as $50 off the price of new HP equipment if they recycle old gear through the company.

ParkScan "is a project of San Francisco's Neighborhood Parks Council.It presents volunteers and the public with user-friendly tools to help monitor park conditions and help improve maintenance in San Francisco's neighborhood parks". Further "park groups and volunteer observers rate park conditions using handheld computers,specialized forms and digital cameras. Their observations help managing agencies improve park maintenance".

However, when the big router companies had the decision of whether to make Wireless Routers easy to install or secure, the chose easy to install.

What does this mean?

This means that rather than having you go through a lengthy process of encrypting your signal and preventing outside users from taking your internet connection, the big wireless companies (Microsoft, Intel, Linksys, D-Link, and Netgear) wanted to make installation a snap! Did you ever notice how easy it was to get up and running with a wireless router right out of the box? Once you power up the router and connect your DSL line or Cable Modem, that signal is being broadcasted in every direction up to an average of 300 feet. That means your next door neighbor can easily pick up on your signal and surf the web for free!

A recently filed class-action lawsuit against alleged spyware king DirectRevenue of New York claims that the company has deceptively downloaded harmful and offensive spyware to unsuspecting users’ computers.

The suit, filed in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, alleges that DirectRevenue LLC “unlawfully used and damaged plaintiffs’ computers to make money for themselves while willfully disregarding plaintiffs’ rights to use and enjoy their personal property.”

To buy music these days, I have to make all kinds of choices. If I want to buy downloads from the net, it’s like trying to figure out which mortgage to take out on a house. Now because of the cost, but because of all the rules and regulations. Do I want to limit myself to 5 computers. Do I want to always keep my subscription live. Do I want to store the music in a proprietary format that only a couple devices can use. Those are all tough decisions to make when the only thing I know with certainty is that the device I’m using as an MP3 player...

I’ve been in the mood to write and my laptop decided to die on me. Dell has been good to me over the years- the only “new” computers I’ve owned have been Dell and I’ve always raved about the customer service and support. It looks like my luck has run out. My laptop has a power issue and instead of actually fixing the issue Dell keeps replacing the motherboard which will eventually burn out over and over again because of overheating. The laptop has been great and problem free until the the thing burns out on me over...

My wife has been using a Toshiba tablet for a while at home and this weekend we replaced it. When it comes to consumer electronics, I am not picky. What can I say, I am just not a hardware guy.

But that box is an appliance, not a computer. Or at least it has the true potential to be. And in the digital world, that puts them into the content business, because digital appliances are about content just as kitchen appliances are about food.... And it comes in white."

If you like Apple products, here's another reason. Here's a summary of a Consumer Reports article:

Apple's iBook and PowerBook portables have the fewest reports of repairs and the best technical support of any laptop PC on the market today, according to the March issue of Consumer Reports magazine.

Using data similar to that released last December in its desktop ratings report, the Consumers Union (CU) said Apple had the fewest repairs of laptops at 16%. Toshiba and Sony were second and third at 17%. Gateway had the worst laptop repair ranking among more ...

PVRBlog gives a consumer report on the Microsoft Media Center. For the entire review, press on the link above.

Thomas Hawk has a great, lengthy review of the new Microsoft Media Center 2005, which he expected a bit more from, but it does sound like Microsoft's making some progress on it.

Highlights from the review:

* It only does over-the-air HDTV, but that's not entirely MS' fault. The cable and satellite folks have their own proprietary encryption schemes they're not into sharing with anyone.

* MCE will be available for purchase as a standalone product for the first time, instead of requiring you to buy a new PC. Could be a support nightmare for MS, but good on them for expanding the availability for build-it-yourself geeks.