Quote of the day re: Apple vs. Microsoft

"Apple is like a great soprano; you go and listen and even if she misses a note you criticize. Microsoft is like Susan Boyles; you're shocked when you hear something great." Gohkam @ Engadget

Congrats Ford

Autoblog posted a Bloomberg survey showing that Ford tops Toyota in public opinion. I'm not surprised. Of all of the domestic makes, I've been partial to Ford. Let me rephrase that – my family has been partial to Fords. We have always found their interiors to be infinitely better than GM and Chrysler, their engines more robust and efficient, and their styling modern yet restrained. Of the three, they were the only ones who didn't accept a government bailout.

The new Taurus looks great but being ensconced in NYC, I have no idea if it's gaining momentum with the public as seen on the roads. I hope so. Ford's a great company run by people who seem to know what they are doing. Shocking, that.

[Hat tip: Autoblog]

Alexander McQueen RIP

This blog has been far more technology focused in the last few months. I'm not sure why since I've been as interested in all of the other topics that I have written about in the past – fashion, cars, architecture etc.

I've decided to pay homage to Alexander McQueen. I've always found his work to be intriguing. He managed to capture the zeitgeist coupled with impeccable tailoring. I will miss his vision. I imagine working on his final collection was difficult for him emotionally. Seeing pictures of it and the motifs he used – the afterlife – clearly this was a man who wanted to leave this earth and go into the next. It's ironic because he managed to foretell the future with his vision.

Thanks to Gilt Groupe, I own an Alexander McQueen overcoat. It's not very warm so it's really doesn't do the job that I wanted it to do. But it looks stunning. I will treasure it until I reach the place where he is now. RIP McQueen.

Photo credit: Catwalking.com via NYT

Consumed

It's almost here. Next week around this time, I expect to have an iPad in my hot little hands. I am so excited, I can hardly think.

With the iPad, Apple will have finally delivered the 'third leg' of my wants/needs. If they stopped now, I would be happy. Of course they won't, which is fantastic. But the iPad is something I've been waiting for for a long time.

When Microsoft came out with the Tablet PC, I thought – that's it, the laptop is dead and long live the tablet. It's a pity that Tablet PCs have never really caught on because the concept is compelling. Tablet PCs stumbled for three reasons – price, technology, implementation. Most TabletPCs cost the same as regular laptops – the high end ones. That limited the market. The technology also doomed the format. They were too heavy, too bulky, and had poor performing batteries. For a device to be used on the go, all of these were impractical compromises. The final one – implementation – falls squarely on Microsoft's shoulders. They did nothing to truly push the format and make it easy to develop customized software that took advantage of the form. They delivered the OS but it's all about the software. The only true success is OneNote, which every tablet user loves.

Apple has done what Apple does – take a complex category and make it simple. The iPad is going to be a huge success. I can't wait.

iPhone needs to change? Blasphemy!

As you know, I'm a huge fan of the iPhone. It's single-handedly changed the way I interact with the internet and with others. It's a fantastic machine.

But with the advent of Android and the Nexus One/Droid, I've feeling a little frustrated. Some of these frustrations I've vented here before – specifically the lack of a decent integrated to-do functionality.

Read this Macworld article that evaluates the Nexus One from an iPhone user's perspective. I really enjoyed it. I think the main thing that I want is widgets. I hate having to open up an app just to get the weather. It's probably something I do most often and it's quite frustrating. In fact, I think a lot of information can be more readily accessed and the current model is ill-prepared to do so. I hope things will change with the next release.

What a haul!

Is there anything safe from YouTube?

The latest wave of videos are called 'haul' videos. Do a search for a few. Basically, young women speaking to the camera showing off the latest stuff they just bought at the mall, OMG!

I'm trying to be cynical but there's something about it that I really like.

Let's face it. Buying stuff is no fun if you can't share. How many of us go shopping on our own, come home and have no one to parade the latest shoes, bags and coats we charged? It doesn't have to be clothes and accessories. If you are into gadgets, it could be your latest phone, latest app etc. With a haul video, you can show it off to everyone regardless of whether or not they are your true friends. And make new ones.

Isn't that what the net is all about?

I'm going to have to get in on the action next time I go shopping.

Importance of Facebook

I had a birthday party last Saturday. I won't say which one.

I did something that I did not think I would ever do. The entire invitation was through Facebook – the people I invited as well as the details. However, there are a few people that I know that are not on Facebook. Shocking yes. When I ran into them, I realized that hadn't invited them to the party. I felt awful and worked on rectifying the situation in the way I knew how – I had to friend them.

I ran into this article today on Andrew Sullivan's blog basically saying that if you aren't on Facebook, there's a good chance you don't exist today. In my mind, that was certainly the case. I'm not sure if it's a sad state of the times or just the reality of living in today's socially networked world.

Toyota becomes GM

I have to say this even though I know it won't be popular. I've never been a fan of Toyota. I've considered them 'another GM' for quite some time. To me the cars were too bland, the user base aging and category breadth confusing and unpredictable. When they started to go for volume sales and market share, I knew something would crack. Al Reis talks about this in

The automotive industry is a tough one, particularly in this country where it requires a significant investment to build and run an auto dealership. Every one of them needs to be a car palace. In order to recoup that investment, in theory one needs volume. Like housing, that's how the industry has been run for ages.

I wonder if it's going to become an unsustainable model. I wonder if dealerships can be more efficient if they became virtual or at least virtualize elements of their operation in order to be competitive. I'll be watching the industry to see.