Well kids, it's time to take a peek inside the new and improved billpalmer.net mailbag (now with 30% more St. Cloud), and see what readers feel the need to get off their chest right about now:
From Richard, regarding the rather timely introduction of AirPort Express:
"I am currently on a business trip. The hotel is wired for high speed internet. But it requires sitting at the table rather than kicking back on the bed. When I returned to hotel room yesterday I thought, jeez, I should go buy a cheap 802.11b hub just to take with me on this business trips so I can kick back on the bed. But nah, that would be too bulky... I thought, "Gee, it would nice if Apple would come out with a small version of the AirPort hub". Ten minutes later I was on the web saw the news [about Airport Express], and just about fell out of my chair. So I figure I'm a god or genie or something. I wished it and it happened. Instantly."
In that case, I'm glad I'm not the only one who had a bit of an epiphany regarding the product's introduction. Now, let me ask you this...don't you kind of wish you'd been sitting there, thinking about how you could really use a big stack of cash or the winning lottery numbers? ;)
From Dr. Kern Trembath, who has done so much good work for Macs in schools, both through MacUsingEducators and in his own back yard:
"Any Mac users out there who row on Concept2 Model D ergometers? Then you know that you cannot upload your personal information to your favorite computer. I've received permission from Concept2 to send you a SDK if you're willing to work on the PMC3 LogCard Transfer Utility. If you're willing, send me an email. -- Kern Trembath, Ph.D., Cal Lightweight Crew '73"
Wow, sounds like we're about to see yet another new developer come onboard with the Macintosh platform!
From Bob, regarding accessing the desktop via the Dock:
"Your article 'Tiger: the end of the Macintosh Finder?' says that you have put your desktop folder in your dock. Just how did you do that? I tried dragging it to the dock, and nothing happened."
Because the Desktop folder is a non-application item, you have to drag it into the right side of your Dock (in other words, somewhere to the right of the thin black vertical line). You can actually use the right side of your Dock to store any folder, or even individual documents, and comes in handy when you're about to embark on a stretch in which you'll be launching the same document several times within a short period (you can always drag it out of the Dock and make it go 'poof' when it's no longer of use to you).
From Charles Gaba, the man behind the Mac vs. PC System Shootouts, which now have their own home at systemshootouts.org:
"$2,800, $3,300 and $3,800 Desktop Shootouts Updated.
- started adding full subtotal price configuration breakdown to Shootouts
- Apple Professional Desktops updated
- Processor Performance Comparison Chart updated
...in addition to several other oddball updates & improvements throughout the site."
For those of you not familiar with the System Shootouts, they're one of the best tools that you can use when making the case that Macs are generally as good of a monetary value, or better than, PC's. Thorough, fair, detailed, and well-researched. Be sure to take a look.
From Brian, regarding the fact that I apparently woke up on the wrong side of the dictionary when I sat down to write my column yesterday:
"'...but continue carrying out the path that we invariably embarked upon way
back when the beta-test...' That should logically have been 'inevitably,' no? Great article, anyway (as per usual)."
Thanks for the compliment, and as far as the vocabulary thing, you are in fact correct, sir. But at least I didn't say "indubitably"... ;)
Well, that's about all for the mailbag this time around. Readers did seem to have quite a bit to say today about my suggestion that the Finder is on its way to irrelevance, but we'll save that for next time. Can't give it all away at once, right? See you next time...
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