"I think that "innovation" is a four-letter word in the industry. It should never be used in polite company. It's become a PR thing to sell new versions with."

--Linus Torvald

Innovation

MICROSOFT loves the word "innovation", which is uses extensively in order to spread the illusion that it leads in terms of technical merits. Not everyone accepts these vacuous promises.

But we don’t need an innovative Microsoft. Simple competence would be improvement enough.

Microsoft sure innovates in the legal department (another one is the marketing department). Here is a new translation of the Windows EULA as it would have applied to books.

If Microsoft’s EULA Applied To Books

[...]

1. GRANT OF LICENSE. Richard Dooling grants you the following rights provided that you comply with all terms and conditions of this EULA:

2. INSTALLATIONS AND USE. You may install, use, access, display and read ONE COPY OF THIS BOOK on a SINGLE PERSON, such as an adult, man, woman, teenager, or other human person. This book may NOT be read by more than one person.

3. MANDATORY ACTIVATION. The license rights granted under this EULA are limited to the first thirty (30) minutes after you install the book by opening it, unless you supply information required to activate your licensed copy of the book in the manner described on this page. You may also need to reactivate the book if you modify yourself or alter your personality.

Those Proprietary Toys

The iPhone and Google's Android are doing pretty well (UNIX and Linux, respectively) and the main losers are the 5 dozens of so makers of Windows Mobile-based handsets, according to this BusinessWeek article.

T-Mobile G1, a phone based on Android, an operating system backed by Google (GOOG), has met with popular demand

Even those who respect or love Microsoft are losing hope in Windows Mobile, which some say is "dying". Tim Bray (re)discovers that some of Apple's products are very shoddy too.

Apple Owes Me $99

[...]

...I have to run the Time Machine backups by hand and I also have to connect by wire for big ones, because the default setup leaves my BlackBook in an endless “Preparing Backup” cycle. So I went and bought another WiFi router for $99, and now at least we can both be on the Net. I’d advise caution with the Time Capsule product until Apple’s done a couple more releases of the hardware and OS X too. Pfui.

Don't ever let Apple's $300,000,000 marketing budget (annual!) distort reality. This is far from the first complaint about Apple products that simply don't work. Even their own fans are complaining loudly [1-6]. ⬆

____ [1] Fanboy reviewer has problems with MacBook Air

IF YOU ARE a Mac fanboy reviewer and you think that anything that comes from Apple must be great, what do you do when something clearly isn't?

Paul Venezia from InfoWorld seemed to have hit this crisis of faith when he came to look at Apple's MacBook Air.

[2] Apple's iPhone 3G troubles spawn a lawsuit

It was only a matter of time.

With all the griping going on by a subset of iPhone 3G users, it was inevitable that someone would seek redress through the law. The first someone was Jessica Alena Smith, a Birmingham resident who filed her complaint this week in U.S. District Court in Alabama.

[3] Apple + ActiveSync is eating email on my iPhone: iCrap?

I'm a huge Apple fan. Today, however, I couldn't be more disappointed. I keep seeing pretty, shiny things...and then finding out they're iCrap underneath.

[4] My MacBook Air dies while Google Docs is offline

I have to reboot every 30 minutes or so to get back to a workable condition and then wait for the CPU to max out again.

[5] iTunes Store 'Unavailable': This iPod Touch Owner is Stuck in Update Limbo

I'm not alone. I've been able to find plenty of iPod Touch, first-gen iPhone, and new iPhone 3G owners just like me stuck in the same boat. For over 8 hours I've been unable to update my iPod Touch because the Apple iTunes Store's servers are overwhelmed.

[6] iPhone 3G Frenzy Causes Glitch

Across the world they gathered and waited like little children hoping to see Santa at the local shopping mall, only to be disappointed and find what many had expected on opening day. It wasn't exactly a lump of coal, but, Apple's much coveted slick new 3G device was not only in short supply, but in many locations, there were problems with getting the phone to actually work.