Awwww....Snap!

PC Magazine's laptop and desktop reliability studies are in....

Desktop:

Look no further than Apple, the leader of the pack, whose overall score holds steady at 9.1. Last year, Apple's score on units needing repair was an impressive 11 percent—well below that of any other company in the survey. But according to readers, the company has managed to cut repair rates even further over the past 12 months. This year, Apple's score on units needing repair drops to 8 percent. Among first-year systems, it's only 5 percent. That's nothing less than astonishing.

As we've said in the past, Mac owners are unusually passionate about their machines, and this may have had an effect on the company's unusually high Service and Reliability scores. But the score for percentage needing repair is less subjective than others. Either Apple is doing something right when it comes to quality control, or its restrictive warranty makes people less likely to have their systems repaired.

Just how satisfied are Mac owners? That 9.1 overall score is significantly better than the average for Windows PCs. And the same can be said of the company's scores for reliability and the likelihood of recommending. It should be noted, however, that Apple's score on technical support is down this year (from 8.4 to 8.1).

Laptop:

Why do we separate notebooks from desktops? Well, in terms of service and reliability, the best desktop companies don't always manufacture the best notebook computers, and vice versa. Yes, Apple gets it right on both counts. This year, yet again, the Mac is a Readers' Choice for notebooks as well as desktops. But the other Readers' Choice for notebooks, Lenovo/IBM, receives some of the lowest desktop scores. And Sony, so ­impressive on the desktop side, is merely aver­age when it comes to notebooks.

...

Once again, Apple is at the top. Its overall score, 9.1, is significantly better than the average for Windows notebooks—and a full seven-tenths of a point better than Lenovo's overall score, 8.4. Its scores for reliability (9.2), tech support (8.5), and likelihood of recommending (9.4) are also significantly better than average. Yes, its score on percentage needing repair is merely average, but at 16 percent, it's the lowest of the survey (alongside Sony's 16 percent).

Is this a function of that unique passion Apple users have for the company's products? Perhaps. But, again, it's hard to question the number of units needing repair. Among first-year systems, only 7 percent needed repair—2 points better than Sony.

Offered Without Comment

Pour a 40 Out on the Curb

for my 4G iPod. I think it's dead after two years. That's really too bad, it was a trooper and went through a lot.

Osama and Whitney Sitting in a Tree....

Osama apparently "had a crush on singer-cum-actress Whitney Houston and wanted to make her his wife after killing her husband Bobby Brown." I knew it, the world would be a better place if Osama's power were harnessed for good things (like offing Bobby Brown).

Condi: UN's Job Not to Disarm Hezbollah

"I don't think there is an expectation that this (U.N.) force is going to physically disarm Hezbollah," Rice said. "I think it's a little bit of a misreading about how you disarm a militia. You have to have a plan, first of all, for the disarmament of the militia, and then the hope is that some people lay down their arms voluntarily."

U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. was heard saying "This is exactly the type of can-do, get-tough, my-way-or-the-highway attitude I was talking about." Also, the obligatory John "I am the walrus" Bolton picture:



Complimentary obligatory Dieter Zetsche picture:

Political Hackery and Douchebaggery from

the Indian-American Republican Council. Here's a statement from the IARC about George Allen's "macaca" remark directed to an American of Indian descent:

IARC Statement on Senator George Allen

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Mr. Radha Krishnan - (202) 347-1223 IARC Executive Director info@iarcnational.org

August 15, 2006

IARC Statement on Senator George Allen

Washington, D.C. - Today, the Indian American Republican Council issued the following statement from its Chairman Dr. R. Vijay:

"We don't believe Senator George Allen was making a reference to the ethnicity of Jim Webb's campaign volunteer. He has apologized for any misunderstanding this statement has caused. We do know that Senator Allen has worked closely with Indian Americans when he was Governor and as U.S. Senator, and he has always garnered strong support from the community. He has visited India and showed strong leadership in supporting the U.S.-India civilian nuclear agreement.

"It's disappointing to see Jim Webb using an Indian American volunteer in a demeaning fashion in order to garner attention to his campaign. We believe there are pressing issues facing Virginia and our nation, from the war on terrorism to the challenges in the Middle East. Jim Webb needs to engage in these issues instead of attempting to smear the reputation of a respected leader."

A Couple of Things

about these assholes they caught in England wanting to blow up planes. First, I'm glad that they're publicizing this, for the sake of the vast majority of US and British muslims who are not jihadists:

A British intelligence official has told CNN that the original information about a plot to down commercial jetliners in mid-Atlantic with explosives came from a tip from the Muslim community in Britain.The official said the tip resulted from a person who had been concerned about the activities of an acquaintance after the July 7 terror attacks in London.

Second, I hear that they found some "martyrdom tapes" in the homes of some of these pieces of shit. I think that somebody ought to buy the rights to them and turn them into MST3K comedy bits. It would probably be quite funny. And you could show them on a continuous loop to the guys as they rot in jail.

One Shining Moment

Tears in my eyes...

She gone!

Apple Billing Leopard as Vista 2.0

Introducing Vista 2.0,
originally uploaded by Gernot Poetsch.

Check out the top of this photo from the Moscone Center in San Francisco, site of the WWDC. Thanks to Gernot Poetsch for the picture, by the way.