Comments for steverands.com http://www.steverands.com Contain your excitement Wed, 19 Nov 2008 01:39:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 Comment on iPod Touch firmware 1.1.3 declared a waste of time by Steve http://www.steverands.com/2008/01/18/ipod-touch-firmware-113-declared-a-waste-of-time/#comment-55 Steve Sat, 19 Jan 2008 22:22:54 +0000 http://www.steverands.com/2008/01/18/ipod-touch-firmware-113-declared-a-waste-of-time/#comment-55 £13 isn't that much money: it's more the principle, and the fact I didn't think any of the applets would be particularly useful for me. You need internet access for most of them for starters, and the only time I have Wi-Fi access is at home when I could just as easily use the laptop. I can see the point on the iPhone which basically has an always-on connection, but not on the iPod. Also, I think this Sarbanes-Oxley thing is a load of crap, a convenient smokescreen. So viewing lyrics is part of the paid update because it's an entirely new feature, whereas accessing chapter stops visually is part of the firmware because... it's an entirely new feature?! No, I don't buy it. Literally, in this case. iTunes is still bugging me to update. Probably doesn't for you because you actually paid for and installed the upgrade! :O) £13 isn’t that much money: it’s more the principle, and the fact I didn’t think any of the applets would be particularly useful for me. You need internet access for most of them for starters, and the only time I have Wi-Fi access is at home when I could just as easily use the laptop. I can see the point on the iPhone which basically has an always-on connection, but not on the iPod.

Also, I think this Sarbanes-Oxley thing is a load of crap, a convenient smokescreen. So viewing lyrics is part of the paid update because it’s an entirely new feature, whereas accessing chapter stops visually is part of the firmware because… it’s an entirely new feature?! No, I don’t buy it. Literally, in this case.

iTunes is still bugging me to update. Probably doesn’t for you because you actually paid for and installed the upgrade! :O)

]]> Comment on iPod Touch firmware 1.1.3 declared a waste of time by Rob Uttley http://www.steverands.com/2008/01/18/ipod-touch-firmware-113-declared-a-waste-of-time/#comment-54 Rob Uttley Sat, 19 Jan 2008 12:07:30 +0000 http://www.steverands.com/2008/01/18/ipod-touch-firmware-113-declared-a-waste-of-time/#comment-54 The maps applet is a curiosity (though very nicely done), the stocks applet of no use to someone like me, the notes applet is pointless until they give us a nice way of moving them between the iPod and the host computer, but the mail applet.... Got it up and running with my .Mac mail account in seconds (although you can do it with gmail and a bunch of others, as well as manually configuring a pop3 type account). It's of slightly less use than it might be by virtue of the device only having wifi connectivity, but there you go. I was quite taken with it, to be honest. The charging $20 is very annoying, but I'd have to say that although the price point is painful, Apple apparently /do/ have to charge *something* for the update. Everyone tore this to bits last year (with the wi-fi update to type-n capabilities, which was a tiny software driver change that they charged a couple of bucks for). It's got something to do with Sarbanes-Oxley and the American accounting system, I didn't really understand it (or appreciate how this could be different to a software update for a security patch or a bug fix) but apparently it's the way it is. iPhone users are effectively on a subscription and so there aren't any accounting difficulties in giving them an update for free, but.... sucks, I know. And why it couldn't just be $5, £5 whatever - £13 does seem a bit steep for a few additional icons of limited use. There's something going on with your iTunes if it's keeping-on about the software update... once done, you shouldn't be nagged again. Dunno if it's a PC/Mac difference with iTunes, or if you've encountered a problem... but I'm not seeing that issue so I'm puzzled. Anyway, glad to see you updating the site again old hoss! Hope you and the family are well. :-) The maps applet is a curiosity (though very nicely done), the stocks applet of no use to someone like me, the notes applet is pointless until they give us a nice way of moving them between the iPod and the host computer, but the mail applet….

Got it up and running with my .Mac mail account in seconds (although you can do it with gmail and a bunch of others, as well as manually configuring a pop3 type account). It’s of slightly less use than it might be by virtue of the device only having wifi connectivity, but there you go. I was quite taken with it, to be honest.

The charging $20 is very annoying, but I’d have to say that although the price point is painful, Apple apparently /do/ have to charge *something* for the update. Everyone tore this to bits last year (with the wi-fi update to type-n capabilities, which was a tiny software driver change that they charged a couple of bucks for). It’s got something to do with Sarbanes-Oxley and the American accounting system, I didn’t really understand it (or appreciate how this could be different to a software update for a security patch or a bug fix) but apparently it’s the way it is.

iPhone users are effectively on a subscription and so there aren’t any accounting difficulties in giving them an update for free, but…. sucks, I know. And why it couldn’t just be $5, £5 whatever - £13 does seem a bit steep for a few additional icons of limited use.

There’s something going on with your iTunes if it’s keeping-on about the software update… once done, you shouldn’t be nagged again. Dunno if it’s a PC/Mac difference with iTunes, or if you’ve encountered a problem… but I’m not seeing that issue so I’m puzzled.

Anyway, glad to see you updating the site again old hoss! Hope you and the family are well. :-)

]]> Comment on The Sonos experience by Steve http://www.steverands.com/2007/08/15/the-sonos-experience/#comment-53 Steve Thu, 16 Aug 2007 20:51:22 +0000 http://www.steverands.com/2007/08/15/the-sonos-experience/#comment-53 Yeah, it's a really cool system. I <em>shall</em> drag you and Nic around to our place at some point, so you can have a go! It's not cheap (our Chris has a Squeezebox and thinks I've wasted my money), but it's well worth it in my opinion. In theory, you could setup a Sonos system for around £250 by buying just a ZP80 and controlling it from a computer using the <em>Desktop Controller</em> software, but the hardware Controller is the best part of the system to be honest. BTW, sorry for all the comment moderation crap, you wouldn't believe how much comment spam I get for a blog that nobody reads. Yeah, it’s a really cool system. I shall drag you and Nic around to our place at some point, so you can have a go!

It’s not cheap (our Chris has a Squeezebox and thinks I’ve wasted my money), but it’s well worth it in my opinion. In theory, you could setup a Sonos system for around £250 by buying just a ZP80 and controlling it from a computer using the Desktop Controller software, but the hardware Controller is the best part of the system to be honest.

BTW, sorry for all the comment moderation crap, you wouldn’t believe how much comment spam I get for a blog that nobody reads.

]]> Comment on The Sonos experience by Rob Uttley http://www.steverands.com/2007/08/15/the-sonos-experience/#comment-52 Rob Uttley Wed, 15 Aug 2007 23:35:00 +0000 http://www.steverands.com/2007/08/15/the-sonos-experience/#comment-52 Wow, really neat. I always wanted to do something like this using the Apple offering (the airport extreme/express/whatever kit), but it's so far down our list of priorities I might as well forget it - something new will be along long before I have the readies. But the ideal of having a central, wireless audio/video hub with 'receivers' in each main room.... hmmm. I'd love to have a system like that. I'll have to get myself invited around to your gaff sometime for a demo! :-) Hope you're all well, old hoss. Enjoyed your 2 pieces about Evie last week. Wow, really neat. I always wanted to do something like this using the Apple offering (the airport extreme/express/whatever kit), but it’s so far down our list of priorities I might as well forget it - something new will be along long before I have the readies. But the ideal of having a central, wireless audio/video hub with ‘receivers’ in each main room…. hmmm. I’d love to have a system like that.

I’ll have to get myself invited around to your gaff sometime for a demo! :-)

Hope you’re all well, old hoss. Enjoyed your 2 pieces about Evie last week.

]]> Comment on Excuse me while I pop out for a moment… by Chris http://www.steverands.com/2006/06/23/excuse-me-while-i-pop-out/#comment-5 Chris Sun, 25 Jun 2006 13:00:07 +0000 http://www.steverands.com/2006/06/24/excuse-me-while-i-pop-out-for-a-moment/#comment-5 You gotta obey gravity man, it's the law. And that was a 10 foot drop if it was an inch. You gotta obey gravity man, it’s the law.

And that was a 10 foot drop if it was an inch.

]]> Comment on Here goes nothing by Steve http://www.steverands.com/2006/04/30/here-goes-nothing/#comment-3 Steve Mon, 01 May 2006 20:44:23 +0000 http://www.steverands.com/2006/04/30/here-goes-nothing/#comment-3 Actually, you're more like Princess Leia: "From now on, you do as I tell you. Okay?" And you spelt "wookiee" wrong. Tsk, call yourself a <em>Star Wars</em> fan? Actually, you’re more like Princess Leia: “From now on, you do as I tell you. Okay?”

And you spelt “wookiee” wrong. Tsk, call yourself a Star Wars fan?

]]> Comment on Here goes nothing by Chris http://www.steverands.com/2006/04/30/here-goes-nothing/#comment-2 Chris Mon, 01 May 2006 20:22:49 +0000 http://www.steverands.com/2006/04/30/here-goes-nothing/#comment-2 You know that scene in Empire Strikes Back where Han Solo comes into the hangar to find that Chewie has disassembled part of the Falcon and he says "Why do you take this apart now? I'm trying to get us out of here and you pull both of these... Put them back together right now." Well, that's what it's like trying to renovate this house. I'm Han and you're Chewie, I'm trying to put the house back together as soon as possible and you keep on ripping things out. There was nothing wrong with those windowsills that a lick of paint wouldn't fix - now we've got to add "Fit new windowsill in bedroom" to the end of an already long list of jobs. Resist your destructive tendencies, control your inner Wookie. STOP BEING CHEWIE! You know that scene in Empire Strikes Back where Han Solo comes into the hangar to find that Chewie has disassembled part of the Falcon and he says “Why do you take this apart now? I’m trying to get us out of here and you pull both of these… Put them back together right now.”

Well, that’s what it’s like trying to renovate this house. I’m Han and you’re Chewie, I’m trying to put the house back together as soon as possible and you keep on ripping things out. There was nothing wrong with those windowsills that a lick of paint wouldn’t fix - now we’ve got to add “Fit new windowsill in bedroom” to the end of an already long list of jobs.

Resist your destructive tendencies, control your inner Wookie. STOP BEING CHEWIE!

]]>