Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Macs, part 3: Podcasts, Customer Service, and Fingers

As I've posted before, I'm staying at a fancy hotel in the Boston area. Next to the hotel is a Mall, and in this mall is an Apple store. Again I tried using the display laptops. If you recall, the laptops have no mouse buttons (the entire pad is a button), which after a short use causes pain in the wrist. The answer I got regarding this issue from "mac people" was: My mac has a button, but I'm sure the no-button pad is just A-mazing, Steve Jobs is God and I am his servant!

So, this time I tried a new approach: I asked a customer service person at the Apple store for help.  The customer service rep didn't repeat the same "Apple is God" story I get from fanpeople (I guess they are trained to avoid it). Instead, he calmly explained to me another Mac gesture: Hold a finger on the pad while dragging another finger. I had to ask where I find those fingers. It turns out Apple hardware uses unique input devices called "fingers". The idea is that the trackpad somehow reacts differently to multiple input positions. It turns out this feature is required for basic functionality. Right-click is also supported with the Ctrl button, there is also a multi-finger gesture for that but I'm not sure what it is.

The next thing I tried to do is to replicate functionality I have on Linux on the mac machine. The functionality I decided to try was downloading and playing podcasts. I googled it and the search results pointed me to software called "GarageBand". I launched it from the dock and selected podcast. It opened a complicated screen with space for male and female voices (why do I have to tell it who's talking in the podcast?). I decided to try listening to Car Talk from NPR. I used the Safari browser to find the Car Talk podcast, and copied the URL. Then I had to right-click (with Ctrl) on a submenu that said Podcast (why do I have to select podcasts again?), the only option was "open in iTunes". I know iTunes is spamware for copying music to iPods under Windows but that was the only option. Anyway, the iTunes had an option to add a podcast under the Advanced menu (If that's advanced, what's the basic way?). I pasted the URL using SpecialAlt(⌘)-V and confirmed.

Now I could go back to GarageBand and after a few trails I could finally see the podcast there and drag it to the play area. I put it under "Male Voice" since the show is narrated by men.  The GarageBand software seems to be an audio editor like Audacity. I'm reminded of old Windows 3.11 WAV files were opened in sound recorder... Anyway, I clicked the play button and it played! seeking was pretty hard since it was extremely zoomed and there was no way of seeing the entire file in one screen.

I thought to myself there must be an easier way to do it. So I googled "mac podcast player" and found a program called Juice. I installed it, subscribed to Car Talk with the URL, and clicked on the play button. Well, it stated playing. In the background. With the same show of Car Talk still playing in GarageBand. All attempts to stop it didn't work. I even closed Juice entirely (with SuperAlt-Q, as the customer service guy explained) and still both podcasts were playing. It finally stopped after I SuperAlt(⌘)-Q'd all applications I could find (except GarageBand, and Finder, that wouldn't close).

Then, I decided to see if GarageBand can export to a mobile device. The whole idea of podcasts is to listen to them on the move! So, under the share menu there was something about Podcasts and iWeb. I clicked that, and the podcast stopped playing and moved to the start, forgetting my playback location. Good thing I remembered what it was and seeked back there manually (the export failed BTW).

After all those trials, an Apple guy finally approached me, and told me -- that the store is closing and I have to leave. I asked why is the GarageBand thing so complicated, and he said that I should use iTunes to play podcasts. He couldn't explain more since I had to leave.  That's all for now.

PS: I forgot to mention the fact that keyboard shortcuts don't work as expected, the Alt-F4 Expose settings screen for example, says that expose could work F9, F10, and F11. Instead, those buttons adjust the volume! It turns out the real shortcut is F3! But I found that out only after coming back to my room. Amazing documentation from Apple, yet again.

PPS: I even thought I'd buy one just to see how it works, but an Apple laptop costs over $7,000, and for that price it's only a 256GB hard drive. What is it made of? Solid Gold? And you still have to pay extra for backup hardware (yes, macs need special $500 hardware to enable backups). It seems like macs are the fancy hotels of the computer world -- anything you want to do costs extra.

PPPS: I suspect Apple puts addictive substances in their products. That's the only way I can explain why anyone who's purchased an Apple product seems to be in love with it. On a more serious note, I think the main driver for people loving Apple products in cognitive dissonance -- You don't want to admit to yourself you significantly overspent for a product that is no better than others, and since things aren't customizable, people convince themselves they like it that way.

29 comments:

  1. I think the main problem is that OSs such as Linux are designed from the perspective of the computer's structure. Things that are simple for the computer are easy to do, things that are complicated are complicated.
    Macs on the other hand are designed the other way around. The OS seems to make things that USERS want to do easy, while hiding a lot of the technical complexity. Therefore, it is tricky to figure out what each and every action does (since so much is happening in the background), but the end result happens to be what the user wanted it to be.
    The main problem with that is that you don't have a sense of ownership. If the computer does what Apple wants it to do, not what I want it to do. In what way is it my computer? Where's all the joy of tweaking and setting everything up to work just the way you want it?
    Apple advertises itself with the slogan "Think Different", however the core principle behind Apple products is that everyone has exactly the same thing. The same desktop, the same background, the same menus, and the same shortcuts. Why people buy iPods instead of radios when they all listen to the same music? I am reminded by a radio ad for an iPhone app that lets you listen to public radio. Why not get a radio?

    ReplyDelete
  2. [...] my previous post I wrote about my experience with macs, and the conclusion was that in order to criticize macs [...]

    ReplyDelete
  3. Exporthub is an global b2b marketplace catering to thousands of globally active manufacturers & suppliers from all industries with its safest trade services.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Customer Service is always the 1st priority of every business, and the best brand name that we know are just because of their best services, Every business man want the name of his successor but he can't because they have legal issue, Trademark Watch Service is the best way to know which brand is registered or not

    ReplyDelete
  5. BusyBox Pro Crack is extraordinary compared to other application which is utilized in Android Phone. It is an exceptionally helpful application for Android telephone which provides you different devices from Unix Standard. BusyBox Pro (No Root) is an astonishing instrument for your telephone which offers an alternative to provisions the force of your telephone without established your telephone.IDM Crack

    ReplyDelete
  6. Connect HP Deskjet 2622 Wifi Setup in Mac Setup the HP DeskJet 2622 printer on a wireless network with the assistance of the directions given below. Then, at that point, Use the on-screen guidelines and work on the remote organization association measure.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I like your creative style of writing. You have explained the technical concepts in detail. Your recent post titled, Roku Error Code 018 can help Roku users who do not know how to get rid of the error. Let me share the post on my social media account

    ReplyDelete
  8. We can find anything via online and use discount and coupon code.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Wow! Such an amazing and helpful post this is. I really really love it. It's so good and so awesome. I am just amazed. I hope that you continue to do your work like this in the future also 한국야동닷컴

    ReplyDelete
  10. I know this is one of the most meaningful information for me. And I'm animated reading your article. But should remark on some general things, the website style is perfect; the articles are great. Thanks for the ton of tangible and attainable help 일본야동닷컴

    ReplyDelete
  11. I like this website its a master peace ! Glad I found this on google .


    온라인카지노
    바카라사이트
    카지노사이트

    ReplyDelete
  12. This is very attention-grabbing, You’re an overly skilled blogger.

    I have joined your feed and sit up for in search of extra of your excellent post.
    Also, I have shared your site in my social networks


    스포츠토토
    토토사이트
    토토

    ReplyDelete
  13. I like this website very much, Its a rattling nice position to read and get information.

    바카라사이트
    온라인카지노
    카지노

    ReplyDelete
  14. We absolutely love your blog and find almost all of your post’s to be just what I’m looking for.
    Does one offer guest writers to write content for you personally?
    I wouldn’t mind publishing a post or elaborating on a number of the subjects you write with regards to here.

    Again, awesome web log!

    토토
    스포츠중계
    스포츠토토티비

    ReplyDelete
  15. Wow, fantastic weblog structure! How long have you evver been running a blog for?
    you made blogging look easy. The total glance of our web site is magnificent, as well as the content!
    토토사이트
    온라인경마

    ReplyDelete
  16. I have been browsing online more than 3 hours today, yet I never found any interesting article like yours. It's pretty worth enough for me. In my view, if all site owners and bloggers made good content as you did, the net will be a lot more useful than ever before
    majortotositecom
    racesitepro
    oncasinositenet
    totopickpro

    ReplyDelete
  17. No downloads, no installations. Can play through our website at all. betflix

    ReplyDelete
  18. Excellent post. I really enjoy reading and also appreciate your work. This concept is a good way to enhance knowledge. Keep sharing this kind of articles, Thank you.business with sustainability podcast

    ReplyDelete
  19. You may reach more people by uploading your podcast to several directories. iTunes (for Mac users), Spotify, Google Play Music, Blubrry, and Spreaker are some of the top podcast listening websites. Your channel will increase if bloggers and influencers see your podcasts on the internet. You may also provide podcast transcripts so that they can be found via search engines. To increase interaction and lower bounce rates, you may also post your podcasts on blogs. We have games like rune factory and Red Ball on PC here.

    ReplyDelete
  20. TheResearchGuardian is an online academic writing website that has been working diligently and fairly for the past many years to provide students with the international relations research paper help they direly need. If you are a student surfing the internet in order to search for a reliable website that could write your research paper for you, then you have reached your destination.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Thanks for sharing the information keep updating, looking forward to more post.
    Nice post ! I love its your site after reading ! thanks for sharing. I like this website very much, Its a rattling nice position to read and get information.
    Divorce law new jersey
    1st violation of protective order in virginia

    ReplyDelete
  22. Thanks for sharing your experience with Macs and Apple products. I understand the importance of user-friendly technology. It's essential to find tools that suit your needs and preferences without unnecessary complications or excessive costs. As an HR Consultants Pakistan,

    ReplyDelete
  23. แนะนำเว็บไซต์ pgspin99 เหมาะสมสำหรับการเล่นเกมสล็อตออนไลน์ เนื่องจากมีความหลากหลายในเกมและโบนัสที่มากมายสำหรับผู้เล่น pg slot นอกจากนี้ยังมีระบบการเงินที่มั่นคงและรวดเร็ว

    ReplyDelete
  24. From case studies to discussions on emerging customer service trends, these audio resources offer a convenient way for businesses to stay informed and adapt to evolving customer expectations. Podcasts contribute to the continuous learning of customer service teams, fostering a customer-centric approach and promoting excellence in service delivery across various industries. lawyer for motorcycle accident

    ReplyDelete
  25. Your words have a way of brightening my day, thank you for sharing your positivity! Participating in sprint drills not only boosts cardiovascular fitness but also serves as a practical method for individuals to fine-tune their Free Reaction Time, enhancing their overall athletic performance.

    ReplyDelete
  26. The Mac experience seems to be a maze of complexity! Navigating through GarageBand, iTunes, and multitouch gestures is like embarking on a tech adventure. Thanks for sharing your trials and tribulations!
    Protective Order New Jersey

    ReplyDelete
  27. Trezor.io/start is an application or programming point of interaction that is worked to give a multi-useful crypto stage for Trezor gadgets.

    ReplyDelete