Tom’s Graphic Design Journal

I use both a Mac and a PC equally...perhaps a Mac more than a PC these days. I work on a Mac during the day and I own a Windows PC. I LOVE Windows but I know it has its quirks. I also like (not love) Mac OS X but it also has its quirks.

I understand there's different operating systems and different applications that compete with each other. Most people carry some feud over the whole Mac/PC thing. Guess what? It's the same hardware underneath. The operating systems are even getting closer together.

Anyway, my point is standards. Working in the internet industry this gets me all the time. We're not talking about what's better -- we're just talking about compatibility.

Everyone yells at Microsoft for not following standards with Internet Explorer. M$ is the devil yada yada. Well what about Apple?! The m4v format! They purposely changed the mp4 over to this format to discourage Windows Media Player from viewing their video files! That's absolutely horrible.

So now I have to install iTunes to watch some podcasts? BS. Complete and utter BS. I've tried ffdshow and many other codecs with no luck. Maybe there is a way to play the files under WMP, but I haven't found it yet (and renaming the file to mp4 didn't work).

While we're on the subject of iTunes...let me express how much I dislike that player too. It's ok, but one thing pisses me off about it. That's the cover flow feature. It's really slick, I love it, but you need to have an account with the iTunes store for the iTunes player to automatically download cover art! Also absurd! Furthermore, you MUST put in a credit card too. I don't want to buy anything from the iTunes store. Screw that, and I'm not giving them my credit card.

Windows Media Player actually downloads cover art automatically (no signing up to things required) and also allows you to paste the cover art right in the player on the album! Super cool feature that Apple is now too greedy to give. So yay Microsoft being smart. That doesn't happen often I must admit.

Final point. Microsoft is being smart again with Windows Media Center. Apple TV? hahahahaha, that's nothing in comparison. Why watch videos from just YouTube, your podcasts, and local media library? With WMC you can do all that and more. Oh and it's free with Windows vs another piece of hardware with an additional cost. Well I suppose the $30 remote with receiver is another piece of hardware you'd want...but it's 10 times cheaper than the Apple TV.

Sigh. Ok venting complete. 

   

I use both a Mac and a PC equally...perhaps a Mac more than a PC these days. I work on a Mac during the day and I own a Windows PC. I LOVE Windows but I know it has its quirks. I also like (not love) Mac OS X but it also has its quirks.

I understand there's different operating systems and different applications that compete with each other. Most people carry some feud over the whole Mac/PC thing. Guess what? It's the same hardware underneath. The operating systems are even getting closer together.

Anyway, my point is standards. Working in the internet industry this gets me all the time. We're not talking about what's better -- we're just talking about compatibility.

Everyone yells at Microsoft for not following standards with Internet Explorer. M$ is the devil yada yada. Well what about Apple?! The m4v format! They purposely changed the mp4 over to this format to discourage Windows Media Player from viewing their video files! That's absolutely horrible.

So now I have to install iTunes to watch some podcasts? BS. Complete and utter BS. I've tried ffdshow and many other codecs with no luck. Maybe there is a way to play the files under WMP, but I haven't found it yet (and renaming the file to mp4 didn't work).

While we're on the subject of iTunes...let me express how much I dislike that player too. It's ok, but one thing pisses me off about it. That's the cover flow feature. It's really slick, I love it, but you need to have an account with the iTunes store for the iTunes player to automatically download cover art! Also absurd! Furthermore, you MUST put in a credit card too. I don't want to buy anything from the iTunes store. Screw that, and I'm not giving them my credit card.

Windows Media Player actually downloads cover art automatically (no signing up to things required) and also allows you to paste the cover art right in the player on the album! Super cool feature that Apple is now too greedy to give. So yay Microsoft being smart. That doesn't happen often I must admit.

Final point. Microsoft is being smart again with Windows Media Center. Apple TV? hahahahaha, that's nothing in comparison. Why watch videos from just YouTube, your podcasts, and local media library? With WMC you can do all that and more. Oh and it's free with Windows vs another piece of hardware with an additional cost. Well I suppose the $30 remote with receiver is another piece of hardware you'd want...but it's 10 times cheaper than the Apple TV.

Sigh. Ok venting complete.