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Agreed on all counts Paul.  A few years back I began to fear that Apple wasn't going to be ready for whatever the follow-on to the desktop computer would be.  Microsoft is very vocal about their massive R&D and lab work which made that concern even more acute.

Now, with the iPhone, it's multi-touch UI and this amazing sdk have revealed what could be the future mass-market computing platform.  I could totally see a touch-driven 7" iphone slab that did most of what you can do on a macbook air.

Without a doubt, this is going to drive iPhone adoption through the roof, which makes he single-carrier situation all the more frustrating.  i guess that's why we have the iPod touch.

I wonder how these tools will compare to what's available for Windows Mobile.  It sure looks like they enable apps with fit-and-finish that blows winmo away, but I'm not a dev.

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It's Cocoa Touch, not Carbon (which was a bridge from the original Mac OS to OS X development.

Please correct the post. It's Cocoa Touch, not Carbon. And Steve Ballmer crapped on about how the iPhone would not make a dint in business. The dude has not clue.

"Apple will cover all credit card, web hosting, infrastructure and DRM costs associated with offering applications on the App Store." - from Apple Insider.

iTunes is the centre of the digital space.

With native Exchange support the iPhone will be like Windows Mobile, except not crappy like Windows Mobile.

My Verizon contract is up in July... Someone is getting a new phone!

Microsoft may have the far superior desktop operating system, but they need to get on the ball with their Mobile OS! Until now (well, not yet as no 3rd party apps exist YET) they only thing Windows Moblie had going for it was 3rd party apps.

"Microsoft may have the far superior desktop operating system"

You're kidding right? Open your eyes. Take those dark shades off and look around. Windows is by far the inferior software and has been since it's inception. That goes for Microsoft in general.

drylight, Microsoft has one of the largest hurdles Apple doesn't, legacy hardware and software. Maybe not completely a home, but countless business use old software and hardware that need older system elements, which MS builds into the systems to allow those to continue to use. When they don't, all of a sudden people get surprised, but yet, Apple went through this with the X transition and probably most of their users live with it fine. If MS never had to support old software and hardware, we probably could have seen the original Longhorn, or even a superior form of Vista.

"If MS never had to support old software and hardware"

They don't have to, they choose to.

There's no requirement that they support old software and hardware beyond what they impose on themselves. It's just culturally that's what they've always done; although with the IE team's reversal of their decision to make IE8 backwards compatible instead of standard compliant that may be changing.

Apple has never seen backward compatibility as more important than making the new thing as simple and clean as possible.

Drylight

You are corect. Backwards compatibility is Windows greatest strength and at the same time its greatest weakness.

Back on Topic: This is huge. Come June what is the compelling argument to use a "Crackberry" in the corporate space....

What this shows once again is that Apple is not nearly as controlling and religious as the haters suggest.  If you watch the stream, Phil Schiller rips into Blackberry's push email system and praises Microsoft Exchange as being the greatest.

Despite not having long beta programs and not pre-announcing stuff way in advance, Apple is able to deliver quality products that get higher user satisfaction than anything in the PC world AND improve them based on user feedback.

I just don't get why apple-bashing PC nerds take such personal offense when Steve takes a cheap shot at Windows.  It's not like they ever make fun of PC users (which would be insane since most computer users are on windows).

This SDK is going to expose a whole new generation to what I'm told is an amazing set of dev tools for the mac.  Get ready to see the Mac's market share creep higher even faster in the coming two years.  Windows-lovers should rejoice.  This is great news for competition and keeping MS on their toes.

" If you watch the stream, Phil Schiller rips into Blackberry's push email system and praises Microsoft Exchange as being the greatest."

Well Apple is always good at bashing the competitor solution and praising their partner on stage even if it's MS. But hey, as we said before it's just sales pitch, even if MS solution seems cleaner and smarter.

"It's not like they ever make fun of PC users (which would be insane since most computer users are on windows)."

naaaah, not like 2 years of tv commercials is any proof of that or anything.....

Making fun of the Operating System is what the commercials are about...

Waethorn,

Um... you do realize that when the characters say "I'm a mac... and I'm a PC" they're explicitly stating that they represent the computers themselves... right?

I realize the whole "metaphor" concept may be a bit tough for you to grasp, but it's been known to be a very effective tool in conveying an idea to humans.

The fact that the characters vaguely resemble gates and jobs only furthers the point that these two characters represent the products/companies, not the user.

But since when has reality or the truth stopped you from mis-interpreting things intentionally to prove your point?  We must always remember that you have a personal profit motive to bash Apple since you are a PC seller and inherently biased.

OK, so some one better answer this question instead of fighting. Does this mean that the iPhone will be able to display the exchange calender?

DRWAM:

Apparently, the iphone will be able to do everything any other active-sync phone can do.  Push email, Calendars & events, Contacts, Global List access, remote wipe, etc.  Apple is fully implementing Microsoft's Exchange feature set.  Amazingly, this could end up being the best exchange handset on the market.

I just hope they get with the program and implement to-do lists and synchronized notes.  That remains a pretty bizarre and lame omission on the iphone...  although come June I expect third parties to fill everyone void imaginable.

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Thanks John. I was getting close to buying a Centro, now that they are at ATT. I am really interested in a good calender like Datebk 6 for Palm OS, but also need to store and read Word and Excel documents, like Documents-to-Go, but want to sync with my Mac [currently with Entourage 2004]. I just got Office 2008 with Exchange support, so I am in limbo right now. MS sent me the wrong version upgrade, so I called them and they sent the other 2008 upgrade for free, then refunded shipping. [That's incredible customer service] I guess that I will need to wait longer.

Doc

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"Um... you do realize that when the characters say "I'm a mac... and I'm a PC" they're explicitly stating that they represent the computers themselves... right?

I realize the whole "metaphor" concept may be a bit tough for you to grasp, but it's been known to be a very effective tool in conveying an idea to humans.

"

try to get with the program, would you?  people that say "they are" something they own/use infers their own personality.  hence, they are saying that the users of those systems are similar to what they represent.  honestly, you should lay off the asbestos cigarellos there.

"Apple is fully implementing Microsoft's Exchange feature set.  Amazingly, this could end up being the best exchange handset on the market."

Except that you can't connect to a standard Windows Server VPN without utilizing an expensive Cisco VPN hardware infrastructure, which means small and many medium-sized business won't be adopting it.

"people that say "they are" something they own/use infers their own personality"

Um... what?  I really don't even understand what that is supposed to mean.  Who says "they are" a product that they use?  Do you?  I've never heard even the most ignorant mac user say "I AM a mac" or "I am apple".  

Regardless, these aren't "people" at all but carefully scripted characterizations in an advertisement.  

You remember the one where PC was acting sick because he had a virus?  Yeah, that was a whole little play on computer viruses which he caught, because he's playing the computer itself.

The dialog of the commercials all makes it 100% clear that "PC" is playing the role of the Windows-based computer and "Mac" is playing the role of an actual Mac.

Apple is quite clearly painting the Windows PC as an inflexible, stodgy, work platform and the Mac as a more open, flexible platform for the rest of your digital life.  Argue the pitch all you want.  Criticize the message. PC's can do everything macs can do.  PC's have more games.  Yada yada yada.  At least that's an argument based in sanity and intellectual honesty.

The fact is, the only people that take offense at these ads are zealous dorks that actually derive their personal identity from the computing platform they use and "hence" take umbrage at having their identity presented as a dork.  This bizarre statement of yours seems to suggest that you fall into that category, because I honestly don't know anyone refers to themselves as a product them like.

But, again, you're so biased that you'll never concede anything to a mac user.  You'll sooner sound like a crazy person that believes he "is a pc" than admit that these ads aren't meant to insult PC users.  

And again, given that the whole point of the ads is to entice PC users tired of windows and it's problems to come to the mac, insulting these very consumers would be pretty stupid.  Good thing they aren't and don't.

"Um... what?"

Perhaps you slept through psychology class when they were teaching about synaesthesia, and its usage in advertising, especially pertaining to narcissistic reverse-psychology.

"You'll sooner sound like a crazy person that believes he "is a pc" than admit that these ads aren't meant to insult PC users."

Tell that to the majority of people surveyed that found that the "Mac guy" is smug, and then the recent subsequent survey that backed it up by finding that Apple users are identical.  Since a computer can't be smug, well I'll let you figure the rest out....

search.live.com/results.aspx

search.live.com/results.aspx

(there's even 2 Apple groups called "SMUG" on the first set of search results!!)

A clean install of Vista just change the MBR in my PC and I could not use the XP slave disk. I had to delete both  and reinstalled XP. Any way to avoid this in the future, should I try to reinstall Vista on a second internal drive, to dual boot?

DRWAM, dual boot with Vista/XP on different partitions works fine on the same hard drive.

You need to install XP first on one partition then Vista next.  Vista's boot manager will overwrite the XP's and the default boot will be Vista.  You can choose XP but if you do nothing Vista will boot.

This can be changed in Vista and XP, where you can select the default OS to boot if nothing is touched during bootup.

Honestly I dont know why anyone dualboots.  If Vista cant run some of your apps, stick with XP.  If you want to see the lackluster that is Vista, install Virtual PC 2007 its free, or better yet pickup VWware workstation and run Vista in a VM.

To your earlier question, yes you will see your Exchange calander in your iCal calendar on your iPone.  

Apple has licensed Active Stink from MS which is a conduit to Exchange.  The they have written a program on top of Active Stink to convert your NON-Standard Exchange calendar into a iCal open stadard calendar.

Waethorn wrote -"Tell that to the majority of people surveyed that found that the "Mac guy" is smug, and then the recent subsequent survey that backed it up by finding that Apple users are identical.  Since a computer can't be smug, well I'll let you figure the rest out...."

And the majority of people are good for......

Exactly. I don't base my decisions on what others think

Next. SMUG are you kidding me? Two are user groups where the city/location starts with S...

Lastly, Your using Znet as irrefutable proof of Mac Users being smug? Do I even have to explain that one?

Lindy, thanks for the response. I had XP on the a SATA internal drive, then added another internal SATA drive [not a second partition on the same drive] and installed Vista. The startup boot menu showed Vista and and 'earlier version of Windows' but after choosing the earlier version in the menu, XP would freeze after the welcome menu. I tried some suggestions from the web [apparently this is a well know flaw. Just google 'dual boot Vista' and see], but nothing worked. Even after using a utility to change the MBR and erasing the Vista drive, XP would not boot. The XP drive was fine before the install. I had to do a clean reinstall after erasing BOTH drives [not partitions] and still had problems when reloading software such as Adobe reader, which caused a continuous startup loop. I still have 3 more apps to install and an entire day was lost. Why did I do it? I have apps that will not work with Vista for work and I wanted to see if my 3 yr old computer would run Vista satisfactorily. Big mistake. I should have just used an older computer for XP and just clean installed Vista. So My remedy was not the best choice as well. Vista changes the MBR, I guess for a good reason, but you need to tweak it to dual boot., as per the web references.

Lindy, I forgot. I like Entourage for my calender and use it with my Treo. I like it better than Palm or Apple's stuff. I just purchased Office 2008 with Exchange support, but have not installed yet. There is a problem with syncing with Treo's right now, and I need to learn the workaround.

I'm sorry, Waethorn, but you're completely changing the subject... which is the hallmark of zealot "argument".  

First of all, I didn't take psychology and even if I had, I wouldn't be so arrogant as to assume mastery of it as you appear to be.  Frankly, most of us regarded psych as the major for lazy and/or directionless party freaks with no goals looking for an easy A... but I digress...

I also find your little psychobabble rant to be a classic example of someone tossing out some red herring nonsense because they can't provide a concrete and compressible argument.  Again, classic zealot playbook.

As for these links and surveys... well, they don't support your argument one bit.  If you want to buy into some limited, focus grouped generalization about Mac users, be my guest.  They may even be totally true.  Fine.  If you want to hang your hat on some unscientific polls being parroted by anti-mac website blogs, that just strengthens your platform zealot credentials.  I work in advertising and promotions.  I understand the limits of focus-groups.  Whatever.  Nobody with any intellectual honesty would base their opinions on some second-hand focus group.  

And even if the mac character comes across as a smug hipster, so what?  How does that help your argument?

The whole point was that Apple isn't making fun of PC users with their ad campaign.  I was questioning why people like you take such offense at Jobs' snipes at Windows, remember?  John Hodgeman's PC character is not a dig at PC users but at the PC platform itself.  You've provided absolutely no argument to say that it is.

What you have, once again, demonstrated is that Windows zealots like to attack the character of Mac users as well as their platform.  How smug of you.

I hate arguments, but I just don't think that Apple would call PC users names and think that this would get them to buy a Mac. They are showing [exploiting] PC problems to get them to switch. I don't think that I am smug, but i enjoy using both platforms but prefer my Mac, possibly because of all the malware and virus threats/fears. However, these fears did not start at Apple, and the commercials are amusing, but I know that they are over exaggerating, IMHO.

"Frankly, most of us regarded psych as the major for lazy and/or directionless party freaks with no goals looking for an easy A."

"What you have, once again, demonstrated is that Windows zealots like to attack the character of Mac users as well as their platform."

And in your argument of trying to contend that Mac users are not smug, you make two gross generalizations in the same post.

Hey Dipsht, you may want to try to engage the actual argument instead of trying to discredit my point with semantics.  Just a thought.

On my dig of psych, yeah... I'm biased against it.  I'll admit it.  That statement was not a generalization, though, but a statement of how me and my friends in college regarded it.

There's a big difference.  It's the difference between making a bold declaration of   "fact" and declaring an opinion.  Like "Steve Jobs is a liar" vs. "I believe that Steve Jobs is a liar".  

As for the zealots statement, I stand by it.  Zealots are, by definition a fringe group of activists.  And Windows zealots obviously are defined by their preference or windows above other platforms.

It's no different than saying "all libertarians are in favor of small government".  It's a generalization, but it's also part of the definition.

hey Johnpapola,

First off your statement about psych majors, it so true, I remember having to take a upper division psych course as part of my history degree in order to teach in California.  As I breezed through it with an A I overheard the psych majors complaining about how this was the "weed out" class designed to flunk many students.  In short, I came to the realization that psych majors on average were morons.

The funniest thing about Paul Thurott , Waethorn, and DipShpAdmin is the fact that they don't realize that they're biased.  I'm an Apple fan, I believe they make a superior product.  I believe that MS used highly illegal means to establish and maintain its monopoly.  I believe 90% is a monopoly.  But most importantly I believe that I am biased.  I am a bit more willing to give Apple the benefit of the doubt, I am a bit more willing to call the next iPod killer a POS before even seeing it.  All that being said, it is the fact that Thurott et al. continue to believe that they are objective that I find most infuriating.  

They actually believe what they say.  Thurott actually believes that Steve Jobs intentionally lies during his keynote.  Waethorn actually believes that mac kernel panic three times a day.  And DipshtAdmin actually belives both that the Windows os is the best desktop os out there.  

Paul's attacks on Walt Mossberg over at the WSJ are hysterical, or they would be if he didn't actually believe what he is writing.  I Paul Thurott who names his website Paul Thurott's Windows Fucking Supersite am a completely unbiased observer while Mossberg drinks Steve Jobs Koolaide by the gallon.

And Waethorn, who writes crap like, Every time I walk into an Apple Store every mac suddenly goes into a kernel panic and mac geniuses run around like the building is on fire denying that any of the machines have a problem.  I then saddle up to some hapless mac fool and point out how I can build him a Windows machine for 1/10 the cost of a mac and 10 times the performance.  It will run without problem for ten years and produce less green house gases too.  

Like I said, it would be funny if it were an act, or they admitted that sometimes they deal in hyperbole, but at the end of the day it is just sad.

Regards

Joe Dokes  

"That statement was not a generalization, though, but a statement of how me and my friends in college regarded it."

next time, look up the word "generalization" in the library.

"I work in advertising and promotions."

then you and losta must get along just fine.  ;)

"I also find your little psychobabble rant to be a classic example of someone tossing out some red herring nonsense because they can't provide a concrete and compressible argument.  Again, classic zealot playbook."

hey Dipsh_t - there's another one!

"Nobody with any intellectual honesty would base their opinions on some second-hand focus group."

and yet people still read the WSJ....

"And even if the mac character comes across as a smug hipster, so what?"

"What you have, once again, demonstrated is that Windows zealots like to attack the character of Mac users as well as their platform.  How smug of you."

Pot meets kettle.  Response:  "So what?"

"it would be funny if .... they admitted that sometimes they deal in hyperbole, but at the end of the day it is just sad."

as was that entire rant of yours, on all of those points.

Waethorn,

I'm very sorry that you are incapable of dealing directly and honestly in debate. Once again you dodged the question.  You've failed to demonstrate how or where Apple makes fun of PC users, as you claimed their ads do.

I'm sorry that you have the debating skills of a grade-schooler.  It makes these exchanges so fruitless and frustrating.  I suppose, in the end, I'm the moron for wasting any time engaging you like an adult when you're nothing more than a bomb-throwing, infantile, fanboy.

Maybe someday you'll grow up and have enough confidence and maturity to not only admit when your argument fell apart, or use your real name as I do in web forums so that you aren't hiding behind some lame handle criticizing people like a 12 year old.

Grow up, dude.

john, what argument?  According to you, the argument is over, and you are right.

"Zealots are, by definition a fringe group of activists.  And *Apple* zealots obviously are defined by their preference of *Apple* above other platforms."

This statement is true either way.

"but a statement of how me and my friends in college regarded it."

From thesaurus.reference.com/.../generalization

"a generality is an indefinite, nonspecific statement or observation, one that describes a condition, situation, or set of facts in general; a generalization is a statement or conclusion inferred from a set of descriptions, experiments, or observations"

Listen, I wasn't a Psych major, but you are making a very broad statement based on *your* observations, and treating it as fact.  That's not a defensible argument.

And joe, who said I'm not biased?  Of course I know I'm biased.  And like you, my bias is based on my beliefs of which OS is better for my needs.  And given that this is election season in the US, each biased side can make arguments for that fact.  Call me a zealot or a tool, or blind, or whatever, but in the end, I'm no less a zealot, tool or blind as anyone else who makes contrary opinions.

"or use your real name as I do in web forums"

Hmm, could it be because you are a "director - producer - editor" and that by putting your name anywhere you can get it, increases your name in the industry?  Assuming that I've searched correctly, are you the same that penned this:

"Did I mention that I’m a former PC-freak turned super-crazy mac nerd that worships Steve Jobs?"

And somehow you are better equipped to deal "directly and honestly in debate?"

Dipsht,

Thanks for the google search and thanks for being far more on-point than Waethorn.  You know, the reason I use my real name isn't to promote myself through these forums (at least not entirely ;).  My potential clients/employers don't generally read geek blog comments.  It's because as a mac defender and partisan, I've found my knowledge questioned regarding how I use the platform and how it's used professionally in the past and have decided ideologically to be open and forthcoming in any online debates.

I believe that, if you post with your real name, you are at the very least taking some responsibility for the tone of the discussion and it keeps you from descending into ad-homenim attacks and character smears.

As for why I even bother to troll around Paul's blog and write ridiculously verbose posts?  Well, I am a geek.  I enjoy debate (when it is real debate).  And I really chaffe at false characterizations and disingenuousness (it's a Libra thing, I think).  I come to Paul's site because he's a great resource for staying up to date with the Windows world.

Why am I a Mac partisan?  Because I truly enjoy Apple's tools,  I admire their product design approach and their creative marketing and honestly believe that the mac is a superior platform to Windows for the majority of users.  I was a hardcore, custom PC-building, anti-mac Windows user from my first computer through college.  But a series of professional experiences and inopportune windows meltdowns, coupled with OSX and Final Cut Pro's excellence lead me to switch.

As for this thread...  You're right.  I am making some generalizations.  In that sense I'm being a bit hypocritical. However, they aren't broad, but specifically pertain to anti-Apple windows zealots.  That makes the group I'm targeting pretty small, pretty homogenous and pretty fair game in my mind. This is the group of people, like Waethorn, that feel compelled to attack Apple, it's products and worst of all it's entire userbase even though they don't use our platform and could easily ignore it.

Ultimately, this comes back to the context of this blog.  Paul routinely goes on rants about the "Mac Freaks" and has gone on the record as saying that there are literally "no windows fanboys".  Waethorn and the thousands of other Apple-hating trolls like him across the internet's millions of comment-enable Apple articles makes Paul's statement demonstrably false.

You won't find me trolling Windows-centric threads with the kind of barbs and attacks that Waethorn spews in these Apple posts, because I don't care about Windows and windows users in so far as they are happy with their platform and aren't actively trying to undermine my platform.  My personal experience of these kinds of forums is that the Apple-related posts are swarming with Apple haters while the Windows-related posts that have nothing to do with Apple are generally far less invested with Apple-zealots looking for a fight.  

So... to the core question that I raised, which Waethorn sniped at, then dodged all future debate:  

"I just don't get why apple-bashing PC nerds take such personal offense when Steve takes a cheap shot at Windows.  It's not like they ever make fun of PC users (which would be insane since most computer users are on windows)." - me from the top of the thread.

To which, Waethorn pointed to the PC vs. Mac ads, claiming that the ads represent the users, not the computers themselves.  Myself and others disputed that false assertion, and Waethorn descended into his usual ramblings... first with some nonsense psych 101 red herring, then by fully disengaging from the discussion and criticizing each post with silly line-by-line snark.

My point is that this kind of "debate" I've found to be a classic pattern of Apple-bashing zealots like Waethorn over the past seven years of engaging in forums as a mac user.  It's simple hit-and-run attack followed by childish, information-free retorts like "pot, meet kettle" or worse.

So, if you've read this whole insane post, I thank you, and hope this shreds some light on things.

Thanks for the clarification John.  To quote Dr. Evil talking to Austin Powers "we're not so different you and I."  We both use the technology of our choice to do our jobs, run our life, and we are both happy with it.  I run a Windows network, and while I encounter problems with it, the tools that I use work quite well, thank you very much.  I also get bored by one-liners and snarky comments, and feel compelled to reply in my "home" turf of Windows, Paul Thurrott, and yes, even New Jersey!

And while you are able to characterize Waethorn in a certain way, I can certainly characterize drylight in the same way.

What some have to remember is that back in the day we dealt with a poster called bonch and a small cadre of other MS bashing crazies, that would infect every single post with the same rhetoric.  Since it has always been a Windows centric site, this became boring quite fast.

Check out just one example of this on Paul's WInInfo:

www.windowsitpro.com/.../index.cfm

Repeat this for every post that Paul made.  One bad "apple" spoils the whole damn bunch, if you will ;)

And lotsamystuff knows why I have this joke user name.

Thanks for the reply... and NJ Rocks! (I guess)

"Bonch" is clearly a moron troll.  No question.  I would only say that people like him are everywhere, on every platform.  Perhaps the mac userbase has had a more vocal community because there was such a longer period where being a mac user meant being pissed on at every turn.  That kind of thing tends to make people a bit more fanatical.

Microsoft has also, unquestionably, abused it's position in the market.  I wish nothing but the best for MS, though.  And by that, I mean, I want them to excel with great products that can compete on their own merit in open markets with open standards.

As for Paul, I like him, but he brings this on himself.  There's no reason for mac trolls to go into non-apple posts and spew garbage, but there's also no reason to expect Paul's often colored criticism of Apple to go unnoticed by the mac community.  

There have been times when you could go to his internet nexus blog and see a page full of anti-apple spewings.  Some legit, some less so.  But all dripping in an aggressive and unfair tone that is hard for many of us to take sitting down.

Now, this post and Pauls overall take-away from the iPhone announcement are glowing and fair.  He's not all bad on Apple by any means.  But I think it's important for someone who constantly professes his even-handedness to... actually be even handed.  Paul should make his criticism of Apple as measured, thoughtful and supported by facts as his Microsoft criticism.  That means no use of terms like "liar" unless he's got a smoking gun of knowing deception.

This is the root cause for my presence on this blog in the way that I am.  I want Paul to hold himself to a higher standard and acknowledge the tone problems in his Apple writing.

I'm totally fine with you guys here being sick of Apple zealots like "bonch".  

I guess it boils down to a call for de-escalation.  There is a constructive dialog that can happen between our two enthusiast groups.  There are things Microsoft does incredibly well and areas where they innovate and take risks.  The same goes for Apple.  They're a legitimate innovator.  

Both sides do marketing.  Both side make claims of being "the best, the first, the one true way".  We should all be smart enough to ignore marketing and take these technologies on their usefulness and merit alone.

If Paul could keep his focus on that, and not go off and anti-"mac freak" tangents and "steve jobs the liar" tirades, he'd set a far better tone for the Apple discussions that take place on this site.

What do you think?

I think that is a good analysis.  I try to be evenhanded, but you know, it just doesn't happen.  While it is quite fervent in the OS wars, this happens in politics incessantly, sports teams, etc.  And as two New Jerseyeans speaking, we have all had to defend our state on more than one occasion.

The only thing that I disagree with is "but there's also no reason to expect Paul's often colored criticism of Apple to go unnoticed by the mac community."  I don't know, I find it pretty easy to avoid this.  I stay away from sites like TUAW, Graceful Flavor and the like.  While I occasionally follow a link, I really don't feel compelled to comment.  it's just not worth it.

Dipsh

You make an excellent point aout staying away from other sites that hold viewpoints counter to ones own... And here's the rub. I would be quite fine with stating away from Paul's comments if he was what he says he is: "Taking Microsoft and Apple EQUALLY to task", when clearly he doesn't.

Criticism of any platform is fine (when warranted); clear bias despite statements to the contrary... not so much.

I just went through several recent pages at TUAW [my first visit] and did not find even one ill word about Microsoft. The only mention was Office for Mac,  and Ballmer's comment on iPhone Active Sync development, and still never  said anything bad. I skimmed a few comments, but really did not look through them, but it is loaded with fanboys. No malice in the articles at all. Then I went to Gracefulflavor [.net not .com I found out]. It has almost no mention of technology, but is mostly human interest. However, I do not believe that you are stretching the truth Dipsh. Perhaps that was the old site behaviors. Although, there certainly was a tone of fanboysm at graceful in the few Apple stuff there. Note, I looked at the recent stuff for only about five pages each. I come hear to get the goods on some things, including Apple stuff. Paul iPhone review was one of the best sources of what it does and cannot do, that I have ever seen, and without the stupid metaphors that have little or no meaning to me or the product. Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that the sites have possibly changed. Again, I went through very little of the comments, for which you may be referring.

One more thing Dipsh, you know I love you more than those stupid blog sites, so just remember that. We New Jerseyeans need to stick together, of course not in some sexual manner that is:) In fact, I love the entire Supersite community. I owe you all a beer! We get along so well ya know;)