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To summarize what Paul just said:

"Hey, why are you all hating on AT&T? If you're hating AT&T, then you're not hating Apple, and you're supposed to be hating Apple because I hate Apple! C'mon, say it with me! WE! HATE! APPLE! WE! HATE! APPLE! WE! HATE... Where's everybody going?"

Can't be any better than any other carrier, indeed.

When I signed up with Telus only 1 year ago, they offered a smartphone plan (excluding Blackberries) for $45 for data which consisted of "unlimited" web browsing, IM, email, txting, and web-enabled apps.  That's another thing - data is data.  Texting should cost the same as IM'ing, and should cost the same as web surfing.  You shouldn't have to pay for tiered data usage like this, devoted by task.  It raises some interesting privacy issues too.  I mean, how exactly does the carrier know what app you're using if it's between email, or web surfing, or some other web app.

Anyway, shortly after I subscribed, they changed to wording to 15GB of monthly allowance in the fine print, then 5GB.  Now, for the same money, the plan is only 1GB of usage.  That's ridiculous!  And don't forget:  that's FOR DATA.  Your voice plan costs extra on top of that.

Need to tether?  It's $8/ 1MB.  Yes that's right - 8 dollars per MEGABYTE.

Canada has probably the worst cell phone rates in the world, including most 3rd world countries that have very cheap, or sometimes free, government-subsidized services offered in African countries, nation-wide.  So before you start complaining, you could have it much, much worse.

>mostly-64-bit OS that utilized a 32-bit kernel<

Paul, you do know how to change that, right?  And you do know that it's for compatibility, right?

thurrott's psychosis is always good for a laugh.  sure, let me take a stab at refuting his nuttiness on a few things:  

Apple wouldn't bother with ad time about kernels, 32 or 128bit.  It's a bore to the audience and beyond the grasp of 99% of computer users.  That's not apple's style, that's microsoft's style...  along with giving you a stylus and a task manager.

And Thurrott is wrong again on the 32 bit snafu.  Snow Leopard is 64bit, it's the hardware that isn't caught up to it yet.  So blame Apple the hardware maker, not Apple the software maker on that one.  It's a small distinction but important when he decries the 'service pack' status of snow leopard.

Why all the vitriol, Paul?  Keep your hinges on.  If people don't want Snow Leopard, if they think it's not worth $29, then fine.  I think it is, especially if you're coming from any pre Leopard versions [yep, apple believes in the honor system in upgrades, how about that].  

Now, can I please get another post about how 'sexy' Win7 is??  I really like over the top hyperbole.  It's why I come here.

"Apple has run out of ideas"

"maybe Windows needed more fixes to begin with. That's certainly what a Mac user would tell you. They may have a point." -- Paul Thurrott

www.winsupersite.com/.../snowleopard.asp

Again, I ask the question:  are new features the only reason to upgrade your OS?

This is the weirdest "I hate everything Apple post" EVER!

Fist you say to blame AT&T because their network can't handle the iPhone traffic and neither can any other network.

Then you get mad that AT&T is getting the blame and not Apple, even though no other network can't handle it either (in your words).

I don't get it.  Who should get the blame?

Very weird.

>>I don't get it.  Who should get the blame?

Very weird.<<

Agreed.

Oh I don't know ... my non-US wireless carrier is just fine thank you very much.

- Since I've had my iPhone the 3G network has been solid

- I've have ONE call drop in that time (three months)

- Speeds are great; never buckled under mass usage

- The only time I don't have 3G is when I'm hell and gone from a major city AND even then the Edge service is decent (not super fast, but what do you expect from Edge? It's like the light version of "high speed" internet)

- I've had MMS and tethering since the day the iPhone 3.0 OS was released

My iPhone owning wife can attest to this performance. So can my iPhone owning brother in law (and he's been using his for over a year). So can the pile of my friends and colleagues who have iPhones as well (one of whom uses an unlocked first gen iPhone he bought in the states and managed to get working here).

So yeah, excuse me if I'm part of that "trusting audience", Paul, but so far Apple hasn't given me reason no to trust them.

Well, I can say it's not AT&T's fault.  My WinMo phone works fine on their network.  I send/receive 100s of emails a day, surf the web, listen to music, and it works fine.  Just has fine as my BlackBerry did on Verizon.

I won't comment on the Apple comments, you can reason with unreasonable Apple fanboys.  :)

gfryesc1 I thought I saw that only apple's native apps that are built into the system are 64-bit.  The rest of the applications can only run 32-bit.

Cy

While I did LOL at KWRussell's comment (and while I agree with it), it's not an easy "pick one side" type of thing like Paul would like people to think. Yes, Apple is to blame on the Google Voice app rejection. I think we can agree that Apple needs to loosen the reigns a bit.

No, Apple is not responsible for AT&T's lackluster network. Think of how many Blackberries, MiFis, USB dongles, and god knows what other data-intensive devices there are out there on the Verizon/Alltel (since they've converged) network, all without running a hiccup. Maybe it's not just AT&T's fault that their infrastructure is bad, but it's a key player.

About the Mac OS X 32-bit kernel thing. Remember when XP 64 bit came out? 64-bit drivers were nowhere to be found. Nobody ran 64 bit then. That's the same reason Apple is running a 32-bit kernel right now: compatibility. When the KEXTs are finally ready then they just have to run a quick switch and they're off to the races.

Now I'd like Paul to explain away Windows 7's openness when it comes to GPGPU processing. I understand they already made DirectX and that's why they don't use the OpenGL API, but c'mon why didn't they create an OPEN standard for graphics processing like the one Apple is trying to push into the open source community? Both camps have issues, so STFU and stop making people pick sides. That goes to both camps.

>>Well, I can say it's not AT&T's fault.  My WinMo phone works fine on their network. <<

Ahh. Thats what this post is about.  Well, lets see what ATT said in the article:

“It’s been a challenging year for us,” said John Donovan, the chief technology officer of AT&T. “Overnight we’re seeing a radical shift in how people are using their phones,” he said. “There’s just no parallel for the demand.”

Can ATT improve it, or is it the phone?

"When thousands of iPhone owners descended on Austin, Tex., in March during South by Southwest, an annual technology and music conference, attendees were unable to send text messages, check their e-mail or make calls until AT&T installed temporary cell sites to amplify the service."

Oh well.

www.nytimes.com/.../03att.html

Perhaps AT&T has been over criticized but at the same time, AT&T mandates and collects $30/month data plan for all iPhone users, even in areas without 3G coverage. If AT&T cannot handle all the traffic, perhaps they should put a cap on the bandwidth.

"It's kind of like the reaction to Snow Leopard, a service pack if there ever was one."

Maybe so. But it's a service pack the likes of which most other OS's out there would also desperately need. Not least Windows Vista, as Windows 7 isn't out yet.

After reading so many of Paul's blogs and finally signing up so I could comment, all I have to say is: Paul, did Steve Jobs do something really bad personally to you that deserves so much vitriol and so much of a lack of objectivity? Good grief... it's as if Steve Ballmer and Steven Sinofsky are bribing you just to trash their competition. I use both Windows and OS X systems and, in all fairness, neither is perfect, but to read your constant dumping on Apple gets very old, very fast.

And there are many people who believe that AT&T's network is the worst around. Rather than just spew unsubstantiated fact, do a little research and post some figures before making the accusation that th MMS and other network issues are a result of Apple's iPhone design.

Do your kids and wife know you get paid writing this drivel? Seriously, Shut the *** up Paul, you're a skitsofrantic moron who can't seem to be consistent at all with your message. Admit it, you only write about Apple on this blog for hits, nothing else. You are no better than any of the journalists you hate, you love the ad revenue you receive from posting this garbage.

Hate to break it to you Paul, your opinion is only important to you and nobody else. Thank god your son is deaf, I'd want to rip my ear drums out if I had the ability to hear and my dad was about as consistent as a zigzag.

@vincentw56

All mobile phone suckage is local. You live in an area where AT&T delivers a good signal. It wouldn't matter what handset you had. (I switched to AT&T while the iPhone was just a gleam in Steve's eye because I moved to the 'burbs, and I had to stand in my back yard to get a 2-bar signal from Sprint.)

I'm guessing Paul's site is getting low page views so he decides to try and start a war to fix that.

"There's a growing trend to just blame AT&T for all of the iPhone's troubles."

Absolutely. It's amazing that Apple can even sell the damn thing. It's just sad, isn't it? All those Apps, that constantly growing user base, the ceaseless innovation, undercutting Win Mobile, cutting the Zune off at the knees. It's just so ANNOYING. The iPhone is one troubled device, and has no future----obviously.

And, I agree with you, that damn iPhone would have trashed ANY network. I think they DELIBERATELY made it easy to use!

The EU and the DOJ should look into this. It's an obvious ploy by Apple to undercut the whole cell network and bog it down to make the competing phones look bad. They're probably in cahoots with Google on that----they always are----and does anyone think that sham "resignation" of the Google guy from Apple's board really means anything? Jobs still has him on speed dial.

And, you know what?  That exclusivity deal with ATT screams for legal action, and that monopolistic app store is so "successful" that it might as well have been set up by the Kremlin. Sure, it's "successful", and it only works with iPhones. Where's the choice? Is that the American Way? Do you realize that Mac computers and iPhones are made in Communist China? Do you think that's a coincidence? Somehow Apple gets away with this and NO ONE SAYS ANYTHING!

And, the whole Snow Leopard debacle! "Under the hood" improvements? WTF? In the 1950's General Motors pioneered yearly versions for cars and ruled the world. The USA stood idly by while the Germans and the Japanese did a lot of "under the hood" improvements, and look where we are today. Do you want this to happen to Microsoft?

"It's time for Microsoft to respond to the challenges it faces with leadership and authority. And if you care about the systems you support now, your jobs, and your very livelihood, you might do demand the same from the company. All of us have backed the same horse."

Amen. It can't happen soon enough. This "free pass" that Apple gets for all of that so-called innovation has got to stop.

@sacr3dc0w

So why are you here? What is your reason for continuing to read this blog?

Holy straight jacket! This is the looniest rant yet!

Thurrot's cheese has definitely slipped of his cracker.

@CyBrett:

"I thought I saw that only apple's native apps that are built into the system are 64-bit.  The rest of the applications can only run 32-bit."

Any application can run 64-bit, including the kernel. Apple ships 64-bit versions of most apps, the notable exceptions being things which are very heavily-invested in 32-bit only technologies, like iTunes (which is a *massive* Carbon code-base, and Carbon is 32-bit).

Us developers have been able to compile and ship 64-bit apps since Tiger (when they were command-line only) and since Leopard for GUI apps. Everything I write is compiled for all available architectures, 32- and 64-bit for both Intel and PPC architectures. This is currently the default setting for new projects in Xcode, too. Anyone who only ships 32-bit apps right now basically needs to have a very good reason to do so (i.e. a *massive* code-base which can't easily be converted to use 64-bit data types and APIs). Apple has done pretty much everything they can to make this as easy as possible for developers; since 10.5.0 came out I've not needed to pay any attention to register width or pointer size at all in my applications unless I dig into some very low-level APIs (such as Mach VM). I just hit the compile button and I get an app with 32- and 64-bit variants included, for all available CPU architectures.

As of Snow Leopard, 64-bit is actually the default for pretty much everything, and the kernel boots into 32-bit mode by default for compatibility with third-party device drivers. I switched mine to 64-bit immediately and have had no problems so far. And if necessary, a 32-bit kernel process is only a reboot away. It doesn't change user-space at all— the kernel has used 64-bit values for memory addresses for a long time now, and being 64-bit native just makes arithmetic on those types a little faster is all (amongst the ABI improvements, use of more CPU registers, etc).

It's also worth noting that, since Mac OS X is based on Mach, the virtual memory pager is actually a separate process, and is is *always* 64-bit regardless of whether the kernel is 32- or 64-bit itself.

While I look forward to the day when I need 256GB of physical RAM, requiring the kernel to allocate 4GB of memory-addressing tables, right now I'm not worried that I won't be able to handle that. If my laptop magically becomes able to upgrade beyond 8GB of RAM (or my desktop beyond 32GB) I'll be sure to enable the provided 64-bit kernel to enable that capability.

"Hate to break it to you Paul, your opinion is only important to you and nobody else. Thank god your son is deaf, I'd want to rip my ear drums out if I had the ability to hear and my dad was about as consistent as a zigzag."

That's vile. Utterly vile. I don't agree with Paul on much, but what you wrote makes you a disgusting excuse for a human being. Get a little perspective, take a few years and try to grow up. You'll want to apologize someday for that one.

And now for some unbiased simple truth...

www.youtube.com/watch

I don't get why your so upset with Snow Leopard. Yeah, it's not as big an update as Win 7, but it's also not the same price. I think $30 is a fair price for the upgrade. If they charged $199 or $250 for the privilege, I would laugh at it too. But the price is right, so what's the big deal?

This is ATT problem is just the tip of the iceberg.  I agree with Paul any other carrier would have problems as well.

I have read that one of the reasons a Apple phone had not come out sooner was because the limited cellular bandwidth.  One of the reasons.

This is also a major road block to "Cloud Computing" or anything delivered from the cloud.  The network link is the major limiting factor when it comes to anything that has size.  

Imagine if just Netflix aloud their whole catalog of movies to be streamed over the internet, and not 1/100th of it and most of that really old crap.  They would need 10 more data centers, 1000X the bandwidth they have now, and every ISP would feel the pain of massive movie downloads.  New release nights would bring broadband to its knees.  That is just one provider of cloud content.

I am not a Mac Fanboy but Paul here the link between the IPhone story and the fact that OSX With Leopard is a Service Pack story is little confusing... Isn't it?

But Paul, Microsoft once upon a time DID release a mostly 32 bit OS that also ran 16 bit code (Windows 95/98/SE/ME). Apple fans bashed that relentlessly, even when they didn't have true multitasking or Steve Jobs.

"So why are you here? What is your reason for continuing to read this blog?"

Because when he posts Windows related entries I enjoy what I read because its full of useful information, but he has this obsession with Apple that borderlines mental sometimes. While I admit my personal attack crossed the line, the point still stands. Paul is very inconsistent and it's getting absolutely pathetic as time goes along.

"I think $30 is a fair price for the upgrade."

So does Paul, but don't tell him that because he doesn't want people to know he's said that before over and over and over again. He wants people to know he doesn't like Apple so his ad revenue goes up while people argue about which desktop or mobile OS is superior.

I'm an Apple user and I don't care a bit, how many bits Windows is or is not. In fact I don't care how many bits OSX is.

" Remember when XP 64 bit came out? 64-bit drivers were nowhere to be found. Nobody ran 64 bit then. That's the same reason Apple is running a 32-bit kernel right now: compatibility."

So Apple is behind then.

Thanks for the apology.

"Now I'd like Paul to explain away Windows 7's openness when it comes to GPGPU processing. I understand they already made DirectX and that's why they don't use the OpenGL API, but c'mon why didn't they create an OPEN standard for graphics processing like the one Apple is trying to push into the open source community?"

Why does a graphics library have to benefit only a single-digit market share?  It doesn't benefit Microsoft to release it, and turning to an open source version will break application compatibility, so it's a no-win situation.  In Apple's defense, they can leech off open source as they always do.

One thing I can say about Canadian cell phone providers is that any halfway-decently-occupied area has full 3G coverage by all 3 major cell providers.  The difference in quality one person gets over another is usually related to their type of phone, because most towers share both GSM and CDMA signal types.

It is fun to listen to Windows Weekly and see just how many minutes into the podcast it takes before Leo and Paul start talking about Apple. I listen every week and I cannot remember the last time Windows Weekly wasn't about Apple in someway. To be fair they talk about Windows on Mac Break Weekly. Paul usually snipes at Apple, the guys on MBW just chuckle and joke about MS.

"It's kind of like the reaction to Snow Leopard, a service pack if there ever was one"

I have asked this question before and it got dodged so I ask again.  

Could someone please list for us all, what new features or improvements that Windows 7 gives someone that is sitting at Windows Vista SP2, plus all available updates (IE8, latest search, etc).  I just want a simple list of whats new and improved, no bias, no saying whether its a great feature or not, just a simple list.

I booted my iMac SL to 64 bit and everything works fine including my 6 year old Brother laser printer. So what's all the grief about?

@kent909 I listen to both, and they talk about Apple more on Windows Weekly.  Sometimes its about even.  Lately it has with the release of both new OS'es, but a lot of times on Mac Break they never talk about Windows or Microsoft.  Paul will bring up Apple almost every episode.

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kent909 said:

"I'm an Apple user and I don't care a bit, how many bits Windows is or is not. In fact I don't care how many bits OSX is."

@All : you know what I told you! Stop talking about 32bit here and 64 bit here... THis is not an issu... Most of the common user don't care about this technical things and ... I told you nobody need a 64 bit system except specialized software users... So please stop talk like the number of bits a OS is using is crucial... It is not!!!!!!

@rr0de74@live.com: Haaaaaaaaaa!! Come onnnnn... I answer you!!! We cannot list what changes in Windows 7, except user interface thing because Microsoft did not give a WhitePaper to specify that ....

So Stop ... WE DON'T KNOW WHICH LINE OF CODE MICROSOFT CHANGE BETWEEN WINDOWS VISTA AND WINDOWS 7 ....

"WE DON'T KNOW WHICH LINE OF CODE MICROSOFT CHANGE BETWEEN WINDOWS VISTA AND WINDOWS 7 ...."

Lets hope its more than one.

I never have a problem with my iPhone, even after I jailbroke it. Got 3G everywhere now in South Jersey. Now 3) of my 23 doc group have one,3 have the GS version. They all love it. A long time WinMo user, bought the 3G for his wife a few months ago. His son's BB died, so he got the 3GS for the wife and gave the 3G to his son. The more he played, the more he liked the iPhone. He then bought a 3GS 32GB model for himself, and dumped his BB. He then bought a 4th iPhone for his daughter. Within the past several months, he replaced his wife and kids Win laptop's with a 17in MBP. He is the guys that bought a $3000 high end custom Vista computer two years ago, and replaced it 6 months ago with a dual Xeon Dell. He spent 3 to 4 thousand dollars on it too. So much for inexpensive Windows boxes!!!!  Anyway, a diehard Windows fan boy bought a lot of Apple gear lately, eh?

Now my wife wants a MBP and an iPhone, but she'll get my old Treo until she proves that she will use it's features. As far as the MBP goes, sorry but I can buy two Win7 laptops for that price.

Wow, the Apple fanboys were seriously riled up.

The iPhone is a nice consumer smartphone but certainly neither particularly innovative nor feature-rich.   It is not customizable either.  AT&T's 3G network is not very good, and it is not really difficult to see why a profusion of smartphones, (not just iPhones) would tax it.  AT&T is upgrading this network slowly, so it is just possible that within a year,  the experience may be better.

Apple produces well-designed but not brilliant consumer electronics products and, with excellent marketing and with most of the technical/computer press eating out of Job's hand, it is capturing a substantial market share in the US.  But not outside the US, where the computer press is more objective about its products.

For many, Apple is just a religion.  It is always fun to see what happens when anybody takes a potshot at Apple!!!

Why anyone would use an iPhone by choice of their own (and not Apple's false marketing) is beyond me.

Battery life under a day with normal use? Check.

Forced to use the most bloated, slow program in the world, iTunes? Check.

Expensive data + poor service? Check.

Useless and bloated App store? Check.

Have to deal with endless technical issues? Check.

Can only use it the way Apple wants you to? Check.

But alas, Apple and its user base will never figure out the whole 'think for yourself' thing. Just makes it easier to make them fantastically angry.

Too bad hardly anyone actually uses the applications for more than a week once they buy and download them.

Apple is laughing all the way to the bank while you guys defend them to the end! LOL

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"Battery life under a day with normal use? Check."

Wow that is twice as long as my Treo 800W, I should get an iPhone!

"Wow that is twice as long as my Treo 800W, I should get an iPhone!"

Ya you should! Your phone must really suck if it gets half the life of an iPhone lol.

But it couldn't hurt to go from unusable amount of battery life to simply really bad battery life. I say go ask Apple if it is ok for you to buy one.

@rr0de:

en.wikipedia.org/.../Features_new_to_Windows_7

Hahaha, Ukraine has FORTY times cheaper wireless internet than Canada, and this is no joke, I just came back from Kiev. You Canadians don't even have a slightest idea how much does Canada suck :P You compentate that by higher salaries and such but it still sucks beyond limits. So sad.

@Mark KB that is a good list.  I would pay $29 to upgrade Vista with these new features.

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^ I would pay more, surely an impressive list of new features and tweaks.

I hear there are quite a few compatiblity issues with SL, not going to upgrade our two mac pros just yet, they have messed with rosetta too I hear. Apple has an awfull track record with backwards compatiblity.

Meanwhile, I have upgraded all my home machines to

Windows 7 (all clean installs), impressive, the phrase "if it runs on Vista, it will run on 7" is true.

Regarding the Iphone, as someone said, it is neither innovative, nor feature rich.  Enough said.

Typical MS fanboi stuff. My iPhone battery lasts for days, not under a day. iTunes is only need to sync media, as any other media player would need. I don't use it for music so I never need iTunes for anything. I am the only one of the docs in my group that uses a Mac with the iPhone. The rest use Vista. So hamilton, before you go shooting your mouth off with lies, just as you accuse Apple, do a little more research rather than the minority of phones with problems. Want to talk defective hardware? How's that Xbox working? Sorry to post this way, but I don't care for a lower life form to call me names because I chose to use a company that you don't like. Just so you know, I have two Macs and 4 Windows computers, and 4 Sansa MP3 players. The wife has an iPod clip and a nano for her Benz. Blind hatred is never good for any one, and just just can't respect people that use it, Apple or Windows users alike. The iPhone battery is good and you are wrong. However, I have read some defective battery stories with the iPhone. I would never suggest that it's perfect. However, everything you posted was BS, and I'm not an idiot for using it. The service costs the same as Verizon and as a former Verizon customer, I can verify that verizon service was no better than ATT [but I found ATT customer service better than Verizon]. The app store has numerous great apps too/ I'm not stupid enough to disagree that it has thousands a crappy apps as well, but it sure is heck is a good place to find good apps. Again, I have no technical problems and no one of the docs does either. However, we replaced 80% of our Treo phones, which broke very early, and multiple Blackberry's as well. Would you rather have your doctor on an unreliable phone like those? If you still say yes, then I know a few good psychiatrists.

Sorry gents, but I'm having a bad day.

PS MS fanboi's

I like Vista too and can't wait to buy the wife a Win 7 laptop. YOu all should get over your hatred. Many of you sound pretty dumb.

DRWAM,

I feel bad that you had to write that long of a paragraph just to defend your choice.

Good luck.

Anti-Apple rant by Microsoft paid shill #1, part 9283.

It's obvious that this is all Microsoft sanctioned and requested anti-iPhone banter. What with that terrible mobile OS they have. I know it's hard to believe, but it' even worse than their desktop OS.

Hamilton, let me make it shorter.

Iphone is 14 months old and zero problems.

How's that?

Waa, it's not Microsoft so I hate it. Waa!

Ham, so are the sheep, not me. I buy what I think is best for me. I'm not a loyal to a company's product, but require it to be loyal to me. If you were to complain about many other shirt comings of Apple, I could agree with many. But sir, you are a liar, and I cannot tolerate BS like that. This is a Windows supersite, not an Apple bashing site. I can't stand the other juvenile behavior from the Apple side, but I ignore it, but spreading lies is wrong. So if you accuse Apple, don't throw stones. If you've read my posts, you've seen me defend Microsoft a lot.

@sjaack327 "they have messed with rosetta too I hear"  They removed rosetta from both the new install or an upgrade.  The first time you launch an app that needs it it downloads it and install it.  Its a small download, less than 20meg I think.

Rob, a lot of doctors use Win Mobile. In fact, it's what most docs use for smart phones. While there are some good iPhone apps for doctors, there are many more WinMo apps. I can't see much of a difference as a user, except that they have more useful medical apps in WinMo smartphones

64 bit issue

I cannot give Apple a pass on this. I have a 3.0 dual core dual CPU Pro Tower which are 64 bit CPU's, but the EFI is 32 bit. Therefore, 64 bit OS is not supported. Apple never said this. They touted 64 bit computing, but never said that our hardware won't support it, even if we sell you a 64 bit super duper CPU. If they could upgrade the EFI to 64 bit, I would be pleased, until then, bring on the  class action suit!!!

Paul, when EricoF3, and the like start questioning your 64 bit rant and virtually agreeing with the Macfans... things must be getting a little desperate.

@DRWAM

"Sorry gents, but I'm having a bad day.

PS MS fanboi's"

No need to apologize. People should realize (Paul too) that being a 'fanboi' doesn't mean that you lose the power of rational thought.

DRWAM, I can still do much more with my WinMo phone than I can do with the iPhone, but a user needs to customize the WinMo phone whereas the iPhone produces an OK user experience without any customization (actually, it cannot be customized).  It is an OK smartphone for those who are not too technically inclined and want something easy to use right out of the box.

WinMo phones assume some expertise or that these phones would be setup by an IT department.  Most carriers assume that this is the case and they do not spent the time to provide a "nice user experience".  For example, the browers for WinMo phones are all better than the mobile Safari but installing either Skyfire or Opera Mobile/Mini is left to the user (who may not be even aware of the existence of these browsers).  And so it goes....

I love it everyone is so blinded by Apple that they can not see the true. It is the same old crap time after time. And on top if that you have to say mother Apple may I if you wish to put anything on your Ipod or Iphone and God help you if you put anything in the iphone or Ipod that mother Apple does not like for you will be slapped and have it taken away. And by the way that is also true with Mother Amazon and the Kindle.

Just my two cents worth.

This really does seem like a lazy, half-____ post to get a few page hits.  Paul, we know you can do better.

Paul,

I am not surprised by this rant but I have to strongly and completely disagree. Just recently, PC World did a comparison of all 3G networks in the United States. The article was entitled, A Day in the Life of 3G. With a few cities exception, AT&T got his ass handed to them on a silver platter. Verizon and Sprint in many cases owned AT&T in upload speed, download speed, and reliability.

www.pcworld.com/.../a_day_in_the_life_of_3g.html

The chart really shows the breakdown.

www.pcworld.com/zoom

You can't blame Apple for everything that goes wrong with the iPhone because many of the conditions that govern a cell phone is based upon the carrier. With the carrier getting its collective John Brown hindparts trashed by the 2nd and 3rd carrier in the United States, thats plenty of technical reasons to truely blame AT&T for a lot of things. I can tell you as a former AT&T customer that you could pay me a dollar amount to go back. In Dallas, there are still parts of Dallas where AT&T networks don't work in buildings with thick brick and mortar walls. There are still areas where driving where the network drops off.

I have my issues with Sprint, but saving cash and getting a consistent 3G signal is a lot of what I pay for.

My only issues with Apple on the iPhone? The choice of carrier and the lack of insurance. Thats it. If one other alternative than AT&T came about and there was some insurance, I'd be fine with the iPhone. Heck, you'd be looking at a new iPhone customer. It's that simple.

I have my issues with Apple, but they aren't the horrible doom and gloom you're making them out to be. Microsoft has done plenty of idiotic and moronic thing in their day, but they aren't the fools the hardcore Mac fans make them out to be either. However, it doesn't help anyone pandering hard to Microsoft either. This is one article you should retract and apologize for.

These baseless rants are really starting to wear thin.  Your Snow Leopard service pack argument is complete BS.  Lets get something straight.  Microsoft has never, ever, rolled out valuable new OS features or technology in a service pack.  XP Service Pack 2 doesn't count, as that release was only a massive security update to patch a seriously flawed product.

There wasn't a lot of new features in SL, but there were new features, some of them (Dock, Boot Camp, Exchange, Quicktime Improvements) I happen to like.  And all these features were only $29.00.  How much will a Windows 7 Ultimate Upgrade cost?  An order of magnitude more!  Windows 7 is not a major upgrade for Vista users.  I know it, you know it, and your fanboy followers know it.

I am beginning to think that all of this new found Apple hatred is a symptom of something.  Perhaps you have been to too many Apple stores lately.  I know for a fact that you can walk into any Apple Store, on any day, at any time, and find a crowd.  This crowd is quite diverse, ranging from toddlers playing on iMacs to the elderly learning how to use their new MacBooks, and every age in between.

Perhaps it is the hardware they are selling.  The machines are amazingly thin, clad in durable aluminum, and have magnetic power cords, backlit keyboards, and large trackpads.  This are not the same plastic sheathed, sticker plastered, design challenged, notebooks they're peddling over at Best Buy.

Perhaps it is the software that the machines are running.  Programs that are tailor made to effortlessly accomplish tasks common to all modern computing americans.  Edit home movies, archive photos of the kids,  and sync music, games, and movies, to your iPod.  Windows 7 sports only an improved MS Paint application. The kiddies will certainly feel the enhanced productivity of the scenic ribbon!

You know that Windows 7 is great, perhaps the best yet.  But in the end, it will not stop the hemorrhaging of users to the fruit company you loath so deeply.  Apple is a worthy competitor, and (like Sean Hannity of FOX news) you are shouting at the top of your lungs to discredit it.

It simply is not working.

I thought Paul quit using his iPhone, and went pure Windows Mobile.  Something about living the dream, or waving the flag?

Connectivity (HSDPA)  is fine in Australia. I live in a rural area and have no issues if anything I have more issues with my work phone (Blackberry Bold) than I do with my personal iphone and they are both on the same network

It's strange -- Windows 7 you praise mainly for being so streamlined (that seems to be the #1 improvement you like; the touch features don't affect a very wide audience, the taskbar UI change you don't like, ...), yet when Apple streamlines their OS, you blame them for charging for it?

"hamiltonstallings". if you're criticizing DRWAM for being an Apple fanboi, clearly you haven't been here long enough or haven't been paying attention. He's one of the very few posters here who truly cherry-pick the best of both platforms for the best products. You, OTOH, are a jackass, sir.

"That's another thing - data is data.  Texting should cost the same as IM'ing, and should cost the same as web surfing."

Wrong as usual, "Waethorn". Texting is basically free for the carriers...texts get a free ride on space that's used whether a text is sent or not. Charging for texting is a ripoff, and the carriers are making a fortune from it:

"Perhaps the costs for the wireless portion at either end are high — spectrum is finite, after all, and carriers pay dearly for the rights to use it. But text messages are not just tiny; they are also free riders, tucked into what’s called a control channel, space reserved for operation of the wireless network.

"That’s why a message is so limited in length: it must not exceed the length of the message used for internal communication between tower and handset to set up a call. The channel uses space whether or not a text message is inserted. ...

"Once one understands that a text message travels wirelessly as a stowaway within a control channel, one sees the carriers’ pricing plans in an entirely new light. The most profitable plan for the carriers will be the one that collects the most revenue from the customer: unlimited messaging, for which AT&T and Sprint charge $20 a month and T-Mobile, $15."

www.nytimes.com/.../28digi.html

"I am not surprised by this rant but I have to strongly and completely disagree. "

You can't disagree with Paul. He's traveled the world (Ireland, Britain, The Netherlands, Belgium, France, and Portugal). He has a popular website. He knows more than you. Even when he's wrong he's right. So in the words of Mosspuppet: SHUT UP!

www.fakesteve.net/.../mosspuppet-arrington-feud-escalates.html

There are many good smartphones out there. I don't understand why I have friends ask ' when is Verizon getting the iPhone?" I always tell them just to get a BB because the 3 yr ATT lock may get extended and Verizon's technology is different, blah, blah blah....I then get a blank stare. These are windows users that do not own a Mac, but the hype has gotten to them. A WinMo phone has a lot to offer, no matter what age that anyone claims the OS to be. But perpetual iPhone ads, and no or few WinMo phone ads draw attention. The iPhone ads are pretty good, demonstrating what it does, rather than show a spinning sleek phone. This has been a point of subzerohitman for a while. It's marketing hype. While I'll disagree with those that post wrong things about the iPhone, I will never agree that the WinMo phone is not a great platform. However, I will note that Palm Treo's had poor hardware quality, and some BB's do as well, but that has nothing to do with the WinMo OS. I know too many happy WinMo owners to deny that. They should show what the product does... like subman has been saying for a long time.

PS, I know that you think that I'm being a baby, but I'm still unhappy about 64 bit issue. I spent $3600 on a Pro Tower that claimed it was 64 bit. Sure, it was as fast and stable as I wanted, but when Wae told me that 'your 64 bit computer does not run in 64 bit, Doc', I felt that the car that I bought with a V8 engine actually had a V6. Sure the car runs as fast as I need and is reliable, but that 'what if I need more speed or power in the future' question is always there, and why was it labeled 64 bit. Even if I misread the fine print, I feel deceived, because I feel that the big print was placed to make me believe that it was 100% 64 bit. OK, now you can call me a big baby [just remember that I'm REAL BIG]

rr0de74@live.com said:

I thought Paul quit using his iPhone, and went pure Windows Mobile.  Something about living the dream, or waving the flag?

------------

In a recent Windows Weekly podcast Paul revealed while he was in Europe that he was using his iPhone. He wants to get rid of it but can't. He is still waiting for Windows Mobile 6.5. I can't believe for as much as he shills for MS that they can't give him one.

PS, I know that you think that I'm being a baby, but I'm still unhappy about 64 bit issue. I spent $3600 on a Pro Tower that claimed it was 64 bit.

==========

How come your tower is not 64bit and my iMac for $1100 is?????

Winsupersite Blog Post October 1st 2009 by Paul Thurott.

“Today Microsoft will make a major announcement about Windows 7.  They have allowed me to speak about it now.  I have known for some time about this announcement but I swore to Steve (at Microsoft not the owner of that fruity hardware company) that I would not reveal this for exclusive access to this New Version.

That is right there is a new version of Windows 7.  It will be officially called Windows 7 SS.  SS for Super Sized.  I am not a big fan of the name, but once I tell you about this version you will realize it has indeed been Super Sized!.

First off all other versions will be discontinued, in fact they were only released as an a beta or RC as a smoke screen to mask this SS version.  In talking to Steve (Balmer) Microsoft finally realized that having so many versions was actually a negative because it caused product confusion among customers and IT professionals as well.  He also stated that Hardware OEM’s constantly complained about the multiple versions.  Lastly if will great simply accounting at Microsoft and save an estimated 25 million in product packaging alone.

So we now have this single version.  This version will have everything.  It is basically the Ultimate version now renamed SS.  This version will be a Hybrid 32/64bit version.  I can hear the Apple freak show, fanboys now and their copy machine comments.  The fact is Microsoft has been working for over a year on this concept, before Apple.  This Hybrid version will boot into a 32bit kernel, but if you have a 64 bit compatible CPU and chip set, applications will default to 64bit if they are 64bit.  If the hardware in your PC is fully compatible and the drivers and software are fully compatible, you can change the OS to boot using a 64bit kernel.  This will only really help if you want to use more than 4gigs of RAM.  

Steve told me this single version approach will help move software and drivers into the 64bit world with out effecting users at all.  A simply brilliant move.  It will simply the decisions made by IT deploying Windows 7 in the corporate environment.  He also said it will save Microsoft about a billion dollars not having to maintain a 32bit and 64bit only version (or 5 versions each prior to SS) in development and support costs each year.  Money that Microsoft hopes to put into Windows Mobile 7.

Lastly pricing and upgrading.  This new version will upgrade any version of Windows.  It will install on a bare hard drive.  It will still require activation, so you not getting away from that.  Single upgrade pricing will set you back $28.  They will also offer a family pack, 6 copies of Windows 7 SS for $48.  A special 1 week only pre-order sale, starting today, will go for $27 for single upgrade pricing, and $47 for family packs, while supplies last.

That is it.  It has been a terrible burden for me to keep this contained.  My wife knew something was up.  She could see that twinkle in my eye, but I kept my word to Steve (not Jobs).  As I type this I can only imagine how those LIARS at that fruity company in Cupertino will take this news!!”

Reaction to Paul’s Blog Post.

Highest number of pingbacks at the site is recorded on this day.

Pro Microsoft, Windows Tech fans that read Pro Windows Blogs are ecstatic and cant believe all of the good news.  There is not one negative comment to be found anywhere.

Other Windows bloggers that just re-use Paul’s post are ecstatic and basically regurgitate the information.

Mike Galos, runs naked through the streets of his town, with tears of joy running down his fat, hairy face.  He is ultimately arrested, and admitted to a temporary psychiatric ward until his first hearing as no relatives will admit to knowing him.

Weathorn is happy because now he can paint huge discount pricing signs on his store windows and reduce the cost of his super duper home brew desktop computers by exactly the price difference that MS is offering.  He takes his weekly shower a day early, and takes his Mom to Arby’s to celebrate.

Hamilton celebrates by ordering the last Zune he did not have, completing his Zune collection/memorial/worshiping post.

Iketchum writes a post at the super site.  In no less than 15,000 words he praises Microsoft as the greatest software company ever and touts again why Windows is so superior to any other operating system and predicts doom for OS X.

Pro Apple fans that visit the Winsupersite blast Paul for his snarky comments, stating that he did not have to drop those comments when posting good news about Windows.

Pro Apple sites claim Microsoft once again has just copied Apple.

Mainstream news outlets (Foxnews, CNN, Time, Newsweek) basically state Microsoft has just copied Apple.

Apple releases a new ad where PC says “now we are the same, same pricing, same hybrid version and now people will like me”.  Mac asks “what about all that malware and crashing?”.  PC hangs his head and walks off stage, end of ad.

Joe Average computer buyer does not know or care about Paul or this announcement, they either buy on price alone, or they become switchers because they have seen so many short to the point Apple ads.

Windows market share on the desktop continues to slowly decline and Apples market share continues to rise.

SnakeDoctor

Wow, that was long and pointless.

kent909 to DRWAM

"How come your tower is not 64bit and my iMac for $1100 is?????"

DRWAM said in his post calling for a class action suit that, "[he has] a 3.0 dual core dual CPU Pro Tower which are 64 bit CPU's, but the EFI is 32 bit. Therefore, 64 bit OS is not supported. "

As for why Apple would lock the boot system down to 32 bits and not spec out large enough chips to support flashing them with a 64-bit boot (or even have a fall-back to a BIOS boot), that's a very good question for Apple fans to as, and for Apple corporate to answer.

I suspect if DRWAM bought the equivalent of his famous $300 laptop today, it would be capable of running 64-bit Windows 7 so it's not the question of $3,600 vs $1,100 to get 64-bit capability, it's a question of engineering prowess and honesty in advertising.

Kent, my dual CPU 3GHz dual core 64 bit Xeon Mac Pro Tower has a 32 bit EFI. They changed the EFI to 64 in late 2008, but I bought it before. It was labeled as '64 bit computing', although I did not buy it because of that. However, I got Snow Leopard and it will not support 64 bit because the EFI is 32 bit. There is a program that will make the 64 bit kernal boot by default, but it shows the mine is not supported and will not. When I tried pressing 6 and 4 while turning on the power, the System Profiler also shows that I an still 32 bit. If they wrote a flash upgrade to the EFI to make it 64 bit, then I will be happy. Many doubt that it will happen. I tend to buy the high end stuff for myself, so I want the best performance, and I feel deceived since I don't have 64 bit computing, even after two upgrades to Leopard and Snow Leopard.

DRWAM

To make it worse, Apple still doesn't admit the problem and has deceptive information on their hardware requirements page on their website.

On the Snow Leopard Technical Specifications page (as of 8:40AM PDT on 5 Sept 2009) at www.apple.com/.../specs.html there is a column for "Feature-specific requirements"

As the ONLY requirement for "64-bit support" they list "requires a Mac with a 64-bit processor"

There's certainly no question that your dual processor, dual core Xeon system is a "Mac with a 64-bit processor". In fact, it's a Mac with TWO 64-bit processors and FOUR 64-bit processor cores.

According to Apple, then, your Mac Pro meets all of Apple's requirements for 64-bit support.

(Just something for your lawyer to think about)

DRWAM

To add insult to injury, if I read things correctly, you CAN run Windows Vista 64-bit and Windows 7 64-bit under Snow Leopard's Boot Camp drivers.

@DRWAM do you have more than 32gigs or RAM?

If I read this...

www.macworld.com/.../snow_leopard_64_bit.html

"If you’re running a Mac powered by an Intel Core 2 Duo processor or an Intel Xeon processor, your Mac is 64-bit capable. And Snow Leopard runs 64-bit-capable applications in 64-bit mode regardless of whether it’s booting into a 64-bit or 32-bit kernel. In fact, the only big advantage of booting into a 64-bit kernel would be the ability to use more than 32 gigabytes of RAM. There aren't any Macs that can do that now, anyway, due to hardware limitations."

In fact if you could boot into 64bit kernel you may run into problems if all of your hardware was not supported with 64bit drivers.

MIke, it figures! At first 64 bit Vista was not approved for bootcamp. I am dying to try Win 7 and will probably give it a shot in 64 bit on another partition. I have four HD's in my Pro cheese grater, with 2 for RAID 0. I'm probably going to upgrade the 500GB for a 1TB then partition it for fun, then put the 500 GB drive in my custom XP rig for backup.

OT what's the best program to make a backup clone for Windows to use if the boot drive dies?

Thanks,

Doc

DRWAM

There are a bunch of factors (what type of backup medium, which Windows, etc? (we should probably take if offline since this is WAY OT)

rr0de

I am so amused by all the Mac sycophants responding to Apple screwing up the 64-bit transition (in Panther and Tiger and Leopard and Snow Leopard) by saying, "Hey, you don't really need 64-bit"

After all, those grapes are probably sour anyway.

(See, The Fox and the Grapes at en.wikipedia.org/.../The_Fox_and_the_Grapes for those who don't know their Aesop)

Mike on DRWAM's box apps written in 64bit will run.  How is that saying "you dont need 64bit"?

Fact DRWAM can use 64bit apps on SL.  Fact if he needs more than 32gigs of RAM he will need Mac that has a 64bit EFI.

If he upgrades to say iLife 10 that will no doubt be both 32/64bit capable, it will run in 64bit mode on his Mac Pro.

gizmodo.com/.../snow-leopard-review-lightened-and-enlightened

Watch the performance video, showing preview re-written in 64bit.  DRWAM would see this boost because preview will run in 64bit mode on his Mac Pro.

That is a perfect example of using 64bit apps regardless of which kernel you have booted with.

@DRWAM I suggest....

www.acronis.com/.../trueimage

You can image your Windows drive while in Windows with True Image.  You can boot from a CD that True Image will create for you, and image back down to a new drive.  You can explore an image backup file, while in windows, to extract specific files that you want.  Its Vista compatible so I would imagine it will be 7 compatible from day 1, if not it may require a minor patch.

rr0de

On DRWAM's box, the OPERATING SYSTEM will not run 64-bit. And that's more than just being able to access more RAM than 64GB. That's also things like not having the processor stuck in hybrid mode and switching contexts and having to use the 64->32 bit memory manager to limp along with emulating a true 64-bit environment.

So, yeah, saying that it's OK that your OS doesn't run in 64-bit because you can use a kluged, hybrid environment to run 64-bit apps in a 32-bit environment is doing NOTHING else but saying "Apple doesn't offer it so you don't need it". And, of course, the related "Apple now offers it so it's a critical item that everybody needs" that will come from the same zealots whenever Apple finally gets their act together. Say, with Mac OS X 10.7 "Hairless Siamese Cat" in 2010 or so.

My Mac Pro tower was built in  2006 and has the 32 bit EFI, so it will not boot in Snow Leopard in 64 bit mode, as I have posted. The EFI limits it to32 bit [because it is a 32 bit EFI]. The newer towers built in late 2008 have the 64 bit EFI and wil boot in 64 bit mode. I have tried and it will not as posted. Here is a good source, which is the web page for the SN 64 bit startup selector, which has a chart of supported models of Macs that boot in 64 bit SN. Note the Pro Towers are dated in 2008. And I have tried the utility which shows 64 bit is not supported on my Pro Tower. Here is the link:

www.ahatfullofsky.comuv.com/.../SMS.html

But thanks for the recommendation for backup. I will check some of them out.

DRWAM

It's also worth noting that your Pre-2008 Mac Pro also does not support OpenCL or QuickTime H.264 Hardware Acceleration according to the chart at Ed Bott's blog blogs.zdnet.com/Bott and Stephen Foskett's blog posts at blog.fosketts.net/.../mac-os-106-snow-leopard-hands-august-28 and blog.fosketts.net/.../64bit-snow-leopard-kernel

@DRWAM assuming your on SL right now.  Open Safari.  Then open Activity Monitor.

Look under the "Kind" column it will say either "Intel (64bit)" or "Intel"....which does it say?

@Mike you are wrong the memory space is 64bit.  From DRWAM link...

"This limitation only affects the kernel!

64-bit applications (like Finder, Mail, Safari, iCal, and iChat) will run just fine (including benefits) on a 32-bit kernel in Mac OS X!

Snow Leopard is 64-bit for all users with a 64-bit CPU. The applications are, the memory space is. The ONLY THING that doesn't load into 64-bit - ON PURPOSE - is the kernel!"

There is no hybrid once the OS is up.  If your app is 64bit it runs 64bit to include accessing the memory at 64bits.

Mike from you link...

"But Mac OS X can run 64-bit applications regardless of the bitness of the kernel. I am writing this post in 64-bit Safari running on a 32-bit Snow Leopard kernel. Many of the applications I normally run are 64-bit in Snow Leopard, including Safari, Mail, and the Finder. This last is important: All Snow Leopard users get a speedy 64-bit ground-up rewrite of Finder, which is their main operating system experience."

rr0de

And not one item in either post changes what I said. The operating system itself is NOT running in 64-bit.

The Apps run on top of the operating system. It's not like the 32-bit OS and 32-bit drivers magically disapper after boot. Every system call goes from 64-bit apps to 32-bit OS back to 64-bit app. Every driver call goes from 64-bit apps to 32-bit OS to 32-bit driver back to 32-bit OS back to 64-bit app. And that is costly both in performance, in complexity and thus bugginess of the code and in backward and forward compatibility with pure 32-bit and pure 64-bit designs.

So, make up your mind which camp you want to shill for. Either there are benefits to 64-bit (which you quote a lot) or it doesn't make any difference (which you also quote a lot).

rr0de

"Snow Leopard is 64-bit for all users with a 64-bit CPU"

So are you saying that DRWAM's dual Xeons aren't 64-bit CPUs (which would be news to Intel) or are you saying 64-bit computing is now redefined as "some 64-bit, some 32-bit, some of whatever else we feel like putting in" (the same bogus statement Apple started using with their 64-bit claims in Panther)

SystemProfiler shows that the sytem software overfiew has 'No' in the field where it shows   "64-bit Kernel and Extensions', even when I hold 6 and 4 while turning on Power, but many apps show 64 bit capable under framework. I copy and pasted it:

System Version: Mac OS X 10.6 (10A432)

 Kernel Version: Darwin 10.0.0

 Boot Volume: RAID Set

 Boot Mode: Normal

 Computer Name: WAM’s Computer (2)

 User Name: WAM (wam)

 Secure Virtual Memory: Not Enabled

 64-bit Kernel and Extensions: No

 Time since boot: 1:55

Sorry it took a while to post, but I'm in the basement lifting, so I had to go upstairs to the Pro Tower. I wonder if those Psystars are all 64 bit ;)

You can surely dual boot Win/Mac on those baby's!

rr0de

Or, to take it back to Paul's actual post: Where he said, " If Microsoft had the temerity to ship a mostly-64-bit OS that utilized a 32-bit kernel, the Mac community would be up in arms, ridiculing the software giant endlessly. It's hard to imagine Apple not making an "I'm a PC, I'm a Mac" commercial lampooning this. But Apple does just that and ... nothing. "

Nothing is NOT what happens when Apple does this, praise from their fans is what happens. Actual praise for a "solution" that's just appallingly bad.

But, Paul did get it right on the reaction that those buying this malarky would say "Because Apple has provided this, this then is exactly what we need." in almost the exact wording.

So interesting that the posts on this thread did such a great job of showing that even as nuts as Paul paints the Mac fanatics, they're even worse.

So, thanks guys, for making Paul's point even better than he could.

Mike you are correct.  Best case scenario would be pure 64bit, kernel, drivers, applications.  It would be the best for a number of reasons, complexity and performance.

That said I think it would take a benchmarking program to see in difference between a 64bit app on a 64bit kernel vs a 64bit app on a 32bit kernel.  Most of the performance gains will come from moving the app from 32bit to 64bit and then from utilizing Open CL and Grand Central.  The latter is dependent upon having a compatible GPU/video card for the most part.