Main

What?

Why?

Nouns

Old Stuff

Mail

I guess I'd just like to start by saying that it's a rather humbling experience to have a couple people to ask me to put a notify link on my web page, and then to have absolutely no one sign up. So, if you're reading this, and you want to get an email from me when I update here (since, let's face it, I don't exactly have writing in here as a top priority), just go back to the main page, and click on the link that says Click. It's a mailto: link. And then send the email that says you want to be added to the notify list. Please.

Hmm. Liz hasn't posted a journal entry yet. Odd.

I've sort of had piracy on the mind lately. Partially because I'm still vaguely stunned by how widespread MP3s are. And partially because I read a mini-article in my latest issue of Rolling Stone that the price of CDs is going up again, to $18.98. I'll admit, I have a snotload of MP3s. And about 90% of them are stuff I have, that I've made myself, so I can carry around more music on fewer physical discs (or is it disks?).

But what I'm really thinking about it software piracy. Liz and I were in Staples last week, and they had a large setup for Microsoft Office2000. I walked over to see what it comes for. All the computers I've ever seen someone by came with one of the big two word processing packages pre-installed (the other being WordPerfect of course!), so I've never really had cause to price it to see how much it cost. The answer? Over $400. Yikes!!

I have the "Why I won't buy a Mac" argument with people around the office once a month or so. It's kind of funny, since there's almost a script the argument follows. Since the script works out to my favor, I've stuck with it. The discussion usually starts out with the person expressing admiration of some feature of a Macintosh (they like the look of the iMacs or the new G4, they really don't know how much longer they're going to be able to stand Windoze crashing on them, etc.), and I prudently suggest that they look into getting a Mac for their next computer.

"I couldn't do that!" they exclaim, aghast at the thought. "There's no software for the Mac!"

"What sort of software do you want that isn't on the Mac?" I ask. I'm waiting for the day when someone surprised me and actually has a good answer to this. Because every time, without fail, they say something like:

"Well, you know, some games and stuff." And the little unspoken attached comment "And the programs I get from my friends.".

At this point, I suggest that if they're really interested in playing computer games, why not get a Nintendo or Sega? After all, if games are your schtick, you can't beat the new systems. The graphics are outstanding, the sound is as good as your TV setup, and it's cheaper to get the base system. The catch is, of course, that while it's probably possibly to copy Nintendo and Sega games, it's a hell of a lot easier to copy computer games, especially since CD burners are dropping in price to the point where it should be a default component within a year or so on mid-to-high end systems.

After I suggest the game system for games, and a computer for computing, they generally fail to string a coherent sentence together before exiting the room at due speed. All of this makes me wonder if the one thing keeping the Macintosh from really taking off is a healthy community of Mac software pirates that rivals Windows in its sheer ubiquitousness.

I mean, the Linux/free OS community (phrased so as not to leave *BSD out) has taken the software piracy thing to the ultimate extension of writing the software and not even trying to sell it! Free to all comers with the bandwidth to download it, available for a nomimal charge on a burned CD if you don't want to download the 600+ meg ISO image over your 14.4 modem. And Linux is growing in leaps and bounds that would make Clark Kent feel like he needs a pick-me-up.

Anyway, it's something to think about on a rainy Monday morning...