I do agree with what you are saying. What is more interesting is that today's iMacs are actually more open than previous generations of Macintosh.

Yes, Mac OS-X can only be installed on iMacs. However, iMacs can also run Ubuntu, Mepis, Fedora, OpenSuSE and other distributions, with some repartitioning using Apple's utility.

Mac OS-X does come with some development utilities, including language compilers for C, C , and Objective-C, of which are compatible with GCC. I have tried out a iMac at the local Best Buy, and found quite a few similarities to GNOME when it comes to the interface and usability.

Apple's acquisition of NeXT, Inc brought Steve Jobs back to Apple as CEO, as well as the UNIX kernel, which became part of Mac OS-X. NeXTStep was an attempt to be a Windows replacement for PCs, but that never went over too well with the public.

The interface, however, lives on as WindowMaker, for the X.org window manager, and GNUStep for the desktop environment. (I have both of these projects on my Slackware 13-based laptop, along with the third party utility wmsystray, providing the KDE applet tray functionality in a WindowMaker dock app.)

Also, Apple hired the developer of the Common UNIX Printing System. CUPS is an Apple product that is STILL licensed under the GPL.

Yes, Apple does want control over how consumers use the gadgets. The only reason people do not get upset over this is that the iPod, and the iMac line of products are well built machines, and that there are people who can get around these restrictions for the iPod.

For most people, this is not a real problem.

I do see where you are coming from when it comes to freedom of choice. But then, has Microsoft ever given us freedom of choice? This is one reason why we are using Linux.

In fact, Xerox DID patent the graphical interface back in 1968. Sadly for them, that company never took action againat Apple nor Microsoft for implementing the graphical interfaces we use, nor did they take action against MIT for development of the X Window System (back in 1984).

As a result, we have Windows and Mac OS-X for commercial GUI implementations, and we have X.org, and its subsequent projects such as GNOME, KDE, WindowMaker, AfterStep, and Enlightenment as a complete open source implementation of how we interact with our computers.

I remember the Lisa all too well. When Steve Jobs left Apple the first time, he formed NeXT (this was in 1988), and came up with a hardware and software solution that was hardware compatible with the Macintosh, yet ran on the Mach kernel. Having read "The NeXT Book", I was impressed with what that system had to offer.

The NeXT system cost $5,000 USD, and included a CPU, housed in a 6 inch cube that was placed under your desk. The machine had 16MB of RAM, 20GB hard drive, an optical drive that functions similar to a CD-RW, but the discs came in enclosed cartridges. (CD-ROM drives were not around at that time.) This was back in 1988!

As for software, NeXTStep was the operating system, and was built on the Mach (UNIX) kernel. This is the same kernel used in today's Mac OS-X systems.

The graphical interface was very innovative at its time. Right clicking on the desktop brought up the system menu, and there was a dock on the upper right hand corner where you placed frequently used applications. This is the same interface implemented in WindowMaker for Linux/UNIX systems.

Like today's iMacs, the NeXT system came with development tools, notably the GNU Compiler Collection and GNU development tools. Objective-C was the official programming language of NeXT, and is the official programming language of the iPhone, iTouch, iPad, and of course today's iMacs.

Yes, Objective-C is also available with many Linux distributions.

In fact, it was a NeXT system that was used to develop the first web browser (Mosaic). As for notable applications, Lotus Improv, a quite innovative spreadsheet program, was also available for NeXT in addition to the Windows 3.x version (which also runs on WINE and OS/2's Windows 3.x support).

Given this history, we can see how innovative Apple really is today.

Part of this is because Apple is competing not only with Google, Nokia (of which Apple had to pay a substantial amount of money for patent violations regarding the iPhone), Motorola (which used to be the supplier of microprocessors for Macintosh and Apple II systems), Palm, and of course Microsoft, the latter of which Apple has been a nemesis from the very beginning.

Of course, Apple has always appealed to the education and visual and audible arts markets. Much of the niche for those systems are people who want something that is easy to use, and do not need to learn a programming language, or even know how to fix a computer. The slogan "the computer for the rest of us" refers to that niche, and that tradition carried on to the gadget market.

Today's iMacs are as open as ever, when compared to previous Macintosh systems. iMacs include language compilers and development tools. All you need to do is add Fink or some other X Toolkit to be able to port Linux/UNIX software to Mac OS-X. You do not get ANY development tools with any version of Windows. Hence Apple is more open in that sense when compared to Microsoft.

Also, Apple hired the developer of the Common UNIX Printing System, the printing mechanism found in Linux distributions. CUPS is now a part of Mac OS-X, and can interact with Linux machines as one and the same.

Why are Linux users not uptight over this? Because we know Apple will keep that component Free (as in freedom) to use and distribute.

Would I still buy an iMac? Given the opportunity, of course. It's basically a UNIX machine.

Would I buy an iPod? I already have one, namely a second generation Nano, of which I checked out a book about iPods that told about the directory structure of the Nano, and was able to recreate it by mounting the iPod and manually creating that directory structure.

(At that time, I was on dialup and hence iTunes was out of the question. Have you ever tried downloading a 35MB file through a dialup connection?)

Would I buy an iPhone? Probably not, especially since I am satisfied with my existing cellular service, and I have a full fledged laptop (powered by Slackware) where I do everything on, and a Handspring Visor that does much of the same things the iTouch does, only it is an older generation unit. With all of that, why would I even WANT an iPhone or an iTouch?

Besides, I cannot justify the cost of two year contracts with AT&T, nor the cost of replacing equipment that works with something that may seem cool, but could end up being a royal pain in the *** to maintain, given my experience with computers.

That sounds like a good idea. However, do not expect Apple to implement such a feature for obvious reasons. Let us not forget that Compaq Computer Corporation came to being back in 1982 when the people who started that company created a IBM-PC clone without EVER seeing the original specifications of the IBM-PC, and without reverse engineering the original IBM-PC BIOS, yet they were able to implement a clone that functions as close as you can get to the original IBM-PC.

The philisophy Apple takes for its new gadgets is the same philosophy IBM took for its machines built from the 1950s to the early 1990s, before IBM spun off its Personal Computer division. (Today's IBM is more open than ever when it comes to development of technologies.)

Note that Apple DOES have competition for its products. If you do not wish to purchase an iPhone, you can always opt for a Palm Pre, a Blackberry, an Android-powered phone. If you do not wish to deal with iTunes, you can always purchase a standard music player and go to Jamendo, Magnatune, ccMixter or Freesound and download your music there.

In addition, there are books on the iPod that tell you how to create the directory structure, hence bypassing iTunes. Also, the size of the iTunes file is prohibitively large for those with dialup connections. (Did anyone think of that?)

As for control of the product usage. My issue here is that restricting consumers to one place puts consumers at the mercy of the shopkeeper. If that shopkeeper decides to close the store, then what? You may be out of luck, there.

Put it this way, suppose your community had a clothing store, a mom and pop grocery store, a pet store, and a gas station with facilities for car repairs. Suppose then that Wal-Mart decides to build a store in that community, and tells all citizens of that community (through low prices) that you should only shop at Wal-Mart. What do you think would happen to the community?

(This is after having heard Obama's State of the Union address regarding job creation, and having read "The Wal-Mart Effect")

This is the same concept with the iTunes and applications store.

I have seen this product demoed, and to me, it is a "super sized" version of the iTouch. While Apple does make some great products, and has won awards for its cutstomer service, I do not like where the market is going for this product.

Touch screens and tablets are nothing new. Hewlett-Packard offered a touch screen PC back in the late 1980s, namely the HP 150 model that ran MS-DOS, has 3.5-inch floppy drives, and a touch screen monitor for input, in addition to the keyboard. (3.5 inch floppies were a new concept at that time). Also, Hewlett-Packard manufactured computers with graphics tablets in that decade for engineering.

At Valparaiso University (where I went to school in the mid to late 1980s), we have several HP workstations with graphics tablets, and some of the HP 150 models in the computer lab. These were used primarily by College of Engineering students.

If I wanted a tablet PC, I would purchase one of the Hewlett-Packard or Lenovo models and install Fedora 12 (or another Linux distribution) on it. (Fedora has support for Tablet PCs out of the box.) rather than spending the money on an iPad. At least, the user would have some freedom when it comes to what the user can do with it.

Another philosophy I have for these gadgets is this: Just because a gadget is new does not mean that is the best solution for whatever problems you need to solve. Also, just because a product is new does not mean that it is going to work as expected.

(Yes, I do have a second generation iPod Nano, and it is working just fine, despite its age, and my first hands on computer experience was on an Apple II back in 1982, and computer skills then meant learning a programming language and learning to fix your own computers, and THAT is something neither Steve Jobs nor Steve Ballmer can revoke.)

Sounds like something I would like to work and collaborate on. How do I contact him for such a project?

The clown distraction is excellent proof of what happens when people are attached too much to cell phones. It is enough that I see people talking on their cell phones while checking out their purchases at the local department store. It is also amazing how many people I see driving while talking on their cell phones.

Currently, talking while driving is illegal in all of Illinois, and only hands free devices are legal in Indiana. At the start of this year, texting while driving is now illegal in the States, and there are stiff penalties for those who text while driving. The legal system here treats texting while driving the same as driving while drunk.

IMO, earbuds are only appropriate where you wish to be alone, such as in a public library or in your bedroom. Even if you are walking on a sidewalk, having earbuds on cuts you out of your surroundings, and hence, you cannot possibly know when you may walk out in front of a car, unless you are paying really close attention.

As for texting, I have never learned to text, nor do I have a use for texting. There is really no substitute for the use of proper English!!!!

Here is to another 100 episodes. To celebrate, I have opened a new podcast page.

My first topic is a five minute rant about Apple Computer's decision to dump Google as the default search engine on their iPhone line of smart phones.


http://cybernightlife.mypodcast.com

This includes a mix of Creative Commons and other royalty-free sources of sound effects (mainly from older CD-ROMs I have purchased over the years).

I mention this as Google has been the subject of several news stories.

(Podcast is recorded with a sample size of 44100hz, 128KB, and in stereo)

What I think is the real issue is over control of what we can access on the Internet. This is a political battle between Google and the government of China. At the same time, my belief on Apple vs Google is about control. Many of Apple's products have tight controls over who can develop hardware or software for their products. This has been true since the first Macintosh came into existence. Google wants the same control, too. The difference is that Google's products work on anything, and that Google allows open development of its products.

Google's cloud computing products are examples of such control over content.

(At least Steve Jobs keeps his office chairs intact. About three years ago, Steve Ballmer smashed his office chair after he learned one of his top engineers quit and went to Google.)

It would be possible to bring broadband to rural areas. This depends upon how much broadband providers are willing to invest in the installation of fibre optic cable, routers, and other equipment for long distance data transmission.

Much of the fiber optic installations are found adjacent to railway lines. Qwest Communications has its fiber optic lines along Union Pacific lines, of which Anschutz, Inc (of Denver) owns substantial shares of both companies.

Likewise, T3, another broadband company has fiber optic lines installed along the tracks of its owner, Norfolk Southern.

Hence, it is possible that the two major systems (CN Rail and CP Rail), could get involved in providing access to broadband.

Of course, another factor in providing access has to do with the geography, especially in the NWT, Nunavut, and Yukon of which permafrost prevents such installations from taking place.

Brett, we actually have a similar system in Illinois called the iPass, which is a RFID system used to get around Illinois tollways (namely the TriState Tollway and Interstate 90 from O-Hare to Janesville, Wisconsin). The iPass is paid on a monthly basis, and revenues do contribute to the costs of maintaining the highways.

However, gas taxes , especially in Cook County are among the highest in the nation despite the implementation of the iPass system.

In addition, there may be further increases in taxes if the Olympic Committee chooses Chicago to host the 2016 Summer Olympics.