Author: Carl Setzer

A blogger blogging from just north of Seattle.

A Mac Guy Grumps About Apple

Carl Setzer
silver ipad

I’m a Mac guy. This was typed on a Macbook Pro, which is my second Macbook. Before that was an iBook, and before that was a Powerbook. And (yes, AND…) before that was, well, another Powerbook. And that’s just my laptops. I’ve owned a Mac LC, iMac, eMac and a Mini. I just upgraded my iPhone from the 3gs to the 4s. I’ve been using .Mac since it was free, upgraded to MobileMe and now am on iCloud.

So, that said, I’ve been annoyed with iCloud. My main beef has been with calendaring. My wife and I use invites to keep track of each our commitments. Once I upgraded to iCloud, my invites to my wife stopped going through. For us, that’s a huge minus. Fortunately, Apple has resolved this. But big problem. But this break down reflects poor execution.

Part ii of my MobileMe/iCloud beef is with the website. The web tool for this, well, stinks. It’s slow and clunky. If any Apple hardware had the same design “afterthought” effect, it would be scrapped. Comparing Gmail with iCloud really reflects this. Gmail is world class and way, WAY outdoes iCloud.

Thanks for accepting my brief rant. I still love Apple stuff. What I want is for Apple to point their energies towards iCloud and make it a world-class product that it should be.

So, you an Apple fan bothered by their webtools? What would you like to see done? Or is Gmail so superior that I’m an idiot for sticking with iCloud? Add a comment, let me know.

Sign Board

Carl Setzer

Updated 12/16/14: The original site this was hosted on has gone the way of the dodo. As I like this, I dug through my files to find this and got the image back online.

Here is the farm this references.

Flickr Thoughts

Carl Setzer

Just spent a few minutes looking over my Flickr feed; always fun to see. Got me thinking, though. I started using Flickr right after Yahoo acquired it. An easy choice since: 1) I used Yahoo’s briefcase photo service quite extensively and 2) other friends used Flickr, thus it was familiar.

At that time, we uploaded images from our desktop. The value came from not emailing masses of images, and dealing with email restrictions (back in dial up days). Mainly, the focus on artistry and close connections.

Evolution occurred. One big piece came with social media. The site became about larger audiences. Then cell phone cameras dramatically changed usage. And Facebook dominates sharing family snapshots.

Now, Flickr offers real time viewing of the world. Users who dive deeper into photography, using artistry to communicate more. Capturing emotion. Well, somewhat. Citizen journalism occurs, too.

Ultimately, I see Flickr’s evolution. Not dramatic; steady, resolute. Flickr adapts to change, users find new uses. Those signs point to a site with legs. I expect it to last, with continued value. Save for mismanagement. That’s another blog post, though.

Happy Friday to you all!

Nightbound Words

Carl Setzer

Racing mind
Fears awakened,
Given voice,
Speaking loudly
Into murky peace of night.

Dreams unrealized,
Yet still dreams.
Voices of neglected
Priorities. Reminding
Me; deepest values.

Empty grave
This frantic life.
Delightful sense of purpose
Untethered to accomplishment.
Illusions of effectiveness.

Self directed rage
Unuseful, empty sounds.
November’s east bound
Wind pushes still,
Fiercely, chilling.