Dan Ebeck's Profile

  • Oct 12, 2007
  • 23
  • 1

Latest comments made by: Dan Ebeck

  • "My PC laptop is quite configurable. I can change the memory cards and the hard drive. I already upgraded the memory of my Compaq laptop computer. I may upgrade my hard drive myself soon. What about the Mac laptops?" Both the Macbook and Macbook Pro are easy to add more memory to. It's also very easy to change the hard drive in the MacBook. The Pro is a little more involved, but certainly not beyond an average techie.
    Dan Ebeck had this to say on Oct 12, 2007 Posts: 23
    8 Reasons Windows Users DO Switch to Mac
  • I'd use an UMPC. I am a field engineer working in London. I spend my days travelling from office to office, fixing people's FUBARs. Work currently provide me with a PDA running Windows Mobile 5, which really sucks. I need email, and get my assignments over the company intranet. I also need proper internet so I can look up part numbers, etc on manufacturer's websites, which at the moment is a real pain. The ability to carry around files like drivers, updates and diagnostics would be a major bonus. A laptop doesn't cut it, as I am also carrying an extensive toolkit that is heavy enough, thank you. Give me a UMPC with a 5"-7" screen and proper connectivity, and I'd be much happier.
    Dan Ebeck had this to say on Oct 03, 2007 Posts: 23
    The Easter Bunny, Santa Claus, and the Apple UMPC
  • I am a motorbiker and I have an Axio Hybrid. It's huge, absolutely enormous. I use it pretty much every day and in all weathers. The stiffened foam outer is durable (if not as durable as a hardshell) and very comfortable. The only weakness I've found so far is the zippers. If it's raining, you need to make sure the zip pulls are at the bottom of the bag, otherwise they do let a little water in. More worryingly, I had a zipper give out when my pack was about 8 months old. The teeth started to come away from the material. Axio replaced it free, but the new one has a zipper issue as well, where I have to be careful how I do it up, or they don't bite properly in one spot. All in all, expensive but a reasonable purchase for a large and comfortable rucksack.
    Dan Ebeck had this to say on Jul 27, 2007 Posts: 23
    Review: Axio Fuse Hardpack
  • I'd like to see a expansion of the Desktop line, with a mid-range tower aimed at the prosumer market. 1 dual core 2 or Xeon processor, a reasonable graphics card and a couple of expansion slots could create a nice bridge between the iMac and Mac Pro lines. There are few who really need 4 cores, let alone 8. I like the smartphone idea, as opposed to a PDA. PDA sales have slumped recently, and smartphones gained the released marketshare. An iPod smartphones, especially if it's running "OSX Mobile" could possibly be the ultimate converged device. Call, txt, Mail, iCal, iWork, Safari, Address Book and iTunes all on one device? They'd sell a million...
    Dan Ebeck had this to say on Jan 03, 2007 Posts: 23
    Predicting MacWorld by Looking Backwards
  • They could always be thinking about developing Mac games... Just one insanely great Apple game could breathe a lot of life into the Mac games market. Halo did it for M$.
    Dan Ebeck had this to say on Dec 06, 2006 Posts: 23
    Apple Entering Video Games Console Market? Not Likely.
  • There was talk a while back of "Jet", a phone that was to be carried by UK network O2. Quad-band, Bluetooth and an excess of 6 hours talk was meant to aim this at business users that wanted a phone to communicate, not as a fashion gadget. Unfortunately, nothing seems to have come of it; the expected October announcement has come and gone. A shame, I wanted one as soon as I read the rumour. http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/06/09/o2_readies_business_phone/
    Dan Ebeck had this to say on Oct 31, 2006 Posts: 23
    Reality Check, I Am Not Part of the New Tech Savy Generation
  • A lot depends on how the Studios insist on DRM. The music guys have been rather put out with Apple over pricing policy and I din't expect that the Studio as going to walk in quite as ignorant at the labels were a few years ago.
    Dan Ebeck had this to say on Sep 07, 2006 Posts: 23
    Apple vs. Walmart: The Storm Is Gathering
  • The Quark one is the worst. 1. The activation code is f******g HUGE! 2. Each serial is tied to a particular version; i.e. you can't use a 6.0 disk with a 6.1 serial. Not good when you have as many installs as me. 3. You must register your copy to be able to activate it. If you don't activation just fails. 4. At activation, the installation is tied to the hardware configuration of the system. If you change the config, by replacing or upgrading, the activation is cancelled and you have to ring Quark for a new code. 5. There is no way to cancel an activation (at least Adobe let you do this). So if you migrate to a new machine, you have to ring Quark for a new code. I have to ring Quark at least once a month, as our layout guys' Macs are constantly being upgraded and theirs passed down the company.
    Dan Ebeck had this to say on Jul 26, 2006 Posts: 23
    Akvis and Windows: a Sadist's View of a Good Time
  • Hybrid drives are available. Panasonic have produced cross format drives already. I don't think that it is possible to mix red laser SD / blue laser HD on the same disc, as that would require the laser to change frequencies in mid-play. You could certainly have a HD or BD disc that included SD content. You'd fit the entire SW saga on one disc....
    Dan Ebeck had this to say on Jul 07, 2006 Posts: 23
    Will Apple Go Blue-Ray or HD DVD?
  • I am not aware of what you are talking about. M$ as far as I know is a devoted HD-DVD camper (at this point in the battle anyway). Can you elaborate some more? Sorry, slipped into conspiracy mode there, and commented on speculation as fact. Anyway, the thoery is that MS is part of HD-DVD because they aren't going to get into bed with Sony, their arch rival for the game industry. But the 360 also doesn't have a HD drive fitted. They can't release an upgraded product when HD is ready, because it will cause confusion for consumers and dilute the x-box brand. And it takes them long enough to design and ship a product that they don't want to wait until the next upgrade round. So, they make a bolt-on HD-DVD drive to allow HD to be played on the 360. But if they do this, then there is nothing stopping them from doing the same with a BD drive, should it look like BD is winning. Thus M$' stance in the HD-DVD camp is currently all talk (as is Apple's). Until a company actually has a product with one format or the other, their blusterings don't actually count for anything.
    Dan Ebeck had this to say on Jul 07, 2006 Posts: 23
    Will Apple Go Blue-Ray or HD DVD?
  • I went to a seminar organised by my disk supplier on HD and BD. I think that BD is going to win this one because.... 1. It really is more advanced. Imagine you are looking at a x-section of a disc. HD-DVD consists of 2 layers, each taking up 1/2 the disk; essentially 2 normal DVDs glued together. This gives it double the capacity of a DVD, but that's it. The limit has already been reached. Looking at your BD x-section, draw a line 1/10th of the way down the disk. That's single layer BD. Draw another line another 1/10th down. That's dual layer. So, besides the fact that single layer capacity is already bigger, there is still room in the disk for more layers as manufacturing processes develop. 200GB BDs are a possibility. 2. BD-E / DVD±RW / CD-RW drives are already in production. I know HD-DVDs are backwards compatible as well, but the main perception of BD was that you would have to throw all your old disks or install 2 drives. Not true, and I can see OEMs shipping Super-Combo drives as standard on high-end stations. 3. PS3. This is a massive selling point for BD. I see the PS3 as a really cheap way to get a BD player. I use my PS2 for watching movies more than I play games anyway. The fact that I can fire up DOOM and shoot stuff is just a bonus. As long as Sony hasn't f***ed it up, the PS3 will sell loads, whether it's to watch BD, play old games or the latest titles. MS shafted HD-DVD when they made the HD drive a bolt on for X-Box 360. All the manufacturers know they can do the same with a BD drive as well. Ship it with a software patch and it's done.
    Dan Ebeck had this to say on Jul 06, 2006 Posts: 23
    Will Apple Go Blue-Ray or HD DVD?
  • I have a Mac, an 3Gen iPod and I use iTunes. I do this because they are the best of the options I have available. No one forces you to purchase an iPod. No one forces you to use iTMS. There are other options available. You can buy a Sony player and use their software. One guy I know has. It works, kinda. But as far as I am concerned, iTunes is the best jukebox and iPod is the best player, just on ease of use. But the big problem with ALL online stores is DRM. Wherever you buy a download, it's crippled with DRM. It's a hassle to back up and you run the risk that if you don't, your HD will die and it's bye-bye music. I'll continue to buy CDs, although not many, and be free to do what I want with stuff I've paid for. And for the record, iTMS has been giving away free songs for ages; every week there is a free single available for download.
    Dan Ebeck had this to say on May 04, 2006 Posts: 23
    Napster.com "Free" -- Can It Now Compete With iTunes?
  • I'm still waiting for the first major artist to say "screw them" and release an album solely for download. One of those uber-successful people who are still doing it because they love it and are fed up with having to work through the labels. Imagine the front page of iTMS with a massive U2 (for example) pic with "Exclusive Album" plastered across it. Now have it encoded with Lossless and what would happen?
    Dan Ebeck had this to say on Apr 05, 2006 Posts: 23
    iTunes: How Much Is Too Much?
  • The one item that make this a real must-have for Mac support is the listing of which Hardware Test CD each model requires. That alone has saved me hours of grief. RAM specs and the Port lists are great too.
    Dan Ebeck had this to say on Apr 03, 2006 Posts: 23
    MacTracker - The Mac Database
  • Access is a sticking point. Trying to get MS enviroments using Filemaker is a pain. Instead of Autocad, the designers I work with use Vectorworks, which is compatible. Even after I have a MacIntel at home, I still won't be running Windows games. I don't use any MS software at home and that isn't about to change.
    Dan Ebeck had this to say on Feb 09, 2006 Posts: 23
    The Best Software Selection Is on the Mac