The Apple TV is now shipping, and some lucky blokes like Walt Mossberg were given demo units to play with early.  I don't have much to say, other than as it stands now I will not be purchasing one, and here are some reasons why.

I want my DIVX!

Seriously Apple, come on.  H.264 is actually a beautiful codec; I have no complaints with the quality that you can get out of it.  What I will complain about is the footprint.  I can get the same, or better quality, from a DIVX encoded file that is sometimes half the size.  Period.

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How about that!  Apple has thrown a curve ball to the community today by launching Mac OS Forge, and populating it with a number of pieces of software released under the apache license.

This is an exciting move by Apple.  Currently the server houses the following projects:

• Intel Kernel Source — link
• CalDav Server Source — link
• Bonjour Source — link
• Launchd Source — link
• WebKit — link

For me the biggest bit of this is the CalDav server source.  Read more about it here.

Oh, and Mac OS Forge runs on WordPress.. :)

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Yes, I am going to prognosticate for you all now, and tell you beyond a shadow of a doubt what Apple will announce today:

1. Apple will be releasing new products and/or services that you will immediately want, but not have the money to purchase.
2. The machine you just bought three days ago, yeah that one; completely and utterly useless now, you must upgrade, obey your Jobsian overlord!
3. Steve Jobs will mispronounce at least one word in the keynote, probably the name of some large jungle cat.

That's it folks, have a nice day.

That's right people the Davis family just got a serious upgrade.  I took delivery of my shiny new 20 inch iMac today.

2.1 ghz, 250 gig HD and Front Row.  Can't ask for more than that.  Pictures will be forthcoming.

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That's right, I got the call from Apple Computer on the 25th of this month.  Now what could this call be all about you might ask?  Yeah I was asking that too actually, so let's sit back and imagine shall we?

1: Random Chance

Was it finally my moment in the sun?  Had some Random Apple V.P. of Something Really Important stumbled across Sillyness and was blown away by my prose and mad design skillz, prompting them to pimp me to his Big Headness The Jobs and now there is a position waiting for me at Cupertino?  Will I now be able to have lunch on "the campus" with people like David Hyatt and Dunstan Orchard?  Do I get a standard issue black turtleneck and Reality Distortion Field?  Or am I under the influence of said field at this moment?

2: What could have been, just may be

Ooh, ooh or was the call in response to my aborted application for the web design job that is now being advertised?  Had some Middle Manager of Coolness seen my entry and then on a whim searched out my website thereby starting a chain reaction of ooh and ahhs that culminated in being blown away in much the same way as Random Apple V.P. of Something Really Important from scenario 1?  Was this call the first overture of Corporate Courting, complete with a leer jet ride to Cupertino for a more personal interview with the Jobsovian Hordes?  Or is a lack of sleep and a lack of artistic fulfillment at my current job leading me to this delusion?

Well gentle reader, to make a long story a bit longer, neither of these scenarios are correct.  No, the truth is a completely different scenario all together.

The follow-up call

Having that type of nature that demands mysteries be solved I called the number in my caller ID.  And you know who was at the other end of that call?  Who picked up the phone and said "Thanks for calling Apple Computer"?  A freakin machine that's who.

Apparently Apple was just following up on my laptop purchase, trying to whore me some applecare or to tell me about, get this, Mac OS 10.2... 10.2, seriously people update your freakin automated dialer programs!

So whilst drooling over the offerings at Apple.com I decided to just pop in at the MacOS X area and WOW, am I glad I did.

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In other news I am apparently a Design Ninja!  And with that I have joined the ranks of the ninja elite, there can be no higher compliment.

There are just no words to describe the overwhelming coolness that is Apple product releases.

I am blown away.  I am undone.

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People often ask me why I choose to be a mac user; the questions usually fall into 3 camps:

1. What is it you find more appealing, or better on the Apple platform?
2. Why would you want to lock yourself into a platform with so few games man!!?!  You're missing out on the games!!?!
3. You must be an idiot that doesn't know much about computers, you must b0w d0\/\/n +0 +h3 m45+er h4xx0r!

Yeah, so believe it or not I am getting way more camp #1 questions of late which is a great change in statistics.  In recent years it has usually been either 2 or 3 that held the number one spot.

Today I finally decided what my answer will be to all of these questions: class.  Class is not something you can buy, or steal or copy it must just be.  And that is what apple has, class.

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