I totally get why people write viruses specifically for Microsoft

- by melaroo

I’m a Mac user. It’s not a religious thing, I just like that they work. But I want to have that out in the open so you don’t think this is supposed to be a totally objective piece.

Now and then, I’m compelled to use a computer that runs Microsoft’s new operating system, Windows 7. Windows 7, like all of its predecessors, were all purported to be “The Mac Buster”. You hear it every few years, whenever Microsoft invests in buzz campaigns to get everyone hyped for the next big disappointment (Nate is a conspiracy theorist, and he thinks that Microsoft is doing it to inflate their stock so they can sell short after everyone realizes, for the umpteenth time, that Windows will always suck.) “Yeah, Millenium Edition sucked, but XP going to be The Mac Buster.” “XP was pretty good, but Vista is going to be The Mac Buster!” “Okay, Vista was a complete disaster, but 7 is going to be The Mac Buster.” Seriously, you hear it all the time. For readers who don’t get in to this sort of thing, “The Mac Buster” alludes to the mythical Microsoft operating system that’s going to be more reliable, user-friendly, and just plain cool than Apple’s triumphant OSX, which has totally dominated (and when I say “dominated”, I mean “gobbled up market share relative to prior standings”) the specialty computing world for the past decade. Read It!

Designer Label Dog

- by melaroo

Last weekend I had some time to myself, so I pulled out my Criterion Collection Confessions of a Shopaholic and sat back for some good ol’ cinema and social commentary. Among its many merits, the high point of that movie, in my opinion, has traditionally been where the Isla Fisher character gets in a catfight with another shopper over a pair of gaudy Gucci boots at a super designer warehouse sale. It was movie magic until the seventh viewing, when my keen eye detected that her opponent was a good head taller, and couldn’t possibly have worn the same size shoe! For some time I fretted that P.J. Hogan, one of the great auteurs of our time, had made an obvious blunder, sacrificing continuity for a cheap site gag. But as I pondered, it became apparent just how truly brilliant this moment was! Read It!

Cavemen Don’t Wear Black Suits to the Office

- by melaroo

This morning I awoke at 1:30 to coddle my infant son, and like I do with all my free time, I made high-pitched noises and got caught up on the Melaroo blog. In case you aren’t a regular, I strongly suggest you subscribe to our RSS feed, at the right. Read It!

Twitter & The Karate Kid

- by melaroo

I got into the Twitter game a little late. I was a naysayer, who thought it was just something people used to seem more interesting than they actually are. I’m 62% right, but I’ve seen how useful and effective Twitter is. Not just the results we give clients here at Melaroo (holds up Melaroo logo, smiles into the camera), but also personally. “How have you seen it personally, Ike?” Well, I’ll tell you. Read It!

Mac or PC?

- by melaroo

In my world, this is as loaded a question as “Republican or Democrat?” “Straight or Gay?” “Jon or Kate?” Oddly enough, people usually want to know this about you before anything else. I would liken the Mac/PC debate to the bitter rivalry between Canada and the United States. Though less ancient and less publicized than the Palestinian/Israeli conflict, close borders have sparked tensions for generations. For all their merits, the Canadians I’ve known have shown considerable animosity toward my countryfolk, and while they generally manage to stifle it publicly while within our borders, get a few in them and it will come spilling out in barrels. As the PC has a wide market share, Canada has a vast geographic area. It’s cheaper to live there. Like PC users, Canadians make no qualms about extolling the merits of their own land while negating those of their neighbor. They know all sorts of facts about their nemeses, which makes them better at deriding them. Read It!