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On software quality slowly going down... my take.
Interesting piece (see link below) about software quality going down in a world where hardware quality is culminating to levels never seen before. Here are a few of my thoughts on this subject.
First, I think the law of entropy is much more active in software than in hardware. We are actually witnessing the slow disorganization of software (both in features & code), hence the quality goes down with it.
Second, we are also witnessing the (good and bad) consequences of unsustainable complexity of a growing software ecosystem. The good is the added value of combining things together in order to make the whole greater than the sum of its part. Apple is good at this. The bad is the difficulty to make it all work.
Third, take the Finder in macOS. How many revisions has been done on this essential piece of software and by how many generations and teams of developers? How one company make sure, from one generation to the other, the knowledge about how the Finder is coded doesn’t get diluted? I see this as an important challenge.
Finally, the marriage of hardware with software, the complete integration of the stack that Apple is able to achieve because they nearly own all the pieces pose big challenges. There are so many combinaisons to test and optimize. I can see many bugs falling between the cracks.
I’m not excusing Apple for the fact that their software quality is going down. They must slowdown and consolidate their software assets. In a maturing world, I would expect they do just that.
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BREAKING NEWS #2: Now iTunes U is being dismantled.
iTunes U is the next victim after iBooks Author. I’m not sure Apple’s Classroom and Schoolwork are fully replacing iTunes U’s features set. Let’s wait and see.
Also, this change of direction from Apple creates a big opportunity for Google which is already well established.
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BREAKING NEWS: iBooks Author is dead.
Now it’s official, Apple iBooks Author is being retired. Upcoming update to Pages will be able to import Books from iBooks Author. It is a sad day for many content creators, I’m sure, me included.
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I changing my mind. Again.
Well, maybe I’ll keep buying traditional computers after all. 🤓 This iMac mockup by MacRumors is a bit dumb, but we get the idea, right? This iMac would be the quintessential of desktop, all-in-one design Apple has ever made. New iMac With ‘iPad Pro Design Language’ and Thin Bezels Reportedly Coming at WWDC - MacRumors
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We have a go for ARM in Macs it seems
Seems like ARM-based Macs is a go for this year’s WWDC. The news comes from a source that I don’t like (remember the “Big Hack Story”?) so I’m not sharing the link. In summary: a bit faster CPU, much faster on graphics, ML processing unit, low power hence cooler system, new design enabler. Long transition time expected. Unknown is how are third-parties will transition their apps. Will a DEV kit be made available.
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Expectations Too High for #WWDC? Probably...
In my recently published wish list for WWDC 2020, I think I under-stated how anxious I am about the “virtual keynote”.
I wish for something closer to a movie than a keynote. Not too much on the info-pub side, something entertaining while being informative and enticing. I want to see Tim Cook at the main character, Craig Federighi in a supporting role. Don’t be too “general public”, be geeky as hell. Impress me, delight me. Show me the future, now!
My expectations are (too?) high for WWDC 2020. I know.
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Absurdities
This is the absurdities of our economic system. This coronavirus crisis is going to cause a big reset. Daring Fireball: Hertz Files for Bankruptcy, Somehow Accumulated $17 Billion in Debt
How in the world does it make sense for a company in a low-margin, long-established business with financials like this to rack up $17 billion in debt? When times were good this amount of debt would consume decades of Hertz’s profits. This is bananas.
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Replacing an aging AirPort Extreme with...
Slowly looking for a replacement for my aging AirPort Extreme router. For me, the physical look is as important as well as the application to manage it. Ubiquity looks really nice, very Apple’ish. App review not too bad but not exceptional either. Still confused for what to do.
One thing for sure: not going the Google way or the Amazon (eero) way.
It’s so sad that Apple exited this market… 😞 only to enter the « smart speaker »… 🤦🏻♂️
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Notion is now (mostly) free!
Oh, one interesting update today on the App Store: Notion now free and a new personal pro tier introduced on which I’ll be upgraded. Cool. Many other new things included in this update, like 2x speed increase for app launch. 👀
My review of Notion here 👉🏻👉🏻 numericcitizen.me/2020/04/1…
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Steve Jobs on building tech people want to buy
Still true in 2020. twitter.com
Jon Erlichman (@JonErlichman) Tweeted: Steve Jobs in 2006 on why it’s tough to make tech products people want:
“A lot of companies do things because it’s technically possible. But in the end, nobody cares. Nobody wants to buy them.” t.co/BAScyzcaR…
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Apple thinks we are eternal
Death is an everyday subject these days. How is Apple helping people in dealing with people's death? For example, what happens to Apple's Family Sharing if the family organizer passed away? If you use iTunes Family Sharing, special attention must be paid to the « Family Organizer » role. If he or she dies, there is no way to give this role to another member of the iTunes Family. Have you ever wondered what happens if you want to close an Apple ID account of a diseased person? What if you don't even know how to access it?
Searching for the word « death » on Apple’s support site doesn’t bring any information related to tackling the death of someone. Apple's support to help users deal with death is abysmal.
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iPhone SE performance and Android... really?
Should we care? I mean, general performance of a smartphone is crucial for a great user experience but... compared to Android, really? for the vast majority of people, do they care, besides the entry price? [Daring Fireball: Let’s Check In on the State of iPhone and Android CPU Performance]
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Coronavirus and Apple’s products
One of the thing that will get my attention about Apple in the coming months and years: how the coronavirus will impact features and designs of Apple’s products, both in hardware and software.
The obvious example is the FaceTime camera on Mac computers. The second obvious example is FaceTime application in general, not to compete against Zoom or others, but to make it more useful and bringing more value to human visual communications.
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Feeling nostalgic today
Very telling chart of past disruptions in the photography world. I don't want to look too nostalgic but seeing how fast the smartphone is taking over the photography world is a bit sad.
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Something is different about Unsplash
There is something different about my beloved photo sharing service, Unsplash. I'm not sure if it's for the better. It's hard for me to put a finger on it but there is something different.
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COVID-19 by the Numbers
Great post. My sister is a nurse working with seniors. She got COVID-19. She ok now. But she knows how bad the situation is. We're not done yet, ladies and gentlemen.
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Magic Keyboard: Apple’s Laptop Conversion Kit – His Dork Materials
The Magic Keyboard makes us want more from iPadOS: real and complete external monitor support.
Magic Keyboard: Apple’s Laptop Conversion Kit – His Dork Materials:
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Finally - Subscribed to 1Password
After much hesitation, I finally subscribed to 1Password personal plan. I've been a long time user of this password manager. I don't mind having to subscribe to this service. Security is paramount these days.
This decision is part of a personal project that I'm working on. A long blog post will follow in the coming weeks.
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Stopping mass surveillance
I’ve been working from home since March, 13th. My employer is fully supporting remote work by monitoring the output of my work, not the input. Stop mass surveillance by reporting when you disagree with the policy. If no change, just quit.
Employee-surveillance software is not welcome to integrate with Basecamp m.signalvnoise.com/employee-…
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Noto - A Wonderful app
Please, help me find a use case for this wonderfully designed note taking application. As an avid user of Notion, I don't see much use for Noto, but is looks so great!
