Posts by Ralph 1

More problems for Apple's top desktop

Another 'quality' story

Almost up to the standard of the "exploding iPhone epidemic" you were hyping a while back, which turned out to be almost entirely hearsay. Yes, there have been some reports of problems with iMacs. Is it disproportionate to the numbers sold? Is the damage/failure rate uncharacteristic for any mass-produced product line? This is a machine that is being sold in huge numbers and has to be shipped with more caution than most (edge to edge glass is more susceptible to damage after all).

As far as I can tell, the delays are simply due to its popularity - Apple can't keep up with demand. I've bought one myself recently, and it has been flawless to date - one of the best computers I've owned (and I've had many).

ID card scheme for foreigns extended

What happened to the budget?

From everything else I've heard, the UK has a serious budget problem to address. And yet money is lavished on a project that seems - at best - a waste of time and effort. Are we being lied to? Or is the government simply mismanaged? If you asked the country whether they would like their tax money spent on either hospitals/schools/infrastructure or a national ID scheme, I'm confident the vast majority would want the former.

Who is asking for the budget to be spent like this and why? It would have to be a spectacularly good answer to convince most people that this issue should take priority. And while an answer remains outstanding, it feels as if the county is quietly sliding into some kind of horrible dictatorship. Picking off soft targets like foreigners first seems particularly creepy. If the government believes this is something the country needs, it should be upfront: explain the reasons thoroughly, be sure you have the backing of the people, and treat everyone alike.

EC drops Microsoft browser probe

Re: EC says you're all too thick to use a PC!

@ Anne Frank: "surely anyone who can turn on a PC and find a picture of a naked woman on the net can find Google and install a different browser"

No, my personal experience doesn't support that statement. When I've worked on friends' computers - patching up some mess they've naively gotten into - I often suggest they consider other browsers. It takes a while for them to get their heads around it because many simply think that "Internet Explorer" and "the Internet" are synonymous. They had no idea that Internet Explorer is just one of many portals through which this data can be accessed.

Aussie Sex Party in evangelist head-to-head

Who are they following?

If these evangelists purport to have faith, and they feel opposed or oppressed by these so-called "witches", perhaps they should actually follow the path Jesus called them to:

"You're familiar with the old written law, 'Love your friend,' and its unwritten companion, 'Hate your enemy.' I'm challenging that. I'm telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty."

They might also bear in mind that the religious right of the day branded Jesus a heretic and hated him for this message. Who are they aligning themselves with - the institutions that hated Jesus or the so-called "rejects" he loved and spent time with.

Parallels woos Apple cult converts

Positive experience

I notice a lot of negative comments about Parallels and felt some balance was required. Other than one buggy upgrade back in version 3 somewhere, I've had no problems with Parallels. I run Visual Studio and a variety of high-end CAD packages in it with no problems. Speed is excellent - nothing like the comments above.