Recap of Microsoft CES announcements

@Raaj yes I am serious not about thinking that Sony is cheaper because they can only give you Vista, that was sarcasm. I am serious in that some people want to run OS X, and the hardware is way less important to them, to the extent its the thing the OS runs on. If you want OS X and not Vista then the fact that the Sony notebooks are cheaper really does not matter does it? Like I said its all how you look at it. For you I guess its all about the gadget its features and its price....then the software, which is ok. When I got my Macbook, 11/07 time frame I was looking at 13.3inch notebooks that had Wireless N and Bluetooth. The Dell MX1300 or whatever was only $100 cheaper at the time compared to the Macbook, and the Sony TZ series was way more expensive than my Macbook. The ones I saw that I wanted were $1800ish. So pulling specs/price out of the air today does not mean they will hold water even tomrrow.

Hey Paul, during the keynote, the first lady on stage that was demoing stuff talked about "play 2" and she said "or to my xbox" take a listen, and if she just didn't mess up then we know that play 2 will be coming to the xbox. also the netfix on windows mobile look interesting, since I uverse and can control my DVR from my phone it would be awesome to line up some shows while I'm out an about and see something I want to watch. very cool. it's those little connections that make everything much more enjoyable.

tayme Actually, I just checked and the version I just downloaded is 4.0.12158.1 so it looks like Live Search Mobile is now up to version 4. Time to upgrade that old 3.5 version!

@mikegalos - Cool...thanks, I'm on it now! --tayme

Subzero You're missing the "Apple Fan's Guide to minimizing Microsoft announcments" key rules: If Microsoft announces a beta, say "it's only a beta" If Microsoft announces a release, say "that's nothing new, it's been in beta for a while now" It works well since Apple typically beta tests their major products by selling them as released products and issuing service packs for six months.

techfan Remember that in a Software + Service world like Windows Live Essentials, a lot of bugs get fixed without updating the client bits. If you're still hitting bugs, report them but I've seen the ones I had in beta fixed by server updates.

"It works well since Apple typically beta tests their major products by selling them as released products and issuing service packs for six months." I can agree with that. I also think that Vista was a beta test that people paid for. It helped greatly to flush out bugs so that Windows 2008 server (same kernel Vista SP1) was done when it shipped. In fact if you see that Windows 7 is enthusiastically adopted compared to Vista, and there will plenty of reports on whether this happens or not, you could easily argue, as some have (Paul?) that Windows 7 is Vista done right, or Vista finished. @subzero what is it I did not answer? Did you go back and read that article you linked about OS X using all 8 cores on a Mac Pro and that specific apps were faster on the 8 core box, vs a 4 core? You linked I only copy and pasted proof from it. To your point is hardware that runs Windows cheaper in most cases....YES most of the time it is. I have said that already. There is no question at all about it. If you want to run Windows and you can find machines that will do it cheaper, lots of them. Conversely I and others have shown you examples of hardware at the same cost or more that Apple products. The Dell 7400 workstation is way more expensive than the MacPro and the HP equivalent is as well. This Sony Z notebook 13inch.... http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?catal... Starts at $1499 and goes up to $3399. Can you find other 13inch Windows notebooks cheaper? Yep. Is that more expensive than a Macbook? Yep. Is it "Tax" if you choose to purchase a Dell 7400 or Sony Z notebook, when there are cheaper alternatives? I mean you have said your self that people should not buy Apple products in this economy, so I guess those two I listed should not be purchase either using your socialist/communist logic? Using your logic why would anyone buy a 5 series BMW? I mean a Honda Accord or Toyota Camry are fine cars, that are about the same size and if you are following the speed limit like any socialist should they will get you from point A to point B in same amount of time right? At what 1/2.....1/3 the cost? Man in this economy they should stop making BMW's.....according to your logic that is. Oh and according MS they are the Toyota of operating systems so they got your back.

Lindy "if you are following the speed limit like any socialist " Re "socialist": You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

>>"It works well since Apple typically beta tests their major products by selling them as released products and issuing service packs for six months." I can agree with that. I also think that Vista was a beta test that people paid for.<< So that's just the state of technology, eh?

@ Mike his exact comment from the other day (man this site need a search engine...sharepoint???) "As for the auto bail out and livng beyond our means. Apple is a perfect example of living beyond our means. Do you really need to spend $1,200? Or could you buy a cheaper machine that does the same thing." Living beyond our means because we buy a $1200 computer. Yeah ok Joseph.

Lindy, So, what does that have to do with obeying speed laws while driving? Are you saying Apple users are above the law? Or that they should be? Or do you just have a bunch of words you like to throw out at people as generic "insults" (I'm assuming you think being a Socialist is an insult which hundreds of millions of people would strenuously argue.)

@Mike daily you prove your self to be a tool. Your analogy of the Acer and Air are dead wrong. His argument is about price. My counter is that price is not the only factor, its a big one for some, but people choose differently for different reasons. Personally the Acers I have looked at/used look/feal like cheap junk. Many will look right past that to the price tag and nothing is wrong with either. Do the same in the parking lot with the BMW 5 and a Toyota Camry. I think the BMW will chosen more often. No Apple users are not above the law. I guess you just cant keep up with my sarcasm. A good socialist would bow to whom ever is running the show and buy the products their fearless leaders tell them to buy "for the good of the economy/people" and of course the would follow the speed limit "for the good of the poeple". I poking fun at his logic. I dont consider it an insult, its a form of government that I dont want to live under.. If that is your choice then move out of the US because the last time I checked the US was not a socialist country. Although I think that recent moves by the Bush administration look like the government wants to socialize our financial system rather than create sensible laws and enforce them, but that is a topic that I am sure would start a fire here.

Mike, Google Mobile app on the iPhone does the same as Live Search Mobile and also uses voice recognition. It's prett handy when driving to keep hands free, although yuou need to hold it to your ear and talk. I got directions toa Nenz dealer in North jersey using it, then found a place to take the wife for lunch. Ocean, my Acer has better hardware than that refurbed MBA, but does not have a built in camera. The screen is bigger and the carn thing actually looks very nice, not cheap. Obviously, I would rather have a MBA if I could tolerate a smaller screen, but my wife has presbyopia, or is getting farsighted, and the kids like the bigger screen and are used to Windows. But dang, does it work well. It's kinds shocking considering the price. Coming from me, a guy that owns a Mac Pro Tower because I demand power, that is truly a compliment. Go Acer!

DRWAM Yep, the Google Mobile iPhone app is a fair 1st try at catching up with where Live Search Mobile was a couple of years ago. The difference being that Live Search Mobile is already up to version 4 and works on lots of phones and lots of carriers.

The Google app ain't flawless, that's for sure. I thought that I carefully annunciated but got incorrect results. Close enough to the desired word, but wrong enough to be a useless search. This happens more frequently than desired. I can't believe that the compound word of nut and sack gets filtered, but someone posted dipshit and it was not filtered. Go figure! Also, my fish is not cooperating for an avatar pic, but I am still trying.

Well, in the mobile space at least, Palm just outdid both MS and Apple with the announcement of the new Palm Pre and new OS. MS better get moving on the Zune Phone or WinMo 7 if it wants to be at all relevant in that space now. And from all accounts, the new Palm is a pretty damn good iPhone killer.

@Lindy, You have definitely jumped the shark. Never have I ever said people shouldn't buy Apple products. EVER. I have said that I personally wouldn't buy Apple products because I think the price point is too expensive. My only argument against Apple is that I feel strongly that their price point is artifically inflated. As an second generation American, I would never subscribe to any Marxist or Socialistic policies. However, your ignorance about Socialism just shows strongly. Did I advocate the complete and total takeover by the government to take over Apple? No. Did I ever advocate that every computer should be sold at the same price point? No. Did I ever indicate that Apple should ever stop doing business or be shutdown? No. Also in my links about the Mac Pro, it showed a minor improvement over the previous model. Not enough to justify the additional expense. Re-read my statement and you'll see that was my point. If anything, your advocacy of an almost totalitarian company that tells you exactly what you need, limits your hardware diversification, restricts what gets produced on that platform, and artificially inflates the price is suspect and questionable. Yet you ridicule advocates like me who value freedom of choice, hardware diversity, a platform that any software can be made should be suspect and questionable. If anyone is acting contrary to free market principles and less than democratic business practices, just take a good look at your friends at Apple and yourself.

Tayme, The number is 2.5 M. Yawn!