I think Scoble would still be a very interesting read but I doubt he’d have the following that he does now. If he worked for General Electric, Sun, Disney, or even Apple would he be the alpha blogger he is today? I think that much of the reason he has become so popular is because he says things about Microsoft that everyone else has either known or suspected for some time. He’s able to peel away the Marketing BS long enough for us to see that Microsoft is more than Bill and Steve. And it’s fun to see him admit when groups within Microsoft just don’t get it.

My computer has been dragging a bit so I went to Frys and bought a few parts to upgrade it this past weekend. I ended up building an entirely new computer. I learned a few things about hardware and software this weekend:

1. Windows XP Pro is relatively painless and quick to install. The base install took far less time than installing all 38 Windows updates and SP 2. I just wish Windows would stop ramming Passport down my throat.

2. When installing a new motherboard, one of the harder things for me in the past has been figuring out how the power, reset, drive LED, and speaker switches should be set. This new Asus motherboard has them color coordinated so there’s no trial and error involved. The machine booted the first time I turned it on.

3. Serial ATA drives make for a cleaner case due to the smaller cables, but the cable connectors slide off too easily. More than once I pulled a cable out when organizing the cables in my case.

4. I’ve installed three motherboards into my Lian-Li case over the past few years and I’m reminded how nice it is to work with a quality case. A quality case and power supply are well worth the extra money in the long run.

5. Many software installs are still terrible. Try installing Apple’s QuickTime player without iTunes. How come I can’t install just QuickTime yet I can uninstall them separately?

6. Creative Lab software thinks I need “Install AOL” icons plastered all over my system. I installed software for my Creative Webcam and sound card and each time I was bombarded with AOL icons on my desktop and Start menu.

7. Any software that puts itself in the system tray without my consent gets uninstalled immediately. Same goes for adding icons to my Quick Launch menu. Between all the crap in Quick Launch and System Tray, there’s no room left to see actual programs that are open!

8. Why do Games like Dungeon Siege 2 and Fable ship on four to five CDs rather than DVD? Swapping out CDs half a dozen times for a single game is tedious.

9. I really like my new Logitech MX900 Bluetooth mouse and Microsoft Natural Keyboard 4000. Both are very comfortable.

10. Every piece of software should have a “No, I never want to register” option.

11. Finding updated drivers is still a lot harder than it should be. Both ATI and Nvidia make it easy to find new drivers. Canon (printer, camera) makes it much harder. I now just Google for “Product X driver” from the start and only go searching the product’s website as a last case.

12. I may never need another laser printer because my 10 year old HP LaserJet 4L refuses to die. It’s still chugging along at 4 PPM which is fine since I seldom print more than a couple of pages at a time.

Things should be easy. That’s my new mantra for products I purchase from now on. If I buy a product, especially a computer product, and it’s difficult to setup or I have to download new drivers just to get it to work, I’m taking it back to the store for a refund. I’m tired of products which should just work, not working or being far too difficult to get working correctly.

Why should I have to pull out the manual in order to set the clock on my Kenwood car stereo or my microwave oven? Why does my new wireless phone have one button to turn it on and yet another to turn it off? Why does my Honda Odyssey blink at me every 3500 miles as a reminder to change the oil and then takes several unintuitive steps (had to pull out the manual) to turn it off? Why did Qwest sell me a DSL package that didn’t include true SMTP server access? I called a technical support specialist and I could not believe it when he told me to subscribe to a mail forwarding service. So I need to buy another product in order to get Qwest to work properly? Why do I have to upgrade the firmware on my Sony DVD burner before it will work properly?

I cannot believe so many companies feel they can abuse their customers like this. I’ve been wanting to upgrade my computer for a few weeks now. I went to Frys and priced out a motherboard, CPU and memory last weekend. But then I started thinking about how much time it took to get all the software, from Windows to dozens of application, working properly and decided against the upgrade. This could become a big stumbling block for PC users who may want to upgrade to Windows Vista but who don’t want to go through the hassle of an upgrade. Everyone knows that the only way to really upgrade Windows is to wipe it clean and start with a fresh install.

Ok, back to figuring out this Bluetooth headset.

I’ve been reading about how much people like their Moleskine notebooks so I ordered two a week ago and they arrived by mail today. I gave one to Kim and she seems to like it. I think I’ll keep mine here next to my computer for whenever I want to jot down a few notes.

On my way home from work today, I passed a grocery store that had sign out front. The sign said, “Fresh Milk and Adult Movies”. That’s an interesting combination.

Don’t feel bad for the Los Angeles Angels. So the ump made a questionable call which allowed the winning run to reach base. Everyone who has played Little League baseball knows that you run to first base if the ball’s in the dirt on called or swung at third strike. All the catcher had to do is tag the runner to throw the ball to first base. The Angel fans should be mad at catcher, Josh Paul, before bagging on the umpire. The umpire didn’t serve up a fat heater to the very next batter, Joe Crede, for a double either. Make a good pitch, get the next guy out and the controversy is over. This is no reason for instant replay. I’m not a big White Sox fan but I love Pierzynski’s hustle on the play. This is what baseball is all about. It makes this series more interesting to watch.

A few things I’ve been thinking about lately:

1. Apple knows how to generate buzz – My entire office was glued to Apple fan websites waiting to get a glimpse of what Steve Jobs would reveal. Seems like half my coworkers own a Powerbook and iPod. Does Apple have the most dedicated fans or what? A new iPod comes out with a couple of new features and suddenly their 6-month old model won’t do. Microsoft would kill to have such passionate Windows XP users clamoring for Vista.

2. Google is everywhere – TV, websites, podcasts, newscasts, newspapers…you can’t read or watch one without hearing about Google. Everyone is talking about what Google is doing. How did it come to this? For me, it’s still just a search engine I use a couple of times a day. They did announce some vague partnership with Sun but nobody seems to know what it means.

3. Xbox’s big lead – Why is it that people are more concerned that the Xbox will beat the PS 3 to market than they are about actual game quality? Who cares how cool the console looks (faceplates??) if the games aren’t compelling? My theory is gamers just need something to get excited about every few years. Look back to the Sega Dreamcast. It came out early, people got so excited and then it died. Will Microsoft keep pumping billions into a business that’s losing money?

4. Nintendo rocks – Listening to the Engadget interview with Miyamoto reminded me why I love Nintendo and their franchise games like Mario and Zelda. Zelda: Ocarina of Time is still the best game I’ve played on any console or PC, period. My daughter and I enjoy playing Mario Party 6 together. I’m thrilled to see Nintendo continue to create games families with young children can enjoy. For adult games like Half Life 2, I’ll stick with my PC.

5. Podcasting is cool – I tried it out over a year ago and didn’t find any content that made me come back. Recently I downloaded iPodder and found Yahoo’s new Podcast directory which is really easy to use. I download the podcasts using iPodder and listen to them on my iRiver H-120 on the train into work each morning.

6. Why does everything and everyone suddenly need to become “transparent”? – I can’t read a blog or attend a meeting without hearing this word tossed around. It feels like a great addition to the buzzword BINGO days of the dot com era. Is “transparent” the new “synergy”?

Do you know what it means now that Microsoft will pay Real Networks $761 million to settle a long standing lawsuit? It means that Real will stay in business at least a couple more years and continue to toss intrusive and crappy software on the public. I used to just put up with constant nag screens just to view the video posted to websites in Real formats. But that game got old fast so now I just skip over those sites that push this junk on its visitors. When will Real just die and go away peacefully?

I got my haircut yesterday at Rudys for $17. I think it looks very bit as good as my $45 haircut last month. If you’ve never been to Rudys it’s hard to explain how funky of a place it is. If you’re in Belltown or Capitol Hill areas of Seattle, and looking for a good haircut, then check them out.

Is there a difference between a $45 dollar haircut and one that costly only 15 bucks? This is the question I’m setting out to answer this week. Last month I paid $45 for a haircut at this swanky salon in Belltown, Seattle because it’s located just two blocks from my office. When I arrived for my appointment I was asked if I’d like to put on a white “gown”, but I kindly declined. I tend to find a salon located close to work so I can schedule an appointment during lunch. When I worked over in Redmond I’d fork over $15 for the Super Cuts “cut and wash” special.

But I don’t know if spending three times as much results in a better haircut. In fact, I’m starting to believe that spending more money means nicer surroundings and maybe two applications of expensive shampoo rather than just one. One thing I did not like about Super Cuts was that the lady cutting my hair also doubled as the receptionist. Everytime the phone would ring or a new customer walked through the door, she’d put down her scissors and make appointments. I never understood this. Is it too much to just go ahead and hire a receptionist?

I really like this time of year. The weather has started to cool down but the sun still shines most days. The holidays are only a few months away but not so close that everyone is running around at a hectic pace.

I was sitting on the bus this morning on the way from the train station to my office and wasn’t in a very good mood. I was thinking about all the meetings I had lined up which makes it hard to get much work done. So I was sitting there sulking and complaining to myself when two guys in old shirts and torn pants got on the bus carrying guitars. The bus was so crowded that they both had to stand in the isle and they began talking about how they planned to play music at Pikes Market all day and hoped to make enough money to buy a Big Mac for lunch and a bus pass for October. They were so upbeat and positive that I felt pretty lame sitting there complaining to myself about meetings. I quickly changed my attitude about the day.

There is something really neat about being out among the people of the city. I’m able to meet and talk to people that I’d otherwise never come into contact with.

During lunch I think I’ll head down and listen to those two play guitar.