Prolific Programmer on the Internets!

Russ asks whether the mobile OS really matters and concludes that no, it does not. I don't know why Google seems to be getting away from its roots. Let me explain.

Since the beginning, Google has always been platform-agnostic. Sure, it may be Linux on the backend, but that was invisible to the user. Indeed, to the client, it was essentially blind. It took HTTP requests in, and returned HTTP Responses. Even when they added APIs, they were always built on top of HTTP requests and responses. Google Maps was similarly built on HTTP. So is Gmail, Adsense. Even Google Earth is a glorified HTTP client (except it transfers SVG and looks like a desktop application). So, when I first heard about Android, I figured it was a platform-independant data interchange system, because control of a network derives not from controlling the endpoints, it derives from controlling the communications medium (this is what Microsoft and Apple don't realise and what Google did, but doesn't seem to anymore). In other words, I thought that it would be a peer-to-peer version of funambol. Apparently, I was wrong. But that's what I'd do if I were developing it. Whereas power on a network derives from the endpoints, control comes from the transport medium. Starting out as devoted to controlling the transport medium (and having succeeded at that, on the desktop anyway), Google is duplicating it on the mobile, in hyperdrive. The problem is that it's a serialised process and is very hard to do in parallel. Time will tell if Google can pull it off. But, for now, I'm sticking with Symbian, whether owned by Nokia or not.

I'm not a Google Earth addict. Indeed, I rarely launch the glorified web browser. But, when I do, I don't expect it to crash. So Mac team, here's a crash dump for you. Please leave a comment here as to how you're coming along and let me know if I may be of further assistance.

Further issues with Apple's sorry quality control. Windows emulation using Parallels' networking support does not work! Fuck you Apple, Parallels and whomever else is behind this shitty update.

Anyone else see the irony of Apple products stealing ideas from Microsoft?

I installed the 10.5.1 update this morning.

Before I get to my main rant, I must give a short rant about the Apple website. Why is there no obvious link to the knowledge base from Apple.com? I had to use Microsoft to get a link to the Apple knowledgebase.

So, after going through the update process, rebooting my machine, etc., I switched my wireless network, using the menubar item per usual. Would Leopard let me do this? No! Is this a documented new feature? No! From the update spec:

• Allows password-protected accounts on Airport Disks to show up on Finder shared Sidebar.
• Resolves an issue with saved passwords for wireless networks

If it's documented, they have a strange way of letting users know that you can no longer select wireless LANs by way of the menu bar. If this is indeed the case, what's the use of having the network selection up there? I don't need to see how many wireless lans there are unless I'm able to pick one to join. I hope Thomas or Hawkeye read this and forward it to the appropriate team in the bowels of Cupertino.