Peeve Farm

g r o t t o 1 1

Peeve Farm
Breeding peeves for show, not just to keep as pets

Brian Tiemann
Silicon Valley-based purveyor of a confusing mixture of Apple punditry and political bile.

btman at grotto11 dot com

Read These Too:

InstaPundit
Steven Den Beste
James Lileks
Little Green Footballs
As the Apple Turns
Entropicana
Cold Fury
Capitalist Lion
Red Letter Day
Eric S. Raymond
Tal G in Jerusalem
Aziz Poonawalla
Corsair the Rational Pirate
.clue
Ravishing Light
Rosenblog
Cartago Delenda Est

Book Plugs:

Buy 'em and I get
money. I think.
BSD Mall

Amazon Honor System

5/22/2006 -  5/24/2006
5/15/2006 -  5/21/2006
  5/8/2006 -  5/14/2006
  5/1/2006 -   5/7/2006
4/24/2006 -  4/30/2006
4/17/2006 -  4/23/2006
4/10/2006 -  4/16/2006
  4/3/2006 -   4/9/2006
3/27/2006 -   4/2/2006
3/20/2006 -  3/26/2006
3/13/2006 -  3/19/2006
  3/6/2006 -  3/12/2006
2/27/2006 -   3/5/2006
2/20/2006 -  2/26/2006
2/13/2006 -  2/19/2006
  2/6/2006 -  2/12/2006
1/30/2006 -   2/5/2006
1/23/2006 -  1/29/2006
1/16/2006 -  1/22/2006
  1/9/2006 -  1/15/2006
  1/2/2006 -   1/8/2006
12/26/2005 -   1/1/2005
12/19/2005 - 12/25/2005
12/12/2005 - 12/18/2005
12/5/2005 - 12/11/2005
11/28/2005 -  12/4/2005
11/21/2005 - 11/27/2005
11/14/2005 - 11/20/2005
11/7/2005 - 11/13/2005
10/31/2005 -  11/6/2005
10/24/2005 - 10/30/2005
10/17/2005 - 10/23/2005
10/10/2005 - 10/16/2005
10/3/2005 -  10/9/2005
9/26/2005 -  10/2/2005
9/19/2005 -  9/25/2005
9/12/2005 -  9/18/2005
  9/5/2005 -  9/11/2005
8/29/2005 -   9/4/2005
8/22/2005 -  8/28/2005
8/15/2005 -  8/21/2005
  8/8/2005 -  8/14/2005
  8/1/2005 -   8/7/2005
7/25/2005 -  7/31/2005
7/18/2005 -  7/24/2005
7/11/2005 -  7/17/2005
  7/4/2005 -  7/10/2005
6/27/2005 -   7/3/2005
6/20/2005 -  6/26/2005
6/13/2005 -  6/19/2005
  6/6/2005 -  6/12/2005
5/30/2005 -   6/5/2005
5/23/2005 -  5/29/2005
5/16/2005 -  5/22/2005
  5/9/2005 -  5/15/2005
  5/2/2005 -   5/8/2005
4/25/2005 -   5/1/2005
4/18/2005 -  4/24/2005
4/11/2005 -  4/17/2005
  4/4/2005 -  4/10/2005
3/28/2005 -   4/3/2005
3/21/2005 -  3/27/2005
3/14/2005 -  3/20/2005
  3/7/2005 -  3/13/2005
2/28/2005 -   3/6/2005
2/21/2005 -  2/27/2005
2/14/2005 -  2/20/2005
  2/7/2005 -  2/13/2005
1/31/2005 -   2/6/2005
1/24/2005 -  1/30/2005
1/17/2005 -  1/23/2005
1/10/2005 -  1/16/2005
  1/3/2005 -   1/9/2005
12/27/2004 -   1/2/2004
12/20/2004 - 12/26/2004
12/13/2004 - 12/19/2004
12/6/2004 - 12/12/2004
11/29/2004 -  12/5/2004
11/22/2004 - 11/28/2004
11/15/2004 - 11/21/2004
11/8/2004 - 11/14/2004
11/1/2004 -  11/7/2004
10/25/2004 - 10/31/2004
10/18/2004 - 10/24/2004
10/11/2004 - 10/17/2004
10/4/2004 - 10/10/2004
9/27/2004 -  10/3/2004
9/20/2004 -  9/26/2004
9/13/2004 -  9/19/2004
  9/6/2004 -  9/12/2004
8/30/2004 -   9/5/2004
8/23/2004 -  8/29/2004
8/16/2004 -  8/22/2004
  8/9/2004 -  8/15/2004
  8/2/2004 -   8/8/2004
7/26/2004 -   8/1/2004
7/19/2004 -  7/25/2004
7/12/2004 -  7/18/2004
  7/5/2004 -  7/11/2004
6/28/2004 -   7/4/2004
6/21/2004 -  6/27/2004
6/14/2004 -  6/20/2004
  6/7/2004 -  6/13/2004
5/31/2004 -   6/6/2004
5/24/2004 -  5/30/2004
5/17/2004 -  5/23/2004
5/10/2004 -  5/16/2004
  5/3/2004 -   5/9/2004
4/26/2004 -   5/2/2004
4/19/2004 -  4/25/2004
4/12/2004 -  4/18/2004
  4/5/2004 -  4/11/2004
3/29/2004 -   4/4/2004
3/22/2004 -  3/28/2004
3/15/2004 -  3/21/2004
  3/8/2004 -  3/14/2004
  3/1/2004 -   3/7/2004
2/23/2004 -  2/29/2004
2/16/2004 -  2/22/2004
  2/9/2004 -  2/15/2004
  2/2/2004 -   2/8/2004
1/26/2004 -   2/1/2004
1/19/2004 -  1/25/2004
1/12/2004 -  1/18/2004
  1/5/2004 -  1/11/2004
12/29/2003 -   1/4/2004
12/22/2003 - 12/28/2003
12/15/2003 - 12/21/2003
12/8/2003 - 12/14/2003
12/1/2003 -  12/7/2003
11/24/2003 - 11/30/2003
11/17/2003 - 11/23/2003
11/10/2003 - 11/16/2003
11/3/2003 -  11/9/2003
10/27/2003 -  11/2/2003
10/20/2003 - 10/26/2003
10/13/2003 - 10/19/2003
10/6/2003 - 10/12/2003
9/29/2003 -  10/5/2003
9/22/2003 -  9/28/2003
9/15/2003 -  9/21/2003
  9/8/2003 -  9/14/2003
  9/1/2003 -   9/7/2003
8/25/2003 -  8/31/2003
8/18/2003 -  8/24/2003
8/11/2003 -  8/17/2003
  8/4/2003 -  8/10/2003
7/28/2003 -   8/3/2003
7/21/2003 -  7/27/2003
7/14/2003 -  7/20/2003
  7/7/2003 -  7/13/2003
6/30/2003 -   7/6/2003
6/23/2003 -  6/29/2003
6/16/2003 -  6/22/2003
  6/9/2003 -  6/15/2003
  6/2/2003 -   6/8/2003
5/26/2003 -   6/1/2003
5/19/2003 -  5/25/2003
5/12/2003 -  5/18/2003
  5/5/2003 -  5/11/2003
4/28/2003 -   5/4/2003
4/21/2003 -  4/27/2003
4/14/2003 -  4/20/2003
  4/7/2003 -  4/13/2003
3/31/2003 -   4/6/2003
3/24/2003 -  3/30/2003
3/17/2003 -  3/23/2003
3/10/2003 -  3/16/2003
  3/3/2003 -   3/9/2003
2/24/2003 -   3/2/2003
2/17/2003 -  2/23/2003
2/10/2003 -  2/16/2003
  2/3/2003 -   2/9/2003
1/27/2003 -   2/2/2003
1/20/2003 -  1/26/2003
1/13/2003 -  1/19/2003
  1/6/2003 -  1/12/2003
12/30/2002 -   1/5/2003
12/23/2002 - 12/29/2002
12/16/2002 - 12/22/2002
12/9/2002 - 12/15/2002
12/2/2002 -  12/8/2002
11/25/2002 -  12/1/2002
11/18/2002 - 11/24/2002
11/11/2002 - 11/17/2002
11/4/2002 - 11/10/2002
10/28/2002 -  11/3/2002
10/21/2002 - 10/27/2002
10/14/2002 - 10/20/2002
10/7/2002 - 10/13/2002
9/30/2002 -  10/6/2002
9/23/2002 -  9/29/2002
9/16/2002 -  9/22/2002
  9/9/2002 -  9/15/2002
  9/2/2002 -   9/8/2002
8/26/2002 -   9/1/2002
8/19/2002 -  8/25/2002
8/12/2002 -  8/18/2002
  8/5/2002 -  8/11/2002
7/29/2002 -   8/4/2002
7/22/2002 -  7/28/2002
7/15/2002 -  7/21/2002
  7/8/2002 -  7/14/2002
  7/1/2002 -   7/7/2002
6/24/2002 -  6/30/2002
6/17/2002 -  6/23/2002
6/10/2002 -  6/16/2002
  6/3/2002 -   6/9/2002
5/27/2002 -   6/2/2002
5/20/2002 -  5/26/2002
5/13/2002 -  5/19/2002
  5/6/2002 -  5/12/2002
4/29/2002 -   5/5/2002
4/22/2002 -  4/28/2002
4/15/2002 -  4/21/2002
  4/8/2002 -  4/14/2002
  4/1/2002 -   4/7/2002
3/25/2002 -  3/31/2002
3/18/2002 -  3/24/2002
3/11/2002 -  3/17/2002
  3/4/2002 -  3/10/2002
2/25/2002 -   3/3/2002
2/18/2002 -  2/24/2002
2/11/2002 -  2/17/2002
  2/4/2002 -  2/10/2002
1/28/2002 -   2/3/2002
1/21/2002 -  1/27/2002
1/14/2002 -  1/20/2002
  1/7/2002 -  1/13/2002
12/31/2001 -   1/6/2002
12/24/2001 - 12/30/2001
12/17/2001 - 12/23/2001

Wednesday, May 24, 2006
11:21 - How the other half lives	(top)
I'm staying for a week with some friends in the Seattle area, and in the process I'm discovering something of what it really means to have Windows as your primary computing platform. You know... I like to think of myself as a computer-savvy sort of person. I work in software development. I write all my own back-end and front-end web app code. I've written six or seven books on various and sundry operating systems, developing and promoting workflows and user experiences to readers unfamiliar with said platforms, essentially in a teaching role. I've made digital videos. I've made photo books. I've tweaked my iTunes library to within an inch of its life. I've written programs that fill in the blanks where commercial programs fail. I've replaced hard drives and fans and built computers from scratch, and I've participated in unboxing ceremonies of inviolate ready-made machines. I've been using computers of all stripes for some twenty years now, and it's been a long long time since I thought of myself as a "novice" at anything. That is, until I saw these guys' Windows machines. I use Windows every day at work. It's not as though I don't know how Windows operates. I am freshly familiarized with all its ins and outs every time I have to reinstall it (which is frequently), and there are many applications on it that are critical to my job, including apps whose operation I have to automate to drive their interactions with our products. I am far from a Windows neophyte, in an objective sense; in a lab setting, with a well-known set of apps and when executing one specific task at a time, it's something I have no trouble grasping. But what I'm finding I don't have even the slightest understanding of is how Windows behaves when in the hands of someone who uses it 24/7/365 as a home computer, perpetually hooked into a zillion little online communities, dancing its human-independent dance through cyberspace while its owners sleep. The computer I'm typing on right now, for example, has so many apps running at this very moment that there's not a single tile in the Taskbar that's wide enough to show any text—just the often incomprehensible little 16x16 icon. The browser I'm using is Opera (IE and even Firefox have been banished from this computer), which takes over the entirety of the 1280x1024 screen like every other perpetually maximized window, and incorporates an e-mail client in a sidebar, within another sidebar showing dozens of little mode icons for things like transfers, history, a dictionary, voice feedback, sticky notes, and so on. There are tabs after tabs, toolbars after toolbars, and—most disconcerting to me at first—no control buttons. This machine's owner has customized the browser to use mouse gestures instead of buttons for Stop, Back, Forward, New Page, and so on. Right-click and drag left to go Back, for example. It works really well if you know that's what you're supposed to do, but sitting down in front of this thing I found myself completely at sea. Every one of the dozens of little Taskbar tabs expands into a chat window, a file transfer seeking episodes of some Japanese comedy show or anime or something, a file being uploaded or downloaded to/from some P2P bit-pool, or a window into any of the (no kidding) six or seven hard drives full of all the digital spoils of these sojourns. Every movie I've ever seen that depicts the neon jungle of Tokyo or Shanghai, every direction in which you look a riot of color and noise and chaos confronting you and demanding either your intention or your indulgence—that's what this is like. Things aren't made any easier by the fact that if these machines are in any way representative, every single function is handled by a third-party app, not one made by Microsoft or any of the other "majors". The PDF viewer here is "Foxit Reader", not the Adobe Acrobat reader (which I'm told is slow and unwieldy), and which feels very similar to Preview in its snappiness and layout. The image viewer is "XnView". The unzipping utility, the movie player, the mail reader/web browser—they're all "alternative". And of course the music player is WinAmp, in all its wondrous single-playlist-with-entries-based-on-filenames glory. For better or worse, I don't think I know of a Mac user who would dream of using anything other than iTunes for music. This computer even has a Mac OS X workalike Dock sitting at the top of the screen. Oddly, it's not comforting. Perhaps it's the full-screen windows that are the biggest mystery to me. Every single window is maximized at all times (and this is true of other Windows machines I've seen in the past); granted, when your browser has so many tabbed pages open at once that you can't identify them by name any more than you can identify the dozens of applications in the Taskbar (Opera remembers all your open pages when you close the app and reopens them all when you relaunch it, so that it would have to take literally hours to look through all of them—and that's not even counting reloading the various pages to see the updates throughout the day), you pretty much have to have your windows maximized in order to fit them all. But to me this defeats the entire purpose of having a multi-window operating system. I'm used to being able to have two windows open right next to each other, overlapping—say, a web browser and an e-mail message—and copy and paste stuff between them by clicking in the windows to switch from one to the other. I don't want to have to rely on Alt+Tab to switch contexts just to shuttle data back and forth. But this kind of desktop is just so customized, so highly tuned, so festooned with personalized workflow enhancements that the owners obviously know what they're doing. I feel really creepily out of my league looking at this stuff. I find myself wanting a Dock with big buttons, a Desktop with no icons except for a hard drive or two, and even a one-button mouse. (The 2-dimensional scroll wheel of the Mighty Mouse, I'll have that, though. Thank you.) I want a blue desktop background, one that I can see peeking back at me from around my non-maximized applications. I want to be able to list off the currently running apps using the fingers of one hand. And I want to feel like the applications packaged by the company that created the computer are the best ones for the job. These thoughts make me wonder: just what kind of geek am I? How is it that I've arrived at a situation where looking at a computer case with a clear plastic side panel, a blue light emanating from the CPU fan inside (peeking out from between six hard drives all strapped precariously together), and a faux-Starfleet emblem in chrome and illuminated internally in purple on the front panel, makes me feel like I'm in a foreign country? One thing's for sure, at least: Apple's got its work cut out for it, winning over people like this. UPDATE: Oh yeah. The audio playback in MP3s or videos stutters every two or three minutes. And you still can't reliablly seek to a position within a movie and have it resume playing properly. And there's no built-in SSH program.