RailsConf 2008 Registration Now Open
Register here. Fresh from my inbox…
. 29 Jan 08 | Computer | Comments (0)
Mac Users: Buy This Now
https://www.macheist.com/buy/invite/94211
The latest MacHeist bundle: $50 for 12 apps, the most notable being Pixelmator, CSSEdit and Snapz Pro X. I picked up the 3-pack bundle for $100 and a total of 36 license key. 4 days left. w00ties!
Tags: apple, command, mac, macheist, news, opinion
. 19 Jan 08 | Computer | Comments (0)
Welcomed To The RRoD Club, Part 2
The RRoD 360 repair process has been straightforward so far. (After all, Microsoft has certainly had an ample volume of opportunities to improve it.) The online repair form was straightforward, and my empty pre-paid shipping box arrived yesterday.
Everything needed to package the console for return was included: a plastic bag for the console, padded foam, large strip of packaging tape, shipping label, small form (in English and Spanish) and clearly written photographic instructions. Paying for door pickup would have been nice, but that’s not a big deal. I’m off to drop it off at UPS right now.
Tags: Games, microsoft, rrod, xbox 360
. 11 Jan 08 | Uncategorized | Comments (0)
Writing Good Error Messages
I received this little note from my Mac today.
This made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside despite the interruption of my work because it satisfies my general criteria for displaying error messages to users.
- A graphical severity indicator is given so I know whether or not to care.
- It provides a succinct, human-readable desciption of the issue. (No “ERROR CODE: 23DD8″ crap which is meaningless to the user.)
- An immediate, resolvable course of action is given to the user. Providing this makes the user feel empowered and accomplished for acting. Neglecting this makes the user concerned and irritated.
- A description of future symptoms is given for when/if the user does not take the suggested course of action. This gives the user reason to do what you’re asking.
- It shut up about the issue when I clicked OK and let the failure happen like it told me it would. When I noticed my mouse wasn’t responding I immediately remembered why.
The dialog is in stark contrast to this nifty gem constantly pooping out of my Solaris kernel..
“Pin widgit 27 is EAPD capable.”
WTF??? What the heck is a “pin widgit” and why do I care if it’s “EAPD capable”? Is this even a bad thing? Do I need to do something here? What happens if I ignore this, which I most definitely will since I have clue what it’s talking about? Why does it tell me this every time I start the machine?
Criteria failure on all counts. Bad computer!
Tags: apple, mac, methodology, osx, solaris, usability
. 10 Jan 08 | Computer | Comments (0)
Request For Invention: Ultimate Skype Conference Phone
Attention IPEVO: Go ahead and bill me for one of these Skype conference phones as soon as you meet this feature set.
- Clear voice quality with good range and crosstalk reduction. (Duh.) At least as good as that popular Polycom model everyone uses.
- Color LCD and interface like the SOLO, but with a few conferencing features. (Actually, go ahead and add those conferencing features to the solo as well. It needs some! If Skype doesn’t allow for this, I’ll pay a minimal monthly fee for a 3rd party integration.)
- Bluetooth pairable with OS X, with a tolerable amount of latency when used wirelessly. No special drivers must be used for this.
- Ethernet port (and LAN pass-through) just like the SOLO for computer-free operation.
- USB port for wired laptop operation. Special drivers are OK here, but I don’t want to have to run some special app in the forground to use basic features.
- Optional: Power-over-ethernet operation. Add $20 for this feature.
- Optional: Clustered operation. Add $20 for this feature.
- Optional: Network discovery and AirTunes support. Add $20 for this feature.
- Optional: Gigabit ethernet with four extra switch ports. Add $40 for this feature.
You may charge me up to $250 for one unit (plus extras), which includes all cables neatly packagable in a box that can be used for transport. Thanks!
. 09 Jan 08 | Computer | Comments (0)