Brad Arsenault (dot com) » Uncategorized

Technical Malfunction…

BradArsenault — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 22:19:11 +0000

Early today BraArsenault dot com went down and after some tinkering and restoring a database is now back online. This will be a good motivator to redesign the site, but in the meantime this plain and simple theme will have to do.

–Brad

Dell gets (Studio) smart with new Studio Hybrid Line!

BradArsenault — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 14:00:02 +0000

This week Dell has released another addition to their “Studio” product line and advertising campaign. This new “hybrid desktop” (as they refer to it) offers far more customizable options than Apple’s Mac Mini. This Wii-sized device offer an intel core 2 extreme up to 3ghz, up to 4 GB if ddr2 ram, upto 320 GB of hard disk storage, and most interestingly, Blu-ray player. This computer, or home theatre component, outputs HDMI, could easily replace my LG SuperBlu player, and requires as little space as the Nintendo Wii. By far it’s far more important that this will challenge Apple’s Mac Mini; the mac mini uses outdated, slow hardware, a slower hard disk, and no Blu-ray support. With rumors of a MacBook refresh this September, a mac mini update is far overdue, a staggering 358 days according to Macrumors.com s buyers guide…

The front of this new Dell has a modern, sleek design which will blend with other components, or with you existing computer setup. It’s of note to point out the two USB 2.0 ports and slot-loading optical drive (DVD-/+RW Read Write or Blu-ray reader-option).

The Mac Mini is a dated design which has remained unchanged since January (Macworld) of 2005. The front and sides contain no ports, and the only point of mention are the slot-load optical drive (Combo or Superdrive available) and a remote sensor for Front-row (Apple’s version of Media Center, with no TV recording capability).

The Dell contains similar ports to the Mac Mini, but offers a S/PDIF optical audio out and an HDMI-out port.

The Mac Mini does have a competitive suite of ports too, it has one more USB port than the Dell, for a total of 4 USB 2.0 ports: in addition to a full-sized Firewire (IEE 1394), gigabit networking, a kensignton security slot, and both optical audio in and out (not SP/DIF).

The final feature that will more than likely sell more Studios than Mac Minis would be the color customizable options. The Dell is offered in Slate, Emeralf, Quartz, Ruby, Topaz, Saphire, and bamboo ( a wood-pattern).

In my research in comparing the cost/value between these two it’s clear that the Dell is much better value. When configured to the top-of-the-line Mac Mini with 2 GB of memory, a 160GB hard-disk, and so-on, the Dell is a much more modern incarnation of a mini-computer. And that’s just it: the Mac Mini is a compromise machine, it has a 4200 RPM hard disk (the Dell has a 5400 RPM), the Dell offers up to a 2.6 GHz intel T9500 processor, while the Mac Mini is stuck at just 2.0 GHz. The Dell is capable of being so much more than the Mac Mini in this age where working with multi-media is the norm.

If I were shopping for another computer, a home-theate computer, or a lower-end PC for a chiled the Dell would have to be my choice-it you’re looking for a mac you’re better off with an iMac or the best-selling Macbook (the Macbook and Mac Mini are mostly the same, but the current Macbook is more modern. Apple’s decline to update the Mac Mini could predict that this mac doesn’t hae a future.)

–Brad

Firefox 3 Review

BradArsenault — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 12:48:28 +0000

Firefox 2 in my opinion has been a flop from the memory leaks, the interface, and it’s dated when compared to Safari or Opera.

All memory leak issues are fixed.
It runs faster (start and page-load)
It’s more reliable (No more javascript or flash issues)
It looks so much better than the old Firefox
Safari is almost 10x faster (in my CSStest file I got from the internet)

I just don’t like the rendering feel of firefox-it doesn’t feel mac. On Windows I love it because it feels windows, but on mac it feels like something from the pre-X days. When you click a link the text has a box around it and feels so much worse than when you click a link in Safari.

The new Firefox also takes longer to start-up, load pages, and performs poorly on (asa mentioned before) CSS tests (not to mention that Safari beats Firefox 3 at the Acid 3 test-Safari=74, Firefox=71)

To conclude this, I should mention that this is my first look at Firefox 3, to make sure that I know Firefox I should use it over the next few weeks to see if it’s really as bad as I think it is.

***UPDATE***

Just to note: as mention on Leo Laporte and Steve Gibson’s podcast “Security Now!” it is recommended to switch off third-party cookies. Firefox 3, unlike Firefox 2 has the ability to disable this feature for enhanced (privacy) security: to disable third party cookies you have to go to Tools > Options then you select the “Privacy” Tab. In the section labeled “Cookies” Uncheck the box that says “Accept third-party cookies”. (For added (privacy) security also change the drop-down list that says “Keep until:” from “they expire” to “I close Firefox”. Finally click “OK” and restart Firefox. Or you can watch this screen-cast I’ve prepared and follow along with it.