An interesting review of a product that the reviewer admits “no one needs”: just as its market is collectors and enthusiasts to whom all manner of ephemera appeal, this application might be a must-have.
Look hard at that graphic. This is a splash screen for a beta—something that will never be seen by more than a handful of people. Note the bullet hole, the magic marker graffiti, the scratched-out slogan, the haphazardly placed logo sticker.
Linux users, think about this image the next time you download a release version of a product without a comprehensive sample configuration file or with “cosmetic” bugs. Windows users, think about this the next time you see a poorly drawn 16-color icon or toolbar graphic in a multi-hundred dollar commercial software package.
The review is more a riff on the “climate of excellence” that Mac users — and developers — have built around their platform. Siracusa hammers his point home again and again that what Apple offers in those comparatively overpriced boxes is a first-class experience. Stuff just works and, dare I say, is even fun to use.
Perhaps an iSight camera is going to move a little higher up my list of purchases.