Ever since iBooks came out with the iPad, I have wanted to publish some of my own content. Yet, as anyone who has ever tried can attest, this is not easy. Creating EPUBs is just awkward and inconvenient. Think of it as writing a web page before WISWYG editors, or composing an essay on a pre-GUI word processor.

The recent release of Pages allows a document to be exported as an EPUB, but then to actually see it, a transfer to the iPad is necessary. In theory, this should be easy, but iTunes is such a piece of junk, that nothing like this is ever easy. (Say, Apple, when are you gonna fix this obsolete piece of bloatware anyway?) So, until the release of iBook Author, writing electronic books was not exactly convenient or easy.

Supposedly, iBooks Author is changing all of that. Roger Rosner’s demo was way cool — the video above gives you a bit of a look. The keynote emphasizes textbooks, but the potential for any kind of electronic publication is there. For example, I’ve started publishing literary content on LitMUSE, but wouldn’t delivery on the iPad be so much better, especially since you can annotate it and take it with you even without a network connection? Yes, maybe this is one more nail in the Web’s coffin. Plus, the ability to add multimedia content — e.g., Eliot reading The Waste Land, excerpts from a documentary on Homer, or photos I recently took in Greece — would boost it to the next level — especially in a Humanities class. I already have a ton of original content.

And speaking of the end of the Web, perhaps LitMUSE’s days as a course Web site are numbered in the light of the new iTunes U. It provides a slick way to deliver all sorts of content in a convenient format. They did not demo the course construction during the keynote, but Apple’s web site makes it look pretty easy. I know I would be perfect for this. Maybe this will be LitMUSE 2.0?

I already have ideas for my next semester’s classes, and I can’t wait to get started. I predict this is the beginning of a whole new chapter in my academic life.

What struck me first is Daisey’s description of himself as an Apple Fanboy. Most of how he describes himself Geeking out to Apple fan sites and the loving attentions he bestows on his Apple hardware reminds me much of myself. However, I posit, perhaps naively, that I can have a critical eye toward Apple — this position does not mean that I don’t own most of their gadgets.

Yet, after listening to Daisey’s experiences in Shenzhen and Foxconn City, any Westerner with a conscience would have to question his or her use of gadgets that negatively affect the lives of hundreds of thousands of impoverished Chinese citizens — some likely underaged. Is an iPad or iPhone so important to my life that I’m willing to condone what amounts to slavery in the twenty-first century?

At least that’s what I thought after listening to part one of the program. After Daisey’s 40-minute narrative, I found myself still in my car; I had made it home, turned off the engine, and was sitting in a dark garage. I went inside to listen to act two.

This part provides a step back from Dasiey’s narrative — some analysis and fact checking. While there were some mitigating perspectives and evidence, the fact still remains that our tech that has become so ingrained in our lives is made in sweatshops.

Why is this the case? Really? Why don’t we make our own fetishized tech right here in the US? I know it would be more expensive — our gadgets would likely double in cost — but isn’t that the right thing to do? Should we, as one of the commentators suggests, just accept the grim realities for Foxconn workers as the growing pains of a nascent capitalist economy?

Is it really that easy?

I celebrated my anniversary this month with my lovely wife. It’s been four years. We rented a condo on St. Armand’s Key in Sarasota; we ate, drank, lounged, and exercised. What a great time. Happy anniversary again, A.

I have been using my iPad. It goes with me everywhere except to run and to shower. I’m even reluctant to put it down when I sleep. My favorite applications are the reading ones: iBooks, Wired, GoodReader, and NewsRack. In fact, I think the iPad will mark a return to true reading, especially for me.

Nicholas Carr argues that the Internet is rewiring our brains and making us all multitaskers. This means that we lose concentration and focus more easily, that our attention is more fragmented, and that we exchange depth for breadth. We are, in many respects, teaching our brains to think less deeply and pay more attention to crap. Bruce Sterling made a similar case in his futurist study Tomorrow Now. He argues that our activities on the Internet accumulate fragments of information in blogs, tweets, and social networks, but there’s not real learning going on. Carr suggests that these new skills are not necessarily all bad, and Sterling emphasizes a return to canon building as a way to focus these disperate voices. I think the iPad can help.

Like I wrote above: my favorite apps are the reading apps. IBooks is Apple’s free book reader, and it is slick. Not only can change the fonts and their sizes, but I can double-tap on a word, and click “Dictionary” to look up its meaning. So simple, and so useful. I can insert bookmarks, but I wish I could annotate those. (Are you listening, Apple?) I have purchased a few books, namely Dan Simmons’ Ilium and Octavia Butler’s Kindred, and I have also downloaded many freebies. I’m also excited about making my own. Can you say “self-publishing”?

The coolest app I’ve purchased (so far) is Wired (pictured above right). Man, is this slick; it’s what a magazine on the iPad should be. The pages are gorgeous and the navigation is intuitive and spot-on. When they discuss music, there are samples to be played. When a movie makes sense, one’s provided. They even have a slick, three-page ad for HBO’s True Blood and other animated and interactive goodies. Now the app is $5, and it’s worth every penny. However, I think this will eventually go down. I’d gladly pay $30 a year for this awesome periodical. The rest of you magazine publishers out there should take note: you want to save your industry? Look to Wired‘s example. I could see The New Yorker, Asimov’s, National Geographic, etc. all on my iPad.

GoodReader is another great app. Essentially, it allows me to load up my PDFs and read them on the iPad’s gorgeous screen. I have many PDFs, and this is very slick. They look great, and the program is pretty responsive. But that’s not even the coolest part: it’s all the options I have for getting PDFs onto the iPad. GoodReader links to Box.net and my Dropbox. I can browse the contents of both, and then download whatever I need. Very nice. I’m loading up all my lecture notes; I plan to use the iPad in the classroom. Oh, the educational possibilities are so tantalizing, but I’ll save that for another entry.

NewsRack is my RSS reader. I like that it syncs my Google Reader account. It also looks good and functions well. ‘Nuff said.

Not only have I been spending time with my iPad, but I’ve been wasting time on the computer. Most of that is the fault of Tumblr. Well, tomorrow, my time on Tumblr is going to be limited by necessity.

I’m teaching two class this summer: a first-session World Literature 1, and a full-session World Literature 2, online. I like this schedule for summer, as it will give me some flexibility in July. Several of my friends and colleagues aren’t teaching this summer. I wish that was an option for me, but I need a paycheck. Maybe some day.

That’s really about it. May’s been great. It might be my favorite month of the year.

I was originally going to replace the MBP with a new one. Since I bought my current one in November of 2007, the product line has had significant upgrades. Perhaps the most noticeable is their carved aluminum bodies. I really think the reason why my MBP’s keyboard and trackpad died is because of the flimsy body. The difference between new and old is like the difference between the old and new iPods.

While the new MBPs are very nice, I simply needed more room to edit photos. I have been doing a lot of photography work lately, and I really needed a machine with the processor to handle it, plus the screen real estate to allow me to see details. The iMac does both of these very well: Aperture works well on this machine. I would still like to see it move faster, but it is a pro application, so there’s a lot going on under the hood. Its workspace looks beautiful on the iMac’s monitor. This machine is perfect for photo editing; now I just have to teach myself to use Final Cut.

I do miss having a portable Mac. One of the drawbacks to the iMac is that it has to live in the office. This is not such a great drawback now, since we cleaned the office, but I enjoy sitting in front of the tube while working, MBP resting on my lap.

The old MBP will be acting as the home server. I installed Snow Leopard Server on it this morning, and it’ll probably take me a few days to get it totally configured. I must admit: I do miss the Ubuntu server I was running, but the machine I was using was just too loud. While the Mac Server software has come a long way, I still prefer the ol’ Debian command line approach to administration. However, 10.6 server looks pretty bad-ass already. It has a pretty powerful web server built-in, complete with wiki, blog, address, and calendaring functions. This could be a cool family server.

OK, back to work. I still have some configuring to do.

It's so BIG!

Since Apple is a hardware and software company, the two ‘wares work well together. Apple’s design principles stress ease-of-use, elegance, and professional results. I’m speaking, here, of the MacOS, an operating system I have used for about 25 years. The current MacOS is built on open-source software and is perhaps the best available for any price. I know Windoze users will argue, and I frankly don’t care, nor is Windoze v. Mac even relevant here. Essentially, Windoze and the Mac are the same: they are both proprietary operating systems written by corporations for the sole purpose of making their respective companies wealthy and powerful.

At the heart of this debate is the perennial open source software versus proprietary software question. I have an iPhone for some of the same reasons that I prefer to use the MacOS. Since it’s proprietary, certain standards in interface and design keep my computing experience consistent and predictable. The iPhone (and soon, iPad) are new products, so I’m more willing to cut them the slack I wouldn’t with a traditional computer operating system. They’ll hammer out the wrinkles soon. Where the iPhone gets in trouble is new territory: not only is the operating system proprietary, Apple now controls what we — the users — can do with it in a draconian way, it seems.

Unlike the MacOS, the iPhoneOS is even more closed; I might even call it super-proprietary. On the former, I cannot change the code of the OS, but I can download programs that can significantly alter the operating system and how I use it. I can install modifications and other software that the powers-that-be might not like me having, like BitTorrent, pornography, warez, cracks, and other socially unacceptable forms of software that give the middle finger to any company (or person) that doesn’t like it. This is a question of my personal ethical codes and scruples. Apple supplies the container, but I can put anything in that container that I want, including elements that might not be good for it or me. I purchased a computer complete with operating system. And even though it comes with a proprietary end user license that I have to agree to before using said computer, I’ve never read the license and am pretty certain I’ve violated it many times. The point is: even with a proprietary operating system as we have known them from the beginnings of the personal computer until now, I can choose to ignore the licenses and the legal limits the corporations try to impose on me. I choose, not them.

Yet, it seems that these sorts of mostly open operating systems allow customers — users, programmers, hackers, and crackers (are we all just criminals?) — too much freedom. Enter the iPhone and the super-proprietary operating systems, or what we might more accurately describe as the closed-source-to-modification systems. With Apple’s app store as gateway to my iPhone/Pad/Pod, I can no longer really decide what to put on my computer — Apple decides for me and then gives me a pretend choice. This is analogous to Burger King being the only restaurant in town and saying “have it your way.” This is not a real choice, is it?

Tim Bray, Google’s newest Android bitch, puts it this way:

Yes, he is a corporate spokesman, but he is also exactly right.

Every fiber of my being should be resisting Apple and their path to techno-tyranny. I have championed Apple over Microsoft for years, but it seems that with the success of the iPod, then iPhone, and soon the iPad, they are becoming just as evil as corporations I’ve demonized in the past. I keep hoping that it will not turn out this way, but every day I seem to read something to the contrary. First came news of alleged stock malfeasance, then Jobs’ reputation as a techno-despot, then Fair Play DRM, then its rigid restrictions on how I use my iPod, then its exclusive deals with cell provides, to the iPhone/PadOS. As much as I wish it wasn’t, Apple seems to be changing into a typical ’Merican corporation.

So what are my responsibilities as a citizen and a consumer? I do have an iPhone, but my contract with AT&T is up in June. No matter what I do, it seems a necessity to sign a two-year contract with a cell provider (boooo!), but I could get an open-source phone, like one that runs Android. That leaves me buying hardware from another corporation, like Motorola or HTC. Are they really any different? Yes, Apple controls the applications I can put on my phone, but there are still more to choose from that I will ever need or want. Yes, Apple’s developer license is crap, and it needs to be fixed. Apple did get rid of their music DRM. Is it as bad as Bray and others make it sound?

I currently use Ubuntu on a cheap Acer laptop I bought last November, and it’s fine. But, I find myself missing my Mac more everyday.

Apple, I used to only love you, but your actions lately have been inspiring a lot of hate, consternation, and thoughts of jumping ship. Maybe you should consider that, change some of your policies, and make amends. Please don’t push me away. We’ve been together too long.

Seriously. It seems that only narratives about belief and faith get anywhere in this country these days. Facts are irrelevant — too pedestrian. Loud opinion is king, and my don’t we have plenty of it to go around? Not only do we like opinions, but we seem to relish uninformed, indignant, rude, and freakin’ loud! opinions even more, like pigs to the trough. Most of our current debates center around these types of beliefs, too. Yes, heath care is a very real problem, but it isn’t the fact of the problem that people care about, it’s the belief (a mystical flavor of opinion) about it that gets everyone so riled. You know, like religious belief.

My religion would be based around technology, more specifically computer technology. There’s already a Cult of Mac, but “cult” is such a pejorative term. I vote we make it into a full-fledged religion with all the concomitant benefits — and I’m not just talking about the material and economic ones. The narratives are already in place. We could make Apple the thing we worship, and Microsoft could be Satan and all his demonic horde. The particulars can be worked out later, and they’re not really that important. In fact, we could just as easily have chosen M$ as the entity most proper for our thoughtless devotion, but since I’m a Mac user, I’ve made Apple the arbitrary bestowers of goodness and light, and M$ the damned and execrable purveyors of sins most foul. Who is good is not really the point.

The Apple commercials are already allegorical. We have the Mac as the angel on your left shoulder and PC as the demon on your right. Who would you listen to? Justin Long is kind of a winy and right millennial, but John Hodgman‘s evil peecee commands my sympathy with his wry pathos. Apple’s marketing goons have done a great job with the complexity of this choice, like a medieval allegorist. Which will we choose? Well, ultimately there is no choice: we must go with the Mac if we are to achieve computing nirvana, even though its representative is as exciting as a latex-coated bible, and to me not really representative of of the holy OS.

Anyway, a new Apple religion. This is not because Apple deserves to be worshipped, but it does make sense that we’d choose a corporation to venerate in this country today. We love our stuff, and corporations know how to sell it to us. They’re like the pastor passing around the donation plate before communion, and we’re the obedient parishioners smiling while we give ten percent of our income to God before we’re rewarded with a snack. This is about right, too, if we take into consideration the computers at home, in the office, the iPods, service, upgrades, support devices, entertainment appliances, iTunes purchases. . . Ten percent might be conservative.

Still, I’m interested in the what religion signifies in this country above all of these other matters. I want to end the persecution. I want people to treat me and my choices as if they really mattered. You know, like we do for Christians. Religion is not up for debate. It’s not up for discrimination. It’s not up for rational thought. It’s about belief. I want the respect given to religion, say, by businesses and politicians. They don’t even have to understand why I have chosen to use a Mac; why I have chosen to shun Microsoft. They just need to support that decision, like they do, say, Christmas. You don’t ask questions about Xmas, do you? It’s America’s holiest corporate Christian holiday. How dare you!? You must be one of those Marxist Communists.

It’s really not so much to ask. There will be no pogroms to end Microsoft’s monopoly of the computer industry. In fact, they may still wipe us believers off the face of the digital planet. That day would be like Pope’s “universal darkness,” and I certainly hope it doesn’t come to that. Yet, the place where I work is discriminating against my religion by trying to marginalize Mac users and end their support of our platform on their network. They are not friendly toward our technological choices and would sleep much better if we would just go away. Ask them. We are just a nuisance to them, like a small band of believers were to Rome about 2000 years ago.

You don’t have to agree with me. In fact, I’m pretty sure you don’t. We are used to the discrimination of Applists, or should that be Macists? (I think I like the latter, since it sounds like Marxists, and you know that scares the shit out of people, even though they have no idea what it means.) For you non-believers, I will end with a final question: “What computer would Jesus use?”

Despite my better judgment, I took it to the local computer place: the so-called Quality Computer Systems on Riverside Drive in Macon, Georgia. I link to them, not to send them business, but to hopefully let my experience reflect on their business. What I mean by “better judgment” is based on my first experience with them. A couple of years ago, I had a 12″ PowerBook that I spilled a bit of water on. It immediately went dead and would not boot, even after several hours to let it dry. I thought I hosed the computer, so I took it to QCS for their diagnosis. After it sat there for about three days, they called me and said it was ready. Apparently, just letting dry for a bit longer was all that was necessary; that’ll be $85. “For what,” I asked. “Well, it did boot, but we ran diagnostics to see if everything was OK.” Fine, I thought, paying the money, but feeling ripped off. I made a mental note at the time never to go back there again. They could have at least called me before they ran those diagnostics.

Well, flash forward a couple of years to my current monitor problem. Apparently, I have forgotten about my experience with them or was just distracted by my current dilemma. I packed up my ailing MBP and headed to QCS. This was a Thursday. Nearly a week later, they called me to report my logic board needed to be replaced (the video card is shot, and that lives on the logic board). A new logic board would be about $1200. I told them I’d just come get the computer. “That’ll be $85.” I paid it without a word. While it did take them a week to get to it, it wasn’t their fault my computer seemed beyond repair.

I began looking for another computer thinking I could sell my MBP for parts. Autumn just got a new MacBook, and we decided we could share that as well as a new 24″ iMac for the house. Since the blogosphere was a-twitter with rumors of imminent new iMacs, I decided to wait. When they were finally announced a couple of days ago, I was underwhelmed with the offerings. Had the upgraded iMacs had LED monitors, this story might have ended differently.

“What the hell,” I thought, “I’ll give Apple a call about my MBP.” Giles reminded me of the number: 800-SOS-APPL. I called, and I was almost immediately connected with a guy named Anthony. I explained the problem, and he was sympathetic. He checked the price of a new logic board, and came up with the same number that QCS gave me. “Hold on,” he said, “let me check one other thing.” He was gone for a minute, and when he came back, he had a better price for me: $350. Apparently, since I had not abused my computer, this is the adjusted out-of-warranty price. I had a box the next day and received my fixed MBP yesterday from Apple. Sweet.

I gotta say: I was not expecting such a positive outcome. My experience with Apple and customer service lately has not been what it used to be when they were not on top. I am pleasantly surprised, and my faith in my favorite computer company has been renewed. Thanks, Apple.

As for QCS: couldn’t they have called Apple for me? The more I think about it, the more upset I get. This is what local customer service has turned in to. I guess, because of geography, they feel they have some sort of monopoly here in central Georgia (is that called an oligopoly?). I think they could have done more. I’m out $160+ from my two experiences with them, and what did I get either time? Really. I will not be going back, and I actually feel like writing to the owner. I would, if I felt it would do any good.

I really have nothing else to say.

I think that you’d realize that most of your education customers would want to install Moodle (including yours truly), but you cannot without the graphic libraries. Wouldn’t it be easier to include them as part of your standard Apache/PHP install? I want to use a theme for my WordPress install that uses Timthumb, but that requires the GD libraries.I guess I could turn off Apple’s install of Apache/PHP, etc., but sheesh. One of the reasons to use Mac OS X Server is for ease of administration. Yeah.

I’ve even started looking into installing Debian on my Xserve instead. It would be much simpler. What do you think, Apple?

Apple, why can’t I put what I want on my Apple TV, like I can on my iPod (well, not my Shuffle)? Why can’t I use it to store my media, like I would a hard drive? Why can’t I plug an external hard drive into my Apple TV to up my storage? Why can’t I play Netflix? Why can’t I play Hulu? I know you said it was a “hobby,” but if you sell a product, you should listen to what people want. Fix it, Apple.

And, while we’re at it: why is iTunes so stupid? Why can’t I decide to store music on one hard drive, movies on another, TV on a third? And why — God, why?! — does iTunes erase my entire iPod Shuffle whenever I plug it in to the computer? Do you know how much this irritates me? Fix it, Apple.

I know: some of these restrictions are undoubtedly not your fault. If this is the case, explain yourself, Apple. Why can’t I use my old iPod as storage for my music? I can? Well, what if I want to copy a song off of it to my new iPhone? No? Why the hell not? Fix it, Apple.

I am so tired of all my digital products coming to me broken. Apple, you should have enough clout to be able to begin changing some of these restrictions. TiVo, now’s your chance: you’ve already landed Netflix (though I have yet to see it)l when are you gonna get Hulu? Also, when will you allow me to put my own content on my TiVo? I know you have desktop software, but it’s even lamer than iTunes, and much more restrictive.

We are not all criminals, guys. Stop treating us like we are.