Eric J. Gruber

To Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Computer:

Dear Steve,

Today’s announcement was a boring waste of time. Why is Apple making a boombox? Have you heard the Bose Sounddock? Surely you have since you sell it in the store. The Bose speaker system is superb in regard to quality. You think this ugly (and I’m sorry, but it is) speaker box called “iPod Hi-Fi” (now that sounds cheesy) is going to make me replace my home stero system?

Not hardly, and all I have is an iPod dock connected to a couple of Labtec speakers. It looks like a cooler. Can I six a six-pack of Diet Mountain Dew in that thing?

But this Mac Mini announcement is what was truly sad. You know, your team created the iPod, which was really cool. And this Mac Mini, it could have done what the iPod can’t: home video/entertainment at its finest. While the addition of a remote to utilize the Front Row software is cool, it doesn’t do what I need it to do: connect to my TV and record like TiVo.

I think it would be great if you came up with an all-in-one box that plugged into my cable tv provider, then allowed me to record my favorite shows. Another company, El Gato, has a box that I can buy to allow me to do that with my Mac. All of that is good, but by the time I spend $700 or so on a Mac Mini and then another $200 bucks on that, I might as well keep what I’ve got. Especially when you only give me an 80 gig drive with the Mini.

Steve, your company failed me today. You could have totally rocked and helped turn the page with home digital entertainment hardware. Instead, we got yet another bigger, faster computer. That’s great, but my current machine already does everything I need it to do. And don’t sell me something that I have to buy a bunch of additions and accesories. Why doesn’t this have a built-in iPod dock? Who are you, Microsoft?

Can’t you help us get rid of our VCRs?

Becoming a reluctant fan,

The Grubesteak

I’m about to the point where I can begin work on the BFCI web site.

It’s too bad it costs money to get a good domain name and pay for web hosting.

If you want to donate to help with this minimal cost, you can do it here:

That would be excellent. And no, this isn’t tax deductible.
Thanks in advance.

Watching Mythbusters tonight, I saw a commercial for General Motors in its latest effort to get people to buy its automobiles.

And once again, they’ve lost the mark.

Here’s the web site GM is promoting (which redirects to its own web site): www.livegreengoyellow.com. Note: The site plays music and doesn’t have an off button, so keep that in mind if you’re at work or something. Hey GM, music on a web site in this fashion is a no-no.

My employer recently completed an in-house study about commuting and alternative fuel possibilities. When all was said and done, can you guess the one factor those surveyed said would cause them to look into alternative transportation?

If you guessed money, you’re pretty smart. Much smarter than GM.

GM’s commercial focused heavily about “reducing dependence on foreign oil” and “clean emissions.” The commercial showed young adults running around giving yellow T-shirts to people from all walks of life, praising E85, which is made from corn. The ad goes on to praise a fuel that can be “regrown every year.”

That’s great. How much does it cost? Until GM and other people promoting E85 as a viable fuel source can tell me how it will save me money, I really don’t care. And neither does a majority of the public. Cut to the chase, money talks in America. And youthful T-shirt wearing green freaks isn’t going to get me to a GM lot anytime soon.

Stupid GM. It’s no wonder GM is losing green, and I don’t mean anything environmental friendliness.

So, there’s this web site I visit every day called Web Pages That Suck. It’s a web site that points out the faults of other web sites, so you can learn how not to design web sites.

I love this web site. It’s such a staple of my internet diet. The past week’s worth of examples showcased on the Daily Sucker section of the web site have been amazing. They’re so good/bad, I had to share them with you.

Enjoy!

NEIU Foreign Language Lab

GoGo Frog

Colorado Academy of Silversmithing and Art Metal

Costcutter

Still Water Revival Books

Victoria Carriage Tours

and Windbrella

Wow, these sites suck