The elements of horrible tech aesthetics
Free polishing cloth with every purchase!
There's an abundance of utterly hideous equipment on the market, ranging from mobile phones to desktop computers to anything designed by a collection of stale engineers. Sometimes it's a subtle flaw, such as an upside-down logo on your laptop lid. Other times you'll come across something that's so insanely blemished, that you struggle to comprehend the fact that a living human being produced and released this device to the market - at least, not with a straight face.
Illogical Immunity
Good luck! I'm behind 9 proxies, and on a Mac!
It's the age old argument. What platform is most secure, Windows, MacOS or Linux? Apple wants you to believe that their OS, MacOSX, is the best option, which is evident by their ad campaigns featuring two men depicting a 'PC' and a 'Mac' respectively. Perhaps the most relevant skit can be found here. Linux, on the other hand, is known to take security very seriously. Some would say too seriously, with constant nagging not unlike the infamous Vista UAC. Of course, it's arguable that security is a lot more important than avoiding the incessant tending to security dialogues. Then there's Windows. It has a reputation for being riddled with viruses, spyware, or just malware in general. This mentality may have started in 1986, five years after the first virus was deployed on the Apple II. Since Microsoft's software was so popular, it became the obvious target for future attacks.
The Demise of PC Gaming
Are PC gamers just an insignificant bunch of unforgiving pirates?
It's sad, isn't it? It would appear that we have become materialistic sweat-bands soaking up as many goods as we can get our hands on. It has got to the stage where aspects of this have altered the way the industry views consumers. You see, not all of us have the money to obtain everything we want when we want it. It's not feasible, particularly when it comes to software. I'm sure you can see where this is going.
Australian CRB – A joke of the highest order!
The Australian Classification Review Board are making decisions so undeniably mentally handicapped, that they can't even agree with themselves!
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Consistency is key. That's what my high school English teachers used to tell me. If you're going to produce mediocre work, at least be consistent about it. There's nothing like a wave of marks which show that you're not only incompetent, but lazy. Do well, do shit, do well, do shit. It reeks of 'I can't be fucked'. So when I heard that Australia's 'Classification Review Board', now known as the 'epitome of incompetence' released their revised stance on the yet to be released game Left4Dead 2, I couldn't help but notice the lack of consistency that this board appears to thrive on.
Journalistic Trolling
Not all errors are mistakes.
Journalism is a broad area of literature aimed at providing audiences with information, entertainment, and opinion. The journalists who create these pieces of writing for the masses are often closely scrutinised. That is, there will always be readers ready to pounce at the smallest of errors.
Familiar Quality
I don't like it. It feels... odd.
To the untrained eye of mere mortals, the distinction between two seemingly similar products becomes hazy. We often compare products to ensure we are informed in the world of tech, or for many, to enforce bragging rights via public discussion. Rarely do we think critically about the method, aim and overall benchmark when casually comparing products. Rather, many focus on the conclusion they desire, which can cause a lack of perspective.
Specialised Equipment and Perception
Enthusiast kit has increased immensely over the past few years. Is it all marketing hype?
Everywhere you look, there's reference to some sort of enthusiast kit that's guaranteed to make you uber 1337 with a mere push of a button. Some claims are fair, and although they're often served with a side of hyperbole, they're a true indication of the quality of the product. An example would be the abundance of GPU flaunting advertisements for the latest ATI and nVidia cards. Yes, they're powerful. And yes, they are worth the investment if you require the performance they offer (assuming your PC is capable of harnessing it). What bothers me are the products which target the same market, but have no real value over a somewhat blander (and cheaper) alternative.
A game of values
Are we getting more from games than we bargained for?
The luring nature of leisure inducing game titles is enough for most people to part with decent sums of money. There's an attraction to virtual worlds and impossible characters that gamers can't get enough of, whether this is in the form of an action-paced FPS or a casual stroll in a vibrant RPG - or even a mixture, as presented by Bethesda's recent Fallout 3 title. Under these amusing game genres is not just a pretty picture and a procrastination enticing storyline. There's also an oft ignored element of education.
A thirst for Apple juice
Get a bunch of ranting PC fanatic fanboys together, and you'll hear about the famous 'killer' devices that plague the Apple alternative...
You'd have to be living under a rock to be unaware of the ongoing feud between Mac and PC fanboys. Wild claims are made from either camp, such as the famous line "Macs don't get virus'!" to the PC defence "What games are you running? Oh wait, you can't!" In fact, both are very wrong. Macs can be infected with viruses and hacked as easily as any Windows system. They can also play games natively, and for the many games that don't function, the ability to install Windows via Bootcamp solves the issue. But what I'd like to address in this article is the senseless use of the term 'mackiller' and its derivatives. Why do we use it? Should we use it? Is it contradictory?
The Demise of Demos?
Do game studios expect people to buy their $100+ game without trying it first? Hmm...
Game demos are provided for the purpose of evaluation. Gamers tend to be picky when it comes purchasing new games, and rightly so. Investing $100 in entertainment is only justifiable if you are truly entertained as a result. Reviews, peer assessment, and genre may perk an interest, but there needs to be a solid foundation to seal the deal. Demonstration releases do this well.
From ‘crap’ to ‘cool’ in a cliques moment
Because it ain't cool unless marketing drones say it is!
Gadgets, amongst others consumer products, are susceptible to the excessive pull of marketing. It's important for companies to make their products known to the masses. Without such coverage, most individuals would be unaware of their presence, and more importantly, the availability of their products. Marketing is a great way to provide this coverage, however it also leads to misinterpretation of facts, an alternate truth courtesy of the mouth of a well-oiled marketing drone. Once the majority of a market is accustomed to one way of thinking, it's very difficult to change it. Thus, those who make an effort to remain up-to-date with their gadgets are bombarded by the overpowering mass market who name anything popular 'cool', and anything different 'crap'.