Upgrading software: jokes, cash and YaST vs App Store

"An update is available for your computer" found at Geekosystem / Sticky Comics.

Of course I shelled out the ~ 20 euros to upgrade iMovie and iPhoto from 2009 to 2011 versions. Took me some time and the closing of quite a few in-program upgrade advertising popup windows to take the step. But my rants should be about current software versions. Meanwhile we're waiting for the next entirely free release of SUSE: openSUSE 11.4.

To the credit of Apple it must be said App Store is very easy to use. Brings a smile to your face watching the animated installs while thinking back to the times of running virus prone .exe files, searching the net for needed drivers and reinstalling when bugs had accumulated. In that respect Apple App Store and YaST are actually quite similar: open, search, select, install. Biggest difference is YaST tells you which other software must be installed to get your selection working, App Store probably charges you some money in the process.

But using the App Store requires an account there (I actually - unsuccessfully - went to IRL physical shops to look for an iLife DVD). Now that I got it I'm taking the opportunity to run Genious and Ping in iTunes; probably comparable to the Last.fm integration in Amarok? The opportunity to have Apple scan my computer for media files and send back a report - couldn't miss that! A quick tour through these AI/social plugins gives me the impression of a scam and the impulse to turn on Amarok again. Less functionality, too many links to purchases, works from inside iTunes only. Possibly subjects of future rants.

VLC removed from Apple Store

Users of iPads have been enjoying the significant advantage of being able to install VLC on their overpriced hardware. November 2010 the developers of VLC sent Apple a notification of copyright infringement because the Apple Store terms of use and DRM is in conflict with the GNU General Public License under which VLC is distributed. (cnet / VLC for iPhone may get pulled from App Store--by the developer - written by a fool)

Earlier this week it was pulled from Apple Store. (PC World / Apple Pulls VLC Player from App Store Due to GPL)

"The GPL gives Apple permission to distribute this software through the App Store. All they would have to do is follow the license's conditions to help keep the software free. Instead, Apple has decided that they prefer to impose Digital Restrictions Management (DRM) and proprietary legal terms on all programs in the App Store."
- Brett Smith, Free Software Federation

An interesting discussion between open source hardliners and... hmmm... open content hardliners have erupted:

"Understandably the man in the street won't give a damn about the great philosophy of freedom behind the GNU license nor the evils of DRM. He will care only that VLC is not available any more and he can't play his videos."
- TorrentFreaks' Enigmax

The move will also generate some mildly entertaining scenes of Apple fanboys crying in choirs. Me? I don't have an iPod but I said it before: any OS sucks without VLC.

A joke

Got "If Operating Systems Ran The Airlines" in my feed today:

Mac Airlines
All the stewards, captains, baggage handlers, and ticket agents look and act exactly the same. Every time you ask questions about details, you are gently but firmly told that you don't need to know, don't want to know, and everything will be done for you without your ever having to know, so just shut up.

Linux Air
Disgruntled employees of all the other OS airlines decide to start their own airline. They build the planes, ticket counters, and pave the runways themselves. They charge a small fee to cover the cost of printing the ticket, but you can also download and print the ticket yourself. When you board the plane, you are given a seat, four bolts, a wrench and a copy of the Seat-HOWTO.html. Once settled, the fully adjustable seat is very comfortable, the plane leaves and arrives on time without a single problem, the in-flight meal is wonderful. You try to tell customers of the other airlines about the great trip, but all they can say is, "You had to do what with the seat?"

Funny and true.

Read about UNIX Airways, Air DOS, Windows Air and Windows NT Air at Depon On The Rocks.

More from the Interweb tubes:

Who's to win here?

Linux: You think it doesn't work, but if you ask the right smartass for it, it works.
Apple: You think it work, but it doesn't.
Windows: You think it doesn't work, and it doesn't.

A quick googling yields more... but they're not funny.