The Digital Home

The best Mac on the market

(Credit: Apple)

Some may disagree with my sentiment that the Mac Mini is the best Apple computer on the market, but as an owner of practically every Mac known to man, I think I can say, without any reservation, that the MacBook, MacBook Pro, iMac, and Mac Pro don't hold a candle to the small, yet versatile Mac Mini.

And that's exactly why I was extremely pleased to read the rumor that Apple may be updating the Mac Mini at Macworld next month.

Apple has not confirmed that rumor, and all reports are pure speculation, based on circumstantial evidence. But who cares? If Apple decides to keep the Mac Mini, it makes perfect sense for the company to update it at Macworld, since it hasn't seen a refresh in quite some time. And with the economy the way it is, I think Apple wants to make its cheapest Mac an even more attractive computer for those who are on a budget.

Besides pricing, the Mac Mini offers the best value of any Mac on the market. Say what you will about the power of the Mac Pro or the versatility of the MacBook, but I simply don't think any other Mac compares to the Mac Mini for the average consumer, who doesn't care about video editing but wants an extremely versatile machine that can double as a set-top box, media server, or a casual companion in the living room.

I never thought I'd be writing this, but Dell (yes, Dell), is charging customers a monthly fee to have access to its United States-based customer service representatives.

The Washington Post reported on Thursday that the PC maker is charging customers with a Dell account $12.95 per month to have access to an American agent or $99 per year for customers who buy a new PC from the company.

Those who don't pay the sum will be contacting center agents in India or the Philippines. But before you start your bellyaching, Dell is sweetening the pot: wait times are guaranteed to be 2 or fewer minutes!

Great. Thanks, Dell.

A Dell representative told the Post that the company has "heard from customers that it's hard to understand a particular accent and that they couldn't understand the instructions they were getting." Because of that, the company has instituted the policy to "illustrate Dell's commitment to customer choice."

This mouthpiece (and Dell, for that matter) is kidding, right? The company is charging us for access to American customer support agents on products we purchased from it that went wrong? What a joke.

It's Friday and that means I'm going to take a look at beautiful tech! This week, I take a look at the Asus Eee PC 1000H.

And as always, drop me a line or follow me on Twitter!

From bad to worse

(Credit: CNET Networks)

A new study out from DisplaySearch detailing how well (or poorly) notebook manufacturers performed over the past quarter has hit the Net and the results don't look too promising for Dell.

According to the study, the global notebook market grew by about 24 percent quarter over quarter and a whopping 42 percent year over year. Amazingly, 29 million notebook units were sold in the last quarter alone and HP--the de facto leader in computing right now--commands 21.4 percent of that total, representing 72 percent growth over the same period last year.

But perhaps most startling, Dell has not only lost ground to HP in the notebook market (its share of the market fell 0.2 percent to 13.8 percent), but Acer is hot on Dell's heels and commands 12.8 percent of the total notebook market.

It gets worse: if we were to combine the total share of all Acer properties--Acer, Packard Bell and Gateway--the company's new market share is a whopping 16.2 percent, which not only puts it into second place in the worldwide notebook market, it leaves Dell far behind the pack.

Who could have thought just a few short years ago that Dell would be in such a position? Not only is the company slipping further behind, Acer--a company that had heretofore been an also-ran--has developed into a powerhouse in this industry.

But is there anything Dell can do to turn its business around? Unfortunately, the solution may not be immediately available, and it may need to change its historically successful market strategy in order to do it. If it doesn't, look for Dell to become the industry's also-ran.

Once again, I will be on Computer America tonight at 11p-12a eastern. We will be covering a host of topics including, Blockbuster, Apple, gaming and Google.

Also, I'll be posting a hands-on of the Altec Lansing Orbit this weekend, so keep checking for that.

Finally, I would like to take the opportunity to thank you for your continued support. We have a ton of great things coming up for you in the near future to make The Digital Home a mainstay in more ways than one...

First off, thank you for all of the kind words from readers regarding last night's Computer America appearance. I truly appreciate it.

But for the reason for this post -- I wanted to let all of you know that I will now be making regular appearances on the Computer America show. From here on out, I will be appearing on one episode per month to discuss some of the biggest tech topics around. If you don't normally listen to the show, you can head on over to the above link and listen to it live over the Internet. If you miss a show, you can click the 'Archives' link and listen to the past two weeks.

Just so you know, my next appearance will be on Friday November 16th from 11 pm-midnight. If you missed last night's appearance where Carey and I had a lively discussion about Windows Vista, click here.

Thank you for your continued support and I hope you continue to enjoy Digital Home and my regular appearances on both TWiT with Leo Laporte and Computer America.

If you have a specific topic you would definitely like to hear me talk about on the next Computer America appearance, please send me some ideas to Don AT Bungatech.com.

Just wanted to let everyone know that I'll be doing an hour on Computer America -- America's longest-running nationally syndicated radio computer show -- tonight from 11-12am eastern, or 8-9pm pacific. I'll be discussing Windows Vista and a host of other topics.

Please tune in if you have the show in your area.

Another ode to Elliot

(Credit: ShopNBC)

In part one of this two part series, I introduced you to a young fellow named Elliot. Elliot, a blue shirt wearing, black-haired salesman on the ShopNBC channel was in the process of selling an HP notebook, an HP printer and a digital camera. If you're interested in his hilarious, yet amazingly error-prone dissertation on why you should buy this gaggle of goodies for a mere $1000, then head on over to this site. If not, then keep reading.

When I last left you, I promised stories of peer pressure, body building and Vista excitement. Luckily for you, oh faithful reader, I shall not disappoint. But I must warn you: if you have not read part one of this two part saga, please do not read on, for there are spoilers ahead.

As Elliot was describing the HP notebook with that "uncrashable" Windows Vista Business installation, he had an epiphany. Instead of wasting our time with sales pitches that just weren't working, Elliot decided to go back to school. How you ask? Well, instead of talking about the notebook's classroom practicality, Elliot reminded us of days that are best left in the past: bullying.

In Elliot's own words, this HP computer is something that "kids will be proud of." They will no longer need to walk through school telling everyone that they're using a Mac or those incredibly ugly Dells, why no! From now on, 9-year old Johnny can tell 10-year old Billy the Bully that he is proud to own an HP laptop featuring a 15.4-inch widescreen with Vista Business and an Intel Core Duo. Proud!

Elliot, obviously remembering his childhood, left nothing to chance. Instead of wasting time talking about 3D windows, he went to the jugular. He almost lost me before he pulled out his ace in the hole. But as soon as he mentioned peer pressure, I was immediately brought back to D.A.R.E. class with Officer Casey, and I melted all over again. This man, Elliot, had me on the edge of my seat.

But rest assured friends, this was just the tip of the iceberg. Next up, Elliot told us how lightweight this svelte beauty was. Tipping the scales at just under six pounds, this laptop is nothing like the rest of the laptops on the market -- those fifteen pound clunkers! Why, no! Instead of forcing you to use both hands, Elliot showed us all that he could lift this laptop "with what? Three fingers?!" And while this may sound like a simple feat, think again -- Elliot was a small man with some muscle issues, for sure. After all, if he can lift up a notebook with just three fingers, can you imagine what you can do with it? Just think of the possibilities!

An Ode to Elliot

(Credit: ShopNBC)

Last night, as I was making my list up for the top 5 best video games of all time, I was flipping through the channels trying to find something to watch. Bored with the choices, I decided to turn on ShopNBC to see what the salespeople had to offer. And while I was prepared for some lines that would make a used car salesman cry, I wasn't prepared for the hilarious onslaught of pure bull.

The show started at 9PM and was replayed at 10PM with some extra anecdotes of information and a few more tidbits of funny and incredibly erroneous salvos. Needless to say, it was one of the most entertaining events I have witnessed on a television show in years.

Let me set the scene for you: Two men, one with blond hair sitting on the left and the other with black hair (Elliot) sitting on the right, were discussing an HP notebook (the August 26th top value item) that was sporting a 1.6GHz Intel Centrino Core Duo, a 120GB hard drive and a 15.4-inch "HD-quality" screen. Amazingly, the total package with an estimated value of almost $3,000 came to just five easy payments amounting to roughly $1,000. Of course, the whole package included software, an HP printer and a digital camera, so that amazing value quickly becomes even more laughable with the additional gadgetry thrown in.

At first, I thought ol' Elliot was going to, you know, tell the truth to the "30 million viewers" watching the show that night. Wait, hold on. "30 million viewers"? If 30 million people were watching Elliot and friend spewing this garbage about an under-equipped HP notebook, then that many people are reading this. More like 30 if you ask me.

OK, so where was I? Oh, right, celebrity A-lister Elliot, in blue. So, after he bragged about his numbers, Elliot got into the core specs of this "V12 engine." This is when it gets fun.

According to our friend Elliot, the HP notebook sports the "safest, most unhackable and (most importantly) uncrashable, Windows Vista Business edition." At this point, I almost lost it, but I maintained composure until he hit me with this monster: "With Windows Vista Business, there is no need for extra security software! It's the first operating system to protect against viruses and pop-ups!"

Oh Elliot, Elliot, Elliot. If I didn't love your blue shirt so much, I would tell you how amazingly ridiculous you sound. And, if I had the time, I would definitely explain to you why you're oh so wrong. Instead, I think I'll just sit here and laugh.

But trust me, this is only the beginning. With nary a blink, my new best friend Elliot decided to show off the operating system that "will not inflict a machine with viruses or spyware." The first thing he pointed out that the guy with blond hair seemed so excited to see was Vista's 3D window display.

Confused, I turned the volume up to see what in the world this dolt was talking about. After a lengthy description that went nowhere, Elliot finally showed me what he was talking about: the 3D window flip in Vista. Wow. Obviously business must be slow on ShopNBC and the material was running low because if that was the best he had, then he might want to find a new profession.

But, just as I knew he would, ol' Elliot found it within him to take this poor excuse for a sales pitch out of the basement and make everyone see what the true benefits of owning an HP laptop really are: Wi-Fi.

Elliot started out with an empathetic tone by explaining to blondie that he has been told on numerous occasions that, "you know, Elliot. I'm just not there yet for wireless -- it's too much to learn. I like to go in steps and I just don't think I'm ready to take it to the next level." Well, just to show us how easy it is to get onto the Internet, he was going to walk us through the process.

So, with a few knuckle cracks, rolled-up sleeves and some sweat, Elliot went through the arduous task of connecting wirelessly to the Internet. Amazingly, Elliot showed us how to hit a wireless button above the keyboard that would magically light up in blue once connected. And then, just when you thought it couldn't get any better, Elliot was lauding the fact that wireless connectivity was "just that easy!" But wait, there's more. Once connected to the Internet, ol' Elliot, feet planted to the ground, ready for anything that may come his way, told us all that the notebook comes with Internet Explorer and wait! It features a "pop...up...blocker!" The exuberance that filled the room was enough for any grown man to cry. Honestly, it was just that touching.

And while you would have turned the station already, I was strangely captivated by these two men, obviously spewing information with no knowledge of the product they were selling while trying to appeal to the "30 million viewers" anxiously waiting on Elliot's next words. Believe me, the next few topic areas take the cake.

Now that you read part 1, check out part 2 where Elliot tackles peer pressure, body building and Vista excitement!

Although the price isn't the same, I'm pretty sure this is the same package as what was on Sunday night. Check it out.