Walt's Corner

Amazon released their 2nd iteration of their self-proclaimed popular eBook reader. I say self-proclaimed because I have yet to see anyone using one. When Apple pronounced their iPods as popular, you could see everyone and their brother with some white earbuds dangling from their heads. I’m still waiting to see someone outside the tech-writing industry or some type of star come up with one.

I’m still not too impressed with it. I suppose if I didn’t listen to audiobooks I would be interested in buying one, but I enjoy being read to, and sharing that experience with someone at the same time. “But Walt,” you say, “the Kindle 2 can play MP3, including audible books!” So it can, so it can. But why would I buy something that I’m already using?

To mix things up a bit, and from listening to their “customer’s” requests, Amazon has added additional features such as wikipedia searching, blog browsing, and even limited web-surfing, for which it now includes a built in keyboard. It’s a very impressive unit, but a unit that I have no need for, and I suspect a majority of us will feel the same way.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3LtNON1RbQ

This is the guy (Tom Owens) that I buy my raw coffee from. Pretty interesting video. He runs Sweet Maria’s.

The Macworld Expo is going on this week, and Apple’s Keynote Presentation, normally delivered by Dear Leader himself, was in a word: lame. Lamest. Expo. Ever. No wonder Steve didn’t want to give that presentation. How could he possibly follow other keynotes with one that announces updates to iLife and iWork?

Think about the past expos. iPhone. Intel Macs. New software. New operating system. Now look at this year’s: updated software and an update to the MacBook Pro. Yawn.

Oh well. Just as well. Expo will never be the same now that Apple won’t be there. I know, 3rd party vendors and apps will now share the limelight, but that won’t draw me to it like the Stevenote did.

2009 Harley-Davidson Heritage Softail Classic

I visited Barnett Harley-Davidson on Saturday and I saw this sign that read “07 and up Sportsters receive full MSRP for trade-in.” Ever since my birthday when I was helping out with Barnett’s Demo Days, I knew I wanted to eventually get a Heritage Softail Classic. It was the perfect fit for me. At first I thought I wanted an Ultra Glide, but when I actually took one for a spin, I knew it was too big for me to handle comfortably, and I didn’t like the way it put me so high up on the bike. It’s as though you’re sitting on top of the bike. The Heritage Softail Classic feels like you’re riding in the bike, a much better feel for me. This offer solidified my purchase. I traded in my 2008 Sportster Custom for this Big Twin shown here next to my Firebird; gives you kind of an idea of the size. Here’s a link to some more pictures of it.

They pulled it out of the crate Monday afternoon and started putting it together I had it by 7PM. Boy is it nice. The extra power of the 94 cubic inch engine. The added 6th gear. The floorboards. Comfortable and plentiful saddle. Gigantic saddlebags that could hold 3 gallons of milk and then some.

Sometime ago, I requested to participate in the Quicken Financial Life for Mac (QFLM). And by “some time ago,” I mean a long time ago. I can’t even remember. Probably when I first heard of it. I have been wondering when they will get around to releasing the new Quicken, after all, the last one I purchased was Quicken 2007, which was released in what, 2006?

At least now I seem to have an answer as to the release date of QFLM: Summer 2009. By what authority do I predict this? Why, from Intuit, of course! Check out the email I received from them today:

Dear Quicken Customer,

The Quicken Financial Life for Mac Team