Ranting Kenya

Jack Kapica wrote in the Globe and Mail an article concerning data rates in Canada and the iPhone.

Here’s my comments on the article and the situation.

Rogers, this is directed at you, and I’m not one of your customers. Cut your data rates. Get the iPhone ASAP. Apple is making a 3G iPhone right now, if it’s not done already. They’re not stupid. They won’t let their new baby, their new industry changing device languish on your GSM network. Get it now while you still can. Nobody is going to be interested in a GSM iPhone if another version is available.

Also, consider that this is the first revision of the iPhone. Your customers of your data plans are largely business clients. Do you really think Apple isn’t going to improve the business functionality of this device? It already has Microsoft Exchange Server compatibility, which if you remember, competes with Blackberry’s push email service.

When the 3G iPhone comes, and remember that it will, do you really think that both Bell and Telus are going to pass on this device? They’re going to see your weakness, your high data rates, and they’re going to cut theirs and leave you high and dry. I’m not in marketing, but I can already see the promotion: New iPhone with new low data rate, and a first in Canada. Compare that to your counter-campaign: Same Blackberry, and we’ll lower our rates too because we don’t care about you, but Bell and Telus are forcing our hand. Seriously, your rates are anti-consumer, and because of that Telus and Bell have made a killing too. Up until now, there’s been no real reason to change the rates since you’re all sleeping on hundred dollar bills, but the iPhone is the reason. It is the change that the entire Canadian wireless industry needs, and it will come to pass, with or without you. Most people aren’t willing to unlock and have firmware updates mess things up. They need a real solution, the one only you can give.

Seriously, Apple has given you the greatest gift you could ever ask for. The un-disputed hottest electronic device in years, hotter than the iPod, and you are the only one who can really bring it to Canada (for now).

Only, you’re saying, “No thanks.”

If you notice my gamercard in the sidebar, you’ll see that last two games I’ve played are Halo 3 and The Orange Box.

Yes I pre-ordered both from EB Games.

Yes I know, I really shouldn’t pre-order. I did anyway, and here’s why: At least there’s less of a chance of me not being able to get the game on the first day.

I’ve heard all the horror stories about EB Games and similar game retailers about not fulfilling pre-orders. Let’s not forget the Xbox 360 launch. I got hosed on that deal, but at least that was a hardware thing. I can understand that.

But when it comes to printing DVD discs with games on them, supply should never be an issue.

I pre-ordered the Halo 3 Limited Edition. I did not receive it. EB Games didn’t get enough of that SKU. They had plenty of the Legendary Edition, plenty of the regular version, but not the one I pre-ordered. At least I could settle for the regular version, which I did. I was angry, but I quickly forgot that when I put the game in.

Enter The Orange Box. Also pre-ordered at EB Games. When I show up yesterday to pick it up, they’re shipment was all French discs. Perhaps it’s not their fault. Maybe it was Microsoft, the EB Games manager, maybe just the UPS guy. Nevertheless, I cannot continue to pre-order through EB Games.

Buying a brand new game that I’m excited enough about to pre-order should not be the single worst experience of my week everytime I pre-order.

Something that had never occurred to me before today was font smoothing and the web. Cleartype is a font smoothing technology that was included in Windows XP, but was not turned on my default (I have no idea why it’s not the default). I have had it turned on for as long as I can remember, and it never occurred to me that some computers might not have it turned on.

This is a serious problem, I’m not sure how I never thought about it. Here’s a screenshot of the differences.

The effect is not so bad on headings, since the letters are thicker. It’s more obvious on smaller letter forms. And you can’t really get a feel for the effect with just one word.

When you have a text-heavy website, all the jaggies make it nearly unreadable. Especially when you’re looking at large amount of technical text.

Does anyone know about a solution from the web developer side?