You probably don’t think about comparing the quality of a screen – it’s all about the size and number of pixels: Just like we compare digital cameras using megapixels.

Just shows that comparing basic specs and pricing is no match for comparing the experience of a device.

iPhone, Droid, Nexus One, and Eris capacitive touch screens compared | 9 to 5 Mac.

DIY Touchscreen Analysis from MOTO Development Group on Vimeo.

Popularity: 53% [?]

Well i have been using a Mighty Mouse as my “back-up” mouse for a few days.? ?

Not overly impressed so far.? ?

The tracking of the cursor is nice – nothing wrong there.? ?

The cord is definitely long enough – much more manageable around my laptop. I mentioned previously that it had been reported as being too short but I think the length is fine.? ?

Not real happy with the nipple / track ball. Unless you drag more or less straight down and up, it misses your scrolling. I tend to drag top right to bottom left a bit – just the way I hold the mouse. So I find myself having to concentrate on scrolling. I suppose over time I will adjust.

The scrolling feels a bit rougher / jerkier than usual on XP. I look forward to testing it again on my iBook once its delivered.

The “squeeze buttons” on the side work well enough. On XP they default to “Back” which is good enough. Doesn’t seem to be any software or drivers to let you program it to do anything else. The feel like they are in a funny place too – I keep having to reposition my fingers to use them.

The look of the Apple mouse has been described as either “clean, beautiful, stylish” or “bar of soap” – which I am pretty sure is not a term of endearment. It does look nice and clean – but I think it loses some functionality to style. That’s why we have ergonomic mice – they are easier to use.

Insert whiney comment here about lack of bluetooth option Well everyone else complains about the no bluetooth option – I might as well. It is a bit surprising. Well not really – I am sure there is a Bluetooth option not too far away and we will all buy new mice again.

Bastards. Clever – but bastards. No one will point this out in a few months when Apple announce another massive profit for the quarter. Slowing iPod sales were balanced by everyone buying not one mouse – but two !!

Overall – it feels a bit rushed. I know Apple wanted to release this with Tiger and there were some delays. To get it running on Tiger you must have either 10.2 or use the included software CD. That just seems strange – to have something as “basic” as a mouse needing a OS upgrade.

I’d give it 6/10. For $79 there are much better corded mice out there.

Popularity: 6% [?]

For the last 12 months or more I have been using NOD32 as my anti-virus of choice.

http://www.nod32.com.au/

For years I used Nortons Anti-Virus and thought it was OK. But I think that had a lot to do with the fact I got free Symantec software as part of my old job. When you don’t have to pay for it – you care a little less.

But upon upgrading to the 2004 version – it was such a dog. Live update constantly crashed, the updates were 2-4Mb at a time – what the frack was going on?

So I tried the free AVG from Grisoft. Worked OK but was it didn’t scan emails on Thunderbird, and read a lot of reviews where it performed badly against trojans. Obviously worth every cent you paid for it.

http://www.grisoft.com/

I loaded up NOD32 – brilliant. Takes almost no resources, its fast, updates all day without bugging me except to tell me its done. Brilliant. Can’t recommend it enough.

Except it refuses to play with Google Desktop Search and completely screws up my bit torrent client Azureus.

http://desktop.google.com/?promo=mp-gds-v1-1 http://sourceforge.net/projects/azureus/

Up until this week I have been living in the dark ages with no desktop search on my laptop as I refused to used another AV, and Yahoo didn’t scan my emails in Thunderbird. Pretty pointless having desktop search if I can’t search my emails. I know where my files are – it’s emails I can never find.

Why isn’t there a Global Search in email clients. Thunderbird (and Outlook) always make you search a particular folder. Bloody anoying. Maybe they do – might have to try to find that.

But with the new Yahoo Desktop Search I can now scan emails (can’t do Thunderbird contacts yet…. little steps I guess). And it seems to have no problems with NOD32 !

So if Yahoo can do it – why can’t Google??

http://desktop.yahoo.com/

Popularity: 26% [?]