Dear Aunt TUAW: Help me propose on the iSly

Dear Aunt TUAW,

You have been on at me a long time now to make an honest woman of my girlfriend... or at least ask her to be my fiancé, which might or might not be the same thing. But I can't, because I've got an iPhone. Can you help?

You see, we have no secrets from each other. If my phone is nearer than hers, she uses it. So if I call the jewelers to ask about a ring, or if they call me back, they will be in my Recent Calls list. If she happens to notice a strange number there, I know she trusts me but I also know she's curious. And the surprise will be spoilt.

Now I know that I can delete all recent calls from my iPhone. But I tell you, my dear Aunt, that if she accidentally notices a completely empty Recent Calls list, it won't be the surprise that is spoilt, it will be my face. It's not much of a face but it's the only one I've got.

So, dear, wise Aunt TUAW, what can I do? How can I delete a single recent call from my Recent Calls list and get my life moving forward? Apple's instructions give me no way at all. Do we have to go on living in sin, or do I have to commit the worse sin of switching to Nokia?

Your affectionate nephew,

Joe.

PS: No, I am not asking you how to delete single recent calls from the Recent Calls list because the information will be useful after we are married. Perish the thought!

Continue reading Dear Aunt TUAW: Help me propose on the iSly

Dear Aunt TUAW: Help me propose on the iSly originally appeared on TUAW on Sat, 07 May 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.tuaw.com/2011/05/07/dear-aunt-tuaw-help-me-propose-on-the-isly/

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Microsoft wants buyers to 'do the math' and select a netbook over a MacBook Air

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As Ronald Reagan once famously said, "There you go again." Microsoft has unleashed some new ads in Canada that suggest if you buy a PC laptop instead of a Mac you can use the money you save to take a trip to Hawaii.

Saving money? That sounds good... until you look at the comparisons. Microsoft's chart compares various Mac laptops with PC counterparts from HP, Dell, Sony, Toshiba, Asus and others. True enough, Apple products are often more expensive than Windows laptops at first glance, especially if you don't perceive any value in running Mac OS X and avoiding aggravation, malware and compatibility headaches. While Windows 7 is pretty good, I use it alongside Mac OS X and find that there is no comparison.

Above you'll see Microsoft's pairing of the 11" MacBook Air with three US$300-ish netbooks. While the price comparison is stark, the fact is that these netbooks are not even close to the MacBook Air where it counts, and to put them in the same category is silly at best and deliberately deceptive at worst.

The Core 2 Duo chip in the MBA is faster than the netbook Atom or E-Series CPUs, the 64 GB "HardDrive" in the Air is a super-speedy SSD that charges up performance even further, there's no comparison on battery life where the Air shines; really the only comparable spec on these machines is the screen resolution. Oh, and that HP Pavilion DM1 sitting in the middle of the lineup? I'm sure it's nice enough, but it weighs in at 3.46 lbs (1.56 kg) -- 150% as massive as the slender, featherweight 2.3 lb (1.08 kg) 11" Air. How much do you have to save on chiropractor bills before the 'inexpensive' netbook stops being such a bargain?

Microsoft runs these campaigns when it gets worried about its OS market share slipping. Now that Apple is ahead of MS in profits, tablets, and smartphones, maybe that concern is justified. Of course, Apple slammed Microsoft many times with the "Get A Mac" campaign, but at least the ads were funny and generally grounded in truth -- working off of Apple's underdog status in the PC market, rather than playing defense as MS is doing here.

Microsoft, as it has in some past campaigns, is doing its best to mislead, and trying to sway would-be buyers on price alone when in fact MacBook Air buyers aren't looking for the cheapest possible laptop. It would have been really interesting to put those netbooks alongside the iPad in a similar graphic, but no way does Microsoft want to plant the seed of doubt in consumers' minds that they might consider a speedy, light, 10-hour battery Apple tablet instead of a tiny, underpowered Windows netbook.

I doubt these new ads will put a dent in Apple's ascendant Mac sales, but they will fuel the inevitable flame wars between advocates for each platform.

Microsoft wants buyers to 'do the math' and select a netbook over a MacBook Air originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 06 May 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.tuaw.com/2011/05/06/microsoft-wants-buyers-to-do-the-math-and-select-a-netbook-ove/

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