musings from here to there
Microsoft
Font smoothing in Windows (and why Mac users don't like it)
0Yesterday, a friend of mine posted a twit remarking that font smoothing in Windows 7 was not done properly and how Microsoft still hadn’t gotten it right. I hadn’t noticed any obvious issues of this nature in my usage and testing on Windows 7, so I was instantly curious to know why he thought as he did and if Microsoft, after all these years, still hadn’t mastered something as simple as font smoothing. So I set out to do the research.
Joel on Software has a great article thoroughly explaining the reasons behind the differences, but for those who want the digest version, I’ll give it to you here.
Apple and Microsoft use the same process for rendering fonts, a technology called “sub-pixel rendering.” The reason the two operating systems render text differently (specifically in web pages) is due to the algorithm behind the font rendering engine. Each character within a font is set to take up a certain amount of space measured in pixels–thus an “A” takes up more horizontal space than, say, an “I.” In addition to that, each typeface has it’s own style of letterform–that is each letter is designed to look a specific way and may, in some cases, slightly exceed the given letter-space when font smoothing is applied.
Apple, the company with a philosophy that the artistic and stylistic aspects of just about anything trumps everything else, wrote their font smoothing algorithm to allow type to exceed it’s allocated space, giving fonts more character at smaller sizes. This makes for a smoother looking font, but also is sometimes blurry and can be hard on the eyes. Microsoft on the other hand took a more practical approach and decided that each character must fit exactly within the available space and therefore “chisels” the characters to fit within that space. This creates a less-smoothed font, but makes things far easier to read on-screen. In fact, you can see this difference directly on a Windows machine by putting a Safari for Windows window and an Internet Explorer or Firefox window side-by-side. You’ll see what I mean.
So the question is now: Which company is correct?
The short answer is both. Apple’s OS will provide a more unified look between computer screen and printed output. This is yet another reason (whether they realize it or not) why designers often prefer OS X over Windows. Microsoft gives users a more readable on-screen experience at the expense of some character style (although at large font sizes, these differences become less noticeable.
All-in-all it’s pretty much just a matter of personal preference. Neither way is necessarily wrong–it’s all about what you like.
Zune glitch indicative of gaining popularity
01234 days
The recent Microsoft Zune glitch causing many 30GB models to lock up and require a complete erase/reset of the device may be more significant than many would initially believe. Microsoft certainly has some history of buggy software (e.g. the initial release of Windows Vista), and has had a rough year during 2008, but I suspect things may end up differently in 2009.
If, Microsoft truly “missed the boat” in the digital music market, as one analyst remarked, then why are there 20,000+ comments on one forum complaining of locked up 30GB Zunes? If Zunes are truly inferior to iPods or if Apple is not gradually losing market share to other media players, then why would this particular issue cause such a stir? In fact, the number of users with problems doesn’t include those with smaller flash-based Zune players, nor does the statistic indicate the number of people with 80GB (most likely one of the most popular) or 120GB models! My theory is that 2009 may be the year of the Zune. Certainly Apple won’t lose it’s footing in the digital music business overnight, but many users are expressing their disapproval of the iTunes software and the iTunes store, which attaches restrictions known as DRM to most of the available music. The software itself has shown little in the way of innovation over the past several versions. In fact, I’m not really sure iTunes 8 can be considered a major version upgrade (i.e. I think it should have been v7.8). It adds new DRM restrictions to certain types of video and includes the “Genius,” which attempts to suggest new artists and songs based on what the user is currently listening to. Unfortunately, it’s far from smart and just picks obvious alternatives. The Zune software is far more intelligent in this regard, which just provides yet another reason to ditch iTunes and switch to something better.
In conclusion, I’m waiting to see what Microsoft does this year, especially with the possibility of a Zune-based phone and Windows Mobile 7. Combined with the promising features and power of Windows 7, it could end up being a very good year indeed!
Windows 7 Gestures
1I’ve been playing with Beta 1 (build 7000) of the up and coming Windows 7 from Microsoft and discovered a new feature today that I haven’t seen documented on other sites or Microsoft docs either. If you grab a window and quickly “jiggle” it back and forth a couple times, all other windows behind it will instantly minimize. Let go and then “jiggle” the window again to make the other windows re-appear.
It seems pretty intentional and has worked every time I’ve tried it. Interesting new feature!
Zune Phone becoming reality?
01256 days
I’m in the market for a smartphone. My two-year contract on my Verizon plan is up in June or July ’09 and although I’m not necessarily in a hurry to get rid of my current phone (the LG Chocolate 2), I would like something that makes texting and emailing on the go a breeze, plus gives me the option of 3G internet anywhere. I’ve been very pleased with my Verizon service, so I’m definitely sticking with them, but thus far I haven’t been terribly impressed with their smartphone lineup. Which is why today’s announcement/speculation makes me very excited. Yes, I realize that Verizon may get the iPhone by 2010, but given my experience with Apple products, I’m in no hurry to get one of those anyway.
Wired.com is running a story on a potential Microsoft announcement at CES ’09 on January 7th regarding a new smartphone based on their already well-made Zune product. While this could be a brand-new OS release, it could also be part of the plan for Windows Mobile 7. Either way, it’s pretty exciting stuff, and since AT&T has an exclusivity deal with Apple, I could see Microsoft picking Verizon as a potential partner for their phone. Ultimately the best endgame here would be for Microsoft to get their phone to as many wireless providers as possible in an effort to take as much market share as possible.
I'm a PC (and a human being)
0Microsoft is throwing it right back at Apple, who has attempted to stereotype the Personal Computer (PC) as a bloated, disfunctional, and not-very-hip machine. I won’t delve into the many arguments about how Macs are really just PCs with an Apple logo and an alternative OS, or how Linux (which Apple ignores in it’s commercials) runs on many PCs.
So to counter this so-called “stereotype,” Microsoft has released the “I’m a PC” ad campaign. See for yourself why that stereotype is so wrong…