In a previous post, I mentioned how I thought there was a trend of bands skipping DC on their tour routes.
The latest MIAer is Scout Niblett. I saw her at a packed Black Cat show and again at a much less packed Black Cat Backstage show. Both shows rocked and both had respectable turnouts. To be fair, this tour is to support her latest album (Kidnapped By Neptune), which was the album that she was supporting for the Black Cat Backstage show. Still.
Yes, back in the day I used to hate on RSS feeds. But that was from my use of them when they first debuted. Since then, the technology has matured. I have a problem where, as an early adopter, I use the initial version of a technology, end up disliking it, and swear it off forever. Besides RSS, that has been the case with blogs, Firefox, Opera, flashdrives, mp3 players, Mac OS x (x = variable, not X), tracked change features, and digital audio files.
The point of this post, however, is to identify a couple links I found through Lifehacker that attempt to create an RSS feed for sites that do not use one (shame!). I have not tested these services, but would like to remember them, which is why I post (also, you may find them useful):
As I noted earlier, I have added a PowerBook to my computer lineup. I enjoy using Mac OS X (10.4), and find it to rarely be frustrating, unless we’re talking about keyboard shortcuts, and usually pleasant. In fact, pleasant is an excellent word to describe the experience; it’s neither thrilling nor bad.
But this post is about my decision to leave Microsoft Outlook and turn to Apple’s PIM suite, which includes iCal, Address Book, and Mail. Reasons for this switch include:
The Plan
Because I had heard switching out of Outlook could be difficult and because I did not know well Apple’s software worked, I decided a good plan was to do a series of test switches. I would move small amounts of information from Outlook’s Mail, Calendar, and Contacts sections to Apple’s Mail, iCal, and Address Book. I would also test syncing with my phone and PDA, a Handspring Visor Deluxe. If the transfers worked smoothly and if I liked the software, then I would make the switch. Otherwise, I would continue using Outlook and/or look for alternative solutions, including Microsoft’s Entourage.
In thinking, talking, and doing research about this process, I realized that the resources for such a switch are inadequate. Although I did not do an enormous amount of research, only enough to pull off the switch, I found that there was no central resource to guide a user through the process and the resources that were geared for each specific part of Outlook were poorly written, usually providing little background or explanation. I decided, therefore, that outlining my experience might be helpful to others, as well as demonstrate the difficulty of leaving Outlook.
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