Harry McCracken

Articles By Harry McCracken

Samsung Galaxy Tab looks promising in early hands-on test

Samsung Galaxy Tab looks promising in early hands-on test

Thursday morning at the IFA show here in Berlin, I attended a Samsung press conference and watched one of the company's executives brandish its new Galaxy S tablet. It was intriguing. But I

Published on: September 17th, 2010 Harry McCracken
Can the Apple iPad replace all your other devices?

Can the Apple iPad replace all your other devices?

What, precisely, is the iPad? Compared with its iconic ancestors, the iPod and the iPhone, that's a surprisingly tough question to answer. It runs the same operating system as the iPhone --but you

Published on: May 3rd, 2010 Harry McCracken
15 things we don’t know about Apple’s next iPhone

15 things we don’t know about Apple’s next iPhone

I think we can definitively say that Gizmodo has put a massive crimp in Apple's existing publicity plans for the next iPhone. When Apple announces the phone, the Reality Distortion Field may be

Published on: April 23rd, 2010 Harry McCracken
11 important things you should know about the iPad

11 important things you should know about the iPad

In the end, you have to try it for yourself. The world is full of people who formed fierce opinions about the Apple iPad not only before they'd used one but before they

Published on: April 6th, 2010 Harry McCracken
Apple iPad is a winner, say most early reviews

Apple iPad is a winner, say most early reviews

The iPad doesn't arrive in U.S. stores until Saturday, and most tech reviewers, like civilians, will need to wait until then to get their hands on one. As usual, though, Apple provided early

Published on: April 5th, 2010 Harry McCracken
26 negative tech ads that roasted the competition

26 negative tech ads that roasted the competition

In 2009, tech advertising took a sharp turn toward the negative. After years of being sucker-punched by Apple's anti-Windows ads, Microsoft finally fought back with a series of "Laptop Hunter" ads in which

Published on: February 3rd, 2010 Harry McCracken
10 gadget patents that would make awesome products

10 gadget patents that would make awesome products

Gadget patents can change the world, as everyone from Alexander Graham Bell to Steve Jobs has proved. Some of our favorite gadget-related patents, however, are for technologies and products that haven't changed much

Published on: January 22nd, 2010 Harry McCracken
Terrible things done to 10 great products

Terrible things done to 10 great products

Technology companies are awfully fond of comparing their work to poetry and art. Unlike most poets and artists, though, techies seem incapable of leaving well enough alone.In fact, the industry's whole business model

Published on: November 20th, 2009 Harry McCracken
TouchSmart 600 gets a grip with major software improvements

TouchSmart 600 gets a grip with major software improvements

With Windows 7, Microsoft has built support for multitouch gestures directly into the operating system. And though using your fingers to tap, flick, and pinch your way around probably won't replace the humble

Published on: October 20th, 2009 Harry McCracken
Why Windows 7 is the upgrade you’ve been waiting for

Why Windows 7 is the upgrade you’ve been waiting for

What if a new version of Windows didn't try to dazzle you? What if, instead, it tried to disappear except when you needed it? Such an operating system would dispense with glitzy effects

Published on: October 2nd, 2009 Harry McCracken
iPhone OS 3.0 still the most enjoyable phone operating system

iPhone OS 3.0 still the most enjoyable phone operating system

Two and a half years ago, Steve Jobs unveiled the first iPhone and said that its software was five years ahead of the competition; since then, the rest of the industry has been

Published on: July 2nd, 2009 Harry McCracken
Eight reasons why you should switch from a PC to a Mac

Eight reasons why you should switch from a PC to a Mac

Contrary to Microsoft marketing honcho David Webster's snarky recent assertion, Macs aren't "washed with unicorn tears" -- at least as far as I know. However, lots of extremely rational reasons exist to choose

Published on: April 28th, 2009 Harry McCracken
25 computer products that just won’t go away

25 computer products that just won’t go away

Old computer products, like old soldiers, never die. They stay on the market--even though they haven't been updated in eons. Or their names get slapped on new products that are available only outside

Published on: April 3rd, 2009 Harry McCracken
12 great ways to bring Web video to your living room TV

12 great ways to bring Web video to your living room TV

Panasonic TH-50PZ850U Plasma TV With Viera Cast • Web content: Picasa Web Albums, YouTube • Network connection: Ethernet • Price: $1800 (no hard drive) An appealing idea underlies the Viera Cast Internet features

Published on: March 24th, 2009 Harry McCracken
Future Apple products will suffer from Jobs’ absence

Future Apple products will suffer from Jobs’ absence

First, a disclaimer, just in case you weren't sure: I'm not Steve Jobs's doctor. And I believe that all of us who aren't responsible for his medical well-being are in no position to

Published on: January 19th, 2009 Harry McCracken