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Tech topics that really annoy me

Don Reisinger is annoyed at some things and decided it was time to share them with you. Do you have some of your own?

Don Reisinger
CNET contributor Don Reisinger is a technology columnist who has covered everything from HDTVs to computers to Flowbee Haircut Systems. Besides his work with CNET, Don's work has been featured in a variety of other publications including PC World and a host of Ziff-Davis publications.
Don Reisinger
3 min read

The HD DVD/Blu-ray war is not only getting out-of-hand, it's downright crap. Who even cares anymore? Now that Warner has decided that it won't choose sides just yet, the chances of this thing being over in the near-term are all but gone. Consider this: if Warner takes Blu-ray's side, the war would be over, but if Warner is coaxed into a deal with HD DVD, it would create a 50/50 split that would prolong this trench war. Who cares? Give me my video downloads.

I can't wait until Blockbuster finally goes away. Does that sound a little harsh? Good. Blockbuster has offered me very little over the past few years and yet I still pay late fees when I get a movie from the brick-and-mortar and delayed films when I use its Total Access program. If I can't get the kind of service it alleges to offer, why would I waste my time using its services? Trust me -- this company will go under soon.

So, CompUSA has bit the bullet and well, I don't really care. Am I the only person in the world who thought that CompUSA become a shadow of itself over the past few years and its "deals" were overpriced advertisements? I feel bad for all the employees who lost their jobs and I wish them well. But when it comes to a company that has no idea what consumers want and overcharges them to boot, I'm not upset to say goodbye.

I still don't like Vista and now I'm starting to wonder if that will ever change. I know there are some people out there that love Vista and I commend you on your support of a junker, but for the rest of us, it's nominally better than a beta version of Windows ME. Yes, that was a joke (or was it?). I'm hoping for more out of SP1, but I guess time will tell.

Most HD camcorders really stink. I was using a few recently and found that the quality I was promised wasn't delivered and I'm not too happy about that. Would it have been nice to get a better result? Of course. But in the end, if I'm going to pay that kind of money for a device, I better get what I've paid for.

Fanboys are funny. If you're a fanboy, would you please stand up? Oh wait, I think I broke a cardinal sin by calling you a fanboy, didn't I? Hm. Isn't it ironic that I've been called a Nintendo fanboy, Sony fanboy, Microsoft fanboy, Apple fanboy and Linux fanboy all in the same week by the same people? If that's even possible, then I'm all for it. Do you want the truth? I speak my mind and sometimes I think Steve Jobs is right and other times I think Bill Gates is right. If that makes me a fanboy, then so be it. But if you ask me, it makes me see things much more clearly. Believe it or not, fanboys are blind.

Which reminds me: why do people think everything I write should be objective? I think that's a load of crap. If you want objectivity, I think you can find it somewhere else. Objectivity does nothing to add to a discussion on tech and only "informs" you. Whoop dee doo. I believe in subjectivity and this whole notion of being objective is pure garbage. Say what you will, but "being fair and balanced" is not something you'll find here. If you disagree with an opinion, go ahead and tell me why you think I'm wrong. In the end, it's the reader that promotes discussion and that's what makes subjective journalism so great.

So there you have it, just a little taste of some of the annoyances going on right now. Have more? Share them in the comments.