It may sound old-fashioned, but the quality of a person’s written English says a lot about that individual, hinting at their level of education, comprehension of concepts and attention to detail.
So what does some of our modern language say about ourselves?
A little while ago I noticed that the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (or CSIRO) had adopted a new logo.
There didn’t seem to be any fanfare about it at all and I cannot find a single press release about the change. What I find interesting is how the government science agency’s new logo bears a striking resemblance to that of Cisco Systems, a United States-based information technology company.
Designing unique logos is a difficult business at the best of times and I am not suggesting that CSIRO has engaged in any dishonesty. It just that their logo looks remarkably similar to Cisco’s.
CSIRO’s logo is probably a logical evolutionary leap from their previous one, which consisted of a stylised outline of Australia transected by lines. Cisco’s logo, which dates back to 2006, is derived from an earlier symbol that featured a stylised Golden Gate bridge.
I can’t help but think that given their shared history in Wi-Fi development and the fact that there is only one letter difference in their respective names, a similar logo may be inevitable for two organisations that seem intertwined in several ways.
Australia’s communications landscape is changing fast. What would have been unimaginable even a decade ago is now a reality; television network audience shares and profits are falling, the long-term viability of print newspapers is now in question and suddenly Australia’s two biggest book store chains have gone into voluntary administration.
I love books!
I have a large collection of books covering such varied topics as Australian politicians, history, architecture and travel mixed in with tomes about plant physiology and molecular genetics. My personal and professional interests are co-mingled on a vast series of bookshelves. Whenever I want to check a fact, verify a claim, or just relax and read a story, my books are right there.
For that, I can thank the book shops (and let’s be fair, probably my education too). For myself, and millions of other Australians, looking through bookshops is an enjoyable task that introduces us all to new and interesting titles. Yet apparently, the internet threatens the very survival of the bookshop as we know it.
For starters, let me say that I think talk of the ‘pending death of the bookshop’ is over-hyped. I simply don’t believe that bookshops will become redundant, although I realise that their market share (and perhaps commercial influence) will fall in time. There is much potential in the e-book, although there’s a lot lacking too. That said, the possible demise of REDGroup, which owns Angus & Robertson and Borders (in Australia only) is a very worrying development.
In Victoria, the books market seems to consist of Borders (which has the biggest range), Angus & Robertson (the biggest chain), Dymocks and Collins (two smaller chains) and a host of smaller, niche and specialist stores. There’s a gulf between the size of Borders and the smaller chains. Where Borders lacks in value, it compensates with range. And range is important.
Borders is very popular and on account of that, the company encourages a vast number of people to read. I firmly believe that reading, along with education, faith and public broadcasting are the key pathways to the development of an intellectual, enlightened and reasoned mind. I certainly don’t suggest that without Borders, society will be ruined. However, unlike most bookshops, Borders encourages dining and reading within their stores and so they effectively make books more accessible. That benefits us all.
The range of books I find at Borders is unmatched anywhere else. I cannot tell you how many books I have read because I saw them in Borders, where they weren’t stocked elsewhere.
I love reading about Australian political history. Aussie politics is admittedly not a topic that enjoys mainstream appeal. Whilst most bookshops would sell the popular volumes such as The Latham Diaries or Lazarus Rising (John Howard’s autobiography), they’re unlikely to sell The Long Slow Death of White Australia or Andrew Fisher: Prime Minister of Australia or Rudd’s Way. I know that these books are occasionally available elsewhere, but they’re much more difficult to locate and I know that I’d be very reluctant to buy them online without seeing them first.
The Australian book retailers often complain that internet booksellers are taking their market.
As the Australian dollar reaches parity with the United States dollar, there’s never been a better time to buy books online. Australia’s book industry is effectively protected behind a tariff wall, so books sold here are more expensive that those bought overseas. Because the Australian economy slowed (and hence discretionary spending fell) during the Global Financial Crisis, it’s no wonder that the book retailers may be ‘doing it tough’.
Yet the internet can never really replace bookshops for several important reasons: If it weren’t for bookshops, it would be much harder to know that certain titles even existed. People may discover that Amazon sells books much cheaper than Australian retail, but I suspect that most people buy books that they’ve already seen somewhere else, decided upon purchasing, then shopped online where the price is better. Bookshops provide customers with exposure.
The internet also won’t replace bookshops because browsing is much harder online. Think about how many times you’ve picked up a book that seemed so promising only to flick through its pages and discover otherwise. At least in such circumstances, you’ve not committed to purchasing the book.
There is some debate about whether e-books will simply make paper books obsolete. I suggest that they won’t, although I certainly see that for fiction (and newspapers or magazines) they may be better than the paper version. For non-fiction, I believe they’d make a poor substitute although I can see potential value even here (for instance, a plant physiology book that could incorporate a 3D model of a plant cell rather than a diagrammatic outline). I don’t think viewing detailed architectural plans or high-resolution images of an Australopithecus skull on a small screen would be much of a substitute for a high-gloss fold-out printed page.
For some, there is also the romantic notion of holding books, smelling the paper and feeling the texture of the page. Whilst that is a niche interest (similar to music buffs who insist on listening to vinyl or photographers who use film), I don’t see that as a mainstream concern.
Of course, in these changing times bookshops need to adjust and adapt. Perhaps like car manufacturers, television networks or hardware stores, there just isn’t as much room in the Australian market as there used to be for so many players.
If Borders and Angus & Robertson were to fail (and this is no certainty), it would be an unfortunate loss. Aside from the jobs directly lost, it would also likely hurt the Australian book publishing industry.
I have no doubt that like the newspaper and broadcasting industries, the book industry is entering a period of substantial change and possible consolidation. It will be fascinating to see what changes, both in a corporate and technological sense, emerge in the coming decade.
Whilst I firmly believe that e-books offer immense opportunities, I hope that I will always have the opportunity to browse real books in a real shop. After all, real books don’t need batteries, charging or firmware upgrades.
I have been using Windows 7 on my brand-new Lenovo ThinkPad W500 for three weeks now, so thought I’d share some thoughts and experiences I have had with Microsoft’s newest operating system.
I was one of those people who skipped the much-maligned Windows Vista, having moved directly from Windows XP (although I do have experience using Vista). Windows XP had served me well, but there have been many innovations in software and hardware since Windows XP was launched in 2001. As I was in the market for a new computer, it made sense to get Windows 7 as well. I chose the 64-bit version of Windows 7 Home Premium, which has the same features as the 32-bit version except for the ability to access additional RAM.
The Windows 7 desktop, with my own custom image.
What I have liked:
1. Versatile desktop: Windows 7 supports desktop widgets that Microsoft call “gadgets“. These are small applications that sit on the desktop. So far I have installed the Clock gadget, but other apps are available, such as RSS feed readers, currency converters and so forth.
2. Speedy operation: Unlike Vista, which seemed to be slow from the very beginning, Windows 7 operates efficiently. As one uses the installed programmes, Windows 7 offers suggestions for optimising performance. The Windows Experience Index is particularly informative.
3. Sticky notes: I am keen on using sticky notes in real life. Now I can have them on my desktop which sounds trivial, but is actually very useful. This feature will save a few trees!
The layout in Windows 7 is intuitive: Sticky Notes is a great innovation!
4. Sensible security measures: One of my biggest frustrations with Windows Vista was the constant security checks that kept popping up. Every time I wanted to install a programme, or make a system change, or perform another menial task, the blocker would come up asking my permission. Windows 7 addresses this frustration by “keeping it real”. It knows that if I want to edit my own HOSTS file, that is my intention. But should some other third-party application/virus try it, the operating system will intervene. This is inherently sensible, and makes for a smooth and pleasurable computing experience.
5. Versatile Task Bar: Gone are ‘quick launch’ icons and “Start” button. Replacing them is a Windows logo (performing the ‘Start’ function) and a toolbar that mixes applications in use with ‘quick launch’ icon functions. A white box indicates open programmes. This is actually a much more functional system because it makes switching between programmes easier.
The task bar: Open applications are boxed and a preview is available.
6. Interactive search and help: If someone is running a programme for XP or Vista on Windows 7, the operating system will identify any potential problems and update drivers, download patches or allow the programme to run in ‘XP mode’ if need-be. The search function in Windows 7 (be that for files, folders, help or anything) is absurdly easy: one simply has to type a phrase into a box, just like for a search engine on the internet.
7. Easy rescue: Three days into my Windows 7 experience, I installed some (legal, commercial, paid) software that unfortunately wreaked havoc on my computer. Windows 7 was able to ‘go back in time’ to isolate the problems. Unfortunately this particular programme decided to do more damage, which warranted a complete re-install. Thankfully, this was a breeze with Windows 7, and within 30 minutes I had a fresh install.
What I have not liked:
1. Incompatibility issues: Microsoft make a genuine effort to ensure their operating systems are backwards-compatible. And in most cases this hasn’t been an issue for me. However, my digital camera (Canon EOS 350D) doesn”t work with Windows 7 ×64. This is, of course, a problem of Canon’s making, not Microsoft’s. On 3 March 2010, “Theresa” at Canon informed me that “…software for Windows 7 is still being tested and has not yet been released… it is advised to check back to the Canon website again in a couple of weeks.” (This simple solution has been posted, but didn’t work for me). I do not have a sophisticated understanding of computing, but I assumed that Windows 7′s “Run in XP-mode” or “Run in Vista-mode” options might have worked, but alas, I was wrong.
2. Kernel power issues: For some reason, and despite the fact that I am running Windows 7 on a three-week-old computer, I have had occasional freeze issues, followed by The Black Screen of Death (Windows Event 41). This is easily resolved with a reset. It seems to happen when I leave the computer unattended for a long time and it tries to hibernate, or occasionally when using Firefox. Hopefully this very common problem will be fixed with the upcoming Service Pack 1. If not, I shall contact service support at Lenovo. Thankfully this has not resulted in data loss.
(Update: The Kernel Power matter was found to be caused by hibernation. By switching off the hibernation setting, the matter was resolved).
3. Uncooperative RSS Reader “gadget”: I mentioned gadgets before. There is an RSS reader gadget which I thought would be useful on my desktop, but it only works with Internet Explorer. Hence it doesn’t work with Firefox which is a tad annoying.
The range and functionality of “gadgets” could be better.
The Final Verdict:
Notwithstanding the three problems above, Windows 7 has been well worth the upgrade. My slide scanner (Epson Perfection V500), television stick (KaiserBass TVStick), modem (Belkin ADSL2+), mouse (Logitech MX1100) and all key non-Microsoft programmes (Adobe Photoshop Elements, Mozilla Firefox, Yahoo Messenger) have all worked like a charm.
Unlike Windows Vista, Windows 7 is intuitive and the help and support and updating mechanisms are a major step-up from Windows XP. Whilst some have complained, I actually like the Control Panel, which is logically laid-out and full of options.
Installing programmes is easy, and removing them equally so. An especially notable improvement can be seen when one wants to unplug a USB device: it’s now a three-click operation (instead of five).
I like the simplicity of Windows 7′s Control Panel
If you’re still running Windows XP on an old machine, and are considering an upgrade, I’d probably suggest that you wait until the machine is replaced. Not because the features aren’t worth it, but because there is no XP-to-7 update (you must do a re-install) and because a machine of that vintage might not support Windows 7 anyway. (You can test this theory by downloading Microsoft’s free Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor).
If you’re running Windows Vista, and your machine will support an upgrade, do it! From my experience, Vista is slow and uncooperative a lot of the time and the upgrade will be worth it.
If you’re not sure whether to get the 32-bit or 64-bit version, you need to consider that a 64-bit operating system is much faster, in part because it can utilise more than 3GB of RAM unlike 32-bit systems. But before making the change, check that your hardware devices will run on a 64-bit system or that an upgrade is available.
Windows 7 has impressed me. It has the functionality and look of Vista, but the intuitiveness of XP. If you can afford an upgrade, I highly recommend it.
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Technical: Lenovo ThinkPad W500; Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo CPU T9550 @ 2.66GHz 2.67 GHz; 4.0 GB RAM; 300 GB Hard Disk Drive; Windows Home Premium (64-bit)
The much-loved Safeway brand in Victoria is to be abolished.
Parent company Woolworths Limited have decided to progressively re-brand all 129 Victorian supermarkets in the coming 12 months. Coinciding with this decision is the announcement that a new Woolworths logo has been developed, but the “Fresh Food People” moniker will remain.
The Safeway Supermarket at the Melbourne suburb of Preston at dusk.
Safeway was launched in Melbourne in 1963 when the American chain of the same name bought three locally-owned supermarkets and established Australian Safeway Stores Pty Ltd. Competing locally with rival Woolworths, Safeway slowly expanded into New South Wales and Queensland whilst Woolworths continued to expand in Victoria. In 1985, Safeway Inc. sold all of its Australian operations to Woolworths and the two supermarket chains merged. At the time, Safeway was considered to be a stronger brand and so the decision was made to that all Victorian stores would be named Safeway whilst the New South Wales and Queensland stores became Woolworths. And so it was until now.
A Safeway commercial from 1989, featuring the “Red Spot Specials”.
Of course this re-naming process is not new to Tasmanians. In a situation reminiscent of the Victorian Safeway saga, Woolworths had been operating separate Roelf Vos and Purity brands (depending on which part of Tasmania they were located) since the two Tasmanian supermarket chains were acquired in the mid-1980′s. All supermarket brands were advertised as “The Fresh Food People” after 1986 and shared a common marketing strategy, which meant that national advertising jingles and campaigns had to be re-worked to fit in with the Roelf Vos and Purity identities. Eventually Woolworths came to the realisation that operating four nearly-identical brands was sheer madness and so in was in 2000 that Roelf Vos and Purity became history.
In the context of that upheaval, it remained a mystery why it was that Safeway was preserved where Roelf Vos and Purity hit the chopping block. I guess we all knew that it was simply a matter of time before Safeway suffered the same fate. Anyone who’s been into Safeway lately would have seen the subtle signs… all the own-brand products have been labelled as “Woolworths” rather than “Safeway” for quite some time.
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Old logos for Woolworths, Safeway, Purity and Roelf Vos (left) and the new Woolworths logo (right).
For most, this change is nothing more than a new name and logo. That said, I can’t help but feel a bit of nostalgia for good ol’ Safeway with it’s crazy “Red Spot Specials” (whatever that referred to) and early childhood memories of being dragged up and down its drab aisles. And then there’s that catchy jingo “We’re Safeway the Fresh Food Peeeeee-ple…“.
It’s the end of an era for sure… farewell Safeway.
For more information on the name change, you can read the Official Press Release.
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