Nine. Ten. A big fat hen.

This is a widget off Microsoft’s gadget site. It really has no point and kind of meanders to life as an ironic creative sophomoric attempt. All these community sites deteriorate into a cesspool just as the gadget site is starting to. Eventually either moderators and quality content silence the squeaky wheels or the squeaky wheels start hitting the Top50 pages. If the Top50 sucks, then the population of the community sucks at which point complete suckage is achieved.

“Pop some bubbles” it says. I assume that when you click on a bubble, it plays a sound. I really wonder if the bubble animates or “pops” but honestly I don’t want to support their efforts in a HTTP download count increment. Maybe HTTP download count excrement.

Apple’s site is conversely filled with slightly higher quality content but it’s had more time to do so. With the greater amount of content, Apple can pick (or just have) a better Top50. However, there are some real stinkers in there. There’s a bunch of useless toys as well as countless website plugs.

All in all, it’s the same as Vista. 80% polish, better than the last release.

Check out that screenshot above. It’s a Nvidia tech demo. My new 8800gts video card still has lots to test and tweak still. Not really a smart buy on my part. DX10 is nowhere around except demos and even the runtime is married to Vista (ahem $399). I’d say that the above picture might impart some static benediction for my reckless consumerism even when stricken stupid by a massively-multiplayer-northern-virginia-mortage-game (MMNVMG).

Oh right, stricken stupid.

Brak. Grawk. Meat. Grok, grok. Meat good. Grrrr. Mongo think gooch shading pretty played out these days. Brak.

UPDATE: Ran into this little gem. It’s off windowsultimate.com where they say I can download a wallpaper just like the retail box that is “displayed on my mantel”. I’m not impressed by the fake blog, as arstechnica has already covered, it’s a sad attempt to justify the $399 price tag maybe?

An Ultimate-centric wallpaper showing off the “strands.” Just like the ones you see on the Ultimate box you have displayed on your mantel, and that grace the front page of this website. 30″ widescreen edition (2560×1600 pixels)