Comment by ColdStream
4 hours ago
Credit to him, he always had a bold take.
One of the funniest things he used to do was write draft reviews of software simply by looking at the back of the box. He said you could get it like 90% right just doing that, I was a different era.
I also remember Leo Laporte constantly trying to take his phone back of him as John was trying to guess his passcode or unlock pattern based on the screen smudges.
Didn't agree with him at lot but he always brought something to the table.
Most of what I know him for was coming on TWiT, driving Leo Laporte nuts, and making claims that ended up not coming true.
He was a hilarious curmudgeon. He will be missed.
Curmudgeon is the perfect term to describe.
He was a great part of TWIT. I liked his obscure software references (lotus Jazz was one I think).
He also found this new thing is like that old thing.
His non positive takes were a great addition to the show.
When Leo banned him is actually when I stopped listening to TWiT. Apparently he came back a few years later, but I never did.
> lotus Jazz
I actually remember that.
He was a very readable columnist for PC Mag among other places. He was also more focused on being interesting and at least a bit provocative than being correct.
>He was a hilarious curmudgeon.
Agreed.
>> He was also more focused on being interesting and at least a bit provocative than being correct.
So exactly like everyone today, but also interesting?
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> by looking at the back of the box. He said you could get it
Well that is definitely something different about today's software websites. How many times have you looked at a company's website for a product/service and still left wondering what it did?
When product websites are more focused on getting investors than customers the whole system breaks down
Too bad him and Leo had a falling out years ago. I really loved watching those two together. I remember John was always borrowing Leo's equipment, such as camera lenses, and he would always forget to bring them back and Leo would always scold him for that.
> he always had a bold take
Often quite literally, in his PC Magazine columns!
His most hilarious predictions that were almost always wrong.
I laughed at one I happened to spot recently, where he confidently said that Compaq would license Micro Channel from IBM according to "sources".
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He was right about the mouse, in the long run.