Mishina.com

At Microsoft every building has several state of the art Starbucks coffee machines. In fact every floor got at least 2 coffee machines and it makes decent  coffee. But its slow. It takes 60 seconds to brew a cup of coffee, but you know it is as fresh as it can get. Regardless, the 60 seconds wait for a cup of coffee is too much for me.

There is a new swanky coffee shop right on the Palo Alto Caltrain platform. The train stops 25 yards from the coffee shop and it is very convenient for passengers.  Remember when Kramer from the Seinfeld was trying to get a gyro on the subway platform?

…

TANNOY (V.O.): Next stop, Queensboro Plaza.

KRAMER: Oh, Queensboro Plaza. (reties his shoelaces) This stop is famous for its
gyros, you want one?

ELAINE: How are you gonna get something and get back on the train in time?

KRAMER: Well, they got a stand right out on the platform. Gyros are cooked, and
wrapped, and ready to go. (he pulls money from his pocket) Three dollars, no
change. You want one?

ELAINE: (laughing) No thanks.

KRAMER: Alright, but no bites.

Kramer goes to the door, where he stands jostling with a couple of other guys
waiting for it to open. When it does, they all exit in a hurry. Elaine continues
to study the TV Guide. A guy sitting opposite (bald, glasses, anorak inside and
out) proffers a pen.

RICKY: Highlighter?

ELAINE: Excuse me?

RICKY: To highlight the programmes you plan to watch.

ELAINE: Ah. Uh, look really (looks about to try and avoid contact) I'm just
trying to read.

RICKY: Fine, okay. It's just, I've never seen a beautiful lady reading 'the
Guide' so far away from a TV. You must really like television.

The train about to leave, the doors begin to close. As they do, Kramer tries to
enter. The door closes, trapping his arm at the shoulder, leaving him holding
his gyro into the carriage.

KRAMER: (yells) Elaine!

…

So I tried to do the same. Can I get a cup coffee and get back on the train? It did not work. Want to know why?

Step 1: Locate the coffee shop

Step 2: Wait for the salesperson to notice you and take your order. When you see a mouse attached to the Mac computer you know you will miss the train.

Step 3: Order cup of coffee. And watch the mouse work its magic. Click.

Step 3: More clicks

Step 4: More clicks

Step 5: Click and click

Step 6: What is going on?  More clicks.

Step 7: Still no coffee but I transaction is almost over. Waiting for receipt.

The train has long gone. At least the coffee was good. Are there shortcuts that the application can use to speed up the coffee buying process?

So why would a coffee shop use a Mac instead of a simple cash register?  The answer is simple: “because it is cool”.

Lots of cement trucks were wating at the caltrain parking lot in Palo Alto to enter the contstruction site. It is good to see the stimulus money put to work, but what about poor caltrain commuters that had no place to park this morning.

Sent from my iPhone