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The Nation of Macintosh?

Devon Avenger writes "A new short British film has been released according to this article at Wired depicting a cult of Macintosh fanatics who are organised in a manner reminiscent of the Nation of Islam."

486 comments

  1. What manner of film? by BoBaBrain · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    [HUMOUR]
    Fly-on-the-wall documentary, is it?
    [/HUMOUR]

    --
    I am a Karma Library.
  2. Whoa. by RasputinAXP · · Score: 5, Funny

    I just got a mental image of Steve Jobs as Louis Farrakhan.

    I just don't think the bow tie would go with his black turtleneck.

    1. Re:Whoa. by BitGeek · · Score: 0, Offtopic


      You gonna back up that slander about steve jobs?

      Or is this just more anti-apple bigotry?

      --
      Yeah, and you guys panned the ipod too: http://apple.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=01/10/23/ 1816257
    2. Re:Whoa. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      at least it's not like your unfounded apple zealotry

    3. Re:Whoa. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No, it's anti-anti semetic bigotry, nigga.

    4. Re:Whoa. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I think he wore bow ties back in 1984...

      http://www.dirac.es/usuarios/bowtie/images/perso na jes/stevejobs.jpg

    5. Re:Whoa. by Zak3056 · · Score: 5, Funny

      I just got a mental image of Steve Jobs as Louis Farrakhan.

      My own mental image was a guy running around calling himself "Malcolm OS X"

      --
      What part of "shall not be infringed" is so hard to understand?
    6. Re:Whoa. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      Jobs: "BUT IT'S NOT "ECKS" it's "TEN" DAMMIT!"

    7. Re:Whoa. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      -- Basically, everyone who thinks Macs are slower and more expensive than PCs is either in denial or lying.

      Basically, everyone who thinks Macs are faster and less expensive than PCs are suffering brain damage due to the lack of oxygen while they were blowing their dogs.

  3. hmmm by inteller · · Score: 1, Interesting

    This might be pretty cool....now if they just did a linux version of it. Perhaps just open source junkies :0

    1. Re:hmmm by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      fuck Linux.

    2. Re:hmmm by MaxVlast · · Score: 3, Insightful

      They tried, but exposing them to Alan Cox kept shattering the expensive DV equipment. Then uploaded the video to their Linux boxes to edit it and forgot that it wasn't worth the effort. (For all of those with your panties in a knot, that's a joke. It's perfectly legitimate to poke fun at people.)

      --
      There should be a moratorium on the use of the apostrophe.
      Max V.
      NeXTMail/MIME Mail welcome
    3. Re:hmmm by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      no cares about steenkin' linux hippies

      give it up already

    4. Re:hmmm by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      Yeah, but no one would pay to see it, demanding free passes instead, so the filmmakers would go out of business.

  4. Aargh! by mccalli · · Score: 0, Offtopic
    A new short British film has been released...depicting a cult of Macintosh fanatics

    And yet still they don't release Quicken for OS X in the UK. And so still this British wannabee Mac fanatic can't bring himself to buy one...

    Please Intuit. Please release it. Please...

    Cheers,
    Ian

    1. Re:Aargh! by MsGeek · · Score: 3, Funny

      Virtual PC is your friend, Grasshopper. Much as WINE-X/Crossover Office is your friend if you are trying to get non-ported games or Microsoft Office running on Linux. Yes, you will need a copy of Windows but the price of Virtual PC with Windows 2K is actually comparable to a copy of Windows 2K alone.

      --
      Knowledge is power. Knowledge shared is power multiplied.
    2. Re:Aargh! by Alex+Thorpe · · Score: 1

      Why no Quicken for Mac in the UK? I've had Quicken 2002 for over a year, and there's a 2003 version out. Though my mouse's scroll wheel doesn't work in the '02 version, and I've heard mixed reviews of '03's performance, they do work. Unless it has to be localized for pounds, and they haven't done so.

      --
      "Common Sense Ain't" -Unknown
    3. Re:Aargh! by mccalli · · Score: 2
      Unless it has to be localized for pounds, and they haven't done so.

      Exactly. It's not just the currency - that would be fairly trivial I imagine. It's more all the tax rules that go with it. I use Quicken to run both home accounts and my small business, so tax rules are vital to me.

      Still, as far as I'm aware it's just data and not code. I really don't see why Intuit don't do it - they localise the PC version, so why not the Mac?

      Cheers,
      Ian

  5. original by proj_2501 · · Score: 5, Informative

    So it stars an "an original Macintosh, the 512K," huh? The original Mac had a big bad 128K of RAM. (and a 400K single sided 3.5" floppy)

    1. Re:original by ArcSecond · · Score: 5, Funny

      Yeah, back in the day, we used to call the 512K the "Phat Mac". I can still remember getting the upgrade for our little 128 and hearing "Ride of the Valkyries" pumping out of that little speaker when I played "Airborne!". Ah, the memories.

      Another cool Mac vs. Islam reference: the Public Enemy song where Chuck D talks about sitting down to composes his next song by "smack[ing] the Mac on the back and attack"... anyone who remembers the old 9" monochrome machines remembers that little switch on the left in the back... and that happy little "bong!"

      --

      I've got a bad attitude and karma to burn. Go ahead. Mod me down.

    2. Re:original by iomud · · Score: 2

      Airborn! I spent hours and hours playing that game. Later on in that machines life I played Duel Test Drive or was it Test Drive Duel, those are fond if somewhat cloudy memories.

    3. Re:original by #!/bin/allen · · Score: 1

      Civ for the mac on a 9" screen. Wooooo. The screen finally went out and we got a PC, but now we're "Back in Mac".

      I was the only Mac user in an Microsoft embattled Unix systems group. Talk about minorities.

      --
      sed 's/commun/terror/g' mccarthy > bush; sed 's/terror/saddam/g' bush > bush_wacked
    4. Re:original by sql*kitten · · Score: 4, Insightful

      "smack[ing] the Mac on the back and attack"...

      He probably said Mack, which means pimp.

    5. Re:original by proj_2501 · · Score: 1

      Especially since it was the Bomb Squad who did the production, not Chuck D.

    6. Re:original by gordlea · · Score: 0, Redundant

      I think mac refers to a mac10 submachine gun.

      --

      Choose yer poison: Prophets or Profits

    7. Re:original by Maradine · · Score: 0

      Test Drive II: The Duel -- for what its worth. I was playing it at about the same time on my 520ST. What great gaming platforms they were. Ever wonder why the original TD games were more fun than the stuff they're spewing now? *shrug* Progress.

      --

      trustedworlds.net - gaming, security, and the gunk that lives in between

    8. Re:original by susano_otter · · Score: 1

      Actually, it was called the "512k" because--like every other personal computer of its time--it would process about 512k instructions before becoming obsolete.

      --

      Any sufficiently well-organized community is indistinguishable from Government.

    9. Re:original by zaffir · · Score: 1

      I really wish someone would make an Airborne! clone for OS X. That game was just too cool.

      --
      "Upon attaching the waterblock to my penis, I began to notice that I know nothing about computers." -- JRockway
    10. Re:original by CoderDevo · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Funny how so many people find it hard to believe that a black rapper would use a computer to assist in composing his music. How is it more plausible that he juices his creativity by using a machine gun or by hanging with a pimp?

      If you are a professional musician that is in the forefront of using samples, mixes and impossible bass, wouldn't you assume that he used software to achieve much of his sound? I guess that's too much of a stretch for some to believe.

    11. Re:original by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This is stupid. I mean, not even slightly amusing.

    12. Re:original by ArcSecond · · Score: 2

      Nope, check the lyrics on the Nation of Millions... liner notes. I checked. Word.

      --

      I've got a bad attitude and karma to burn. Go ahead. Mod me down.

  6. A new group in "OZ?" by BTWR · · Score: 4, Funny

    I think that this group will be a welcome addition to the clics in HBO's "OZ." Now you have Skinheads, Black Muslims, Italians, and the ever-so-feared Macies.

    1. Re:A new group in "OZ?" by teslatug · · Score: 5, Funny

      the ever-so-feared Macies

      Yeah, those guys are always parading around :)

    2. Re:A new group in "OZ?" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I would think that prancing is the word that should be used in this context.

    3. Re:A new group in "OZ?" by ComradeLysenko · · Score: 1

      I think an "OZ" parody would be ideal for a documentary about Microsoft users. After all, they regularly get gang-raped by their operating system.

    4. Re:A new group in "OZ?" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You forgot the bikers. and its clique.

    5. Re:A new group in "OZ?" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I kinda thought he meant parading around, as in, a pride march.

    6. Re:A new group in "OZ?" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I thought he was refering to Macy's as in Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

  7. The scariest thing... by krinsh · · Score: 3, Interesting

    is that ALL of us in this forum probably know at least one person like an iBrotha. They may or may not be Mac evangelists - very likely Linux promoters or advocates of some social cause [and I'm not debating the worthiness or unworthiness of *any* cause at this time] but we know a few. You or I might even be one.

    --
    I think with the interesting people, their lives can't possibly be wrapped up into a nice little package.
    1. Re:The scariest thing... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful
      The scariest thing... is that ALL of us in this forum probably know at least one person like an iBrotha.
      I think we're all like iBrotha over at least one issue.
    2. Re:The scariest thing... by krinsh · · Score: 1

      Very true. It's too bad you posted this as an AC.

      --
      I think with the interesting people, their lives can't possibly be wrapped up into a nice little package.
    3. Re:The scariest thing... by Alan+Partridge · · Score: 1

      you should try reading some of his old articles - he was almost pathologically wrong on every subject he chose to write about. Just another lunatic, only this one was OS obsessed - complete nutter.

      --
      That was classic intercourse!
    4. Re:The scariest thing... by krinsh · · Score: 1

      please email me at adelphia or hotmail (yes, it is a junkmail box so it is perfect to catch on the run) if you have some links or PDFs to those articles... it sounds like something I and a couple acquaintances might have a conversation over.

      --
      I think with the interesting people, their lives can't possibly be wrapped up into a nice little package.
    5. Re:The scariest thing... by Alan+Partridge · · Score: 1

      just cruise over to themacobserver.com that's where Rodney wrote his last

      --
      That was classic intercourse!
    6. Re:The scariest thing... by krinsh · · Score: 1

      k thx

      --
      I think with the interesting people, their lives can't possibly be wrapped up into a nice little package.
  8. ok... by powerlinekid · · Score: 5, Insightful

    First thought: This is stupid, but lets keep reading.
    So now I get to this little gem: It's about that whole religious fervor that grabs Mac users the way it doesn't with users of other platforms," said writer/director Jake Barnes, who described himself as a "recovering Mac addict."
    Has Jake Barnes every met a linux user? Or a BSD user? Or a VMS user? Or hell, a BeOS or OS/2 user? He probably just looked at windows and thought "well 90% of the known universe uses it, so how excited can Hip Bob be when booting it up". He has failed to see the amount of umm... love some non-microsoft and non-apple people have for their computers. I mean come on... linux... what is there not to love. Hell even IBM spraypaints "Peace. Love. Linux." on stuff. Oh well... need coffee.

    --

    can't sleep slashdot will eat me
    1. Re:ok... by The+Wooden+Badger · · Score: 1, Informative
      Has Jake Barnes every met a linux user? Or a BSD user? Or a VMS user? Or hell, a BeOS or OS/2 user?

      Yeah but the BSD/VMS/BeOS/OS/2/Linux user (man OS/2 really screwed that up) doesn't talk about how much more superior his hardware is as well as the OS.

      --
      Heroscape, it's like legos combined with anachronistic wargames.
    2. Re:ok... by agentmunchkin · · Score: 4, Funny

      First thought: This is stupid, but lets keep reading. So now I get to this little gem: It's about that whole religious fervor that grabs Mac users the way it doesn't with users of other platforms," said writer/director Jake Barnes, who described himself as a "recovering Mac addict."

      Why bother to recover?

    3. Re:ok... by BESTouff · · Score: 1
      You forgot the most religious zealots ever seen on this part of the galaxy: the Amiga users. They are a legend on their own, being soo devoted to their platform.

      I know. I was one.

    4. Re:ok... by powerlinekid · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Hey, I used to absolutely adore OS/2. I had an old 386 back in the early-mid 90s running it. Everytime I boot into Windows I A)Wish it was linux and B) wonder what life would be like if OS/2 was the most popular OS on the planet. Of course though if OS/2 had swapped with Windows, then slashdotters wouldn't have Microsoft to talk about, we'd probably be bashing IBM. I think its all about how "you're not in the norm" and it makes you feel special. Yeah, some clown is going to say "Its a freaking OS" but to some (me included) its more. Some people can explain their entire persona based on what OS they use. For example:

      Windows: I'm a mindless drone (haha, j/k).

      Linux: I'm a super-sexy, super-genious and all the girls should sleep with me.

      See how well that works.

      --

      can't sleep slashdot will eat me
    5. Re:ok... by The+Wooden+Badger · · Score: 2, Funny
      Windows: I'm a mindless drone (haha, j/k).

      Please, I prefer reluctant conformist.

      --
      Heroscape, it's like legos combined with anachronistic wargames.
    6. Re:ok... by powerlinekid · · Score: 1

      It may only be 9:09, but that is the funniest thing I've seen today.

      --

      can't sleep slashdot will eat me
    7. Re:ok... by kableh · · Score: 5, Interesting

      The "recovering Mac addict" part bugs the hell out of me, though to each his/her own I suppose.

      I've been playing around with some old Macs for the past few weeks. I'm trying to get Linux on a 6100 but having a hell of a time. But in the process, I've had to load OS 7.5 on this thing a dozen times, and even this antiquated OS impresses me. It is clean. Easy to use. The Drive Setup tool, the Mac answer to fdisk, is easy enough my grandma could use it. Yet this kind of stuff eluded the Windows realm for years.

      I also finally got OS X on an old G3, and it is the coolest OS I have ever used. All my UNIX utilities are there. So are some gorgeous GUI apps. It is clean, simple, and that is just the way I like it. I love the CLI in Linux because I like simple, and I can get what I want to do done, and quickly. OS X is the GUI answer to that.

      As far as I'm concerned, anyone who uses Windows is a masochist.

      And as far as the hardware debate, yea, Macs are more expensive. It is economies of scale. But even this old 6100 uses SCSI! And the layout is well though out, with one fan for the entire computer (the PSU fan).

    8. Re:ok... by Obasan · · Score: 1

      Love for their OS? :) And here I thought it was just a sense of smug moral superiority to make up for some fundamental insecurity on the part of the linux/mac/amiga/whatever zealot. =)

    9. Re:ok... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      VMS users not talking about how much more superior hardware? What planet are you on?

      VAX is the awesomest hardwarez eva.

      VAX 4EVA. Or alpha, hrm.. I seem to recal that people still say that those are better than x86...

    10. Re:ok... by c13v3rm0nk3y · · Score: 5, Informative
      And as far as the hardware debate, yea, Macs are more expensive.

      I'm getting tired of this old chestnut. More expensive than what, exactly?

      Yes, the retail cost of a new Mac is more than your average clone, or built-it-yerself project, but this is not where Apple is positioned.

      When I decided to get a Mac to replace a Windows box to run commercial applications, I decided to do an accurate price compare with other high-end vendors. That means I only looked at higher-end Compaqs (or whatever they are now), IBM (when they sold desktops), and anything from Sony. I did a build-your-own run on dell.com, making sure to choose all the "extra" items that came standard on a new G4.

      Plainly put, I found that a Mac was less than $500 (Canadian) in most cases.

      If I was building a super-deluxe gaming box, I would have built my own Intel/AMD box (again) and been done with it. This would not have been an economy solution either, based on the numbers I racked up pricing out an AMD godbox.

      Look, a modest off-the-shelf or built-to-order Intel/AMD box running Windows is probably good enough for most people. If you want or need anything more, however, any top of the line brand-name box is going to be siginficantly pricier. Apple is not alone in this.

      The bottom line is that, for what I wanted a home computer to be (semi-pro music production, web development, modest amount of gaming, software development) a Mac fit my life perfectly. I get a commercially supported OS, standardized equipment and a deep well of user experience I can draw on.

      And I don't have to use Windows. I get enough of that at work.

      If you want to criticize the Mac platform, a better place to start is the lack of cheap or free software. There isn't the same culture of freeware as in the BSD or Linux world, and the commercial apps tend toward higher prices. I attribute this to market-share.

      This is changing, however. Anyone who uses OS X (and who doesn't) has access to Fink for opensource love.

      If it's fanatical to choose a platform that allows you the benefits of a commercially-supported platform with the pleasures of a nice UNIX GUI, then go ahead and call me a fanatic. I don't know from anything earlier than OS X, so cannot comment. People tend to get attached to their first user experience. Heck, I have a soft spot in my heart for the TRS-80 Model I and Northstar minis.

      From my experience though, if you fairly compare a recent G4 with a recent offering from Sony, add the DVD-RW/CD-RW and Gigabit ethernet (ok, this last is a bit spurious -- who can use 1000 mbit devices to the fullest right now?) you'll find the price difference almost meaningless. Add a $500 tax for running Windows (that's only a dollar a crash), and the price ends up the same.

      --
      -- clvrmnky
    11. Re:ok... by MaxVlast · · Score: 2

      Yea, but they've all long since died, so it's less of an issue. :-)

      --
      There should be a moratorium on the use of the apostrophe.
      Max V.
      NeXTMail/MIME Mail welcome
    12. Re:ok... by MaxVlast · · Score: 2

      Nah, it's just 'cause it's better. No need to probe the psychology. It's pretty obvious.

      --
      There should be a moratorium on the use of the apostrophe.
      Max V.
      NeXTMail/MIME Mail welcome
    13. Re:ok... by fruey · · Score: 1
      I tried for a long time to get YellowDog on a 5500/225, then someone gave me a 7000 series (don't have exact spec) and it worked first time!

      Feel free to reply for more info if needed

      --
      Conversion Rate Optimisation French / English consultant
    14. Re:ok... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Just a note on putting linux on a 6100: You do know it is only supported by MkLinux, right? (It is a first generation NuBus Mac.) Might save you some hassle. (Not that it is easy to install...)

    15. Re:ok... by mbbac · · Score: 1
      Of course though if OS/2 had swapped with Windows, then slashdotters wouldn't have Microsoft to talk about, we'd probably be bashing IBM.

      No, if OS/2 were currently the most popular OS, it would have been because Microsoft never bailed on it and there was a successful transition from MS-DOS/Windows to OS/2. So, we'd still be upset with Microsoft, although no where near as much because the OS wouldn't suck as much and they'd probably only have 80% of the market (many would have defected during the transition).
      --

      mbbac

    16. Re:ok... by daviddennis · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Actually, I've been pricing entry level laptops for my company, and imagine my surprise when I found the iBook cheaper than the competition.

      This is for our new outside sales force, so style is legitimately more important than substance. An iBook is undeniably stylish, and at $1,195 pretty reasonable. Compare that to the Sony subnotebook, which costs $1,699, or even the entry-level ThinkPad at $1,300-odd.

      I may just wind up getting my company to purchase Macs for the first time, since the software the salespeople use is browser-based anyway.

      D

    17. Re:ok... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      "I'm trying to get Linux on a 6100 but having a hell of a time."


      Use MK Linux for that and it will install easily.

    18. Re:ok... by powerlinekid · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I disagree. IBM and Microsoft worked jointly on OS/2. Microsoft took what they did and created NT, as IBM took what they did and kept going with it. IBM had gotten burned by allowing Microsoft to retain control of MS-DOS in the past and I would imagine that IBM would of retained conrol of OS/2. Most likely Microsoft would of gone on to become an Application company instead of an Application company that also has an monopoly on the OS they develop for.

      --

      can't sleep slashdot will eat me
    19. Re:ok... by Graff · · Score: 4, Insightful
      Actually, I've been pricing entry level laptops for my company, and imagine my surprise when I found the iBook cheaper than the competition.
      The iBooks and Powerbooks are really doing a good job on winning people over to Macintosh. When you do an honest comparison of them to the offerings from other manufacturers you usually find out that they are fairly price-competitive. The main reason for this is that Apple packs in so many standard features that the other manufacturers tend to leave out such as built-in 802.11, DVD/CD-RW, s-video out, etc. Sure you can get these features in other laptops, but they will cost you and you won't get them in as compact of a form factor as the Mac laptops.

      Once you combine this with the cool form factors, the ease-of-use, the friendly Unix-like goodness of MacOS X, and the overall stability of the Macintosh platform, you will see that many people are deciding that a Mac laptop is a nice buy. Now I'm sure that other manufacturers have similarly decent offerings, but Apple is certainly to be praised for being among those in the front of the pack.
    20. Re:ok... by c13v3rm0nk3y · · Score: 2
      The oh-so-clever AC said: you're full of shit.
      The best part about Anonymous Cowards is that they make the rest of us look so damn good.
      --
      -- clvrmnky
    21. Re:ok... by c13v3rm0nk3y · · Score: 4, Funny
      Linux: I'm a super-sexy, super-genious and all the girls should sleep with me.

      Heh. Well, I do have a t-shirt that reads "Chicks dig UNIX".

      At my job, this is actually true. There are many damn cute geek girls in this town anyway, and most do appreciate (Linux|BSD|!Windows) ubergeeks.

      Hey, it can be hard to meet people! I don't use my geek status or OS choice to define myself (entirely), but it has sure helped me find people to spend non-computing time with. That includes real sex, for those of you who haven't looked up from the porn on your monitors in a few weeks.

      That last was a joke, so don't get your (Thinkgeek) panties all in a knot.

      --
      -- clvrmnky
    22. Re:ok... by banzai51 · · Score: 0


      Yes, the retail cost of a new Mac is more than your average clone, or built-it-yerself project, but this is not where Apple is positioned.
      But that is what Apple is up against. You can try and claim, "Oh, but we're not competing against that." But both boxen do the same things: web, email, games, etc. So they are directly comparable and directly compete against each other. Since the numbers are overwhelmingly against Apple, we can see how successful they are.

    23. Re:ok... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No, it's clearly psychological.

      I have a DVD player. It's better than a VCR. I don't go around to my parents, friends, roommates, whatever, demanding they switch to DVDs. I don't run giant websites about the fact, I don't have DVD stickers on my car, I don't belong to some pseudo-intellectual ring of smug DVD superiorists who are using a chunk of hardware to fill the empty, spiritual void left in their otherwise hollow and meaningless lives.

      Get it?

    24. Re:ok... by amdg · · Score: 1
      Macs are more expensive.

      More expensive than what? When people compare prices it would help if they compare apples to... err... um... other PPC based Unix workstations.

      Apple's PowerMac (dual 867 MHz G4, 256 MB, 60 GB) goes for about US$1700.

      IBM's low-end AIX workstation, RS/6000 43P model 150 (single 375 MHz 604e, 128MB, 9.1 GB) goes for about US$8800. The 604e is 2 generations older than the G4. Apple hasn't made a Mac with a 604e since 1997.

    25. Re:ok... by ?erosion · · Score: 1

      Hmm, looks like you had a few extra words in there. Let's change:

      If you want to criticize the Mac platform, a better place to start is the lack of cheap or free software.

      to

      If you want to criticize the Mac platform, a better place to start is the software.

      Okay, that looks a little better now. :)

      --

      I assert ownership of all trademarks and copyrights on this page.
    26. Re:ok... by abhinavnath · · Score: 1

      Windows: I *have* a life!

      *ducks*

      --
      My other sig is also a .Porsche
    27. Re:ok... by Fascist+Christ · · Score: 1

      ok, this last is a bit spurious -- who can use 1000 mbit devices to the fullest right now?

      Seriously? One bit per second is too fast for you?

      --
      TodayTM BillyJoelTM GoogleTMd for StitchTMes due to WindowsTM while RollerbladeTMing with an AppleTM and a PopsicleTM
    28. Re:ok... by c13v3rm0nk3y · · Score: 2
      *shrug*

      All I see is that they market themselves the same way that Sony, Compaq, et al. Apple is clearly not in the same market as your local clone company or the built-it-yourself-cheap-online sites.

      An Acadian or Pony gets you to work and the grocery store just the same as a BMW or VW. Ford and VW both offer 5-door options that look the same, and are often placed in the same category.

      They certainly sell to different markets, though.

      Apple, like Sony, is busy making the buying experience seem like you are getting more for your money. Little things like well-designed cases, ultra-flexible cables, built-in wireless, tight integration with a variety of Firewire and USB devices all point toward a slightly upscale market.

      The fact is most of us could make do with a $500 4-year old machine. Whether the actual matrix of differences are meaningful for you or not is a different thing. It's the perceived differences that are one of the hallmarks of marketing.

      --
      -- clvrmnky
    29. Re:ok... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "The "recovering Mac addict" part bugs the hell out of me, though to each his/her own I suppose."

      "As far as I'm concerned, anyone who uses Windows is a masochist."

      Welcome to the idiot pool on the other side. :-)

      Oh, it can be true to some extent, but you really don't prove anything by answering mindless insults with other mindless insults. Where do you think they got the "Mac Fanatic" spiel from?

      And guess what...I don't think those insipid commercials are going to change anything. The only Mac commercial I ever liked (besides the 1984 classic) was the one with the tank, and even that one had a flair of arrogance. Maybe if they could actually produce a commercial that spelled out the benefits of MacOS, debunked the misconceptions of it, and that didn't paint the picture that Mac is god and all should bow down to the mighty OS X, perhaps it would catch on a little more.

    30. Re:ok... by surfimp · · Score: 1

      I'm getting tired of this old chestnut. More expensive than what, exactly?

      Um, more expensive than a comparably-capable PC. That's what.

    31. Re:ok... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      In my case, you'd be mistaken. I disliked windows because it really was the single worst Operating System available for the PC. I didn't even knock DOS. DOS worked. If DOS crashed, odds were that I did something wrong. I saw no fault in DOS then, nor do I today. I had no qualms about that OS from Microsoft, or even Microsoft itself, during those days, even if there *were* better alternatives(which I used at various times, since they were all compatible anyway). Windows 3.1 sucked, but it was okay, since nobody used it for the most part(Everybody I knew used HDM4 to quickly get into DOS programs becase Windows sucked, and most software I cared about(ie. games) was written for DOS anyway).

      Windows 95, on the other hand, became uber popular, and was, bar none, the single worst Operating system ever released for any platform I've ever used. I've played with unfinished CS projects which were more stable than the original Windows 95. Because of Win95s popularity, every OS I tried was automatically labelled "fringe", and was usually dropped. OS/2 was notable here, since it began with quite a bit of support, but quickly faded into obscurity(keep in mind that this was the mid 1990s, so it wasn't considered scary to be using it still back then)as the new version of Windows came out.

      After this, things were only made worse by the fact that the first usable version of Windows, 95 OSR2, was not sold retail, with Microsoft instead opting to leave customers hanging until 1998, when Windows 98 first edition, an OS which was also quite buggy, was released. It too had many problems, and those lucky enough to have Win95 OSR2(ie. one newer IBM in my house among many) decided not to switch. Microsoft thankfully decided to release Windows 98SE to the public, though their decision not to give it for free to users of the flawed Windows 98 stirred more resentment among Microsoft Customers(myself included). Windows ME kept up the tradition of criminally bad first releases for the 9x line, but was basically dropped from microsofts radar as soon as it was appropriate. There never was and never will be a Windows Me SE, and even patches are difficult to come by for this critically flawed(in my experience) OS.

      On the other hand, you'll rarely hear people complaining about Windows 95OSR2, Windows 98SE, or Windows 2000. Windows XP has had a few stones cast it's way, but considering the history of the Windows line, it's justifiable, though not paticularly productive. Microsoft should not be allowed to wipe the slate clean with a product which does what they promised Windows 95 to do 7 years (and countless hundreds of dollars)ago. Though neither Windows 95OSR2, Windows 98SE, or Windows 2000 are the most beautiful or robust Operating systems out there, they are more than stable enough for home users, who don't need 99.999% uptime.

      In my experience, there have been many operating systems which deserved more recognition, such as BeOS, or OS/2, but it's simply not going to happen in the near future. While Linux did not start out as an OS meant for use by regular users(like me-- though I work in this industry, I don't want to have to admin anything when I get home after 8 hours of admin work, so I don't. RedHat 7.3 was very close to this goal, and Mandrake 9 seems very good along these lines as well. The interesting thing about Linux is it's organic nature, which makes it virtually indestructable. Linux is it's own self-fulfilling prophesy, where users can help it progress, and because it progresses, more users come to Linux.

      Mac users tend to forget sometimes why they use a Mac, it seems, because they do tend to be snobbish compared to even Linux users(and even towards linux users, where most alternate OS users can relate with each other), though I'm not entirely sure why. Perhaps getting hit so hard on hardware(especially direct from apple--things like ram upgrades, for instance) has a factor to play in it, or perhaps it's just chic.

      Well, that's my rant -- the point being that not all of us dislike Microsoft because it's chic, some of us dislike Microsoft because they have made bad software in the past and pushed alternatives out of the market.

      SJ Zero
      posting anonymously because I'm on a 12 step plan

    32. Re:ok... by valmont · · Score: 2

      i agree it's pretty damn funny hehe :)

    33. Re:ok... by valmont · · Score: 2

      dewd. where do u live. heh. i wanna move there!

    34. Re:ok... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      . . . I decided to do an accurate price compare with other high-end vendors . . .

      Hmmm. Sounds like something out of Dogbert's Top Secret Management Handbook. Make crap and sell it at a premium price by comparing it with your competition's highest-priced products.

    35. Re:ok... by MaxVlast · · Score: 2

      I have friends who did that sort of thing when they got DVD players.

      And the real difference is that just about everyone agrees that DVD players are better. If you'd been using a DVD player for ten years and VCRs kept getting worse, you might be in that place. Especially if a great portion of your day revolved around using your DVD player.

      --
      There should be a moratorium on the use of the apostrophe.
      Max V.
      NeXTMail/MIME Mail welcome
    36. Re:ok... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      you're an idiot and are givng the rest of us Mac users a bad name...

    37. Re:ok... by c13v3rm0nk3y · · Score: 2

      Not sure what you mean. Macs come with an 10/100/1000 Mbit/sec ethernet adapter. I don't know anyone (yet) who owns a 1000 Mbit switch or router to connect it to.

      My connection to the cable modem is 10Mbit, and I get 1-2 Mbit/sec from my provider, so it's all moot. I can't connect at 1000Mbit/sec to anywhere.

      That's all I meant.

      --
      -- clvrmnky
    38. Re:ok... by c13v3rm0nk3y · · Score: 2
      Yet another AC said: you're an idiot and are givng the rest of us Mac users a bad name...

      Well, AC, you don't have a name, so there's nothing to apply a bad name to!

      Lucky you!

      I have to say it again: you trolling AC's make the rest of us look so darn smart. Thanks. Thanks so much.

      --
      -- clvrmnky
    39. Re:ok... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      you sir are an idiot.

    40. Re:ok... by sinserve · · Score: 1

      I am quoting that.

    41. Re:ok... by Alan+Partridge · · Score: 1

      who cares if you don't actually get 1000M (that's MEGA) bits per second? Even if you only get 300Mbps, you're still cutting your file xfer time by two thirds. Our Gig E setup gives between 300 and 400Mbps usually, and we fucking LOVE it.

      --
      That was classic intercourse!
    42. Re:ok... by c13v3rm0nk3y · · Score: 1
      *shrug*

      My switch is only rated to 100mbit. That's all I meant. I don't know many places that have sprung for 1000mbit switches or routers. I don't know what they would cost for home use, but this means that my internal network is 100mbit/sec, maximum.

      My only point was that, for most of us, the connection is as fast as your slowest link. The median right now seems 100mbit/sec.

      --
      -- clvrmnky
    43. Re:ok... by syd02 · · Score: 2, Interesting

      But Apple *is* "in the same market as your local clone company or the built-it-yourself-cheap-online sites" as far as most computer consumers are concerned (just not Mac loyalists), and that is precisely their problem. If I could justify the pricier hardware, I would love to replace my powerful, self-built linux machine with a powerful Mac running OSX (because I use Photoshop as much as I use a text editor), so you can't tell me that they're not in the same market. Consumers like me, not Apple loyalists, decide who's included in a particular market.

      To understand Apple's trouble, you must learn to differentiate between *competition* and *rivalry*.

      Rivalry is something that we see in markets with high barriers to entry. For example, auto manufacturers rely heavily on advertising, styling, and aggresive marketing because their products aren't nearly as standardized as PC's.

      Apple and their loyalists are still thinking in terms of brand *rivalry* while producers and consumers on the PC side of the market are thinking in terms of pure *competition*. At least 90% of all computer consumers are benefitting from PC standardization, which had the effect of commoditizing personal computers.

      In the PC market you can forget the brand image completely while choosing between a Gateway and a Dell. With a decision like that, you're only concerned with specs and prices. If you know enough to spec out a self-built computer, you'll probably go with that. Not because building computers is fun, but because you know it's all so standardized that once you're running Windows or Linux, you're not going to know the difference.

      When you buy Apple-compatible hardware, you're rarely given the choice of just getting a reference implementation of some new chipset. This is Apple's game: high barrier to entry.

      Apple doesn't want to compete with PC producers, and their loyalists don't like to think that they have to compete. Fine, if they're satisfied with their current market share (mostly composed of Mac loyalists, but also some newbies who are highly responsive to advertising and other aspects of brand rivalry because they haven't yet realized the benefit of PC standards). If Apple wants to expand their market share, they don't have a choice but to try to compete. Otherwise, the end result of their "strategy" is that they still find themselves up against, and losing to, far more efficient personal computer producers (efficency being the product of pure *competition*).

    44. Re:ok... by c13v3rm0nk3y · · Score: 2

      These are all really good points, but in rebuttal, all I can offer is an analogy:

      Both Ford and VW make compact, 5-door cars. Both can get you to the store and back. They are considered in the same "class", as far as most people are concerned.

      Do they market to the same people? Not really. VW commands a higher price in return for a real or perceived increase in certain intangibles. VW is not interested in selling a good number of their products to buyers who are primarily concerned with value. If price was the only or primary concern, nobody would be buying anything else but Fords.

      From what I can see on the Apple web site, and their TV ads (lately) is that they have abandoned the customer where cost is the primary deciding factor on the matrix of comparators. They seem to be concentrating on the higher-end customer, someone who is willing to pay more for real or imagined benefits of running a Mac, and for the customer who is willing to "step up" from a basic machine, and is no longer so value-oriented.

      Given this, it makes more sense to compare an Apple product with similar offerings from the less value-oriented manufacturers, like Sony.

      Perhaps they are in the same market as your local clone shop, but they certainly do not have the same customers.

      Of course, this is just anecdotal, but I know that I got rid of my home Windows machine partially because I was ready to drive something with a bit more style (by "style", I mean not the physical look of the box, but how the hardware, software and GUI all fit together). Another reason was that music production sucks on Windows 2000 (IMHO, and I tried my best), and XP was looking like a nonstarter for me. I spend a lot of time with computers at home and work. It had better be a bit more fun. I was less concerned with value this time around, and other attributes on the decision matrix were actually more important to me. I get the feeling that I'm not the only one.

      I already have a Chevy truck running Linux, and an old Honda running my firewall. I wanted the VW or BMW.

      --
      -- clvrmnky
    45. Re:ok... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Speak for yourself: I'm not getting a huge "I am s-mart!" vibe from ANY of this conversation.

      Whoever decided that some people would eventually automatically post at threshold 2 made a huge mistake.

    46. Re:ok... by c13v3rm0nk3y · · Score: 1
      Speak for yourself: I'm not getting a huge "I am s-mart!" vibe from ANY of this conversation.

      That's because you are a trolling AC. Duh.

      --
      -- clvrmnky
    47. Re:ok... by Datafage · · Score: 1

      He was trying to be a smartass and act like he thought that the lowercase m before bit meant millibit instead of just being lazy shorthand for M like he knew.

      --

      Nicotine free Amish .sig.

    48. Re:ok... by sg3000 · · Score: 2

      > Has Jake Barnes every met a linux user? Or a BSD
      > user? Or a VMS user? Or hell, a BeOS or OS/2
      > user?

      Or a sports nut? Or a car nut? Or a gun nut? Everyone knows someone who is pretty passionate about something. However, being passionate about an operating system isn't as socially acceptable as painting yourself the team colors of some football team and screaming like a moron.

      Personally, I think the "Mac nuts" are as nuts as all the other nuts. I like my Mac and I own shares in Apple, but why someone would get an Apple tattoo is something I don't understand.

      --
      Insert simplistic political, ideological, or personal proselytization here.
    49. Re:ok... by MoneyT · · Score: 2

      I can give you one very very good reason why Apple would want to be in a position where they have brand-name loyalty instead of the best price. Innovation. Apple has the luxury of being able to play with new technologies. To put out machines that aren't standard and see what they do. No PC maker (with the possible exception of sony) and no clone vendor has the money or the safety net with which to toy with no standard and new equipment. Apple is allowed to make mistakes (like the cube) and take risks (like the new iMac design) because they have brand name loyalty. Without that, the moment Apple strayed from the norm, or did something the consumers didn't like, they would loose customers and money very quickly. As you yourself said, there is no difference to most consumers between a compaq or a gateway. So if compaq started making new computers that looked different and maybe used some not quite standard parts or a new technology (like all USB), you can bet a lot of money that people would just go buy gateways and clones. Not so with Apple, they have loyalty. People will buy their stuff, or they will hold out for a change. It gives Apple a position of power.

      --
      T Money
      World Domination with a plastic spoon since 1984
    50. Re:ok... by BreakWindows · · Score: 2

      > Linux: I'm a super-sexy, super-genious

      OS/2: I have, no spell-checker, nor clue, of where to place, commas-and-hyphens. :)

    51. Re:ok... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Your sig is fucked up.

      The GNU tools run on top of the Linux kernel, thus GNU/Linux.

      Quake runs 'on top' of OpenGL. The correct format would be Quake/OpenGL.

    52. Re:ok... by syd02 · · Score: 1

      I'll just reply to my own message with some new thoughts...

      I shouldn't have said that "Apple and their loyalists are *still* thinking in terms of brand rivalry" because they are right to think in this way, as opposed to trying to match every spec and be compatible with PC makers. Some Apple stock-holders might disagree (thinking only about $$$), but the world really doesn't need another PC maker right now.

      The reason rivalry does work for Apple is that while Gateway vs Compaq is basically like Ford vs Ford, Apple vs The Entire PC Industry is more like Ford vs Chevy. Rivalry is the right approach for Apple, just as it is for Linux when it comes to the PC OS question. When you're not shackled by standards, innovate and differentiate.

      And we all know what troubled Apple for so long: lame and ineffective advertising. They're doing a much better job at selling the brand now than they were under Dr. Gil.

      As was mentioned, the other strength that Apple has is their freedom to innovate, and so they *must* innovate.

      Still, according to theory, Apple is going to have to find some way to make sure that their processors don't lag behind the PC processors, which keep getting faster and faster because of competition between AMD and Intel for the enormous profits with such huge volumes being sold. It would be great if Sun, Apple and some other PC alternatives could agree on sharing a standard CPU architecture. If IBM and one other company could compete at making 64-bit PowerPCs (is Motorola in this game anymore?), we would see some good competition as long as there was enough volume to make it worth their while.

      Some people think that the PC may be getting close to dead, which would mean more and more embedded chips in all kinds of places. If the chips need to be fast (and why not?), maybe the PowerPC (probably running Linux) would be the right chip for the job...and then we might see competition and increasing speed.

      PC makers are going to be in some trouble (relative to Apple) because of increasingly diverging 64 bit CPU architectures. One of these companies (AMD or Intel) is going to lose marketshare and eventually a lot of money, and we may then see less of that nice competition.

      Ramble, ramble, etc.

    53. Re:ok... by sco08y · · Score: 1

      Just keep telling yourself that.

    54. Re:ok... by sco08y · · Score: 1

      That's the kind of logic H.W. used when he ran with Quayle. (Or Clinton w/ Gore, for that matter...) You think it worked then?

    55. Re:ok... by c13v3rm0nk3y · · Score: 1

      Heh. Actually, in all seriousness, the cheapware I've been using on OS X is pretty solid. This might just be my single experience and not the norm, but I do have a very low tolerance for crappy software.

      What little native freeware that is out there for OS X is often well designed and efficient. There has been more than a few apps that have made me think, "WTF, this is such a cool app".

      Makes me want to contribute, but I code for a living, and end up playing Warcraft or Unreal at home.

      Heck, I've even bought software for the Mac, and I don't do that lightly, I'll tell you.

      --
      -- clvrmnky
    56. Re:ok... by c13v3rm0nk3y · · Score: 1

      Sorry, don't know who "H.W." is. Oh look, I've lost interest in this thread....

      --
      -- clvrmnky
    57. Re:ok... by Alex+Thorpe · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Of course Apple doesn't want to 'compete' directly with PC vendors. If they built standard PC boxes running Windows, they'd just get slaughtered by Dell, like just about everyone else in that industry. Dell is the Wal-Mart of the PC industry, and they're undercutting everyone into bankruptcy.

      Apple has their superior OS in OS X, and their superior hardware-software integration, and that's what they're selling.

      --
      "Common Sense Ain't" -Unknown
    58. Re:ok... by JakeBarnesiBrotha · · Score: 1

      Why?? Because like any damn habit it's expensive, took up all my time and ruined my relationships.

  9. Fanatical? Mac users? by Strepsil · · Score: 5, Funny

    You can not stop us
    We have this Unix
    You reboot now
    Are you afraid?
    Death to Microsoft
    Death to Sun
    Steve is great

    1. Re:Fanatical? Mac users? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Whoa...death to Sun? I wouldn't be so quick to kill Sun at all. A good Apple ally, Java, and more... I think you should consider a revision.

    2. Re:Fanatical? Mac users? by Wudbaer · · Score: 1

      You forgot:

      Fry that penguin ! ;->

    3. Re:Fanatical? Mac users? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Amen Brother Amen

    4. Re:Fanatical? Mac users? by MaxVlast · · Score: 2

      Ah, but many new Mac users are old NeXT users, and if you recall, Sun was The Enemy back in the early '90s if you were a workstation manufacturer. Down with Sun! (Not really.)

      --
      There should be a moratorium on the use of the apostrophe.
      Max V.
      NeXTMail/MIME Mail welcome
  10. and we're different from Linux geeks how???? by ygbsm · · Score: 5, Insightful

    As a long time mac advocate, forced windows user and linux sysadmin . . . explain to me how mac advocates are significantly different than linux geeks who insist that Linux is the one true un*x, the one to rule them all . . .

    1. Re:and we're different from Linux geeks how???? by Gibbys+Box+of+Trix · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Because you tend to bang on about the hardware and the look or the design a lot too, whereas linux geeks use (generally) the same boring old grey plastic boxes that everyone else uses.

    2. Re:and we're different from Linux geeks how???? by neonsocks · · Score: 1

      The fanaticism for the Macintosh extends beyond the sysAdmin/programmer world that encompases Linux/*nix advocates. Basic desktop users can participate in the counter-culture that is at the core of Apple. Look at the broad range of users who use Mac's vs. the user base of *nix. Sure there are fanatical users who run KDE as their desktop and run OpenOffice but how many of them are graphic designers, high school teachers or senior citizens?

    3. Re:and we're different from Linux geeks how???? by imsirovic5 · · Score: 2, Funny

      Linux Fanatics usually don't brag about how simple their cute one button mouse is.

      They also usually don't care about all the pretty colors their computer comes in.

    4. Re:and we're different from Linux geeks how???? by deepstephen · · Score: 5, Funny

      As a long time mac advocate, forced windows user and linux sysadmin . . . explain to me how mac advocates are significantly different than linux geeks who insist that Linux is the one true un*x, the one to rule them all . . .

      Well, it's simple. The Mac advocates are wrong and us Linux geeks are right. ;)

      --

      --
      Karma: Chameleon (you come and go)
    5. Re:and we're different from Linux geeks how???? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      linux users are not subject to the rule of one Company or it's decisions.
      Whereas apple is the cult and members deride others and deride people who switch from mac to other OSs like that lady from MS Switch, linux care less about people who switch.
      I dont care of Joe Smith switchs from linux to bsd or to OS X or to WinXP or whatever.

    6. Re:and we're different from Linux geeks how???? by Spoing · · Score: 2
      As a long time mac advocate, forced windows user and linux sysadmin . . . explain to me how mac advocates are significantly different than linux geeks who insist that Linux is the one true un*x, the one to rule them all . . .

      Except for online, I have yet to meet either a Mac or Linux user who sees one and only one OS. I've met OS/2 and Amiga fanatics, though that list is quite small (1 for Amiga, 2 for OS/2).

      I consider myself a Linux advocate yet I have no problem if someone has a good reason to use an 'alternative' platform. I've used everything from Solaris and BSD through Windows and MacOS. If a reference source is available, I can usually cope with anything.

      I've met some Windows users in real life that seem a bit too aggressive and unyeilding.

      --
      A firewall can not protect you from yourself. Turn off what you do not need. Do not use the firewall to do your work.
    7. Re:and we're different from Linux geeks how???? by Agave · · Score: 1

      well, for one thing, we're right ;)

    8. Re:and we're different from Linux geeks how???? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well, their wrong also. BSD is the one true *nix

      Bondage, Sex && Drugs!!!

    9. Re:and we're different from Linux geeks how???? by MaxVlast · · Score: 2

      We Linux geeks are right.

      (You look better when you declare you correctness correctly.)

      --
      There should be a moratorium on the use of the apostrophe.
      Max V.
      NeXTMail/MIME Mail welcome
    10. Re:and we're different from Linux geeks how???? by Pope · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I see. How to explain all the neon casemods I keep seeing everywhere?

      --
      It doesn't mean much now, it's built for the future.
    11. Re:and we're different from Linux geeks how???? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      (You look better when you declare you correctness correctly.)

      You look better when you correct people correctly.

    12. Re:and we're different from Linux geeks how???? by MaxVlast · · Score: 2

      Eh. I distinguish between typos and logical/structural errors.

      --
      There should be a moratorium on the use of the apostrophe.
      Max V.
      NeXTMail/MIME Mail welcome
    13. Re:and we're different from Linux geeks how???? by digitalsushi · · Score: 2

      Those belong to the kids that kept their source closed and made money off it *ducks*

      --
      slashdot: where everyone yells sarcastic metaphors to themselves to understand the issue
    14. Re:and we're different from Linux geeks how???? by banzai51 · · Score: 1

      It's DIY. Not the force-fed, pre-packaged, hand-holding, and "We think different, just like every other Mac user" crap comming from Apple.

    15. Re:and we're different from Linux geeks how???? by rawg · · Score: 1

      I run Debian Linux on my Mac Cube with the cute one button mouse.

      --
      The above is not worth reading.
    16. Re:and we're different from Linux geeks how???? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The difference is, real Mac advocates are actually in favor of OS diversity, since we've dealt with it for ages and continue to deal with it now.

      Anyone here remember A/UX? or MachTen? Some guy wrote a POSIX layer which actually ran on top of classic Mac OS, can't think of the name now... Suffice it to say, MacUnix is not a new idea.

      Aside from that, there were/are all the PC emulators... VPC, Bochs, Blue Label, on which people have run various flavors of Windows, Solaris, BSD, Linux, OpenStep, and yes, even OS/2.

      Real Mac advocates have no illusions about some uniquely superior OS. That just doesn't exist. Variety is just a hell of a lot more interesting than hegemony.

    17. Re:and we're different from Linux geeks how???? by Taldo · · Score: 1
      We generally don't see linux geeks posting the following:

      Poster1: Well... the economy is in the toilet. Blame the republicans.

      Poster2: Republicans? HAH!!!! It's the leftover policies of the Clinton administration that are to blame!

      Poster1: You're a shameless tool of the right wing.

      Machead: But if both of them were using OSX they'd all be much more productive, would work faster, and would all be much happier!!!! They wouldn't be tied to WinTel iron!!!!

      Poster1: ???

      Poster2: ???

    18. Re:and we're different from Linux geeks how???? by dmarcoot · · Score: 1

      no, yopi would sse linux geeks post if they were using linux, they wouldnt have to pay for thier OS, and thus they would be happier becuase they could spend more moeny onthier kids and vaction, and thus be happier.

      And if isnt free, its EVIL!!!!!!!

    19. Re:and we're different from Linux geeks how???? by Taldo · · Score: 1
      No no no.

      It's the 'I MUST interject the Wisdom of Steve and the Joy of Macintosh(tm) into all conversations' bit that's annoying as all hell.

      Linux geeks, (in my experience anyway) generally don't stick this stuff into conversations that have NOTHING AT ALL to do with computers.

      But then when you have nothing else to contribute to a conversation.......

  11. Great, more hatred. by BitGeek · · Score: 5, Insightful


    Its not enough that Microsoft has the vast majority of the desktop.

    Its not enough that the macintosh has been derided for the past 20 years as a toy, as inferior, and as the machine that is more style than substance.

    Its not enough that we had a good solid ten years of the tech media announcing that apple was going out of business- never mind that when they first started making that claim, apple had more sales revenue than Microsoft!

    Its not enough that most half educated self-styled geeks think macs are slow.

    Or that theirs a cult of mac hatred, mac bashing, and downright viciousness directed at anyone who dares to buy the computer that is not the one ordained by the powers that be as the be all, end all, "how dare you want something else".

    Its not enough that despite better economics of mac software, we've had 20 years of idiot marketing types canceling mac products to focus on windows (And then losing to microsoft in the end.)

    Its not enough that bigotry and hatred towards mac users is wide spread among computer enthusiasts- and is not only tolerated but encouraged.

    No, none of these are enough.

    Now we need to start comparing mac users to terrorists?

    Its continually amazing how threatened so many people are that some segment of the population buys the computer that works best for them.

    How can you be so threatened at people thinking for themselves? Oh yeah, that's right, this is a nation that worships conformity.

    This is a sad state of affairs. And some of you should be ashamed of yourselves.

    --
    Yeah, and you guys panned the ipod too: http://apple.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=01/10/23/ 1816257
    1. Re:Great, more hatred. by JHromadka · · Score: 1

      I agree. One more reason for PC users to say "See? Mac users are weirdos." I switched to the Mac last year, but that doesn't mean that I think everyone in the world should be using it. Just those that don't want to have as many computer problems. :)

      --
      "The objective of securing the safety of Americans from crime and terror has been achieved." -- John Ashcroft
    2. Re:Great, more hatred. by puiwah · · Score: 1

      Read the article, troll. These guys are Mac fans and they're actually doing Apple a tremendous service by providing publicity in a very unusual, humorous way. If only Apple's inane Switch campaign had more of this kind of spirit.

    3. Re:Great, more hatred. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Oh come on, the Mac is hardly alone in this. Look at history and you'll see that ANYTHING NON-MICROSOFT/INTEL has been considered fringe-worthy. The only difference NOW is that the Mac stands alone, as all other computing alternatives have been eliminated.

      I agree with you that this is a cheap-shot against Mac users. But you are not alone. Amiga users were also considered zealots. So were OS/2 users. And so are Linux users.

      This has been going on for a LONG time. Anyone who isn't towing the Microsoft/Intel party line has been branded a zealot since day one. Why? What exactly about Microsoft and Intel automatically makes them the "bastion of reason", why anyone that disagrees is considered a zealot?

      As a former Amigan, I can honestly say that the Amiga had -soul-. Mac users will say the same thing about the Macintosh--and they're right. This is what inspires such loyalty, and this is the very thing the Microsoft/Intel PC has always lacked--soul.

    4. Re:Great, more hatred. by BitGeek · · Score: 1


      By the way, my post has been modded down twice: Once "overrated" when it was at 1, and then "troll" to bring it down to zero.

      Just looking at the balance of flames in this discussion topic show that my point is well made-- there are a dozen posts that make the statements I claim people make.

      What's so threatening about this supposed %5 of the marketplace that has people making up new laws of physics to explain how the pentium is faster, and outright lying about financial performance to claim apple is going under, etc?

      Could it be that deep down, they know that we're right.

      It must be annoying to have to deal with people who actually like their computers.

      --
      Yeah, and you guys panned the ipod too: http://apple.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=01/10/23/ 1816257
    5. Re:Great, more hatred. by BitGeek · · Score: 3, Interesting


      Sure, the mac is not alone in this. I agree.

      but the thing that strikes me is how much outright hatred there is out there.

      ITs not about preference-- its actually persecution (in the same way gay people are persecuted-- not burned at the stake, but harassed and denied opportunity.)

      Just look at the blatantly biased way my post has been modded.

      Yes, amiga users suffer the same fate, and Linux users too, but its worth noting that at least in these parts its the linux users running around calling us "macfags" and getting modded up for it!

      --
      Yeah, and you guys panned the ipod too: http://apple.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=01/10/23/ 1816257
    6. Re:Great, more hatred. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The truth is, Windows zealots HATE diversity. They hated it when there were other computers outside the Mac & PC's, and now that they've almost succeeded in creating a monoculture, they hate it even MORE. They've never been about competing; they've always been about dominating, regardless of how.

      It doesn't matter if you're "right". Heck, we're all "right" when we find a computer we LIKE. What it boils down to is the slash-and-burn mentality that Microsoft and Intel have promoted for decades now. The Mac is the last stalwart remaining..once that's gone, the Windows zealots will be cheering simply because DIVERSITY is finally dead.

    7. Re:Great, more hatred. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

      BitGeek,

      I just wanted to let you know why I modded several of your posts offtopic. While I am a Mac user, and former evangelist, these platform wars have gone on quite long enough on Usenet. We don't need them here.

      The whole attitude of "The Windows users are persecuting me because my machine is prettier and it runs better!" is really over the top, incorrect, and irrelevent.

      So please, just relax, enjoy your own machine, and quit worrying about what everyone else thinks about Macs.

    8. Re:Great, more hatred. by Melantha_Bacchae · · Score: 1

      BitGeek wrote:

      > Now we need to start comparing mac users to terrorists?

      Don't worry. Godzilla is headed over there and he'll check them out. If they are being that mean to Mac lovers; well, he has big feet and knows how to use them. If he's in a good mood, he'll just let them off with a PC splitting roar. ;)

      Godzilla: Apple's biggest fan since 1993!

      "Your way of thinking is completely different from mine!"
      Shinoda, "Godzilla 2000 Millennium" (Japanese version)

    9. Re:Great, more hatred. by Clock+Nova · · Score: 1

      Offtopic? His post was NOT offtopic. I think there are some users here who need to be meta-moderated into oblivion. They're certainly not intelligent or mature enough to be rating others' posts.

      --
      There they were, sitting in the van with all those dials, and the cat was dead. -V. Marchetti, CIA
    10. Re:Great, more hatred. by Planesdragon · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Now we need to start comparing mac users to terrorists?

      The Nation of Islam is a racist, reactionist, extreme black Muslim group--but they're hardly terrorists.

      Criminals maybe. Name-thieves, probably (the orignal Nation of Islam actually became Muslim, not racist.) Ignorant racist bastards, definitly (most arabs are closer to "white" than "black").

      But they're not terrorists.

      How can you be so threatened at people thinking for themselves? Oh yeah, that's right, this is a nation that worships conformity.

      Tell me again how being a rabid fanboy of ANYTHING is "thinking for yourself?"

      I'd love to have a Mac. I'd like to be able to use Linux for what I need it to do. But neither of those means that I'm "thinking for myself."

    11. Re:Great, more hatred. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Offtopic ?

      How can this be offtopic ?

      If I write "Macs suck" I would get modded up to 5, insightful.

      Sad

    12. Re:Great, more hatred. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Woh, Dude, lay off the weed, your paranoia is getting out of hand. No one _actually_ hates someone because they use a mac, way i see it all these trolls and flames are just jokes.

      Seriously, lighten up. It's _cus_ of people like you that all mac users are seen as strange hippies (JUST KIDDING)

    13. Re:Great, more hatred. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Nothing makes me laugh more than nerds who think they know jack shit about advertising. Guess what Poindexter; those ads aren't aimed at you. In fact, advertisers couldn't care less about you. The switch ads are considered masterfull by those with half a clue about mass psychology.

      I mean, shit, what kind of fucking dimwit thinks a comparison with the Nation of Islam is good advertising to the general public? Oh yea, a so-called geek, that's who. Go back to jerking off over kernal extensions boy and leave the media criticism to those of us who can actually function in social situations.

    14. Re:Great, more hatred. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      just kidding? you mean all mac users AREN'T just strange hippies??

    15. Re:Great, more hatred. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Oh yeah, that's right, this is a nation that worships conformity.

      i always found statements like this to be funny. here we are, as a group of people on this giant rock, and each one of us wants to be unique. so much so, that some people actually have to TRY to be unique. and you know what you end up with? a huge amount of the population struggling to be unique. but then, with so many people "being unique", isn't that doing what everybody else is doing? Conformity. heh.

    16. Re:Great, more hatred. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

      You've got it all wrong re:The Nation of Islam.

      I find it sad that so many sheeple jump to the conclustion that:
      Nation of Islam = arabic muslims = terrorists.

      Extremist? Yup
      Violent? Historically, some
      Terrorists? No freaking way

      The two most prominent members I can think of historically were Malcolm X and Muhammad Ali.

      Of course, there was plenty of infighting: X was assasinated by Nation of Islam goons after his trip to Mecca (which convinced him that racial integration was possible).

      Ali was expelled in 1969.

      The Nation of Islam helped spark whole civil rights movement and played an integral role in its unfolding. Some would say it was their extremism that made the moderation of people like Dr. Martin Luther King successful.

    17. Re:Great, more hatred. by toddhisattva · · Score: 1
      How can you be so threatened at people thinking for themselves? Oh yeah, that's right, this is a nation that worships conformity.

      On the contrary, the United States is perhaps (n.b. I said "perhaps") the only nation on Earth with enough individualists that a company like Apple can survive. Indeed, as much as I love my native Texas, I have to admit that California provided the unique individualist culture that made Apple possible.

      The more I learn about the world, the more I realize that Americans do not have monopolies on boorishness, parochialism, stubbornness, and mindless conformity. Indeed, such are the natural states of mankind the world over. It is only the exceptional nation that can create a climate offering more.

      Remember that for the Cheese-Eating Surrender Monkey Tribe, the Macintosh was too American (it's too bad they don't have a word for chauvinism). My own Old World tribe, the Krauts, have never valued individuality because it interferes with their National Hobby: harassing the Surrender Monkeys. Until recently, the tribes of Eastern Europe were hell-bent on destroying individuality utterly and farther east the Chicoms are still at it. In South Asia and Northern Africa, American individualism is the very spirit of the Great Satan.

      In none of these places could such a soaring synthesis of singletons as Apple exist.

    18. Re:Great, more hatred. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      For someone who claims to be able to function in social situations, you certainly have not fared well in this social context.

      Or perhaps you, when diagreeing with another in a public face to face setting, deride and criticise and ultimately finish your tirade with profanity.

      No sir, you do not function at all in social situations. Please refrain from posting and be content with living in the fecal filth you think is "social acceptance."

    19. Re:Great, more hatred. by lynx_user_abroad · · Score: 1
      I can't think of any other operating system which has ever offered:

      - Full graphical user interface.

      - complete on-board peer-to-peer TCP/IP networking.

      - included file server capability

      in a hardware/operating system package which ran well on 512 k of RAM and an 8MHz processor.

      More innovation has come out of Apple, Inc in the last 25 years than the Wintel side has produced since it's inception, regardless of market size.

      --

      The thing about things we don't know is we often don't know we don't know them.

    20. Re:Great, more hatred. by ?erosion · · Score: 1

      Great points, all of them.

      Say, how's Unreal Tournament 2003 treating you?

      --

      I assert ownership of all trademarks and copyrights on this page.
    21. Re:Great, more hatred. by Syncdata · · Score: 2, Interesting

      etc, etc, etc...

      Now, I don't want to sound insensative here, but take a deep breath. You have chosen Apple to be your platform of preference. That's fine. If the public is wrong about Macintoshes being slow, or toylike, then let them continue on in ignorance. As for this:
      despite better economics of mac software
      I would really like to know how publishing software for a smaller OS userbase is better then publishing for a larger OS userbase. Granted, less competition for your product, but a very low ceiling on how many copies you can sell of any given program. I would debate the rest of the post, but you're not entirely incorrect. Just clearly, very touchy. I don't like MacOS (although 10.1 has piqued my interest). I don't like windows. I use windows, because it's the platform that I need to use. I don't hate you for liking macs. Please don't insist I should feel ashamed for not liking what you like.
      Oh, and one more thing.
      Oh yeah, that's right, this is a nation that worships conformity.
      I'm sorry we didn't all adopt the ad slogan of your fave OS company and "think different". sweet irony....

      --
      "Inattention makes clowns of us all" -Bean
    22. Re:Great, more hatred. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Your contradiction of contradictions is threatening to collapse the universe in on itself. I am glad you have found a calling however.

    23. Re:Great, more hatred. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No, his post was just (-1, Asshole). Unfortunately, Slashdot lacks that kind of detailed rating.

    24. Re:Great, more hatred. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Oh yes, I can feel the opression you must experience on a daily basis, and how HORRIBLE it must be.

      Please. You are the posterCHILD (emphasis on child) for the "Get a Life" Foundation.

    25. Re:Great, more hatred. by BitGeek · · Score: 2


      The assassination of Maclolm X was a terroristic act. It was done by the nation of islam.

      Furthermore, numerous uses of force in the 60s and 70s, designed to put fear into people, were acts of terrorism. I believe this included pipe bombs, shooting people, etc.

      Not terrorism on the scale of al queda, but still the use of force to scare people.

      --
      Yeah, and you guys panned the ipod too: http://apple.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=01/10/23/ 1816257
    26. Re:Great, more hatred. by BitGeek · · Score: 2

      I would really like to know how publishing software for a smaller OS userbase is better then publishing for a larger OS userbase.

      Because you sell more units.

      The number of units you sell is not a function of how many computers out there can run it. Its a function of how many computers out there can run it, what percentage of people are interested in your software, how many direct competitors you have, how much the average person buys on that platform (likelihood to purchase), how effective your advertising can be to widen the percentage of people in the addressable market who know about it, and how likely your product is to work on their particular computer.

      Every one of those factors, except total size of customer base, work in the favor of the macintosh.

      On the windows side, MS has a lock on most software. Where MS isn't participating, there are usually a dozen companies trying to compete.

      It is harder to make your program run on all the pcs, but easier to write to the more standard mac platform, this impacts both your development and support costs, leaving more money for marketing the product.

      Mac users tend to buy more software.

      On the mac platform there are only a few competitors, if any, for many market segments.

      The mac market is homogenous, making it cheaper to build awareness of your product to a wider number of users -- the same add budget will build awareness among 2-3 times as many people on the mac platform than on the pc platform. This is because there are fewer publications addressing them and less noise for them to filter thru to notice your product.

      Mac users have already had to think for themselves and go against the grain. The average PC user got the PC by default, and they are unlikely to buy any software for it other than one or two items. MAc users are actually more likely to compare feathres, and as a consequence, will actually pay for software that PC users won't. PC users are more likely to think "I don't really need it", wheras mac users will think "this is worth the money". Thus you can charge $35 on the mac platform where you'd have to charge $25 on the pc platform for the same product.

      When you factor all this together ,the higher selling prices, lower support and development costs and higher number of units sold, the mac platform is a better place to put your software.

      This doesn't hold if you're microsoft, or Adobe. But those are about the only two exceptions I can think of-- if your marketing budget isn't so high that you can easily afford to address the whole pc market, then marketing is a factor. Or, put another way, With enough marketing you can overcome these factors to be just as profitable on the PC as on the Mac. Even then, the Mac market generates far more revenue for Adobe and Microsoft as a percentage of size of the market. Apple software sales are not %5 of their revenue for products that are cross platform and fully makreted-- they are more like %40.

      --
      Yeah, and you guys panned the ipod too: http://apple.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=01/10/23/ 1816257
    27. Re:Great, more hatred. by BitGeek · · Score: 2

      n none of these places could such a soaring synthesis of singletons as Apple exist.


      That is true, and spot on.

      Yet, you must concede that individualism is under attack by collectivists in the US, and in recent history, they are winning. While the europeans learn their lessons from the USSR, the US is going for more collectivism. OF course, its collectivism marketed as indifivudalism!

      "We all choose to think alike!" indeed.

      --
      Yeah, and you guys panned the ipod too: http://apple.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=01/10/23/ 1816257
    28. Re:Great, more hatred. by BitGeek · · Score: 2



      There's an amazing sense of irony hearing an anonymous coward tell me to "Get a life".

      That's just superb!

      --
      Yeah, and you guys panned the ipod too: http://apple.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=01/10/23/ 1816257
    29. Re:Great, more hatred. by BitGeek · · Score: 2

      "Spark" is the right word since they used guns and bombs to do it.

      --
      Yeah, and you guys panned the ipod too: http://apple.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=01/10/23/ 1816257
    30. Re:Great, more hatred. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      No they didn't.

      Here is a list of evidence for condemning the Nation of Islam from the Anti-Defamation League. You can bet your bottom dollar that if the Nation of Islam had been involved in any organized acts of terror, it would be in that list, since the ADL is both thorough and has quite an axe to grind when it comes to anti-semetic organizations like the nation of islam.

      Instead, you have:

      Calling white people "the devil" (Offensive, perhaps, but hardly terrorism)

      Making trips to middle eastern nations (Ooooh! They're sponsors of terrorism... talk about roundabout and circumstantial)

      Anti-semititic speech and publications (Yes, very bad, but certainly not terrorism -- and most of it is far more recent than the nascent days of the civil rights movement)

      As a matter of fact, most of the guns in those days were shot not by African Americans, but at them (and occasionally sympathizers). Same goes for bombs: Remember those church bombings?

      I'm not going to go on; your mind is obviously made up already, and it's all too clear that you ignore the truths of history when it's convenient. But hopefully I've typed enough that anyone starting to nod their head to your response will think again.

    31. Re:Great, more hatred. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Organizational infighting and personal vendettas == terrorism?

      You seem to be using an awful broad definition there, cowboy.

    32. Re:Great, more hatred. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      -- Basically, everyone who thinks Macs are slower and more expensive than PCs is either in denial or lying.

      Basically, everyone who thinks Macs are faster and less expensive than PCs must be suffering brain damage due to the lack of oxygen while they were blowing their dogs.

    33. Re:Great, more hatred. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      -- Basically, everyone who thinks Macs are slower and more expensive than PCs is either in denial or lying.

      Basically, everyone who thinks Macs are faster and less expensive than PCs must be suffering brain damage due to a lack of oxygen while they were blowing their dogs.

    34. Re:Great, more hatred. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      Poor little baby.


      Someone stuck their tongue out at you, and now you are screaming "hate crime".


      Just look at the blatantly biased way my post has been modded.


      Geeze, get a life! Your posting was modded down by your fellow ten year olds.


      To compare your "persecution" to what various groups suffer is offensive to quite alot of people. And to others, it really makes you look rather childish.

    35. Re:Great, more hatred. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "And thus, I leave slashdot."

      Is that right, nummynuts??

    36. Re:Great, more hatred. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "And thus, I leave slashdot."

      Sucka piss grit, groin loiterer.

    37. Re:Great, more hatred. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    38. Re:Great, more hatred. by DaytonCIM · · Score: 2

      The assassination of Maclolm X was a terroristic act. It was done by the nation of islam.

      To this day, other than overrated movie conjecture, there is no one in prison for Malcolm X's murder; nor is there anything other than circumstantial evidence that suggests the Nation of Islam murdered Malcom X.

      Furthermore, numerous uses of force in the 60s and 70s, designed to put fear into people, were acts of terrorism. I believe this included pipe bombs, shooting people, etc.

      Show me ONE true instance where the Nation of Islam attacked ANYONE in the 60s or 70s. Please name one source... other than yourself.

      I personally think you have the Black Panthers confused with the Nation of Islam. Stop watching bad movies and read a book.

      I personally think you are confused in your facts. Not to mention reactionary and mello-dramatic. In addition, if you (and for that matter other Mac Addicts) spent half the time you do attacking the Windows Community on promoting Mac usage and demonstrating its real power, I'm sure you would win some converts. But you're too busy taking every criticism of Apple as a personal attack.

    39. Re:Great, more hatred. by DaytonCIM · · Score: 2

      It's not enough that you can not see that it's just another dumb movie and that you are overreacting (as usual).

      Oh wait... what would you ever write about if you couldn't overreact to the smallest thing?

      Hmmm...

    40. Re:Great, more hatred. by DaytonCIM · · Score: 2

      The whole attitude of "The Windows users are persecuting me because my machine is prettier and it runs better!" is really over the top, incorrect, and irrelevent.

      So please, just relax, enjoy your own machine, and quit worrying about what everyone else thinks about Macs.


      Amen to that brother!

  12. Let me guess.. by Penguinoflight · · Score: 2, Funny

    Everyone in the movie is named Steve?

    --
    "And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the World"
    1 John 4:14
    1. Re:Let me guess.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That will include Steve Ballmer.

    2. Re:Let me guess.. by norkakn · · Score: 1

      No, They were all called 'Beverly'.

  13. Hmm by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Do Macs have problems like this?

    Or is it just Windows?

  14. Timng is everything by HealYourChurchWebSit · · Score: 3, Interesting

    An interesting documentary topic, who's timing couldn't be better in light of Apple's recent earnings news ... here's a snippet from the ElectronicNewsNet
    Despite driving upgrades to its new Mac OS X 10.2 "Jaguar" operating system, Apple reported a US$45 million loss and flat year-on-year revenue for its fiscal 2002 fourth quarter.

    Hopefully, this is just an issue of absorbing the R&D costs of their new O/S. I'm not a Mac user, but some of my best friends are ...

    --
    --- have you healed your church website?
    1. Re:Timng is everything by trash+eighty · · Score: 2, Insightful

      no the loss was mostly due to the stock market falling and affecting the value of the stock apple holds (or something), before that was taken into account they made a slim profit

    2. Re:Timng is everything by MouseR · · Score: 5, Informative

      Hopefully, this is just an issue of absorbing the R&D costs [fool.com] of their new O/S. I'm not a Mac user, but some of my best friends are ...

      Read the earnings report yourself. They actually posted a 7M profit before one-time non-recuring changes due to an internal reorg and recent acquisitions.

      Given this, they actually met their predictions. This is pretty good while other hardware manufacturers plummet.

      With more than 4 billion in cash reserve, a net loss of 47M is just a good tax evasion for the next quarter.

    3. Re:Timng is everything by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      > Read the earnings report yourself. They actually posted a 7M profit before
      > one-time non-recuring changes due to an internal reorg and recent acquisitions.

      > Given this, they actually met their predictions.

      But didn't the predictions include the guesstimated one-time charges?

    4. Re:Timng is everything by MouseR · · Score: 2

      But didn't the predictions include the guesstimated one-time charges?

      No, because you can't predict that you'll end up reorganizing the company the next quarter around (besides, that'd be stupid to announce). Nor can you predict acquisitions will go through. Nor could you divulge you'll be acquiring A company for N millions before it happens.

  15. Apple's Heros by e8johan · · Score: 5, Insightful

    These users is the reason to why Apple has been able to survive the late 80s and early 90s when the x86 ran away from then performance wise.

    It is fun to notice all these little fanatic communities for all old computers: Atari, Amiga, ABC80, Spectrum, C64...

    It is nice to see that some of us aren't here just for performance and the latest games!

    1. Re:Apple's Heros by k_187 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      x86 didn't run away from PPC in the early 90s. The 68K series yes, but not the PPC. PPC was actually faster (clock speed wise, and we all know the MHz myth) until the first gen P3s came out in what? '98 or so. x86 didn't leap out ahead until '99 when Apple introduced the 500 MHz G4 and the P3 was already scaling up to 800. We all know the story from there.

      --
      11 was a racehorse
      12 was 12
      1111 Race
      12112
    2. Re:Apple's Heros by e8johan · · Score: 2

      I didn't know when the PPC was introduced to the Macs, so I just generalized a bit. What I meant to say is that the 68k (great chip!) was outdated in the end, but Apple still used them.

    3. Re:Apple's Heros by Embryo3 · · Score: 1
      It is nice to see that some of us aren't here just for performance and the latest games!


      What's wrong with judging a computer based on its ability to serve its function? Isn't that the point of these things?

      Some of you have really weird priorities.
  16. Re:One difference by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    thank you for modding this down. i was fearing that it would get a +1 Insightful

  17. Interesting by Jack+Wagner · · Score: 3, Interesting

    It's been my experience that Mac zealots are the worst zealots, only rivaled my the old amiga users, although the Linux camp gave it a good run a few years ago.

    I'm convinced the reason behind it is that the typical Mac user is someone who is not very technical and was perhaps intimidated by using a computer, so when they figured out how to use their Mac they get a certain sense of pride and accomplishment which they in turn morph into zealotry.

    Thankfully this is changeing with more affluent Unix people migrating over to try OSX, but the core zealot remains the same.

    The funny thing is that while I was working with the *BSD dev team to straighten out their internal shceduling problems with the threading code in the kernel I noticed that the dev guys were very calm and rational people, pretty much just the opposite of the Mac user. Interesting indeed.

    Warmest regards,
    --Jack

    --


    Wagner LLC Consulting Co. - Getting it right the first time
    1. Re:Interesting by glh · · Score: 2, Interesting

      What about OS/2 zealots? I remember they were quite fanatical. Remember those "Team OS/2" t-shirts?

      I haven't seen any of them lately, maybe they joined the Mac camp. :)

    2. Re:Interesting by thedbp · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I'm convinced the reason behind it is that the typical Mac user is someone who is not very technical and was perhaps intimidated by using a computer, so when they figured out how to use their Mac they get a certain sense of pride and accomplishment which they in turn morph into zealotry.

      Common misconception. Most Mac users are creative professionals that have no NEED to learn the inner workings of computers and the technical details of their machines. It has nothing to do w/ "pride" in figuring out how to use it. It has to do with the perceived ability of the Mac to facilitate their creativity.

      Like you said, this is changing. With many *nix heads coming over to the Mac camp, the average tech savvy-ness of the Mac user IS going up. However, please remember that a great majority of Wintel users can't even figure out how to use AOL by themselves, let alone use Final Cut Pro to create a full-length movie w/out a manual.

      And there are PLENTY of tech savvy mac users. I happen to be one of them. I've been building x86 boxes since the 286, worked on every flavor of windows, use linux regularly, and have ALWAYS preferred Macs.

      People with no vision are always the first to deride those with style. People with style are always the first to help out those with no vision.

      I noticed that the dev guys were very calm and rational people, pretty much just the opposite of the Mac user

      Maybe that's because instead of having to crunch their brains fixing problems (which, trust me, the high-level OS engineers at Apple would behave the same way as your BSD dev team) with a kernel, most Mac END-users are EXCITED that they have enough free time after getting all their work done cuz their machines don't crash freeze ask for money or otherwise hinder functional use.

      Just a thought.

    3. Re:Interesting by splateagle · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Interesting indeed.

      Speaking as an old Amiga user who's now a Mac user, I'd have to say you're way off base here.

      The comment about 'typical' Mac users not being very technical doesn't hold (after all what percentage of Windows users do you know qualify as remotely tech-savy?) and whifs somewhat of intellectual/technical snobbery when you stop and think about it.

      My theory is that the reason users on both platforms tend/tended to be enthuisasts is that we derive a lot of pleasure from using well designed machines/OSes (OK so there's a flaw in my argument there with pre-OS X Mac-users ;)

    4. Re:Interesting by thatguywhoiam · · Score: 5, Insightful
      As a one-time Amiga zealot myself (okay, when I was 14), I can tell you that the Amigoids are definitely more hardcore than most Mac-heads. The Amiga is an undead computer platform. But I digress.

      You know what it is about Mac users? People who 'discover' the Mac (or Linux/*nix for that matter) and like it more than Windows feel like they've made this major leap. They know 90% of the planet isn't aware of any other OSes because they used to be one of those people, not too long ago.... so it's hard not to feel smug.

      Look at the reaction of any newly converted users. They are flabbergasted at the difference. Again, goes for both Linux and Mac... really, it's not hard to see why. Not for the people in here.

      This actually goes with my larger theory that only 90% of the planet even cares, or can objectively see the difference between a good UI and a bad one. Hence, Apple remains at 5~10% (don't give me the 4% figure, I've never believed that).

      --
      If Jesus wants me it knows where to find me.
    5. Re:Interesting by BitGeek · · Score: 0, Flamebait

      It's been my experience that Mac zealots are the worst zealots

      Maybe its because you're a hateful fuck and they treat you with the same derision that you treat them.

      Warmest regards,
      bitgeek

      --
      Yeah, and you guys panned the ipod too: http://apple.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=01/10/23/ 1816257
    6. Re:Interesting by Spoing · · Score: 2
      In general, the Mac users I've talked to are not zealots. I -- someone who doesn't own a Mac -- had to talk two of them into keeping thier macs or buying a new one.

      These are not geeks, gurus, or deep into graphic design. They see Windows PCs everywhere and think that they are missing something since Windows is so popular. Asking them a few simple questions usually eliminates doubt and they stick with Apple out of inertia;

      * They have a Mac.

      * While they can use Windows there is no reason to not keep or buy a Mac.

      * They stick with Apple.

      --
      A firewall can not protect you from yourself. Turn off what you do not need. Do not use the firewall to do your work.
    7. Re:Interesting by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      I'm convinced the reason behind it is that the typical Mac user is someone who is not very technical and was perhaps intimidated by using a computer, so when they figured out how to use their Mac they get a certain sense of pride and accomplishment which they in turn morph into zealotry.
      That's what I thought about Linux users a number of years ago. ;-)
    8. Re:Interesting by Drakonian · · Score: 1
      I'm convinced the reason behind it is that the typical Mac user is someone who is not very technical and was perhaps intimidated by using a computer, so when they figured out how to use their Mac they get a certain sense of pride and accomplishment which they in turn morph into zealotry.

      I think you've got it wrong. I think the sense of community/bond between Mac users is for the exact same reason there is a strong Linux community: The extra steps it takes to get things the way you want them on your computer.

      While I'm not suggesting Windows is superior in any way, most "common person" things are tailored for Windows. You have to work a bit harder to open that .doc, or someone sends you some stupid joke .exe, or you want to watch a RealPlayer movie or something like that. You have to seek out others on your platform who have done it first, and figure out how. There is a lot more communication and assistance in the community. I personally find Mac can be a bit better for this than Linux. Not to troll, but if you ask someone for Linux help on IRC or the like, wayyyy too often the response is "RTFM!!!"

      --
      Random is the New Order.
    9. Re:Interesting by SirSlud · · Score: 5, Interesting

      In my 6 or some odd years of using Macs, I dont think I ever spent more than 5 minutes wrestling or hating my box.

      That shit happens normally on Wintel for me (cant get this or that going.)

      I'm a C/C++ developer. I'm no moron. But I have a job, friends, family, and no desire to spend my time "fixing windows that shouldn't be broken in the first place."

      I was always zealous about the Mac because it pretty much worked as advertised. If that ain't the kinda shit you preach from the mountain tops, I don't know what is.

      To me, there was very little downside to temper the kind of excitement and satisfaction I got from fuckin around with my Mac.

      --
      "Old man yells at systemd"
    10. Re:Interesting by sebi · · Score: 2

      That would be kinda like this guy. But maybe it will fade over time.

      I have found that people actually expect you to be a Mac zealot when they find out you use one. I remember showing off my new iBook to a friend in a café and someone else on the table was asking me "So why should I use this instead of windows." My answer was (and always is in comparable situations), that everyone should use what works best for them.

    11. Re:Interesting by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You said you were going to leave; leave.

    12. Re:Interesting by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Actually, I think that those questions are motivated by the understanding that everyone knows the advantages of windows and it's the norm: no one ever got fired for buying MS, cheap-ass hardware, etc. So what they are saying is, "obviously, you rejected the common wisdom. Tell me what specialist wisdom you have that made you use this instead of windows. I know the arguments for Windows, tell me the arguments against it so I can evaluate what works best for me." A degree of zealotry is expected because you have to actually make a decision to use the mac, you don't just fall in.

    13. Re:Interesting by Christopher+McCarthy · · Score: 1

      Who is this typical Mac user or zealot whom you describe, and about whose origins you hypothesize? I ask because I'm wondering if there even is any such thing as the typical Mac user, or the typical Windows user, typical Linux user, etc. Yes, I realize we all have "my experience" on which to draw for support in our stereotyping, but experience can be a notoriously poor source of information when it comes to characterizing whole groups of people. For example, after forming our stereotypes, we are far more likely to remember and allow to make an impression those people we encounter who reinforce the stereotype than those who refute it.

      I realize, of course, that without the ability to talk about groups of computer users in sweeping generalities, both positively and negatively, a good chunk of the threads on Slashdot would disappear. But there are logical flaws in these claims which render them silly, both in those which generalize about the awfulness of Mac zealots, and those which generalize about Mac users being creative professionals who don't need to be technically proficient. The bottom line is, if you haven't systematically and objectively studied a group of people, and if your claims are based solely on "your experience", you don't know what you're talking about when you generalize about them.

      And just as a personal counterexample: I am a Mac user, I am very technical, I am not nor have I ever been intimidated by using a computer, I am not a creative professional and have never even launched Photoshop, I know plenty about Windows and Unix, and am trained as a Unix sysadmin. I started screwing around with old Macs a couple of years ago because it was cheap, fun, and a challenge to get a twelve-year-old computer working and usable; now, I'm happy to have a well-designed computer that runs Unix and is fun. Yes, I know that I'm supposed to be in the Mac minority here, but, beyond your biased experience, how do you know that?

    14. Re:Interesting by numpins · · Score: 1

      I agree that Macs have given me less trouble than other OSs. This is one of the main reasons I haven't used another OS as my main platform. The Mac allows me to keep computing without having to worry about computing problems all the time. I'm interested in using GNU/Linux but the bar of knowledge that one needs is raised.

    15. Re:Interesting by banzai51 · · Score: 1

      Your reply highlights why Mac users get treated with such derision. Everything you've accused the Wintel crowd of is actually applicable to the Mac zelots. It is them who treat other users with bigotry. Been that way since the 80's. We in the Wintel world keep on working, and you keep marginalizing yourself. I'm sure there are plenty of Mac Zelots that are plenty peeved that Mac finally released an OS worth considering. Now the zelots won't be sooooo exclusive.

    16. Re:Interesting by MalleusEBHC · · Score: 2

      I'm convinced the reason behind it is that the typical Mac user is someone who is not very technical and was perhaps intimidated by using a computer, so when they figured out how to use their Mac they get a certain sense of pride and accomplishment which they in turn morph into zealotry.

      Hate to break it to you, but the Mac zealots are generally the Mac users who know the most about computers.

      A lot of my family and friends use Macs, so I have seen all ends of the spectrum. At the low end of the tech savvy spectrum, you have the users who enjoy using a Mac because of its ease of use and elegance. For the most part, these aren't the hardcore Apply loyalists. They usually prefer using Macs much more than Windows, but they won't have a seizure if they have to work on Windows for a while.

      At the other end of the spectrum is people who are pretty knowledgeable and wouldn't trade their Macs for the world. I know because I am one of them, and you couldn't pry my TiBook from my cold dead hands. I'll be the first to admit I'm an Apple zealot; you couldn't pay me to own a non-Apple computer. However, this has absolutely nothing to do with not having the knowledge to use other computers. I'm probably more proficient with Windows than a good majority of the Windows users out there (a testament to the stupidity of Windows users) and since the release of OS X I have slowly been becoming a *nix geek. But in the end, I will always be loyal to Apple because I want a computer that not only "just works," but works elegantly and efficiently.

    17. Re:Interesting by MoneyT · · Score: 2

      If every time you tried to explain your reasoning for why you do something out of the norm (like buy a mac, use UNIX etc etc etc) and then were told that your are a stupid delusional lemming who is following a puppet master and can't see the truth, have no technical knowledge and are a rabid zealot etc etc etc etc etc, you'd begin to get a little pissed off too, and then you would find it very easy to treat those who mock you with disdain.

      To prove my point, find a mac user, and tell them you're interested in possibly buying a mac, but your still seeing better prices on the PC side and ask them why they use a mac and what you would need to make your mac work (and how much it would cost) and they will gladly give you as much information as you want to know. Because you approached them respectfuly and were asking honest questions.

      Now go up to another one, point at their mac and ask why do you use that thing, they're so slow and expensive, and they will respond with disdain because that's how ou approached them.

      --
      T Money
      World Domination with a plastic spoon since 1984
    18. Re:Interesting by The+J+Kid · · Score: 1

      I'm a C/C++ developer. I'm no moron.

      Oooh the logic....:D

      But I have [..], friends, [..],

      Are you shure you belong here on /. ?

      But on a more serious note;
      You're right! Computers should just work(tm)
      And OS X is getting so damn close it's baffeling when you compare it to windows, so cudos to Apple.

      PS. And btw, I do (sadly) not have a mac of my own but if you have cash left please send it me..pretty please?

      --
      Moderation: +4. Modded 70% Funny and 30% Overrated. 100% Saturated.
  18. Purple Koolaide by Guido69 · · Score: 5, Funny

    How's the movie end?

    Woz: "Just trust me and insert the purple disk..."

    --
    - If we aren't supposed to eat animals, then why are they made out of meat? - Steven Wright
  19. reconciliation in a post-emulator world by nounderscores · · Score: 1

    So how does the race/class metaphor work when you consider the basilisk emulator?

  20. Sadly the movie's author committed suicide by Bob+Bitchen · · Score: 0, Funny

    What's strange is that it was around the time the story leaked about the existence of an x86 version of OS X at Apple.

    --
    http://tinyurl.com/3t236
    1. Re:Sadly the movie's author committed suicide by nervlord1 · · Score: 1

      Yer, great, just great. mod it up, someone commites suicide, lets all have a good laugh

      *sigh* disgusting.

      --
      Microsoft IIS is to webserving as KFC is to healthy eating
    2. Re:Sadly the movie's author committed suicide by thatguywhoiam · · Score: 1

      Who mod'ed this fuckwit up?

      --
      If Jesus wants me it knows where to find me.
    3. Re:Sadly the movie's author committed suicide by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What is that hurting? He was illustrating a strange coincidence in a humorous manner, he didn't mean any insult to anyone or to make light of the fact that someone committed suicide. If you get rid of all humor that has the potential to hurt someone, you would have very little left, and most if it will probably not be funny.

      So fuck you and the other post on this level.

    4. Re:Sadly the movie's author committed suicide by JakeBarnesiBrotha · · Score: 1
      As Alec Guinness once said of his own status, 'no he's still very much alive'.

      It was Rodney O'Lain, whose online moniker was iBrotha, that is no longer with us after taking his own life.

      I wish very much he was around now to see this and give guidance.

      He will be added to the production crew as spiritual leader (or root). I'm going to make sure IMDB put him down. His family have been notified and our best wishes passed on.

      To paraphrase Malcolm, an iBrotha is a terrible thing to waste.

      Jake.

  21. No he wouldn't by csguy314 · · Score: 1

    'What if Malcolm X evangelized Macs? Would he really?' Some think he would.

    hell no. Malcolm X, who actually again changed his name to El Hajj Malik El Shabazz, because he wanted to leave behind the X moniker after leaving the Nation of Islam. Of course he was also subsequently assassinated by members of the Nation of Islam (in front of his family no less).
    The movie is ok since it's something artistic, but to go further and use the memory of Malcolm X to sell computers is rather distasteful and disrespectful.

    --
    This is left as an exercise for the reader.
    1. Re:No he wouldn't by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What if Malcolm X evangelized Macs? Would he really?' Some think he would.

      Then he'd be named MalcOS X.

    2. Re:No he wouldn't by Monkey+Angst · · Score: 3, Insightful
      It seems to me the point of the short is not to sell computers, but to lampoon Mac users. For this purpose, comparison to a known political/religious figure is fair game.

      Now, if Apple used Malcolm in a "Think Different" ad, that would be different. I myself get pretty pissed at the use of Gandhi, Cesar Chavez, etc. to sell computers. Frank Sinatra, not so much... :)

      --
      stripShow - Where WordPress meets webcomics
  22. So riddle me this by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Why is it ANYONE who does not use Microsoft products is considered a religious zealout? I'm serious. This has been going on for over 13 years now.

    Way back when there WAS computer diversity, it was no different. If you used an Amiga, you were a zealot. If you liked OS/2, you were a zealot. But if you used Windows, you were the bastion of sanity and reason! (never mind the crashing, the unreliability, etc). And this was in an era when Windows did NOT have the majority (yet). And this was primarily a North American attitude, as well.

    So now we have Mac users AGAIN being branded as fantics and zealots. What has changed? The smarmy attitude of Windows drones is more like a dominant religion, in my opinion. The Cult of Bill is far more repugnant than a few stalwarts who want to compute differently.

    1. Re:So riddle me this by Gryphon · · Score: 0, Redundant

      Why is it ANYONE who does not use Microsoft products is considered a religious zealout? I'm serious. This has been going on for over 13 years now.

      Hear, hear. Exactly what I was thinking.

    2. Re:So riddle me this by jmcwork · · Score: 3, Insightful


      Whooaaa there Captain. Lower your shields!
      I don't think they are trying to say that EVERYONE who uses a Mac is a zealot. (And I do not ever recall seeing the terms 'bastion of sanity' and 'Windows user' being used together.) The 'hardcore' Mac users that I have known typically wanted a computer to do a few specific things (desk top publishing, etc) and the Mac did an excellent job for them with fewer hassles than a PC. Therefore they could not see why someone would want any other kind of system.
      Also, if you really want to see zealotry, go to a Java newsgroup and post "I heard that C++ was better than Java" (or vice versa)

    3. Re:So riddle me this by SN74S181 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      It's called 'Anything But Microsoft' and it's been a trend for years. There are your average end users who detest the Microsoft products because of problems they experience. Then there are the ABMers, who are contrarians to the bone.

      Many of us have known ABMers. If Microsoft didn't exist, they'd find some other reason to distinguish themselves...

    4. Re:So riddle me this by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I always hated the "I have seen the light and switched" people back in the days when there were still people switching to Windows. I switched two years ago myself, and I still do not like windows.

      The point you make is absolutely correct, although I do not think this was limited to just North America. At least in Europe it was quite bad as well.

    5. Re:So riddle me this by banzai51 · · Score: 1


      Because users of non-MS OSes tend to attack everyone who uses MS. Not the other way around. Look at the comments here at Slashdot. "Well, they were using M$, so of course they were stupid" What the zealots of other OSes fail to realize is that, yes many people use MS OSes without problems and it RUNS ALL THE SOFTWARE THEY WANT TO RUN. They don't care about the techno superiority of some other OS if it doesn't allow them to run the software they want to use. Then there are those of us who like to tweak, and MS runs on an OPEN hardware architecture. Major advantage. Some people try MS and have issues and vow not to go back. They just can't grasp the idea that some of us just don't run into all those problems on the platform. They just assume everyone who doesn't think like they do is stupid. (Think Different! Just like all the other sheep!!!)
      And yes, there was time in the bad old days when a variety of platforms existed and there was no middle ground in file compatibility. Couldn't share with friends with different computers. The marketplace settled on a standard (the x86 space with MS) and computing moved forward. Today, we DO have a middle ground with file compatibility. It is called the Internet. Expect the variety of computer platforms to flourish again. But that is just beginning, and businesses will stick with the tools that suit their needs. And those needs are scarcely understood by the Slashdot crowd.

    6. Re:So riddle me this by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I will see your meta level and raise you two meta levels.

      The herd and the all-to-many detest the individual. Unable to comprehend why anyone would choose outside of the herd, the contrarian is born. The "against" is used as a free will for the herd. By choosing to be against the against I can find individuality in the herd. By consuming the free will of the individual the herd believes it will be free. Yet, the all-to-many do not drink and dance the song of victory. They act as if powerful spies are among them. Such mistrust of the lonely and the alone. If the individual is only a contrarian then the herd should sleep better at night.

      The one who creates is always a contrarian, you cannot create what currently exists. The creator is always an individual because the new always opposes the old. You see a contrarian and I see a creator. The ideas of the herd were once the ideas of an individual and the ideas of the individual will one day become the herd's.

      The greatest courage of the creator is to deny his cause when it has won. Therefore creator and contrarian are one and the same.

      ps This has nothing to do with computers.

  23. Mac users fanatics? Try Amiga users! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative
    "It's about that whole religious fervor that grabs Mac users the way it doesn't with users of other platforms," said writer/director Jake Barnes, who described himself as a "recovering Mac addict."


    They should try Amiga users, they're several times worse Mac users. Really.
    1. Re:Mac users fanatics? Try Amiga users! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Go check out the postings of Steve Gionevella in comp.sys.amiga.advocacy

      The man is a total nutcase who seems to think that the 604e is the best processor ever made EVER.

    2. Re:Mac users fanatics? Try Amiga users! by mdwh2 · · Score: 1

      They should try Amiga users, they're several times worse Mac users. Really.

      Well, claming that something about one platform is several times worse than another without evidence is just the sort of thing I'd expect to hear from a "zealot"..

      I would say all platforms have their fanatics - and that includes Windows, it's just that they're drowned out by the majority of Windows users who aren't fanatical at all about the platform. I've met quite a few people convinced that Windows and Microsoft products in general are the best out there and behave in a similar manner to fanatics of less popular platforms.

    3. Re:Mac users fanatics? Try Amiga users! by KH2002 · · Score: 1

      Amiga is the *whole reason* I got excited about personal computers to begin with. Remember the Amiga baboon and the red & white checked ball... Anyone who wants to understand the Amiga enthusiasm would have to know how utterly revolutionary it was in the mid 80's. Sigh. In a way I felt guilty going with the Mac in the late 80's, but it had PageMaker and Adobe Illustrator and so much more. Now, I love OS X. But *much* respect to the Amiga.

  24. Most of us already joined the cult. by standards · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I have to say that I think that the Cult of Macintosh is pretty much dead.

    Yeah, there are still Mac fanatics, but just like the suffragettes, the Cult of Macintosh faded when it won.

    The Macintosh successfully delivered the GUI desktop paradigm to the masses. After that, well, anyone applauding Windows 95+ was also supporting the ideals that the Macintosh was successfully promoting into the marketplace - like it or not.

    Sure, the Mac had some really really dark days... mostly in the late 80's, early 90's when that Pepsi guy was pretending to run the place.

    But again Apple has taken the industry to a new level, with computers that push design and function, and with a real, extendable, fairly open, standards-friendly OS behind it.

    In any case, the war is over. Maybe Apple didn't win all the love and money. But it propelled the industry forward on many, many fronts.

    Thank goodness for comapies like Apple pushing innovation into the marketplace. Maybe someday Microsoft will be able to do the same.

    Nah, they have no incentive to do that.

    1. Re:Most of us already joined the cult. by geekee · · Score: 1

      I'm not sure what your definition of innovation is. Apple stole their windows concept from Xerox and borrowed their latest OS engine from BSD. Sounds no different than MS practices aside from the fact that MS at least can claim, for better or worse, that they write their own code.

      --
      Vote for Pedro
    2. Re:Most of us already joined the cult. by standards · · Score: 2

      You're right and wrong.

      You're right that Apple invested in the ideas and efforts of others and propelled the concepts into the marketplace.

      You're wrong that Apple "stole" these ideas. That sounds like Microsoft talk. Apple just took the good, publically-available ideas and brought them to home and business users.... no IP theft was involved, as far as I know. Alas, as we all know, Xerox (and Digital and ...) were never quite able to bring their (still) amazing developments to the marketplace.

      Apple took the risk of betting their business on these ideas. Some failed (Newton), some succeeded (the desktop paradigm).

      Microsoft is a little different. In general, Microsoft has taken good ideas that other people have already shown were "safe" in the marketplace. Like the GUI. Like scalable typefaces. Like Microsoft Bob.

      OK, not Microsoft Bob. I guess that was their attempt at innovation. Oh well! But not to slam Microsoft too much - they do deliver high-quality software, and they have been innovative on some fronts - just not on the order of magnitude of the other industry leaders.

    3. Re:Most of us already joined the cult. by MoneyT · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Xerox was well paid for the windowing environment and some of their developers moved to Apple. That's not theft. As for the use of BSD code. I suppose you could claim it that way, but I see it as opensource software was designed so that well developed and documented code could be used and improved in the best possible ways, and Apple has done that. They have used the BSD code in what is currently the best possible way, to bring UNIX to the masses.

      --
      T Money
      World Domination with a plastic spoon since 1984
    4. Re:Most of us already joined the cult. by Grizzlysmit · · Score: 1
      I have to say that I think that the Cult of Macintosh is pretty much dead.

      Not so I'm afraid, I have a very^100 anoying friend who is a total Mac bigot, he's forever trying to bully me into moving to the Mac & OSX, always telling me that linux & linux jobs are dying that OSX is wiping us out, that I should get into, programming that crap for the OSX desktop.

      He just doesn't get it

      • i). I hate propriety software (Apple are nicer than Micro$oft, but their still way to propriety for me).
      • ii). I love Linux and I'm staying with it.
      • iii). I don't care about working in the Industry in the future, I want to go back to the research world (esp Maths), and get PHD etc.
      • iv). FUD doesn't work when your target knows too much, OSX has done alright, but not really Linuxes expence, sure we've lost some but we've gain even more, a bit of churning is normal.

      Anyway my friend and his FUD (lies) are proof that the biggot's are still out there, but then: most Os's have a few biggots/zealots at the periphery, their a pain, but treat them with the contempt they deserve.

      --
      in my life God comes first.... but Linux is pretty high after that :-D
      Francis Smit
    5. Re:Most of us already joined the cult. by Vagary · · Score: 2

      The first two OS Wars may be over:

      • OSWI: GUI vs. Console
      • OSWII: MacOS vs. Windows

      But the third one is just beginning: the one which will determine how open the source of the primary OS is. If Microsoft wins it will be completely closed. If Apple wins it will be partially open. And if Linux wins it will be completely open.

      OSX and the i*s have made Apple a major player again. This is when it starts to get interesting...

    6. Re:Most of us already joined the cult. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No outright IP theft was involved. However it was a self-admited mistake that Xerox showed anything to Apple and allowed apple to "steal" paractically everything they had been working on. They go in on a lark and the poor judgement of a single person with keys to to the lab.

      You could call it stealing or not call it stealing. But it certainly wasn't "innovating". Xerox innovated. Mac copied/stole/embrace and extended. However you want to put it.

    7. Re:Most of us already joined the cult. by geekee · · Score: 1

      I don't know where you get your facts, but Apple didn't pay Xerox a dime for their ideas. Also, if an employee moves from one company to another, he does not have the right to use the IP from the old company in the new company. Many patent suits are filed over this sort of thing. As for bringing unix to the masses, what's your point. It's not a very good claim to innovation. BTW, Apple code is not open source. They don't care about open source. They chose BSD over Linux in aprt because BSD has no GPL, so their not innovative in promoting open source either. Why you got modded up is just another example of slashdot moderator bias. There should be a notice politically correct=2

      --
      Vote for Pedro
    8. Re:Most of us already joined the cult. by MoneyT · · Score: 2

      From Apple Confidential:

      Xerox was offered by Steve Jobs the option to invest $1,000,000 in Apple before they went public in exchange for two visits to PARC to see the developments and talk to the developers of the Xerox Alto. Xerox gladly jumped at the chance and when Apple went public, the stock had split into 800,000 shares (from 100,000) and was worth 17.6 Million. If you ask me, that qualifies as compensation for what Xerox gave apple.

      As for Open Source, apple cares about it as far as it provides them a benifit. When it stops providing a benefit, they will stop caring. Just because you're pissed that Aqua and all the coolness behind OS X is not availible for your computer does not mean that what Apple has done is not a good thing. Apple has done quite a few good things.

      1) Commercial backing of OSS. Whatever you may think of their own OSS policy, Apple has brought the immage that OSS software can be more than just a hobbyist toy. And let's face it, despite the inroads RedHat made in that direction, that immage was slipping.

      2) Unix to the masses. As great as Linux was for bringing UNIX to people, it was still far to difficult to install or obtain pre-installed. OS X came along and suddenly people who would never have seen UNIX before have it on their own machine. This leads into point 3.

      3) Broke the M$ stangle hold. Before OS X, Linux was loosing it's grip. Companies had stopped shipping preinstalled linux boxes and it had slowly begun trickling out of the major news. OS X came along and revitalized this. OSS software supported by a commercial company, UNIX in a user friendly environment. More and more people are aware of the alternative.

      Finaly, if BSD has no GPL, and therefore does not require the releaing of modifications to the public domain, then Apple is doing what is 100% within their rights to do with the software as that is the way the software was designed. You may personaly not like it, but ethicaly, moraly etc etc etc, there is nothing wrong with it.

      --
      T Money
      World Domination with a plastic spoon since 1984
    9. Re:Most of us already joined the cult. by standards · · Score: 2

      Oh yeah, I totally agree that there are still Mac bigots out there. It's just that the debate kinda of lost it's edge. The classic Mac debate is "I have this nice & pretty GUI on a totally overpriced machine" versus "Mice and GUIs suck".

      That debate is dead. Apple prices are in line for quality, name-brand computers. And most everyone (not everyone) believes in the GUI and Mice and integrated motherboards and funky case design.

      Of course there are other things to debate about, but the classic "cult attitude" is mostly gone, 'cause now very few really think that Macs are a weird computer with mice and graphics and this "desktop" thing and etc.

      The debate is now all about how the software business works... but even there, Apple is much closer to the future than Microsoft. Of course, Microsoft has a classic business model that they're trying to hold onto with both hands... where Apple is easing towards openness (although certainly not nearly as open as they could be).

      On a side note, my office is in the middle of switching from Windows 2000 to Redhat 8.0. Wow, so far no one is unhappy. I think the biggest complaint is regarding the availability of Visio - everyone seems to like Visio. No one misses IE, Outlook, or etc.

      Too bad Microsoft owns Visio now...

    10. Re:Most of us already joined the cult. by geekee · · Score: 1

      "Xerox was offered by Steve Jobs the option to invest $1,000,000 in Apple before they went public in exchange for two visits to PARC to see the developments and talk to the developers of the Xerox Alto. Xerox gladly jumped at the chance and when Apple went public, the stock had split into 800,000 shares (from 100,000) and was worth 17.6 Million. If you ask me, that qualifies as compensation for what Xerox gave apple." I see nothing in this language that suggests the offer to buy apple stock (which is a risk, BTW, not guaranteed revenue) was conditioned on allowing Apple to use Xerox IP. I could care less about Aqua's CPU wating flashiness and don't think getting people to buy unix qualifies as innovation. You still haven't convinced me Apple has done much innovation, which is the point I was making. I never claimed using BSD was outside of Apple's right. It's just not what I consider innovative .

      --
      Vote for Pedro
  25. If Only... by funkhauser · · Score: 1, Troll

    If only I could afford one, I'd join their little Mac cult for sure! Ooh, maybe they give ibooks to new members? Where's the signup sheet??

    1. Re:If Only... by trash+eighty · · Score: 3, Insightful

      why not get an old Mac for a few quid off Ebay or something? the Mac cult accepts all owners

    2. Re:If Only... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I used to have a couple of SE/30 Macs. I ran NetBSD on them. Problem was, the bootloader isn't very good, so I had to run a stumpy little MacOS partition on them. What a way to foul up a nice clean NetBSD machine!

    3. Re:If Only... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Poor people suck.

  26. Give Me My Royalties! by thedbp · · Score: 1, Troll

    How dare they misappropriate and misconstrue my life like this! they didn't get the names right, and I haven't seen a dime!
    WHERE'S MY I.P. LAWYER?!?!

  27. Slashdotted by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Those sites just got nuked down

    1. Re:Slashdotted by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Those sites just got nuked down

      He said they were *about* those old machines, not that they were *running* on them.

  28. That's funny by __aahlyu4518 · · Score: 2

    The banner above this article about 'Certified OS X Classes' LOL

  29. YOU FORGOT the MOUSE and GUI!!!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    YOU FORGOT the MOUSE and GUI!!!!!

    For many years AFTER Lisa (Nov 1982 aka MacXL) and Macintosh (January 1984) shipped, Infoworld and byte kept trashing mice claiming mice were idiotic and for babies and toys.

    Even though apple said you do not have to touch the mouse if you do not want to, though INDICATE instead of REGURGITATE is faster in almost all studies.

    I remember seing hostile anti-apple anti-mice articles in business magazines up to 7 years after the macs shipped!

    Now pc losers COPY the mac with MS Windows... though poorly.

    Ha! What irony. Apple was right all along.

    Then never forget front page of wallstreet journal in March 1987 when it predicted that the new IBM OS/2 would put apple mac (which had full screen 6 montitors attached color on Mac II in April 1987) out of business.

    10 years later OS/2 was dead and apple was doing fine.

    Then never forget FRONT PAGE cover of Fortune in November 1985(?) showing a painting of a pc Junior sitting on a mac crushing its case.

    The PeeCee junior cost IBM 410 million dolalrs in advertising revenue (true! 410!) and that was in pre-infation dollars... divided amongst the very few pc juniors IBM actually sold, the advertising for tv cosxt more than the manufacturing cost!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    And it still flopped.

    HA!

    Now mac users are terrorist religious kooks?!?!

    Most mac users I know are atheists and non-religious.... in fact I can think of 12 athiests and 4 non christians as I type this and not on christian church goer.

    LINUX paupers and businessmen are the religious zealots threatened by the sucess of the mac.

    1. Re:YOU FORGOT the MOUSE and GUI!!!!! by BitGeek · · Score: 2


      I still haven't forgotten the day that the Wall Street Journal announced that Sun had bought Apple.

      They never retracted that story, btw.

      --
      Yeah, and you guys panned the ipod too: http://apple.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=01/10/23/ 1816257
  30. Mod parent up by paiute · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Troll? I thought it was at least interesting if not insightful. Wait right there while I get my metamoderating stick....

    --
    If Slashdot were chemistry it would look like this:Cadaverine
  31. What? by qurob · · Score: 0, Flamebait



    you people act like there are no Linux/OSS/FSF etc etc fanatics!

  32. Discriminatory, demeaning, uncalled for? by abdulla · · Score: 1, Insightful

    "...who are organised in a manner reminiscent of the Nation of Islam."

    I'm muslim, and I don't want to be associated with idiots who use the religion as a scapegoat, don't comment on the religion as a whole, that's a underhanded comment that shows your narrow mind, your lack of understanding is appauling, the religion is not far different from christianity or judaism (excuse the spelling), as it is a derivative of sorts (just like christianity being a derivative of judaism), we don't believe in ridiculous things as religious sucide giving you 6 virgins or some other shit, far from it, in fact according to our religion, suicide is one of the unforgiveable sins that damns you to an eternity in hell. I have to dispel these myths, and I hope you will get over the stereotype.

    1. Re:Discriminatory, demeaning, uncalled for? by DaDigz · · Score: 5, Informative

      Actually, what the article is referring to is the Nation of Islam group - not Islam in general. If you're not familiar with the Nation of Islam you can find more information here.

      --
      Those who will sacrifice Freedom and Security will get Windows...
    2. Re:Discriminatory, demeaning, uncalled for? by ChiPHeaD23 · · Score: 2

      The article refers to the group called The Nation of Islam, not to the sum total of muslims.
      I do understand why you'd think so though, as ignorance and propaganda following 9/11 have made a LOT of people think all muslims are terrorists out for some western blood.

    3. Re:Discriminatory, demeaning, uncalled for? by abdulla · · Score: 1

      Alright, I'll accept I got rolled, jumping the gun doesn't always help, I had a headache, but that's no excuse for commenting due to an assumption, sorry.

    4. Re:Discriminatory, demeaning, uncalled for? by Daleks · · Score: 1

      On a slightly offtopic note, I heard an anchor on MSNBC this morning commenting on the possibility of the east coast sniper being a terrorist. They said that the notes left on the tarot cards, which read, "I am God," would be blasphemous to any Muslim and thus the sniper couldn't a terrorist. Ugh, idiots.

    5. Re:Discriminatory, demeaning, uncalled for? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      bravo. I think there is a general lack of understanding of the real picture. Some muslims might engage in female genital mutilation, however the "nation of islam" as a whole, does not. There are always extremes.. The christian church denounced witchcraft, and used to burn people alive, based on superficial, and usually circumstancial evidence. We as a human race must learn tolerance to our fellow man and woman, this is the only way we can exist together. Stop being judgemental, and start trying to help each other, stop repressing others, and be more open minded. Religions also need to take their hands out of practices that are harmful or pointless.. Religion should be to give someone faith in existance, not to teach fear of the unknown.. God put us here as a gift, life is precious, and we should treat is as such. No man deserves to die any more than any other, we try to assess these values, and I believe we have no right to do so. A man might sacrifice himself for 100 men, but that is something personal. I dont believe in the death penalty, or war. If everyone sahred this view, there would be no reason for capitol punishment, or war... If people werent judgemental, greedy, and self centered (intrinsically and as a general statement) then we would have half, if not even less, of the problems we have now. We would not go to wat over religious views, WHO CARES if your god has a different name, or you believe in different things, we both have faith, isnt that enough? We wouldnt war over property, CANT WE JUST SHARE THINGS? I mean.. I'm not a communist, that can never work apparently... Well, maybe one day we can change our ways.. until then I pray for us all.

      -Rob

    6. Re:Discriminatory, demeaning, uncalled for? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Shut up you towelhead loving Islam excusing tree hugging hippie. Can we all just share? No. I'll deck you in the face and take that home run ball and give it to my kid, and then tell your kid you are evil.

  33. 80's by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Yeah, Mac had a cult equivalent of the current Linux cult. But that was in the late 80's and some time into the 90's. But, now?! Bwahahahaha!

  34. Macs the new axis of evil by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    we must fight the power

  35. apple won.... it was about GUI by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    apple won.... it was about GUI

    And linux LOST becuase to a mac lover it has a horrid GUI though at least it offers a few.

    APPLE MAC killed of MS-DOS and mice and gui won.

    Thats what the screaming and zealots were all about.

    And the mac people were correct and right and the pc dos text line people were all wrong.

  36. Admittedly offtopic, but... by The+Wooden+Badger · · Score: 2, Funny

    Is it coincidence that the "new religion" of Macintosh started in 1984?

    --
    Heroscape, it's like legos combined with anachronistic wargames.
  37. Re:Dear God by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Insightful

    What difference does it make? You obviously understood what was implied, are you some kind of prepubescent spelling Nazi?
    Get back in your cage, and don't come out till you have something constructive to say.

  38. Poor Rodney Lain by mtec · · Score: 2, Interesting

    He was all about evangelizing the platform. His columns always had a amateurish, strange, almost irrational quality (he wrote for many Mac publications as iBrotha). It's hard to tell from the article - but it appears he was associated with the production (or at least inspired it).
    I always thought he was a little macadamia nuts. You've done your damage, Rodney, rest in peace.

    --
    Cake or Death? Cake Please!
    1. Re:Poor Rodney Lain by h0tblack · · Score: 2

      It was a sad day for the Mac community when we heard that Rodney had taken his own life. I'm glad somebody else recognised the iBrotha connection, it seems as if most people posting either didn't know of him, it didn't click or didn't read the links. There's a mention of Rodney at the bottom of the Wired article and the website of the iBrotha film itself has a dedication.
      peace

  39. Windows zealots? by lovebyte · · Score: 5, Funny

    And what about all the idiots who queue for hours at night to be the first to get their hands on the latest Windows OS when a new one arrives? Oh but wait a second! Those people are not zealot! Just plain arsholes!

    --

    I'll do it for cheesy poofs.

    1. Re:Windows zealots? by Bakaneko · · Score: 1

      How about all those people who clog the pipe trying to download new RedHat ISOs the minute they're released. Or people who will religiously download the latest kernel from kernel.org, only to basically copy over their .config, set up the exact same options they've been using for the past 30 or so revisions, and probably would have been better off sticking with one kernel that they got good uptime out of.

      Just saying that the irrational "latest and greatest" syndrome is pretty much endemic to the human species, or at least the computer using portion of it.

  40. Don't those Heathens know their Mac? by poeman · · Score: 3, Interesting

    The wired story says the film even stars a 512k, the original Mac. Don't those heathens know their macs? Everyone knows that the 128K came out before the 512K!

    Next they'll be telling me that the Classic was the original mac like all those posers do on eBay.

    1. Re:Don't those Heathens know their Mac? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The Wired story describes the 512K as an early Mac, not the original one. It's elsewhere been described as an original Mac 512k, but never as the original Mac.

      That honour goes to the the 128 K, which, as scholars worldwide know, was preceeded by the Lisa and various versions of the Apple.

      It's still a funky little machine though. Got a detached number pad, chunky chip keys and no hard drive.

      Jake Barnes.
      www.ibrotha.co.uk

  41. The problem is, it's not a stereotype... by mtec · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    we seem to have an archetype.

    --
    Cake or Death? Cake Please!
  42. Short film? by Dick+Click · · Score: 1

    Eight minutes is not a short film; it's more like a t-shirt slogan.
    And what does this mean?
    "It's a mark of respect and a way of showing we're not taking advantage of his infamous passing away."

    Sounds to me like they _are_ taking advantage of this, dedication or not.

  43. BeOS users come a close second by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    As BeOS becomes a mostly distant memory, the BeOS users are clinging onto their fervent beliefs like lemmings to a plunging bus.

    I'm sure that the fact that most ex-BeOS users are ex-Amiga users doesn't help. Yeah, I was an Amiga devotee too (A4000, CyberStorm 060, Picasso IV, Ariadne II...my Amiga was Da Bomb, and I too clung onto it in the belief that it wasn't really dead. I got over it.)

  44. Re:Hey man remember the 80s by CoolHandLucifer · · Score: 5, Funny

    Actually the i-bowtie is a Steve Jobs Insanely Great trademark from the 80s.

    Steve Jobs circa 1984
    I still think Sculley looks scared to have Steve behind him.

  45. Malcolm X by ActiveSX · · Score: 2, Funny

    I always thought of Malcolm X as a RISCOS guy myself. Hmm, I guess the X is pretty signifigant evidence against that.

    1. Re:Malcolm X by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Malcolm X was a fervent Apple guy, but after a trip to Mecca, he came to the realization that platform was irrelevant so long as everything was compatible with open standards.

      After loudly preaching Systems Integration rather than a seperate Nation Of Macintosh, he was assassinated by angry members of his old sect.

      Of course, the only ones celebrating his death were Microsoft Supremacists.

  46. Incite Different by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    If I visit the Apple site and see a Malcom X "Think Different" poster on the front, I'm gonna turn in my G4 for a SunBlade ....

  47. In related news by essiescreet · · Score: 3, Funny

    Saturn and Saab owners are waging holy war against each other, and everyone hopes that the NASCAR fans will stay out of it...

    1. Re:In related news by quecojones · · Score: 1

      everyone hopes that the NASCAR fans will stay out of it...

      I'm sorry, but I just can't help myself. Wait for it...

      LEFT TURN! ;p

      --
      "PROFANITY is the inevitable literary crutch of the inarticulate MOTHER FUCKER." -- some PC user
  48. God knows this never happened with Linux... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Riiiiiight.

  49. Greetings from the iNation. by DaveOf9thKey · · Score: 4, Funny

    Apple-am a-laikum, my iBrothers and iSisters. Would you like an MP3 copy of Steve's Final Call for your iPod? Can I interest you in an iBeanpie? We didn't tear down the gates -- Gates tore us down!

    My name is Mac-colm X, and I will soon make my pilgrimage to Cupertino.

    --

    Visit me on the web at Permanent4.com.
  50. It's not Malcom X ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    ... it's Malcom X 10.2!

  51. Macs & Creativity by Lovejoy · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I just upgraded to FC Pro so I could do some stuff with a project I can't do with iMovie. The elegance of the product is really astounding. It's well thought-out - it scales down to my incredible level of ignorance well, and it produces a beautiful product. When I wanted to make the movie, here's what I needed: Mac, FCPro, video cam w/ Firewire.

    Now I suppose Adobe Premiere on a beefy Windows machine could do the same, but I'm getting nervous just thinking about it. I use Windows every day and consider myself a very proficient user. (blech)

    So what do I need to do the same project? I suppose:
    Premiere, Beefy Windows-based Machine (XP? 98? 2000?) - I'm guessing 2000, but that's just a guess - So I have to downgrade. And the right video card - Oh my gosh! Which one shall I get? Hmm.. And I forgot: I need a FIREWIRE card b/c they aren't standard on most PCs. Oh crap. Firewire drivers, Oh yeah - video card drivers. What, there's a conflict (IRQ?) between my add-on FW card and my add-on HD. CRAP! See what I mean?

    Before you write "Dude, you're stupid" I'll concede the point. I'm stupid. You got me.

    But I am smart enough to figure out how to run FC Pro in some fashion or another, produce multimedia, etc. etc.. and I'm pretty sure I'm smart enough to puzzle out all the Windows crap, BUT I DON'T WANT TO. I'm smart enough to get my work done, and that's all I care about. I don't like "computers" and I don't want to spend half my life figuring out why they don't work.

    1. Re:Macs & Creativity by david614 · · Score: 1

      >I don't like "computers" and I don't want to spend half my life figuring out why they don't work. In all the drivel, finally the true difference between *some* mac addicts and the rest of us. I happen to really *Iike computers*, and I want to know how they work, and why they stop working. I also use a mac (actually two, a TiBook and an imac266), a Sun Ultra 10 and a Thinkpad 600. Each to his or her own, but basic curiosity about the hardware is key. Especially on a site like Slashdot.

      --
      ELITISM: It's always lonely at the top. Uninvited company is rarely welcome.
    2. Re:Macs & Creativity by Lovejoy · · Score: 1

      basic curiosity about the hardware is key. Especially on a site like Slashdot.

      Basic curiosity about the hardware is key to what? I'll agree that I'm atypical for a Slashdot reader. I don't enjoy tinkering. Furthermore, it takes more than a "basic curiosity about hardware" to give a flip about IRQ conflicts, Firewire bus speeds, SCSI versus IDE, blah blah blah ad nauseum. It takes a true, focused interest in the technology for its own sake. I'll concede - I don't have that.

      But I am very interested in how technology affects society and how society affects technology. And I do like new hardware, geegaws and gadgets. But for me, computers aren't an end unto themselves. They are a means to an end.

      Furthermore, the great thing about Macs now, with OS X, is you can tinker all you like. But I don't have to if I don't want to. I can just do my work.

    3. Re:Macs & Creativity by wunderhorn1 · · Score: 2, Funny
      Here are two small tips for improving your "windows experience" straw man: First, HDs don't need IRQs. Second, IRQ conflicts are EXTREMELY rare with modern OSes and motherboards. You'd be better off sticking with the "shoddy drivers" and "I don't like evaluating hardware" angles.

      Now you'll be able to more accurately take the piss out of windows users.

      Cheers!

      --
      Karma: Bored. (Thinking about resurrecting the "Anyone else is an imposter" joke.)
    4. Re:Macs & Creativity by Lovejoy · · Score: 1

      Once again:
      I'll concede the point. I'm stupid. You got me.

    5. Re:Macs & Creativity by Zakabog · · Score: 2

      So what do I need to do the same project? I suppose: Premiere, Beefy Windows-based Machine (XP? 98? 2000?) - I'm guessing 2000, but that's just a guess - So I have to downgrade. And the right video card - Oh my gosh! Which one shall I get? Hmm.. And I forgot: I need a FIREWIRE card b/c they aren't standard on most PCs. Oh crap. Firewire drivers, Oh yeah - video card drivers. What, there's a conflict (IRQ?) between my add-on FW card and my add-on HD. CRAP! See what I mean?

      Ummm actually I did video editing with my windows/linux PC. It required, firewire card (most new motherboards have firewire built in, I have an old 600PIII), my computer (Windows 98, 600 PIII, 256 RAM, 120 gig hard drive, GeForce 3 Ti200, SB Audigy Platiunum, 21" monitor, all under $1,000), and Adobe Premier. No IRQ conflicts, no video card drives (well I had to install the video card but when you build your own, that usually happens, if I bought a PC pre-built it wouldn't require that step), no beefy computer, I can use any version of windows I like, no special video card, just the one I wanted.

      I can also edit video in Linux, works nicely and the software was free. Don't say something like "Well you needed to buy a firewire card!" because

      1) I already had one (came free with my DV camera)
      2) Unless you have a mac that's as old as my 600 PIII that came with firewire, you have no point. Sure the new ones come with it, but any new computers come with firewire.

    6. Re:Macs & Creativity by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      (most new motherboards have firewire built in, I have an old 600PIII)

      Most? In a quick check of current P4 and Athlon motherboards available from a local retailer, five out of fifty had firewire.

      10% does not quite seem like "most".

    7. Re:Macs & Creativity by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If your facts are wrong (because you are stupid)then could it not be that your opinions are wrong (stupid) as well?

  52. Passive zealots by wazzzup · · Score: 5, Insightful

    There are Windows zealots, they're just lost in the crowd of point-and-drool Windows users that have no idea that "computer" doesn't necissarily mean "Wintel".

    I mean, what about the scores of MCSE monkeys that think every other operating system outside of Windows is a toy? Isn't that a type of zealotry? They're not going out and actively preaching Windows but they're passively dissmissing any other platform. There's plenty of Kool-aid to be drunk that's coming out of Redmond.

    If the movie's any good, they'll have a confrontation between a mac zealot and an MCSE monkey that tells him "Macs can't network." I'm picturing a Steve Martin type reaction from the movie "Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid" when somebody mentions "cleaning woman".

    1. Re:Passive zealots by SN74S181 · · Score: 1

      Macs can network. They, of course, need a special little set of services so their weird byzantine filesystem will work.

      Of course, the NTFS allows multiple resource forks.

      Most IT people consider the Macintosh a support headache because of the personalities of the people they encounter. Chip on the shoulder doesn't properly describe the zealotry they have to deal with.

      And the cultishness is a big part of Macintosh. It has to be, for them to survive as a cohesive subculture.

      Now, if it didn't attract contrarian-for-the-sake-of-it mofos, it wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing.

    2. Re:Passive zealots by banzai51 · · Score: 0, Redundant

      There is also the costs involved in keeping your support staff up to date. IT is very reluctant to spend money for a platform that only a small handful might use. Then there is the cost of sending IT personel out to install software in the day and age of automated install. It will only adopt non-MS desktops when the support tools for those OSes include automated installations like Ghost, RIS, GPO policy, or WinInstall.

    3. Re:Passive zealots by banzai51 · · Score: 1

      Redundant? Guess the truth hurts.

  53. Message to Moderators by BitGeek · · Score: 0, Offtopic


    When a post like the above one gets moderated down to 0, "Overrated" and "troll" when clearly it isn't a troll (And the actual troll in this thread- who calls mac users the worst kind of zeolots gets modded up to 5) then there is no incentive to not post AC.

    The purpose of moderation is to enhance good posts-- not to punish people who think differently from you.

    Of course, I should have expected it, after all, I was pointing out how bigots mistreat mac fans, and what do I get? mistreatement at the hands of bigots.

    As far as I'm concerned, slashdot has outlived its usefulness. I think I will keep reading the headlines, but I will stop participating in the forums. The system is broken, and the level of discourse is not high enough often enough to make it worth my while. This latter bit being BECAUSE the moderation system is a popularity contest.

    Since you have rated this post (And other long detailed technical posts I've made) at zero because you didn't like what they said-- and not been caught in metamoderation-- then there is no reason whatsoever not to post as an AC.

    And thus, I leave slashdot.

    --
    Yeah, and you guys panned the ipod too: http://apple.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=01/10/23/ 1816257
    1. Re:Message to Moderators by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You will NOT be missed.

    2. Re:Message to Moderators by Lizard_King · · Score: 5, Insightful

      And thus, I leave slashdot.

      You need to get out of the house more, kid. I'm sick and tired of hearing the incessant bitching and whining about the slashdot moderation system. This is slashdot - your comments and views are being thrown into the mix with 12 year olds, the janitor from Radio Shack, legit geeks, and bored out of work guys.

      By looking at your profile, you've been around long enough and certainly posted more than enough to be an occasional moderator yourself. Put up or shut up - the only worthwhile thing you can do is moderate responsibly. Whining about it is a waste of your time, my time, and any other poor schmuck who bothered to read your post.

      If someone mods you down, remember, this is just slashdot! I swear some people need to go into therapy just because their shitty post got modded down by a thirteen year old.

      --
      "My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-bitch." - Jack Nicholson
    3. Re:Message to Moderators by thebobster · · Score: 5, Funny

      And thus, I leave slashdot.

      Report back to us about what a life is like.

    4. Re:Message to Moderators by Reality+Master+101 · · Score: 2

      Sheesh, good riddance. Bad moderators are annoying, but whiners are far worse.

      I twenty-second the motion: get a life.

      Here's a free clue: IT'S NOT THAT IMPORTANT THAT PEOPLE READ WHAT YOU WRITE. Get over yourself.

      --
      Sometimes it's best to just let stupid people be stupid.
    5. Re:Message to Moderators by digitalsushi · · Score: 3, Funny
      not to punish people who think differently from you.


      *snicker*

      --
      slashdot: where everyone yells sarcastic metaphors to themselves to understand the issue
    6. Re:Message to Moderators by goon+america · · Score: 1
      You just don't have a sense of humor. On slashdot, you can get moderated to +5 on an unpopular view as long as you use any standard rhetorical device that you would in any other form of writing.
      1. Make it funny. If it's a rant/troll even it's ok as long as it is really entertaining.
      2. Start your post by convincingly describing yourself as an authority on the subject
      3. Start off saying, "I used to strongly believe in [popular view], but then I realized...."

      Look around, I think it's not hard to see these devices in action in highly moderated posts.

    7. Re:Message to Moderators by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      bye

    8. Re:Message to Moderators by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      Report back to us about what a life is like.

      The moderators suck there too.

    9. Re:Message to Moderators by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The reason you've been moderated down isn't due to your view that the world is conspiring against you due to your OS choice. I would assume it's instead moderated down because of your blatent statement that the nation of Islam is synonomous with terrorist activities.

      Other causes could be that it certainly seemed like you only read the headline and not the article, or at least if you did you certainly missed the point. You seem like you're looking for conspiricy and enimies everywhere, and you're going to keep finding them in places they don't exist if you're not careful.

    10. Re:Message to Moderators by BitGeek · · Score: 0, Offtopic


      New moderation total for the parent post:

      Moderation Totals: Flamebait=1, Troll=2, Insightful=6, Interesting=2, Overrated=3, Underrated=1, Total=15.

      Thankfully people have stepped in and modded the post more appropriately. I don't think it deserves a 5, but at least a 2 or 3. 0 is just unfair.

      --
      Yeah, and you guys panned the ipod too: http://apple.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=01/10/23/ 1816257
    11. Re:Message to Moderators by BitGeek · · Score: 2

      your comments and views are being thrown into the mix with 12 year olds, the janitor from Radio Shack, legit geeks, and bored out of work guys

      As a legit geek, I'd rather spend my time talking to other legit geeks. I don't mind that they are in the minority if I'm allowed to speak. but when I'm getting modded down by 12 year olds, and there is no useful communication with other legit geeks, then it becomes something that is not worth my time.

      I did get to moderate in the past, but now I've been banned from moderation, apparently, because my sig talks about moderation and I've talked about moderation in the forums. I used to moderate regularly, but for a couple months now, not at all.

      Another way of putting my point is there are too many 12 year olds to wade thru to get to the legit geeks posts.

      --
      Yeah, and you guys panned the ipod too: http://apple.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=01/10/23/ 1816257
    12. Re:Message to Moderators by sco08y · · Score: 1

      Actually, I've got my scoring so that anything marked troll, flamebait, or offtopic gets a +1, while Insightful, Interesting, and (perhaps the most consistently wrong) Funny gets marked -6.

      Occasionally, the moderators are right, but typically intelligent comments generate intelligent replies, and so I'll read those instead.

      But one thing I'm *guaranteed* is that I'll never have to read the tedious drivel from the karma whores.

    13. Re:Message to Moderators by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Shut up, already. Leave. Go. Get a life. Or, failing that, get a death. But don't come back.

  54. This is so sad by NDPTAL85 · · Score: 1

    I was not even aware Rodney had passed away. Did Apple acknowledge it at any way when it happened? If I was Steve I would do something special in his memory, the least of which would begin by mentioning him at the next MacWorld.

    --
    Mac OS X and Windows XP working side by side to fight back the night.
    1. Re:This is so sad by SamTheButcher · · Score: 1
      I had no idea either until I was reading through the article. Obviously, I wasn't a huge follower of his work (I liked it but never sought it out), but it actually reminded me of a friend I had at SDSU, Bart Cameron (who is still thankfully with us). Great writer, great heart, great thinker. The world needs more like them, black or not. Race informs their writing and personality, but does not define them.

      You're right, it is sad. I abhorr suicide, but when a unique, strong voice is silenced, everyone loses.

  55. Terrorists?? by Scothoser · · Score: 1

    I don't remember reading anything about terrorism in the article (unless you consider Malcolm X a terrorist). I think Fanatic fits the bill better.

    It's not surprising that Mac is the platform of choice in this movie.. most serious independent film makers use the Mac platform, and it does have a near-religious fervor around it (having worked in a shop at a community college where the boss was a fervent Mac supporter). Mac just does better than any Intel platform I know of for video compression, editing, and rendering. Just like Linux is ideal for server-based apps, and Windows is ideal for crashing your box (^_^). It's nice to know that there is someone out there that can find the funny side of the fanaticism.

  56. ROFL by MidKnight · · Score: 1

    Damn -- This response made my whole friggin' morning! Now, it's time for me to go get laid off....

    --Mid.

  57. What's bigger? by Superpaz · · Score: 1

    Mac or Linux following?

  58. For a company with 5% market share... by nadador · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Slashdot spends *a lot* of time talking about Apple. I'm not entirely sure how Uncle Steve built his company to attact so much attention, but it just seems that we talk about it a lot.

    As far as the Cult of Steve, I am a member, having recently returned from exile in the PC wilderness. Ah, how nice it is to return to the warmth of the Reality Distortion Field, where all benchmarks are Photoshop and all the UI components are lickably delicious.

    Macs aren't the only products that inspire fanatical devotion (see comments re Linux, BSD, etc.). Not even just computers (shocking, isn't it?). Have you ever met people who drive Saturns? We're rather fanatical about our friendly dealerships and polymer side panels (dent resistant *and* rust proof :)

    --

    Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside a dog, its too dark to read.
    1. Re:For a company with 5% market share... by SmittyTheBold · · Score: 1

      I could be wrong, but I think the volume of Appel chatter on /. has gone up in the last year or two. Before, we'd get posts for major hardware upgrades and all that, but not the little stories like this. Now, it seems if Steve lays an especially large turd we'd all be the first (okay, this is /. so thousandth is more likely) to know.

      My guess is that it's directly related to the release of OS X, and the subseuent appeal of Apple machines to the /. crowd.

      --
      ± 29 dB
    2. Re:For a company with 5% market share... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well Saturn owners have to have those things to be proud of "friendly dealerships and polymer side panels" , as they have to mask the fact that at the belly of the beast is a crap GM engine and chasis. We only look at the things that make us feel good about our choices. Like as a Mac nut i used to tell myself that Apples didn't have problems, well not many, or at least none to mention.. RIGHT?

    3. Re:For a company with 5% market share... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      for a company with 5% market share, Slashdot spend *a lot* of time talking about Apple.

      As opposed to that massive linux market share that's been getting so much press here lately.

    4. Re:For a company with 5% market share... by theNeophile · · Score: 1
      Slashdot spends *a lot* of time talking about Apple. I'm not entirely sure how Uncle Steve built his company to attact so much attention, but it just seems that we talk about it a lot.

      Guess what, linux has even less market share (on the desktop at least) and slashdot talks about it even more. Could it be because they're both important, innovative operating systems? Could we be talking about apple because it's become the largest desktop unix over-night? Or because of their work in open source and (open) standards creation?

    5. Re:For a company with 5% market share... by Artifex · · Score: 2

      Macs aren't the only products that inspire fanatical devotion (see comments re Linux, BSD, etc.). Not even just computers (shocking, isn't it?). Have you ever met people who drive Saturns? We're rather fanatical about our friendly dealerships and polymer side panels (dent resistant *and* rust proof :)

      I hope your Saturn crashes even less than your Macintosh, if it's got plastic body panels.

      --
      Get off my launchpad!
  59. Wha? by BSDevil · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I think I'm missing something...where are we talking about religious suicide holy war? Not in the article we're not. We're talking about the Nation of Islam - as in the organization currently headed by Louis Farrakan - who's mission is (off the top of my head) a seperate all-black state, not the Nation of all Islamic people (as in the geopolitical sense). It's not a particularly Muslim organization; it's mostly about black empowrement.

    I don't like stereotyping, but this is exactly what the above is: somone read it, saw the word 'Islam' and instantly thought "terrorism blaming! terrorism blaming!" without seeing the context.

    More power to you for defending your faith. But try and read what the context and the article is before you go calling everyone racist. Unless you're actually Nation yourself, in which case you're allowed to be offended.

    --
    Cue The Sun...
  60. I wonder... by kakos · · Score: 4, Funny

    I wonder if Steve Jobs will rename Apple HQ to Macca. Start praying, Mac people!

  61. It's alla bout Conformity by KalenDarrie · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I think that is what Microsoft capitalizes upon is a sense of conformity and 'normalcy' as much as they can promote. Anything but safe Windows seems strange and unusual, making most uncomfortable at the prospect of adopting alternatives.

    It keeps people in line by their own natural reaction to strange and unknown things.

    --
    Kalen D'arrie
  62. Assasination of Malcolm X == by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    equals the character assisination of the lady from the microsoft switch article.

    Malcolm X was killed by Nation of Islam people cause he left their cultish group. The other day people went overboard in assisination the character and personal preference of the MS lady who left being the mac user for 8 years to using MS WIndows.

    There were more than 1200 Slashdot Posts, 99.9% attacking the lady personal choice and some even making nit picking at the instructions of switching from mac to pc that she gave. But there was nothing like that from the apple switchs of people going from MS to OSX or linux to OSX .

    I have a feeling most of those posts were from the same mac zealot people who get overly zealous and frustrated and therefore react in the same way as the nation of islam people did when malcolm X "betrayed" their group.

    1. Re:Assasination of Malcolm X == by Wildcat+J · · Score: 1
      I have a feeling most of those posts were from the same mac zealot people who get overly zealous and frustrated and therefore react in the same way as the nation of islam people did when malcolm X "betrayed" their group.

      Well, that and the fact that the MS "switch" article was complete fucking astroturfing...
  63. You've misunderstood by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    1) Just because they're refering to the Nation Of Islam (a US racist cult) doesn't mean they're refering to all Muslims any more than refering to Waco Texas is refering to the Catholic Church
    2) Under Islam, a good Muslim does not use 4 letter swear words
    3) Islam is arguabily similar to Judaism, but to compare it to Christianity is dubious imho. Islam is far more externalised in mentality. [No, I'm neither Christian nor Jewish).
    4) The Koran refers on many occasions about how Muslims should slay infidels, how to torture them (yes these passages are in there, go check if you wish), that Christians follow the devil, Jews are like donkeys, etc. Muslims usually either ignore these passages or come up with some things about 'we don't know the true meaning of the words'. However, it plainly says in the Koran that when two revalations contradict, that the latter supercedes the former. The passages about peace and tolerance are at the begining of the Koran, the passages about slaying infidels and the like are at the latter end.

    1. Re:You've misunderstood by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Infidel is NOT in the Qur'an. It appears nowhere, and a blanket statement that they should anyone should all be slayed is false.

      It does not say that Christians follow the devil, nor that Jews are like donkeys, nor how to torture. The Qur'an goes as far as to say "Let there be no compulsion in religion"(2:256)

      There are NO contradictions between peace and tolerance and fighting in the Qur'an, I can assure you. Aside from that, Muhammad helped to clarify most of the vague points.

    2. Re:You've misunderstood by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      "When the forbidden months are past, then fight and slay the Pagans wherever ye find them, and seize them, beleaguer them, and lie in wait for them in every stratagem [of war]; but if they repent, and establish regular prayers and practice regular charity, then open the way for them: for Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful." Surah 9:5
  64. Actually.. by KalenDarrie · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I'd wager that most Windows users aren't that technical either. I think your logic is flawed.

    --
    Kalen D'arrie
  65. Wozniak, Jobs,+ made lots of money by screwthemoderators · · Score: 1, Funny

    Apple made huge amounts of money by appealing to non-technical people. Red Hat has not made enough money for a two-bit documentary to come along and call linux a religion.

  66. Dude, chill by Quila · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Nation of Islam <> Islam

    Parodies of Nation of Islam (the racist political organization) usually aren't saying much about Islam (the religion).

    1. Re:Dude, chill by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      vb loser

    2. Re:Dude, chill by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Right. There's a big difference. Nation of Islam is black racists. Islam is Arab racists.

    3. Re:Dude, chill by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Islam does not foster racism. If you believe in the One God, then you are equal in God's eyes. Muslims from around the world pray side by side in Mecca

  67. We are gonna bomb them! by Lord+Kenja · · Score: 2, Funny

    As a reprecentive on the Macintosh Liberation Front I hereby state our intention of eliminating all enemies of the Macintosh nation. This is not terrorism but rightful war against the terroists of the non-Macintosh world.

    (Yeah. I'm a mac user alright ;)

    1. Re:We are gonna bomb them! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Splitter!

  68. iTorvalds by jolshefsky · · Score: 3, Funny
    They did ... it's called iTorvalds. You'll need the actors package, location package, and movieprod package. Just compile it for your own system.

    I heard that some guy even did a TTY-compatible port of the thing with iBrotha script.

    --
    --- Jason Olshefsky

    Karma: Poser (mostly affected by adding this line long after everyone else did)

  69. Macies? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    like... William H.?

    Oh... Macey

  70. You're joking, right? by FatSean · · Score: 1

    You really think he was talking about a Macintosh? Try MAC-10.

    --
    Blar.
  71. Chemistry by paiute · · Score: 1

    ChemDraw vs. ChemText. That's all you need to know to understand why there is a solid group of chemists who have always been fond of the Mac.

    --
    If Slashdot were chemistry it would look like this:Cadaverine
  72. All bow down before Matt from AmbrosiaSW by Chiggy_Von_Richtoffe · · Score: 3, Funny

    Holy crap!! all this time i've been hauling old computers for trade between planets and i thought it was all just a game.
    All bow down before the AmbrosiaSW oracles!!
    ~this is just the begining.

  73. All hail the one button mouse. by DJ+FirBee · · Score: 1

    All hail postscript !!

    All hail sexy Titanium !!!

    All hail bad airport reception !!!

    All hail translucent plasitc gizmos !!!

    All hail Firewire and the iPod!!!!

    All your bases are belong to us !!!!!!!!

  74. Oh for moderation points... by FatSean · · Score: 1

    Of course, the macsturbators would simply claim that the Windows users know their system is inferior and don't try to keep users from 'leaving'.

    --
    Blar.
  75. Don't do it, man by thatguywhoiam · · Score: 1
    Hey BitGeek -

    I'm actually fairly new to the whole slashdot scene, but I implore you to keep posting.

    You can change more with your voice, however modded-down that voice may be, than with your silence.

    I've enjoyed your posts, I think you're right, and I think you're getting modded not for content but for delivery. You only get away with major vitriol on Slashdot if you're really going with the popular opinion, I've noticed. Otherwise people basically label you a spaz.

    I don't know if it'll change, but I'd rather some of the dissenters like you didn't fuck off for all time. It keeps things interesting in here.

    --
    If Jesus wants me it knows where to find me.
  76. mac pledge by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    we pledge allegence to one apple
    for the pursuit of happiness without crashing
    for the joy of creatvity
    one nation under jobs
    with osx and apple...

  77. You Lie by FatSean · · Score: 2, Insightful

    All non-windows users are not considered zealot. Perhaps you should look up the definition of the word. If you use a Mac and like, good for you, you're a computer user. If you use a Mac and take every opportunity to point ot aupposed flaws in my system of choice and to bray about your system of choice, you are a Zealot.

    I see the Macsterbators have lots of moderator points today!

    --
    Blar.
    1. Re:You Lie by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "You lie"? That's *exactly* the sort of thing he is talking about. He makes a point, speaking as a mac owner. Immediately someone jumps in and starts the ridiculing and insulting.

      Geez.

    2. Re:You Lie by dmarcoot · · Score: 1

      mainly windows and linux users attack mac usesr rather than macuser insulting anyone else on slashdot. Linux and its "if its not free, its evil " zealots rule here.

  78. LOL! Saturns... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ...dude, 'polymer' is a fancy name for 'plastic'.

  79. Here Comes the NAACP and Friends by kenp2002 · · Score: 2

    Why do I have this sick sinking feeling that we are going to hear from a bunch of activists that have, too much free time and too much tax payer money in their pockets,as they start berating this movie. I wonder how long it will take before someone starts a litigation against the makers of this little Indie 8 min wonder. Mark my words we'll hear, "How Dare You" and things like "The Comparision is unjust and denegrating". I can hear the liberal mass of low self-esteem activists sharpening their attourney auto-dial buttons as they foam at the mouth of this "almost as bad a Hitler" movie. I can feel the oxygen being drawn out as millions of liberal activists begin huffing and gasping at this horribly racist, denegrating, non-politically correct (Aww hell lets call a spade a spade, Socialist-Correct) film diminishing Malcom-X's role in history. Why can we see this film for what is really is? BECAUSE THE REST OF US WORKING ADULTS GREW UP AND DEVELOPED A SENSE OF HUMOR AND GREW OUT OF OUT OVER-SENSITIVE CHILDHOOD!!

    Beware, I think I heard one of them dial already... I thought they'd wait till the movie made some money...

    NEWS AT 11: Gnostic religious groups file a lawsuit against the makers of The Matrix for mis-representing the concept of the DemiUrge. Catholics groan as they thought they stomped out the Gnostics after the Nicean Council. Constantine rolls over in grave!!

    --
    -=[ Who Is John Galt? ]=-
  80. apple store by natefanaro · · Score: 2, Funny

    When I used to work at the apple store, one of my friends came in to visit. He walked in to a group of about 6 employees standing around. All wearing the black apple shirt with the white apple on the front and wearing kaki's. He was spooked and asked me if apple was a cult. I told him yes ;)

  81. IA! IA! STEVE JOBS! FHTAGN! by Mr.+Knucklehead · · Score: 1

    I can hear it now!!

  82. No, he's right by Pope · · Score: 5, Informative
    From the source: PE Lyrics

    I got so much trouble on my mind
    I refuse to lose
    Here's your ticket
    Hear the drummer get wicked
    The crew to you to push the back to Black
    Attack so I sat and japped
    Then slapped the Mac(Intosh)
    Now I'm ready to mike it
    (You know I like it)

    It's written exactly like that in the liner notes too.

    FWIW, Chuck D has gone around helping indie rapper set up Mac-based ProTools studios for quite some time.

    --
    It doesn't mean much now, it's built for the future.
    1. Re:No, he's right by proj_2501 · · Score: 2

      Pro Tools setups are a bit expensive for indie producers. Unless he's footing the bill, I'd claim he works for Digidesign.

    2. Re:No, he's right by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Two of my favorite Mac references in rap music are from The Coup's "Me and Jesus the Pimp in a '79 Granada Last Night":

      From the pen he would scribe, on how to survive:
      "Don't be Microsoft, be Macintosh with a Hard Drive"


      and later in the same song:

      "Microsoft motherfuckers let bygones be bygones but since I'm Macintosh, I'ma double click your icons"

      No question what they meant ... and it wasn't mackin, MAC-10 or Mack Daddy :-)

  83. RTFA by sympleko · · Score: 1

    The comparison isn't being made to Islamist terrorists at all. The Nation of Islam is a black-power movement following Louis Farrakan. Malcolm X was one its most influential evangelizers.

    I doubt the Nation of Islam is capable of any such terrorism. The original post should be modded Offtopic, not Troll.

  84. No joke by itsthateasy · · Score: 1

    Finally something I can safely comment on.

    From the Public Enemy website:

    Welcome To The Terrordome
    Shocklee - Sadler - Ridenhour

    I got so much trouble on my mind
    I refuse to lose
    Here's your ticket
    Hear the drummer get wicked
    The crew to you to push the back to Black
    Attack so I sat and japped
    Then slapped the Mac(Intosh)
    Now I'm ready to mike it
    (You know I like it) huh...

  85. Still... by SmittyTheBold · · Score: 4, Funny

    ...compared to certain radical Muslim factions, we're rather peaceful.

    For example, we don't bomb things.

    We /will/ laugh, though, when Windows bombs itself.

    --
    ± 29 dB
    1. Re:Still... by KshGoddess · · Score: 1

      For example, we don't bomb things.

      Macs do too have bombs. Just look when you crash an app on older one!

      Just because I crashed several (and I mean several) Macs in my day doesn't mean I'm anti-mac. At least, not now that they're shiny Unix boxen. I guess every generation needs their SGI. :P

      --
      It's a little wrong to say a tomato is a vegetable. It's a lot wrong to say it's a suspension bridge.
    2. Re:Still... by geekee · · Score: 1

      Didn't the older versions of MacOS actually display a bomb on the screen when they crashed?

      --
      Vote for Pedro
  86. So Jack... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    So, while you were porting that new multithreaded 2-button mouse driver from BSD to the Mac, did you figure out a way to make the Mac daylight-savings-time compliant?

    +5 interesting. It is to laugh.

  87. I did too by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I was also thinking that. Mod me up :)

  88. They do it all the time, yeah yeah! by mekkab · · Score: 1, Offtopic

    (a little old skool Violent Femmes for ya)

    Yeah man, I'm with you. On all fronts. I frequently am upset at the moderation (hey, they're monkeys on a keyboard.)

    Its to the point where I know that If I say something pithy I'll get modded up to +5 funny, however if I try to bring real depth I'm redundant, troll, flamebait, etc.

    I'm also with you cuz I have a powermac 7200 dual booting into linux.

    but the conclusion? You find a web of people who have something to say- you click 'em as yr friend (little green ball/blue ball) and you establish your own meta-slashdot. And you read their journals.

    The rest of this slashdot is idiots who don't read the article and post simply to see their posts in a public forum, first posts with goatse links, and player-haters.

    Slashdot sucks. make your own slashdot.

    --
    In the future, I would want to not be isolated from my friends in the Space Station.
    1. Re:They do it all the time, yeah yeah! by BitGeek · · Score: 2


      Thats an EXCELLENT point. I think that was my error.

      I was using friends and enemies to boost or inhibit postings, but I found that it made all my postings be +5, and I knew they really weren't being modded up like that.

      --
      Yeah, and you guys panned the ipod too: http://apple.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=01/10/23/ 1816257
  89. the big time by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    great, now you've managed to slashdot wired.com. Whats next, slashdotting slashdot? Sort of a recursive, self-perpetuating slashdot effect...

  90. I'm waiting for the chants by Zen+Mastuh · · Score: 4, Funny

    No more blue screens of de-eath.
    Off the pigs!
    Revolution has co-ome.
    Make the switch!

    [Note to mods: if you were born after 196x, you may not get the reference. Mod accordingly.]

    --
    "What is the sound of one belly slapping?"
    1. Re:I'm waiting for the chants by freeweed · · Score: 2

      if you were born after 196x, you may not get the reference.

      I was born well before 19610, and I still didn't didn't get the reference.

      This IS still a Mac story, so I can make that joke, right? :)

      --
      Endless arguments over trivial contradictions in books written by ignorant savages to explain thunder in the dark.
  91. Moderate this guy as funny by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I like him, but he's a the prototypical Mac fanatic.

    They're silly, they're overboard, they're mac fanatics.

  92. NoI is not Islam by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

    The followers of the Nation Of Islam believe in (all quotes taken from their homepage or their publications): ...one God (Allah) and that Allah (God) appeared in the Person of Master W.Fard Muhammad, July, 1930; the long awaited 'Messiah' of the Christians and the 'Mahdi' of the Muslims...

    However, the Qur`an states in chapter 4, verse 36, "Serve Allah, and join not Any partners with Him; ... ". And according to a hadith narrated by Masruq, in Sahih Bukhari, 'Aisha said, "If anyone tells you that Muhammad has seen his Lord, he is a liar, for Allah says (in 6:103), 'No vision can grasp Him.'...".

    The followers of the Nation Of Islam further believe "in the resurrection of the dead--not in physical resurrection--but in mental resurrection. We also believe that the so-called Negroes are most in need of mental resurrection; therefore, they will be resurrected first." But the Qur`an states in chapter 20, verse 55, "From the earth did We Create you, and into it Shall We return you, and from it shall We bring you out once again." Even more pointedly, the Qur'an also states in 64:7,

    The Unbelievers think that they will not be raised up (for Judgement). Say: "Yea, by my Lord, Ye shall surely be Raised up: then shall ye Be told (the truth) of All that ye did. And that is easy for Allah."

    Besides the above two differences, the followers of the Nation of Islam also believe in other things contrary to Islam as defined in the Qur'an and Sunnah, such as:

    *

    [We, the Black Muslims, believe] "in the truth of the Bible, but we believe that it has been tampered with and must be reinterpreted so that mankind will not be snared by the falsehoods that have been added to it".
    The problem with this belief: The true Prophet of Islam ordered Muslims to neither accept the Bible nor reject it - certainly there was no mention of reinterpretation.
    *

    "That we who declare ourselves to be righteous Muslims, should not participate in wars which take the lives of humans. We do not believe this nation should force us to take part in such wars, for we have nothing to gain from it unless America agrees to give us the necessary territory wherein we may have something to fight for".
    The problem with this belief: The Qur'an and Sunnah are crystal clear on the necessity of going to war when the situation demands it.

    The Nation of Gods and Earths (5% Nation of Islam) is apparently an offshoot of the so-called Nation of Islam. Like its parent, this group's beliefs clearly identify it as being fundamentally outside the pale of Islam. Specifically, and we quote (from their homepage):

    The original man is the Asiatic Blackman, the maker, the owner, the cream of the planet Earth, father of civilization, God of the Universe. ...the blackman is god and his proper name is ALLAH. Arm, Leg, Leg, Arm, Head.

    This is in clear contradiction with one of the essential axioms of Islam, namely that Allah (God) is Creator and all else (including men - asiatic blacks or otherwise) is created. In chapter 25, verse 54 of the Qur'an, Allah says that He has created man, therefore it is logically impossible for man to be Allah.

    The second quote above is a prime example of a tendency of the "Nation of Gods and Earths" to conjure up beliefs that are, to a large extent, highly confused. Some examples of these beliefs that have nothing to do with Islam are "supreme mathematics and alphabet", an evil person named Yacob, a prophet named W. D. Fard, and a belief that black people are superior in some way.

    The true Prophet of Islam refuted this last racist belief in his Farewell Address,

    O people! Verily your Lord is one and your father is one. All of you belong to one ancestry of Adam and Adam was created out of clay. There is no superiority for an Arab over a non-Arab and for a non-Arab over an Arab; nor for white over the black nor for the black over the white except in piety. Verily the noblest among you is he who is the most pious.

    For a deeper expose of this group and its parent (the Nation of Islam), the interested reader might wish to examine the autobiography of the late Malik Al-Shabaz (Malcolm X).

    1. Re:NoI is not Islam by duck_prime · · Score: 1
      "That we who declare ourselves to be righteous Muslims, should not participate in wars which take the lives of humans. We do not believe this nation should force us to take part in such wars, for we have nothing to gain from it unless America agrees to give us the necessary territory wherein we may have something to fight for". The problem with this belief: The Qur'an and Sunnah are crystal clear on the necessity of going to war when the situation demands it.
      Given current events, are you really sure that you prefer the mainstream Islamic doctrine?
    2. Re:NoI is not Islam by noewun · · Score: 1
      Yes.

      The various fundamentalist sects of Islam are a very small, very vocal minority. One of the core beliefs of Islam is that Mohammed was the Seal of the Prophets - he was the last, and there will be no more. The Koran is the last divine revelation of God. There will be no more.

      Even the most radical of Muslims will agree with this. When Islam gets radicalized, it is the politics that change and not the core beliefs of the religion. This is the reason that, when Farrakahan and his followers visit Muslim countries they are not considered Muslims.

      --
      I am a believer of momentum and curves.
    3. Re:NoI is not Islam by rplacd · · Score: 1

      > Given current events, are you really sure that you prefer the mainstream Islamic doctrine?

      What current events are the result of mainstream Islamic doctrine?

    4. Re:NoI is not Islam by duck_prime · · Score: 1
      Given current events, are you really sure that you prefer the mainstream Islamic doctrine?

      What current events are the result of mainstream Islamic doctrine?
      Wow ... this is pretty old material, but I'll clarify anyway.

      A couple posts up, a poster quotes NoI doctrine: "That we who declare ourselves to be righteous Muslims, should not participate in wars which take the lives of humans." This doctrine, methinks, is primarily in place to allow NoI'ers to be consciencious objectors to serving in the military, but the point remains that they aggressively eschew violence.

      Mainstream Islamic doctrine is, regrettably, a lot more ... fuzzy ... on the subject of when it is allowed to go to war. Islam started as a warrior religion -- Mohammed himself was a fine general -- and strong echoes of that remain today. If you look into it, the mainstream (in the sense of non-NoI) Muslim intellectual community is split on issues of whether violence and terrorism are allowed. In that sense, there is actually a struggle going on to define the mainstream.

      If you look in the Koran, the earlier Suras talk a lot about tolerance towards Jews and Christians (let's not mention what is said about pagans), but the later ones, written as the earliest Muslims gained strength, are more combative in tone.

      So really I was being facetious in the original post, as the NoI is really ... weird, but I do appreciate their declarations that Muslims should not take the lives of humans. (If you look into NoI, you might be surprised in who makes the cut as "human" and who is just a zombie robot.) The point I was making is that there really is no pacifist tradition in Sunni or Shia Islam.

      (gasp)

      Anyway, that's about it.
  93. Silliness by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "However, please remember that a great majority of Wintel users can't even figure out how to use AOL by themselves,"

    Since Windows users comprise 95% of the desktop market, it stands to reason that they are the "typical" computer user.

    Some guy wearing a black turtleneck and a bad goatee is typical of people who should be put in a funny farm.

  94. Read the damn article ass by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Try reading the article first moron. It's not AGAINST mac users. It's FOR mac users. Your bitching and complaining about the wrong thing.

  95. Of course you'll be excited if... by dochood · · Score: 2, Insightful

    ... you've been using a computer operating system that crashes all of the time, destroys your data, gets infected with virii, acts as a Graphical User In-Your-Face, getting in your way and making you stumble and thrash around, then finding out there is a better way that works for you!

    I think using Windows is like running with cement blocks on my feet! It gets in my way and slows me down. After purchasing and using a Mac for a few weeks, I've really started to notice how badly Windows is slowing me down in my daily tasks. In particular, the multi-tasking on Windows seems extremely sluggish now, whereas I very rarely even see the "Beach Ball" on Jaguar.

    Someone above mentioned that it isn't just Mac fans who can get fanatical, but also Linux, Be/OS, Amiga, OS/2, etc. And that is because they see so many folks who think that computers are supposed to be big, bulky albatrosses tied around our necks instead of productivity tools. I hate to see people who think they are stupid just because Windows crashes or gives them trouble, and they don't understand why! I always want to try and help those people see that there are better O/S's out there that they could use.

    However, to be labeled a fanatic nowadays, all you have to do is try to explain to someone stuck in the herd that there might be a different, better way.

    dochood

  96. Amiga fanatic - Refomed Mac Bigot - OS X Zealot by mrnick · · Score: 1

    Well I was a Amiga Fanatic and for a long time I held out hope, against all odds, that it would be revived somehow. I have never been happy with any machine since until I purchased my Dual G4 running Mac OS X.

    I used to be a Mac bigot with my bigest complaint being their total lack of a shell. I mean come on even windblows has DOS right? But now we have the hands down winner GUI (OS X) combined with the hands down winner CLI (UNIX). How can it be wrong.

    Plus I get the same kind of feeling working with my Mac that I did with the Amiga. So, I like to think in a way that part of Amiga lives on in Mac. But that's just my experience.

    Nick Powers

    --

    Encryption: I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend your right to encrypt it...
  97. Ha ha ha yeah... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "Have you ever met people who drive Saturns?"

    Yeah...they're people who pay too much for mediocre cars and like them because they think they're being unique.

    In reality, they're no different than other GM cars in terms of styling, engineering, or execution.

    But since the dealer treats you all "fuzzy", you think you're getting something.

    BMW & Porshe guys are pretty fanatical too, but at least their cars kick ass.

    1. Re:Ha ha ha yeah... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      "Have you ever met people who drive Saturns?"

      Yeah...they're people who pay too much for mediocre cars and like them because they think they're being unique.

      No, they're just people who like safe, modestly-priced, gas-efficient cars with good resale value.

      BMW & Porshe guys are pretty fanatical too, but at least their cars kick ass.

      I wouldn't drive a BMW or a Porsche if you gave me one for free. Maybe it's because I'm secure in my masculinity...

    2. Re:Ha ha ha yeah... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Saturns are no safer, they're more expensive than other cars (since you were stupid enough to pay list), and lots of cars are more gas efficient. You're a lemming.

      "Maybe it's because I'm secure in my masculinity"

      That's a pretty strong statement for a woman.

  98. Wanted to join the cult by FatherOfONe · · Score: 2, Funny

    But I couldn't afford it. They tend to use proprietary robes and shoes. Man that stuff is expensive! They tell me it is better than the stuff I would buy at any other cult though, and it looks cooler. It is just sad that you don't have any real selection.

    So I then went to join this cult of Micro$oft. They informed me that I misspelled their name and it doesn't have a $ in it. They seemed rather angered about this, but I explained that I have never seen it spelled any other way. Their cult seemed great on the surface, but I realized that I ownly rented their robes, I would have to pay them every three years for new ones if I needed them or not, and that the new robes generally had many problems with them to boot!

    I then went to join this penguin cult. Man, they are a friendly bunch, but they seem to be divied in to a bunch of sub cults that hate each other with a passion, but not quite as much as they hate the Micro$oft cult. I kinda liked the Red Top Penguin cult, but everyone kept telling me how much they are becomming the Micro$oft of the penguin cults. They also did something to anger the other cults by standardising on their robes. I then left this cult.

    I then tried a cult of the Bee. I found that this cult recently died and so I left.

    --
    The more I learn about science, the more my faith in God increases.
  99. Rallying the troops by ohboy-sleep · · Score: 1

    We didn't land on Aqua! Aqua landed on us!

  100. Gates? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I heard that Bill Gates was funding the movie in an attempt to undermine the Mac market. (I'm trying to start a rumor). :-)

  101. One question by r_j_prahad · · Score: 2

    So... is this film being classified as drama, comedy, or documentary? I know, it was intended to be a horror flick.

  102. iBrotha by ruprechtjones · · Score: 1

    The web site for the movie has a dedication to the original iBrotha, Rodney O. Lain. Anybody who read his stuff (variously on MacAddict, The Mac Observer, and a ton of other mac sites) will definitely see the parallels. He was a good journalist, always trying to incite the crowd with controversial topics like "The Macintosh is the nigger of the PeeCee world". He committed suicide in June. I think his site is still up at http://www.ibrotha.com.

    --
    Kip Hawley is an idiot.
  103. uh oh by cybercuzco · · Score: 2

    Careful, or steve jobs will put out a fatwa on Jake Barnes, the writer/director of the film. Then all true apple fanatics will be required to try and kill him by whipping their ipods at him.

    --

  104. Wrong problem by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    The problem isn't wanting to be different. The problem is some Mac users (and you are one of them) seem to think they are superior to everyone else. It gets even more pedantic and more ridiculous when you start talking about things you don't understand (such as hardware architecture) and caliming that somehow a Mac is faster than, say, an Athlon XP 2600+, or a Pentium 4 @ 2.8GHz, when all evidence in the real world (both real software benchmarks and actual computer use) shows the exact opposite. So when the facts are against you, you (I mean you personally) play the victim.

    Macs are home computers. They have an historical presence in some areas (sound editing, design) but that presence is diminishing every day. Just like most people don't ride horses anymore.

    Even Apple admits that all they do is think different(ly). They don't say they're better or faster or cheaper. They're not. Better is a subjective concept, and Macs are slower than more epxensive than PCs. For some people, the benefits make up for those factors.

    It doesn't mean intelligent people can't like Macs, but it doesn't mean everyone who likes Macs is intelligent. And you are a very good example of that.

    1. Re:Wrong problem by BitGeek · · Score: 2

      when all evidence in the real world (both real software benchmarks and actual computer use) shows the exact opposite.

      Hey mister coward, you'd better tell the distributed cracking team that the didn't see twice the performance from the macs than they saw from the "much faster" PCs.

      Basically, everyone who thinks macs are slower and more expensive than PCs is either in denial or lying.

      Cause these are objectively false statements.

      And I've proven it time and again.

      --
      Yeah, and you guys panned the ipod too: http://apple.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=01/10/23/ 1816257
    2. Re:Wrong problem by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Hey mister coward, you'd better tell the distributed cracking team that the didn't see twice the performance from the macs than they saw from the "much faster" PCs.


      Basically, everyone who thinks macs are slower and more expensive than PCs is either in denial or lying.


      Well, for the OGR cracking, the PCs are much faster than the mac.


      AMD Athalon XP 1768Mhz OGR: 14,463,074


      Power PC 7450/7455 G4 1000Mhz OGR: 10,579,931


      Guess which one is cheaper?


      Cause these are objectively false statements.


      And I've proven it time and again.


      Well, I just proved that it isn't always true.

  105. I don't get it by sjonke · · Score: 1

    Why did they need to make a fictional film? At the least it could have been "based on a true story". Just toss in some fruit carts and exploding cars and you've got a hit on your hands.

    --
    --- What?
  106. But look by SuperKendall · · Score: 3, Insightful

    It's back up to five. I see only rare examples of good on-topic posts that stay down for long, even if they go to -1.

    People who complain about the moderation here have too small a sample rate.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
  107. The difference between Mac and God by jyang · · Score: 2, Interesting

    God is not a machintosh.

    --
    --- You make things foolproof, and they'll find you a damn fool.
    1. Re:The difference between Mac and God by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No she just uses one.

  108. True by overunderunderdone · · Score: 2

    I'm convinced the reason behind it is that the typical Mac user is someone who is not very technical and was perhaps intimidated by using a computer, so when they figured out how to use their Mac they get a certain sense of pride and accomplishment which they in turn morph into zealotry.

    Speaking as a Mac-zealot myself I can affirm that this is pretty much true. My only nit-pick is that the zeolotry doesn't have to do with any kind of *personal* pride of accomplishment - It is not that I feel proud that that *I* am somehow smart enough to figure out the computer. It is that the computer is smart enough that I don't have to - and given my experience with other computers I am profoundly grateful.

    I would also suggest that MacUsers, at least the "Mac Pros" ARE often quite technically proficient, just that their proficiency is in fields other than computing. And they (I) would argue that is as it SHOULD be. A computer is a tool, a means to an end. The purpose of all computers in the end is NOT "computing" there is some end result that the computing is FOR. Some end result that the computer is completely irrelevant to. The mac was a good tool in that it allowed you to focus on end rather than the means. A designer could design, a musician could compose, an accountant could count all without becoming mired in learning the irrelevant (and to them profoundly uninteresting) intricacies of a complex tool.

    Zeolotry on the part of mac users has diminished as wintel caught up in terms of usability. The Mac itself hasn't "won" but the "mac way" has. But back in the days of DOS and then Windows 3.x Apple had *earned* it's users enthusiasm. Much of the zeolotry came from seeing an "insanely great" (and it really was) computer struggling against a vastly inferior brand-name competitor. Imagine the zeolotry of Linux users if they had not only a technically superior but a MUCH more polished and useable desktop solution that was still ignored because it wasn't the right brand name.

  109. Funny by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Who knew that the secret to getting the moderation you want to was to just make the desired moderation the subject of your post?

  110. Makes a depressing comment about PCs by smcv · · Score: 2

    I was always zealous about the Mac because it pretty much worked as advertised. If that ain't the kinda shit you preach from the mountain tops, I don't know what is.

    It's disturbing that the computer industry seems to have convinced most people that working as advertised is exceptionally good. For most products, working as advertised is merely acceptable.

    Then again, I suppose MS and Apple both advertise their OS as easy to use, and Apple is just the one that can back it up with actual usability :-)

    [ObDisclaimer: I'm not a Mac user, I use Debian and Windows]

    1. Re:Makes a depressing comment about PCs by SirSlud · · Score: 2

      I work in the advertising industry. Even non-tech 'working as advertised' is rare .. but this has more to do with the fact that its harder to verify advertising claims for bricks-n-mortar products (think "Removes 14% more plaque than our competitor!") or the claims are non quantitative (think "Removes stains with ease!").

      With computers, its easier to benchmark and easier to stake specific claims (Think "Up and running to the internet in 5 minutes!") so you can hold these things up to the advertised claims much more easily than you can other types of products.

      Heck, with cars is usually illigal to test most of the advertising claims ;) (Think "Handles 180kph speeds with ease and does donughts like this!")

      --
      "Old man yells at systemd"
    2. Re:Makes a depressing comment about PCs by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If my car was as hard to use and maintain as Linux, I think I'd just sell it and ride the bus instead!

  111. 512k? by 68k+geek · · Score: 2, Informative

    " It also stars an original Macintosh, the 512K. "
    wasn't the 512k the second mac? AFAIK the first one was called "macintosh" and was later renamed "128K"

  112. Will never make it commercially by dogfart · · Score: 1

    We all know documentaries never make any money. Now if the filmakers had produced something *fictional* then it would have a chance.

    --

    "dope will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no dope"

  113. The One Unix by Ilan+Volow · · Score: 2

    >Linux is the one true un*x, the one to rule them all

    ...and in the darkness bind them.

    The difference is that Mac zealots are all about ruling, but they draw the line at bondage in dark rooms.

    --
    Ergonomica Auctorita Illico!
  114. What is with Wired? by asv108 · · Score: 2

    I think its great that Wired runs a lot of mac articles, but in the past issues you would think that Macs have a 50% marketshare or something. IMHO, they give way too much press to any mac users who do something "unusual. " I think Apple makes good hardware, but that doesn't mean I'm going to worship a company. Not only do many mac users worship Apple, but it seems that Wired does as well.

    1. Re:What is with Wired? by Centinel · · Score: 0, Troll
      I think its great that Wired runs a lot of mac articles, but in the past issues you would think that Macs have a 50% marketshare or something. IMHO, they give way too much press to any mac users who do something "unusual. "

      It just validates that Mac users are like any other privileged special interest group whose influence is way out of proportion to its actual numbers.

  115. join the club by asv108 · · Score: 2, Offtopic
    Since the inception of apple.slashdot.org, anytime you post anything that is slightly negative towards, Apple, OSX, or Steve Jobs you get modded down as troll. Honestly if I had mod points, I would mark your original post overrated, because it regurgitates the same crap about Apple being a movement, and people putting you down because you have a mac, that is complete bullshit. The main problem on /. is people modding you down if you don't blindly worship apple.

    Here and here I got modded -1 troll because I don't kiss Steve Jobs ass.

    1. Re:join the club by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      hmmm.... Your moderation totals for the second post are:
      Moderation Totals: Offtopic=1, Interesting=1, Informative=1, Total=3.

      Quit being so sensitive and get a fucking life.

    2. Re:join the club by extrasolar · · Score: 2

      "Quit being so sensitive and get a fucking life."

      Fuck you dimwit. He's right. The Mac zealots have invaded Slashdot.

      I'm tired of having to post gingerly to avoid the wrath of the zealot moderators and thier God, Jobs and his reality distortion field.

      Look, moderators, when you see a comment that isn't necessarily pro-Apple, grab yourself in the balls and squeeze. This, hopefully, will pull your mind momentarily out of the distortion field to perhaps wonder "Hey, maybe this guy has a point."

      Until then, have a nice day.

  116. Oops! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    I noticed a few typos in what you wrote.

    Linux: I'm a super-sexy, super-genious and all the girls should sleep with me.

    1.
    Replace "sexy" with "fat" and "genious" with "recluse".

    2.
    Replace "sleep with" with "slap"
    or
    Replace "should sleep with" with "ignore"
  117. Yeah, but 15% of the Slashdot laptop market by MisterSquid · · Score: 2, Insightful

    At least, that's what this /. poll says as of 12:57 EST on 17 October 2002.

    Sure, the poll is not scientific, but even its fuzzy numbers (Bushism disavowed) tell us something, and that something is that a full 15% of the ultra-geek crowd totes Apple hardware, and this not even 2 years into Apple's targeting that crowd with OS X

    Complain all you want about "small" market share, but my sense is that this is not the last you'll see of this turning tide.

    Apple have *always* offered better consumer machines (if you don't count 1995-1997) and now that they have the OS of OS's to boot, the geeks are noticing. The Reality Distortion Field works two ways, it can prevent you from seeing reality and it can also change your reality.

    Reality used to be an all-Windows world. Well, it still sort of is, but not where it counts, deep down inside, among some of us nerds and artists and . . . well, some of us.

    --
    blog
    1. Re:Yeah, but 15% of the Slashdot laptop market by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yes, they may be toting Apple _hardware_, but chances are they're running Linux/*BSD on it (at least the majority of the time).

      Don't get me wrong, OS X has converted some people to Apple hardware -- but the majority of the ultra-geek crowd is still running open source software on it (and I seriously doubt that will ever change).

  118. Windows are the cultists . . . by werdna · · Score: 2

    By submitting to ridiculous constraints on their lifestyle by licensing and functionality; repeated quality of life issues imposed by frequent crashes, inexplicable freezes and limited capabilities; and ultimately staying doggedly committed to continuing in their plight notwithstanding any reasoned arguments to the contrary, comforted with the sense that all is right because their colleagues are also suffering, it is the Windowites who, to me, most resemble the cult.

    1. Re:Windows are the cultists . . . by Fiveeight · · Score: 1, Insightful

      I'm going to get modded to death for this, but someone has to say it...

      Windows isn't /that/ bad as a product. For a huge chunk of the user population (not just the usual BS "Word and E-mail" comparisons) it's a damn good choice. If you want to play the majority of new games, you pretty well need Windows, if you want to use some classes of applications (3d software is the one that affects me) then you need Windows, if you want to use the majority of off-the-shelf hardware easily, then you need Windows. It's also nowhere near as unstable as /.'ers claim, and pre-XP, the licensing isn't that evil.

      I'm not going to buy XP, because I loathe M$ as a company. So at some point I'm going to be moving, but I doubt it'll be towards proprietry hardware or pretty translucent cases where I can't even change the video card.

    2. Re:Windows are the cultists . . . by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Hardly. Anyone that doesn't see the Mac or Linux camps as cults is completely blind. Meanwhile dozens, hundreds, even thousands of times more windows users and developers quietly go about our buisness percfectly happy. The GPL puts more restrictions on my as a developer than anything MS has ever come up with. One small fee and I'm free as a bird to do what I want with my own code on windows. Same for Apple.

      You are right about one thing though. We Windows users and developers are suffering the mental anxiety of having to constantly swat the annoying flies of the Linux and Mac zealots with their incessent FUD and constant whining. Your statements reguarding windows performance are completely out of proportion with reality and in fact describe both the Mac and Linux with equal accuracy.

  119. It isn't that people love other operating systems by 0x0d0a · · Score: 3, Insightful

    People don't "love" Linux or Mac OS or OS/2. They think they do, and they like them, but they don't "love" them. They just bitterly hate being forced to pay large sums of money to use the sluggish, buggy, oddly not-fun Windows.

    I realized this after I'd used a number of non-Windows operating systems and realized that I actually enjoyed using them -- the operating system itself, not the games or whatever written for the OS. All of them. Mac OS was elegant and had some amazing concepts. Lots of people doing binary hacks for it, and tons of good spirit and fun among the community. Linux is the same way, but with source instead of binary hacks, and a more techie community.

    Windows has this bland feeling to it. You'd use it for work, but simply using and poking at the machine isn't really enjoyable.

    Oh, and you can get *annoyed* with a non-Windows operating system -- like not having the GNU utils on Solaris...but I wouldn't really call that the same thing. There's no fundamental dislike in place.

  120. Not exactly true... by protein+folder · · Score: 2

    for instance on my box, I've got /Developer/Applications/Extras/BombApp.app

    but don't worry, The system and other applications have not been affected.

    --
    Your mind is squeezed by a blast of pain!
  121. Mac Use Declining? by Hawthorne01 · · Score: 1

    Oh, crap, better tell Google that their latest web use stats showing an increase in Mac use are wrong!

    --
    "Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former."
    1. Re:Mac Use Declining? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Professional Mac use is declining very rapidly. Protools now uses Windows, and so does AVID. Macs aren't fast enough for rendering and they're not fast enough for scientific research. Apple is trying to stop the bleeding by buying other companies and cancelling the Windows / Linux versions, but they can't buy everyone, and users are simply switching to other programs that still run on Windows and / or Linux. For example, since Apple bought Shake and RayZ, Combustion and Digital Fusion have nearly doubled their sales.

      For home use (read mail, print your family photos, word processing), Macs are more than enough (so is a 300 MHz Pentium II, by the way). But it simply isn't economically viable to buy Macs for tasks where processing power is an issue. A Mac render farm costs twice as much as one made with Athlon MPs and takes 3 times longer to finish rendering the projects.

      Why do some zealots feel the need to say that Macs are superior in every single aspect (faster, cheaper, prettier, lower TCO, blah blah blah)? Half of those things are down to taste, and the in ones that can be measured (with a number), Macs are usually at or near the bottom of the pack. They're good home computers, with a nice interface. Isn't that enough?

    2. Re:Mac Use Declining? by BitGeek · · Score: 2


      This is bullshit. Final cut pro is quickly taking over the online editing market. And it renders in real-time on even slower macs, so how can you dare claim that macs aren't fast enough for rendering?

      FCP is putting film editing out of business, its that good.

      Avid left the mac, sure, but Avid is the one who is dying because of it as FCP takes over the market.

      ITs quickly becoming the MS Office of Video editing.

      A Mac render farm costs twice as much as one made with Athlon MPs and takes 3 times longer to finish rendering the projects.


      This is a bald faced lie. There is no PC equivilent to the 1U XServe that anyone has found.... the xserve costs less and has more speed than any 1U server out there-- at least in its price range.

      If you moved your rendering to macs, you'd see a doubling of your price performance.

      The PC has the dominant market share, why lie about the competition? ITs already won, but do you have to stoop so low as to tell these flat out fabrications to justify your preferences?

      Why do zeolots have to lie about the mac advantages? You guys have %95 of the market already, isn't that enough?

      --
      Yeah, and you guys panned the ipod too: http://apple.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=01/10/23/ 1816257
    3. Re:Mac Use Declining? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
  122. Great, more stupidity by mblase · · Score: 2

    Now we need to start comparing mac users to terrorists?

    That's "Nation of Islam," as in the African-American Malcolm X. Not "national religion of Islam," as in Iraq and Iran. You're following the entirely wrong train of thought.

    1. Re:Great, more stupidity by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And neither are terrorists. Actually, historically, Catholics and Christians in general have murdered thousands of times more people than all other religions put together (Crusades, Conquistadors, Third Reich, Hiroshima, etc.).

    2. Re:Great, more stupidity by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yeah, but the difference is the Christians are right.

    3. Re:Great, more stupidity by BitGeek · · Score: 1, Offtopic


      The nation of islam has engaged in terrorism in the past.

      Its amazing how often ignorance becomse justification for calling someone stupid.

      Your ignorance of history does not make me stupid, stupid.

      --
      Yeah, and you guys panned the ipod too: http://apple.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=01/10/23/ 1816257
    4. Re:Great, more stupidity by MoneyT · · Score: 2

      That's not the point. Say to the average uneducated (or slightly educated) person, Nation of Islam, and they will more likely than not connjure up a terrorist reference. This is a bad thing. And comparing people to them espesialy "rabid mac fans" does nothing to help either immage.

      --
      T Money
      World Domination with a plastic spoon since 1984
  123. How can you tell the difference by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You say they're "flabbergasted".

    Is this different than "regulargasted"?

  124. Message to the jerk by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    a) Your idea of a "technical post" is a message saying that an iMac is faster than a Cray-4 on steroids.

    b) Your idea of a long technical post is a message saying it fifteen times.

    c) You post on average more than thirty messages a day. Half are trolls, the other half are karma whoring, and the remaining half are messages complaining that the moderatos don't praise you enough, or insulting them for modding other people up. Get a life; this isn't a competition (and if it was, you wouldn't stand a chance).

    d) Please, please, do leave. It's hard enough finding interesting post on Slashdot without having to wade through your ignorant drivel and pedantry. I'm amazed that the moderators even bother to read your messages or rate them. Personally I think it's easier to simply add you to my "foes" list and automatically rate you at -5.

    e) So, how many new accounts have you created since "leaving"...?

    1. Re:Message to the jerk by BitGeek · · Score: 1, Offtopic


      Oh, you're real tough there, AC.

      It is quite unfortunate that most people are so completely ignorant or processor design. That is one of my sticking points.

      --
      Yeah, and you guys panned the ipod too: http://apple.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=01/10/23/ 1816257
  125. Organic? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "The interesting thing about Linux is it's organic nature, which makes it virtually indestructable."

    Yeah, none of MS OS's are organic, so they must be inferior. This is because, in nature, organic things are not easy to destroy.

    1. Re:Organic? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      First off, it has nothing to do with the software, it's the development model.

      Secondly, try this; take a sculpture of a starfish, and chop one of the arms off. Now, take a real starfish and chop one of the arms off. The organic starfish will grow a new arm, and the old arm will grow into a new starfish. the sculpture is broken forever.

    2. Re:Organic? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "First off, it has nothing to do with the software, it's the development model."

      So Linux isn't software, it's a development model, I stand corrected.

      Try this. Take a sculpture of a starfish and a real starfish and place them both in a microwave oven. Cook on high for 5 min. The sculpture will still be intact, but the real starfish will be dead forever.

    3. Re:Organic? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Do you intend to microwave all Linux users?

      The idea(as I'm trying to express it), is that the individual people involved aren't ironclad(and neither are living cells), but the organism(either a star fish or the linux community) as a whole is far more resilliant than if it was static. Sure, there are circumstances where a company has advantages, but for the circumstances which have generally killed Operating systems in the past, and by looking at the models which the oldest surviving OSes survive, it's obvious that the organic approach has longer longevity -- especially with projects people actually want to use.

    4. Re:Organic? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well, at least you're getting closer to making an actual argument rather than relying entirely on poor analogies.

      Keep in mind that Unix itself was a proprietary OS born in a monopolist company (a monopoly an order of magnitude more complete than MS has ever or will ever have). So Linux is not really a good test case for the advantages of the free software model. In any case, since the Linux community has not outlasted any major proprietary OS, there is really no evidence at this time that it is more resilliant. So, you're basically speculating based on your philosophical leanings. There's nothing wrong with that, but don't confuse it with evidence.

    5. Re:Organic? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So far Linux has outlasted a couple minor OSes, such as BeOS and OS/2, and since both of those were superior to Linux(IMHO, of course), the fact that Linux has kept going despite a tiny market share is fairly good evidence(circumstantial, but true nonetheless).

      The origins of Unix are rather inconsequencial, as AT&T Unix is all but gone. If my memory serves me right, the various incarnations of BSD are the results of AT&T Unix, lending further evidence to my theory.

      One *could* argue that only Microsoft Windows is a major OS, and that everything else is in the fringe, but I'll spare us both from going down that road.

      By the way, I'm not really taking philosophy into account. After seeing Linux survive for a full decade despite being a sub-par OS, while better OSes fell by the wayside is proof enough for me. It was only after BeOS died that I realized the resiliancy of this model.

    6. Re:Organic? by ClosedSource · · Score: 2

      I said "major" OSes, not "minor" OSes or "better" OSes. Neither OS/2 nor BeOS was ever successful in the market place, so I wouldn't draw a lot of conclusions from that.

      I don't get your point about Unix. No matter how many Unix knock-offs there are, it still remains true that it wasn't created using an open or free development model.

      It is true that as a technology is showing its age, people are less likely to pay good money for it so they might prefer BSD and Linux for that reason.

  126. Zealotry is Zealotry by noewun · · Score: 2, Insightful
    Mac zealots are no different from Linux zealots, or Porsche zealots, or [insert brand name here] zealots and and on and on. This is just a local expression of a generalized phenomenon, i.e., the projection of one's ego structure onto an object for the sake of narcissistic self-gratification: see how cool I am because my Mac is Titanium or my Porsche is fast.

    You think this shit is whack? Take a look at the cycling world. I know people who won't ride bikes because of the material the frame is made out of. "Steel is the only material for a frame," or "I won't ever buy a bike that's not titanium."

    Everyone has their toys. Some people need to think they have the best toys, tho.

    --
    I am a believer of momentum and curves.
    1. Re:Zealotry is Zealotry by letchhausen · · Score: 1
      I myself have always managed to assuage my luddite ways by kicking the shit out of those fuckers who think Legos are better than Lincoln Logs! Don't they realize that demon plastic is an unnatural material to dull us to the coming end of natural resources?

      Also please read Roland Barthes essay in his book "Mythologies" concerning toys......

      --
      Hey, you think your house is cool?
  127. The road goes on forever... by mistermoonlight · · Score: 1
    And the discussion never ends.


    These back and forths are tiresome. If you have the energy to have someone try something different, go for it. Too much time has been spent on this reflection of humantiy.


    And, as with humanity (in concept), interoperability is the ONLY thing that matters. You wanna futz around on your Win Box? Good. You wanna build your linux box? Good. You want your Mac box? Fine.


    Just make sure they can work together, and build the interoperability into the O/S for crying out loud.


    Let's keep ourselves to standards. But if we can't, let's make it work for everyone. Market share will be fought over by marketing departments, people will still be pawns.


    They can all exist, and should all exist. I want a choice (Own a Mac & PC, PC dual-boots windows and linux).

  128. Apparently he's never met Linux zealots by anarkhos · · Score: 1

    Or he considered the ammount of tape he had and decided it would be too costly |-p

    --
    >80 column hard wrapped e-mail is not a sign of intelligent
    >life
  129. No (VC++|Doom 3|etc.) for mac?!?! by wdr1 · · Score: 2

    I declare jihad.

    -Bill

    --
    SlashSig Karma: Excellent (mostly affected by moderatio
  130. Combined Mac / Amiga User by Slur · · Score: 2

    I used to be an Amiga lover back in the day. I even wrote a couple of games in 68000 Assembler: "Dino Wars" and "Bill 'n' Ted' Excellent Adventure" for the Amiga platform. When my Amiga died I got a Mac and never looked back. Now I can run Amiga programs using Ubiquitous Amiga Emulator (UAE) on my Mac, and everything is right with the world again!

    --
    -- thinkyhead software and media
  131. more $$ by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Yes, Macs do cost more-- but then... My old Quadra 610 still works!! I have 4 PC Mobo's, all bought since the 610, tacked on my wall for display. 'Cause they don't work no mo! Besides the ave. corp spends $11k/yr on computers for employees and only $1k of that is for computer hardware. They spend $6k on employees dicking with then to get them to work right! So do Macs really cost more?

  132. you can start out cheap with Pro Tools gear by johnpaul191 · · Score: 2

    just to learn... DigiDesign now offers free versions of the Pro Tools software. it offers up to 12 tracks, and no expiration date.

    for a cheap expansion you can get a protools card for $400 and throw it in an 8600 and start doing recording. the card had a pair of RCA line in and line outs that can also be used as 4 line ins... and it has coax digital output.

    a full on Pro Tools setup costs as much as you have to spend, but it's cheap to get started.

    on a side note. Ice T is a big Mac fan too..... there was some interview with him and they wandered into his studio that was rigged out with PowerMac 9600's .... at the time he had not jumped to new B&W G3's because they didn't have enough PCI slots...

    1. Re:you can start out cheap with Pro Tools gear by Alex+Thorpe · · Score: 1

      Ice T was interviewed in MacAddict magazine a few years back. His pet peeve at the time was that very few MP3 players were Mac compatible, and he'd yell at the people making them about 'What sort of computer do you think was used to make all that music you're playing?' I'd guess that he's an iPod owner these days.

      --
      "Common Sense Ain't" -Unknown
  133. Marketing gone wild by slantyyz · · Score: 1

    This film just shows how effective Apple's branding campaign is. It used to be that people wanted to be identified by the car they drove, the clothes they wore and the material possessions they had. Apple effectively extended it to the computer (and OS, I guess) they use. Apple has one of the strongest brands around, independent of product sector.

    What I can't figure out is why anyone cares what computer/OS another person is using. I don't care if someone's using Windows, Linux or OSX. It doesn't make them smarter, it doesn't make them cooler. If you like what you use, it's right for you. Simple.

    If you think the OS/Computer you use makes you a better person, you've got something to learn about life. Tell me that you did a good deed today, or volunteered/donated time or money to charity, and then maybe I'll be impressed. It's what you do, not what you have or use that matters.

  134. ROFL by BitGeek · · Score: 2


    I thought that comment was really funny! Thanks.

    --
    Yeah, and you guys panned the ipod too: http://apple.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=01/10/23/ 1816257
  135. Re:One difference by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    infidels isn't even a real word. It appears nowhere in the Qur'an and not in Islam.

  136. Rodney O'Lain by repetty · · Score: 1

    When I first heard of the movie iBrother, I thought that they were going to spoof the one, original iBrother, the late Rodney O'Lain.

    I guess if they're going to use his moniker, there still might be a chance that they will dedicate the film to him. It would be super appropriate.

    --Richard

    1. Re:Rodney O'Lain by Erik+K.+Veland · · Score: 1

      OK. Let me take a guess here. You DID NOT READ THE ARTICLE, did you?

      "The movie's website is dedicated to the memory of Rodney Lain, a popular online Mac columnist who wrote under the iBrotha moniker. Lain committed suicide in June.

      "Rodney was a good writer and decided to take his own life halfway through the production," Barnes said. "It's a mark of respect and a way of showing we're not taking advantage of his infamous passing away."

      Like Brother Copland, Lain was committed to promoting the Mac. Although he had a full-time job, he worked nights and weekends selling Macs at computer superstores, just to get the word out. "

      Rodney was the personification of zealotry. An unhealthy irrational fight for a computer company. What these zealots doesn't realize is that they hurt the view of their cause rather than strengthening it. Basing it around a computer platform makes it all the more silly.

      --
      "I tend to think of OS X as Linux with QA and Taste", James Gosling, creator of Java
  137. Pesky pseudo-religious platform fanatics! by shrikel · · Score: 3, Funny
    From the article:

    "It's about that whole religious fervor that grabs Mac users the way it doesn't with users of other platforms"

    Pardon him. He hasn't visited Slashdot.

    --
    Any sufficiently simple magic can be passed off as mere advanced technology.
  138. Yes. by SmittyTheBold · · Score: 1

    Well, it was only under certain circumstances, and it's really ancient history in the computer world - back around System 6 (and rarely under System 7.)

    Still, the point is, we were rather ineffective suicider bombers in those days. When we figured out that those techniques did absolutely nothing to the opposition (those infidels!) we resorted to more peaceful measures...

    --
    ± 29 dB
  139. New to Mac, and Loving it by Carima · · Score: 1

    I'd always been a Windows man, then a couple of years ago I started with Linux, and since then have always kept a distro installed for day to day use and switching to windows for mainly gaming. Then my girlfriend says she wants a laptop for work. Not wanting to spend hours comforting her after she loses weeks of work with a windows crash I recommend she looks at an iBook, nice and simple and user friendly. The iBook 466 Firewire she gets may be a bit bulky but it is a fantastic bit of kit. Since then I've used it more than her, and even gone as far as buying myself an old 5500 all in one unit to play with. So the monitor is tiny and it only runs os8.5 (Could be 9.0), but this thing is superb. It's in jet black a comes with built in TV/FM radio, 100Mbps ethernet, 56k Modem and av input. It runs so well considering it only has an old 275mhz 603ev chip. I can feel a twinge of Macfanatic coming over me, won't be long, especially if windows continues to eat Mhz as they develop it! General apps open quicker on the Mac from 1997 than my AMD 1900+ with winXP running!

    1. Re:New to Mac, and Loving it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This entire post is insanity. OS 8.5 is the biggest POS on the planet. If you are going to lose weeks of work, this is the OS that it'll happen on.

      Everything else is equally wrong. Was this post run through an "adversarial" filter? Just wait a while, when it all comes crashing down harder that any windows or linux user could even imagine, you'll be crying in your soup.

    2. Re:New to Mac, and Loving it by phillymjs · · Score: 2

      OS 8.5 is the biggest POS on the planet. If you are going to lose weeks of work, this is the OS that it'll happen on.

      Right. Which is why everyone should upgrade to 8.5.1 or 8.6, the free bugfix releases.

      ~Philly

  140. confusing the issue by Nomad37 · · Score: 1

    The fact that lots of games, apps, etc are available for Dimdows doesn't make it a better product, it just makes it a monopoly.

    As for its stability, we'll take it on your terms, pre-XP (suits me fine as I haven't had that much experience with XP) and I can tell you I do a hell of a lot more tech support for my wintel using friends/family than I do for those who use other platforms. With those who use linux, unix, etc admittedly it's simply because they're comfortable with and know enough about their 'puters to fix it themselves. With those who use the mac (disclaimer I do) and many of them refuse to upgrade to the Unixy-goodness of OS X, it's because their systems don't crash. Your point is taken of course that windows may not crash as much as some people *imply* (rarely directly claim) but it's relative.

    --
    Pessimism of the intellect, optimism of the will! - Antonio Gramsci.
  141. unnecessary dig by Nomad37 · · Score: 1

    I forgot to add a response to your dig at macs at the bottom. Your rant about 'proprietary hardware' has been discussed in several other threads on /., I suggest you check them out, because it's *totally* unjustified when you look at the new macs.

    Pretty translucent cases? Oh I'm sorry, do good taste and aesthetics get in the way of your computing experience? Seriously this is the dumbest complaint I hear about macs: "They're just too... nice looking. People would think I had you know, taste. I might get envious glances from girls and a raised eyebrow or two instead of sneers and jeers... I just... wouldn't know how to deal with it"

    As for the video card, check out the g4 towers, easiest and most customisable computer I can see around in terms of the way the case is built. And essentially a variation on the old blue & white G3 towers, which were *way* ahead of their time for design (in so many ways).

    --
    Pessimism of the intellect, optimism of the will! - Antonio Gramsci.
  142. Who cares... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ... as long as there's still 95% of market share space to grow for both ?

  143. Preception? by Felinoid · · Score: 2

    Show for me a platform with out rabid support and I'll show you an os that sucks.

    Microsofts PR department dosen't count.

    --
    I don't actually exist.
  144. CALIPHATE OF DEATH - death to you Mus-Slime by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    CLITORIS CHOPPERS. Hi there you fucking Islamic career clerics, doctors of death, Waffen Schutzstaffel doctor Josef Mengele is a patron saint compared to you fucking ragheads. You suck. You aide and abet terror and death. You are partially responsible for the deaths of other fellow men. For this fratricide you shall pay dearly. Your soul is black with the stains of inaction, ineptitude and sympathies to those who walk the dark side. Your foul life is full of sins, not religious, just heinous, your karma is low, you don't confess, and you aren't in prison where you belong. You are your own dark, kept secret. I see through you, the worthless academic, the pseudo intellectual, the unproven unpublished un patented WASTE OF FUCKING FLESH. You are a drain on society, you are a member of the 1st world but pretend to not be. I hate you, you are a stained man.

    Hi clitoris chopper, october_30th supports clitoris carving. You are Islamic, and of course are a fucking animal. I hate you you pull-start camel jockey lover. Towelheads, Camel Jockies, Sand Niggers, Ackmids, Abeebs, Carpet Flyers, Dune Coons, Rag Heads, Sand Scratchers, Habeebs, Abba-Dabbas, Camel-Humpers, Demi-niggers, Fig-Gobblers, Hucka-luckas (hucka hlacka ghalcka ghugh), Lefties (If you steal, you lose the right hand so, since they are thieves...) Ocnods, Pull-Start-ables (imagine pull starting Ossama's dirty rag like a Briggs and Stratton), Roach-Ranchers (habibs cant kill roaches by a tenant of Is-slum), Sand Moolies.

    Shut up all you dirty fucking Islamic pigfucking swinehundts and the pigs, the communist fuckin Islamic terrorist supporter.

    Take your fucking Koran and cram it up your ass. The sooner the earth sees Islam leave it, the better off it will be. Your Koran is Goat Piss.

    I hope if there is a God and a Hell, you have to drink the liquidy shit from a Pig's ass, and Jewish Rabbis defecate on you.

    I hate the stupid ISLAM fucks who read into the trash they come up with. Saddam Hussein [who needs to take a dirt nap] is higher on my sanity list than fucking Muslim "clerics." In fact, I like Saddam more than most of the other Arab leaders because he is secular. We should fucking nuke the Saudis and Mecca and Medina and turn it into rubble, then tell Saddam to remove the heads of all the buttfucking "royalty" in the area.

    I want to wipe my ass with Mohammad's shroud. I want to grind his body up into bone meal and fertilize my garden with it.

    Our tortured dead scream out in HORROR, asking for vengeance:
    1. Kill all Camel Jockeys.
    2. Kill all Mohammedans.
    3. Kill all Dune Coons.
    4. Kill all Rag Heads.
    5. Kill all Towelheads.
    6. Kill all Arabs.
    7. Kill all Camel Rooters.
    8. Kill all Osama Bin Laden supporters.

    Nuke their countries to hell.

    Nuke them again.

    Death to Islam.

    I piss on Mecca. I wipe my ass with the Koran. I shit upon Mohammed. I wipe the cum for a freshly fucked pussy with Mohammed's shroud then throw it in the pig sty so it can mire in pig shit as it decomposes.
    I only hate with words, you fucking wet towel fucking scum killer, you maim, your terror bomber.

    You will be judged and cast away by the powers that be, your death will get none of my pity and you will have precipitated it upon yourself, YOU xenophobic pieces of shit, your elitist religious country club will be your own undoing..

    In the great continuum that it time your are those who serve to disrupt it by ending the brilliance and lives of those who your zealous foul religion call heathens and infidels. Your death will be celebrated, you will not be missed.

    My rhetoric is a reflection of my anger at your, your Islamic death leaders, and your religions unwillingness to admit to what it really is, a death mongering cult.

    Your religion is one which produces nothing that is meritorious, your artisans are not accomplished or made pariahs, social and economic structures in Islamic states are defunct, your religion is rife with inconsistency and moral shortcomings, your anti progress and western religion which is rooted in pagan beliefs is a pathetic made up religion that is the backwash of a crazed terrorist and mass killer, Mohammed. You cry Jihad, and call for holy war, and call for the death of the west and the infidels. We will defend ourselves. And since we know deep down what is right, and value our existence and the lives of our children and the meaning of freedoms, aspirations and some semblance of equality, we will crush you defending it. Prepare for your doom, each terrorist event only increases our resolve and fortitude, we must be forgiving and kind because your precious centers of idolatry, Mecca and Medina, are not sheets of glass yet.

    One day, we will open a gold course and the 19TH hole bar will be in that fucking stone shack you foul idiots covet. Idolaters, pagan based, misguided pathetic violent destructive foul piece of trash religion.

    Your corrupt leadership doesn't even attempt to save face. And we notice. Your religions inability to do anything but destroy is noted, and punishment will be exacted for your infractions, probably 10 fold, and you pigs will have precipitated on your own women and children the lancing fires of justice from the sky. Your bodies vaporized to ash where you can be one with the earth again from whence you came maybe one day your atoms will be incarnated again as a useful life form.
  145. The cap by Rademir · · Score: 1

    Picture a plain white cap with faded horizontal gray stripes going around, and the Aqua X at the forehead.

    --
    ourpla.net is your planet
  146. Re:Wha? CALIPHATE OF DEATH by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Unless you're actually Nation yourself, in which case you're allowed to be offended.

    Who fucking died and made you God and the hander out out of the "the right to be offended"

    I'm offended that you are speaking. How about that. I'm offended that everyone who reads the piece of shit called the Koran more than once isn't dead. How do you like that.

    And the pussy bitch that defends Islam needs to die. And the Nation of Nigger Is-SLUM, where those sub creatures live, in the SLUMS of their own creation, is a piece of racist shit. So I give it back. You hate me, I hate you back 10 fold. Death to All Non-Secular Islam and Nigger Nation of Islam. Death.

    DEATH. JIHAD against the JIHAD. I want to harvest organs from Islamic peoples who take their stupid shit religion seriously so they can be useful. Then I want Jewish Rabbis to piss and shit in the hole I left cutting your organs out, then I want to feed your Islamic bodies to pigs, let them shit you out in your final resting place, the pig sty.

  147. Muhammad's indoctrination by dolphin558 · · Score: 1

    In order to unify the disparate tribes Muhammad created these doctrines and founded the religion. The religion is fast-growing. These are very troubling times because the dangerous factions are also growing.

    1. Re:Muhammad's indoctrination by rplacd · · Score: 1

      The one thing pretty much all the factions -- mainstream or 'dangerous' -- agree upon is that Muhammad didn't create the religion. That is, after all, one of the 'doctrines', as you put it.

  148. quick note to you by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    you stated: "...regurgitates the same crap about Apple being a movement, and people putting you down because you have a mac, that is complete bullshit."

    I just want to let you know it's not all bullshit, even off of a website into the real world. I recently switched (I am a lowly builder of pcs for a large oem in the central plains), and I consider myself agnostic WRT computers and os's. I prefer *bsd's but anyway, I recently asked to borrow a dvd from a coworker. He remembered that I had not had dvd in my home from our last discussion about it and mentioned this. I SIMPLY (without any evangelization that is) mentioned that I got a now powerbook with dvd and he groaned, rolled his eyes, and whined (yes, really) "ewww...why did you get an apple?". Needless to say, and I'm sure you won't believe me, but I didn't bother responding, I simply played dumb and shrugged. This person is not at all very computer literate, has never run or even seen linux, and yet, his attitude still indicates he believes propaganda and misinformation about apple although he apparently hasn't exposed himself to anything but MS products in his short time in the industry. Pity, and you still think that mac users are just a bunch of hypersensitive crazies huh?

  149. i'M NO FANATIC! by Tug3 · · Score: 1

    iKnow the Mac (praise the Lord) is better than the PC that the heretics use, 'cos Steve told me so in my dream.

    You call me a fanatic, and iKill you!

    PS. Do iMacs dream of iSheep?

    --
    If all else fails, pull the plug and get out...
    The Life is out there...
  150. Wouldn't a "super-genius" spell it correctly? by candylilacs · · Score: 1

    Just a thought, and I'm glad you put the "should" rather than the "do." That's being honest with yourself.

    c.

  151. shut up towel sugarbitch by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    no go be a good pedophile kid rapist like islam teaches you, mus-slime

  152. Re:Most of us already joined whatever sugarbitch by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Xerox was robbed by Jobs, there are books and a movie about this. Its not even contested. He is lucky there is a statue of limitations on shit like this. What he did was an Enron of the past. Then you flame Microsoft for doing the same thing. Steal other people shit, like Citrix.

    As far as Apple using Open Source, that much is clear. And most people resent their horrible presentation for the Open Source world, a cheap ass Darwin, with a deprecated kernel, thrown away by Carnegie Mellon in 1994, and a horrible ancient and stupid user land from an ancient FreeBSD. As for your spelling of the word benefit, that's just laughable. [as is available, image, image, strangle, finally, releasing, personally, ethically, morally and domination].

    Oh fuck you Tevis. FreeBSD is used in Juniper routers. Yeah, that's a hobbyist toy. I guess IPv6 is too. You are a complete and total FOOL. RedHat being used as a toy? You are really laughable Tevis. Really. Your zealotry its complete and total.

    Unix has been available to the masses ever since Stallman got off his ass and did something about it. You fucking hand this title to Apple? You are an idiot. And regular expressions have been around since 1974, and you wouldn't know one if you saw one. Jesus Christ.

    Linux was not losing its grip. That is a outright lie. Come up with a URL even remotely supporting that. A damned outright lie. yeah, IBM working on the Linux kernel and putting it on an s390 is really losing its grip. MSFT has a strangle hold on your desktop, as you type this into Internet Explorer, Apple's default browser.

    As far as Apple not GPLing anything, most of their proprietary stuff is cruft, un-optimized and embarrassing. There is no Apple Special sauce besides lines of zealots behind them.

  153. First smart thing he's said in ages by Rui+del-Negro · · Score: 2

    I'm actually fairly new to the whole slashdot scene, but I implore you to keep posting.

    The two facts are obviously related.

    RMN
    ~~~