Slashdot Mirror


Porsche Designs a Laptop

An anonymous reader writes "Cnet is reporting that BestBuy is selling a porsche designed widescreen ultra thin laptop the looks almost exactly like a Tibook. Sadly, it runs windows so no one will actually want to use one for real work, but it looks pretty cool for minesweeper. Ah, I guess that the TiBook is no longer a status symbol if you can run Windows on it. It has all the trimmings, like those "made for windows 2k stickers" that get the screen all nasty when you close it."

33 of 605 comments (clear)

  1. Pathetic by waldoj · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I expect Mac rip-offs from companies like Compaq and eMachines. But Porche? It's bad enough that they've designed a laptop for Best Buy. (What business is Porche in, anyhow?) But to just blatently rip off the TiBook design is pathetic.

    -Waldo Jaquith

    1. Re:Pathetic by Faggot · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Ripping off unique Apple designs is not just pathetic, it's inevitable. I'm glad someone still takes design chances with their hardware -- it comes out quite well very often. :)

      --

      But what do I know. I'm just looking for anonymous gay sex.

    2. Re:Pathetic by uncoveror · · Score: 4, Insightful

      What is even worse was that this "news" story was a blatant advertisement. Is Best Buy paying Cnet and Slashdot for it? How about Porche?

      --
      The Uncoveror: It's the real news.
    3. Re:Pathetic by Zimm · · Score: 2, Insightful
      Ripping off unique Apple designs is not just pathetic, it's inevitable. I'm glad someone still takes design chances with their hardware -- it comes out quite well very often. :)

      Why is it that people always think it's other companies that rip off apple? Sorry, when I saw the apples titanium laptop, i thought Fujitsu lifebook. Just because apple makes something popular, doesn't mean they invented it.

  2. Bash, Bash, Bash by timothy_m_smith · · Score: 4, Insightful

    It is hard to take this post seriously when all it does is bash Windows. It is fine not to like you Windows, but you don't have to make it that using Windows is the crime of the century.

    1. Re:Bash, Bash, Bash by mocktor · · Score: 4, Insightful

      not that i'm particularly pro-ms, but...

      Sadly, it runs windows so no one will actually want to use one for real work

      Exactly what planet are you living on? Last time i looked the majority of computer users do 100% of their computing in windows.

      Comments like this in the front page of /. jsut serve ro make the linux/open source community look like a bunch of sulky children because *their* os doesn't come installed.

    2. Re:Bash, Bash, Bash by FortKnox · · Score: 5, Insightful

      This is from an anonymous reader. So Taco could of done what some other editors sometimes do. They post the link with their own words, instead of the posters. No one is going to get hurt (hey, if they cared, they woulda posted logged in), so make it a story that doesn't make Linux users look like the whiny children no one wants to listen to.

      Warning: Typical FK rant to follow:
      Honestly, people, if you want people to switch from Windows to Linux, you have to support Linux, not bash MS. All bashing does is make you look immature. Think about it. What does Linus say about Windows? He doesn't care? You mean he hates it right? What? Doesn't care one way or the other? Maybe you should too...

      --
      Good quote, too many chars. Seriously, the slashdot 120 char limit sucks!
    3. Re:Bash, Bash, Bash by cduffy · · Score: 4, Insightful

      The worst part is that the most vocal types are frequently the least knowledgeable. Even among the Linux users, "windoze"-bashing fanboys are a rarity -- but they're so vocal that we all get tarred with the same brush.

    4. Re:Bash, Bash, Bash by black88 · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Come on now.

      Very simple solution to this problem.

      Namely, help your friends migrate to Linux, find open source solutions already in place for office productivity, games and networking, write and distribute music and audio production software for Linux comparable to that on Windows, such as Acid or Cubase, and watch the user base grow.

      That's the real issue though, isn't it?

      You guys apparently don't want to grow the user base of Linux, nor do many of you actually care whether or not people use GNU/Linux as much as many of you simply hate Microsoft.

      Well, fair enough, MS has a poor record as far as it's anti-competitive behaviour, and Windows 98 is a piece of Shit OS without lots of hard work and hours upon hours of patching.

      Windows XP, however, when properly patched and firewalled, and with certain "services" shut off, works very very well, with as much uptime as I wish to eat kilowatt hours.

      So, Linux users, instead of FUD, and bashing, why don't you actually steer people toward a solution, rather than mock and villify them for not being able or willing to run an OS (Damn good one too)that often requires them to edit text files and scripts from a command line to do something as simple as set up a video card, which, in Windows XP happens automatically.

      I'm waiting........................

    5. Re:Bash, Bash, Bash by bombdotcom · · Score: 3, Insightful

      ...you don't have to make it that using Windows is the crime of the century.

      Its close. By buying and using Windows you're validating Microsoft's business model. You know, the business model which says its ok to lie, cheat, and do WHATEVER it takes to win the sale, or stay on top.

      By supporting this company and this business model you're doing a small part to stifle innovation and generally make the computing industry a less-fun industry to be in. And I resent you for that. Microsoft needs to be sent a message that they can't act like an 800 pound homicidal, rabid gorilla, and that message gets muted by people who continue to support them by buying their products.

    6. Re:Bash, Bash, Bash by 91degrees · · Score: 2, Insightful

      So - what benefit do others gain from the menu coming up and then disappearing before you have the chance to do anything with it?

      I can get this to happen in Win2k. Perhaps this glitch was fixed in XP. This would sort of undermine your argument. If it isn't a glitch, why did they change it?

  3. moderating by Docrates · · Score: 2, Insightful

    This post is the equivalent of moderating the story as "-1 Troll"

    I mean, come on! you like linux and hate windows (or at least you want this crowd to think you do), the very worst way to make others see things your way is to simply slam the "other system" with absolutely ZERO arguments or logic. Yeah, windows sucks, because, well, it does! and nobody who does REAL work uses it!

    What you think Alan Greenspan doesn't use Excel??????

    --

    There are two kinds of people in the world: Those with good memory.
    1. Re:moderating by eunos94 · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I can tell you this for certain. Greenspan may use Excel for his personal finance and some neat presentation stuff. But Excel is NO WHERE near up to the task of full statistical regressions needed to do quality economics in today's world. Having been forced by a professor to use Excel for a thesis project, I can only state that if Greenspan does use Excel for his econ, he's a hell of a lot less smart than I ever thought he was.

  4. what a troll by PissedOffGuy · · Score: 4, Insightful

    from the post:

    Sadly, it runs windows so no one will actually want to use one for real work

    and:

    It has all the trimmings, like those "made for windows 2k stickers" that get the screen all nasty when you close it.

    what do stickers have to do with anything? and whats the point of saying you cant do work on it? are those comments just so CmdrTaco will put the story up? slashdot is pathetic.

    1. Re:what a troll by PissedOffGuy · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Then why are you here?

      for the laughs, of course!

  5. Windows- so what by rgmoore · · Score: 5, Insightful

    So what if the thing comes with Windows. If you really dislike Windows that much, you can always wipe the hard drive and install your favorite *nix distribution- Redhat, Debian, FreeBSD, etc. I realize that you're still paying the MS tax, but the overall price still works out to less than a TiBook.

    --

    There's no point in questioning authority if you aren't going to listen to the answers.

    1. Re:Windows- so what by mblase · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Ah, I guess that the TiBook is no longer a status symbol if you can run Windows on it.

      You can run Windows on a TiBook using Connectix VirtualPC (and many do). Alternatively, as rgmoore pointed out, you can run any number of Linux and BSD distributions on this laptop instead of WinXP if that's your choice.

      How can you seriously condemn a computer just because it ships with Windows, as if that was the only choice you ever had or ever will have with it?

  6. Still lacks something... by AIXadmin · · Score: 5, Insightful

    After the iMac came out. Every company did a nock off. They all failed. Now there is a nock off of the Apple Titantium Power Book. I think it will fail too. And not just because this economy sucks.

    Because it lacks that certain refinment that makes the Apple Titantium Power Book so nice. Same with the majority of Apple's products. There is a certain attention to detail that shows up in the product from Apple, that you don't find in other vendors products. That is what makes Apple's products special.

  7. Ugly ?! by ANTI · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Is it me or is this thing really ugly ?

    I didn't even read the specs.
    The picture just scared me off.

    OK,

    I just read the specs now.
    15" display ?
    1280x854 resolution ?
    Slot-in CD/DVD ?

    No 3D acceleration ?

    Common, for that money I can buy a ThinkPad A30p and that actually looks sleek....

    --
    On the other side of the screen it all looked so easy.
  8. Re:who really made it by Sanglant · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Corporate Reality #93: "We Paid For It ergo We Created It"

    Think about it, when was the last time you heard the newscaster say "Dr. John Doe, who is currently working as a research scientist for Merck, created a cure for bone cancer."?

    When was the last time you heard "Merck, pharmaceutical giant, recently discovered...."

    NDA = No Damn Acknowledgement

  9. Enough already with the MS bashing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I come see here every day... MS that MS this...what is the point of coming to this site.

    I really don't think the type of bashing going on here is healthy for the community as a whole, and its spreading to real life. I seriously cant stand talking to someone who has to roll his eyes everytime I say the word Windows to them.

  10. Jesus, what is wrong with you L.Z.'s?!!! by Thud457 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    If you're gonna pay the premium to buy an Apple notebook, why the hell would you put Linux on it when you've got a perfectly crunchy BSD distro in Mac OS X?!! If you're going to put Linux on a notebook, go for the hardware with the most bang for the buck.

    --

    the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

    1. Re:Jesus, what is wrong with you L.Z.'s?!!! by g4dget · · Score: 3, Insightful
      when you've got a perfectly crunchy BSD distro in Mac OS X?

      Unfortunately, you don't. BSD support on OSX is more like Cygwin on Windows: the command line tools and systemn call interface work, but system management, the GUI, and the kernel itself differ greatly.

      However, I agree: if you are going to buy a Mac, it doesn't make sense to run Linux on it: you are paying a premium for the ability to run MacOS. If you just want a sleek laptop for Linux, there are cheaper choices (like this one).

  11. Re:Will it Save Xmas? by neuroticia · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Funny. To me it sounds like the slipping-in of a USB 2.0 plug, and the 5 seconds it takes for Photoshop to start up.

    But, maybe that's because I'm using a REAL windows computer, and not one of those silly Windows-95 computers that were the last computers those Switchers used. ;)

    -Sara

  12. Re:Mind numbing by RailGunner · · Score: 5, Insightful
    As someone who's posted several Anti-Microsoft posts, let me agree with you. Bashing Windows or Microsoft because you think it's "l33t" to do so only pisses off the people who we are trying to convert to Linux. If the message is "Use Linux Instead of Windows" then back it up with reasons WHY (like better stability, better performance on legacy hardware, cost, OpenOffice, KDE, GNOME, The GIMP, etc.)

    The fact that this Porchse Design laptop comes with Windows pre-installed in and of itself should not be a knock againt the laptop. Knock the look of the laptop, or the weight, or the keyboard layout, or the hardware specs..Besides, how hard it it to just wipe the drive and install the distro of your choice?

    Face it, companies are going to pre-install Windows to reach the largest target market - that is, until the Linux community can convince enough people to switch to where MS doesn't have such a dominance over the desktop.

    But please, stop the insane "Everything Microsoft Does Sucks" mantra. Some Microsoft Technology is very good, though it usually doesn't take long for the open source community to come up with something better. Instead of mindlessly bashing Microsoft, it's better to praise the excellent alternatives that Linux offers - OpenOffice, KDE, GNOME, The Gimp, the GNU development tools, the cost or lack thereof, the abscence of restrictions on concurrent IP connections (*cough*cough*Win NT 4 Professional*cough*cough*) and the list goes on and on.. sell people on the idea that by switching to Linux, they're getting a superior platform.

  13. Does it have... by alispguru · · Score: 4, Insightful

    TiBook battery life?
    TiBook operating temperature?

    Considering it's based on a 2 GHz P4-M, I seriously doubt it.

    TiBook sleep and wake behavior?

    If it's running Windows or any Linux, I doubt it. One of the reasons I use an iBook is its wake from sleep time (two seconds) and its reliable sleep and wake behavior. I have NEVER lost work due to failure to wake from sleep, and my uptime is routinely in the multi-week range - I only reboot to install OS upgrades.

    They can copy the chassis, but hardware/software fit and finish is MUCH harder to copy.

    --

    To a Lisp hacker, XML is S-expressions in drag.
  14. Porsche Crest? by JTFritz · · Score: 3, Insightful
    Ok, I give...

    Most laptop manufacturers put their logo on the case of the laptop. Take a look at the Apple, Dell, or Compaq badges on many notebooks. So, the question is:

    WHERE IS THE PORSCHE SHIELD? I would love to have one of these with that famous shield emblazened on the top.

    If I want to ultimate in sexy notebook computers, it better dress the part!
  15. Porsche's other projects by hansroy · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Porsche has been involved in lots of non-car products. One that sticks out in my mind was a full-suspension mountain bike. I don't remember how involved they were with the design, but I know it was produced by a bike manufacturer. They tossed Porsche stickers on it, and added it as an option.

    For future articles, could we keep the level of bullshit to a tolerable amount? Some of us actually lead productive lives with Windows. I know what parts of it suck, just like I know what parts of Linux suck.

  16. Re:Not to add to the flamewars but... by shepd · · Score: 3, Insightful

    You'd be lucky to set a magnesium computer case on fire.

    Take a look at the punishment this NeXT cube took before it melted -- you'd probably have better luck with concrete.

    --
    If you could be told what you can see or read, then it follows that you could be told what to say or think - BoC
  17. Gee THAT wasn't biased and flame bait! by Cyclone66 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    ...Slashdot Bias 1, Journalistic Integrity 0!

  18. Re: VERY BLATANTLY Misleading by glenebob · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Yeah that's pretty bad. Would you buy a notebook because it said Porche on it? Would you buy a toaster because it said Lexus on it? Or a breakfast cereal because it said Sony on it? This is goofy on so many levels...

    What's sad is that most of us would probly look more closely at this thing than some other brand, because it says Porche on it. OOooo Porche! It must be a really nice laptop! And fast too! But I'm holding out for the Ferrari.

    And then, it makes front page on /dot. Ugh. I wonder if it would have made it if the Taco had actually looked at the company description. It's obviously not the same Porche that makes nice cars.

    Yay for /dot, free advertisement for new companies with fancy names. Sad.

    Ugh!!

  19. Re:using Windows 'FOR REAL WORK' by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Simple, more people use Windows to do "real work" everyday than every other operating system combined. In fact, the real question is how many people use Linux to do real work. Not customizing a pretty desktop or playing MP3s or tinkering with yet *another* obnoxious config file.

  20. Re:Will it Save Xmas? by racermd · · Score: 2, Insightful

    (Flame me if you must...) You seem to be very biased as pro-Mac. It also appears you've never really properly configured a system running Windows. I'll agree to the point that Windows (anything), not just XP, is bloated. That's the nature of the beast. But the defaults are installed for people who don't know better and is the primary reason that unknowing (l)users want more processor, RAM, HD, etc., for their new systems. It helps drive the industry, like it or not.

    Properly installed, Windows will *fly* around any "default" isntall of the same revision. After installing, delete any unnecessary extras with the "Add/Remove" control panel, and disable a slew of non-essential services. Memory usage drops to about 50-60 MB or so. Each installation is different (based mostly on the user's needs), so YMMV. Mac's aren't exempt from this, either. A default installation of OSX prior to 10.2 didn't allow you the option of selecting which printer definitions you wanted and which ones you didn't. It's all-or-nothing. And a default installation of OSX Server prior to 10.2 still wants to install all the localization files that don't have any place on the server. How hard would it be to select the localization option automatically when choosing which language you'd like to see the installer in?

    My point is that Macs != Good and Windows != Bad. I've been down the Mac vs. Windows battle a few too many times, and I keep telling everyone the same thing: Computers are tools. There are better features for specific tasks, but nobody can say, for certain, that one operating system is better than the other. The individual features should be compared against the required tasks. An analogy I commonly make is this: Which is better - Spoon or Fork? How about Sports-Car or Pickup Truck? How about Helicopter or Airplane?

    Depends on the task and your preference, doesn't it? Sounds just like "Windows vs. Mac" to me.

    And there are plenty of other places to make the "Windows vs. Mac" than /.. I understand that there's plenty of anti-MS sentiment here, but effective IS/IT is less concerned about corporate favoritism and more about what gets the job done.

    --
    My sources are unreliable, but their information is fascinating. -- Ashleigh Brilliant