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Why the iPhone Keynote Was A Mistake
jcatcw writes "Mike Elgan at Computerworld lists six reasons why it was a mistake to make the iPhone keynote at Macworld. He argues that extremely high expectations can only lead to disappointment for consumers and investors. The focus on the phone during the keynote also took away from the Apple TV announcement, put iPod sales at risk, gave competitors a head start, and (perhaps worst of all) ruined the company's talks with Cisco over the iPhone name. From the article: 'The iPhone, despite its many media-oriented virtues and its sweet design, will do far less than most existing smart phones. The problem Apple now faces because of Jobs' premature detail-oriented announcement is that of dashed expectations. When customers expect more and don't get it, they become dissatisfied.'"
Actually it gives you time for the hardcore Macgeeks to research dropping their current carrier and switch to the inferior "Cingular" (or whatever they are being called now) while also preparing to put up with the shitty customer service and higher prices they charge.
I personally wonder what the next fad/"statement" will be after this brushed-chrome, pseudo-indy, myspace loitering, ipod-totting, grad-student worshiping, super-liberal phase... It reminds me so much of the 60s for some reason...could some sort pseudo-electro dance-ready high-energy disco resurgence be coming around the corner? Recent hits like "here we go", etc...have such a similiar energy to them... But fad speculation is usually impossible. Some weird bizarre movie hit no one was expecting or some garage band from any random country will probably come out of the woodworks...or we will enter a "multi-genre generation", which is entirely possible thanks to the internet. Although it makes marketing rather difficult...
Ginga no Rekshiya Mata Each page.
This "Apple" section is not an Apple section, in the sense that it is information about Apple, and differing opinions about this or that. This place is like the DNC being taken over by Karl Rove. Every single goddamned story is just a bunch of second-guessing FUD and spin. What does Mr. Smartypants think that Apple should have done? Leaked the whole thing to the rumor sites? Launched it like the Zune? Launched it like that cool tablet thing that isn't selling more than 12 copies? Asked C/Net if it was okay to do it? Asked the FCC to break the news? If they have a 3.5" screen, it should have been bigger but the phone itself smaller. The screen, which nobody but about 12 people have touched, is no good. It's no good because it doesn't have shiny little buttons like my Blackberry. It doesn't have an alt-delete key??? What's it got, a one-button mouse???? How dare Apple have something popular, they're just for the artistic set. How dare they have a computer which hasn't, of yet, had any serious viruses? Who the hell do they think they are, anyway?
That's why I go to Digg.
After Crazy Frog became a riotous hit in the UK, the former bastion of musical excellence and good taste as recently as 20 or 30 years ago (no offense, Radiohead fans!), I'll believe that anything is possible.
I believe that peoples' tastes in just about everything will become more sequestered and idiosyncratic as marketing demographics draw finer lines and become more precise in their targets. Remember the Calvin & Hobbes strips about chewing gum magazines?
I have to say it's probably a fallacy that Apple or any other single corporation truly dictates phases or fads in culture. Apple in particular just happens to have a superlative and highly recognisable advertising method. Most of the people out there with iPods probably think Family Guy is hilarious (and original!), and wouldn't get half the jokes on South Park, let alone watch C-SPAN for more than 5 minutes. I despise Myspace more than any other currently prevalent cultural phenomenon, though. Just about every idiot I know has a profile with six thousand images, videos, and embedded WAV files that is capable of crashing the majority of computers within five minutes.
What I see most in popular culture, and I hope this isn't just me - is a lack of originality: so many films are remakes or rethinks or sequels or prequels, and so many popular radio songs are remixes, or use borrowed hooks, vocal samples, or are simply covers of the old hits. When are we going to hear Captain Beefheart, Erik Satie, Robert Johnson, Bix Beiderbecke, or Charles Ives in the Top 40? Never, yet these are some of the most original composers I've ever heard.
I may make you feel, but I can't make you think.
Hopefully you meant "spouse." If any other sort of "significant other" is trying to control your finances, that's a good hint to start looking for a new one!
https://www.eff.org/https-everywhere
What, are you retarded?
It's called "Never Mind The Bollocks" and it is the album responsible for turning the punk lifestyle into a social fad and fashion, and served only to discredit any positive ideas the punk movement had at the time.
I do love that album, but you really have to look at what it did culturally to both the mainstream and the underground that it eventually destroyed.
And, interestingly enough, 30 years later they took that material out on tour for the simple purpose of making money, reflected in the tour's name: The Filthy Lucre Tour. To quote Jello Biafra, they got back together to make money singing songs about how bad the good old days were.
So, there's your example.
"The launch of Vista is literally days away"? I thought it had already been released?
No matter, I don't follow news that doesn't concern me in the least. Are you PC users of the world still paying attention to Microsoft? Why? It's not the '80s anymore, you know.
And now, a PSA from David Lynch.
Those are commonly called life partners, a subset of SOs. Obviously I wasn't referring to them specifically, and just making a joke in general, so piss off.
https://www.eff.org/https-everywhere
Hah. As opposed to Sprint and Verizon, who use yesterday's cellular technology? CDMA? Come on! Everyone else on the planet uses GSM.
i'd hit it so hard, if you pulled me out you'd be the king of britain [bash.org]
"jumping on the attack-SJ-dogpile."
wow, you've smoked his cock so many times you don't even bother with his full name any more eh?
Haha, OMG, this is someone who thinks the iPhone is going to set them apart as one of the intelligentsia.
In this specific case, they are called "bum chums".