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Ballmer Scorns Apple As a $500 Logo
theodp writes "Speaking at a conference in NYC, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer did his best to refan the flames of the Mac vs. PC rivalry: 'Now I think the tide has really turned back the other direction [against Apple],' Ballmer said. 'The economy is helpful. Paying an extra $500 for a computer in this environment — same piece of hardware — paying $500 more to get a logo on it? I think that's a more challenging proposition for the average person than it used to be.'"
hmmm. See, when I shopped for my Mac Pro back in 2007 and compared it to an equivalently equipped Dell Precision workstation, the Dell was actually $100 more. Most people are not comparing like hardware when they are looking at a Mac. I can't say for the iMacs if it holds true because I've never wanted an all in one computer, and so I've never bothered to do a comparison....
How is OS X which is certified Unix (http://www.apple.com/macosx/technology/unix.html) not Unix?
I just tried that on my HP-UX 11i v3 box and it doesn't either. Ditto my Solaris 10 server. Aren't HP-UX 11i and Solaris 10 Unix either ?
"Not to mention all the idiots who use words like boxen."
Anonymous Coward on Monday August 04, @06:49PM
it looks like UN*X but it isn't UN*X
He said of the operating system that has been certified as UNIX.
/usr/local so that's what my installer should do /etc/passwd and /etc/shadow. /etc/group.
In honor of this guy, here's a list of super developer assumptions.
1. My user space software MUST be installed in directories that normally require system level access to add anything too.
2. No one would ever need multiple versions of my software installed at the same time so it's okay if I make them impossible to co-exist
3. People always install software locally and not in a shared directory.
4. People always just randomly spew files anywhere they want in
5. People always have have dedicated home directories for each machine that they might be simultaneously logged into so it's ok for my software to only allow one instance per home directory to be running at a time.
6. No one will ever try to X Forward my app.
7. My software will always be on a host by way of it's packaging system so it's okay for me to require that system to be in a good state with regard to my software's packages before running my software.
8. No one else would ever pick the same names as me for my project's library files. So I don't have to giver people ways to resolve collisions.
9. My user-space program should use a privileged network port.
10. My program can use a hard-wired network port because nothing else could ever want that port and the end-user could never have a need to run it on an alternate port
11. All connections from a given IP are going to be from the same instance of my program.
12. My program needs to have it's own user with a specific username.
13. My program needs to have it's own user with a specific UID.
14. My program's installer can add it's own user by just writing to
15. My program needs to have it's own group with a specific group name
16. My program needs to have it's own group with a specific GID.
17. My program's installer can add it's own group by just writing to
If you think that something that has been certified as UNIX isn't UNIX in all the important ways, those important ways are probably your assumptions, which may have even been on my list. And many of those assumptions might work in the case of a single machine with only one user who is also it's administrator, but will eventually break down. I suggest that if you find OS X, not to be UNIX in the right ways that you take some time, and consider how you opperate and ways to make it more robust.
Let me introduce you to the hacintosh. Macs have been nothing more than commodity PCs in a proprietary case since they switched to the x86/x64 platform.
In the case of notebooks, it is also true the Macbook chassis is vastly superior to practically any "PC" notebook vendor. However I am going Dell Precision rather than Macbook Pro for my next notebook for two reasons: 1. Dell offers WUXGA resolution and 2) Dell offers a three-button "mouse" (trackpointer and touchpad), and one minor reason (a "powerslice" external battery which will allow the PC to run a full 10-12 hours). The price I negotiated Dell down to is about the same as a Macbook Pro 15 but I'll have a better optical drive, a magnesium alloy case (as opposed to aluminum), more RAM, higher resolution (with RGB-LED backlight!), faster CPU, faster video chipset, backlit keyboard, and no retarded one-button mouse (touchpad/trackpointer). Oh, and accidental damage coverage and three-year warranty with on-site service (although no "tech" will touch my notebook - I will insist on receiving the part only in the event that I need service).
I'd love to have gone with a Macbook even though it's commodity hardware - the Macbook is lighter and they're pretty, but on the other hand, I'm not retarded. I want two or three mouse buttons. Also, I'm not blind. I want high resolution because I design graphics, and now I am getting into embroidery and clothing design for a hobby. I need something better than 1440x900. Heck, my old (circa-1991) Latitude did 1680x1050, and my older Thinkpad had a three-button mouse. Jobs, please enter the new millennium. Most Mac users are at least somewhat computer-literate, certainly more capable than most Windows users, and can deal with a multi-button mouse/touchpad/trackpointer.
Oh, and Ballmer? My real work will be done in Linux. Windows will be only for games and embroidery design (I need to convert from .svg and .ai to .sew), and if I can get the embroidery software to talk to the machine while running under crossover office, so much the better - I may not need Windows at all. :D
The Christian Right is Neither (Christian nor right). See: Matthew 23, Matthew 25, Ezekiel 16:48-50
and no retarded one-button mouse (touchpad/trackpointer)
The trackpad is a multitouch device. If you place two fingers down and click its a right click. If you place two fingers down and drag its a scroll. Take a look at your notebooks buttons after two years. There's probably a hole worn in to the left button while the others look brand spankin new. I hated the one button crap until I figured that out. Now I have a macbook. I guess I'm tarded now.
If all you compare is processor speed and RAM&HD size only, perhaps ... however the Dell is either missing or has lesser quality
Processor: Celeron vs Core2
Graphics: nVidia 9400M vs intel X3100
RAM: DDR3/1066 vs DDR2/667
FireWire 800 vs MIA
DVI/DisplayPort vs VGA
Wireless N vs MIA
Bluetooth vs MIA
GB Ethernet vs Fast Ethernet
Form Factor
Power Consumption
iLife Software
"it is also true the Macbook chassis is vastly superior to practically any "PC" notebook vendor."
It is most assuredly not true. I have a 2 year old MBP, and I replaced the hard drive last fall.
Let me tell you that is a nontrivial exercise because of a few factors:
1) The case is beautiful, but you must remove 20+ screws and you have to take the entire notebook apart to change the hard drive
2) The screws are very tiny, and the case doesn't really fit together that well. If you don't get just right, the clever magnetic catch doesn't release properly. Then you get to take it all apart again.
3) The cables are held in place with adhesive tape (!!!!) inside.
4) The holder for the hard drive was clearly built for cost and is not well engineered.
5) The wiring overall inside is cheaply done.
6) I've taken apart a Mac Mini, and the construction of the MBP internally is similar.
So I use my MacBook pro, and I like it, but I compared it to the laptop work provided me (a high-end HP).
1) Things like hard drives and memory come apart with no screws. They simply pop out without disassembling
2) There is no tape on the inside of a comparable HP laptop. If you have to disassemble it, it's pretty easy, and there are not 20 screws in the entire machine. The wiring is done far more intelligently.
The HP is simply engineered better than the MBP. Now I'm not saying every HP laptop is well engineered and put together, but the laptops that in the same price range as the MBP are simply better machines.
You were mistaken. Which is odd, since memory shouldn't be a problem for you
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Launchd
Anyone who would wear a turtleneck and glasses that only cost $150 together is *obviously* not a mac user.
(I kid... sorta...)