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Throwing Out Software That Works
theodp writes "Just as the iPhone rendered circa-2007 smartphones obsolete, points out Marco Arment, the iPad is on the verge of doing the same to circa-2010 netbooks. Should this succeed, cautions Dave Winer, we may be entering an era of deliberate degradation of the user experience and throwing overboard of software that works, for corporate reasons. Already, Winer finds himself having to go to a desktop machine if he wants to view web content that's inaccessible with his iPhone and iPad. 'There was no bottleneck for software in the pre-iPad netbooks,' he writes. 'It matters. What I want is the convenient form factor without the corporate filter. It's way too simplistic to believe that we'll get that, but we had it. That's what I don't like — deliberate devolution.'"
Apple appliances are simply a fools bargain and that fact simply needs to be restated for the benefit of the average noon consumer.
It's needs to be repeated to help balance all the nonsense and hype.
A Pirate and a Puritan look the same on a balance sheet.
Just as the iPhone rendered circa-2007 smartphones obsolete, points out Marco Arment, the iPad is on the verge of doing the same to circa-2010 netbooks
I disagree.
Can/is the iPad:
* Light enough to balance one-handed while in a comms closet: Yes
* Has two network jacks along with software so I can bridge two networks together: No
* Runs wireshark to diagnose problems with networks: No
* Hardware keyboard to allow quickly typing things into SSH, IM, etc: No
* Ability to jack into a DSL modem and run pppoe-discover to find out if the modem is receiving PADO packets: No
* Run netcat: I don't think so, but I'm not sure
* Run OpenVPN: I don't think so, but I'm not sure
* Run tcpdump: No
I guess it won't be replacing my $300 netbook any time soon then.
But for the average Apple crowd, it meets all the requirements:
* Give buckets of cash to Steve: Yep
* Surf facebook on a device that is more expensive than gold when comparing weight/value: Yep
* Play games: Yep
* Play music: Yep
* Download fart noises app: Yep
* Make phone calls: Nope. Oops--gotta go get another really expensive device for that.
The iPhone and iPad are 99.9% the same, the big difference is screen size, and one can make phone calls. I'm not going to spend over $1,000 to get two almost identical devices.
There's no place like
It's not a matter of love versus hate. It's much more complex. Seeing an issue or a person in such a way, and directing a glib aphorism at that caricature, is hardly insightful.
Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.
I can use my Netbook as a real computing device. I can load my own software, load software off the internet. I can upgrade it, plug in peripherals. I can run Windows or Linux or whatever else I choose. The iPad is bound to the Apple store through heavy chains of DRM. Apple dictates what software I can run, and if they choose, they can change their mind and remove said software. I'm limited to fledgling mini-apps, and can't load the same software I use on my desktop. The iPad is an Apple fanboy's wet dream, a "safe" handheld toy-like device. Give me a Netbook, and give me liberty.