Slashdot Mirror
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.'"
The iPad totally wiped out my netbook. I don't really need a keyboard, non-shiny screen for outdoor viewing, webcam, 3 USB ports, 2 GB RAM, 160 GB harddrive space and a Windows+Linux dualboot. What I really wanted was a digital picture frame I could poke...
"It must suck to have Steve Jobs break into your house, smash your netbook, and force you at gunpoint to buy an iPad."
I for one find the idea vaguely arousing.
"This post is an artistic work of fiction and falsehood. Only a fool would take anything posted here as fact."
Really? The iPhone has a fart button app?! Let me check iTunes. BRB...
Gee, I dunno. That's kinda important to have (looks at my BB Curve). Oh at look, it's already at version 2.0. Great progress must be being made here. And the best part, it's free.
Ya, I'm going to get a new phone. This is a game changer for sure.
Life is not for the lazy.
TV? It's junk. I'm sorry to say it. I had high hopes, but the thing is just an overpriced miniature theatre.
In my village, we watch the puppet shows. They have all the entertainment we need. The music is better that the noise on the TV. We listen to the elders for their wisdom. And we hear about outside events from travelers. All together, it costs less than half what a TV costs.
All this hype over these electronic devices mind boggling. I just don't get it.
some of their the mobile mail clients will not allow you to input port numbers that are 5 or more digits long.
What kind of crap software is that? My mail server is on port 216843 goddammit.
It's junk. I'm sorry to say it, I had high hopes but the thing is an overpriced etch-a-sketch.
Don't you *dare* compare the iPad to an Etch-a-Sketch.
One is a smartly designed piece of hardware that's easy to use- the other lacks proper dials and a "shake to reset" function. :-P
If your argument is that an iPad is good for sitting on the couch wasting your life, then I can both "get it" and "loathe it". Isn't life grand?
Julian Assange?
Hey, remember the good ole' days? ca. 2002 when all slashdotters hated Flash? Couldn't run on Linux and all.
Oh hey, wait a minute, Flash won't run on my iPad. Flash sux!
How many more years will slashdot have an off-by-one error on your Score in your profile?
wait, so do you like a real keyboard or are you writing this on your eeepc?