Kim Jong-Un Found To Be Mac User

jones_supa writes: He might hate the United States, but he sure digs those designed-in-California computers. You probably wouldn't take Kim Jong-un as a Mac user. Usually, in photos of him checking out military computers, we see the North Korean dictator in front of a PC with a Dell monitor. However, a handful of photos of the supreme leader at his own desk show him with Macs, leading to the assumption that while the military may use PCs, his personal preference is Mac. Reuters correspondent James Pearson, who covers both Koreas, tweeted out a fresh image of little Kim using a MacBook Pro inside an aircraft. There are other images, including a 2013 image of Kim Jong-un at his desk with an iMac. That same year, the South Korean newspaper Chosun published a photo from North Korean Central News Agency, which features an Apple iMac. This might also explain why the country's home-grown Linux distribution Red Star imitates OS X.

Comments

Interesting.

[grub]

I had no idea he was gay.

Re:Interesting.

[justcauseisjustthat]

Have you seen his hair?

Re:Interesting.

[Anonymous Coward]

Or how much he loves Katy Perry?

Re:Interesting.

[fustakrakich]

What, is he Trump's evil twin separated at birth?

Re:Interesting.

[Anonymous Coward]

Have you seen his hair?

And he does seem to have a crush on Dennis Rodman.

Re: Interesting.

[Anonymous Coward]

Wait, HE was the evil one?

Re: Interesting.

[93 Escort Wagon]

Wait a minute... so if Kim Jong Un and Donald Trump are twins, you assume Kim is the evil one for some reason?

Re:Interesting.

[Ol Olsoc]

I had no idea he was gay.

Is your Gaydar offline today?

Re: Interesting.

[Anonymous Coward]

Your sense of humor is dead.

Re:Interesting.

[BarbaraHudson]

Someone can't take a joke. It's funny because it's about the "New and Improved Glorious Leader of the DPRK".

So here's another one to offend you:

Three women are standing in a row. The first on is 5' tall, the second one is 5'6, the third one is 6' tall.

Q. Which one's the transsexual?

A. The one with the turtleneck.

Does posting that joke make me a transphobic bigot?

Re:Interesting.

[rtb61]

Overall that fellow looks pretty ill, check the hands where they forgot to put make up, overindulging much. Let's hope next time he leaves the country, they stop dicking about and simply arrest the ass hat for crimes against humanity and be done with it, same for the rest of the North Korean leadership. No more talks, just total isolation and arrest and prosecution at first opportunity. Just make North Korea China's problem in every way possible and make them deal with the resource and economic drain. Much like Russia did with the Ukraine, boy are those cheeky buggers saving money now, billions every year and we can do pretty much the same in a different direction.

Re:Interesting.

[rednip]

Yea, no way that could go wrong says the guy who clearly doesn't live in Seoul, South Korea with their family and all their assets within marching distance from over a million North Korean soldiers.

Re:Interesting.

[cavreader]

It's surprising that China has not been more forceful with NK. China's leadership are all closet capitalists and are very pragmatic. Every move NK makes only increases the size of the US military footprint in the region. Japan and SK are requesting the US to deploy missile defense batteries in the region. Missile defense systems that could very easily be used to degrade China's offensive and defensive missile forces. That is the last thing China wants to see.

Re:Interesting.

[Anonymous Coward]

No, but you are Nick.

Re: Interesting.

[CanEHdian]

That's what TFA is about... he's a... Mac User!

Re:Interesting.

[Anonymous Coward]

Kim Jong-Un is just like his daddy.

Loves the BBC.

Re: Interesting.

[grub]

My main computer and laptop are Macs. It was a joke, butthurt SJWs are hilarious in their rage.

Re:Interesting.

[Alypius]

showing their true colors...

...says the AC.

Re:Interesting.

[Anonymous Coward]

Obvious troll is... sadly not obvious to the other 5 people who replied? That's the true sad state of slashdot.

Re: Interesting.

[Anonymous Coward]

So does your mom.

Re:Interesting.

[Jeremi]

Conventional wisdom is that China props up the North Korean government because if it collapses, China will have 25 million starving refugees at their doorstep (not that they don't already, but for now at least they aren't China's problem).

What actions China considers the best ones to accomplish that goal, and whether they are correct about the efficacy of their approach, is way above my pay grade.

Re:Interesting.

[rtb61]

China doesn't do much because as it currently stands it can not, too many fingers in the pie and too many demands placed upon what will happen. It is pretty much up to everyone else to wash their hands of North Korea and let it fester on China's doorstep and then they can and will do something about it. How the reuniting goes with South Korea some number of years or even decades occurs, is another question, as long as the current mess is solved, the future one can be tackled at a future date, as long as the Government of China is respected in this, resolution should be pretty simple. Just let them take the lead.

Re:Interesting.

[psych0fred]

Put an Apple product in their hands and they think they have control. Pretty, shiny.

Re:Interesting.

[Anonymous Coward]

Well played.

Re:Interesting.

[cavreader]

If the NK government collapses I think you might see a lot of Chinese citizens and other countries rushing into NK looking for fresh business opportunities. The deciding factor would be how the government collapsed and what is replacing it. Right now I think China is in a bind. I think they are afraid if they took a harder line and started issuing ultimatums NK would tell them to get bent and do so very publicly. China would end up looking like the US in dealing with Syria.

Re: Interesting.

[KGIII]

Oh, me too!

What? They've got awesome documentaries!

Re:Interesting.

[KGIII]

Get that hook out of your mouth. The bait wasn't even that good! ;-)

Actually, a couple of years ago someone shared a racist joke with me. It's at this point that I'll share that I'm part black (as is known) and that the person who shared it with me is also black. While it might make you chuckle, there's a serious bent to it.

Q: When does a black man become a nigger?
A: When he leaves the room.

Funny? Maybe. True? Quite probably. Sad? Kinda sorta.

Sometimes there's value in humor. It's all how we look at it. Also, the AC's just a troll. They got some bites so you can't say they're unsuccessful. However, baiting with SJW-bait? That's probably considered poaching and it's almost certainly out of season.

Re:Interesting.

[Anonymous Coward]

Business opportunities? From 25M people that have no money or assets? It takes years, possibly decades, for a country like NK to lift itself up by its bootstraps.

Re:Interesting.

[Cruciform]

The business opportunities wouldn't be in retail, but in manufacturing.
They would have a trained workforce available for pennies on the dollar.

Re:Interesting.

[Bongo]

As George W. Bush said in an early interview, "I just don't believe in nation building." (words to that effect), a point he vastly demonstrated in Iraq.

Whatever China does, it probably won't resemble anything USA would do, so perhaps they are doing something, just not in a way the West understands.

Re:Interesting.

[Hognoxious]

Long term game. Get in at ground level.

Re:Interesting.

[AmiMoJo]

China supports NK because the US supports SK. China doesn't want to end up with a country heavily supported (in military terms) by the US on its border.

It's a tricky situation to resolve. SK and Japan are both somewhat reliant on the US for weapons and protection. If the US could withdraw it might be possible for the two halves of Korea to start negotiating a proper peace, but it won't because SK and to a less extent Japan want it there. That means NK will keep developing nuclear weapons and long range missiles to defend itself.

The most likely scenario is that eventually there is a coup in NK, and when the dust settles the current system has fallen apart and the military is running things. Then the road to some kind of proper democracy begins. The problem at the moment is that everyone is invested in the current system, but once that collapses there will be many actors competing for power.

Re:Interesting.

[drinkypoo]

Whatever China does, it probably won't resemble anything USA would do, so perhaps they are doing something, just not in a way the West understands.

China doesn't have access to some secret mystery of the East when it comes to politics, or anything else in fact.

Re:Interesting.

[Dogtanian]

Have you seen his hair?

I had no idea he was gay.

Depends what one means by "gay" or "gay hair".

I guess that technically you could say Kim Jong-Un's hair appears "homosexual" to me, but only in the sense that it always reminded me of a lesbian hairstyle more than anything...!

What exactly this says about a *man* wearing such a hairstyle, I have absolutely no bloody idea.

Re:Interesting.

[Dogtanian]

(Sorry for getting quotes in wrong order, BTW).

Re:Interesting.

[DigiShaman]

Exactly! After the fall of the wall, what was East Germany became a huge drag on the economy. Yes, there is strength in numbers when it comes to productive and trade. However, if you have a huge imbalance, that takes time to (pardon the pun) work itself out.

Re: Interesting.

[Anonymous Coward]

Who is Nick?

Re:Interesting.

[Anonymous Coward]

Your lord and savior!

Re:Interesting.

[Anonymous Coward]

Don't I know it!

Re:Interesting.

[dj245]

Yea, no way that could go wrong says the guy who clearly doesn't live in Seoul, South Korea with their family and all their assets within marching distance from over a million North Korean soldiers.

Are you speaking from personal experience? Are you genuinely afraid? I have been to North Korea and the idea that they are a serious threat to the southern part of the peninsula is laughable. They face not one, but two powerful armies on the same border. Their military is woefully out of date, and despite their pride, they do recognize that they don't stand much of a chance in a fight against the combined South Korean and US militaries. China does NOT have their back on almost any issue. The China-DPRK relationship looks a lot more like the US-Mexico relationship. They do collaborate on some things, but there is a lot of resentment, conflict over illegal immigration/smuggling, distrust, and dissatisfaction with the relationship on both sides.

North Korea's large standing army is quite misleading. North Korea is basically run like a large company with many departments and subsidiaries. The military is one of those departments, but a large amount of their work is not spent training for war, but building and maintaining infrastructure. They also pitch in on the farms. The military is loaned out to other government agencies whenever manpower is needed, which seems to be all the time. The bulk of the DPRK military resembles an unmechanized US Army Corp of Engineers more than a professional fighting force.

North Korea's aggressive attitude in international politics is a front to hide weakness. If you visit the country, you can see fairly quickly that their military doctrine and assets are set up like Japan in Spring 1945, not Japan of the early 1930s. The military is running the country, they will defend their country, possibly to the last man, if attacked, but launching an invasion themselves is just not on the table. The international diplomacy game that they play is similar to a cornered animal showing their teeth. They're scared of being invaded, and they don't want that. Cat's don't hiss when they are ready to pounce. They hiss when they want to be left alone.

Re:Interesting.

[dj245]

It's surprising that China has not been more forceful with NK. China's leadership are all closet capitalists and are very pragmatic. Every move NK makes only increases the size of the US military footprint in the region. Japan and SK are requesting the US to deploy missile defense batteries in the region. Missile defense systems that could very easily be used to degrade China's offensive and defensive missile forces. That is the last thing China wants to see.

I have been to both countries and talked with average citizens of both. The west vastly overestimates China's influence over the DPRK. North Korea might have been China's puppet 60 years ago, but that is not the case now. China is the DPRK's biggest trade partner, they know it, and they abuse that situation at every opportunity.

China has the longest land border of any country, and they border with 14 sovereign states (tied with Russia). They don't want any more adversaries on their doorstep, especially western-friendly ones. If Korea reunited, the north half of the country would probably become more and more democratic, and be open to the influence of the US. China does not want that. If North Korea's economy improved, they would be a low-cost competitor to Chinese industries. China does not have any incentive to act in the best interests of North Korea. They have a large interest in keeping North Korea a poor, isolated, backwater nation.

All of this creates a situation where China is intentionally holding North Korea down, trying to bully them around, and generally not being a good neighbor. After decades of this, why would North Korea take China seriously when it appears that China just wants to hold them back? China and North Korea are not best buddies like many people seem to think. At best, their relationship resembles the US-Mexico relationship, except that the border actually does have a fence, and China made North Korea build it.

Re:Interesting.

[BarbaraHudson]

Any good humor should prick the conscience, because all humor ultimately makes fun of someone, even if it's just self-deprecating humor. Even "If I throw a white hat in the red sea, what does it become?" "Wet" has an implied "No, it doesn't become red, you dummy".

We're a cruel species, who watch (let our kids watch) all sorts of graphic bloody killings on TV and in movies, for entertainment.

Re: Interesting.

[xupere]

Hmm. Maybe they were from a set of quadruplets?

Re:Interesting.

[Anonymous Coward]

And how delighted you are, now that you found out.

Re: Interesting.

[doccus]

...Somewhere.. perhaps hidden in some comment somewhere., I thought I would find out why this is a surprise.. or, in fact, even newsworthy. I *suppose* he should reaslly be a Korean "red star" Linux user.. but.. I mean.. hey.. Linux? Kim Young 'Un? er... basic skill set beyond video gaming? NAw.. No surprise he uses Macs...

Re:Interesting.

[Anonymous Coward]

It was reported he was gay sometime in 2013. This is not new news.

http://gizmodo.com/5977519/tyrant-kim-jong-ils-favorite-computer-was-a-macbook-pro-15

Re:Interesting.

[KGIII]

Oh, we're awful, we humans. It's freakin' hilarious to see the people who think we're at the pinnacle of advancement, knowledge, ethics, and wisdom. I usually don't comment about it but I've actually only really recently started to pay attention to that (within the past year or so).

We're dirty, disgusting, vile, evil, liars, thieves, abusers, manipulators, violent, angry, and the rest... Of course, we're giving, trusting, trustworthy, loving, caring, just, etc... But, I think we're mostly in the first group unless we try to remain alert to it and have some sort of social values that are impressed on us. The Romans thought they were the pinnacle, after all.

Re:Interesting.

[Anonymous Coward]

China not wanting a US friendly country on their border is nonsense. The same thing goes for Russia's moaning about NATO countries on their border. Any war involving China, Russia, and the US in any combination will most certainly not involve any land invasions. China, Russia, and the US all have the military power needed to protect their borders not to mention that each country has enough nuclear weapons to force a radioactive standoff if things start looking bad. The thing no one talks about is that the US and China have no reason to go to war. The economic ties between both countries benefit both countries. The Russian-US economic ties pale in comparison. The state of California has a higher GDP than Russia. China could decapitate the NK leadership and control who would run the new government. This would give China access to a cheap work force to start up new manufacturing businesses. Their current economy is starting to feel the pressure because their work force is no longer as cheap as it used to be and they now have stiff competition from other low wage countries in SE Asia. Removing the bat shit crazy NK leadership would also resulting the US military presence no longer being justified.

Re: Interesting.

[Anonymous Coward]

Who would you rather have a beer with?

I'd pick Kim as long as we could have the beer anywhere except NK where I would probably be executed for insulting him after about my 3rd drink.

I think I'd just tell Trump to go fuck himself because I'd rather drink alone than with him.

Re:Interesting.

[toddestan]

I'm pretty sure that China doesn't like the current situation either, but they view it as preferable to any of the alternatives. Hence their somewhat tepid support of North Korea. If I was North Korea I'd be careful though. If China decides they'd be better off without North Korea, it won't be good for Kim Jong-Un.

Re:Interesting.

[Anonymous Coward]

I agree that it's pretty offensive. I'm not gay, but if I was, I wouldn't want to be associated with Mac users either.

All us Mac users . . .

[Anonymous Coward]

Now have to deal with this cognitive dissonance. Yuck.

Re:All us Mac users . . .

[KGIII]

Err... Why? Who gives a shit who else uses your OS? It's not a lifestyle choice, it's a fucking operating system. There's a bunch of them. Pick which ever one you like best and run with it. Pick the one that gives you the ability to accomplish the tasks you wish to accomplish, with the least hassles, and with the fewest compromises that you need to make in order to do so safely, peacefully, and with the greatest amount of ease possible.

It doesn't matter if it's Windows, OS X, BSD, MINIX, Linux, or whatever else. It's an operating system. You are not your operating system. Your operating system is not you. Other people who use your OS are not you. You are not defined by the OS you us, the software you run, or the assets you have. Place stock in who you really are instead of needing affirmation from others with your choices.

That, that there is what freedom really is.

Re: All us Mac users . . .

[Anonymous Coward]

Birds of a feather flock together.

It is no small irony that a despotic totalitarian prefers Macs.

Re: All us Mac users . . .

[KGIII]

The OS that I most commonly use is an official flavor of the Ubuntu family but is probably the popular of the official flavors. The only place I know of wide deployment of Lubuntu is some guy who had installed it on a bunch of oscilloscopes as the default OS. We kind of rejoiced as we had actually found another Lubuntu user in the wild.

Sure, I've met some on AskUbuntu but none at the LoCo, none in the chat, and not even anyone here seems to use it except that one guy who does and they install it on scopes.

Wait, no... They're not oscilloscopes. They're chemical analyzing equipment. They were spectrography tools. Yeah, I think that was it. Hell, I don't even know what they do but I almost bought one just to play with it. Err... I kind of understand what they do, I've just never used one and have no idea how they actually get used - like what buttons to push, what settings to use, and what to do with the output. I am not a chemist. I don't think these used gas... But I digress.

So, that leads me this... Not even my girlfriend uses Lubuntu. She uses Mint Cinnamon. I've met one person in the wild and not one other person. Who the hell am I flocking with? :/ I don't wanna be left out! I need affirmation!!! On a more serious note: I suppose that's true at times but I'm not sure if it's true enough to be a good adage. That might have made more sense when I was young. We had fewer choices and less communication back then.

That said: I did not pick Lubuntu to be different or anything. I picked it because I like LXDE and the simplicity and ease of configuration that goes with it. I like the tools that are in it and I don't usually swap many of them out for new stuff - but I do the cumulative thing were I end up with crap installed that I don't really need but I never remove it. Yes, I said it. I like LXDE. At any rate, I wanted LXDE and the Ubuntu ecosystem is very large, active, and generally approachable.

Re: All us Mac users . . .

[KGIII]

That should say "least popular." It's past midnight and my eyeballs have meandered off in search for a warm place to snuggle up and sleep. Screw 'em! They're not the boss of me.

Re:All us Mac users . . .

[Dogtanian]

Err... Why? Who gives a shit who else uses your OS? It's not a lifestyle choice, it's a fucking operating system.

True, but it's been marketed (and bought) as if it *were* a lifestyle product, so it's not entirely surprising.

Also, was "his personal preference is Mac" in the summary actually meant to be a Penny Arcade reference or was it just me that thought of that...?!

Re:All us Mac users . . .

[LaurenCates]

Err... Why? Who gives a shit who else uses your OS?.

Depends. Are you a hacker?

Re:All us Mac users . . .

[KGIII]

You could say that I am but that would be, to me, a great compliment. I'm not even sure that I'm good at hacking code but I usually do a hack job. ;-)

Not at all

[avandesande]

Not surprised at all

Re:Not at all

[Anonymous Coward]

He prefers Macs--now we know he is evil.

Re:Not at all

[Plumpaquatsch]

He prefers Macs--now we know he is evil.

You didn't see 24, ehh? We knew he was evil when we saw him with the DELL monitor, but now we know he's actually good.

Re:Not at all

[Anonymous Coward]

FUCK YOU! Mac users are not evil!

Re:Not at all

[Anonymous Coward]

Demonstrably false: Find one evil mac user.

I'll go there: Hitler was a mac user. Do I have to edit Wikipedia to prove it?

Re:Not at all

[MobileTatsu-NJG]

Not surprised at all

I am. Not that he uses a Mac, but that Apple has a legit reason to have the 'weapons of mass destruction' clause in their EULA!

Re:Not at all

[Anonymous Coward]

mac users are communists

Like Kim Jong Un

Re:Not at all

[davidshenba]

Kim Jong Un is a political monopolist and that suits your capitalist worldview.

Re:Not at all

[Bongo]

Going to the movies, I've come to realise the evil geniuses always have the best tech, and appreciate the finer things in life.

Meanwhile the good guys are the underdogs who have to build an effective defence out of some duct tape and a packet of stale potato chips.

Re:Not at all

[Anonymous Coward]

Hitler was a failed artist, so of course he would have been a Mac user.

Re:Not at all

[Anonymous Coward]

Rush Limbaugh is a mac user.

Who smuggled that in?

[justcauseisjustthat]

I thought you couldn't ship Apple stuff (Mac, iPhone , etc) to North Korea, so they must have smuggled it in from South Korea or China.

Re:Who smuggled that in?

[Anonymous Coward]

Disregarding their trade with China, they have embassies and limited flight and sea travel. Someone at an embassy could buy one and mail it to him.

Re:Who smuggled that in?

[Anonymous Coward]

The Pyongyang Apple store has 1 big customer. He certainly thinks different.

Re:Who smuggled that in?

[mjwx]

I thought you couldn't ship Apple stuff (Mac, iPhone , etc) to North Korea, so they must have smuggled it in from South Korea or China.

I be he's raffing at your silly restrictions as we speak.

Right after he finished the Lobster Thermidor with French Champaign served to him by a starving farm girl.

Re:Who smuggled that in?

[Anonymous Coward]

You can't buy full automatic AKs and explosives in France as a civilian either but....

Re:Who smuggled that in?

[radish]

It's not really smuggling when you're the government.

Re:Who smuggled that in?

[Bert64]

Trade sanctions only hurt the average people, those with money and power can get everything they want via the black market.
Infact trade sanctions only help the rulers of north korea, as it becomes much easier for them to restrict the flow of information.

Re:Who smuggled that in?

[Anonymous Coward]

Smuggled? You think anyone at the China/NK border control is going to even ask what the leader of NK is bringing home with him?

Re:Who smuggled that in?

[bentcd]

I thought you couldn't ship Apple stuff (Mac, iPhone , etc) to North Korea, so they must have smuggled it in from South Korea or China.

What do you mean "ship"? Kim Jong-Un built it himself, overnight, using nothing but a screwdriver and a piece of patriotic Korean timber.

Re:Who smuggled that in?

[AmiMoJo]

Their ambassadors and embassy staff just buy stuff in China and ship it home. Sometimes NK tourists / sports teams do the same. NK isn't as closed as people think.

Re:Who smuggled that in?

[Anonymous Coward]

One, French is redundant.
Two, it's Champagne.

Obviously !

[Anonymous Coward]

Apple is for control freak mad dictators.

What's more like North Korea than the Apple store ? /s...

Re:Obviously !

[Cruciform]

Uh, they also have their own Linux distro.

Re:Obviously !

[Anonymous Coward]

Uh, they also have their own Linux distro.

I'm fairly certain he will never use it himself. He certainly won't buy Macs to 25 million subjects (because of the price, but also because he would lose 'status' in comparison), but at least they can "taste what he likes, while he will keep on using the real thing".

Typical Apple thinking too.

Games

[Adriax]

Thank god. Can you imagine how quickly the nukes would fly if Un had a PC and could play actual games? 10 minutes online and WW3 would start with the phrase "I'll nuclear launch detected you!"

Re:Games

[armanox]

Except StarCraft has always been one of those Mac friendly games (I know I played it on System 7)! We're in trouble!

Re:Games

[Anonymous Coward]

The Stuxnet game is Windows-only

Think different

[NotInHere]

Seems he and his dad and granddad implemented that slogan a bit too literally.

Re:Think different

[Anonymous Coward]

I came here to find a humourous post.

It looks like I found it.

Re:Think different

[PolygamousRanchKid]

Like, really! Most despots just shoot folks who have fallen out of favor with them. Kim Jong-un kills them with mortar and anti-aircraft fire.

This is one endorsement that I doubt Apple will pick up on:

"Apple: Our technology helped bring North Korean ICBMs and H-Bombs to your front door in America!"

Re:Think different

[NotInHere]

I was mostly hinting at NK's isolated diplomatic position. Somebody that isolated most certainly thinks different.

Re: Think different

[FromFrom]

Strangly alot of them seems to survive that. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/new... http://reverbpress.com/news/in...

Finally!

[Applehu Akbar]

Slashdotters now concur on nuking North Korea.

Re:Finally!

[Anonymous Coward]

What exactly is a Slashdotter?

Can I just read some articles on a website and still be an individual?

Re:Finally!

[KGIII]

Strangely enough, an individual can be part of the collective. Just like you can be male and still and individual.

On this, the 42nd day of year 2016, thus did spake KGIII; "Seeketh ye not affirmation from others, for content is the man who seeketh not, but hath affirmation within himself."

Seriously, unknot your knickers. Are you here? Yup. Are you specifically in the comments? Yup. Are you adding, in your own special way, to the comments? Yup. You went out of your way to be a Slashdotter. Then, to be edgy, you want to rail about the position you put yourself in. Oh, so edgy!

You can be both a Slashdotter and an individual just like you can be a citizen of the world and an individual, a guitarist and an individual, or whatever else. You put yourself here and then complained about it? Doesn't that seem a little silly to you? Or are you hell bent on playing up the edgy thing?

Re:Finally!

[Fireflymantis]

"Seeketh ye not affirmation from others, for content is the man who seeketh not, but hath affirmation within himself."

http://www.psmag.com/health-an...

According to the above content, drinking is awesome. I affirm this by drinking. Unfortunately, my girlfriend broke up with me.

Morale: sometimes you gotta dance as though there are a few people watching.

Re:Finally!

[aethelrick]

female norse offspring of a bad metal guitarist?

Re:Finally!

[stealth_finger]

Slashdotters now concur on nuking North Korea.

Only way to be sure?

Re:Finally!

[KGIII]

I was too good at drinking so I had to retire and let someone else take the championship for a while. I kind of miss it but I was really very good at drinking and it's hard to give up something that you both love and are good at. Something tripped in my brain when I retired. I was a functional alcoholic for a very long time. After I retired, that functioning part stopped. I didn't start consuming more alcohol, in general, or the likes - my consumption remained pretty static. But, no... I just lost the functional part. It's like my brain just said, "Hey, wait... You mean I don't have to keep working any more? That's AWESOME!"

Quitting sucked. Unlike the guys at the various groups tell you, you can drink again. I had two on New Years Eve and one on Christmas Eve. I was mildly buzzed from the two. It was nice but I remember how much quitting sucked - DTs are not cool and withdrawal really sucks. So, I don't drink as a general rule. They say you can never drink again without reverting to alcoholic behavior. I'd disagree. I've not really been a drinking man for over three years now. I've probably consumed a total of a dozen alcoholic beverages since and never more than two in one sitting. I'm okay with that.

Ah well...

However, yeah... I agree, sometimes you gotta dance like you have people watching. Just so long as you don't have to do it all the time, that's good. There's a time and a place for a total lack of restraint and a time to be able to adhere to social normative behaviors. I think there's probably a fine line in some cases and it's good to know which is which, lest you end up dancing naked during a formal dinner party for an esteemed guest.

Re:Finally!

[Anonymous Coward]

Says the Anonymous Coward?

so THAT'S why NK's Sat is out of control

[turkeydance]

software incompatibility.

Re:so THAT'S why NK's Sat is out of control

[unixisc]

The Macs that he is on - are they on OS X, or did they replace that w/ North Korea's Red Star Linux? We discussed that OS here on /. a while back. His generals may have PCs, but if all of them run Red Star Linux, as opposed to OS X or Windows, then it's all level. He just has the most expensive computer of them all

Re: so THAT'S why NK's Sat is out of control

[Anonymous Coward]

Of course they run the real Mac OS. Red Star is only for the peons.

Re: so THAT'S why NK's Sat is out of control

[Anonymous Coward]

Of course they run the real Mac OS. Red Star is only for the peons.

No, it's Red Star, but he's got Glorious Leader login credentials. Bet you thought admin accounts could do anything, but you aint seen nothing yet!

Kim Jong-Un is an App Apper!

[Anonymous Coward]

Modern app appers like Kim Jong-Un know that ONLY apps can app apps, which is why he uses the App Apping App to app apps on his App App!

Apps!

Re:Kim Jong-Un is an App Apper!

[Anonymous Coward]

Might I suggest adding the letter 'f' in front of some of the words you use that start with 'app'? I can imagine some moderate humor ensuing that way.

At least there are opportunities there for entertainment, unlike the tired idiocy that APK posts.

Somehow, I think he can manage the resources

[Anonymous Coward]

Somehow, I think he can manage the resources to pull something like that off.

Among other things: massive hypocrite

[kheldan]

Claims to hate the West and everything it stands for
Sure likes all our stuff though

Re:Among other things: massive hypocrite

[Anonymous Coward]

It's the Western governments, not the corporations, who are forced to kowtow to the government lapdogs.

Re:Among other things: massive hypocrite

[gstoddart]

Yeah, that crazy megalomaniac dictator who wants to keep all the good stuff for himself is a hypocrite. Sure, keep telling yourself that.

You know, I'm pretty sure no matter the rhetoric, pisspot dictators have surrounded themselves in luxury trappings from the West to show themselves how awesome they are. You think he eschews status symbols and has the same shit as the rest of the plebes? Or do you think he surrounds himself with wealth and opulence to show he's the boss.

I don't see anything hypocritical about it all. In fact, it seems entirely predictable that he'd have a computer nobody else in his country will every get to see.

Supreme Glorious Batshit Crazy Leader isn't a position of principle, it's one of entitlement and privilege.

I bet her's got fast cars and other toys too. All Western brands, all ridiculously expensive, all only for his personal pleasure.

That's kind of how this shit works from what I've seen in the news and the like. Powerful people, no matter how fucking crazy, surround themselves with expensive toys.

Photoshop, anybody

[lecithin]

Macs are still the best platform for manipulating photos and videos, right?

Re:Photoshop, anybody

[jedidiah]

...only if you're targeting other Mac users. Since everyone else in North Korea is using PCs, Kim might not be using the right tool for the job.

Of course some people think Macs are great status symbols. Kim probably thinks that he's the envy of all his Generals. They probably just think it's a big and intolerable dufus with this whole Apple think just being the tip of the iceberg.

Re:Photoshop, anybody

[Anonymous Coward]

I always hear this, my question is why? Is there any real structural difference that makes it better? How? How much better? Is it just that there is some software only for Mac that is sooo much better than anything developed for the PC? I have never gotten a real answer, and have suspected it is merely preference or familiarity on the part of Mac people.

Re:Photoshop, anybody

[Anonymous Coward]

The reason(s) why the Mac is sometimes said to be better in DTP, Graphic design and Video editing is simple really:
The Mac had the first consumer graphics environment and desktop publishing software, back in the 80's, so it made a name in that field since there was really no competition. Then, graphic designers prefer it because they study in art schools and art schools select their computers for their design, so they still chose mac after it was no longer the only graphical environment. If you were taught in macs, you continue to choose macs, so a lot of graphic designers think it is better, even though they don' actually get better tools. Finally, about video editing, a lot of people swore by Final Cut Pro which was mac-only, hence mac was better for them. I have no opinion on that, never having done any serious video editing myself. I hope this answers it for you.

Re:Photoshop, anybody

[mattventura]

It used to be an issue of better software, especially with regards to video editing. Not so much anymore, now that Apple really jumped the shark with Final Cut. Now all they have going for them is the really nice screens, but PCs are catching up there too. The Mac Pro also used to be a good dual-CPU workstation with some expandability, but with the new trashcan-style ones are single-CPU and have poor cooling to the point of throttling sometimes.

Re:Photoshop, anybody

[jtownatpunk.net]

Not so much any more. It's mostly inertia. At least at the magazine where I used to work. Back before I started working there, they'd transitioned to Macs in art and pre-press because that's where the good software was. A few years into my employment, the big software players in the market started offering dual licensing. I could buy 20, 30, 40 seats and put them on whatever platform I wanted. The software was the same either way with the exception of where menus showed up. When it came time to upgrade the computers in those departments, I thought about pushing for PCs because we could get more bang for the buck. Then I remembered I was hired because of my Mac experience so I kept my mouth shut. Tho we did later transition part of the workflow to PC when we did a software and workflow change.

I think the biggest advantage I can still see is the quality of the hardware and displays. If you get a PC laptop with a cheap-ass display, you'll never be able to trust the color. Same with a desktop. But you can get a good monitor for a PC if you a few extra dollars out of your wallet.

Re:Photoshop, anybody

[ColdWetDog]

The reason(s) why the Mac is sometimes said to be better in DTP, Graphic design and Video editing is simple really:
The Mac had the first consumer graphics environment and desktop publishing software, back in the 80's, so it made a name in that field since there was really no competition. Then, graphic designers prefer it because they study in art schools and art schools select their computers for their design, so they still chose mac after it was no longer the only graphical environment. If you were taught in macs, you continue to choose macs, so a lot of graphic designers think it is better, even though they don' actually get better tools. Finally, about video editing, a lot of people swore by Final Cut Pro which was mac-only, hence mac was better for them. I have no opinion on that, never having done any serious video editing myself. I hope this answers it for you.

Except you're a decade behind the times. Look at any serious graphics art department and it's pretty much all PCs. My stepson works as a bona fide graphics artist in a AAA gaming studio. I've toured both companies he has worked at - PCs all the way around except a Mac Book Air now and again running spreadsheets.

People like Mac laptops because they're good laptops, irrespective of the OS. For a while, the 15 inch MBP was considered the best Windows laptop available. Shortly thereafter, Microsoft started it's 'signature' series where PCs were built with a modicum of quality and without a bunch of shovel ware. I think now you can get a Windows laptop every bit as good as a MBP. Except for the damned power connector. Why nobody else has managed a magnetic power connector that doesn't impinge on Apple's patents is one of the worlds great mysterys to me.

Re:Photoshop, anybody

[Anonymous Coward]

Not anymore. There was a time when the Mac version of Photoshop was far superior to its Windows counterpart for two reasons.

One, it was originally developed for System 6 Macs and had years of work under its belt before the Windows version came out, so Windows Photoshop always seemed to lag behind the Mac version in features. Two, in the 90s, Macs supported better resolutions and more display colors than Windows. Early versions of Windows could do 256 colors while Macs of the same era could display millions. For anyone seriously considering design or desktop publishing, there was no choice, Windows in those days didn't cut it.

Nowadays with advances in hardware (and enormous resources pumped into Windows Photoshop) I don't really see Macs having too much of an edge in that area. Photoshop and Illustrator still "feel better" to me on a Mac but I can't think of anything feature wise that the Windows version can't do.

Re:Photoshop, anybody

[Anonymous Coward]

Why nobody else has managed a magnetic power connector that doesn't impinge on Apple's patents is one of the worlds great mysterys to me.

We are talking about the US patent system, right? The patent is probably for a "mechanism using magnets to stick two things together." Farmers are probably in violation for using big bar magnets to force their cattle to crap out the small nails that they've eaten.

Re:Photoshop, anybody

[MobileTatsu-NJG]

Macs are still the best platform for manipulating photos and videos, right?

Well... they originally gave him a Linux machine, but he gave it back saying he wanted something with a lot more games and working 3D drivers.

Re:Photoshop, anybody

[lecithin]

I should have been much more clear. But what you say:

"Except you're a decade behind the times"

Is exactly what my point was. So is N Korea.

Re:Photoshop, anybody

[stealth_finger]

The reason I always thought they were said to be better is because back in the day they were more stable due to a mac being a mac with very little variation in configurations, therefor adobe knew what they were working with so could design for it. Whereas with pc there's a bout a jillion potential configs so it was more crash happy. Nowadays it seems just as stable on either platform in my experience.

Re:Photoshop, anybody

[ruir]

I can name one...colour. To these days PCs cannot get the exact colours that you got printed in paper on the screen. Macs have been doing that for *decades*.

Re:Photoshop, anybody

[MobileTatsu-NJG]

Awww. We can +5 jokes about Mac users being gay but one little friendly jab at Linux (for legit criticisms, mind you...) and the negative mods come out.

Re:Photoshop, anybody

[Anonymous Coward]

I can name one...colour.

No sweetie.. You can PRETEND to name one.

To these days PCs cannot get the exact colours that you got printed in paper on the screen.

True. Because the colour on a bit of paper comes from light reflected by the pigment. A colour on the screen comes from the light emitted from the screen. Different methods, different perceived colour. And the ambient light, the user's vision, and the reflections from objects in the room all alter the colour your brain identifies on either medium. And then, the image shifts as the panel ages.

Macs have been doing that for *decades*.

No.. They really haven't. You may believe this, but physics disagrees. And my money is on Physics being right.

A Mac monitor might potentially be of a higher colour range than a bog standard office monitor, but comparing the output of a properly adjusted monitor of equivalent properties means that in fact.. They are BOTH the same.

Sorry fanboy. another TRUTH dismissed.

Re:Photoshop, anybody

[WallyL]

NK invented Photoshop! Citation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

Re:Photoshop, anybody

[ruir]

Another truth dismissed by a very reputable rude AC, whereas many people working in the publishing business nor caring about physic theories beg to disagree.

Re:Photoshop, anybody

[Blaskowicz]

Microsoft has had a very advanced graphics stack since Vista, improving with each little Windows version. I am pretty sure color management is part of it (now, how the f... can you get font anti-aliasing WITHOUT Cleartype? I don't know)

Nothing Butt Jokes

[Anonymous Coward]

What's to comment on this story other than to make a bunch of jokes? There might be a slight increase in Apple hacks as people want to hack his system? But the government probably has known this for awhile, assuming they cared about it.

It was more important that Jerry Seinfeld had a Mac.

Old News

[Ahnahmoley]

The official North Korean "Red Star OS" is a Mac clone Linux distro. There are YouTube videos of it in action.

Re:Old News

[Plumpaquatsch]

The official North Korean "Red Star OS" is a Mac clone Linux distro. There are YouTube videos of it in action.

Yeah, just like Linus T., Kimmy-Boy actually uses Linux on his Mac.

Re: Old News

[Ahnahmoley]

Sorry I didn't make it clear: The reason his Godliness chose that look for the country's OS is because he's known as a huge fan of Mac products.

Who cares?

[Anonymous Coward]

And not a single fuck, flying or otherwise, was given. Why is this "news"? Because it's somehow tangentially related to computers? So fucking what? It's not technical, it's not interesting, there's nothing to learn here, it's just "some random famous guy prefers brand X". Who, outside of tabloids' target audiences gives a shit? Read your own fucking slogan once in a while, slashdot! Pay particular attention to the very first word!

If this doesn't convince people...

[ElectricHellKnight]

...that Apple isn't cool, nothing will.

Makes sense

[Anonymous Coward]

From one megalomaniac to another.

Apple computers

[Bruce66423]

As used by all your favourite tyrants. Buy one now...

Here's to the crazy ones...

[jeffb (2.718)]

Truth in advertising?

iPhone

[110010001000]

I'll bet be uses an iPhone too. Damn liberals!

Re:iPhone

[unixisc]

Uh, don't question his Communist bonafides

the country's home-grown Linux distribution Red St

[Maow]

the country's home-grown Linux distribution Red Star imitates OS X

Well, once Apple's lawyers hear about this, it's game over for North Korea.

Unleash the hounds^W lawyers!

"Designed-in-California computer"

[Anonymous Coward]

Yeah that's the only American thing about it, cling on to that, because everything else about it is wholly Chinese.

No idea

[Anonymous Coward]

I had no idea this was interesting... and still don't.
Well, I guess if you're a Windows user, you might feel just a little more dejected.
Otherwise, it's already been clear that anyone who gives a sh!t about hardware quality, who hates antivirus software and wants to avoid software exploits is going to use a Mac.

Re:Well

[BarbaraHudson]

Boy is he going to be p*ssed off when he finds his other new toy bends, and bricks itself on update if the finger scanner is damaged (don't need to repair it to get error 53).

systemd

[PopeRatzo]

To be fair, before he got a Mac, Kim had a Linux machine. He gave up when he couldn't get the audio drivers to work. I heard on the news that he had a bunch of his kernels executed.

Re:systemd

[Anonymous Coward]

I HURD on the GNUs that he had a bunch of his kernels executed.

FTFY

Whoo

[Anonymous Coward]

He's sure enough a strange one all right.

Hitler was driving Mercedes

[aralin]

Hitler was driving Mercedes. Rich dictator fucks like expensive stuff. News at 11.

Re:Hitler was driving Mercedes

[jader3rd]

But Hitlers power base wasn't based on not working with capitalist enterprises.

Re:Hitler was driving Mercedes

[vux984]

Mercedes was a both german company and a military supplier to the german army. The parent company Daimler-Benz also produced aircraft, tanks, and submarine engines.

Hitler driving a Mercedes isn't really the same thing at all.

Re:Hitler was driving Mercedes

[HornWumpus]

No. He went more with: personally extort 10% of every contract as a kickback and if they squawk, expropriate everything.

Hitler was the richest man in history and never worked an honest day. All government work. Germany was just bigger. More alike than different.

Re:Hitler was driving Mercedes

[KGIII]

Well, he did write a book and paint some paintings. He also served and was gassed in WWI. He was a messenger, a runner, if I recall correctly. Also, there are some people who postulate that he did not write the book, Mein Kampfy Chair, all by himself. And he was in prison at the time... So, I dunno... It's not like he was doing hard time in prison. Serving in a war is work but it is, technically, government work.

I do not know what his adjusted accumulated wealth numbers would look like but I suspect he's up there. The richest? I dunno? Seems odd but lots of oddities turn out to be true.

Re:Hitler was driving Mercedes

[Threni]

Hitler used an IBM:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

Re:Hitler was driving Mercedes

[Solandri]

Hitler also started Volkswagen. See, Hitler came to power via a democratic election. So he still had to please the population to stay in power. And one of the ways he did it was by commissioning the design and construction of a small, affordable automobile which could transport a typical German family (Volkswagen literally means "people's car").

Kim Jong Un doesn't have to worry about pesky elections, so you won't be seeing any similar overtures to the North Korean people. Kinda sad when Hitler actually looks like a good guy compared to you.

Re:Hitler was driving Mercedes

[HornWumpus]

He was definitely the richest man in the 20th century.

It's only when you get into shady history that questions arise. Rothschild, the pharaoh, the pope etc.

I attribute those old giant wealth stories to mythology. Technological progress and all. Still...Rothschild? By the time that got really huge it was a family, not an individual.

Mein Kampf was a very expensive book. He did make millions on that alone. But there was a time when every 'good German' HAD to have a copy. so it's not like that wasn't affected by the politics.

Re:Hitler was driving Mercedes

[toddestan]

Yeah, it's not like Hitler was driving a Renault or a Morris. Now what would have been really funny is if Kim was seen using a Samsung or a LG computer.

Let me guess!

[Anonymous Coward]

He also poops like the rest of us.
I gotta tweet about this.

Re:Let me guess!

[Anonymous Coward]

No sir. The Supreme Leader does not poop, like the rest of us. He produces. In fact, he even does not have a toilet. As a futurist and great connoisseur of TV and film, he even personally inspired the producers of Star Trek, that in the future, nobody would need toilets anymore.

Furthermore, the rumors of the Supreme Leader using technology designed in California are false propaganda. The Dear Leader invented computers himself and learned Steve Jobs to build them properly.

sad mac

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm disappointed that Mac didn't explode as soon as it realized it was in violation of it's EULA by being in NK.

Make sense

[danbob999]

He hates freedom and his a control freak.

Think different...

[jcphil]

or we'll shoot you!

Re:Well

[Anonymous Coward]

You're afraid to write pissed?

PC's are for the Little people

[Anonymous Coward]

Its the choice of Dictators everywhere..

So how does North Korea get on the Internet?

[Anonymous Coward]

Is there a MAE West Wicked NetPop of the West or the East..

Re:Well

[BarbaraHudson]

I gave up swearing years ago, along with a few other choice words, in the real life world. Took only a week, no big deal. You'd be amazed at how many people go "really?" like they couldn't do it. Or maybe they can't.

At least people know that when I'm with them, they might have to apologize for something I say, but NOT the way I say it. Plus, people are more likely not to get distracted from your point if you're swearing like you could blister the paint off a battleship.

Seems reasonable

[fuzzyfuzzyfungus]

The guy is absolute ruler and head of a cult of personality in one of the most insular walled, er, 'gardens' on earth; so why wouldn't he be a Mac user?

He's screwed!

[wilhil6128]

Forget the UN, now Apple's lawyers are going to come after him... http://i.imgur.com/LEx7WBQ.jpg

Reason #32,768

[AndyKron]

Reason #32,768 for not owning an Apple product.

...writes the Article Reader

[Anonymous Coward]

halfway down the Comments Section.

Hitler

[Anonymous Coward]

And Hitler used IBM machines.

Huh?

[Powercntrl]

I gave up swearing years ago, along with a few other choice words, in the real life world. Took only a week, no big deal.

If it bothers you to use vulgarities, don't use them. Writing "p*ssed" instead of "pissed" just makes it look like you're trying to get around some nonexistent profanity filter. Or, maybe you were just using self-censorship to set the proper North Korea mood.

Either way, allow me to defer to the late George Carlin's thoughts on the matter of swearing.

Re:Huh?

[KGIII]

At risk of interrupting, whose life are you trying to live? And by what authority do you dictate the rules?

Err... Not that I care a whole bunch but I've been waxing philosophical all thread, I might as well keep it up.

Re:Huh?

[BarbaraHudson]

Gotta love George Carlin. However, funny doesn't equal right (except on slashdot - +5 funny mods, and the Republican primaries, where truth is stranger than fiction) :-)

Made in China

[Anonymous Coward]

Well they're made in China anyway.

Watch him inaugurate geek paradise

[Anonymous Coward]

A few monthes ago he inaugurated scientists's and geeks's paradise, a wonderful building complex full of linux computers.
The res is low but see for yourself.
Note that on newer deployments, they've switched to the Firefox Australis interface so if you're still clinging to the old ways it's really time to move on.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGGHSYSuhm0&feature=youtu.be&t=2546

at 46:27 you can see Kim Jong Un's favorite swivel chair! Trust me it deserves more attention than the Macs.

In Russia.. no wait..

[nanospook]

In North Korea.. Kim Jong-Un signs on as YOU!

Re: Well

[Anonymous Coward]

F**k you, you n**ger c*** wh***!

There... Isn't it so much more pleasant since I didn't use profanity, by your standards?

The corp I work for is also Apple centric.

[Anonymous Coward]

The common trait? Perhaps a strong authoritarian structure.

the interview quote

[Anonymous Coward]

If drinking margaritas and listening to katy perry is gay then who wants to be straight?

Walled garden

[penguinoid]

The "walled garden" reminds him of home.

Idiot

[ruir]

I hope he only uses the Mac for porn and watching KTV soap operas. Using an OS controlled by the enemy for state and personal affairs does not sound a good policy.

Re:Idiot

[ruir]

Using an OS controlled by the enemy for state and personal affairs does not sound a good policy.

Inbreeding there needs to stop

[Anonymous Coward]

If North Korea is ever going to fit in, it will have to stop the inbreeding. That's all I got to say.

In North Korea ...

[Martin S.]

The format wars lead to real deaths.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/worl...

Re:In North Korea ...

[Blaskowicz]

For all we know it's yet another general that has retired and since South Koreans have noticed he's not around anymore, here is a canned news story that he was executed. The guy will spend the next 20 years with his wife, somewhere far enough from the camera field. Sometimes you can just fire somebody, rather than fire anti-tank rounds at somebody.

News story : Apple spies report that Microsoft had Steve Ballmer executed.

But does he ever drop to a command shell?

[Anonymous Coward]

I mean does he use the thing like we do, or like our grandmas?

Old News.

[Anonymous Coward]

There are photos of him using Mac years ago. Why is this news now?

Is he really working?

[Anonymous Coward]

Obviously pics can depict certain situations, but whether or not that event is actually taking place is a different story.
Anyone notice his iMac has an unplugged ethernet?.. working hard there.