Man, that is so true. Every project manager at my work is "forced" to carry a Blackberry, but most of them have their own personal iPhones. I tried to get some desktop support for my iPhone (just iTunes and the USB cradle) and was laughed at, but the first PM that asked for it got it. Most PMs use their iPhones by choice and their Blackberry only because they have to.
The camera is integral to many Mac-centric homes, however. It's all part of the "just works" mystique about Macs. Two Mac users plug in each others' iChat name and their off. I've struggled for years and years trying to make reliable video chat connections with PC-PC and PC-Mac, but Mac-Mac (with the camera on every model except the pro for the past few years) always just works. The typical user of this device will probably like the ability to video conference or sex-chat (perhaps both at the same time, if they have a really cool job).
Ahh..my bad. I have a Macbook, and I guess I just don't consider the way the battery is tucked away underneath really to be "easy" like the pc ones I'm used to (swap right in/out, no coins needed). But now I see some of the other comments and the point with the Air is that you can't even get to the battery...got it. Still, a non-issue for most people that would consider this machine in the first place.
It hasn't been an issue (for most people) on the existing Macbook models, so what's the fuss now? Last trans-Atlantic flight I was on (December) had electrical outlets in the seats (even in coach).
I agree with your points (very well stated, btw), but I just have no confidence in Joe Consumer. Trying to convince a multi-year MS Office user that Open Office is somehow better is impossible. It doesn't help when the features are less robust and don't always work exactly as promised. The "openess" of it is a definite plus, but is outweighed by the fact most people see Open Office as being not as good as Office.
The other thing, (and this is a Microcosm of being a Mac advocate for the past 20 years) is that people "think" they have to use the "standard". They are afraid to get away from whatever crap they use in the office, even if they never use office stuff for home use. I've lost track of how many relatives I have that have had to replace their home pc every year or so, when they could have just bought a Mac about 5 years ago and still be using it today.
In summary, I've been showing people better stuff for years, and that hasn't made a difference. Perhaps "better" combined with "free" is what it will take, because frankly, I don't see average Joe ever having the slightest clue about the concept of "crippleware".
That's not realistic. Most people hear your words, but in their brain they hear "Apple makes good products and they'll be around a while longer". Substitute Apple for Microsoft if you must, but it's still the same.
Dude, good parents like me fire up three WOW accounts and meet up with their children in Azeroth for a few hours a day (usually in the same room, so we can talk without the stupid game-speak thingy).
People retarded enough to want a v-chip to do their parenting, ironically are too retarded to figure out how to use the v-chip. Even more ironic is their kids are smarter than their parents and just defeat the controls anyway. Substitute "MySpace Controls" for "V-chip" to bring this sad story into the 21st century.
Greater stability and compatibility isn't always a perception. Apple hardware/software combinations come to mind. But yeah, Microsoft is a pretty bad example though.
Not only is this beyond your power as President, it's beyond the power of the federal government. Drivers licenses are regulated by the individual states.
There's nothing against a federal minimum standard though. Leave it up to the States, but pull their funding if they don't meet basic standards. I hate the "States rights" argument when it over reaches its bounds. I'm not sure this does, but it is always a lame-o cop-out from the States-Rights! crowd. We are the United States, implying some sense of unity, no?
Legalize marijuana and prostitution, but outlaw the legal right to participate in politics via lobbying? Release terrorists back to the wild? Destroy the concept that a corporation founded in the US isn't given the protection due to "US Persons", as have all US corporations for the past 100+ years? "Fix" the EPA by applying "your" standards? I'll vote Kucinich before I vote for you!
OpenOffice has been around for at least 8 years, so I fail to see your point.
The point you fail to see is that I said "common person". The common person doesn't know OpenOffice has longevity, because the common person has never heard of it. Even if they do discover it, they'll be leery to switch to it out of the (mostly false) perception that it might just go away since it isn't Microsoft Office. People are dumb like that.
But to the common person, Microsoft Office will be around in 10 years. Will Open Office? Just because it is free and open source doesn't ensure it will be around years from now, or that the open standards it uses will even be standards down the road. This is why I have no problem with lock-in. The market corrects itself, and there will always be programs that convert old to new. I can probably even find you a hypercard-to-flash converter right now, for example.
Well you said "free software". I would agree that Open Source is related to freedom but I don't agree that free software has anything to do with freedom. I mean, if MS Office were free, would we be any more free as a people?
Most FOSS is only "free" if your time is worthless
No kidding! I've been trying to install GIMP on OS X off and on for months now. I don't want to slave over pages and pages of discussion forums to figure out how to get it installed. Open Office, on the other hand, is awesome.
VLC crashes in full screen mode if you fast forward or rewind on every computer I own (mix of Macs and PCs). This is a huge hit to the credibility of FOSS, even though it is the best player for multi-formats I've found (in spite of the crashes). For some reason, people accept buggy, crashing commercial software, but give up on FOSS if it isn't rock solid.
The perspective you need to focus on for non-techies is to show that Firefox is more stable and faster than Internet Explorer. It is also critical to point out that 99% of everything works on Firefox too. As a lifelong Macintosh advocate, I'm well versed in seeing people bitch and moan for that 1% of time that something doesn't work on any sort of Microsoft alternative.
Most people aren't aware of alternatives, because they got used to going online and downloading "shareware" or "freeware" They don't realize that there are full-featured Office alternatives out there that are much more than just some little shareware program. My coworker (at a software company) has never even heard of Firefox either! Making them aware of the alternative is step #1. But I would suggest not making step #1 until the FOSS is ready. As long as it is free, EASY TO INSTALL (cough, not GIMP, cough), and "almost" as good as Microsoft Office, people will start using it in droves. Right now, though, people see too many glitches and quirks that make it not worth their time.
Slashdot Mirror
Man, that is so true. Every project manager at my work is "forced" to carry a Blackberry, but most of them have their own personal iPhones. I tried to get some desktop support for my iPhone (just iTunes and the USB cradle) and was laughed at, but the first PM that asked for it got it. Most PMs use their iPhones by choice and their Blackberry only because they have to.
Somebody didn't look at the product. Or even read the slashdot summary, for that matter. (hint: Remote Disk)
The camera is integral to many Mac-centric homes, however. It's all part of the "just works" mystique about Macs. Two Mac users plug in each others' iChat name and their off. I've struggled for years and years trying to make reliable video chat connections with PC-PC and PC-Mac, but Mac-Mac (with the camera on every model except the pro for the past few years) always just works. The typical user of this device will probably like the ability to video conference or sex-chat (perhaps both at the same time, if they have a really cool job).
Ahh..my bad. I have a Macbook, and I guess I just don't consider the way the battery is tucked away underneath really to be "easy" like the pc ones I'm used to (swap right in/out, no coins needed). But now I see some of the other comments and the point with the Air is that you can't even get to the battery...got it. Still, a non-issue for most people that would consider this machine in the first place.
It hasn't been an issue (for most people) on the existing Macbook models, so what's the fuss now? Last trans-Atlantic flight I was on (December) had electrical outlets in the seats (even in coach).
The other thing, (and this is a Microcosm of being a Mac advocate for the past 20 years) is that people "think" they have to use the "standard". They are afraid to get away from whatever crap they use in the office, even if they never use office stuff for home use. I've lost track of how many relatives I have that have had to replace their home pc every year or so, when they could have just bought a Mac about 5 years ago and still be using it today.
In summary, I've been showing people better stuff for years, and that hasn't made a difference. Perhaps "better" combined with "free" is what it will take, because frankly, I don't see average Joe ever having the slightest clue about the concept of "crippleware".
That's not realistic. Most people hear your words, but in their brain they hear "Apple makes good products and they'll be around a while longer". Substitute Apple for Microsoft if you must, but it's still the same.
Dude, good parents like me fire up three WOW accounts and meet up with their children in Azeroth for a few hours a day (usually in the same room, so we can talk without the stupid game-speak thingy).
You've never been in the military and deployed all around the globe, I take it?
People retarded enough to want a v-chip to do their parenting, ironically are too retarded to figure out how to use the v-chip. Even more ironic is their kids are smarter than their parents and just defeat the controls anyway. Substitute "MySpace Controls" for "V-chip" to bring this sad story into the 21st century.
User Stewbacca sends a friend request to xXxSmileyMileyCheerGirl95xXx. Add Stewbacca to Friends?
Say what you want about Texas, but aren't we the only State that skipped this fluff altogether?
Greater stability and compatibility isn't always a perception. Apple hardware/software combinations come to mind. But yeah, Microsoft is a pretty bad example though.
Legalize marijuana and prostitution, but outlaw the legal right to participate in politics via lobbying? Release terrorists back to the wild? Destroy the concept that a corporation founded in the US isn't given the protection due to "US Persons", as have all US corporations for the past 100+ years? "Fix" the EPA by applying "your" standards? I'll vote Kucinich before I vote for you!
But to the common person, Microsoft Office will be around in 10 years. Will Open Office? Just because it is free and open source doesn't ensure it will be around years from now, or that the open standards it uses will even be standards down the road. This is why I have no problem with lock-in. The market corrects itself, and there will always be programs that convert old to new. I can probably even find you a hypercard-to-flash converter right now, for example.
Well you said "free software". I would agree that Open Source is related to freedom but I don't agree that free software has anything to do with freedom. I mean, if MS Office were free, would we be any more free as a people?
You'll lose nearly every person this article is intended for if you mention "vendor lock-in". Normal people don't care.
VLC crashes in full screen mode if you fast forward or rewind on every computer I own (mix of Macs and PCs). This is a huge hit to the credibility of FOSS, even though it is the best player for multi-formats I've found (in spite of the crashes). For some reason, people accept buggy, crashing commercial software, but give up on FOSS if it isn't rock solid.
The perspective you need to focus on for non-techies is to show that Firefox is more stable and faster than Internet Explorer. It is also critical to point out that 99% of everything works on Firefox too. As a lifelong Macintosh advocate, I'm well versed in seeing people bitch and moan for that 1% of time that something doesn't work on any sort of Microsoft alternative.
That's a bit presumptious. I see no correlation between free software and freedom in the classical American sense.
Most people aren't aware of alternatives, because they got used to going online and downloading "shareware" or "freeware" They don't realize that there are full-featured Office alternatives out there that are much more than just some little shareware program. My coworker (at a software company) has never even heard of Firefox either! Making them aware of the alternative is step #1. But I would suggest not making step #1 until the FOSS is ready. As long as it is free, EASY TO INSTALL (cough, not GIMP, cough), and "almost" as good as Microsoft Office, people will start using it in droves. Right now, though, people see too many glitches and quirks that make it not worth their time.