They won't even try. They might bluff a bit, but they know if they really try it, they would lose.
Because software is actually sold, not licensed (at least if you walk into a retail store, and walk out with a box) the first sale doctrine applies. They can't prohibit you from running it on a non-Apple computer unless they make you sign a license BEFORE you buy the product.
That case, therefore, would be the test case that destroyed the concept of shrink-wrap licenses once and for all. And Apple isn't going to risk that.
Re:Popularity of miniATX is validation for the Cub
on
G5 in an iMac
·
· Score: 3, Informative
The eMac isn't the type of computer I'm talking about - it's got a built-in screen, and is large and heavy.
I'm not saying it isn't near the price range that a headless cheap mac would need to be in, but it isn't quite there. I've sold several of them, but the problems with the eMac are:
1. it's not headless. If there's a screen/analog board failure, the entire computer goes down. And screen/analog board failures are not nearly rare enough on eMacs. It's one of the most common warranty repairs we do at the Apple dealer where I work.
2. it's not headless. the screen adds to the cost of the system, and some people like to be able to upgrade components without having to replace an entire computer.
3. it has NO internal expansion capability. This isn't a problem for some users, but it would be nice for others to be able to add one or two PCI cards, and maybe a second hard drive.
4. it's not easily serviceable. I've been inside enough of them to know this firsthand.
5. it's just not cheap enough. Dell offers a configuration at $499 - yeah, it's garbage, but it's there. Apple REALLY needs to have something at that price point, even if it's a G3 with a CD-ROM drive and 17" external CRT.
Apple's biggest problem at this point is marketshare - to get developers to the platform.
You don't have to tell me about the lower TCO - I've seen it firsthand, I won't sell wintel, and I don't like having to service it. (I won't touch wintel if I'm not already in a location to work on a Mac.) But many people don't look at TCO, they just see the lower initial price on the low-end hardware and won't buy Macintosh.
iMac G5 a certainty
on
G5 in an iMac
·
· Score: 4, Interesting
I think we can count on an iMac G5 in the fairly near future. The only reasons not to do it are portable marketing and an abundant supply of the current G4 units. I'm not sure what the supply of G4 iMacs is right now, but I suspect Apple is near a replacement.
The G5 is a less expensive chip, easy to cool if you underclock it, and should be a good choice for the iMac and eMac very soon.
(think about it - it's quite possibly costing Apple more money for the iMac processor chips than the G5 tower chips. that alone is a good reason to switch chips.)
Re:Popularity of miniATX is validation for the Cub
on
G5 in an iMac
·
· Score: 4, Interesting
Well, the monitors have some of the same problems. The touch switches are not incredibly reliable (Apple has gotten much better with them, so they're not as bad as the Cube switches were in the beginning) and that does cause problems.
The "cracks" were a myth. A few people who bought cubes decided that mold lines (which are present on just about all plastic products) were cracks - and the rumor spread.
That rumor IS what caused the cube to fail in the market, though. They were selling like crazy at the Apple dealer where I work until that story broke, then sales dropped to almost nothing.
I also think you're underestimating the market for a cheap headless Mac. If Apple were to ship something in the $500 range (with a useable configuration below $700) I think Apple could take a significant share of the home market. Many people want to pay nearly nothing for a computer, and Apple has no offering in that market segment - even though they've got the best value in the high end of the market.
I think a $500 box with a G4 (or even a slow G5 - if you underclock them, they're cooler and cheaper than a G4) would sell well - the only problem for Apple would be capacity to build enough of them.
And that's one I don't know. I'm sure Apple would rather not have to deal with people who have opened and screwed up their computers.
I haven't actually looked at the site - since I'm a certified portable tech, I've got the real service manuals. I don't know if the site owners will be responsive if Apple wants them to take anything down, either.
The site says that Apple requested they take down the pages.
It looks like in this case that was probably accurate - Apple asked them to. Unless they copied the pictures from Apple documentation, Apple likely didn't make them take the page down.
So unless you've got documentation as to the circumstances behind that information being removed, perhaps you shouldn't refer to it as "shut down" or say that they "had to take down" the page.
Apple may have just sent them a note saying "Hey - people are going to break their computers if you leave that up there - you might want to take it down".
Now, if you've got evidence of something more sinister, please post it. Apple certainly doesn't need to be allowed to get away with bullying people into removing material they have every right to post.
I've found that the opposite is true for me these days. My handwriting is illegible, even to me, so that has no advantage. I don't really like folding books, as it damages them, and attempting to read something printed on paper that is anywhere near white in direct sunlight is painful.
So I find the computer screen much better for reading most things, especially when you throw in the ability to search that the computer gives you.
Once upon a time, I preferred books for computer-related reference material, but with as many computers as I have handy these days, it's easier to just read it on another screen.
Actually, it appears that UK taxes are about the same as US taxes, for the average wage earner. The number (found on google) is 29.7% for the UK, 30% for the US.
it's a variable percentage of the transaction amount - sometimes plus a per-transaction fee.
Different card companies charge different rates, and the rate is generally lower if the physical card is scanned at a terminal than if the transaction happens on the internet or over the phone.
A general rule of thumb is that if you don't like a merchant, use an american express card - they normally charge the highest rates.
The reason I say that is that a "pulse" is generated every time you pick up ANY phone - dialing pulse is just quickly doing hang-up/pick-up cycles. If you're talented enough, you can actually dial with a switchhook.
I think the occasional lightning hit in this area is MUCH more likely to damage the modem, and I don't really have the luxury of unplugging for storms. I just have to hope that the UPSs can take the surge, and I have a spare router handy just in case.
But the DSL router is fairly well protected anyway - I've actually got a splitter outside instead of dongles at the outlets. The dongles don't filter nearly as well as the splitter, and I was getting tired of hearing DSL noise on the phone line.
I even put in one of the old 4-prong jacks just so I could plug it in.
(it's a candlestick style that looks good in my living room, I already had the phone and the jack, and it still works just fine.)
Of course, I also have a 5.8GHz cordless... because 2.4 might interfere with the 802.11, and I'd be really annoyed if I couldn't use the DSL from anywhere in the house if I want to.
The Apple Extended Keyboard DID NOT use the same keyswitches as the IBM keyboards. It had a bit softer feel (I always thought those old IBM KBs were a bit jarring to the fingers) and was MUCH quieter.
You could actually be in a room with one, and not think somebody was being machinegunned.
In my opinion, the Apple Extended Keyboard II was not only the best KB ever built by Apple, but the best KB every built - period.
It's quite possible to print to a shared Mac printer from Windows.
Mac OS X uses Samba for Windows sharing, and Samba includes the ability to share printers. It can be configured easily by using Webmin (http://www.webmin.com/) which is free software, or you can edit/etc/smb.conf directly.
Well, the real origin of the problem we've got now is Washington. Many years ago, the cable companies had to make agreements with local governments that specified such things as the maximum price they could charge. The Reagan and Bush I administrations pushed through deregulation that voided most of the provisions of those contracts, but kept the monopoly status awarded by them.
There were also provisions that required the cable companies to carry local programming in their basic lineup, and prohibited local television stations from charging them to do so. Those went away.
So, in order to fix the problem they created, Washington is going to have to be involved.
Slashdot Mirror
so nobody produces games for the Mac? That's a real surprise to me.
Please quit posting crap like that. It's just not true.
They won't even try. They might bluff a bit, but they know if they really try it, they would lose.
Because software is actually sold, not licensed (at least if you walk into a retail store, and walk out with a box) the first sale doctrine applies. They can't prohibit you from running it on a non-Apple computer unless they make you sign a license BEFORE you buy the product.
That case, therefore, would be the test case that destroyed the concept of shrink-wrap licenses once and for all. And Apple isn't going to risk that.
The eMac isn't the type of computer I'm talking about - it's got a built-in screen, and is large and heavy.
I'm not saying it isn't near the price range that a headless cheap mac would need to be in, but it isn't quite there. I've sold several of them, but the problems with the eMac are:
1. it's not headless. If there's a screen/analog board failure, the entire computer goes down. And screen/analog board failures are not nearly rare enough on eMacs. It's one of the most common warranty repairs we do at the Apple dealer where I work.
2. it's not headless. the screen adds to the cost of the system, and some people like to be able to upgrade components without having to replace an entire computer.
3. it has NO internal expansion capability. This isn't a problem for some users, but it would be nice for others to be able to add one or two PCI cards, and maybe a second hard drive.
4. it's not easily serviceable. I've been inside enough of them to know this firsthand.
5. it's just not cheap enough. Dell offers a configuration at $499 - yeah, it's garbage, but it's there. Apple REALLY needs to have something at that price point, even if it's a G3 with a CD-ROM drive and 17" external CRT.
Apple's biggest problem at this point is marketshare - to get developers to the platform.
You don't have to tell me about the lower TCO - I've seen it firsthand, I won't sell wintel, and I don't like having to service it. (I won't touch wintel if I'm not already in a location to work on a Mac.) But many people don't look at TCO, they just see the lower initial price on the low-end hardware and won't buy Macintosh.
I think we can count on an iMac G5 in the fairly near future. The only reasons not to do it are portable marketing and an abundant supply of the current G4 units. I'm not sure what the supply of G4 iMacs is right now, but I suspect Apple is near a replacement.
The G5 is a less expensive chip, easy to cool if you underclock it, and should be a good choice for the iMac and eMac very soon.
(think about it - it's quite possibly costing Apple more money for the iMac processor chips than the G5 tower chips. that alone is a good reason to switch chips.)
Well, the monitors have some of the same problems. The touch switches are not incredibly reliable (Apple has gotten much better with them, so they're not as bad as the Cube switches were in the beginning) and that does cause problems.
The "cracks" were a myth. A few people who bought cubes decided that mold lines (which are present on just about all plastic products) were cracks - and the rumor spread.
That rumor IS what caused the cube to fail in the market, though. They were selling like crazy at the Apple dealer where I work until that story broke, then sales dropped to almost nothing.
I also think you're underestimating the market for a cheap headless Mac. If Apple were to ship something in the $500 range (with a useable configuration below $700) I think Apple could take a significant share of the home market. Many people want to pay nearly nothing for a computer, and Apple has no offering in that market segment - even though they've got the best value in the high end of the market.
I think a $500 box with a G4 (or even a slow G5 - if you underclock them, they're cooler and cheaper than a G4) would sell well - the only problem for Apple would be capacity to build enough of them.
And that's one I don't know. I'm sure Apple would rather not have to deal with people who have opened and screwed up their computers.
I haven't actually looked at the site - since I'm a certified portable tech, I've got the real service manuals. I don't know if the site owners will be responsive if Apple wants them to take anything down, either.
The site says that Apple requested they take down the pages.
It looks like in this case that was probably accurate - Apple asked them to. Unless they copied the pictures from Apple documentation, Apple likely didn't make them take the page down.
So unless you've got documentation as to the circumstances behind that information being removed, perhaps you shouldn't refer to it as "shut down" or say that they "had to take down" the page.
Apple may have just sent them a note saying "Hey - people are going to break their computers if you leave that up there - you might want to take it down".
Now, if you've got evidence of something more sinister, please post it. Apple certainly doesn't need to be allowed to get away with bullying people into removing material they have every right to post.
I've found that the opposite is true for me these days. My handwriting is illegible, even to me, so that has no advantage. I don't really like folding books, as it damages them, and attempting to read something printed on paper that is anywhere near white in direct sunlight is painful.
So I find the computer screen much better for reading most things, especially when you throw in the ability to search that the computer gives you.
Once upon a time, I preferred books for computer-related reference material, but with as many computers as I have handy these days, it's easier to just read it on another screen.
and that site is now down, it resolves to www.seeq.com.
Actually, it appears that UK taxes are about the same as US taxes, for the average wage earner. The number (found on google) is 29.7% for the UK, 30% for the US.
it's a variable percentage of the transaction amount - sometimes plus a per-transaction fee.
Different card companies charge different rates, and the rate is generally lower if the physical card is scanned at a terminal than if the transaction happens on the internet or over the phone.
A general rule of thumb is that if you don't like a merchant, use an american express card - they normally charge the highest rates.
The percentage rarely goes as high as 5%, though.
But don't forget the G5.
It's VERY price-competitive unless you're looking at homebuilt boxes, and comes in a convenient rack-mount case.
And Mac OS X really is a *nix.
I think that's a bit of a myth...
The reason I say that is that a "pulse" is generated every time you pick up ANY phone - dialing pulse is just quickly doing hang-up/pick-up cycles. If you're talented enough, you can actually dial with a switchhook.
I think the occasional lightning hit in this area is MUCH more likely to damage the modem, and I don't really have the luxury of unplugging for storms. I just have to hope that the UPSs can take the surge, and I have a spare router handy just in case.
But the DSL router is fairly well protected anyway - I've actually got a splitter outside instead of dongles at the outlets. The dongles don't filter nearly as well as the splitter, and I was getting tired of hearing DSL noise on the phone line.
612 Scaglietti - it's available with an automatic.
Actually, I just installed a rotary phone.
I even put in one of the old 4-prong jacks just so I could plug it in.
(it's a candlestick style that looks good in my living room, I already had the phone and the jack, and it still works just fine.)
Of course, I also have a 5.8GHz cordless... because 2.4 might interfere with the 802.11, and I'd be really annoyed if I couldn't use the DSL from anywhere in the house if I want to.
hmmm... my memory is failing...
what was the difference between the Mac XL keyboard and the Lisa keyboard? (I've got a Lisa)
And I've used the Mac XL - it's just been years.
I think I've used just about every US keyboard type Apple's ever released - all the way back to the original Apple II.
OK, guess this one had better be debunked.
The Apple Extended Keyboard DID NOT use the same keyswitches as the IBM keyboards. It had a bit softer feel (I always thought those old IBM KBs were a bit jarring to the fingers) and was MUCH quieter.
You could actually be in a room with one, and not think somebody was being machinegunned.
In my opinion, the Apple Extended Keyboard II was not only the best KB ever built by Apple, but the best KB every built - period.
I'm a Soviet Russian, you insensitive clod!
And I can certainly imagine a Beowulf cluster of "communication"!
Step 1: Get Beowulf cluster of "communication"
Step 2: ???
Step 3: Profit!!!
Is that better?
well, the problem was with ns1, ns2, and ns3.vasoftware.com - for a bit, those machines seemed not to be responding.
strangely, tracerouting ns1.vasoftware.com ended up with dogmatix.vasoftware.com - which did know slashdot's IP address.
that's how I got here.
but everything seems to be working now. I think ns1.vasoftware.com changed its IP address today.
well, yes, that would work... but it just seems to be so... kludgy.
I'm just not sure I can bring myself to do it, unless their DNS stays broken for a while - even though it would only take me about 30 seconds.
(offtopic a bit)
Is anybody else having trouble with slashdot DNS?
I had to get here with the IP address today. It seems that I'm unable to reach the NSx.VASOFTWARE.COM hosts today.
It deletes the file.
The game keeps going - until you quit, but then you can't launch it again.
(at least this is the behavior on Mac OS X)
It's quite possible to print to a shared Mac printer from Windows.
/etc/smb.conf directly.
Mac OS X uses Samba for Windows sharing, and Samba includes the ability to share printers. It can be configured easily by using Webmin (http://www.webmin.com/) which is free software, or you can edit
Well, the real origin of the problem we've got now is Washington. Many years ago, the cable companies had to make agreements with local governments that specified such things as the maximum price they could charge. The Reagan and Bush I administrations pushed through deregulation that voided most of the provisions of those contracts, but kept the monopoly status awarded by them.
There were also provisions that required the cable companies to carry local programming in their basic lineup, and prohibited local television stations from charging them to do so. Those went away.
So, in order to fix the problem they created, Washington is going to have to be involved.
A public school IS the government... There is NO difference.