Apple controls 80% of the portable media player market and has shipped over 60M devices while Microsoft hasn't even set a price for the Zune (their SECOND attempt after the failed PlaysForSure campaign) and you are saying they are the leaders in digital media?
Engadget recently interviewed an MS Corporate VP regarding the Zune and how Microsoft explains the lack of supporting "Plays For Sure". The resulting statements from this Microsoft Exec are truly worrisome:
E: "PlaysForSure was the thrust of Microsoft's strategy until the announcement of the Zune. How does PlaysForSure fit into Microsoft's strategy going forward?" MS: "...There's another class of consumers that just want to get digital media, and they just want to be able to go to one store and have it all..." E: "Wasn't that the point of PlaysForSure?" MS: "...Zune says there is no choice; you get a Zune device, you hook it up to the Zune service, and it just works."
Yikes! I thought the iPod was evil because Apple didn't give me a choice...now it seems no choice is just what the doctor ordered! How stupid does Microsoft think we are?
Yeah..buy a DVD on Amazon for $14.99 (O'Brother Where art Thou? as a random comparison) then pay $6.48 for two-day shipping...then spend an hour or two converting it to play on your iPod.
Or just pay $9.99 for it on iTunes and get it in 30 minutes in a format you can take on the road or play on your computer or TV (via iPod 5G with S-video connection).
I'l go with saving over 50% and getting it in 30 minutes, not 2 days.
Then there's the question that *really* puzzles me. I... find out even point releases are sold seperately as upgrades. Is it just me or does that make it look like Micrsoft is really doing *me* a favor, namely by continuing to update and support their software platform until its end of life?
Let me help solve your little puzzle here. It is all about marketing. Apple's OS were numbered before 7...8...9 etc.
OS X (OS 10) was so very radical (because it is really Next's Unix OS) that they changed numbering conventions.
The shift from 10.n to 10.n+1 is not the same as the shift from 9 to 10. They denoted that buy going from 9 to X.
The reality is that as OS upgrades go, Apple's "point releases" are pretty major releases. 10.4 introduced sevreal "Core" improvements that allow app developers deap hooks into the OS for graphics and audio. 10.5 is slated to offer a new "Core Animation" - a major upgrade in OS speak. Other system level enhancements like Spotlight (Tiger) and Time Machine (Leopard) are significant because they are not just application bolt ons a la Google Desktop (which I love) because they expose themselves at the system level to the developer who can take advantage of them natively.
I hope this helps clarify the misconception that Apple has been releasing point-releases of their OS for the past 5 years.
What does this mean for users of RAID 1 mirroring or even RAID 5 striping to protect their data?
We use RAID 5 in our data center as a way to reduce the reliance on backup tapes. Obviously if our data center goes up and the fire supression can't handle it then we loose the entire RAID and have to go back to offsite backups, but if there is a fire on a drive that is just mm from it's backup, what then?
I am about to invest sevreal hundred dollars in a RAID 1 mirror for my home due to my growing digital media collection. I don't want to put drives side by said, assuming they will mirror one another, if they might both catch fire.
Maybe I need two drives in separate parts of the house or use a WAN to mirror. Yeah, that would be fast:(
I don't see this as nearly as big an issue...you buy a song for $0.99... then you rip off the DRM (instead or re-ripping from CD)...net to Apple? You paid $0.99 for a song and did what you want with it.
Now mvoe to Microsoft DRM...you pay $5.99 for unlimited access to a million Napster songs. You then rip the DRM. Net to Napster? You paid $5.99 for 1,000,000 songs.
...it is the fault of APPLE which REFUSES to license FairPlay to anyone.
Apple licensed Fairplay to Motorola who currently sells two versions of their phones, the ROKR and popular RAZR, with iTunes playback capability.
What is the difference between Apple "refusing" to license Fiarplay at a low price and 3rd parties (except for motorola) refusing to meet Apple's price for Fiarplay?
Publicly traded companies and their spam
on
Buy Low, Spam High
·
· Score: 4, Interesting
I wonder if it is against NASDQ/NYSE/etc exchange rules for a company to knowingly engage or have a 3rd party engage in unsolicited spam to promote the stock.
If it is NOT, then I think it should be. I could see how a spammer who is long or short on a stock could do this without the company knowing, but if it could be proven, perhaps it would be analogous to issuing a public statement by the company.
It appears that support for some Mac specific hardware - like the built in iSight cameras in Mac Books, and right-mouse-click functionality with the track pad are big usability improvements in this release.
Since you won't have to repartition or reinstall to upgrade, this looks like a great update for Mac laptop users
I am not a Wii-news-of-the-day reader so would someone kindly summarize what is known (not guessed) about the: - Wii release date range - Wii console pricing range - Wii game pricing range
We have Vista Beta in our office. The OS is a memory and processor hog. Now I know "but it's beta" and all that MS appologist crap, but the same box it is on screams with Linux and is quite capable with XP. All the computer pros in our office who have messed with this Vista Beta are already looking at their existing systems and deciding what all they will have to upgrade to make it Vista compatible.
Bottom line is, a > $500 desktop from Dell isn't going to run Vista for crap where as today you can buy and old Apple iMac on eBay for the same money and you can run Tiger.
If you honestly think that the wire of a mouse with a useful life of 5+ years pollutes more than the energy to operate a similar wireless mouse during that same time period then you are a fool.
Energy does not have to come from a power plant that polutes the environment... Hydro-electricity, windmills and solar panels are but a tiny part of non-oil energy sources. I find it appalling that so many people think that you need oil to make electricity...
My post made no mention of a specific energy source be it "oil", "nukes", "ng", or "coal".
The sources you listed, Hydro, Wind, and Solar are excellent alternatives but they carry their own weight in environmental impact and therefore, they "pollute".
In being a good steward of our planet (Genesis 2 Adam was put in the Garden to tend to it), I tend to try to reduce consumption first, then try to find good alternatives for the resources I do need to consume. I will never require a wireless device that remains virtually static throughout it's useful life.
If energy was free and didn't have to come from some power plant that poluted the environment, then yeah, wireless me up. Problem is that yoru wireless keyboard takes AA batteries that have to be manufactured, charged, and disposed of. What, so you don't have to look at a thin cable running to the edge of your desk? My keyboard cable doesn't kill me.
Yeah, I see WIFI in notebooks as making sense...but on a desktop? I don't move my desktop...I ran CAT5 to my office and I get faster performance and don't waste electricity on the WAP or my box.
Same goes for peripherals like wireless printers...HUH? Is this a real problem?
This guy is looking for an excuse as to why he can't possible be expected to calculate AAPL earnings with accuracy because he has been given the number in a 1 + 1 = 10 fassion and doesn't know how to read binary.
Like 99% of consumers, I could care less about this debate. As an AAPL share holder, I like the protectionism Apple displays. That the CFO doesn't cow too the insistance of analysts to slice and dice his numbers is refreshing. Apple isn't in the business of providing stock informaiton. Yes, they need the capital investment from the public market but they are far from breaking any SEC regulations so it really is up to analysts liek this guy to decide if they want to buy for their portfolio, or in his case, rate the stock as a buy or sell.
These aren't "innovations" in any sense of the word. It's systematic small tweaks and mods - don't read me as saying they've not been getting better, they have - but it's not the "OMG!!! APPLE HAVE REVOLUTIONISED THE INDUSTRY BY GOING FROM A 40 TO A 60 GIG DRIVE!" that some people like to believe.
Your reductio ad absurdum won't work on me...
No one argues a 50% increase in hard drive size is innovative...what _is_ innovative is that Apple invented a device that no only could store tousands of MP3s on a pocket size device (Rio had a device that did it, though tit required one hellova pocket) but that they also had an interface that took one finger to easily browse the well ordered music.
it is the iPod click wheel (and obviously the software too) that made the iPod a success.
Plus, the nano is like a remote control for the Death Star...
First, Apple does make money off the iTunes Music Store. Check out any of their quarterly earnings calls.
Second, What if I want to run Internet Explorer on Linux? Does Microsoft needs to "simply have to give others the required information (and/or license it?)" so that Linux runs Windows programs without the Windows OS? (WINE) It makes no sense.
Consider Divx-DVDs or Play Station Portable movies or console video games for that matter. They are all media for a specific platform. If a consumer chooses the iPod/iTunes platform, they are making that choice freely. If they choose generic player/WMA they make that choice freely. But it doesn't entitle them to get a free pass over to the other platform just because they are both "music". They are no more entitled than a VHS consumer is to switch to Beta, etc., etc, etc, etc, etc...
People always said iPods and iTunes were like razors and razor blades...
If so, then where are the laws saying my Company A razor blade has to work with my Company B razor. I don't want to have to pay $5 for the Company A razor when I already have one that does pretty much the same thing from Company B. I know there is a solution called "Super Glue" (e.g. burn to CD and rip) but that would require me to buy Super Glue (blank CDs) so in some screwed up world we call Franch, that is unreasonable so what _is_ reasonable is to have Company B make their razor accept Company A blades. There, now everyone is happy... except Company A and Company A shareholders.
If anyone actually knows and is not just speculating, what are the issues/warnings/pitfalls with using Parallels to run a.NET development environment?
Does Parallels run and entire Windows OS in the window (with start button, etc) or does it just run the App?
I love my Mac at home and would like to work from home but I have to use IIS, Visual Studio, and SQL Server to do that. I know Boot Camp can handle the task, but I'd really love to do my coding and have my iTunes, Mail, iChat, etc all running in OS X too.
I never have seen a WMP-less Windows installed anywhere. Even in Europe, we have lost...
You must be French
---
Most significant thing this announcement says is that even within MSFT they don't have the confidence in WMP 11's URGE (co-developed with MTV) to put all their eggs in that basket.
Slashdot Mirror
You must be out of your freaking mind.
Apple controls 80% of the portable media player market and has shipped over 60M devices while Microsoft hasn't even set a price for the Zune (their SECOND attempt after the failed PlaysForSure campaign) and you are saying they are the leaders in digital media?
Theese people knocked the snot out of Kleenax.
Engadget recently interviewed an MS Corporate VP regarding the Zune and how Microsoft explains the lack of supporting "Plays For Sure". The resulting statements from this Microsoft Exec are truly worrisome:
Full Article Here"
E: "PlaysForSure was the thrust of Microsoft's strategy until the announcement of the Zune. How does PlaysForSure fit into Microsoft's strategy going forward?"
MS: "...There's another class of consumers that just want to get digital media, and they just want to be able to go to one store and have it all..."
E: "Wasn't that the point of PlaysForSure?"
MS: "...Zune says there is no choice; you get a Zune device, you hook it up to the Zune service, and it just works."
Yikes! I thought the iPod was evil because Apple didn't give me a choice...now it seems no choice is just what the doctor ordered! How stupid does Microsoft think we are?
Yeah..buy a DVD on Amazon for $14.99 (O'Brother Where art Thou? as a random comparison) then pay $6.48 for two-day shipping...then spend an hour or two converting it to play on your iPod.
Or just pay $9.99 for it on iTunes and get it in 30 minutes in a format you can take on the road or play on your computer or TV (via iPod 5G with S-video connection).
I'l go with saving over 50% and getting it in 30 minutes, not 2 days.
Then there's the question that *really* puzzles me. I ... find out even point releases are sold seperately as upgrades. Is it just me or does that make it look like Micrsoft is really doing *me* a favor, namely by continuing to update and support their software platform until its end of life?
Let me help solve your little puzzle here. It is all about marketing. Apple's OS were numbered before 7...8...9 etc.
OS X (OS 10) was so very radical (because it is really Next's Unix OS) that they changed numbering conventions.
The shift from 10.n to 10.n+1 is not the same as the shift from 9 to 10. They denoted that buy going from 9 to X.
The reality is that as OS upgrades go, Apple's "point releases" are pretty major releases. 10.4 introduced sevreal "Core" improvements that allow app developers deap hooks into the OS for graphics and audio. 10.5 is slated to offer a new "Core Animation" - a major upgrade in OS speak. Other system level enhancements like Spotlight (Tiger) and Time Machine (Leopard) are significant because they are not just application bolt ons a la Google Desktop (which I love) because they expose themselves at the system level to the developer who can take advantage of them natively.
I hope this helps clarify the misconception that Apple has been releasing point-releases of their OS for the past 5 years.
What does this mean for users of RAID 1 mirroring or even RAID 5 striping to protect their data?
:(
We use RAID 5 in our data center as a way to reduce the reliance on backup tapes. Obviously if our data center goes up and the fire supression can't handle it then we loose the entire RAID and have to go back to offsite backups, but if there is a fire on a drive that is just mm from it's backup, what then?
I am about to invest sevreal hundred dollars in a RAID 1 mirror for my home due to my growing digital media collection. I don't want to put drives side by said, assuming they will mirror one another, if they might both catch fire.
Maybe I need two drives in separate parts of the house or use a WAN to mirror. Yeah, that would be fast
I don't see this as nearly as big an issue...you buy a song for $0.99 ... then you rip off the DRM (instead or re-ripping from CD)...net to Apple? You paid $0.99 for a song and did what you want with it.
Now mvoe to Microsoft DRM...you pay $5.99 for unlimited access to a million Napster songs. You then rip the DRM. Net to Napster? You paid $5.99 for 1,000,000 songs.
I have never been to mySpace (or AOL) and I am neither an old fart, nor do I live with my mother.
In closing, my tag line and kick your tag line's ass.
...it is the fault of APPLE which REFUSES to license FairPlay to anyone.
Apple licensed Fairplay to Motorola who currently sells two versions of their phones, the ROKR and popular RAZR, with iTunes playback capability.
What is the difference between Apple "refusing" to license Fiarplay at a low price and 3rd parties (except for motorola) refusing to meet Apple's price for Fiarplay?
I wonder if it is against NASDQ/NYSE/etc exchange rules for a company to knowingly engage or have a 3rd party engage in unsolicited spam to promote the stock.
If it is NOT, then I think it should be. I could see how a spammer who is long or short on a stock could do this without the company knowing, but if it could be proven, perhaps it would be analogous to issuing a public statement by the company.
Thoughts?
I haven't tested this. I am sure Apple covers the specifics in the release notes.
It appears that support for some Mac specific hardware - like the built in iSight cameras in Mac Books, and right-mouse-click functionality with the track pad are big usability improvements in this release.
Since you won't have to repartition or reinstall to upgrade, this looks like a great update for Mac laptop users
Mods...a little help over here please...
How is a post about the pricing of the Wii rated "offtopic" in a discussion titled "Nintendo confirms free on-line play for Wii"?
I am not a Wii-news-of-the-day reader so would someone kindly summarize what is known (not guessed) about the:
- Wii release date range
- Wii console pricing range
- Wii game pricing range
We have Vista Beta in our office. The OS is a memory and processor hog. Now I know "but it's beta" and all that MS appologist crap, but the same box it is on screams with Linux and is quite capable with XP. All the computer pros in our office who have messed with this Vista Beta are already looking at their existing systems and deciding what all they will have to upgrade to make it Vista compatible.
Bottom line is, a > $500 desktop from Dell isn't going to run Vista for crap where as today you can buy and old Apple iMac on eBay for the same money and you can run Tiger.
If you honestly think that the wire of a mouse with a useful life of 5+ years pollutes more than the energy to operate a similar wireless mouse during that same time period then you are a fool.
My post made no mention of a specific energy source be it "oil", "nukes", "ng", or "coal".
Before I continue, I will share that I am a Green Mountain Energy customer.
The sources you listed, Hydro, Wind, and Solar are excellent alternatives but they carry their own weight in environmental impact and therefore, they "pollute".
In being a good steward of our planet (Genesis 2 Adam was put in the Garden to tend to it), I tend to try to reduce consumption first, then try to find good alternatives for the resources I do need to consume. I will never require a wireless device that remains virtually static throughout it's useful life.
If energy was free and didn't have to come from some power plant that poluted the environment, then yeah, wireless me up. Problem is that yoru wireless keyboard takes AA batteries that have to be manufactured, charged, and disposed of. What, so you don't have to look at a thin cable running to the edge of your desk? My keyboard cable doesn't kill me.
Yeah, I see WIFI in notebooks as making sense...but on a desktop? I don't move my desktop...I ran CAT5 to my office and I get faster performance and don't waste electricity on the WAP or my box.
Same goes for peripherals like wireless printers...HUH? Is this a real problem?
This guy is looking for an excuse as to why he can't possible be expected to calculate AAPL earnings with accuracy because he has been given the number in a 1 + 1 = 10 fassion and doesn't know how to read binary.
Like 99% of consumers, I could care less about this debate. As an AAPL share holder, I like the protectionism Apple displays. That the CFO doesn't cow too the insistance of analysts to slice and dice his numbers is refreshing. Apple isn't in the business of providing stock informaiton. Yes, they need the capital investment from the public market but they are far from breaking any SEC regulations so it really is up to analysts liek this guy to decide if they want to buy for their portfolio, or in his case, rate the stock as a buy or sell.
These aren't "innovations" in any sense of the word. It's systematic small tweaks and mods - don't read me as saying they've not been getting better, they have - but it's not the "OMG!!! APPLE HAVE REVOLUTIONISED THE INDUSTRY BY GOING FROM A 40 TO A 60 GIG DRIVE!" that some people like to believe.
Your reductio ad absurdum won't work on me...
No one argues a 50% increase in hard drive size is innovative...what _is_ innovative is that Apple invented a device that no only could store tousands of MP3s on a pocket size device (Rio had a device that did it, though tit required one hellova pocket) but that they also had an interface that took one finger to easily browse the well ordered music.
it is the iPod click wheel (and obviously the software too) that made the iPod a success.
Plus, the nano is like a remote control for the Death Star...
First, Apple does make money off the iTunes Music Store. Check out any of their quarterly earnings calls.
Second, What if I want to run Internet Explorer on Linux? Does Microsoft needs to "simply have to give others the required information (and/or license it?)" so that Linux runs Windows programs without the Windows OS? (WINE) It makes no sense.
Consider Divx-DVDs or Play Station Portable movies or console video games for that matter. They are all media for a specific platform. If a consumer chooses the iPod/iTunes platform, they are making that choice freely. If they choose generic player/WMA they make that choice freely. But it doesn't entitle them to get a free pass over to the other platform just because they are both "music". They are no more entitled than a VHS consumer is to switch to Beta, etc., etc, etc, etc, etc...
People always said iPods and iTunes were like razors and razor blades...
... except Company A and Company A shareholders.
If so, then where are the laws saying my Company A razor blade has to work with my Company B razor. I don't want to have to pay $5 for the Company A razor when I already have one that does pretty much the same thing from Company B. I know there is a solution called "Super Glue" (e.g. burn to CD and rip) but that would require me to buy Super Glue (blank CDs) so in some screwed up world we call Franch, that is unreasonable so what _is_ reasonable is to have Company B make their razor accept Company A blades. There, now everyone is happy
If anyone actually knows and is not just speculating, what are the issues/warnings/pitfalls with using Parallels to run a .NET development environment?
Does Parallels run and entire Windows OS in the window (with start button, etc) or does it just run the App?
I love my Mac at home and would like to work from home but I have to use IIS, Visual Studio, and SQL Server to do that. I know Boot Camp can handle the task, but I'd really love to do my coding and have my iTunes, Mail, iChat, etc all running in OS X too.
You must be French
---
Most significant thing this announcement says is that even within MSFT they don't have the confidence in WMP 11's URGE (co-developed with MTV) to put all their eggs in that basket.
Offtopic true, but also a very insightful view of the web-phenom that is /.