WA state is hurting for money and they go after anything big they can think of. For example, they recently went after Tivo and forced them to collect WA sales tax on Tivo subscriptions, even though there was no development of the software or service done in this state (no MSFT technology in Tivo). By that logic at most they should go after Microsoft for taxes on software sold to Washington. The state is obviously not looking for what's right, wrong, logical or even consistent - it is simply looking to make money - how is that different the corporations having offices in different states to make money?
I really don't get what the WA argument here is, should the tax be paid in the state where the software is developed, where it's sold from or where it's sold to? Any tax experts here who could answer this question? If I have a company in WA, but outsource all my development to India, should I not pay any tax to WA because the dev work was done in India? Something tells me it's something no state wants to clarify, just like the "where should I pay income tax, in the state I live in, the state the work actually happens (where my office is), or the state where the company resides (say I work remotely)?".
Would you agree that the results warrant a conclusion that collaborations are more effective than individual teams? If so, your overall conclusion shouldn't be about collaborations, but simply that people, no matter how many of them (collaborating or not), are not that effective.
I was just about to post the very same comment. By the contest rules, the contest ends the once someone comes up with a winning solution. The fact that there were 2 solutions meeting the requirement so close together and both resulting from collaborations would rather suggest the collaborations worked really well. The other collaborations simply stopped once there was a winner. Concluding from this that collaborations don't work would be like concluding that the training athletes go through prior to the Olympic games doesn't work - after all from all these entrants training hard only 1 wins in each event.
What is the current unlocked phone you have? As far as Linux phones, just like WinMobile, there are good ones and there are bad ones. Believe it or not, manufacturer of a Linux phone may also remove sync status in order to increase sales. They can also lock down the phone and install ability to yank applications. Something like OpenMoko may be your best bet for flexibility. Second bet would probably be an unlocked WinMobile PPC - you can get apps from other places, no lock to marketplace. They are very customizable and even if the phone maker removed the sync status feature you can write your own app for the sync status. Let's face it though, average users don't care about the flexibility so much. Personally I used to use WinMobile for years - most phones were not very locked down and I used to even write my own apps, customize things the way I want. Few years ago I switched to Blackberry, mostly because I didn't want the flexibility any more - I found that the blackberry does everything I need it to do, does it well, but I don't have to worry about all the extra customizations and the drawbacks they bring (like the computer style window manager - I hate pop-ups from different apps, especially while typing). For work by the way I used to use a number of Linux, Symbian, Blackberry and WinMobile phones - so my choice was based on actual experience using the above phones. In the end, it comes down to a personal choice. I used to love the fact that I could write and use my own apps on WinMobile, but over time my needs changed so my phone changed too. I hope you find the phone which suits your needs.
Sorry about the paragraphs, have been reading slashdot for years but only recently created an account to allow me to reply. In HTML mode the newlines get eaten. This is "plain old text".
The decision to pull the application will not come from Microsoft - it will come from the operator and/or the phone manufacturer. Microsoft simply offers this as an option to the phone manufacturers who choose to build phones with Windows Mobile on them (there are a lot of different devices from different manufacturers) AND choose to use Windows Marketplace. Note that it's not like iPhone where the app store is the only place to get apps, the manufacturer can leave the phone completely open for you to install anything you want, if that is what sells the most phones. It may not however. To give you an example of a feature which sounds great but actually lowers phone sales - email sync status indicator. It stands to reason that users would like to know whether their email sync succeeded or not, and maybe know when the last successful sync occurred. Coincidentally, WinMobile used to have this feature (not sure if it still does) but Blackberry does not. I saw a study, where the same model phone was given to two groups of people, the only difference was that one group had no sync status available. In the end, the group which was "in the dark" reported significantly higher satisfaction with the syncing of email and phones in general. Moral of the study? Keep the user in the dark and you'll get better user satisfaction leading to more sales. Yes there were some users who indicated they wish they had the feature, but it didn't make them dislike the phone as much as people who did have the status available (in the cell world, not every sync is successful). Counter-intuitive to engineers, but a valid business choice. Notice that since WinMobile is much more open than iPhone, you CAN in fact start a competing marketplace selling WinMobile software which won't allow manufacturers or operators to yank installations. Of course the operator may still demand that they'll only subsidize phones locked to marketplace (since they have to support them, and it may be cheaper to yank a bad app that deal with its fallout), so if you want one which is open you'll have to shell out $500 for an unlocked phone.
Ok, think of Windows Mobile like SE Linux. The operator is the administrator and you don't get the password. Don't think of it removing the app as "uninstall", just that the admin restricted the ability to execute the code or access resources. The operator makes decisions based on what results in most profit, the principle which makes capitalism thrive. They go for what most users would like (majority forces the minority, otherwise known as democracy) and most users prefer no hassles. For every user like you who gets ticked, they gain many users who don't leave or spread bad impressions because they blame it on the phone. If you want a box with admin password, build it yourself. If you want to use the operator's network, you have to follow their rules. You're free to build or buy a device, install linux on it and hook it up to one of the broadband modems from the mobile operators for connectivity (modems available via USB, PCMCIA, even WiFi). And as far as blaming the OS, I don't think even SElinux has the ability to peek into connections and determine that your p2p file-sharing app is now relaying things for the netbot instead. I know, you still blame the OS for allowing the app to do that. RELATED: I do understand your frustration though. Working in the mobile handset industry I have seen a number of decisions which didn't even make sense to me, but were based on general user preferences. Here is one good example: when your phone syncs up with your mail/calendar server, it would be useful to know whether the sync succeeded or had errors, or even when the last successful sync occured. WinMobile had that feature but Blackberry did not. Turns out not having this feature wins with the general public. In a study users were given same phones, but one group had the error/status reporting removed completely, overall on average, the users with the feature removed reported much better sync experience. Were they fooled, you bet, BUT the one who makes the phone which hides this info wins, people like the phone more, better word of mouth, they sell more phones! You would complain about the lack of the feature, so would I, but I understand why from the phone maker point of view you want it gone - to make the phones more successful.
So in your view, the phone equals OS and the OS is responsible for any application exploits because it allowed it? So if apache on linux has a security hole, it's Linux fault. If I write an app with buffer overflow hole, it's Linux fault for allowing it. If my app allows users to execute code, Linux fault, right? You've proven my point, people will blame the phone for everything, including independent developer's errors - hence the operator just wants to lock it down...
First, Windows Mobile is an OS. The phone you have is not from Microsoft, some other manufacturer built it. If you rent it, it's from the operator. Second, to take your analogy, the operator is like your city, if your house poses a fire hazard, you remove it or your city will (heck, in some cities they'll come mow your lawn if you don't, then bill you of course).:-)
If you install a VoIP application integrated with your dialer, it has a security hole, makes the app dial 1900 number you blame.... the phone! Same for p2p file sharing application (which you explicitly allowed to access internet). This is exactly why the operators want the ability to remove such apps.
As far as measuring power usage of applications, you are describing what you'd like to see from user perspective. Unfortunately it's a pipe dream. I would love to see something like this also, but it's not possible. First, to measure power you'd need to run an application to measure and log such power - this in itself would eat power, and actually quite a bit of it if you wanted a say a 1 or 2 second resolution (app waked the phone to measure and log it every 1-2 seconds). Second, power usage by an application is not very measurable. To give you some examples of bad apps - some apps break and refuse to give the phone's OS the "permission" do go to low power sleep mode (there is a call for example which polls the apps to make sure they are not about to do something which would break if the phone went to low power mode, like DMA, etc). Another example would be an app which causes a lot of page swaps, function which theoretically belongs to the OS, but if the app causes the behavior, it costs power. Other examples include apps which turn peripherals on and forget to turn them off. Or ones which will randomly turn on your backlight for no reason at all while you don't see it or even the screen is off (you cannot account backlight power to any specific application, all applications share the backlight), or they leave the volume up (sound amplifier maxed out), etc, etc. An application may cause a lot of interrupts, causing a lot of context switches, causing OS to spend a lot of time (and power) just context switching. Or if the application overstates what resources it needs and makes the OS keep the hardware running at faster performance (more power expensive) modes, faster clocks, higher voltages, etc. All these things eat power indirectly. Believe me, if it was possible, it would be there - there are a lot of people in the field who would like to see this.
You are obviously way more advanced than a typical user. If your phone gets a virus which dials a toll number, you'll be happy to pay the bill. The phone you bought is also likely to be completely unlocked and unrestricted, since you didn't buy it though the operator and therefore there would be no operator restrictions. Since you have no restrictions, you CAN simply install whatever apps you want, no need to get it via the marketplace. Your comment about signed apps doesn't really apply since all the apps from marketplace will be signed (unless you expect Microsoft to only sign apps which are guaranteed to never have bugs or security holes - something of course impossible). Also, you misunderstood my comment about battery drain. What I was referring to are apps with bugs which will drain your phone in no time just because they are installed or in some cases if you have run them at least once since boot (I used to deal with apps like this in my job). I guarantee you that if having the GPS app simply installed on your phone would drain the battery in 3 hours, you would care, and want it gone.
If the fridge is on fire, the landlord does have the right to come in and remove it. If the fridge is a fire hazard, the landlord will give you a deadline to when to remove it by. If somethings stinks to high heaven from your rented apartment, the landlord of course has the right to come in. Actually, the landlord can come in any time, with some notification requirement which varies by area. And there is a good reason people have granted those rights to the landlord. Think for a second about this from the landlord point of view.
Absolutely, the thread started with the point that WiMax has an opportunity in the mobile access network, it just won't replace, or even compete much (in most markets) with the wired broadband.
I think a clear distinction should be made between your computer and your cell phone. The cell phones are supported by the operator, they have to support anything you can screw up with the phone. If you install an application on your computer which slows it down you don't call your internet provider to fix it. With the cell phone you do. Think of the cell phone as your work computer, where your work IT guy is responsible for its operation therefore they have the right to restrict you.
What if an application interacts with the radio stack and interferes with the cellular network? Would you rather have the application pulled or your account suspended and/or phone bricked by the operator (or worse yet, you get a fine from the FCC for doing illegal stuff in a licensed spectrum)? What if the app has a bug which may erase the boot flash and bricks the phone? There may be other reasons, what if the application is easily compromised and it then becomes a node in a netbot, ringing up customer's data bill (or do you believe that you are in fact liable for anything any application can do on your phone). What about a less extreme example of an application which drains your phone's battery in 6hrs? The operator then sees a slew of phones being brought to the store, the reputation of the phone and indirectly Windows Mobile suffers.
I would also like to add that even though it is very tempting to compare iPhone to Windows Mobile, it's apples and oranges (no pun intended). iPhone is one device (ok, few versions over time) vs. Windows Mobile is an Operating System which exists on a myriad of different devices. Microsoft does not manufacture any of those devices, they only provide the OS. Some devices have touch screens, some don't. They do have some standardized buttons and features (as per Windows Mobile Logo requirements) but their peripherals, screens, keypads, etc vary greatly. Some Windows Mobile devices are great, some are not. You cannot compare Windows Mobile (which is an OS) and iPhone (which is a phone). The manufacturer of the phone has the option to lock things down or keep them open to whatever degree, though that is typically dictated to the manufacturer by the operator. I am speculating here but the decision to pull any app is likely to come from the operator or "maybe" the manufacturer and apply to a subset of the devices affected. Microsoft is simply offering the capability to the phone manufacturers and operators.
So basically all cars will blast out a sound of user's choice? Maybe to save cost, the manufacturer will simply hook-up a loud speaker to your stereo without volume control (set only to the mandated decibels) and with an annoying "pause/off" sound. Now, imagine being stuck in traffic where every car is blasting out their choice of music. This brings the "highway noise pollution" in cities to a whole new level?
Absolutely agree. WiMax will not replace wired broadband, not just because of reliability but I think mainly because of price/performance ratio. I have ClearWire as an option where I live, but here is how it compares with other broadband options:
ClearWire Residential (ClearPremium) - 2Mbps / 256K => $44.99/mo and 2 year commitment (first 3 months 24.99).
Comcast cable - 50Mbps / 10Mbps (burst speeds only) => $42.95-$59.95/month depending on neighbourhood, 1 yr commitment (first 6 months $19.99).
Verizon FIOS - 15Mbps/ 5 Mbps => $49.99/month 1 year commitment (first month free).
Verizon FIOS - 25Mbps/ 15 Mbps => $64.99/month 1 year commitment (first month free).
The above pricing is for standalone internet. Both Verizon and Comcast have bundles with TV and phone service to make things cheaper. I never tried ClearWire but few people I spoke to who did mentioned speed issues. Even if there were no reliability or speed issues,why would I choose a slower service for about the same price?
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WA state is hurting for money and they go after anything big they can think of. For example, they recently went after Tivo and forced them to collect WA sales tax on Tivo subscriptions, even though there was no development of the software or service done in this state (no MSFT technology in Tivo). By that logic at most they should go after Microsoft for taxes on software sold to Washington. The state is obviously not looking for what's right, wrong, logical or even consistent - it is simply looking to make money - how is that different the corporations having offices in different states to make money?
I really don't get what the WA argument here is, should the tax be paid in the state where the software is developed, where it's sold from or where it's sold to? Any tax experts here who could answer this question? If I have a company in WA, but outsource all my development to India, should I not pay any tax to WA because the dev work was done in India? Something tells me it's something no state wants to clarify, just like the "where should I pay income tax, in the state I live in, the state the work actually happens (where my office is), or the state where the company resides (say I work remotely)?".
Would you agree that the results warrant a conclusion that collaborations are more effective than individual teams? If so, your overall conclusion shouldn't be about collaborations, but simply that people, no matter how many of them (collaborating or not), are not that effective.
I was just about to post the very same comment. By the contest rules, the contest ends the once someone comes up with a winning solution. The fact that there were 2 solutions meeting the requirement so close together and both resulting from collaborations would rather suggest the collaborations worked really well. The other collaborations simply stopped once there was a winner. Concluding from this that collaborations don't work would be like concluding that the training athletes go through prior to the Olympic games doesn't work - after all from all these entrants training hard only 1 wins in each event.
What is the current unlocked phone you have? As far as Linux phones, just like WinMobile, there are good ones and there are bad ones. Believe it or not, manufacturer of a Linux phone may also remove sync status in order to increase sales. They can also lock down the phone and install ability to yank applications. Something like OpenMoko may be your best bet for flexibility. Second bet would probably be an unlocked WinMobile PPC - you can get apps from other places, no lock to marketplace. They are very customizable and even if the phone maker removed the sync status feature you can write your own app for the sync status. Let's face it though, average users don't care about the flexibility so much. Personally I used to use WinMobile for years - most phones were not very locked down and I used to even write my own apps, customize things the way I want. Few years ago I switched to Blackberry, mostly because I didn't want the flexibility any more - I found that the blackberry does everything I need it to do, does it well, but I don't have to worry about all the extra customizations and the drawbacks they bring (like the computer style window manager - I hate pop-ups from different apps, especially while typing). For work by the way I used to use a number of Linux, Symbian, Blackberry and WinMobile phones - so my choice was based on actual experience using the above phones. In the end, it comes down to a personal choice. I used to love the fact that I could write and use my own apps on WinMobile, but over time my needs changed so my phone changed too. I hope you find the phone which suits your needs.
Sorry about the paragraphs, have been reading slashdot for years but only recently created an account to allow me to reply. In HTML mode the newlines get eaten. This is "plain old text".
The decision to pull the application will not come from Microsoft - it will come from the operator and/or the phone manufacturer. Microsoft simply offers this as an option to the phone manufacturers who choose to build phones with Windows Mobile on them (there are a lot of different devices from different manufacturers) AND choose to use Windows Marketplace. Note that it's not like iPhone where the app store is the only place to get apps, the manufacturer can leave the phone completely open for you to install anything you want, if that is what sells the most phones. It may not however. To give you an example of a feature which sounds great but actually lowers phone sales - email sync status indicator. It stands to reason that users would like to know whether their email sync succeeded or not, and maybe know when the last successful sync occurred. Coincidentally, WinMobile used to have this feature (not sure if it still does) but Blackberry does not. I saw a study, where the same model phone was given to two groups of people, the only difference was that one group had no sync status available. In the end, the group which was "in the dark" reported significantly higher satisfaction with the syncing of email and phones in general. Moral of the study? Keep the user in the dark and you'll get better user satisfaction leading to more sales. Yes there were some users who indicated they wish they had the feature, but it didn't make them dislike the phone as much as people who did have the status available (in the cell world, not every sync is successful). Counter-intuitive to engineers, but a valid business choice. Notice that since WinMobile is much more open than iPhone, you CAN in fact start a competing marketplace selling WinMobile software which won't allow manufacturers or operators to yank installations. Of course the operator may still demand that they'll only subsidize phones locked to marketplace (since they have to support them, and it may be cheaper to yank a bad app that deal with its fallout), so if you want one which is open you'll have to shell out $500 for an unlocked phone.
Ok, think of Windows Mobile like SE Linux. The operator is the administrator and you don't get the password. Don't think of it removing the app as "uninstall", just that the admin restricted the ability to execute the code or access resources. The operator makes decisions based on what results in most profit, the principle which makes capitalism thrive. They go for what most users would like (majority forces the minority, otherwise known as democracy) and most users prefer no hassles. For every user like you who gets ticked, they gain many users who don't leave or spread bad impressions because they blame it on the phone. If you want a box with admin password, build it yourself. If you want to use the operator's network, you have to follow their rules. You're free to build or buy a device, install linux on it and hook it up to one of the broadband modems from the mobile operators for connectivity (modems available via USB, PCMCIA, even WiFi). And as far as blaming the OS, I don't think even SElinux has the ability to peek into connections and determine that your p2p file-sharing app is now relaying things for the netbot instead. I know, you still blame the OS for allowing the app to do that. RELATED: I do understand your frustration though. Working in the mobile handset industry I have seen a number of decisions which didn't even make sense to me, but were based on general user preferences. Here is one good example: when your phone syncs up with your mail/calendar server, it would be useful to know whether the sync succeeded or had errors, or even when the last successful sync occured. WinMobile had that feature but Blackberry did not. Turns out not having this feature wins with the general public. In a study users were given same phones, but one group had the error/status reporting removed completely, overall on average, the users with the feature removed reported much better sync experience. Were they fooled, you bet, BUT the one who makes the phone which hides this info wins, people like the phone more, better word of mouth, they sell more phones! You would complain about the lack of the feature, so would I, but I understand why from the phone maker point of view you want it gone - to make the phones more successful.
So in your view, the phone equals OS and the OS is responsible for any application exploits because it allowed it? So if apache on linux has a security hole, it's Linux fault. If I write an app with buffer overflow hole, it's Linux fault for allowing it. If my app allows users to execute code, Linux fault, right? You've proven my point, people will blame the phone for everything, including independent developer's errors - hence the operator just wants to lock it down...
First, Windows Mobile is an OS. The phone you have is not from Microsoft, some other manufacturer built it. If you rent it, it's from the operator. Second, to take your analogy, the operator is like your city, if your house poses a fire hazard, you remove it or your city will (heck, in some cities they'll come mow your lawn if you don't, then bill you of course). :-)
If you install a VoIP application integrated with your dialer, it has a security hole, makes the app dial 1900 number you blame.... the phone! Same for p2p file sharing application (which you explicitly allowed to access internet). This is exactly why the operators want the ability to remove such apps. As far as measuring power usage of applications, you are describing what you'd like to see from user perspective. Unfortunately it's a pipe dream. I would love to see something like this also, but it's not possible. First, to measure power you'd need to run an application to measure and log such power - this in itself would eat power, and actually quite a bit of it if you wanted a say a 1 or 2 second resolution (app waked the phone to measure and log it every 1-2 seconds). Second, power usage by an application is not very measurable. To give you some examples of bad apps - some apps break and refuse to give the phone's OS the "permission" do go to low power sleep mode (there is a call for example which polls the apps to make sure they are not about to do something which would break if the phone went to low power mode, like DMA, etc). Another example would be an app which causes a lot of page swaps, function which theoretically belongs to the OS, but if the app causes the behavior, it costs power. Other examples include apps which turn peripherals on and forget to turn them off. Or ones which will randomly turn on your backlight for no reason at all while you don't see it or even the screen is off (you cannot account backlight power to any specific application, all applications share the backlight), or they leave the volume up (sound amplifier maxed out), etc, etc. An application may cause a lot of interrupts, causing a lot of context switches, causing OS to spend a lot of time (and power) just context switching. Or if the application overstates what resources it needs and makes the OS keep the hardware running at faster performance (more power expensive) modes, faster clocks, higher voltages, etc. All these things eat power indirectly. Believe me, if it was possible, it would be there - there are a lot of people in the field who would like to see this.
You are obviously way more advanced than a typical user. If your phone gets a virus which dials a toll number, you'll be happy to pay the bill. The phone you bought is also likely to be completely unlocked and unrestricted, since you didn't buy it though the operator and therefore there would be no operator restrictions. Since you have no restrictions, you CAN simply install whatever apps you want, no need to get it via the marketplace. Your comment about signed apps doesn't really apply since all the apps from marketplace will be signed (unless you expect Microsoft to only sign apps which are guaranteed to never have bugs or security holes - something of course impossible). Also, you misunderstood my comment about battery drain. What I was referring to are apps with bugs which will drain your phone in no time just because they are installed or in some cases if you have run them at least once since boot (I used to deal with apps like this in my job). I guarantee you that if having the GPS app simply installed on your phone would drain the battery in 3 hours, you would care, and want it gone.
If the fridge is on fire, the landlord does have the right to come in and remove it. If the fridge is a fire hazard, the landlord will give you a deadline to when to remove it by. If somethings stinks to high heaven from your rented apartment, the landlord of course has the right to come in. Actually, the landlord can come in any time, with some notification requirement which varies by area. And there is a good reason people have granted those rights to the landlord. Think for a second about this from the landlord point of view.
Absolutely, the thread started with the point that WiMax has an opportunity in the mobile access network, it just won't replace, or even compete much (in most markets) with the wired broadband.
I think a clear distinction should be made between your computer and your cell phone. The cell phones are supported by the operator, they have to support anything you can screw up with the phone. If you install an application on your computer which slows it down you don't call your internet provider to fix it. With the cell phone you do. Think of the cell phone as your work computer, where your work IT guy is responsible for its operation therefore they have the right to restrict you. What if an application interacts with the radio stack and interferes with the cellular network? Would you rather have the application pulled or your account suspended and/or phone bricked by the operator (or worse yet, you get a fine from the FCC for doing illegal stuff in a licensed spectrum)? What if the app has a bug which may erase the boot flash and bricks the phone? There may be other reasons, what if the application is easily compromised and it then becomes a node in a netbot, ringing up customer's data bill (or do you believe that you are in fact liable for anything any application can do on your phone). What about a less extreme example of an application which drains your phone's battery in 6hrs? The operator then sees a slew of phones being brought to the store, the reputation of the phone and indirectly Windows Mobile suffers. I would also like to add that even though it is very tempting to compare iPhone to Windows Mobile, it's apples and oranges (no pun intended). iPhone is one device (ok, few versions over time) vs. Windows Mobile is an Operating System which exists on a myriad of different devices. Microsoft does not manufacture any of those devices, they only provide the OS. Some devices have touch screens, some don't. They do have some standardized buttons and features (as per Windows Mobile Logo requirements) but their peripherals, screens, keypads, etc vary greatly. Some Windows Mobile devices are great, some are not. You cannot compare Windows Mobile (which is an OS) and iPhone (which is a phone). The manufacturer of the phone has the option to lock things down or keep them open to whatever degree, though that is typically dictated to the manufacturer by the operator. I am speculating here but the decision to pull any app is likely to come from the operator or "maybe" the manufacturer and apply to a subset of the devices affected. Microsoft is simply offering the capability to the phone manufacturers and operators.
So basically all cars will blast out a sound of user's choice? Maybe to save cost, the manufacturer will simply hook-up a loud speaker to your stereo without volume control (set only to the mandated decibels) and with an annoying "pause/off" sound. Now, imagine being stuck in traffic where every car is blasting out their choice of music. This brings the "highway noise pollution" in cities to a whole new level?
Absolutely agree. WiMax will not replace wired broadband, not just because of reliability but I think mainly because of price/performance ratio. I have ClearWire as an option where I live, but here is how it compares with other broadband options: ClearWire Residential (ClearPremium) - 2Mbps / 256K => $44.99/mo and 2 year commitment (first 3 months 24.99). Comcast cable - 50Mbps / 10Mbps (burst speeds only) => $42.95-$59.95/month depending on neighbourhood, 1 yr commitment (first 6 months $19.99). Verizon FIOS - 15Mbps/ 5 Mbps => $49.99/month 1 year commitment (first month free). Verizon FIOS - 25Mbps/ 15 Mbps => $64.99/month 1 year commitment (first month free). The above pricing is for standalone internet. Both Verizon and Comcast have bundles with TV and phone service to make things cheaper. I never tried ClearWire but few people I spoke to who did mentioned speed issues. Even if there were no reliability or speed issues,why would I choose a slower service for about the same price?