1. Isn't there a risk of killing organisms that might be living (or thriving even) under CURRENT conditions that we haven't found? Life has a funny way of living, you know.
2. Is there a way to speed this cycle up? If it's just about increasing temperatures, surely there's a way to kick things up a notch. 300 years seems like a long time in the human sense... and the way the Republicans are running the country (read: the world), we might need a backup plan(et) sooner than that!
The ONLY people who would hack OS X and get it installed on non-Apple hardware are the same people who don't want to shell out money for Apple hardware/software. Therefore, they will always continue to steal it. And this is NO THREAT to Microsoft, because I doubt seriously these technically-minded hackers are using Windows in the first place. Rather they have cheap PC hardware and a free distro OS.
This is not an ingenius plan by Apple to subversively take over the market. Rather it is harmful to their business and illegal. You can bet that things like this will only act as mobilizing forces for companies to embrace DRMs and trusted computing - because assholes break licensing agreements and steal software.
Even the biggest corporation has my support if someone's stealing what they created and using it for poorly thought-out reasons.
iTunes+DRM is important to protect the music industry's intellectual property. And you know what? THEY'RE RIGHT. If you have a problem with it - go buy a non-DRM CD. Thanks to music downloads, CDs are much cheaper these days. But don't expect the ease and organization of a downloaded song, and don't expect to get it so quickly. And don't expect freebies like music videos with your purchase.
Similarly, trusted computing will come into force in PART as a result of the same people who hate TC. Got a problem with it? Go buy some non-DRM computer. It'll be cheap (beer) and free (speech). Just don't expect a commercial world-class OS like Apple's to run on it.
While I don't disagree that Apple can ALWAYS do a better job with their talent -- I would also say that iPodder is hardly acceptable compared to iTunes. iPodder is a total abomination and extremely confusing for users. iTunes doesn't bring podcasting mainstream simply because of its numbers -- it does so because it lets people finally say, "Oh, THAT'S how this shit works!"
Put an average person in front of iPodder (or any variation -- and I've used 'em) and they will either fall asleep or slit their wrists.
Only a Linux community would say that iPodder is "just as good.":-)
Furthermore, advanced features are great and they'll be coming down the line I'm sure -- but keep in mind this is a 1.0 release if you think about it -- and it's already cleared products that were out for well over a year. That's pretty damn good in my book.
CNET's News.com is the slime of online journalism. They're an abomination. Their stories are often riddled with errors. They love bashing Apple for 10 years (and still do from time to time). They try to turn every story into a scandal or some major announcement.
Their idea of "fair and balanced" is to say... "This company has been supurbly successful............... but maybe it's all over and they're going to file for bankruptcy?????"
My favorites News.com stories are the reverse headline features. Nothing new here, of course, but News.com does it particularly well. An example would be something like....
Title: Apple sees sharp decline of iPods in U.S.?
Opening graph: There is no end in sight to the iPod's dominance, but some wonder if the popular music player will be as popular in Antarctica...
Then they throw in the best part of any -- and EVERY -- News.com article. The famous "high-impact" declaration, where CNET determines whether or not the subject at hand will have an impact on the industry. You can bet that EVERY story is high-impact, dammit.
Bottom line: HIGH IMPACT Antarctica's famously liberal music distribution system will give Apple a hard time making a DRM-based music store popular in the icy continent. The iPod's white design may also cause consumers to easily lose them in the snowy plains. Could this be the end of the iPod forever and give way to Microsoft dominance? Definitely, maybe.
This really doesn't make much sense. THe point is that Intel is making this move to bump out low margin chips in an effort to sell higher margin chips while their fabs are at capacity. They won't be able to grow much unless they do this -- meanwhile, they are building many new plants. This is a smart move. Let the markets in these areas develop, and then in a few years move in with solid price cuts.
I'd say, in terms of sex, there's a difference between your run of the mill movie where two adults consent to have sex is different than watching a movie of some college girl get something shoved up her privates while drunk at a party. Personally, I don't see the value in an 11 year old seeing that sort of thing.
Next - this has nothing to do with religion. And actually, there are more church-going religious folks registered as Democrats than Republicans. It's just that Republicans use religion as a political wedge issue.
Last, this has nothing with to with gay rights or abortions, as this affects taxation and children (who have no legal rights). While I agree, the Republicans believe in freedom so long as it aligns with their political interests (open markets... except the prescription drug market! for example) -- this isn't about freedom at all. Besides, it's a Democrat involved here, anyway.
And to say it doesn't protect children in any way -- when the tax money will go toward causes relating exactly to that -- is just an angry reaction.
Your critique of Apple's bread and butter couldn't be more wrong, but thanks for playing.
1. Apple has many breads and many butters: Macs and iPods. They are both strategically important to the company's continued success. Software sales are a big business, too, and that's important to them.
2. Macs aren't reserved for the "bowels of marketing or tech document department[s]." A good number of students use them, lots of movie stars, bankers, lawyers, doctors, stock brokers, artists, writers, teachers, politicians, programmers..... (a light should start flashing in your head.. That's your idea light.)
In fact, the Mac has continued to dramatically outpace PC market gain.
3. If Apple's opportunity were closing EVERY DAY, then how have they forged such a comeback? The truth is, there is no abstract definition of when a company gets hot and when it doesn't. Solid innovation with great marketing at an affordable price is a formula for success. Besides, if their window were closing every day, why has the Mac's market gains continued to SPEED UP? Wouldn't that mean the window continues to open?
4. I know what an "executive wannabee" is, I think, but I don't know what it has to do with Mac OS X.
5. Ah yes, a new Windows is on the horizon. Vista! Longhorn! All of 18 months away and short on features compared to OS X Tiger (and Leopard). The truth is, more and more consumers are moving to Mac OS X in droves because they're sick of Windows treating them like second class citizens in the OS world, they're sick of crap security and viruses, and they appreciate the incredible design that went into their iPod and iTunes music store.
6. No offense to my audience here.. but I don't think Linux is on any march to "critical desktop mass." Your argument seems to be that the Mac is doomed and that droves of people are lining up to buy Linux boxes and compile a window manager. Um... you might want to find your way back to earth. Find out if anything hit Discovery on your way back, if you like.
7. Apple, like them or not, is a cultural icon more than ever. They are one of the world's top brands - and that is something that will fuel growth for 10 years. Brands are a powerful thing.
Anyway, next time you want to go on a rant, back it up with some facts. Don't just make absurd comments.
Shareholders should not be financially responsible when they have no direct line to a company in order to prevent illegal activities. Furthermore, this STILL hurts customers and middle class people. After all, stocks are in the hands of working folks and 401(k) plans, too. Why should a blue collar worker have to pay because his company does something illegal?
Every cost gets passed on to the customer (who, by the way, always has a choice about buying the product) whether we like it or not. That doesn't mean we shouldn't hold them accountable.
If we are serious about this issue and want to do something about it, here's what we ought to do:
1. Increase accounting transparency 2. Tie executive and board pay to the performance of the company 3. Increase shareholder involvement in oversight 4. Make public the decisions of a compensation/salary committee 5. Demand that our public figures (a'hem, Republicans) hold accountable their friends (a'hem, Enron) -- the connection between corporate corruption and conservative corruption is an incredibly dangerous thing. Democrats cleaned their act up with unions in the 50's and 60's -- Republicans should do the same today (especially when they cry about "personal responsibility" so often but rarely assume it.)
Comparing Apple's software upgrades with Microsoft's Service Packs is ridiculous.
Updates to Apple software which address bugs, compatibility, speed, etc., are 100% FREE updates via Software Update or apple.com -- just like Service Packs are free. As they should be.
And from what I understand, they are all relatively minor updates
Well you understand wrongly. Do your research. So iLife is just $49.00. Compare earlier versions of iDVD and iMovie to the current software, and yeah, it's more than worth $49 every year or so.
You seem to be saying that it's outrageous that companies charge for upgrades that offer new features. So, the next time MS comes out with a new version of Office, well damnit, it had better be free! This is an outrageous claim.
If you don't think the new version with all its new features is worth your dime, then don't buy it. Fortunately, thanks to Apple, you will have the previous version, bug-free and functional, all paid for.
I also do not understand why everyone assumes the video iPod will in the end look exactly the same. Maybe for music videos as a stepping stone the form factor will remain, but remember, the iPod is a $5 billion brand. While certain elements, like the user interface and click-wheel, are integral to the design, the iPod is a powerful brand and name, and it will be Apple who decides what it looks like -- and it will look the way that best suits the user interface. $1,000 says that nobody at Apple thinks people want to watch full length feature films on a 320x240 screen. The iPod name itself, after all, has little do with music. From the start, it's about the integration of the digital lifestyle into a portal device. That's the pod. The software around it is what dictates its uses. First with iTunes.. and down the road, well we will all see.
I'm a proponent of Linux (and open source in general), so don't get me wrong. But why does this community (and really the open source community in general) use words like "evil" to describe competing, commercial brands?
Instead of denouncing new technologies coming from billion dollar companies, where is the positive, open-source response? Why do people become filled with anger instead of saying, hey, we can top that!
And why is it absurd to think that companies -- like Intel -- will do what's in their best interest? And in the best interest of their stockholders, partners, and EMPLOYEES.
I'm so tired of the cult. I think instead we ought to focus on the response and finding ways of proving why open source and community efforts can be BETTER (if they really can consistently).
Intel, media centers, DRMs.. they're not evil. They just serve what's in their best interest... and guess what? So does the Linux community. That's why it's typical to immediately denounce a company that isn't in love with the same things we all are.
Despite the great labor of a number of developers, I've seen a lot more crap come out of open source than quality products. I hate to say this, but I've yet to see anything come close to MS Office (yes, I said that). And gimp is awesome --- but boy I prefer Photoshop any day of the week. In fact, I prefer Photoshop Elements bundled free with my computer over the gimp, too.
There's plenty of shit in open source. Until the community wakes up to the importance of quality, stability, and user experience -- and not just focusing on being renegades who say, fuck those big guys! -- it will Never be mainstream. We NEED these big companies in partnership to make it mainstream and successful.
Just my two cents.. Not out to piss people off. I've just seen this story 10,000 times on slashdot in different variations (usually bitching about Microsoft).
Uh... Because most people, especially professionals (and more so professionals whose companies pay for the equipment), don't like waiting an additional YEAR for a product they use every day, most notably when a lease term says you can have new equipment anyway.
The whole idea that announcing a transition will destroy Apple's market share is just stupid.
Slashdot Mirror
1. Isn't there a risk of killing organisms that might be living (or thriving even) under CURRENT conditions that we haven't found? Life has a funny way of living, you know.
2. Is there a way to speed this cycle up? If it's just about increasing temperatures, surely there's a way to kick things up a notch. 300 years seems like a long time in the human sense... and the way the Republicans are running the country (read: the world), we might need a backup plan(et) sooner than that!
The ONLY people who would hack OS X and get it installed on non-Apple hardware are the same people who don't want to shell out money for Apple hardware/software. Therefore, they will always continue to steal it. And this is NO THREAT to Microsoft, because I doubt seriously these technically-minded hackers are using Windows in the first place. Rather they have cheap PC hardware and a free distro OS.
This is not an ingenius plan by Apple to subversively take over the market. Rather it is harmful to their business and illegal. You can bet that things like this will only act as mobilizing forces for companies to embrace DRMs and trusted computing - because assholes break licensing agreements and steal software.
Even the biggest corporation has my support if someone's stealing what they created and using it for poorly thought-out reasons.
iTunes+DRM is important to protect the music industry's intellectual property. And you know what? THEY'RE RIGHT. If you have a problem with it - go buy a non-DRM CD. Thanks to music downloads, CDs are much cheaper these days. But don't expect the ease and organization of a downloaded song, and don't expect to get it so quickly. And don't expect freebies like music videos with your purchase.
Similarly, trusted computing will come into force in PART as a result of the same people who hate TC. Got a problem with it? Go buy some non-DRM computer. It'll be cheap (beer) and free (speech). Just don't expect a commercial world-class OS like Apple's to run on it.
Longhorn refers at this point to the next Windows Server platform, which does not yet have a commercial name.
While I don't disagree that Apple can ALWAYS do a better job with their talent -- I would also say that iPodder is hardly acceptable compared to iTunes. iPodder is a total abomination and extremely confusing for users. iTunes doesn't bring podcasting mainstream simply because of its numbers -- it does so because it lets people finally say, "Oh, THAT'S how this shit works!"
:-)
Put an average person in front of iPodder (or any variation -- and I've used 'em) and they will either fall asleep or slit their wrists.
Only a Linux community would say that iPodder is "just as good."
Furthermore, advanced features are great and they'll be coming down the line I'm sure -- but keep in mind this is a 1.0 release if you think about it -- and it's already cleared products that were out for well over a year. That's pretty damn good in my book.
CNET's News.com is the slime of online journalism. They're an abomination. Their stories are often riddled with errors. They love bashing Apple for 10 years (and still do from time to time). They try to turn every story into a scandal or some major announcement.
Their idea of "fair and balanced" is to say... "This company has been supurbly successful............... but maybe it's all over and they're going to file for bankruptcy?????"
My favorites News.com stories are the reverse headline features. Nothing new here, of course, but News.com does it particularly well. An example would be something like....
Title: Apple sees sharp decline of iPods in U.S.?
Opening graph: There is no end in sight to the iPod's dominance, but some wonder if the popular music player will be as popular in Antarctica...
Then they throw in the best part of any -- and EVERY -- News.com article. The famous "high-impact" declaration, where CNET determines whether or not the subject at hand will have an impact on the industry. You can bet that EVERY story is high-impact, dammit.
Bottom line: HIGH IMPACT
Antarctica's famously liberal music distribution system will give Apple a hard time making a DRM-based music store popular in the icy continent. The iPod's white design may also cause consumers to easily lose them in the snowy plains. Could this be the end of the iPod forever and give way to Microsoft dominance? Definitely, maybe.
This really doesn't make much sense. THe point is that Intel is making this move to bump out low margin chips in an effort to sell higher margin chips while their fabs are at capacity. They won't be able to grow much unless they do this -- meanwhile, they are building many new plants. This is a smart move. Let the markets in these areas develop, and then in a few years move in with solid price cuts.
wait. this means i won't be able to break the license that comes with the OS to do stuff i wanna do? unconstitutional!
I'd say, in terms of sex, there's a difference between your run of the mill movie where two adults consent to have sex is different than watching a movie of some college girl get something shoved up her privates while drunk at a party. Personally, I don't see the value in an 11 year old seeing that sort of thing.
Next - this has nothing to do with religion. And actually, there are more church-going religious folks registered as Democrats than Republicans. It's just that Republicans use religion as a political wedge issue.
Last, this has nothing with to with gay rights or abortions, as this affects taxation and children (who have no legal rights). While I agree, the Republicans believe in freedom so long as it aligns with their political interests (open markets... except the prescription drug market! for example) -- this isn't about freedom at all. Besides, it's a Democrat involved here, anyway.
And to say it doesn't protect children in any way -- when the tax money will go toward causes relating exactly to that -- is just an angry reaction.
Same price, same warranty, same everything, right? Didn't even have an HP logo on it
;-)
Quick correction.......
Same price, different warranty, different accessories, and yes, an HP logo. But nice try! Go work for CNN or Fox.
I've got a Book that says NOTHING can be that old!
Your critique of Apple's bread and butter couldn't be more wrong, but thanks for playing.
1. Apple has many breads and many butters: Macs and iPods. They are both strategically important to the company's continued success. Software sales are a big business, too, and that's important to them.
2. Macs aren't reserved for the "bowels of marketing or tech document department[s]." A good number of students use them, lots of movie stars, bankers, lawyers, doctors, stock brokers, artists, writers, teachers, politicians, programmers..... (a light should start flashing in your head.. That's your idea light.)
In fact, the Mac has continued to dramatically outpace PC market gain.
3. If Apple's opportunity were closing EVERY DAY, then how have they forged such a comeback? The truth is, there is no abstract definition of when a company gets hot and when it doesn't. Solid innovation with great marketing at an affordable price is a formula for success. Besides, if their window were closing every day, why has the Mac's market gains continued to SPEED UP? Wouldn't that mean the window continues to open?
4. I know what an "executive wannabee" is, I think, but I don't know what it has to do with Mac OS X.
5. Ah yes, a new Windows is on the horizon. Vista! Longhorn! All of 18 months away and short on features compared to OS X Tiger (and Leopard). The truth is, more and more consumers are moving to Mac OS X in droves because they're sick of Windows treating them like second class citizens in the OS world, they're sick of crap security and viruses, and they appreciate the incredible design that went into their iPod and iTunes music store.
6. No offense to my audience here.. but I don't think Linux is on any march to "critical desktop mass." Your argument seems to be that the Mac is doomed and that droves of people are lining up to buy Linux boxes and compile a window manager. Um... you might want to find your way back to earth. Find out if anything hit Discovery on your way back, if you like.
7. Apple, like them or not, is a cultural icon more than ever. They are one of the world's top brands - and that is something that will fuel growth for 10 years. Brands are a powerful thing.
Anyway, next time you want to go on a rant, back it up with some facts. Don't just make absurd comments.
Shareholders should not be financially responsible when they have no direct line to a company in order to prevent illegal activities. Furthermore, this STILL hurts customers and middle class people. After all, stocks are in the hands of working folks and 401(k) plans, too. Why should a blue collar worker have to pay because his company does something illegal?
Every cost gets passed on to the customer (who, by the way, always has a choice about buying the product) whether we like it or not. That doesn't mean we shouldn't hold them accountable.
If we are serious about this issue and want to do something about it, here's what we ought to do:
1. Increase accounting transparency
2. Tie executive and board pay to the performance of the company
3. Increase shareholder involvement in oversight
4. Make public the decisions of a compensation/salary committee
5. Demand that our public figures (a'hem, Republicans) hold accountable their friends (a'hem, Enron) -- the connection between corporate corruption and conservative corruption is an incredibly dangerous thing. Democrats cleaned their act up with unions in the 50's and 60's -- Republicans should do the same today (especially when they cry about "personal responsibility" so often but rarely assume it.)
Oops, forgot to prove what I said. I've been watching too much FOX News!
"OS X is the most advanced operating system on the planet and it has set Apple up for the next 20 years." - Steve Jobs, WWDC 2005
For the record, he said OS X has created a foundation to build off of for the next twenty years.
Geez. What ROBOT is cute?? What about the woman in the video! SHE'S cute! Get your act together.
Comparing Apple's software upgrades with Microsoft's Service Packs is ridiculous.
Updates to Apple software which address bugs, compatibility, speed, etc., are 100% FREE updates via Software Update or apple.com -- just like Service Packs are free. As they should be.
And from what I understand, they are all relatively minor updates
Well you understand wrongly. Do your research. So iLife is just $49.00. Compare earlier versions of iDVD and iMovie to the current software, and yeah, it's more than worth $49 every year or so.
You seem to be saying that it's outrageous that companies charge for upgrades that offer new features. So, the next time MS comes out with a new version of Office, well damnit, it had better be free! This is an outrageous claim.
If you don't think the new version with all its new features is worth your dime, then don't buy it. Fortunately, thanks to Apple, you will have the previous version, bug-free and functional, all paid for.
I also do not understand why everyone assumes the video iPod will in the end look exactly the same. Maybe for music videos as a stepping stone the form factor will remain, but remember, the iPod is a $5 billion brand. While certain elements, like the user interface and click-wheel, are integral to the design, the iPod is a powerful brand and name, and it will be Apple who decides what it looks like -- and it will look the way that best suits the user interface. $1,000 says that nobody at Apple thinks people want to watch full length feature films on a 320x240 screen. The iPod name itself, after all, has little do with music. From the start, it's about the integration of the digital lifestyle into a portal device. That's the pod. The software around it is what dictates its uses. First with iTunes.. and down the road, well we will all see.
I'm a proponent of Linux (and open source in general), so don't get me wrong. But why does this community (and really the open source community in general) use words like "evil" to describe competing, commercial brands?
Instead of denouncing new technologies coming from billion dollar companies, where is the positive, open-source response? Why do people become filled with anger instead of saying, hey, we can top that!
And why is it absurd to think that companies -- like Intel -- will do what's in their best interest? And in the best interest of their stockholders, partners, and EMPLOYEES.
I'm so tired of the cult. I think instead we ought to focus on the response and finding ways of proving why open source and community efforts can be BETTER (if they really can consistently).
Intel, media centers, DRMs.. they're not evil. They just serve what's in their best interest... and guess what? So does the Linux community. That's why it's typical to immediately denounce a company that isn't in love with the same things we all are.
Despite the great labor of a number of developers, I've seen a lot more crap come out of open source than quality products. I hate to say this, but I've yet to see anything come close to MS Office (yes, I said that). And gimp is awesome --- but boy I prefer Photoshop any day of the week. In fact, I prefer Photoshop Elements bundled free with my computer over the gimp, too.
There's plenty of shit in open source. Until the community wakes up to the importance of quality, stability, and user experience -- and not just focusing on being renegades who say, fuck those big guys! -- it will Never be mainstream. We NEED these big companies in partnership to make it mainstream and successful.
Just my two cents.. Not out to piss people off. I've just seen this story 10,000 times on slashdot in different variations (usually bitching about Microsoft).
Regarding Intel. Here's an end to all the theories. This is the real deal:
Apple will do what's best for their business in all areas. If Intel's cheaper, well that's probably a good reason to use the chips.
If it gives Apple access to other embedded chips, well hell, that's good, too.
If it gives Apple access to DRM technologies, hey, I bet they like that, too.
If it gives Apple some extra developer clout, that's another good reason.
If it helps Apple with volume purchases and reaching customer demand, kick ass.
There, story's over.
System 7 was a drastic redesign over System 6. System 7 was solid, useful, and feature-rich.
If adding features means "hacking" something together, then EVERYTHING is a hack.
You must not completely redesign each version in order for it to be viable. In fact, you shouldn't need to.
I'm Offtopic, the reply is Funny, and the theme of everything being BACKWARDS continues! I love the dot.
Who the fuck says "in-built"?????????
Last straw, Slashdot. I'm outta here!
You define the word "nerd" in its truest form. :-)
You are sick and twisted and conservative ideology has strangled your mind. I wouldn't even know where to start with your immoral rant.
Uh... Because most people, especially professionals (and more so professionals whose companies pay for the equipment), don't like waiting an additional YEAR for a product they use every day, most notably when a lease term says you can have new equipment anyway.
The whole idea that announcing a transition will destroy Apple's market share is just stupid.
I won't be eating crow in a year, either.
APPLE + VIDEO STORE.