As far as I understand, the primary (and probably only) purpose of those scanners is to make their manufacturers a buttload of money. I think they're doing that perfectly fine, so it's definitely a success!
I think the biggest thing about the Sandbox is that they managed to pull it off so that there really isn't any reason to not use the sandbox.
My three "I can't do that with sandbox!" bug reports at bugreporter.apple.com want to disagree with you. The sandbox doesn't allow many things that are perfectly ok without it. For example, my application Thoughts has a shelf, which is technically nothing more than a file listing of a folder, where you can open files via double-click. This folder can be relocated (e.g. to your Dropbox). This is simply not possible in sandbox, since I can't access anything other than my own private file structure (in ~/Library/Containers) or optionally certain well-known directories like ~/Pictures. Even if I could list that directory, since it didn't go through the open dialog, I can't open any file in it.
A second issue is not allowing Apple Events (a high-level interprocess communication system). This means that all iTunes remote control applications can never use the sandbox, among other perfectly fine use cases for Apple Events.
Apple introduced some temporary exceptions to the sandbox, which will be removed later (so they tell us). For example, I can tell sandbox that full file access to everything (subject to regular permissions) is ok. However, then the whole sandbox is moot anyways.
If instead it means iOS+OSX means OSX gains the aforementioned DRM, I'm done with Apple forever.
Unfortunately, right now it looks like it's heading exactly in this direction.
Right now, the Mac App Store is very dominant for Mac software, and it will become very restrictive in the near future (even more than the iOS store has ever been). As a Mac developer myself, I can speak from experience that having a product not in the Mac App Store is a death sentence for it, so I have to implement my apps in the way Apple allows me to, even when you could install it manually in theory.
The next step would be to make the Dashboard the default application instead of the Finder. This way, non-experts have absolutely no way to install any third party application from outside the Mac App Store. I can totally see that happen in 10.8.
I'm not saying that I think that this will be different, but the perception of technology in the public has changed significantly since 2001 (back then, "ubiquitous computing" was a futuristic buzzword), so just because something didn't work in 2001 doesn't mean that it won't a decade later.
Ever considered moving to a different country? There are a lot of them right next to your doorstep, and with the EU it's quite easy to do that anyways.
Yes, that's a general issue with the human psyche. Everything has to have a name (we have a name for every star visible in the sky, how unnecessary is that?). However, once there is a name, everything with the same name gets treated as the same thing.
Those new reactor designs sound awfully similar to the thing fusion was supposed to bring us, which is treated like the holy grail of power generation (actually conversion I guess, since you can't generate power). It has a different name, so it's not thrown into the same bucket.
The problem is that the disaster zones become inhabitable for a very long time. So even when not that many people are killed, you're losing land to it, and during that time the people living in the vicinity of that land have a shorter lifespan.
I personally consider the nuclear waste a much larger issue, though, because that's an unsolved problem even when nothing goes wrong at all. But that's not a sudden disaster, so it's not that much in the news.
Much easier to do with a large or majority market share, but the fact that Apple is releasing it's hardware at the same cost, or even less than the opening products from the competition definitely does not say 'monopoly'. It basically indicates a healthy, competitive market, although the other vendors have yet to step up to the plate with a good front runner.
No, it just means that Apple has to compete with other markets, like netbooks and smaller laptops (like their own MacBook Air 11").
Additionally, close to nobody really needs a tablet device, so it has to be priced low enough to be viable as a toy purchase.
But the very same applies to any technology. The steam engine wasn't invented in one go either, and patents hindered its development also as different "inventors" did not want to pay for each other's patents.
While you're right, there's a difference to software patents: Back then, everything was progressing much more slowly. 14 years patent terms were nothing, the steam engine is relevant even today. In software, nowadays' 20 years is several lifetimes. Nobody cares about the state of the art in 1991, except to get a retro feeling. So the software patents that expire now don't contribute anything to the public knowledge. In my opinion, software patents should either be abolished or granted for the duration of maybe 6 months maximum. Of course, since it takes so long to get one granted, that's not practical.
As far as I know, it's 64bit Macs only. That's great for us developers, no more 32bit binaries to create when you go 10.7 only! The 32bit Cocoa runtime is totally outdated and creates quite a few problems for modern development.
And also, there is no way for them to prove just by looking at the possibly 'pirated' file that you are not just being lazy. I could, for example, have a case of CDs that I feel like downloading in 5 minutes per CD, rather than ripping (and using my precious CPU) for 10 or 20 - not to mention all that wear and tear on my optical drive.
The one who sent you the file still committed a copyright violation, so there's no difference whether you own another license to it or not.
It's just "hey lets compile opengl ES into our browser" or "lets compile SQLite into our browser" and neither are even half-hearted attempts at a proper standard.
It's not quite the same. The WebSQL-"standard" just said "the implementation shall support whatever sqlite implements", which is a big no-no for a standard, since even though sqlite is ANSI-C and PD, you're SOL as soon as you move to something like the Java platform, where you can't use C code.
WebGL is a proper standard, which everyone can implement without using any foreign code. There are multiple independent implementations of it as well (on every layer: browser, driver, OS).
I've had problems with multiple textures, framebuffers, the list goes on. It's simply not working yet.
It's a large standard in an area the web browser devs didn't have any experience with. It'll take some time, but they'll get there eventually.
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I prefer that to a company whose business is making the planet inevitably inhabitable.
Sorry, you're too late for that.
Well, it seems to work pretty effectively for that, too.
As far as I understand, the primary (and probably only) purpose of those scanners is to make their manufacturers a buttload of money. I think they're doing that perfectly fine, so it's definitely a success!
I think the biggest thing about the Sandbox is that they managed to pull it off so that there really isn't any reason to not use the sandbox.
My three "I can't do that with sandbox!" bug reports at bugreporter.apple.com want to disagree with you. The sandbox doesn't allow many things that are perfectly ok without it. For example, my application Thoughts has a shelf, which is technically nothing more than a file listing of a folder, where you can open files via double-click. This folder can be relocated (e.g. to your Dropbox). This is simply not possible in sandbox, since I can't access anything other than my own private file structure (in ~/Library/Containers) or optionally certain well-known directories like ~/Pictures. Even if I could list that directory, since it didn't go through the open dialog, I can't open any file in it.
A second issue is not allowing Apple Events (a high-level interprocess communication system). This means that all iTunes remote control applications can never use the sandbox, among other perfectly fine use cases for Apple Events.
Apple introduced some temporary exceptions to the sandbox, which will be removed later (so they tell us). For example, I can tell sandbox that full file access to everything (subject to regular permissions) is ok. However, then the whole sandbox is moot anyways.
Erm, I meant Launchpad instead of Dashboard. I always mix them up (and have disabled both).
If instead it means iOS+OSX means OSX gains the aforementioned DRM, I'm done with Apple forever.
Unfortunately, right now it looks like it's heading exactly in this direction.
Right now, the Mac App Store is very dominant for Mac software, and it will become very restrictive in the near future (even more than the iOS store has ever been). As a Mac developer myself, I can speak from experience that having a product not in the Mac App Store is a death sentence for it, so I have to implement my apps in the way Apple allows me to, even when you could install it manually in theory.
The next step would be to make the Dashboard the default application instead of the Finder. This way, non-experts have absolutely no way to install any third party application from outside the Mac App Store. I can totally see that happen in 10.8.
I'm not saying that I think that this will be different, but the perception of technology in the public has changed significantly since 2001 (back then, "ubiquitous computing" was a futuristic buzzword), so just because something didn't work in 2001 doesn't mean that it won't a decade later.
Well, there's probably a bit more to it than that, or we'd be breeding with black rats and mountain beavers all the time.
Hmm that doesn't fit the list on wikipedia.
Anyways, considering that some species have a different count for male and female, I guess "more to it" doesn't quite cut it.
Ever considered moving to a different country? There are a lot of them right next to your doorstep, and with the EU it's quite easy to do that anyways.
Here's another one: Dilbert.
Yes, that's a general issue with the human psyche. Everything has to have a name (we have a name for every star visible in the sky, how unnecessary is that?). However, once there is a name, everything with the same name gets treated as the same thing.
Those new reactor designs sound awfully similar to the thing fusion was supposed to bring us, which is treated like the holy grail of power generation (actually conversion I guess, since you can't generate power). It has a different name, so it's not thrown into the same bucket.
Bathroom for your 12yr old daughter?
The problem is that the disaster zones become inhabitable for a very long time. So even when not that many people are killed, you're losing land to it, and during that time the people living in the vicinity of that land have a shorter lifespan.
I personally consider the nuclear waste a much larger issue, though, because that's an unsolved problem even when nothing goes wrong at all. But that's not a sudden disaster, so it's not that much in the news.
I wonder whether that's legal, since you can't get to that page without getting tracked already.
Much easier to do with a large or majority market share, but the fact that Apple is releasing it's hardware at the same cost, or even less than the opening products from the competition definitely does not say 'monopoly'. It basically indicates a healthy, competitive market, although the other vendors have yet to step up to the plate with a good front runner.
No, it just means that Apple has to compete with other markets, like netbooks and smaller laptops (like their own MacBook Air 11").
Additionally, close to nobody really needs a tablet device, so it has to be priced low enough to be viable as a toy purchase.
But the very same applies to any technology. The steam engine wasn't invented in one go either, and patents hindered its development also as different "inventors" did not want to pay for each other's patents.
While you're right, there's a difference to software patents: Back then, everything was progressing much more slowly. 14 years patent terms were nothing, the steam engine is relevant even today. In software, nowadays' 20 years is several lifetimes. Nobody cares about the state of the art in 1991, except to get a retro feeling. So the software patents that expire now don't contribute anything to the public knowledge. In my opinion, software patents should either be abolished or granted for the duration of maybe 6 months maximum. Of course, since it takes so long to get one granted, that's not practical.
Yes, that's what I was referring to. However, there's no 32bit modern runtime for the Mac, this one is iOS-only.
As far as I know, it's 64bit Macs only. That's great for us developers, no more 32bit binaries to create when you go 10.7 only! The 32bit Cocoa runtime is totally outdated and creates quite a few problems for modern development.
Hmm judging from the way the stores are run, I imagine that you could download it there and burn it to a DVD-R on one of the Macs in any case.
Just because you're not paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you. - Colin Sautar
It's common when bidding on Ebay too. If your opponent "thinks round", act differently.
It's a bit harder to get creative with the few digits you usually have on eBay :)
And also, there is no way for them to prove just by looking at the possibly 'pirated' file that you are not just being lazy. I could, for example, have a case of CDs that I feel like downloading in 5 minutes per CD, rather than ripping (and using my precious CPU) for 10 or 20 - not to mention all that wear and tear on my optical drive.
The one who sent you the file still committed a copyright violation, so there's no difference whether you own another license to it or not.
It's just "hey lets compile opengl ES into our browser" or "lets compile SQLite into our browser" and neither are even half-hearted attempts at a proper standard.
It's not quite the same. The WebSQL-"standard" just said "the implementation shall support whatever sqlite implements", which is a big no-no for a standard, since even though sqlite is ANSI-C and PD, you're SOL as soon as you move to something like the Java platform, where you can't use C code.
WebGL is a proper standard, which everyone can implement without using any foreign code. There are multiple independent implementations of it as well (on every layer: browser, driver, OS).
I've had problems with multiple textures, framebuffers, the list goes on. It's simply not working yet.
It's a large standard in an area the web browser devs didn't have any experience with. It'll take some time, but they'll get there eventually.
Holy biased summary, Batman!