Actually, I forgot the time my SNES got tossed across the room into the wall and still survived, except for a chip in the case and a slightly bent RF cable.
. . . but there's a guy I know who regularly picks his Sony laptop up with one hand, open, and gripping the front of the display.
It seems to survive this abuse.
One time I stripped the plug off some cheap headphones, then put the two wires into an electrical socket. The sparks were amusing; so were the small holes they burnt into my carpet afterward. I think I was 12 or 13 at the time.
As for hot swapping ISA/PCI cards, hard drives, other stuff -- I think everyone's tried that at least once.
Also, everyone's probably removed a cartridge from a c64/Atari/Genesis with it powered on at least once, possibly by accident. It can produce some cool looking screen garbage.
I still think the Turbo Grafx Express is one of the coolest portables ever made; maybe one day I'll pick one up used.
The coolest thing about Game Gear to me was you could play the entire Master System library on it with an inexpensive adapter.
Oh, and the second generation Lynx units were (much) nicer than the original.
I have a tendency to always buy the underdog machines as well, and I never feel bad about it. In fact I usually do it intentionally. Sometimes it feels better to have 4 or 5 quality games no one else has access to, rather than 15 or 20 you could easily play at a friend's house, or on an emulator a few years later. There were a number of games for my Master System that had no equivalent NES versions, and friends ended up playing for hours on end whenever they came over.
Eh, I'm not sure I was ever able to justify the purchase of an Atari 7800 though. But even it had a couple gems -- and the entire 2600 library behind it.
I generally agree with you, but . . . this thing seems to control nearly every imaginable device one could have bought for their home entertainment system in the past 15 years.
Tape decks, DAT machines, Laser Disc players, lighting, air conditioners, etc. I could see how this would be interesting for a real enthusiast. The only thing not covered here are reel to reels and turntables, and that's probably only because those don't have remotes. To control all this stuff with a traditional remote you'd need something the size of a keyboard.
If you were used to and familiar with another companies products, Apple's products would seem very strange and alien to you. They would not even be recognizable as a pattern at all, and certainly not an expected one.
Dunno about that really. I wasn't a Mac user until 2002, but had OS X running to my likening within a few hours of taking the machine out of the box. I remember asking a friend a few questions, but 95% of it would be self-explanatory to anyone who's used a computer in the past 15 years.
On the other hand, I can remember encountering huge hiccups just migrating from one Linux distribution to another, or even upgrading Windows. There is definitely such a thing as unintuitive design; I've encountered it numerous times.
You will not have the knowledge of button placement encoded into your DNA
No, but there are certain UI designs that are more sensible to known human tendencies than others; Apple's done a great deal of research on it, and I think it shows when my dad (whose new to mp3s and computers) can figure out how to use iTunes within a couple minutes without me standing over his shoulders.
Please, there is no such "intuitive"
Sure there is. It's doing things like putting the power switch to say -- a monitor on its front, not the back. It's taking into consideration what most people expect, as opposed to what's technically the easiest thing to implement (which, in some cases -- may be a power switch on the back). Just an example. There are plenty more.
Apple has nothing to lose from this, but a great deal to gain. There's people out there who don't know, or think they want an mp3 player -- this will get them hooked not only on the idea, but on Apple's intuitive interface. When it comes time to upgrade to something that can hold more than 12 songs, chances are they'll consider something iTunes compatible (i.e. an iPod).
And even if it means no iPod sales, it still gives Apple stronger brand recognition.
If this turned into a legal battle one potential outcome would be Real discontinuing its player for OS X, which would leave Mac users unable to view a significant amount of web content. And unlike on Windows, the player for OS X isn't that bad, certainly much better than Windows Media Player for Mac, and completely free of spy and nagware.
On the other hand, as long as there's money to be made by supporting Macs, they probably will -- especially with so many of Apple's users in the media industry. So maybe this is a non-issue.
This is a complex moral battle for me:) I love Apple, like the iPod, and think iTunes is a product that deserves to succeed. Conversely, I hate Real -- but also hate the draconian laws that might lead to their defeat. In the end, I think I might have to side with Real on this one.
. . . if they bundled the iPods with one of these. Even the smallest capacity iPod currently sold could probably hold an entire semester's worth of lectures.
. . . from someone with a burgeoning interest in film: the picture quality means nothing if the content is boring, or the audio sucks.
People will forgive less than great picture quality, and in some cases it even adds a bit of flare. If the movie isn't actually worth watching, or you can't hear dialogue . . . then, the money on the latest and greatest cam is wasted. It looks like you've got the sound aspect of this pretty well covered though.
Maybe think mid-range and work on technique; then consider the most expensive stuff. That's my plan, anyway. The greatest filmmakers probably didn't start out with best equipment at their disposal (Clerks was shot entirely in B&W, for example). Genius has a tendency to arise from severe limitations, especially in arts. Making the most out of perceived limitations is what hacking is all about, right?
I maintain a couple groups on Orkut, and at one point two Brazilians were speaking and commented, "I'm not sure how to express this in English." I quickly chimed in and basically said, "Then say it in Portuguese; if the content is juicy enough, the English-only speakers can paste it into Babelfish." I don't know Portuguese by the way.
There's no reason multiple languages can't coexist in one forum. I suppose others are annoyed when they're the linguistic minority for a change though. Seriously, get over it; maybe you'll actually learn something new, even if it is only a word.
I'm a Mac user who did my BA and MA in English. I ran a paper I considered to be one of my best through Diction and Style's analysis and came up with these results:
Kincaid: 12.6 ARI: 14.3 Coleman-Liau: 14.3 Flesch Index: 46.0 Fog Index: 16.3 Lix: 55.1 = school year 11 SMOG-Grading: 14.0
After analyzing my own writing, I fed it one chapter from my friend's dissertation -- who is a non-native speaker. The results are really not that significantly different, though his writing is filled with many non-native quirks:
Kincaid: 10.9 ARI: 12.7 Coleman-Liau: 15.2 Flesch Index: 50.0 Fog Index: 13.2 Lix: 54.8 = school year 11 SMOG-Grading: 12.0
The bottom line is that this analysis really means nothing. Once one reaches a certain writing proficiency no computer can accurately measure style. Even many teachers' perceptions of 'good' style is questionable.
What's really frightening is that many schools/teachers are beginning to grade students' papers electronically, with programs such as this.
maybe because ie comes standard and is the default browser on all machines running windows? Do most users actually know what a browser is?
I don't know about other languages, but the localized Arabic version of Windows XP (and probably versions before it) labeled the Internet Explorer desktop icon as simply "The Internet." I always found that disturbing, especially in a market where many individuals are just getting to know computers.
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Actually, I forgot the time my SNES got tossed across the room into the wall and still survived, except for a chip in the case and a slightly bent RF cable.
. . . but there's a guy I know who regularly picks his Sony laptop up with one hand, open, and gripping the front of the display.
It seems to survive this abuse.
One time I stripped the plug off some cheap headphones, then put the two wires into an electrical socket. The sparks were amusing; so were the small holes they burnt into my carpet afterward. I think I was 12 or 13 at the time.
As for hot swapping ISA/PCI cards, hard drives, other stuff -- I think everyone's tried that at least once.
Also, everyone's probably removed a cartridge from a c64/Atari/Genesis with it powered on at least once, possibly by accident. It can produce some cool looking screen garbage.
I still think the Turbo Grafx Express is one of the coolest portables ever made; maybe one day I'll pick one up used.
The coolest thing about Game Gear to me was you could play the entire Master System library on it with an inexpensive adapter.
Oh, and the second generation Lynx units were (much) nicer than the original.
I have a tendency to always buy the underdog machines as well, and I never feel bad about it. In fact I usually do it intentionally. Sometimes it feels better to have 4 or 5 quality games no one else has access to, rather than 15 or 20 you could easily play at a friend's house, or on an emulator a few years later. There were a number of games for my Master System that had no equivalent NES versions, and friends ended up playing for hours on end whenever they came over.
Eh, I'm not sure I was ever able to justify the purchase of an Atari 7800 though. But even it had a couple gems -- and the entire 2600 library behind it.
I found this last night, which looks pretty cool, and some models include a remote control.
I generally agree with you, but . . . this thing seems to control nearly every imaginable device one could have bought for their home entertainment system in the past 15 years.
Tape decks, DAT machines, Laser Disc players, lighting, air conditioners, etc. I could see how this would be interesting for a real enthusiast. The only thing not covered here are reel to reels and turntables, and that's probably only because those don't have remotes. To control all this stuff with a traditional remote you'd need something the size of a keyboard.
If you were used to and familiar with another companies products, Apple's products would seem very strange and alien to you. They would not even be recognizable as a pattern at all, and certainly not an expected one.
Dunno about that really. I wasn't a Mac user until 2002, but had OS X running to my likening within a few hours of taking the machine out of the box. I remember asking a friend a few questions, but 95% of it would be self-explanatory to anyone who's used a computer in the past 15 years.
On the other hand, I can remember encountering huge hiccups just migrating from one Linux distribution to another, or even upgrading Windows. There is definitely such a thing as unintuitive design; I've encountered it numerous times.
You will not have the knowledge of button placement encoded into your DNA
No, but there are certain UI designs that are more sensible to known human tendencies than others; Apple's done a great deal of research on it, and I think it shows when my dad (whose new to mp3s and computers) can figure out how to use iTunes within a couple minutes without me standing over his shoulders.
Please, there is no such "intuitive"
Sure there is. It's doing things like putting the power switch to say -- a monitor on its front, not the back. It's taking into consideration what most people expect, as opposed to what's technically the easiest thing to implement (which, in some cases -- may be a power switch on the back). Just an example. There are plenty more.
Apple has nothing to lose from this, but a great deal to gain. There's people out there who don't know, or think they want an mp3 player -- this will get them hooked not only on the idea, but on Apple's intuitive interface. When it comes time to upgrade to something that can hold more than 12 songs, chances are they'll consider something iTunes compatible (i.e. an iPod).
And even if it means no iPod sales, it still gives Apple stronger brand recognition.
If this turned into a legal battle one potential outcome would be Real discontinuing its player for OS X, which would leave Mac users unable to view a significant amount of web content. And unlike on Windows, the player for OS X isn't that bad, certainly much better than Windows Media Player for Mac, and completely free of spy and nagware.
:) I love Apple, like the iPod, and think iTunes is a product that deserves to succeed. Conversely, I hate Real -- but also hate the draconian laws that might lead to their defeat. In the end, I think I might have to side with Real on this one.
On the other hand, as long as there's money to be made by supporting Macs, they probably will -- especially with so many of Apple's users in the media industry. So maybe this is a non-issue.
This is a complex moral battle for me
No, but that's who he worked for.
I believe this is exactly what you're looking for. The price is right too.
Rendezvous on Champs-Elysees
Leave Paris in the morning on T.E.E.
A lot of Apple users will even skip a processor generation
Or two. Or just upgrade their Mac and span it across 5-6 years (assuming it's a desktop).
You'd think the Mac version would have to, since the entire PowerMac line is dual-CPU now.
I was thinking Doom 3 would be limited to G5s, until I realized how many Macs are dual-CPU G4s, which should be adequate.
. . . if they bundled the iPods with one of these. Even the smallest capacity iPod currently sold could probably hold an entire semester's worth of lectures.
Here's an interesting interview with Spike Lee on his usage of prosumer cameras.
. . . from someone with a burgeoning interest in film: the picture quality means nothing if the content is boring, or the audio sucks.
People will forgive less than great picture quality, and in some cases it even adds a bit of flare. If the movie isn't actually worth watching, or you can't hear dialogue . . . then, the money on the latest and greatest cam is wasted. It looks like you've got the sound aspect of this pretty well covered though.
Maybe think mid-range and work on technique; then consider the most expensive stuff. That's my plan, anyway. The greatest filmmakers probably didn't start out with best equipment at their disposal (Clerks was shot entirely in B&W, for example). Genius has a tendency to arise from severe limitations, especially in arts. Making the most out of perceived limitations is what hacking is all about, right?
I maintain a couple groups on Orkut, and at one point two Brazilians were speaking and commented, "I'm not sure how to express this in English." I quickly chimed in and basically said, "Then say it in Portuguese; if the content is juicy enough, the English-only speakers can paste it into Babelfish." I don't know Portuguese by the way.
There's no reason multiple languages can't coexist in one forum. I suppose others are annoyed when they're the linguistic minority for a change though. Seriously, get over it; maybe you'll actually learn something new, even if it is only a word.
I'm a Mac user who did my BA and MA in English. I ran a paper I considered to be one of my best through Diction and Style's analysis and came up with these results:
Kincaid: 12.6
ARI: 14.3
Coleman-Liau: 14.3
Flesch Index: 46.0
Fog Index: 16.3
Lix: 55.1 = school year 11
SMOG-Grading: 14.0
After analyzing my own writing, I fed it one chapter from my friend's dissertation -- who is a non-native speaker. The results are really not that significantly different, though his writing is filled with many non-native quirks:
Kincaid: 10.9
ARI: 12.7
Coleman-Liau: 15.2
Flesch Index: 50.0
Fog Index: 13.2
Lix: 54.8 = school year 11
SMOG-Grading: 12.0
The bottom line is that this analysis really means nothing. Once one reaches a certain writing proficiency no computer can accurately measure style. Even many teachers' perceptions of 'good' style is questionable.
What's really frightening is that many schools/teachers are beginning to grade students' papers electronically, with programs such as this.
so just buy a $1099 laptop that kicks ass and is very competitive with the pc laptop market for what you get.
Or pay $949 with educational pricing. Laptops are one area where Apple is very competitive price-wise with PCs.
On Mac OS 9, the IE icon was labeled "Browse the Internet".
I think OS 9's "Browse the Internet" icon would actually load whatever your default browser happened to be. Not sure about that, though.
maybe because ie comes standard and is the default browser on all machines running windows? Do most users actually know what a browser is?
I don't know about other languages, but the localized Arabic version of Windows XP (and probably versions before it) labeled the Internet Explorer desktop icon as simply "The Internet." I always found that disturbing, especially in a market where many individuals are just getting to know computers.
Well, my G3 800mhz iBook only has a CD-ROM -- and it's exactly one year old. This is not an .edu model either; I bought it at a retail store.
.edu store still sales iBooks without DVD drives.
Like someone else pointed out in this thread, the Apple
Oh, and my 2002 Quicksilver has only a CD-RW. So, many current machines would be out of the loop with a DVD only release.
Just buy this
FP.
And I thank you for the PE reference :) Rodney O. Lain would be proud.