Samsung, Motorola and other old players in the telecoms game have a huge problem today because for many years they have been playing reasonably nice with each other.
You say playing nice, but I prefer to use the word colluding. The status quo always used to be that the previous incumbents would royally shaft their cash cow customers, by contrast we have a lot more choice today. Whether that is due to Android or Apple I don't particularly care, all I know is that it has changed.
The solution isn't to perpetuate the patent system any further with these anti competitive FRAND sticking plasters, it's to put pressure on reforming the whole patent system, getting rid of software patents entirely. The entry fee into any expanded club FRAND will be exorbitant enough so that those big players who are already members can keep new starters out. Only companies that aren't doing very well today would want that.
I see a lot of these verbose types of argument that fails to get to the point. Yes Apple patents a lot of stuff that shouldn't be patentable. So does google by the way and so does Microsoft and everyone else. A lot of those inventions don't even originate in house either, just look at googles buyout of Swallow for example.
However given these shitty rules that they play by are the same for all of them.
All you have done is go off on a hateful rant with nothing to back up those rantings, you have to explain why one company should have to forced to share it's own shitty patents with everybody else. What you've done is made an attack at the patent system and tried to attach Apples name to this uniquely, your words could apply equally to any of the major players. For example does google share its search patents with everybody? I don't know the answer to that but I don't see anybody looking into it round here either.
Does anybody else find it weird when supposedly intelligent people don't even _try_ to see all companies in the same light? That sort of blinkered view must spill out into other areas of thinking, in a way that must hurt reasoning skills.
Don't have a go at the story it was exactly the right thing to post - 500 comments and counting, including yours, prove it. The best way to bury a story is for people to ignore it, but some people just can't get their head around that simple fact.
You may have a point. Regarding MS though, I think that was a cynical and highly artificial milestone with no product to back it up. But probably more newsworthy.
Well have we seen release dates/pricing for Microsoft Surface or Office 2013? I love getting the inside track on up and coming tech - and besides if you don't think it's newsworthy then just don't then click on the story.
That was my thought exactly, that its similar to microsofts tactics. Not good. As for androids status, isn't it only really open to handset manufacturers? I mean unless I wanted to start up a handset company or am in the minority of geeks that like to hack my handset, isn't it true that what the average user ends up with is something as closed as apples platform?
For example nexus looks pretty cool and open but that would be a property of Nexus and NOT android. Similarly the kindle fire is a lot more locked down because that is how Amazon has decided to play. So I'm saying that we're all subject to the whim of the handset and carrier folk - they get the benefit of android not us. Not really seen any counter to this line of reasoning here on slashdot.
How you use your purchasing power is up to you, but you should know that geeks wield an influence of approximately zero. Also slashdot has become institutionally politicised against apple if you look at the kind of comments that are modded 4 and 5, which means that those that would provide a balance of opinion are leaving in droves. Not saying that you aren't entitled to voice your concerns but there is a danger that your arguments won't be strengthened through genuine debate and that there is a lot of preaching to the converted. If that's the endgame then I think it would be a hollow victory.
As for me I am an apple admirer (although not on this issue) and I specifically read slashdot to have my opinions challenged, but more and more I am saddened by the lack of reasoned debate. This is a word of caution to slashdot in general not just your post. For all the good that will do though, as if I have that kind of power!
Potentially insightful but I don't buy it, they have enough clout to play this game of brinksmanship behind closed doors. They haven't come out of this looking good at all.
Insightful 5 lol. Only on slashdot. They fucked up real bad, this wasn't part of some orchestrated marketing campaign. Do you rally think they don't have enough words written about them each day and therefore need to resort to desperate tactics?
Did they honestly ever have a good reputation though in the first place, at least among the tech minded? Anyway it seems to me that they've softened their stance somewhat with a few steps in the right direction, such as not making wild claims about being immune to pc viruses on their website. And requiring third party apps to be signed on mountain lion. And not installing java and flash runtimes by default. And disabling them if they haven't been run for a while. Oh and not creating a significant market for those biggest scareware mother fuckers of all, the virus scanning shysters.
You've presented a false choice, a third option would be to notify apple rather than try to sneak in an app past the terms and conditions. Perhaps it would be ok if I broke into your house in the name of security r&d?
Do you really think they thought to themselves: "those slashdotters are right, apple are douchebags lets sue the bastards"? No, their motives were altruistic. In other words if apple die by the sword it has NOTHING to do with the fact that they have brandished the sword.
You can be sure they aren't suing as part of some moral deterrent, it's to improve their financial position. On that basis they should be hated to the same extent as apple.
But since it was modded "insightful" instead of funny, you are apparently not the only one who didn't get the joke
Nah, it just shows that the moderators have a sense of humor and you didn't get that they were joking. Wait a minute - maybe you are joking and it's just gone over my head! Wooooooooosh
Yes I agree with this. Only I didn't see the same sentiment here on slashdot in response to apple taking baby steps to improve the situation for Foxconn workers or for improving their own green credentials.
Yes, I meant ammunition of any variety. The biggest raw nerve that I've observed when it comes to android (well maybe google) fanboys seems to be about privacy violations though.
Except it didn't turn out that way. Before apple decided to not to play ball the big players operated an old boys club of shared patents with a license fee stake high enough to keep newer upstarts out. I would much rather they all went to war with each other than cooperate in a cosy cartel, but I'm open to changing my mind if I hear any decent arguments as to why thats less evil.
Not just apple fan boys but that would be useful against android fanboys too. And any other fanboys. Just imagine it, we could have whole flame wars fought entirely with copy and pasted comments.
Slashdot Mirror
Samsung, Motorola and other old players in the telecoms game have a huge problem today because for many years they have been playing reasonably nice with each other.
You say playing nice, but I prefer to use the word colluding. The status quo always used to be that the previous incumbents would royally shaft their cash cow customers, by contrast we have a lot more choice today. Whether that is due to Android or Apple I don't particularly care, all I know is that it has changed.
The solution isn't to perpetuate the patent system any further with these anti competitive FRAND sticking plasters, it's to put pressure on reforming the whole patent system, getting rid of software patents entirely. The entry fee into any expanded club FRAND will be exorbitant enough so that those big players who are already members can keep new starters out. Only companies that aren't doing very well today would want that.
Or as my dad used to say: "what's yours is mine and what's mine's me own".
All you have done is go off on a hateful rant with nothing to back up those rantings, you have to explain why one company should have to forced to share it's own shitty patents with everybody else. What you've done is made an attack at the patent system and tried to attach Apples name to this uniquely, your words could apply equally to any of the major players. For example does google share its search patents with everybody? I don't know the answer to that but I don't see anybody looking into it round here either.
Does anybody else find it weird when supposedly intelligent people don't even _try_ to see all companies in the same light? That sort of blinkered view must spill out into other areas of thinking, in a way that must hurt reasoning skills.
Don't have a go at the story it was exactly the right thing to post - 500 comments and counting, including yours, prove it. The best way to bury a story is for people to ignore it, but some people just can't get their head around that simple fact.
You may have a point. Regarding MS though, I think that was a cynical and highly artificial milestone with no product to back it up. But probably more newsworthy.
Well have we seen release dates/pricing for Microsoft Surface or Office 2013? I love getting the inside track on up and coming tech - and besides if you don't think it's newsworthy then just don't then click on the story.
If you don't close your sarcasm tags, my sarcasm parser will get messed up and my whole day gets very confusing.
And we wouldn't want that, would we?
People aren't so much on the fence about that one though.
For example nexus looks pretty cool and open but that would be a property of Nexus and NOT android. Similarly the kindle fire is a lot more locked down because that is how Amazon has decided to play. So I'm saying that we're all subject to the whim of the handset and carrier folk - they get the benefit of android not us. Not really seen any counter to this line of reasoning here on slashdot.
As for me I am an apple admirer (although not on this issue) and I specifically read slashdot to have my opinions challenged, but more and more I am saddened by the lack of reasoned debate. This is a word of caution to slashdot in general not just your post. For all the good that will do though, as if I have that kind of power!
Potentially insightful but I don't buy it, they have enough clout to play this game of brinksmanship behind closed doors. They haven't come out of this looking good at all.
Insightful 5 lol. Only on slashdot. They fucked up real bad, this wasn't part of some orchestrated marketing campaign. Do you rally think they don't have enough words written about them each day and therefore need to resort to desperate tactics?
Did they honestly ever have a good reputation though in the first place, at least among the tech minded? Anyway it seems to me that they've softened their stance somewhat with a few steps in the right direction, such as not making wild claims about being immune to pc viruses on their website. And requiring third party apps to be signed on mountain lion. And not installing java and flash runtimes by default. And disabling them if they haven't been run for a while. Oh and not creating a significant market for those biggest scareware mother fuckers of all, the virus scanning shysters.
You've presented a false choice, a third option would be to notify apple rather than try to sneak in an app past the terms and conditions. Perhaps it would be ok if I broke into your house in the name of security r&d?
The entire technology industry at large is doing badly, that's why. Microsoft are targeting those innovations that make money.
Do you really think they thought to themselves: "those slashdotters are right, apple are douchebags lets sue the bastards"? No, their motives were altruistic. In other words if apple die by the sword it has NOTHING to do with the fact that they have brandished the sword.
You can be sure they aren't suing as part of some moral deterrent, it's to improve their financial position. On that basis they should be hated to the same extent as apple.
Christianity 1.0 maybe but version 2.0 is a lot tamer. With Islam it seems to be the other way round.
A rare voice of reason, wish I had mod points.
But since it was modded "insightful" instead of funny, you are apparently not the only one who didn't get the joke
Nah, it just shows that the moderators have a sense of humor and you didn't get that they were joking. Wait a minute - maybe you are joking and it's just gone over my head! Wooooooooosh
Some US production is way better than none
Yes I agree with this. Only I didn't see the same sentiment here on slashdot in response to apple taking baby steps to improve the situation for Foxconn workers or for improving their own green credentials.
Yes, I meant ammunition of any variety. The biggest raw nerve that I've observed when it comes to android (well maybe google) fanboys seems to be about privacy violations though.
Except it didn't turn out that way. Before apple decided to not to play ball the big players operated an old boys club of shared patents with a license fee stake high enough to keep newer upstarts out. I would much rather they all went to war with each other than cooperate in a cosy cartel, but I'm open to changing my mind if I hear any decent arguments as to why thats less evil.
Not just apple fan boys but that would be useful against android fanboys too. And any other fanboys. Just imagine it, we could have whole flame wars fought entirely with copy and pasted comments.
Ok fair enough.