All that has changed is the $60,000 electric cars are better to the point of acceptability. The $20,000 electric cars that most people could afford are still garbage.
I'm driving one -- a Fiat 500e -- and I can tell you firsthand that it's actually a really fun car. Quick, nimble, and extremely quiet.
Maybe you should actually drive one before making sweeping generalizations?
I see Nissan Leafs on the road every single day. Many times a day. All over the place. They are for sale because some percentage of *any* model car is always for sale.
From your repeated comments, you clearly don't like electric cars. That's fine. But trying to convince people that they will never catch on when they have already caught on just makes you look like a troglodyte.
The Electric car has to be able to completely replace the gas car and in its present format (at least, for the affordable cars) it's not possible to do that.
For you, perhaps. But if you pay attention, you might notice that people are now driving electric cars without your blessing.
Slashdot, once upon a time, would be agog about an electrical vehicle, Now the site is so reactionary, it's starting to read like Fox News for people who hate anything new.
This.
I've been reading slashdot for a long, long time. It's kind of startling when you think about how far the general audience has shifted.
"Electric cars may seem like a niche product that only wealthy people can afford"
That's because it's exactly what they are, and exactly why adoption is utter shit.
Adoption is actually going quite well out here in sunny California. Last month, a whole bunch of people (part of a group-buy) managed to get Fiat 500e electric cars for a monthly lease of $83 per month. There were some extenuating circumstances here (federal subsidies, state subsidies, etc) but still -- a lot of electric cars hit the roads over the period of a few weeks.
Electric cars certainly don't make sense for everyone, and if you compare them solely based on range vs. a gas car, the electric car clearly looks inferior. That said, my round-trip commute to work is 20 miles, so I'm really an ideal candidate. I also own a pickup truck that I could use for longer trips.
Which is why I'm now commuting to work in a Fiat 500e. And laughing at people like you who think it can't be done.
Isn't it funny how trolls will grasp at straws to make a point that isn't really there? In point of fact, California is among the smallest per capita user of energy in the entire United States.
How sad for you and your kind, though I look forward to buying whatever the equivalent is of fine wooden furniture from your group of castaways at some point in the future.
I am pretty miffed to read this. Nothing like paying a load of cash for a shiny new laptop only to find out a couple months later that you'd have been way better off waiting.
You were expecting that any manufacturer should stop improving their products the moment you buy in?
oh dont get me wrong, I do love apple. It takes a large number of people who i used to fix their things for free to telling them to talk to apple because i dont do it.
but as a power user, and i think thats who makes up the majority of this site, in no way does taking away functionality = an upgrade
You're being far too reasonable. Where's the inchoate rage at the existence of any product not tailor-made for linux geeks? Where's the cognitive dissonance caused by other people liking something that you yourself do not approve of?
That's pretty much it. People flock to closed, locked down ecosystems and beg to throw their money at anyone who will do their thinking for them. Nothing else really matters. People love golden cages.
Rolex, Piaget, Cartier, Breitling, Panerai, Hublot, Armand Nicolet, Audemars, Tag Heuer, Zenith, IWC, Jaeger LeCoultre, Ulysse Nardin, Salvatore Ferragamo, Corum, Patek Phillipe, Omega, Blancpain, Gerard Perregaux, and Montblanc all sell watches that cost more than $20,000 according to Amazon -- the most expensive one is over $75,000 -- no that is not a typo.
Oh, they go higher than $75,000. A lot higher. Patek Phillipe in particular.
I don't know a whole lot about luxury watches, so forgive the mistake about the battery.
But if you (by your own admission) don't know much about luxury watches, then why spout off about the comparison between the Edition watch and luxury watches?
Oh, right. This is slashdot. Smart people have this blind spot about what they actually know vs. what they think they're qualified to speak about.
I know there are "automatic" watches as well as ones that you still use the crown to wind, but was unaware that was what the super high end was about.
As a rule, there are no quartz (battery) watches in the stratosphere of luxury watches. As a general rule, there are no luxury watches worth talking about below the $5000 mark, though that is obviously very subjective. Gold versions of Rolex and Breitling start in the several tens of thousands range.
Also, I'm sure that having it cleaned every 5 years is still orders of magnitude cheaper than COMPLETELY REPLACING IT EVERY TWO.
Well, there's the problem of finding a qualified watchmaker, which is becoming increasingly difficult because most of the watchmakers are old and generally succumbing to the effects of age. And then there's the problem of finding replacement parts for in-house mechanisms, which (surprise!) obey the same laws of scarcity seen in long-obsolete tech components.
So, to summarize: you don't really know much about watches, your comparison is riddled with unintended problems, and you should at least consider not spouting off in anger about that which you don't know, lest someone call you on it.
And this can be done by any number of watchmakers who have been plying their trade for over 100 years, and will still be doing so in another 100. Good luck getting parts for your iToy in even 10 years time...
You might be surprised to find out that owners of mechanical watches are lately having a bit of trouble finding qualified watchmakers to service their watches. This isn't uniformly true, some cities are better represented than others with appropriately skilled people. But they're also finding it difficult to get parts for in-house mechanisms (i.e. very custom) from a few years back, which is awfully reminiscent of the problem you're pointing out in tech.
Mechanical watches were, after all, one of the original consumer tech products.
Only if it's a shitty watch. I have a Zodiac that was made in the 70s that still works perfectly to this day. It's not once ever been disassembled, ultrasonically cleaned or relubed.
Nope. The very best watches all recommend approximately the same service regimen. The fact that you have an old watch that still runs does not in fact mean that it doesn't need to be cleaned -- it means you are not taking good care of it.
Cars will run without oil for a while, too. Doesn't mean that cars don't need oil.
In case you still think I'm a shitty programmer by the way, I invite you to try the Opalcalc software in my link. There's nothing else like it, and it's not hard to see why.
Congratulations. You have succeeded in changing my opinion of you. I no longer think you are a shitty programmer. I think you're a shitty programmer that can't even properly edit a sig line.
No it's not "solid gold", it's mixed with ceramics to make it harder. Try and sell that to your local pawn shop as gold see what they offer you.
18k gold means that it is 75% gold. In fact, pretty much all gold used in jewelry is 18k or less. Gold for everyday wear is typically mixed with a number of other metals to create an alloy that wears better (i.e. harder). The fact that Apple has chosen different materials does not mean that it is not 18k gold.
Slashdot Mirror
The reason they're bought as second cars is because they're fucking expensive and don't meet the needs of a first car
This doesn't even begin to make sense. Please try again.
Until infrastructure problems get addressed
If only there was a nationwide power distribution grid, then that pesky infrastructure problem would finally be solved.
Oh, wait.
All that has changed is the $60,000 electric cars are better to the point of acceptability. The $20,000 electric cars that most people could afford are still garbage.
I'm driving one -- a Fiat 500e -- and I can tell you firsthand that it's actually a really fun car. Quick, nimble, and extremely quiet.
Maybe you should actually drive one before making sweeping generalizations?
10,000 people buying an electric is not making a significant difference in the face of the millions of gas powered cars out there.
It's a lot more than 10,000. A *lot* more.
I see Nissan Leafs on the road every single day. Many times a day. All over the place. They are for sale because some percentage of *any* model car is always for sale.
From your repeated comments, you clearly don't like electric cars. That's fine. But trying to convince people that they will never catch on when they have already caught on just makes you look like a troglodyte.
The Electric car has to be able to completely replace the gas car and in its present format (at least, for the affordable cars) it's not possible to do that.
For you, perhaps. But if you pay attention, you might notice that people are now driving electric cars without your blessing.
I have personally changed a timing belt. By the side of the road. Over the course of two days. It sucked.
I have had a couple of transmissions replaced, and a couple more rebuilt. Both were expensive propositions.
In other words, my isolated anecdotes cancel out your isolated anecdotes, leaving us back where we were at the start.
Slashdot, once upon a time, would be agog about an electrical vehicle, Now the site is so reactionary, it's starting to read like Fox News for people who hate anything new.
This.
I've been reading slashdot for a long, long time. It's kind of startling when you think about how far the general audience has shifted.
"Electric cars may seem like a niche product that only wealthy people can afford"
That's because it's exactly what they are, and exactly why adoption is utter shit.
Adoption is actually going quite well out here in sunny California. Last month, a whole bunch of people (part of a group-buy) managed to get Fiat 500e electric cars for a monthly lease of $83 per month. There were some extenuating circumstances here (federal subsidies, state subsidies, etc) but still -- a lot of electric cars hit the roads over the period of a few weeks.
Electric cars certainly don't make sense for everyone, and if you compare them solely based on range vs. a gas car, the electric car clearly looks inferior. That said, my round-trip commute to work is 20 miles, so I'm really an ideal candidate. I also own a pickup truck that I could use for longer trips.
Which is why I'm now commuting to work in a Fiat 500e. And laughing at people like you who think it can't be done.
The rest of us actually enjoythis.
I think you grossly overestimate the number of people who are as mind-numbingly stupid as you are. Yes, even on Slashdot.
Isn't it funny how trolls will grasp at straws to make a point that isn't really there? In point of fact, California is among the smallest per capita user of energy in the entire United States.
How sad for you and your kind, though I look forward to buying whatever the equivalent is of fine wooden furniture from your group of castaways at some point in the future.
Artisanal compilers, no doubt.
To be fair, Samsung sues Apple too. They just usually lose.
I am pretty miffed to read this. Nothing like paying a load of cash for a shiny new laptop only to find out a couple months later that you'd have been way better off waiting.
You were expecting that any manufacturer should stop improving their products the moment you buy in?
oh dont get me wrong, I do love apple. It takes a large number of people who i used to fix their things for free to telling them to talk to apple because i dont do it.
but as a power user, and i think thats who makes up the majority of this site, in no way does taking away functionality = an upgrade
You're being far too reasonable. Where's the inchoate rage at the existence of any product not tailor-made for linux geeks? Where's the cognitive dissonance caused by other people liking something that you yourself do not approve of?
That's pretty much it. People flock to closed, locked down ecosystems and beg to throw their money at anyone who will do their thinking for them. Nothing else really matters. People love golden cages.
Occam would like a word with you. In private.
Rolex, Piaget, Cartier, Breitling, Panerai, Hublot, Armand Nicolet, Audemars, Tag Heuer, Zenith, IWC, Jaeger LeCoultre, Ulysse Nardin, Salvatore Ferragamo, Corum, Patek Phillipe, Omega, Blancpain, Gerard Perregaux, and Montblanc all sell watches that cost more than $20,000 according to Amazon -- the most expensive one is over $75,000 -- no that is not a typo.
Oh, they go higher than $75,000. A lot higher. Patek Phillipe in particular.
I don't know a whole lot about luxury watches, so forgive the mistake about the battery.
But if you (by your own admission) don't know much about luxury watches, then why spout off about the comparison between the Edition watch and luxury watches?
Oh, right. This is slashdot. Smart people have this blind spot about what they actually know vs. what they think they're qualified to speak about.
I know there are "automatic" watches as well as ones that you still use the crown to wind, but was unaware that was what the super high end was about.
As a rule, there are no quartz (battery) watches in the stratosphere of luxury watches. As a general rule, there are no luxury watches worth talking about below the $5000 mark, though that is obviously very subjective. Gold versions of Rolex and Breitling start in the several tens of thousands range.
Also, I'm sure that having it cleaned every 5 years is still orders of magnitude cheaper than COMPLETELY REPLACING IT EVERY TWO.
Well, there's the problem of finding a qualified watchmaker, which is becoming increasingly difficult because most of the watchmakers are old and generally succumbing to the effects of age. And then there's the problem of finding replacement parts for in-house mechanisms, which (surprise!) obey the same laws of scarcity seen in long-obsolete tech components.
So, to summarize: you don't really know much about watches, your comparison is riddled with unintended problems, and you should at least consider not spouting off in anger about that which you don't know, lest someone call you on it.
And this can be done by any number of watchmakers who have been plying their trade for over 100 years, and will still be doing so in another 100. Good luck getting parts for your iToy in even 10 years time...
You might be surprised to find out that owners of mechanical watches are lately having a bit of trouble finding qualified watchmakers to service their watches. This isn't uniformly true, some cities are better represented than others with appropriately skilled people. But they're also finding it difficult to get parts for in-house mechanisms (i.e. very custom) from a few years back, which is awfully reminiscent of the problem you're pointing out in tech.
Mechanical watches were, after all, one of the original consumer tech products.
It's not a bug. It's a text limit. And you're clearly not very smart.
Only if it's a shitty watch. I have a Zodiac that was made in the 70s that still works perfectly to this day. It's not once ever been disassembled, ultrasonically cleaned or relubed.
Nope. The very best watches all recommend approximately the same service regimen. The fact that you have an old watch that still runs does not in fact mean that it doesn't need to be cleaned -- it means you are not taking good care of it.
Cars will run without oil for a while, too. Doesn't mean that cars don't need oil.
yet your statement contains no arguments for or against.. just a bunch of name calling.
Why waste good thought-power on a racist troll?
In case you still think I'm a shitty programmer by the way, I invite you to try the Opalcalc software in my link. There's nothing else like it, and it's not hard to see why.
Congratulations. You have succeeded in changing my opinion of you. I no longer think you are a shitty programmer. I think you're a shitty programmer that can't even properly edit a sig line.
Buick == Chevy, for most relevant measures in which a car analogy might be used (spit) to represent "hardware specs". They're both GM, after all.
Ford might be a little better, but neither has been a serious car company since the 70s.
No it's not "solid gold", it's mixed with ceramics to make it harder. Try and sell that to your local pawn shop as gold see what they offer you.
18k gold means that it is 75% gold. In fact, pretty much all gold used in jewelry is 18k or less. Gold for everyday wear is typically mixed with a number of other metals to create an alloy that wears better (i.e. harder). The fact that Apple has chosen different materials does not mean that it is not 18k gold.