What am I getting with this new iBook? A flashy case? And the potential for wireless connectivity. Fine, that's great, but I bought a crappy little CTX EzBook 20 months ago with damn near the same specs ('cept the processor) for $300 less. And that was 20 months ago. (I think I saw my model on one of those liquidation sites for $700 or so last week...) I really like the stylistic direction Apple is going with the whole iMac/iBook line, but jeeeeez, give me something I can work with here. I will admit that the AirPort thingy is a really cool feature, but who cares if the rest of the machine is a lemon? I work in an office that is almost entirely Mac-based (the lone P133 in the corner is only used by the financial guy). We just got one of the latest PowerBooks for use at presentations; we've been updating to the new G3s over the last few months, all because we like the image of the new translucent machines. We would probably get one of these iBooks -- except it sucks wind. Can't (AFAICT) plug the LCD projector into it. Can't even plug it into a TV. Does this thing have audio capabilities? (Don't remember any mention of that all-important item... You want to play your games with sound, right?) All-in-all, I would have to say that Steve Jobs has been doing a wonderful marketing campaign, but he really needs to ask consumers what they want. Selling crippled machines with little or no chance of upgradability is one track; the rest of the world is headed along a different one.
If these companies didn't have to spend so much on taxes, accountants to calculate them, their support staff, and lawyers and their support staff, they could devote those funds to lowering costs or further research.
Woo hoo, is that a laugh. I would say that there is definitely a "non-zero" probability that if these companies didn't have to spend so much on taxes, et cetera, they would devote those funds to higher executive salaries. As another poster has said, companies don't do altruistic research any more -- there is no ROI in it.
In related news, there are several companies competing with a couple of governments (US included) to document the human genome. Altruism? Not a chance. In a year or two at least part of your genetic code will be patented by at least one company. Unless, of course, all that "wasteful" government spending on the human genome project pays off and they beat the companies to it.
Government research pays off, no matter what that research is in, because YOU end up owning it. Not some company in California who will charge you nicely if you want your children to have blue eyes.
People often overestimate the power of science fiction. Great writers like Jules Verne (submarines) and Arthur Clarke (satellites) have been responsible for some of the greatest technological innovations in history. (And let us not forget Isaac Asimov's robots...)
"I came here to kick ass and chew bubblegum. I'm all out of bubblegum."
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What am I getting with this new iBook? A flashy case? And the potential for wireless connectivity. Fine, that's great, but I bought a crappy little CTX EzBook 20 months ago with damn near the same specs ('cept the processor) for $300 less. And that was 20 months ago. (I think I saw my model on one of those liquidation sites for $700 or so last week...)
I really like the stylistic direction Apple is going with the whole iMac/iBook line, but jeeeeez, give me something I can work with here. I will admit that the AirPort thingy is a really cool feature, but who cares if the rest of the machine is a lemon?
I work in an office that is almost entirely Mac-based (the lone P133 in the corner is only used by the financial guy). We just got one of the latest PowerBooks for use at presentations; we've been updating to the new G3s over the last few months, all because we like the image of the new translucent machines. We would probably get one of these iBooks -- except it sucks wind. Can't (AFAICT) plug the LCD projector into it. Can't even plug it into a TV. Does this thing have audio capabilities? (Don't remember any mention of that all-important item... You want to play your games with sound, right?)
All-in-all, I would have to say that Steve Jobs has been doing a wonderful marketing campaign, but he really needs to ask consumers what they want. Selling crippled machines with little or no chance of upgradability is one track; the rest of the world is headed along a different one.
If these companies didn't have to spend so much on taxes, accountants to calculate them, their support staff, and lawyers and their support staff, they could devote those funds to lowering costs or further research.
Woo hoo, is that a laugh. I would say that there is definitely a "non-zero" probability that if these companies didn't have to spend so much on taxes, et cetera, they would devote those funds to higher executive salaries. As another poster has said, companies don't do altruistic research any more -- there is no ROI in it.
In related news, there are several companies competing with a couple of governments (US included) to document the human genome. Altruism? Not a chance. In a year or two at least part of your genetic code will be patented by at least one company. Unless, of course, all that "wasteful" government spending on the human genome project pays off and they beat the companies to it.
Government research pays off, no matter what that research is in, because YOU end up owning it. Not some company in California who will charge you nicely if you want your children to have blue eyes.
People often overestimate the power of science fiction. Great writers like Jules Verne (submarines) and Arthur Clarke (satellites) have been responsible for some of the greatest technological innovations in history. (And let us not forget Isaac Asimov's robots...)
"I came here to kick ass and chew bubblegum. I'm all out of bubblegum."