It is a 'shopping tech mecca' for geeks, because it is!
Well, my experience in Akihabra in the back-alleys was in fact that I could often find very exotic things, for a price far less than I would pay elsewhere in the world.
But I do agree with your point - there are 'akihabra's all over the world, and I concede that the 'net is still the best way to buy things.
Akihabra has that old-school cyber-appeal, though.
Every time one of these scare tactic India-programmer stories comes up, the only thing that happens is people start getting complacent.
Forget it. It's a big ruse.
Programming is embbedding itself as a fundamental of organization required for any revenue-generating endeavour to function. If you think *all the software there ever is to write in the world* is going to get farmed off to Indian peasants working for ricebags, then you're clearly don't belong in the 'high technology' strata. I suggest you get a corndog stand, instead.
There is so much more to be done in the realm of computers, and it doesn't matter if Indians do it or if Cowboys do it, it'll get done.
... "Uniform Moral Code", or whatever it was, got enforced.
What was that called again? The "Moral Code of Comics" which all the American publishers had to agree to, or they were blacklisted from distribution or some such thing...
That totally broke the whole comic/artsy mold and turned 'comic' into 'propaganda device'.
I found this to be a bit of a myth, actually, like "its so expensive to eat well in Tokyo", also. If you peel away the neon, you can find very, very good bargains in that town.
Sure, there are the front-door shops with the consumer goods at the best possible price - for the seller. But in the streets around, back alleys, in the quieter shops, you can make good deals and walk away having spent a lot less on something freakin' cool than you would have, say, in a San Jose Fry's or something.
To this day, the best second-hand synthesizer shopping experience I've had has been in Akihabara, and I've been synth shopping all over the world... Aki has its own culture in the back alleys. You have to look hard, but ultra-cheap (cool) hardware is there... I had a similar experience buying good-quality minidisc hardware (SCSI) and obscure video games, too...
Heh heh. Yes, I guess I could say that I was pretty clumsy in both cases.
Nevertheless, I hope you can appreciate my admiration for just how durable this box has been. The case-swap was *not* easy... like trying to put together a gutted swan and expect it to sing again, afterwards...
Almost the same sort of thing is happening in the synthesizer world; where once it was predominantly a hardware-driven market, it has now been separated into exclusively-software, and/or exclusively-hardware.
The software guys are facing all sorts of headaches on the whole 'plugin' system front, and that has been a fairly active technology field in this realm for a while, in terms of computer-years. Though, it is very difficult to turn a profit in face of cracks.
I equate it with a similar 'razor or blades' choice conundrum, and the solution is to see razor-blade for what it is: totally arbitrary.
The only thing that matters is how well does the product work. Small shops can make good products too, and will continue to do so even in light of being forced out by those who would make razor-blade market scenarios...
No, it is a titanium powerbook g4, rev a. (#1). 1gig of RAM.
Much as people marvel at how 'delicate' it looks, this thing has taken a serious kicking. I've gotten used to thinking of it as more of a 'plank' (as in "that surfer and his plank, attached at the hip") than a laptop. I guess it helps that I have replaced the entire casing twice, personally - no small task! I have become pretty confident about this computer, frankly.
All my previous PC laptops were crap in comparison. I had Sagers, Dell, HP. Winbook. Fujitsu. The only thing that comes close in comparison to my Powerbook from PC land oddly enough, in the replace-able/user-serviceable department, are IBMs.
After-market/spare parts for IBM laptops are pretty ubiquitous, if you know where to look...
Something about the case design, and slimness of the Powerbook in general, has made it extremely easy to travel with. It has taken an extreme battering, but is still my #1 primary computing platform. I gave up worrying about 'nicks and scratches' though, and am pretty much considering enshrining it in some carbon fiber and epoxy, just for the looks and, well... it could use a little more love.
Just not sure if I want to replace the display before I do break out the epoxy and fiber, though... maybe.
I could definitely be happy with this system for at least another 2 years, productively. I'll upgrade as soon as I can (mmm... 17" alBook Rev. B... mmm...) of course, but this computer still has a lot of life left in its future.
I wonder if they've got a broadcast service for it, so that computers can get automated details about the power system switching to City-UPS, and consequently deal with it?
7 minutes of warning before switching to backup power... lessee... a couple of sync's, put transaction queues in wait-state, hold tight on all processing... *blink*... back in business.
Of course, this'd give the average Windows user just about (but not quite) enough time to watch their taskbar-status control-pane/app thingies shut down, too...
I've had a Rev. A Powerbook (rev _A_) for about 4 years now, and it is a solid computer. It has survived two complete trips around the planet, had its case replaced 2 times (not easy to do, though) and had umpteen keyboard swapouts, and it still keeps on ticking.
Incidentally, speaking of part swapping on laptops, I don't know where I'd be without sites like pbparts.com, though... could never find something like that for Dell/HP/Alienware laptops, anyway, so it seems like a plus for the pbook to me. The pbooks aren't upgradeable, but at least with pbparts they are pretty much user serviceable...
I lived in LA for 15 years, and spent more on my computers than I did on my car. In fact, for most of that 15 years, I didn't have a car. In LA.
Sure as hell had a good 'net connection and a decent computer all that time, though...:) In fact, I had a pretty decent rack of computers then, heh heh...
And subsequently conclude that therefore he owns the IP of crossing wires the right way... so any more smart comments will need to pay a $966 licensing fee.
Slashdot Mirror
Lest ye forget 'announce early to confuse your enemies customers' is a Gates mantra from the 80's. I'm not even going to give you a history lesson.
He's mastered this by now. It ain't no conspiracy.
"That could be your little brother in the bottom of the glass."
Cheesey.
Because in Soviet Russia, Arctic Clouds form you!
It is a 'shopping tech mecca' for geeks, because it is!
Well, my experience in Akihabra in the back-alleys was in fact that I could often find very exotic things, for a price far less than I would pay elsewhere in the world.
But I do agree with your point - there are 'akihabra's all over the world, and I concede that the 'net is still the best way to buy things.
Akihabra has that old-school cyber-appeal, though.
Every time one of these scare tactic India-programmer stories comes up, the only thing that happens is people start getting complacent.
Forget it. It's a big ruse.
Programming is embbedding itself as a fundamental of organization required for any revenue-generating endeavour to function. If you think *all the software there ever is to write in the world* is going to get farmed off to Indian peasants working for ricebags, then you're clearly don't belong in the 'high technology' strata. I suggest you get a corndog stand, instead.
There is so much more to be done in the realm of computers, and it doesn't matter if Indians do it or if Cowboys do it, it'll get done.
... "Uniform Moral Code", or whatever it was, got enforced.
...
What was that called again? The "Moral Code of Comics" which all the American publishers had to agree to, or they were blacklisted from distribution or some such thing
That totally broke the whole comic/artsy mold and turned 'comic' into 'propaganda device'.
No ... they'll make an "anti-RFID" detector and then use *that* to track your shopping habits instead ...
Not Perl.
Visual Basic.
I found this to be a bit of a myth, actually, like "its so expensive to eat well in Tokyo", also. If you peel away the neon, you can find very, very good bargains in that town.
Sure, there are the front-door shops with the consumer goods at the best possible price - for the seller. But in the streets around, back alleys, in the quieter shops, you can make good deals and walk away having spent a lot less on something freakin' cool than you would have, say, in a San Jose Fry's or something.
To this day, the best second-hand synthesizer shopping experience I've had has been in Akihabara, and I've been synth shopping all over the world
What does it do for a G4, do you know?
Heh heh. Yes, I guess I could say that I was pretty clumsy in both cases.
...
Nevertheless, I hope you can appreciate my admiration for just how durable this box has been. The case-swap was *not* easy... like trying to put together a gutted swan and expect it to sing again, afterwards
Too true.
Almost the same sort of thing is happening in the synthesizer world; where once it was predominantly a hardware-driven market, it has now been separated into exclusively-software, and/or exclusively-hardware.
The software guys are facing all sorts of headaches on the whole 'plugin' system front, and that has been a fairly active technology field in this realm for a while, in terms of computer-years. Though, it is very difficult to turn a profit in face of cracks.
I equate it with a similar 'razor or blades' choice conundrum, and the solution is to see razor-blade for what it is: totally arbitrary.
The only thing that matters is how well does the product work. Small shops can make good products too, and will continue to do so even in light of being forced out by those who would make razor-blade market scenarios
I've replaced the place by choice, both times as a result of an accident.
The point is: I could and did do it. You can't, and won't do it with a Dell or whatever.
(IBM's, yeah.)
Your jump to a conclusion belies an evaluative system based on ridicule, not sensibility.
No, it is a titanium powerbook g4, rev a. (#1). 1gig of RAM.
Much as people marvel at how 'delicate' it looks, this thing has taken a serious kicking. I've gotten used to thinking of it as more of a 'plank' (as in "that surfer and his plank, attached at the hip") than a laptop. I guess it helps that I have replaced the entire casing twice, personally - no small task! I have become pretty confident about this computer, frankly.
All my previous PC laptops were crap in comparison. I had Sagers, Dell, HP. Winbook. Fujitsu. The only thing that comes close in comparison to my Powerbook from PC land oddly enough, in the replace-able/user-serviceable department, are IBMs.
After-market/spare parts for IBM laptops are pretty ubiquitous, if you know where to look
Something about the case design, and slimness of the Powerbook in general, has made it extremely easy to travel with. It has taken an extreme battering, but is still my #1 primary computing platform. I gave up worrying about 'nicks and scratches' though, and am pretty much considering enshrining it in some carbon fiber and epoxy, just for the looks and, well
Just not sure if I want to replace the display before I do break out the epoxy and fiber, though
I could definitely be happy with this system for at least another 2 years, productively. I'll upgrade as soon as I can (mmm... 17" alBook Rev. B... mmm...) of course, but this computer still has a lot of life left in its future.
I wonder if they've got a broadcast service for it, so that computers can get automated details about the power system switching to City-UPS, and consequently deal with it?
... lessee ... a couple of sync's, put transaction queues in wait-state, hold tight on all processing ... *blink* ... back in business.
...
7 minutes of warning before switching to backup power
Of course, this'd give the average Windows user just about (but not quite) enough time to watch their taskbar-status control-pane/app thingies shut down, too
... to Baghdad.
Whole fleet of them. Put food, water, and duracells in the cart.
Indeed. I'd add Akihabara (Tokyo) to that list of places to visit for custom hardware like this. Shouldn't be too difficult to find ...
Apple aren't just style and sophistication.
... could never find something like that for Dell/HP/Alienware laptops, anyway, so it seems like a plus for the pbook to me. The pbooks aren't upgradeable, but at least with pbparts they are pretty much user serviceable ...
I've had a Rev. A Powerbook (rev _A_) for about 4 years now, and it is a solid computer. It has survived two complete trips around the planet, had its case replaced 2 times (not easy to do, though) and had umpteen keyboard swapouts, and it still keeps on ticking.
Incidentally, speaking of part swapping on laptops, I don't know where I'd be without sites like pbparts.com, though
I lived in LA for 15 years, and spent more on my computers than I did on my car. In fact, for most of that 15 years, I didn't have a car. In LA.
... :) In fact, I had a pretty decent rack of computers then, heh heh ...
Sure as hell had a good 'net connection and a decent computer all that time, though
I haven't used IE under Mac in years.
It almost feels "NCSA Mosaic"-like to do so.
Its fantastic that there are alternative browers!
I've stopped playing Starcraft and Warcraft since I found out about these other games ... through their litigation.
No dude, SCO is smoking crack.
And subsequently conclude that therefore he owns the IP of crossing wires the right way ... so any more smart comments will need to pay a $966 licensing fee.
... computer use you!
... the kinds of research we're currently doing in user interfaces for the digital musical instrument market, actually.
... never mind ...
Oops. Can't go into it any further just yet