Also, the argument that Apple needs to break compatibility in order to protect itself is complete bullshit. If my Palm doesn't sync with iTunes, I'm going to bitch about it to Palm. Nobody expects iTunes to work.
Except that not everyone is like you. So why would you assume such things?
But there is a technical reason for Apple banning such antics. Apple doesn't know if the Pre is exactly the same as the iPod it's pretending to be, so it could be a support liability.
There would be only one reason for Palm to need to resort to USB ID spoofing.
They're so late to the game that they've resorted to cheap hacks to get their product out ASAP, rather than wait and do things properly?
That would be because iTunes treats non-Apple devices differently and probably quite poorly.
RIM have managed. Although, I haven't yet read a review on the latest Blackberry, so if you can tell me what's poor about its iTunes syncing, that would be great. Because otherwise it's just speculation.
The range is so short that the Pre must be placed on the wireless charger. That's quite a bit different to 50cm (which is still to short, I think).
Re:Do we need the anti-smoking jab
on
A Geek Funeral
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· Score: 1
I'm arguing against you (or anybody else) being able to tell somebody how they live their life.
Surely that applies just as much to people telling others that they shouldn't tell others how to live their lives?
Second, the "smoking doesn't impact only the smoker" argument is bullshit.
I hope you didn't get that from Penn & Teller's Bullshit. Sadly, much of their stuff is as full of bullshit as the subject they're ranting against.
Sure is disappointing you couldn't figure this out: the simplest way to avoid second hand smoke is to not hang around people who are smoking. Problem solved.
I don't understand the fixation on making a completely universal plug. It seems good in theory, but what does it actually get us beyond some cable interchanging possibilities and expensive upgrades?
The main use of the optical drive on my 13" MacBook Pro is to watch movies when I'm at home -- a portable external drive is fine for that. I also think it's time for the optical drive to go on at least one Pro spec laptop. Thankfully the HDD is already on it's way out. Now, there is still the problem of the fan...
It's almost like we need some kind of "Dashboard" for little widgets that we want easy access to, but don't want to clutter our screen with all the time.
I guess I'm not a fan of this display concept since it could be duplicated with a taller screen and software, but with the additional flexibility of using the extra space as part of the main display area.
This isn't technically true. Apple doesn't have to write squat. Palm already did it for them, by programming the Pre to mimic an iPod/iPhone well enough to be recognized by iTunes. Apple didn't need to lift a finger.
They would have to lift their fingers if they wanted to make certain changes to the way their software works. By having the Pre as an iPod, they basically have another device to support that isn't even theirs. They already wrote stuff so that devices like the Pre could work with iTunes, but Palm decided to ignore that in favor of a quick hack.
Why should Apple have to support another manufacture's device when they already spent the time and effort on a proper way to make non-iPod devices compatible with iTunes? I think such hacks like Palm's should to be avoided if you actually charge for your product.
If Apple didn't put their foot down now, then more manufacturers might follow a bad example. That's more devices that don't belong to Apple to support, and more users to alienate should they ever decide to stop support, damage to their brand, etc. As an Apple customer, I'd prefer Apple to spend their time improving other parts of their software, rather than waste it supporting a whole lot of devices made by slack manufactures that I don't have.
Well, except that MS got to the top because of (sometimes questionable) business skills, rather than by making a product that people actually like.
Emulating another device to provide compatibility is perfectly acceptable, even under the DMCA.
Perhaps if it's the only way to provide compatibility. But in this case it's not.
I think Apple are in the right here. They already provide a way to sync with iTunes. Palm decided to go with a cheap hack over a proper solution in a commercial product and expected Apple to do the support for it.
Yes it sucks for the Pre users, but Palm should never have advertised iTunes syncing in the first place if they knew it was based on a hack that could easily cause problems for their users.
I think Palm should have waited a bit longer (or spent more money) and done things properly. But I guess since they were so late in trying to get their act together with the Pre, that they felt it was wise to rush it to market. Apple, of course, goes with the philosophy of leaving it out until it's finished.
Yeah, for the same reason they didn't keep their drivers up-to-date for some of us Mac Treo users. It's stunts like this that forced me to switch to the iPhone. I like the Pre -- and it's good to have the competition, but I think Palm got what they deserved in this case.
BS. There are other people out there who have managed to sync with iTunes without doing something stupid like Palm has done. Saying that it's for "clearly purely anticompetitive reasons" is just speculation. What makes it so clear to you?
I pay NZ$10 for 100MB of Prepay 3G on Vodafone. It's still expensive per MB compared to other parts of the world, including Aussie, but I find 100MB to be enough for my iPhone's data use. The speed of 3G is the most attractive thing to me, since it makes such things as map apps usable. If I want to download apps, music, and videos, I'll do it on my desktop. Vodafone don't make this info very obvious and I bet a lot of people still think the expensive plans they advertise are the only options (they start at NZ$40 a month for an "iPhone" plan).
However, I still think Wi-Fi isn't going anywhere because free access to the net when sitting in a good hot spot with a laptop is a feature not many people will want to give up.
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Also, the argument that Apple needs to break compatibility in order to protect itself is complete bullshit. If my Palm doesn't sync with iTunes, I'm going to bitch about it to Palm. Nobody expects iTunes to work.
Except that not everyone is like you. So why would you assume such things?
Yeah, maybe that will keep some geeks happy, but not your average user.
Wouldn't Palm be better off just getting the Pre to sync with iTunes the proper way?
But there is a technical reason for Apple banning such antics. Apple doesn't know if the Pre is exactly the same as the iPod it's pretending to be, so it could be a support liability.
Only if you don't consider great usability a feature.
There would be only one reason for Palm to need to resort to USB ID spoofing.
They're so late to the game that they've resorted to cheap hacks to get their product out ASAP, rather than wait and do things properly?
That would be because iTunes treats non-Apple devices differently and probably quite poorly.
RIM have managed. Although, I haven't yet read a review on the latest Blackberry, so if you can tell me what's poor about its iTunes syncing, that would be great. Because otherwise it's just speculation.
The range is so short that the Pre must be placed on the wireless charger. That's quite a bit different to 50cm (which is still to short, I think).
I'm arguing against you (or anybody else) being able to tell somebody how they live their life.
Surely that applies just as much to people telling others that they shouldn't tell others how to live their lives?
Second, the "smoking doesn't impact only the smoker" argument is bullshit.
I hope you didn't get that from Penn & Teller's Bullshit. Sadly, much of their stuff is as full of bullshit as the subject they're ranting against.
Sure is disappointing you couldn't figure this out: the simplest way to avoid second hand smoke is to not hang around people who are smoking. Problem solved.
Most babies aren't capable of that.
I don't understand the fixation on making a completely universal plug. It seems good in theory, but what does it actually get us beyond some cable interchanging possibilities and expensive upgrades?
Decent laptops and expandable smartphones?
The main use of the optical drive on my 13" MacBook Pro is to watch movies when I'm at home -- a portable external drive is fine for that. I also think it's time for the optical drive to go on at least one Pro spec laptop. Thankfully the HDD is already on it's way out. Now, there is still the problem of the fan...
You have ran a hi-res display, audio, an external drive, and networking over a single connection, with no mucking about to set it all up?
Why can't cooking be considered an adaption to the surroundings?
And since when have bikes needed to be open to be considered true bikes?
It's almost like we need some kind of "Dashboard" for little widgets that we want easy access to, but don't want to clutter our screen with all the time.
I guess I'm not a fan of this display concept since it could be duplicated with a taller screen and software, but with the additional flexibility of using the extra space as part of the main display area.
I guess for gaming it could be a bit different.
And what is your reason for assuming that?
This isn't technically true. Apple doesn't have to write squat. Palm already did it for them, by programming the Pre to mimic an iPod/iPhone well enough to be recognized by iTunes. Apple didn't need to lift a finger.
They would have to lift their fingers if they wanted to make certain changes to the way their software works. By having the Pre as an iPod, they basically have another device to support that isn't even theirs. They already wrote stuff so that devices like the Pre could work with iTunes, but Palm decided to ignore that in favor of a quick hack.
Why should Apple have to support another manufacture's device when they already spent the time and effort on a proper way to make non-iPod devices compatible with iTunes? I think such hacks like Palm's should to be avoided if you actually charge for your product.
If Apple didn't put their foot down now, then more manufacturers might follow a bad example. That's more devices that don't belong to Apple to support, and more users to alienate should they ever decide to stop support, damage to their brand, etc. As an Apple customer, I'd prefer Apple to spend their time improving other parts of their software, rather than waste it supporting a whole lot of devices made by slack manufactures that I don't have.
Apple is the Microsoft of MP3 players.
Well, except that MS got to the top because of (sometimes questionable) business skills, rather than by making a product that people actually like.
Emulating another device to provide compatibility is perfectly acceptable, even under the DMCA.
Perhaps if it's the only way to provide compatibility. But in this case it's not.
I think Apple are in the right here. They already provide a way to sync with iTunes. Palm decided to go with a cheap hack over a proper solution in a commercial product and expected Apple to do the support for it.
Yes it sucks for the Pre users, but Palm should never have advertised iTunes syncing in the first place if they knew it was based on a hack that could easily cause problems for their users.
I think Palm should have waited a bit longer (or spent more money) and done things properly. But I guess since they were so late in trying to get their act together with the Pre, that they felt it was wise to rush it to market. Apple, of course, goes with the philosophy of leaving it out until it's finished.
Yeah, for the same reason they didn't keep their drivers up-to-date for some of us Mac Treo users. It's stunts like this that forced me to switch to the iPhone. I like the Pre -- and it's good to have the competition, but I think Palm got what they deserved in this case.
BS. There are other people out there who have managed to sync with iTunes without doing something stupid like Palm has done. Saying that it's for "clearly purely anticompetitive reasons" is just speculation. What makes it so clear to you?
How do we know they are not experiencing a lot of pain?
And how do we know they aren't feeling perfectly content?
And if you are on a one-lane road?
And are guide dogs easy to train, available, and suitable for all blind people?
What about the side of the road when there is no footpath?
Kea have also been known to do that to sheep.
I pay NZ$10 for 100MB of Prepay 3G on Vodafone. It's still expensive per MB compared to other parts of the world, including Aussie, but I find 100MB to be enough for my iPhone's data use. The speed of 3G is the most attractive thing to me, since it makes such things as map apps usable. If I want to download apps, music, and videos, I'll do it on my desktop. Vodafone don't make this info very obvious and I bet a lot of people still think the expensive plans they advertise are the only options (they start at NZ$40 a month for an "iPhone" plan).
However, I still think Wi-Fi isn't going anywhere because free access to the net when sitting in a good hot spot with a laptop is a feature not many people will want to give up.