I like the way this guy thinks - and I think this too.
Let's do some math..and since we're talking conspiracy theory here, we only need to use addition!
* MS "kills off" the old OSs, but not enough corp users move * MS goes security nuts and publicizes ever patch. Let's not mention that some patches take 6 months to come... * Release the code through a "trusted partner" - MS supports lots of partners which, via programming, politics or press, support the beast in return. * Frightened CEOs scream - CIOs look at updating to XPee vs. training staff on Linux and OpenOffice. Looks ok, until... * Frightened CEO's PowerPoint presentation doesn't work right
Agreed - right now my biggest woe is that it won't jump from track to track automatcically.
I'm trying to listen to all of CarTalk's segments 1-10, and the dam thing plays one track only and stops. Phooey. I can't quite seem to get it to play tracks in series anymore..
Big-time agreement on the Timbuk2 gear - I have one of their laptop sleeves for my iBook and it's fabulous - dense, well-made with a strap on top to keep the 'book in place and slim enough so that it's easy to slip it into nearly any bag.
I opted to "go-suit" and ditched my old courier bag for a proper Texile leather briefcase - a little boring-looking but totally incognito. The center compartment fits the laptop and sleeve perfectly, with just enough room on the edge to slip-in an external 60Gb pocket drive and mini-mouse.
It sounds like alot, but it's not - the while thing is very efficient in all, and the Timbuk2 sleeve is the core. My book is completely safe...
It's unlikely you'll get the law overturned without the work of your local Congresspeople, so go to them. If anything, politicians are easier to move by means of protest and petition than big business. The RIAA will always make the connection of lower sales with piracy, not protest, and as long as they also work hand-in-hand with the media machine, the tide will take forever to turn.
Politicians though are terribly practical - they have to renew their existence constantly so they live on the balance of popular issues. Right now, without proper organization, your identity is being defined by the RIAA 500lb gorilla. We're a speck by comparison. We need to jump, en masse, onto these scales to at least show some popular volume, to garner attention. Grass-roots activism is always where the greatest power lies. You have to be active and pressure your local and state representatives to change the law. Make it uncomfortable in their home-states and they won't take you for granted.
But I believe that we have to do it in a way they can grasp - protesting at rallies, marches, actual mail. As much as I like email, I get results more often with a physical letter - if one morning your rep received 500 or 1000 letters about the law, they would take notice. If the next day they find a few hundred people protesting at their re-election rally, and at every rally, then the pressure mounts. Think Flash mobs, but with a political point.
I really don't think we'll ever displace the gorilla sitting on our asses and jotting off emails or crashing servers. We need to get in their faces and make them know we're real and we're really pissed off.
"However, I think that the term "dingleberry" is just a touch inappropriate. Perhaps "Grasshopper" would have the exact impact for a Slashdot rebuttal to a stanger."
It would be too, were it not for the fact the guy posted under the name "dingleberry"
Then again, responding to a post without first reading it is TRUE slashdot.;)
Sure - it all looks great coming out of the carton, but I've owned a Rio jukebox, or junkbox as I like to call it, and fell apart at every conceivable opportunity. Now, after 3 months of heavy daily use, my iPod is still as beautiful as new and rock-solid too.
Everyone gets a bad phone rep - these things are farmed-out, But instead of asking for a supervisor, or calling back and getting someone with a braincell, or getting his name and then writing Apple, or doing any research themselves to find out about replacing batteries and why batteries fail, they decided to go ballistic and go to war with Apple.
They remind me of he people you see in a store, who - if they don't get what they want, right then - decide to start yelling at the tops of their voices to get a crowd. You know the types - they want what they want because the "client is king", which is always true until they start acting like one.
I can be an Apple apologist, but I have an iPod too and if I thought I was going to get screwed, I'd complain. And I have - my iPod was 4 weeks old when one of the earbuds gave up. They sent me a new set in 3 days. The pod skipped the first song occasionally (Toshiba HD issue - known in the forums) and the screen, while it worked, didn't seem to be the bright-blue screen you see in the commercials but instead a weaker green that washed-out a bit in the sun (polarizing, I guessed). I even scuffed the screen and back a bit - it looked old.
All this is 6 weeks after I buy one in NY and take it home to The Netherlands.
Called them up, told them the story, got a rep who sent a box Airborne the next day. It was in for repair. Then, a week and a half later, I get a brand-new iPod with a new blue screen and un-skipping drive, just as I asked. Perfect condition, just as I expected.
They idiots plain lie on their site. Their guerrilla tactics don't impress me because I know their tactics aren't about respect but about public embarrassment.
They should enjoy their 10 min/MB of fame. I hope Apple sues 'em.
And my point was that it was close enough to $1000 to count. Apple isn't going to play the priceline game, and as an intelligent consumer I wouldn't either.
I want to know what I spend my money on, and when I start to compare features, I think most consumers will say "Hmm!"
Apple has never been a mass-market mentality computer - why should it price itself that way?
Not to be too rude, but I'm not a fan of the AppForge Booster, the application he's speaking about, which lets you run Visual Basic apps on your P800/900. I've had a P800 for nearly 10 months now, and I've tried it many times because someone wrote the app to require Booster.
My problem is that Booster eats alot of precious RAM and makes the system unstable (I crash regularly with it installed). But worse - far worse, but not AppForge's fault - it unleashes crappy Basic programmers onto my phone. I'll install an app, play with it until I realize it 1) doesn't do what it claims, b) eats MORE ram, and iii) looks and works like 1988. Crap, crap, crap.
"You sound cynical about the efficacy of discussion.:)"
I'm never cynical about discussion - I always welcome active participation in a good speaking point. I do hate people who merge and confuse issues, then pander or spin their way out if it. I am expecially annoyed with people who start a sentence with "The reality is...", as if they're the only one's with a claim to the facts. It's only a technique for re-framing an argument into something they want to push. People need to listen more to the language in which it's said, and not guess a general sentiment. Later on, it's likely that language is also their escape hatch...
But hey - no offense taken, hopefully none conferred!;)
The following poster is right-on the mark too: Apple has pointedly been pushing the notion that the music is ALREADY yours. You bought the CD. You have a right to take it with you as you see fit.
We're just trying to seperate the notiions of iTunes and the iTMS. iTMS is a service channel for delivery, iTunes is the vehicle for playback.
Whoa there a second, kemosabe...Of course you can use your music elsewhere - don't misconstrue the intent of the post or the license to suit your argument!
The poster is talking about buying music and then moving to Romania or somesuch place and not being able to use the songs he bought, which is UNTRUE. You CAN use the songs any way you want, anywhere you want.
The bit in the Apple license you pasted is about **purchasing music via iTMS** outside of the US, where it's not supposed to be available.
For out there who don't read much before replying:
> Songs - YES
> Service - NO
Apple's only licensed for US purchases. If Apple allowed users use false information on out-of-country purchases, they could be named as accomplices to wire fraud and any purchases could be refused payment from the banks or credit card authorities! Heck - even the Apple Stores in each country use the banks in those countries - banking systems do NOT transparent boundaries!
C'mon kids - use your brains. You can't just do whatever you want to because you want something badly - that's the core of the problem. Laws (and more importantly, trust - the core of the system) would be broken and Apple would watch another project die because it never really took the time to mature the product.
This year, goal-one is to get it up and running on a small marketplace, to show that it can work. Next week, they open the marketplace wider, to show it can stand the market diversity. And with Windows users behind us, iTMS might be able to attract those other bands still standing on the sidelines. Next year, when iTMS hits Europe, it'll likely be a healthier, more diverse, more interesting service.
(Cynics need not reply - cynicism destroys and never builds. Cynics know the future. Cynics know the hearts of industry. Cynics, sitting in their dark basements, typing on their 14" VGA screens, are smarter than anyone - You and me included. Why even talk to them?)
My point was that typically, dual-processor systems have never proven more than 40% improvements in actual throughput. I'm going by history, not theoretical limitations.
There are a few other reasons why 100-140% isn't yet possible - (or whatever your numbers are ment to inferr) - primary is that the RAM, while the fastest there currently available, is carbunkled down to 400Mhz. That's probably the biggest issue, but luckily when RAM gets faster, that barrier is removed.
Not to add to the noise, but generally when you have a dual-processor system, you're really happy when you get between 30-50% extra oomph (real scientific term, but...) for an application.
If it's twice as fast, then it IS something special.
I've been to a few Apple stores recently - New York and Century City notably - and at no time did anyone hover at all. I was asked politely once, and probably only once, each time if they could be of any help. Otherwise I was free to check my email, use Office, Keynote, Final Cut Pro and DVD Studio Pro, X11 and all the other software installed on the system. I even opened-up terminal sessions and no-one came running. I've NEVER been to a more polite, easily-accessible tech store in my life (and when I wanted help, all I needed to do was raise a hand and someone came over - try THAT at a CompUSA).
Slashdot Mirror
NASA uses a Cold Fusion server?
Puny Earthlings! We will crush them!
I like the way this guy thinks - and I think this too.
Let's do some math..and since we're talking conspiracy theory here, we only need to use addition!
* MS "kills off" the old OSs, but not enough corp users move
* MS goes security nuts and publicizes ever patch. Let's not mention that some patches take 6 months to come...
* Release the code through a "trusted partner" - MS supports lots of partners which, via programming, politics or press, support the beast in return.
* Frightened CEOs scream - CIOs look at updating to XPee vs. training staff on Linux and OpenOffice. Looks ok, until...
* Frightened CEO's PowerPoint presentation doesn't work right
SOLUTION:
* CEO - "Upgrade!"
* MS = PROFIT!
C'mon - add to the panic...It's Fun!
Because "$MULTINATIONAL_CORP owns the news" nowadays?
nevermind the iPod - YOU are not worthy of slashdot! :)
Agreed - right now my biggest woe is that it won't jump from track to track automatcically. I'm trying to listen to all of CarTalk's segments 1-10, and the dam thing plays one track only and stops. Phooey. I can't quite seem to get it to play tracks in series anymore..
Err...256MB?
Ahem - wrong discussion methinks... 2-4Gb is a completely different class.
Big-time agreement on the Timbuk2 gear - I have one of their laptop sleeves for my iBook and it's fabulous - dense, well-made with a strap on top to keep the 'book in place and slim enough so that it's easy to slip it into nearly any bag.
I opted to "go-suit" and ditched my old courier bag for a proper Texile leather briefcase - a little boring-looking but totally incognito. The center compartment fits the laptop and sleeve perfectly, with just enough room on the edge to slip-in an external 60Gb pocket drive and mini-mouse.
It sounds like alot, but it's not - the while thing is very efficient in all, and the Timbuk2 sleeve is the core. My book is completely safe...
No - I tend to write what I believe in.
What do you believe in?
You want to really change the digital landscape? Go after the The Digital Millennium Copyright Act.
It's unlikely you'll get the law overturned without the work of your local Congresspeople, so go to them. If anything, politicians are easier to move by means of protest and petition than big business. The RIAA will always make the connection of lower sales with piracy, not protest, and as long as they also work hand-in-hand with the media machine, the tide will take forever to turn.
Politicians though are terribly practical - they have to renew their existence constantly so they live on the balance of popular issues. Right now, without proper organization, your identity is being defined by the RIAA 500lb gorilla. We're a speck by comparison. We need to jump, en masse, onto these scales to at least show some popular volume, to garner attention. Grass-roots activism is always where the greatest power lies. You have to be active and pressure your local and state representatives to change the law. Make it uncomfortable in their home-states and they won't take you for granted.
But I believe that we have to do it in a way they can grasp - protesting at rallies, marches, actual mail. As much as I like email, I get results more often with a physical letter - if one morning your rep received 500 or 1000 letters about the law, they would take notice. If the next day they find a few hundred people protesting at their re-election rally, and at every rally, then the pressure mounts. Think Flash mobs, but with a political point.
I really don't think we'll ever displace the gorilla sitting on our asses and jotting off emails or crashing servers. We need to get in their faces and make them know we're real and we're really pissed off.
"However, I think that the term "dingleberry" is just a touch inappropriate. Perhaps "Grasshopper" would have the exact impact for a Slashdot rebuttal to a stanger."
;)
It would be too, were it not for the fact the guy posted under the name "dingleberry"
Then again, responding to a post without first reading it is TRUE slashdot.
Sure - it all looks great coming out of the carton, but I've owned a Rio jukebox, or junkbox as I like to call it, and fell apart at every conceivable opportunity. Now, after 3 months of heavy daily use, my iPod is still as beautiful as new and rock-solid too.
"Would you have the same reaction if this was Microsoft/SCO/Oracle or any other "big iron" company which does not share Apple's cool hipness?"
Of course I would - idiots are everywhere.
Part of being cool is not taking everything so SERIOUSLY...
I don't think it's that...
Everyone gets a bad phone rep - these things are farmed-out, But instead of asking for a supervisor, or calling back and getting someone with a braincell, or getting his name and then writing Apple, or doing any research themselves to find out about replacing batteries and why batteries fail, they decided to go ballistic and go to war with Apple.
They remind me of he people you see in a store, who - if they don't get what they want, right then - decide to start yelling at the tops of their voices to get a crowd. You know the types - they want what they want because the "client is king", which is always true until they start acting like one.
I can be an Apple apologist, but I have an iPod too and if I thought I was going to get screwed, I'd complain. And I have - my iPod was 4 weeks old when one of the earbuds gave up. They sent me a new set in 3 days. The pod skipped the first song occasionally (Toshiba HD issue - known in the forums) and the screen, while it worked, didn't seem to be the bright-blue screen you see in the commercials but instead a weaker green that washed-out a bit in the sun (polarizing, I guessed). I even scuffed the screen and back a bit - it looked old.
All this is 6 weeks after I buy one in NY and take it home to The Netherlands.
Called them up, told them the story, got a rep who sent a box Airborne the next day. It was in for repair. Then, a week and a half later, I get a brand-new iPod with a new blue screen and un-skipping drive, just as I asked. Perfect condition, just as I expected.
They idiots plain lie on their site. Their guerrilla tactics don't impress me because I know their tactics aren't about respect but about public embarrassment.
They should enjoy their 10 min/MB of fame. I hope Apple sues 'em.
Yah - but that's why the Gods invented FireWire. Does everything need to be on the insides? Sheesh?!
And my point was that it was close enough to $1000 to count. Apple isn't going to play the priceline game, and as an intelligent consumer I wouldn't either.
I want to know what I spend my money on, and when I start to compare features, I think most consumers will say "Hmm!"
Apple has never been a mass-market mentality computer - why should it price itself that way?
Yeah - 1099 for a laptop is a deal-breaker.
Especially since it comes with a DVD/CD-RW drive, 1 FireWire & 2 USB 2.0 ports, 30GB drive, decent 32MB video ram, 10/100 & modem all built-in.
So - were you just looking to troll, or were you actually trying to make some kind of informed point?
Not to be too rude, but I'm not a fan of the AppForge Booster, the application he's speaking about, which lets you run Visual Basic apps on your P800/900. I've had a P800 for nearly 10 months now, and I've tried it many times because someone wrote the app to require Booster.
/., so VB should never get any respect).
My problem is that Booster eats alot of precious RAM and makes the system unstable (I crash regularly with it installed). But worse - far worse, but not AppForge's fault - it unleashes crappy Basic programmers onto my phone. I'll install an app, play with it until I realize it 1) doesn't do what it claims, b) eats MORE ram, and iii) looks and works like 1988. Crap, crap, crap.
(This is
"You sound cynical about the efficacy of discussion. :)"
;)
I'm never cynical about discussion - I always welcome active participation in a good speaking point. I do hate people who merge and confuse issues, then pander or spin their way out if it. I am expecially annoyed with people who start a sentence with "The reality is...", as if they're the only one's with a claim to the facts. It's only a technique for re-framing an argument into something they want to push. People need to listen more to the language in which it's said, and not guess a general sentiment. Later on, it's likely that language is also their escape hatch...
But hey - no offense taken, hopefully none conferred!
The following poster is right-on the mark too: Apple has pointedly been pushing the notion that the music is ALREADY yours. You bought the CD. You have a right to take it with you as you see fit.
We're just trying to seperate the notiions of iTunes and the iTMS. iTMS is a service channel for delivery, iTunes is the vehicle for playback.
According to Apple, **all** G5 systems will get Panther free (well, $19.99 for a shipped CD) - they've been grandfathered into the program:
When you fill out the form to check your G5 serial number, be sure to leave out any dashes.
Whoa there a second, kemosabe...Of course you can use your music elsewhere - don't misconstrue the intent of the post or the license to suit your argument!
The poster is talking about buying music and then moving to Romania or somesuch place and not being able to use the songs he bought, which is UNTRUE. You CAN use the songs any way you want, anywhere you want.
The bit in the Apple license you pasted is about **purchasing music via iTMS** outside of the US, where it's not supposed to be available.
For out there who don't read much before replying:
> Songs - YES
> Service - NO
Apple's only licensed for US purchases. If Apple allowed users use false information on out-of-country purchases, they could be named as accomplices to wire fraud and any purchases could be refused payment from the banks or credit card authorities! Heck - even the Apple Stores in each country use the banks in those countries - banking systems do NOT transparent boundaries!
C'mon kids - use your brains. You can't just do whatever you want to because you want something badly - that's the core of the problem. Laws (and more importantly, trust - the core of the system) would be broken and Apple would watch another project die because it never really took the time to mature the product.
This year, goal-one is to get it up and running on a small marketplace, to show that it can work. Next week, they open the marketplace wider, to show it can stand the market diversity. And with Windows users behind us, iTMS might be able to attract those other bands still standing on the sidelines. Next year, when iTMS hits Europe, it'll likely be a healthier, more diverse, more interesting service.
(Cynics need not reply - cynicism destroys and never builds. Cynics know the future. Cynics know the hearts of industry. Cynics, sitting in their dark basements, typing on their 14" VGA screens, are smarter than anyone - You and me included. Why even talk to them?)
So - does this make Haley's Comet the "swoosh"? ;)
My point was that typically, dual-processor systems have never proven more than 40% improvements in actual throughput. I'm going by history, not theoretical limitations.
There are a few other reasons why 100-140% isn't yet possible - (or whatever your numbers are ment to inferr) - primary is that the RAM, while the fastest there currently available, is carbunkled down to 400Mhz. That's probably the biggest issue, but luckily when RAM gets faster, that barrier is removed.
Not to add to the noise, but generally when you have a dual-processor system, you're really happy when you get between 30-50% extra oomph (real scientific term, but...) for an application.
If it's twice as fast, then it IS something special.
I've been to a few Apple stores recently - New York and Century City notably - and at no time did anyone hover at all. I was asked politely once, and probably only once, each time if they could be of any help. Otherwise I was free to check my email, use Office, Keynote, Final Cut Pro and DVD Studio Pro, X11 and all the other software installed on the system. I even opened-up terminal sessions and no-one came running. I've NEVER been to a more polite, easily-accessible tech store in my life (and when I wanted help, all I needed to do was raise a hand and someone came over - try THAT at a CompUSA).
err...Cry me an iRiver?
Crikies! Am I old enough now to get that joke?
Hmmf...so much for dialog. Let the weenie-whipping begin!