Why do iPod owners use every Slashdot story then can to let us know they own iPods?
Because the iPod's excellent design shows the kind of attention to detail and innovation (in the sense of putting previous ideas together in the right way) that many FOSS projects lack.
The iPod + iTunes combo is a poster child for design and functionality done right. I'll take this opportunity, however, to say that I don't own one and don't particularly want one. But if I were in the market for a portable music device/small backup HD, there would be only one player on my list -- and it isn't a Nomad.
Precisely how mad is "barking mad?" Is that the point at which you express your displeasure by standing in front of stores that sell Ipods and unleashing your canine fury?
their glory days are now more or less behind them.
Intel's glory days won't be behind them until I can visit dell.com and pick my processor for most systems. HP sells Intel processors in the vast majority of their machines. I looked on Gateway's business website only to see more Intel machines. The majority of people I know run WinTel -- particularly those who don't know what they run.
That isn't to say I'm not rooting for more competition. As my posting history indicates, I've become something of an Apple fanboy (I'm typing this on a PowerBook). But I recognize myself as a microscopic part of a oceanic market. I don't use Intel processors; the DIY geek market picks AMD, but I don't think so many others do.
A consistent API (or Framework, as Apple calls it) for development that means most programs act the same way and are easier to write.
I can buy an OS X laptop and everything will work out of the box. The OS will be tightly integrated with the hardware. I can run Linux if I want. Or Windows.
And that laptop will be well-designed, rugged and attractive. I won't have to struggle to get wireless networking, printing or peripherals to work. It sounds to me like some people don't realize how much "of OS X is actually Apple's."
About a week or two later, I went out and bought a Powerbook, first Apple computer I've ever owned, and from my experience so far it defeinitely won't be the last:)
You may want to check out Ars' Mac forum, the Ach. I bought my PowerBook a few months ago, and the advice given there was indispensable. I was "truly stunned at just how nice, and helpful, people in the "Apple Community" tend to be."
No worse than GIFs, really (if you actually like advertising of any kind).
I don't hate all advertising -- it serves a useful function in funding things like Slashdot -- but rather I hate it when the advertising detracts from the overall viewing experience, which happens with some blinking, stuttering and shaking flash ads. Google text placement is advertising done right; "Hit the monkey" motion ads are advertising done horribly wrong.
...there's a lot of interesting entertainment out there which uses Flash. Frankly, Homestar Runner would be rather dull as a static ASCII page...
That's a good point, and one I probably should have included in my original post; if Flash is integral to the nature of the website, as with HomeStar Runner, that's different from gratuitous and irritating movie sites/ads. Personally, I think HomeStar Runner is amusing but overrated, so I don't feel any strong desire to reinstall the plug-in (but I agree with your overall thrust).
And if they have an IE-optimized page they should also provide a strict HTML 4.0 standard version for real browsers:).
When TurboTax tried the activation bullshit, there was a huge public outcry, people applied for refunds in droves (and got them in states where the laws allow them), and rushed to H&R Block's TaxCut. TurboTax got the message big time and took out a full page ad in the NY Times and other major newspapers apologizing for the incident and as a result TurboTax for this year has no activation required.
This doesn't happen to Valve for a couple of reasons. Walt Mossberg doesn't review games, but he did review TurboTax. Mossberg's column can propel a product's sales or destroy them; more importantly, he's an unbiased, reputable critic with a massive audience who writes for the most respected newspaper in America. That kind of credibility doesn't come easily, and no game critic has it.
That leads to the next point, which is that the gaming media is an incestuous pool of kick-backs and lame reporting with a generous amount of hype. Without a critical press and sufficiently discerning readers to follow that press, game companies are free to get away with almost whatever they want.
Your answer to your own question is relevent too. In economics, a competitive market often has perfect or near perfect substitutes, such as TurboTax and TaxCut. These products are not precisely interchangable, however, but they are much closer than games. Each game is unique, and as such one cannot find a near perfect substitute for HL2. That means people are willing to put up with Steam and all the rest of this bullshit.
Notice that I say people in general, because there's no way I would buy HL2 because of all the shit I've read on/. about it.
I ended up just giving up and buying a second copy of the game because the store where I purchased it wouldn't accept a return. A cracked CD key would have saved me from having to buy the game again that I already legitimately owned.
I find it remarkable that you were willing to support a company that screwed you out of ~$50 by selling a faulty product. No wonder game companies continually roll out more onerous anti-piracy systems -- they're being financially rewarded for it.
A cracked CD key might have saved you time and money, but that isn't in the company's best interest. Their best interest is getting you to give them as much money as possible, and their ploy worked.
There are so many problems with this idea that it's hard to know where to begin. One could start with the fact that they serve totally different markets, use totally different architectures and wrote totally different operating systems. It would be a technical nightmare trying to integrate them. The worst assumption you make, however, is that "arguably the most powerful core OS of any on the market for general/server/production use." That arguable saves you a little bit, but with the exception of middle-end servers I don't think Sun has the most powerful "core OS" -- although I'm not entirely sure what your term means. If by core OS you mean kernel, then I think Apple, Microsoft or Linux are all viable contenders. If you don't mean kernel, then I'd like to hear what makes Sun's "core OS" superior to, say, Apple's, for desktop computing.
I also think your post contains too much technical handwaving. Integrating their respective architectures and OSes would require an enormous amount of work, if it could even be done within time/money limits (say, three years and $5B).
You're not the first guy to propose such a merger. This guy at O'Reilley suggested it, and the responses to his article about why Apple-Sun would be stupid apply here. A quick Google search turns up other arguments that may also be valid, like this one.
Finally, the IBM non-sequitor at the end of your post doesn't even remotely apply to the Apple-Sun situation.
Sad, the Flash community is swallowing it all in their enthusiasm.
Sadly, I find Flash so irritating, both in for creating full websites and its use for advertisements, that I uninstalled the plug-in. Any website that relies on Flash for critical functionality will lose me as a viewer or customer. If websites use Flash, they should also provide a simplified HTML version for the rest of us.
Do you know of anyone who's compared the noise from Pentium M laptops and Apple laptops?
I've done side-by-side comparisons with my PowerBook (1.5 Ghz) and IBM Thinkpads running the older generation of Pentium M chips (1.2 - 1.4 Ghz), and I can't perceive a difference in noise, even in a silent room. Two other friends gave differing opinions, one saying he thought the PowerBook was quieter and the other arguing for a Thinkpad; I think the difference in noise is a wash. This makes me doubly curious about what others have found.
I remember being in a mixed-politics group of friends, and one went off on a multiple-minute diatribe about how Bush and the Republicans are destroying the environment. When he finished, I asked what he cars he had (I already knew the answer): an Escalade and a Porshe 911. All the others raked him as a hypocrite, but he defended himself by saying he had the right to drive whatever he wanted. He still drives them, so far as I know, and probably still doesn't get it.
I've found that refusing to do Windows family tech support is enough, because using a different operating system so drastically cuts down on the number and difficulty of problems that I can reasonably support a large number of machines in a small amount of time. I tell family/friends I don't know Windows well (which is true) and thus can't help them; and in doing so I set up a paradox. If they use Windows, and suffer its problems, I can't help them, and if they use, say, OS X, they have far fewer problems. As a result, I don't spend much time doing tech support.
Depends on what the questioner means by "lone coder."
The lone coder developing stand-alone desktop applications is probably dead, killed by a combination of open-source, OS encroachment and higher standards -- at least somewhat -- for commercial software. I wasn't really around for what I understand to be the lone coder's heyday, but if that time really existed it's certainly dead now.
But the lone coder who makes things work, whether by customizing the software tools or writing the scripts that get things done is still around, and I think he or she always will be.
Until a sizeable minority or perhaps majority of households have BROAD broadband -- in the neighborhood of 1+MB/sec -- I don't see this idea happening. Until there is an easy way of transferring that movie to the TV, where someone might actually want to watch said movie, I don't see it happening.
Besides, cable companies are already moving into this market with video on demand. I think it's going to be at least two years before something like the iMovie video store becomes even feasible.
Exactly. It also depends on what they mean by "Internet," because if they're going to count not only the WWW, but also FTP, filesharing and IM, I'm going to bet that the "Internet" has way more data than Wal*Mart's DB.
Well, if you bought your Apple product six years ago -- I'm going to guess 1999, since we're almost at the end of the year -- the most powerful tower you could have bought was 400 mhz. The PowerMac I assume you refer to was not released until 2003.
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Because the iPod's excellent design shows the kind of attention to detail and innovation (in the sense of putting previous ideas together in the right way) that many FOSS projects lack.
The iPod + iTunes combo is a poster child for design and functionality done right. I'll take this opportunity, however, to say that I don't own one and don't particularly want one. But if I were in the market for a portable music device/small backup HD, there would be only one player on my list -- and it isn't a Nomad.
Precisely how mad is "barking mad?" Is that the point at which you express your displeasure by standing in front of stores that sell Ipods and unleashing your canine fury?
Intel's glory days won't be behind them until I can visit dell.com and pick my processor for most systems. HP sells Intel processors in the vast majority of their machines. I looked on Gateway's business website only to see more Intel machines. The majority of people I know run WinTel -- particularly those who don't know what they run.
That isn't to say I'm not rooting for more competition. As my posting history indicates, I've become something of an Apple fanboy (I'm typing this on a PowerBook). But I recognize myself as a microscopic part of a oceanic market. I don't use Intel processors; the DIY geek market picks AMD, but I don't think so many others do.
I feel the same way. I advised another poster here to try the Ars forum. I hated Macs in the bad old OS 8-9 days, but love X. It's a new world.
A consistent API (or Framework, as Apple calls it) for development that means most programs act the same way and are easier to write.
I can buy an OS X laptop and everything will work out of the box. The OS will be tightly integrated with the hardware. I can run Linux if I want. Or Windows.
And that laptop will be well-designed, rugged and attractive. I won't have to struggle to get wireless networking, printing or peripherals to work. It sounds to me like some people don't realize how much "of OS X is actually Apple's."
You may want to check out Ars' Mac forum, the Ach. I bought my PowerBook a few months ago, and the advice given there was indispensable. I was "truly stunned at just how nice, and helpful, people in the "Apple Community" tend to be."
I don't hate all advertising -- it serves a useful function in funding things like Slashdot -- but rather I hate it when the advertising detracts from the overall viewing experience, which happens with some blinking, stuttering and shaking flash ads. Google text placement is advertising done right; "Hit the monkey" motion ads are advertising done horribly wrong.
That's a good point, and one I probably should have included in my original post; if Flash is integral to the nature of the website, as with HomeStar Runner, that's different from gratuitous and irritating movie sites/ads. Personally, I think HomeStar Runner is amusing but overrated, so I don't feel any strong desire to reinstall the plug-in (but I agree with your overall thrust).
And if they have an IE-optimized page they should also provide a strict HTML 4.0 standard version for real browsers :).
Amen.
So you're stuck in a conundrum: WoW is good because of the simultaneous Mac launch and bad because "it's not worldwide".
Judging from the last line of your post, I think I see which side won out.
This doesn't happen to Valve for a couple of reasons. Walt Mossberg doesn't review games, but he did review TurboTax. Mossberg's column can propel a product's sales or destroy them; more importantly, he's an unbiased, reputable critic with a massive audience who writes for the most respected newspaper in America. That kind of credibility doesn't come easily, and no game critic has it.
That leads to the next point, which is that the gaming media is an incestuous pool of kick-backs and lame reporting with a generous amount of hype. Without a critical press and sufficiently discerning readers to follow that press, game companies are free to get away with almost whatever they want.
Your answer to your own question is relevent too. In economics, a competitive market often has perfect or near perfect substitutes, such as TurboTax and TaxCut. These products are not precisely interchangable, however, but they are much closer than games. Each game is unique, and as such one cannot find a near perfect substitute for HL2. That means people are willing to put up with Steam and all the rest of this bullshit.
Notice that I say people in general, because there's no way I would buy HL2 because of all the shit I've read on /. about it.
I find it remarkable that you were willing to support a company that screwed you out of ~$50 by selling a faulty product. No wonder game companies continually roll out more onerous anti-piracy systems -- they're being financially rewarded for it.
A cracked CD key might have saved you time and money, but that isn't in the company's best interest. Their best interest is getting you to give them as much money as possible, and their ploy worked.
I also think your post contains too much technical handwaving. Integrating their respective architectures and OSes would require an enormous amount of work, if it could even be done within time/money limits (say, three years and $5B).
You're not the first guy to propose such a merger. This guy at O'Reilley suggested it, and the responses to his article about why Apple-Sun would be stupid apply here. A quick Google search turns up other arguments that may also be valid, like this one.
Finally, the IBM non-sequitor at the end of your post doesn't even remotely apply to the Apple-Sun situation.
Sadly, I find Flash so irritating, both in for creating full websites and its use for advertisements, that I uninstalled the plug-in. Any website that relies on Flash for critical functionality will lose me as a viewer or customer. If websites use Flash, they should also provide a simplified HTML version for the rest of us.
I've done side-by-side comparisons with my PowerBook (1.5 Ghz) and IBM Thinkpads running the older generation of Pentium M chips (1.2 - 1.4 Ghz), and I can't perceive a difference in noise, even in a silent room. Two other friends gave differing opinions, one saying he thought the PowerBook was quieter and the other arguing for a Thinkpad; I think the difference in noise is a wash. This makes me doubly curious about what others have found.
Actually, they don't need an entire dictionary. They've simply declared war on fun.
I remember being in a mixed-politics group of friends, and one went off on a multiple-minute diatribe about how Bush and the Republicans are destroying the environment. When he finished, I asked what he cars he had (I already knew the answer): an Escalade and a Porshe 911. All the others raked him as a hypocrite, but he defended himself by saying he had the right to drive whatever he wanted. He still drives them, so far as I know, and probably still doesn't get it.
I've found that refusing to do Windows family tech support is enough, because using a different operating system so drastically cuts down on the number and difficulty of problems that I can reasonably support a large number of machines in a small amount of time. I tell family/friends I don't know Windows well (which is true) and thus can't help them; and in doing so I set up a paradox. If they use Windows, and suffer its problems, I can't help them, and if they use, say, OS X, they have far fewer problems. As a result, I don't spend much time doing tech support.
And maybe their four years of college, too, at least what little we can remember of it.
I'd say one track + instant gratification + hymn (so I can actually do what I want with the music I purchase) is even more attractive.
You're probably right.
The lone coder developing stand-alone desktop applications is probably dead, killed by a combination of open-source, OS encroachment and higher standards -- at least somewhat -- for commercial software. I wasn't really around for what I understand to be the lone coder's heyday, but if that time really existed it's certainly dead now.
But the lone coder who makes things work, whether by customizing the software tools or writing the scripts that get things done is still around, and I think he or she always will be.
Besides, cable companies are already moving into this market with video on demand. I think it's going to be at least two years before something like the iMovie video store becomes even feasible.
Do you have a link to a publication of this information? It sounds like an urban legend.
Resistance is futile.
Exactly. It also depends on what they mean by "Internet," because if they're going to count not only the WWW, but also FTP, filesharing and IM, I'm going to bet that the "Internet" has way more data than Wal*Mart's DB.
Well, if you bought your Apple product six years ago -- I'm going to guess 1999, since we're almost at the end of the year -- the most powerful tower you could have bought was 400 mhz. The PowerMac I assume you refer to was not released until 2003.