Remember back in the day when Steve talked about the digital hub? And then when the iPod came out and he said he wanted to use them to help sell Macs? Then iTunes came out and even though Apple doesn't make much money from iTMS, Steve says he wants to use it to help sell iPods.
Evidently his plan is working. Last week that report came out showing about 6% of iPod users had switched from PCs to Macs and that another 7% plan on buying a Mac. The halo effect is boosting Apple's revenue.
So the iPod rules the HD-based market. Now it's time to take over the flash-based market and make sure no other company erodes Apple's dominance in the player market. I see this as yet another opportunity...people that can't afford an iPod will buy the new flash-based one. Money for Apple. When these people can afford it, they'll buy the big iPod. It's like the gateway drug to Macs.
I agree. I don't really see how easy it would be to go through all your music without a screen. And that really surprises me, given that Apple is famous for their ease of use and very functional designs. I'm betting somewhere, somehow, there may be a screen involved.
News for nerds. Stuff that matters.
on
Humans Born to Run
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· Score: 0, Offtopic
I read slashdot because I can see links to articles that appeared on the MSN homepage 2 days ago! With cutting edge reporting like this, why would anyone go anywhere else for news?
I agree...you could find the news other places. But do you want to sort through all the crap to find the news that matters? It's all here! Yipee! Let the submitters do all the sorting and submitting so you only have to go to one site for the cool stuff.
MSFT isn't able to due this as often though. Everytime they do people yell at MSFT for breaking things. Look at SP2 i would say the majority of XP machines still haven't upgraded to it, because of the apps it breaks.
Again, I see two things here that confuse me/make me wonder. First, with all the security flaws, udates, and apps breaking, I wonder why people don't make the switch to something better. Flaw...fear of breaking apps so no updates...messed up computers...install patch...messed up computers. It's a nasty cycle.
But that's the thing...people now simply accept the fact their computer will be filled with bugs and apps breaking and just deal with it. So will MSFT really get crushed from this vicious circle of death, or will people continue to accept what's going on?
I guess a few battles to watch will help us predict what may happen. Like Firefox gaining ground on IE is a good one.
Webmail vs "regular" mail
on
The Webmail Wars
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· Score: 4, Insightful
I still find webmail an interesting phenomenon. I know there are millions of users out there. And I myself find it quite handy when I'm traveling. Being able to hop on any computer, open up a browser, and check my mail is good. But...I still don't use it that much. I have a Yahoo account (I think), I may have done a Hotmail account way back in the day, and I have my Gmail account. But even with those, I use my other accounts MUCH more. I liken it to AOL...I don't fully understand why someone would use AOL when they can get a much less intrusive and cluttered way to get to the Internet, yet they have millions of users. Same goes with my thoughts on webmail...why would someone pay for Internet service and then opt to use Hotmail?
The only answers I can think of is to have a "safe" spot for addresses where you may end up getting a lot of spam. Or "secret" accounts. Or multiple accounts. And that's why I find these webmail wars fascinating...wars are being fought over this with the major players in the industry over something so seemingly unimportant (as say compared to OS wars, browser wars, etc)
But M$ has a huge hammer to rely upon. They will start making Itunes break everytime there is a MS Update run. While making the Windows Media Player more similar to Itunes. Pretty soon it won't be worth the hassle to keep Itunes running right.
I have two thoughts on this. First, MS updates will break a lot of things, not just iTunes. I constantly hear horror stories of how each update breaks some program or another. Granted, it may break iTunes a bit "harder", but that's a price to pay. I also wonder if Apple could say "look, these guys are acting very uncompetitively and intentionally breaking our software".
Second...the reason many people don't switch from PCs to Macs is because of all the software they have for their PCs and they don't feel like buying all new software, etc. The same argument could hold true for the iPod. With dominance of the market and their own format, iPod owners may not make the switch to other players and formats for the same reason as PC users sticking with that platform.
What a difference the two companies (Apple and Microsoft) have in terms of public perception. Microsoft is seen as a necessary evil. Apple has always been seen as "pretty" and "innovative". The one fact that really drives that (and a few other things) home though in this article was this beautiful quote:
Speaking just after the event, Bono, U2's lead singer, said the band was not charging Apple a penny to be in the ad. (The band says it had turned down as much as $23 million to use its music in other commercials.) In its three-year life, the iPod has achieved such "iconic value," Bono said, that U2 gets as much value as Apple does from the commercial, by promoting its music and the new Red and Black U2 edition of the iPod, for which the band gets royalties.
It's just another example of how Jobs has his pulse on the entertainment industry (ie, Pixar, iTunes being THE music service to break through, etc). Microsoft on the other hand is relying on OS marketshare dominance to try to get into the game.
Seriously...they know all about serving up content on high traffic sites. Not only is it high traffic, but it's rather big files that they're delivering. When we're testing the networks that we set up, both wired and wireless, we often visit pr0n sites for our benchmarks.
People who get married make more money, and are healthier, on the average as most studies have concluded. That's a good thing about getting married! If you can do that without getting married, great! I think money and health are something any rational person will try to obtain.
I think, in general, that statement of marriage/money is true. However, when you have a wife and two kids to support, it's not easy to say "hon, I'm not going to have a 'real' job with health insurance and a steady paycheck. Just deal with it". I had the dream of starting my own company for a while, but I would in no way put my kids and wife at risk for something that may or may not succeed. I can handle eating ramen for two years, but I won't do that to my kids. After a divorce, I quit my job at Siemens (and it was quite cushy), started a company, ate ramen, and never looked back.
In theory, it sounds all good to meet with Apple. I mean hey, they rock, don't they? They have a cool culture, cool products, etc. But c'mon...give these guys a break. First, they didn't know they were going to be asked to be iTunes. Hell, maybe in the back of their heads they were thinking Steve (Jobs) just wanted to shut them up. It's easy for you to say they were dumb now, but back then...they had no clue. And let's not forget...everyone laughed at the idea of mp3s being a viable money maker. It was just for college kids to steal music and play...
Let me ask you this. Do you run your own shop? I commend them for thinking about what they want in life. Like he said, they're young, not married, so why not go for it? Follow your dreams. And if the going gets tough, I'm sure Jobs would have no problem hiring them if they said "we need a job". I for one am impressed with their decision. It was tough, and they're following their dreams.
This comment doesn't really seem that relevant: "In a nutshell, he thinks that Nintendo's domination of the handheld market will make this a rough go for Sony."
Atari once held the entire market. Then it was Intellivision vs. Atari vs. Colecovision and Intellivision seemed to have it. Remember when Nintendo was the system to have (even when Sega was out...we don't hear that name much anymore). What's this? Sony Playstation is the thing to have now! Of course, we're seeing this split between PS2, GameCube, and XBox now. Just because Nintendo holds the handheld market now doesn't mean PSP won't knock the socks off everyone and people will go nuts buying them up left and right.
Then again, I could be wrong. Let's look at the iPod and all the competing mp3 players.
I'm surprised this article isn't in the "YRO" section. I see a lot of applications where this could be used as "spy paper". How easy would it be to "give a gift" and then track someone's movement? A business card, a photograph, anything. It's kinda creepin' me out just thinking about it.
First off, I wonder who the WiMax equipment provider will be. There aren't really that many manufacturers out there so I wonder why they're being mum about it. Intel is banking on WiMax taking off. Proxim is another major player. This seems like and excellent marketing push for either company. Quick searches on both companies sites didn't show any news on the Seattle initiative.
Next, there seems to be a bit of confusion as to what exactly WiMax is good for. Let's assume you have your MiMax base station blasting the radio signal to the park. Keep in mind it's operating on 802.16, not 802.11. So you won't be sitting with your laptop and realizing these T-1 speeds. You'll still need the WiMax (802.16) subscriber unit (base station) to pick up the signal and then send it through a router. More than likely, this router will then be the wireless router we're all used to seeing...thus if it's the 802.11g, you'll realize speeds of 56 Mbps.
Search Result: A paperclip pops up on your screen and says "It appears you are searching for a penguin. Did you know Microsoft servers are cheaper to run than Linux? Would you like to buy one now?"
Very good point. Just like the cell phone companies say "free long distance", you're still paying for that monthly service.
One thing people need to bear in mind is that VoIP has been around for a while. Yet people all equate VoIP now with calls over handsets using Vonage and such. VoIP is just that..."VOICE over IP", meaning when you've been using iChat (or any other IM with audio capabilities), you've been using VoIP.
Right now I still use Skype and iChat for my VoIP requirements. How could the gov't regulate my chatting? That means they'd have to regulate all IM clients. Soon I'll head to Vonage or set up my own network, but until then...
In business, just because something is better does not always mean it is the killer of the current king. One easy example would be to compare Windows to other OSes. Sure this is open for debate, but many consider the Mac OS to be a much more robust OS than Windows. Windows however controls the market. Just because Apple may introduce an even better OS next year, you won't hear anybody claiming it to be a "Windows killer". Same with the new versions of desktop Linux. Or we could go back in history and look at Beta vs. VHS.
The point being, Apple has achieved phenomenal success with the iPod. There are a slew of mp3 players out there that are probably better than the iPod in many ways. However, Apple has integrated the iPod with iTunes for a seemless user experience. Not only that, but the iPod is THE de facto standard. When you want a cotton swab, you ask for a Q-tip. When you want a bandage, you ask for a Band-Aide. When you want a digital player, you ask for an iPod. There are alternatives out there, and some may be better...but that doesn't make it a "killer"
For starters, I'm 32 right now. My family seems pretty addicted to games though. I remember our first Atari 2600. My mom, dad, and I would stay up all night playing "Yar's Revenge". Other games we'd play off and on included "Defender" and "Pitfall".
Then came Intellivision. Ohhhh...that was fun. I do remember playing "Burgertime" a lot with my parents, but to be honest I don't recall much else. My grandmother however was a "Burgertime" junkie. Good lord, she'd play that even more than me. I loved going to her house...she had Intellivision in her room, Atari 5200 (with the trackball! Ohhhh, how Ioved "Centipede") in another room, and Colecovision in the family room. My friends and I would play "Smurfs" (I know, it sounds cheesy but it was a fun game) and "Donkey Kong" a lot on that.
Then came Nintendo. Again, my grandmother was on the cutting edge and got it first. I played all sorts of games there with her. My parents didn't seem to get into Nintendo as much. I don't know if it was because they didn't like it or because at the time they had just started a new business.
Now however, my parents beat the absolute crap out of me. I've got the PS2 which unfortunately I don't get to play much (I have two companies I'm trying to run currently) and they've got their XBox. "Halo" junkies I tell ya. Every single night. When I call them and ask "what are you doing?", the reply is generally "blowing shit up". Every time I visit, that's part of our bonding experience.
Yes, video games have actually played quite a role in our family. We were one of the odd families that actually played games TOGETHER as opposed to me shutting myself off from friends, family, society and immersing myself in the games.
This goes along with a few other theories of learning. It's often been suggested that it's much easier to learn a language at an early age than it is when you're older. I remember picking up French back in sixth grade and wanting to take more classes but we moved and they didn't offer a language until high school in my new town. By that point, I took Spanish and yet kept throwing in a French accent, French numbers, French alphabet, etc. Think of how quickly a baby picks up a language as opposed to an older person. It's a world of difference.
My point is, I don't think it's for simply learning a language. A baby is like an incredibly sponge of information. Of course they are...they have nothing else to do but just soak in their surroundings and learn. And learn. And learn some more.
In addition to being a bit more receptive to learning (and having nothing better to do), I think the younger mind also learns at a higher rate because they don't have to UNLEARN so much, or go around all the rules they've been taught for the past decade or two. Just soak it in, and you're done.
Sadly enough, I've heard more than a handful of people say "I'd never switch to a Mac. There aren't enough games for it." I always thought that was a poor excuse to avoid buying a computer (I have a slight Mac bias). Yet these are the same people that continue saying "The Mac is a toy...it isn't a serious computer." Baffling I tell ya.
Out of curiousity, what was your take when the iPod Mini came out? I'll admit, I thought it was overpriced. What's the big deal? It's a bit tinier, has colors, and basically cost the same amount as the regular iPod. Yet millions of trendy people bought the iPod Mini anyway. The iPodPhoto will be the same way. It has the "iPod" name and everyone trendy and geeky will want one. Another coup for the team in Cupertino.
I also applaud the crew in the integration of photos and music in iTunes also. Apple is continuing to make the Mac look like the computer for the people.
The better web designers do user testing. Industrial designers do user testing. Marketing gurus do user testing. You'd think an issue as important as, oh I don't know...choosing the leader of one of the most powerful nations in the world would involve user testing. Sad...very sad.
So if I get one rating as "-1 Troll", and another as "-1 Overrated", shouldn't I be back to zero? I tell ya, there's nothing worse than being an Overrated Troll. Ha!
Uh oh! We all know how the RIAA feels about P2P. Some poor 12 year old girl is gonna get sued for using her daddy's P2P VoIP phone to call her grandma. You know, for um, swapping voice's or something.
Actually, I believe it's the "Air Force Resource Command Center", not "Air Force Rescue Center". Gotta keep the news accurate here on Slashdot, don't we?
Slashdot Mirror
Remember back in the day when Steve talked about the digital hub? And then when the iPod came out and he said he wanted to use them to help sell Macs? Then iTunes came out and even though Apple doesn't make much money from iTMS, Steve says he wants to use it to help sell iPods.
Evidently his plan is working. Last week that report came out showing about 6% of iPod users had switched from PCs to Macs and that another 7% plan on buying a Mac. The halo effect is boosting Apple's revenue.
So the iPod rules the HD-based market. Now it's time to take over the flash-based market and make sure no other company erodes Apple's dominance in the player market. I see this as yet another opportunity...people that can't afford an iPod will buy the new flash-based one. Money for Apple. When these people can afford it, they'll buy the big iPod. It's like the gateway drug to Macs.
I agree. I don't really see how easy it would be to go through all your music without a screen. And that really surprises me, given that Apple is famous for their ease of use and very functional designs. I'm betting somewhere, somehow, there may be a screen involved.
I read slashdot because I can see links to articles that appeared on the MSN homepage 2 days ago! With cutting edge reporting like this, why would anyone go anywhere else for news?
I agree...you could find the news other places. But do you want to sort through all the crap to find the news that matters? It's all here! Yipee! Let the submitters do all the sorting and submitting so you only have to go to one site for the cool stuff.
MSFT isn't able to due this as often though. Everytime they do people yell at MSFT for breaking things. Look at SP2 i would say the majority of XP machines still haven't upgraded to it, because of the apps it breaks.
Again, I see two things here that confuse me/make me wonder. First, with all the security flaws, udates, and apps breaking, I wonder why people don't make the switch to something better. Flaw...fear of breaking apps so no updates...messed up computers...install patch...messed up computers. It's a nasty cycle.
But that's the thing...people now simply accept the fact their computer will be filled with bugs and apps breaking and just deal with it. So will MSFT really get crushed from this vicious circle of death, or will people continue to accept what's going on?
I guess a few battles to watch will help us predict what may happen. Like Firefox gaining ground on IE is a good one.
I still find webmail an interesting phenomenon. I know there are millions of users out there. And I myself find it quite handy when I'm traveling. Being able to hop on any computer, open up a browser, and check my mail is good. But...I still don't use it that much. I have a Yahoo account (I think), I may have done a Hotmail account way back in the day, and I have my Gmail account. But even with those, I use my other accounts MUCH more. I liken it to AOL...I don't fully understand why someone would use AOL when they can get a much less intrusive and cluttered way to get to the Internet, yet they have millions of users. Same goes with my thoughts on webmail...why would someone pay for Internet service and then opt to use Hotmail?
The only answers I can think of is to have a "safe" spot for addresses where you may end up getting a lot of spam. Or "secret" accounts. Or multiple accounts. And that's why I find these webmail wars fascinating...wars are being fought over this with the major players in the industry over something so seemingly unimportant (as say compared to OS wars, browser wars, etc)
But M$ has a huge hammer to rely upon. They will start making Itunes break everytime there is a MS Update run. While making the Windows Media Player more similar to Itunes. Pretty soon it won't be worth the hassle to keep Itunes running right.
I have two thoughts on this. First, MS updates will break a lot of things, not just iTunes. I constantly hear horror stories of how each update breaks some program or another. Granted, it may break iTunes a bit "harder", but that's a price to pay. I also wonder if Apple could say "look, these guys are acting very uncompetitively and intentionally breaking our software".
Second...the reason many people don't switch from PCs to Macs is because of all the software they have for their PCs and they don't feel like buying all new software, etc. The same argument could hold true for the iPod. With dominance of the market and their own format, iPod owners may not make the switch to other players and formats for the same reason as PC users sticking with that platform.
What a difference the two companies (Apple and Microsoft) have in terms of public perception. Microsoft is seen as a necessary evil. Apple has always been seen as "pretty" and "innovative". The one fact that really drives that (and a few other things) home though in this article was this beautiful quote:
Speaking just after the event, Bono, U2's lead singer, said the band was not charging Apple a penny to be in the ad. (The band says it had turned down as much as $23 million to use its music in other commercials.) In its three-year life, the iPod has achieved such "iconic value," Bono said, that U2 gets as much value as Apple does from the commercial, by promoting its music and the new Red and Black U2 edition of the iPod, for which the band gets royalties.
It's just another example of how Jobs has his pulse on the entertainment industry (ie, Pixar, iTunes being THE music service to break through, etc). Microsoft on the other hand is relying on OS marketshare dominance to try to get into the game.
Seriously...they know all about serving up content on high traffic sites. Not only is it high traffic, but it's rather big files that they're delivering. When we're testing the networks that we set up, both wired and wireless, we often visit pr0n sites for our benchmarks.
People who get married make more money, and are healthier, on the average as most studies have concluded. That's a good thing about getting married! If you can do that without getting married, great! I think money and health are something any rational person will try to obtain.
I think, in general, that statement of marriage/money is true. However, when you have a wife and two kids to support, it's not easy to say "hon, I'm not going to have a 'real' job with health insurance and a steady paycheck. Just deal with it". I had the dream of starting my own company for a while, but I would in no way put my kids and wife at risk for something that may or may not succeed. I can handle eating ramen for two years, but I won't do that to my kids. After a divorce, I quit my job at Siemens (and it was quite cushy), started a company, ate ramen, and never looked back.
In theory, it sounds all good to meet with Apple. I mean hey, they rock, don't they? They have a cool culture, cool products, etc. But c'mon...give these guys a break. First, they didn't know they were going to be asked to be iTunes. Hell, maybe in the back of their heads they were thinking Steve (Jobs) just wanted to shut them up. It's easy for you to say they were dumb now, but back then...they had no clue. And let's not forget...everyone laughed at the idea of mp3s being a viable money maker. It was just for college kids to steal music and play...
Let me ask you this. Do you run your own shop? I commend them for thinking about what they want in life. Like he said, they're young, not married, so why not go for it? Follow your dreams. And if the going gets tough, I'm sure Jobs would have no problem hiring them if they said "we need a job". I for one am impressed with their decision. It was tough, and they're following their dreams.
This comment doesn't really seem that relevant: "In a nutshell, he thinks that Nintendo's domination of the handheld market will make this a rough go for Sony."
Atari once held the entire market. Then it was Intellivision vs. Atari vs. Colecovision and Intellivision seemed to have it. Remember when Nintendo was the system to have (even when Sega was out...we don't hear that name much anymore). What's this? Sony Playstation is the thing to have now! Of course, we're seeing this split between PS2, GameCube, and XBox now. Just because Nintendo holds the handheld market now doesn't mean PSP won't knock the socks off everyone and people will go nuts buying them up left and right.
Then again, I could be wrong. Let's look at the iPod and all the competing mp3 players.
I'm surprised this article isn't in the "YRO" section. I see a lot of applications where this could be used as "spy paper". How easy would it be to "give a gift" and then track someone's movement? A business card, a photograph, anything. It's kinda creepin' me out just thinking about it.
First off, I wonder who the WiMax equipment provider will be. There aren't really that many manufacturers out there so I wonder why they're being mum about it. Intel is banking on WiMax taking off. Proxim is another major player. This seems like and excellent marketing push for either company. Quick searches on both companies sites didn't show any news on the Seattle initiative.
Next, there seems to be a bit of confusion as to what exactly WiMax is good for. Let's assume you have your MiMax base station blasting the radio signal to the park. Keep in mind it's operating on 802.16, not 802.11. So you won't be sitting with your laptop and realizing these T-1 speeds. You'll still need the WiMax (802.16) subscriber unit (base station) to pick up the signal and then send it through a router. More than likely, this router will then be the wireless router we're all used to seeing...thus if it's the 802.11g, you'll realize speeds of 56 Mbps.
Oh my. I can just see the search results now:
Search entry: "Antarctic Penguin"
Search Result: A paperclip pops up on your screen and says "It appears you are searching for a penguin. Did you know Microsoft servers are cheaper to run than Linux? Would you like to buy one now?"
Very good point. Just like the cell phone companies say "free long distance", you're still paying for that monthly service.
One thing people need to bear in mind is that VoIP has been around for a while. Yet people all equate VoIP now with calls over handsets using Vonage and such. VoIP is just that..."VOICE over IP", meaning when you've been using iChat (or any other IM with audio capabilities), you've been using VoIP.
Right now I still use Skype and iChat for my VoIP requirements. How could the gov't regulate my chatting? That means they'd have to regulate all IM clients. Soon I'll head to Vonage or set up my own network, but until then...
In business, just because something is better does not always mean it is the killer of the current king. One easy example would be to compare Windows to other OSes. Sure this is open for debate, but many consider the Mac OS to be a much more robust OS than Windows. Windows however controls the market. Just because Apple may introduce an even better OS next year, you won't hear anybody claiming it to be a "Windows killer". Same with the new versions of desktop Linux. Or we could go back in history and look at Beta vs. VHS.
The point being, Apple has achieved phenomenal success with the iPod. There are a slew of mp3 players out there that are probably better than the iPod in many ways. However, Apple has integrated the iPod with iTunes for a seemless user experience. Not only that, but the iPod is THE de facto standard. When you want a cotton swab, you ask for a Q-tip. When you want a bandage, you ask for a Band-Aide. When you want a digital player, you ask for an iPod. There are alternatives out there, and some may be better...but that doesn't make it a "killer"
For starters, I'm 32 right now. My family seems pretty addicted to games though. I remember our first Atari 2600. My mom, dad, and I would stay up all night playing "Yar's Revenge". Other games we'd play off and on included "Defender" and "Pitfall".
Then came Intellivision. Ohhhh...that was fun. I do remember playing "Burgertime" a lot with my parents, but to be honest I don't recall much else. My grandmother however was a "Burgertime" junkie. Good lord, she'd play that even more than me. I loved going to her house...she had Intellivision in her room, Atari 5200 (with the trackball! Ohhhh, how Ioved "Centipede") in another room, and Colecovision in the family room. My friends and I would play "Smurfs" (I know, it sounds cheesy but it was a fun game) and "Donkey Kong" a lot on that.
Then came Nintendo. Again, my grandmother was on the cutting edge and got it first. I played all sorts of games there with her. My parents didn't seem to get into Nintendo as much. I don't know if it was because they didn't like it or because at the time they had just started a new business.
Now however, my parents beat the absolute crap out of me. I've got the PS2 which unfortunately I don't get to play much (I have two companies I'm trying to run currently) and they've got their XBox. "Halo" junkies I tell ya. Every single night. When I call them and ask "what are you doing?", the reply is generally "blowing shit up". Every time I visit, that's part of our bonding experience.
Yes, video games have actually played quite a role in our family. We were one of the odd families that actually played games TOGETHER as opposed to me shutting myself off from friends, family, society and immersing myself in the games.
This goes along with a few other theories of learning. It's often been suggested that it's much easier to learn a language at an early age than it is when you're older. I remember picking up French back in sixth grade and wanting to take more classes but we moved and they didn't offer a language until high school in my new town. By that point, I took Spanish and yet kept throwing in a French accent, French numbers, French alphabet, etc. Think of how quickly a baby picks up a language as opposed to an older person. It's a world of difference.
My point is, I don't think it's for simply learning a language. A baby is like an incredibly sponge of information. Of course they are...they have nothing else to do but just soak in their surroundings and learn. And learn. And learn some more.
In addition to being a bit more receptive to learning (and having nothing better to do), I think the younger mind also learns at a higher rate because they don't have to UNLEARN so much, or go around all the rules they've been taught for the past decade or two. Just soak it in, and you're done.
But can they run Linux?
Sadly enough, I've heard more than a handful of people say "I'd never switch to a Mac. There aren't enough games for it." I always thought that was a poor excuse to avoid buying a computer (I have a slight Mac bias). Yet these are the same people that continue saying "The Mac is a toy...it isn't a serious computer." Baffling I tell ya.
Out of curiousity, what was your take when the iPod Mini came out? I'll admit, I thought it was overpriced. What's the big deal? It's a bit tinier, has colors, and basically cost the same amount as the regular iPod. Yet millions of trendy people bought the iPod Mini anyway. The iPodPhoto will be the same way. It has the "iPod" name and everyone trendy and geeky will want one. Another coup for the team in Cupertino.
I also applaud the crew in the integration of photos and music in iTunes also. Apple is continuing to make the Mac look like the computer for the people.
The better web designers do user testing. Industrial designers do user testing. Marketing gurus do user testing. You'd think an issue as important as, oh I don't know...choosing the leader of one of the most powerful nations in the world would involve user testing. Sad...very sad.
So if I get one rating as "-1 Troll", and another as "-1 Overrated", shouldn't I be back to zero? I tell ya, there's nothing worse than being an Overrated Troll. Ha!
Uh oh! We all know how the RIAA feels about P2P. Some poor 12 year old girl is gonna get sued for using her daddy's P2P VoIP phone to call her grandma. You know, for um, swapping voice's or something.
Actually, I believe it's the "Air Force Resource Command Center", not "Air Force Rescue Center". Gotta keep the news accurate here on Slashdot, don't we?