So I did. I still don't see there they have to be both ultra-portable AND ultra-cheap. What's wrong with a high-end or luxury netbook? Why does everything have to be cheap plastic?
Those are 500 FULL cycles. Use 33% of the battery one day, recharge, 33% of the battery the next day, recharge, and 33% of the battery the next day, and recharge, and you'll bascially have used one full cycle.
Actually, your comment points out that the "ultimate" notebook is different for everyone.
For me, an Air with 4GB and at least a 500GB HD would be the ultimate in light weight and portability, while not being so small that it's sacrificing usability. The Air has pretty much the smallest screen/keyboard I'd consider using for an extended period of time. And other than disk space, I've yet to miss any of the "missing features" most other notebooks cart around simply because it's traditional to have a VGA/serial/parallel/SCSI/whatever port.
At any rate, for someone else, a 17" Alienware "monster" notebook might be just the ticket. The "ultimate" portable desktop replacement and game machine.
You, OTO... ah, foot, might focus solely on price and size to the point that a $200 ultra-portable that fits in a coat pocket is the "ultimate" machine.
Point is that you may value price, I may value design and usability, and someone else might place more value on power or some other feature. The "ultimate" notebook doesn't exist.
Change it how? What if we went to a pure popular vote and then someone became president based on a 269 vote margin? Would we then need to change the system again?
What if the "Swing Vote" scenario came to pass and just one vote could decide an election? More change needed?
Besides, it's not a "small group of people". Look at it as 1,000,269 for A, 1,000,000 for B.
"I think the Apple II was proof that you can have a commercial product that can also be open."
Yeah, back in the glory days of 1977, back when there was no internet, no networking protocols, no security issues, no viruses, no hackers waiting to turn your computer into a spambot, no hard drives, when 64 KILOBYTES was an astounding amount of memory, when there wasn't thousands of manufacturers making printers, scanners, and other devices that all are expected to plug-and-play and "just work".
If you have to go back thirty years to find sufficient proof-of-concept I suspect you're reaching just a little bit...
"Realistically, all they would have to do is allow users to install apps from any source they please."
First, one has to keep in mind that it's not just Apple. AT&T has a vested interest in what happens on their network and--somewhat unfortunately--a desire to protect their revenue streams. Which is in itself something that Android will have to face the second it's sold by Verizon or any other major carrier. Especially if Android looks in any way, shape, or form to be anything than just a novelty.
Secondarily, allowing users to install apps from any source they please would be the first major step in making application piracy that much more likely. And, effectively, the end of all of those cheap $1 and $2 applications. Prices would jump to the $10 and $20 mark seen on other platforms and stores (Handago), which is something that benefits neither honest users nor developers.
Besides, it's still early days yet. We've had iPhone for just over a year and Apple has already instituted changes and listened to its users and to its developer community. Remember the days of internet-only apps?
As such, I'm optimistic that things will settle down.
"...I wish Google or someone would come out with a phone which is based on a completely open OS like Linux and where people can write their own programs and so on for it."
And what major carrier is going to let such a thing run unsupervised on their network?
"...i mean, how does a fancy screen transition improve usability in any way?"
You may think they're "just" eye-candy, but they contribute to the UI in a major way. Sliding screens back and forth, zooming from an icon to a screen and back, minimizing to an icon or trash can at the bottom of the screen, super-smooth list scrolling, "inertia", and more, all contribute to a sense of place. Yes, they're "sexy", but they also provide significant visual cues that help tell you what just happened, where the document or object went or where it came from, or where you're currently located or positioned within a document or a process.
It's far, far more than just looks. So, in answer to: "does it improve efficiency or make the software more intuitive?"
There's efficiency and there's economy. Two different concepts. Engine efficiency has improved, but they then use those gains to make smaller, cheaper engines that run at higher speeds and/or require turbochargers, which are then tuned to provide more power vs. fuel economy, saddled with emission control devices, and then placed into larger, heavier vehicles to boot.
Net effect? Fuel economy has decreased on average, despite gains in engine efficiency.
"So families which needed room for kids and hauling stuff home bought them as the next least expensive alternitive."
That's alternative. With an "a". And a '09 Mazda 5 minivan costs $18-$22K, and gets 22/28 MPG. Room for six. Much cheaper than a Navigator. The argument that SUVs were the least expensive alternative to station wagons is completely bogus.
"... eco-wackos are pushing to apply CAFE to SUVs. Which would just push the city customers up to the NEXT bigger gas hogs..."
See above. There are plenty of minivans that could take up the slack. Not to mention smaller SUVs like the Honda FIT that could easily meet CAFE standards. Or, for that matter, Saturn Vue or Ford Escape or Toyota Highlander hybrids. That argument would appear to be bogus as well.
"But the regulations would have to change the other way for that to be practical."
No, the manufacturers need to get off their butts and spend some of that money they made selling ever-larger land yachts and roll it into R&D. And no, new colors and a different style of plastic bumper doesn't count as R&D.
Toyota did it with the HSD. And is now eating everyone's lunch. And breakfast. And dinner to boot.
What the OS needs to do is pass free blocks to a scavenger routine that zeros and/or randomizes their contents before returning them to the system. If you're worried about overhead just do it whenever the system is idle.
But phones, notebooks, AND desktops could benefit from this simple security technique. It may not be perfect, but it would go a long way towards blocking many of the most common security hacks and attacks that depend -- essentially -- on digging through the garbage...
If you're running a "home server" then that's probably a violation of your service agreement.
If you want to run a home server or business out of your home, that's fine. Pay for an upgrade or for a dedicated business line.
And if you want the argument it boils down to the "your freedom stops the second your fist hits may face". When your "rights" interfere with those of others, then the conflict has to be resolved. It may be your home, and it may be "enormously important" to you, but your desire (and that's all it is) to share CC material is immaterial to me when your home P2P server floods the local router to the point I might as well have a 98K modem.
ALL of the services we share fundamentally depend upon people "playing nice" with others. If you can't or won't understand that, then limits can and will be imposed. This applies to ANYONE that thinks they have the right to hog any resource, from bandwidth to water to gasoline.
Once again, you don't live in a vacuum, your actions have consequences beyond yourself, and unfortunately, the rest of us usually have to deal with the results and try to pick up the pieces.
True. ISPs should simply charge them more. If a customer is routinely over the 95th percentile, then charge them more, much like Sprint or Verizon charges significantly higher fees on "overage" minutes on a cell phone plan.
Want more "minutes"? Pay for them.
If nothing else it would stop most of the idiots who trade huge torrent libraries of music and videos... that they never even watch.
If someone thinks that "god" is talking directly to them, then we need to find them a nice little padded room so they can do no harm to themselves nor to others.
And if "god" wants a pipeline then He can damn well snap His fingers and whip it up Himself. Should be no problem whatsoever for someone who can create an entire universe in a mere six days...
"Some people like to think that humans are more than mere animals..."
Some people like to believe in reincarnation and that they're Joan of Arc's second cousin. So what?
It doesn't matter what they'd LIKE to believe. Find me some proof that doesn't ultimately devolve into "faith" and we'll talk. Until then, they can keep all of the talk about insecure gods who require constant praise and adoration to themselves... and out of our schools.
The Denver metropolitan area (where I live) has a population of 2.7 million people, and the "Front Range" corridor has over 4 million. The Seattle metro area comes in at over 3.2 million. Population of Colorado itself is 4.7 million.
Point being that most "cities" have the official "legal" population of their incorporated centers, which discounts all of the adjacent and surrounding metro areas which by-and-large is considered to be part of the city.
So considering I live surrounded by 2.7 million people, an entire STATE of only 670,053 people, in an area more than twice as large as Texas... is pretty damn thin.
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So I did. I still don't see there they have to be both ultra-portable AND ultra-cheap. What's wrong with a high-end or luxury netbook? Why does everything have to be cheap plastic?
Those are 500 FULL cycles. Use 33% of the battery one day, recharge, 33% of the battery the next day, recharge, and 33% of the battery the next day, and recharge, and you'll bascially have used one full cycle.
Actually, your comment points out that the "ultimate" notebook is different for everyone.
For me, an Air with 4GB and at least a 500GB HD would be the ultimate in light weight and portability, while not being so small that it's sacrificing usability. The Air has pretty much the smallest screen/keyboard I'd consider using for an extended period of time. And other than disk space, I've yet to miss any of the "missing features" most other notebooks cart around simply because it's traditional to have a VGA/serial/parallel/SCSI/whatever port.
At any rate, for someone else, a 17" Alienware "monster" notebook might be just the ticket. The "ultimate" portable desktop replacement and game machine.
You, OTO... ah, foot, might focus solely on price and size to the point that a $200 ultra-portable that fits in a coat pocket is the "ultimate" machine.
Point is that you may value price, I may value design and usability, and someone else might place more value on power or some other feature. The "ultimate" notebook doesn't exist.
Change it how? What if we went to a pure popular vote and then someone became president based on a 269 vote margin? Would we then need to change the system again?
What if the "Swing Vote" scenario came to pass and just one vote could decide an election? More change needed?
Besides, it's not a "small group of people". Look at it as 1,000,269 for A, 1,000,000 for B.
"$1-$2 apps are the least likely to be affected."
Tell that to $0.99 songs...
"I think the Apple II was proof that you can have a commercial product that can also be open."
Yeah, back in the glory days of 1977, back when there was no internet, no networking protocols, no security issues, no viruses, no hackers waiting to turn your computer into a spambot, no hard drives, when 64 KILOBYTES was an astounding amount of memory, when there wasn't thousands of manufacturers making printers, scanners, and other devices that all are expected to plug-and-play and "just work".
If you have to go back thirty years to find sufficient proof-of-concept I suspect you're reaching just a little bit...
"Realistically, all they would have to do is allow users to install apps from any source they please."
First, one has to keep in mind that it's not just Apple. AT&T has a vested interest in what happens on their network and--somewhat unfortunately--a desire to protect their revenue streams. Which is in itself something that Android will have to face the second it's sold by Verizon or any other major carrier. Especially if Android looks in any way, shape, or form to be anything than just a novelty.
Secondarily, allowing users to install apps from any source they please would be the first major step in making application piracy that much more likely. And, effectively, the end of all of those cheap $1 and $2 applications. Prices would jump to the $10 and $20 mark seen on other platforms and stores (Handago), which is something that benefits neither honest users nor developers.
Besides, it's still early days yet. We've had iPhone for just over a year and Apple has already instituted changes and listened to its users and to its developer community. Remember the days of internet-only apps?
As such, I'm optimistic that things will settle down.
"Oh, you mean like I how I've built and run supertux, wesnoth, frozen-bubble and conky out of svn?"
I think that one sentence more than anything else illustrates just how you're NOT in Apple's target market.
I guess they're have to make do with the remaining 99.9%....
"...I wish Google or someone would come out with a phone which is based on a completely open OS like Linux and where people can write their own programs and so on for it."
And what major carrier is going to let such a thing run unsupervised on their network?
"...i mean, how does a fancy screen transition improve usability in any way?"
You may think they're "just" eye-candy, but they contribute to the UI in a major way. Sliding screens back and forth, zooming from an icon to a screen and back, minimizing to an icon or trash can at the bottom of the screen, super-smooth list scrolling, "inertia", and more, all contribute to a sense of place. Yes, they're "sexy", but they also provide significant visual cues that help tell you what just happened, where the document or object went or where it came from, or where you're currently located or positioned within a document or a process.
It's far, far more than just looks. So, in answer to: "does it improve efficiency or make the software more intuitive?"
Yes.
"... it's pretty lame of Apple to try to patent someone else's ideas."
Sorry, but the Apple patent predates the release of Intelliscreen. In fact, one could, based on the timeline, make the case that Intelliscreen is ripping off Apple....
Sorry, but the Apple patent predates the release of Intelliscreen. In fact, one could, based on the timeline, make the case that Intelliscreen is ripping off Apple....
"In fact...the world needs the middlers more than it needs the geniuses."
Nice rationalization.
So true. Even republican political strategist Karl Rove says that the McCain campaign may be going over the top.
There's efficiency and there's economy. Two different concepts. Engine efficiency has improved, but they then use those gains to make smaller, cheaper engines that run at higher speeds and/or require turbochargers, which are then tuned to provide more power vs. fuel economy, saddled with emission control devices, and then placed into larger, heavier vehicles to boot.
Net effect? Fuel economy has decreased on average, despite gains in engine efficiency.
"So families which needed room for kids and hauling stuff home bought them as the next least expensive alternitive."
That's alternative. With an "a". And a '09 Mazda 5 minivan costs $18-$22K, and gets 22/28 MPG. Room for six. Much cheaper than a Navigator. The argument that SUVs were the least expensive alternative to station wagons is completely bogus.
"... eco-wackos are pushing to apply CAFE to SUVs. Which would just push the city customers up to the NEXT bigger gas hogs..."
See above. There are plenty of minivans that could take up the slack. Not to mention smaller SUVs like the Honda FIT that could easily meet CAFE standards. Or, for that matter, Saturn Vue or Ford Escape or Toyota Highlander hybrids. That argument would appear to be bogus as well.
"But the regulations would have to change the other way for that to be practical."
No, the manufacturers need to get off their butts and spend some of that money they made selling ever-larger land yachts and roll it into R&D. And no, new colors and a different style of plastic bumper doesn't count as R&D.
Toyota did it with the HSD. And is now eating everyone's lunch. And breakfast. And dinner to boot.
What the OS needs to do is pass free blocks to a scavenger routine that zeros and/or randomizes their contents before returning them to the system. If you're worried about overhead just do it whenever the system is idle.
But phones, notebooks, AND desktops could benefit from this simple security technique. It may not be perfect, but it would go a long way towards blocking many of the most common security hacks and attacks that depend -- essentially -- on digging through the garbage...
If you're running a "home server" then that's probably a violation of your service agreement.
If you want to run a home server or business out of your home, that's fine. Pay for an upgrade or for a dedicated business line.
And if you want the argument it boils down to the "your freedom stops the second your fist hits may face". When your "rights" interfere with those of others, then the conflict has to be resolved. It may be your home, and it may be "enormously important" to you, but your desire (and that's all it is) to share CC material is immaterial to me when your home P2P server floods the local router to the point I might as well have a 98K modem.
ALL of the services we share fundamentally depend upon people "playing nice" with others. If you can't or won't understand that, then limits can and will be imposed. This applies to ANYONE that thinks they have the right to hog any resource, from bandwidth to water to gasoline.
Once again, you don't live in a vacuum, your actions have consequences beyond yourself, and unfortunately, the rest of us usually have to deal with the results and try to pick up the pieces.
"There is no end to the demand of the 5%."
True. ISPs should simply charge them more. If a customer is routinely over the 95th percentile, then charge them more, much like Sprint or Verizon charges significantly higher fees on "overage" minutes on a cell phone plan.
Want more "minutes"? Pay for them.
If nothing else it would stop most of the idiots who trade huge torrent libraries of music and videos... that they never even watch.
"A megabit is static, and not a speed measurement."
Try a megabit per second. ISP typically rate speeds at 1.5 mb/s, or 5 mb/s.
"At least it sounds better than "the little voices in my head.""
A difference that makes no difference is no difference...
In theory, yes. In practice, and in this country, a genuine card-carrying atheist probably couldn't get himself elected as town dogcatcher.
If someone thinks that "god" is talking directly to them, then we need to find them a nice little padded room so they can do no harm to themselves nor to others.
And if "god" wants a pipeline then He can damn well snap His fingers and whip it up Himself. Should be no problem whatsoever for someone who can create an entire universe in a mere six days...
"Some people like to think that humans are more than mere animals..."
Some people like to believe in reincarnation and that they're Joan of Arc's second cousin. So what?
It doesn't matter what they'd LIKE to believe. Find me some proof that doesn't ultimately devolve into "faith" and we'll talk. Until then, they can keep all of the talk about insecure gods who require constant praise and adoration to themselves... and out of our schools.
The Denver metropolitan area (where I live) has a population of 2.7 million people, and the "Front Range" corridor has over 4 million. The Seattle metro area comes in at over 3.2 million. Population of Colorado itself is 4.7 million.
Point being that most "cities" have the official "legal" population of their incorporated centers, which discounts all of the adjacent and surrounding metro areas which by-and-large is considered to be part of the city.
So considering I live surrounded by 2.7 million people, an entire STATE of only 670,053 people, in an area more than twice as large as Texas... is pretty damn thin.