Native software will always have significant advantages over web apps. That being the case there's no reason to assume we'll ever do everything via the browser.
Universal thin clients is as old and unfullfilled a prediction as "The year of Linux on the desktop". And you think Microsoft's vision of the future adds any weight? Ha ha.
It's not difficult to guage desktop linux next to the other OSs on a global basis. Web stats do that. And the hypothesis that Linux might have a higher share than OSX isn't born out by the data.
Let's just have the bare minimum vocational training, right?
Other that industry demands there is no reason to STEER kids towards programming. They might as well explore any other interest or talent they have.
As I said, and you ignored, those that DO show an interest in programming can get an entirely unrestricted programming platform for $25. That's cheaper than most other interests they might persue (music, sports etc.)
What's the problem? There is no shortage of programmers. There's no need to steer kids in that direction. For those that WANT to do programming, a Rasperry Pi is available for $25.
Apps created by professional developers who use expensive workstations and have little problem paying Apple are part of the appeal.
That's right. Having a $100 per year hurdle is no disincentive to professional developers. Yet it cuts down on the amount of shit that would other wise be put out there by people casually having a go.
It's a bit like a spam filter in that it increases the signal to noise ratio.
Writing scripts has nothing to do with being a system administrator.
That's like saying goals are nothing to do with football.
If you don't use your computer to automate trivial yet repetitive tasks, then what the hell do you have it for in the first place?
Most people use applications to achieve that. For example a spreadsheet app automates trivial yet repetitive tasks.
About 0.00001% of computer users write scripts to achieve their ends.
It's amusingly psychopathic of the slashdot community that nearly all contributions to the question discussed how to (waste time) writing a script to solve the problem, with very few considering whether there's an alternative app out there already. The questioner had used an app which choked on the amount of data he has. There's a good chance there are others out there that wouldn't.
I can certainly find de-dupe apps faster than you can create a script that solves his problem.
I've been responsible for converting more than a dozen people from Apple to Android now
I've converted a similar number from Android to iOS.
Basically, demonstrate the Google connectivity
Google's services are of course accessible from iPhone. Apple's services on the other hand don't tend to be available on Android.
show the hardware features (standard usb is a big deal for just about everybody)
iOS devices of course ship with a cable which plugs into any USB. So that's covered. However there are a huge variety of peripherals that use the Apple dock connector, and these Android users can't use them.
The bottom line is, a Google logo is just a lot more sought after these days than a half eaten apple.
Another way to seal the deal, bring along a couple of Nexus tablets and demo a video chat using Google Talk, which is based on free-and-open Jabber/XMPP.
iOS ships with Facetime and has Skype and Jabber/XMPP clients available. You thus have more people you can do video chats with from an iPhone.
All the things you list, you're better off with an iPhone. You've given bad advice to your friends.
Remember the original iPhone screen scratches that made everyone add stick on transparent covers to the screen?
Apple used Gorilla Glass from the start. No other phone has anything any more scratch resistant. It's possible to scratch ANY glass screen, but Apple no more than any other and less than most.
Or the iPhone 4 plastic case contraption to mitigate the antenna troubles? Now that was poor build quality...
No, that was a design problem. The build quality was fine.
Until OS X Lion I would have disagreed, but with Lion they're making it harder and harder to use a mac as a dev machine for anything other than apple products. The command line tools are no longer even automatically installed with XCode
There's a button in XCode that downloads the command line tools for you. You think that's a hardship? Come on, be serious.
1: More like, primarily choosing to buy something else.
2: None of them have >50% market share.
Nice. If you can't win the argument on the current question, try to change it.
1 and 2 mean the exact same thing.
The question was whether or not Apple's share of the market was declining
No it wasn't. You jumped into the thread in reply top my comment: "iPhone sales are a matter of record, and they continue to grow and grow." That's sales, not market share. It's you that tried to "change the question" because you "couldn't win the argument". Which makes you a hypocrite.
Look, the case addressed the Samsung Galaxy range. AT the time, the Galaxy SII. And as the court has ruled, Samsung copied much of it from Apple. *IF* the SIII is substantially different from the iPhone, then that's would be good thing and shows the pressure the the case had on Samsung to do the right thing.
But apart from the different case design, it doesn't seem like they have done so much to change it; to remove the elements of the UI they and Android copied from Apple.
That she's gone from getting pissy with me when I point out Apple's fuckups (to the point that I learned to stop bringing it up) to pointing them out herself does say a lot.
It says that you've had an influence on her. Which is hardly surprising if you're the more technically minded one in the relationship. The fact that she's still an Apple user and intends to be one in the future says that your influence is not so big that she's turned against Apple.
Slashdot Mirror
Native software will always have significant advantages over web apps. That being the case there's no reason to assume we'll ever do everything via the browser.
Universal thin clients is as old and unfullfilled a prediction as "The year of Linux on the desktop". And you think Microsoft's vision of the future adds any weight? Ha ha.
Of course you're not in the mood to be kind. You're a prick.
Sure. After all OSX is Unix. And Linux is a copy of Unix.
It's not difficult to guage desktop linux next to the other OSs on a global basis. Web stats do that. And the hypothesis that Linux might have a higher share than OSX isn't born out by the data.
Your opinion is nothing more than your opinion, and your conclusion lacks logic.
Let's just have the bare minimum vocational training, right?
Other that industry demands there is no reason to STEER kids towards programming. They might as well explore any other interest or talent they have.
As I said, and you ignored, those that DO show an interest in programming can get an entirely unrestricted programming platform for $25. That's cheaper than most other interests they might persue (music, sports etc.)
There isn't a problem.
What's the problem? There is no shortage of programmers. There's no need to steer kids in that direction. For those that WANT to do programming, a Rasperry Pi is available for $25.
Apps created by professional developers who use expensive workstations and have little problem paying Apple are part of the appeal.
That's right. Having a $100 per year hurdle is no disincentive to professional developers. Yet it cuts down on the amount of shit that would other wise be put out there by people casually having a go.
It's a bit like a spam filter in that it increases the signal to noise ratio.
its days of being the tail that wags the dog are numbered for sure.
That's wishful thinking, not anything indicated by reality.
Writing scripts has nothing to do with being a system administrator.
That's like saying goals are nothing to do with football.
If you don't use your computer to automate trivial yet repetitive tasks, then what the hell do you have it for in the first place?
Most people use applications to achieve that. For example a spreadsheet app automates trivial yet repetitive tasks.
About 0.00001% of computer users write scripts to achieve their ends.
It's amusingly psychopathic of the slashdot community that nearly all contributions to the question discussed how to (waste time) writing a script to solve the problem, with very few considering whether there's an alternative app out there already. The questioner had used an app which choked on the amount of data he has. There's a good chance there are others out there that wouldn't.
I can certainly find de-dupe apps faster than you can create a script that solves his problem.
That says more about you than Apple.
I've been responsible for converting more than a dozen people from Apple to Android now
I've converted a similar number from Android to iOS.
Basically, demonstrate the Google connectivity
Google's services are of course accessible from iPhone. Apple's services on the other hand don't tend to be available on Android.
show the hardware features (standard usb is a big deal for just about everybody)
iOS devices of course ship with a cable which plugs into any USB. So that's covered. However there are a huge variety of peripherals that use the Apple dock connector, and these Android users can't use them.
The bottom line is, a Google logo is just a lot more sought after these days than a half eaten apple.
Only for search. Market share of Google devices (Nexus) is miniscule next to iPhone. http://www.androidauthority.com/galaxy-nexus-minuscule-compared-iphone-sales-samsung-defense-against-apples-copy-claims-109137/
Another way to seal the deal, bring along a couple of Nexus tablets and demo a video chat using Google Talk, which is based on free-and-open Jabber/XMPP.
iOS ships with Facetime and has Skype and Jabber/XMPP clients available. You thus have more people you can do video chats with from an iPhone.
All the things you list, you're better off with an iPhone. You've given bad advice to your friends.
Someone who's technical expertise is in areas other than writing script files. There are technical jobs other than being a sysop you know.
Very imaginative.
Analyst checks out a few stores, in a window of a couple of days. Notes some phones are sold out. Issues no figures (because he has none).
Come back when there's an actual story containing some real stats.
Remember the original iPhone screen scratches that made everyone add stick on transparent covers to the screen?
Apple used Gorilla Glass from the start. No other phone has anything any more scratch resistant. It's possible to scratch ANY glass screen, but Apple no more than any other and less than most.
Or the iPhone 4 plastic case contraption to mitigate the antenna troubles?
Now that was poor build quality...
No, that was a design problem. The build quality was fine.
Until OS X Lion I would have disagreed, but with Lion they're making it harder and harder to use a mac as a dev machine for anything other than apple products. The command line tools are no longer even automatically installed with XCode
There's a button in XCode that downloads the command line tools for you. You think that's a hardship? Come on, be serious.
So who are you saying was the most valuable corporation in history (adjusted for inflation)?
I don't know why I bother
You're boring me.
The "new" notification system in iOS 5 is quite familiar (although more limited) from another mobile OS... but copying is OK in that case, right?
Truthiness? No, when it's been tested in court, it's actually true. It's isn't "truthiness" just because you don't want to believe it.
If it's copyright by someone else, and Apple hasn't paid a royalty for it, then Samsung or Google or whoever it is can go to court and test it.
Apple have done that on Samsung's copies, and were proved to be right in their claims.
That's the difference between your blind accusations and the fact of Samsung's copying.
1: More like, primarily choosing to buy something else.
2: None of them have >50% market share.
Nice. If you can't win the argument on the current question, try to change it.
1 and 2 mean the exact same thing.
The question was whether or not Apple's share of the market was declining
No it wasn't. You jumped into the thread in reply top my comment: "iPhone sales are a matter of record, and they continue to grow and grow." That's sales, not market share. It's you that tried to "change the question" because you "couldn't win the argument". Which makes you a hypocrite.
Look, the case addressed the Samsung Galaxy range. AT the time, the Galaxy SII. And as the court has ruled, Samsung copied much of it from Apple. *IF* the SIII is substantially different from the iPhone, then that's would be good thing and shows the pressure the the case had on Samsung to do the right thing.
But apart from the different case design, it doesn't seem like they have done so much to change it; to remove the elements of the UI they and Android copied from Apple.
More like, primarily choosing to buy something else.
Same can be said of every other phone manufacturer. None of them have >50% market share.
So, no, your spin is no better than the other "just stupid" opnes.
It's not sidestepping, it's the direct addressing of the falsity of the inane point behind your rhetorical question.
That she's gone from getting pissy with me when I point out Apple's fuckups (to the point that I learned to stop bringing it up) to pointing them out herself does say a lot.
It says that you've had an influence on her. Which is hardly surprising if you're the more technically minded one in the relationship. The fact that she's still an Apple user and intends to be one in the future says that your influence is not so big that she's turned against Apple.