Why? Because a consumer electronics company refreshed a product? Should I be pissed at Sony every few months when they upgrade their camcorders? Should I be mad that the camcorder I bought from them five years ago cost more and is less capable than one I could buy today? Ditto with HP - the LaserJet model I bought in 2001 cost about $900. I can get one today that does the same job (and has more RAM) for $300 (or less). HP owes me $600!
Oklahoma has been using the same electronic voting machines for about 20 years. When you vote, you get a paper ballot (or more than one, depending on the election). You use a sharpie to draw a line that completes an arrow pointing to your choice. You yourself take it to the scanner and slip it in (face down, face up, doesn't matter, and ballots are coded on the side so the machine can orient itself and tell what ballot it's looking at). The ballot then goes into a storage box beneath the scanner.
When polls close, the machines each print out a tape listing the various vote totals, the numbers of rejected ballots, etc. The ballot storage boxes beneath the scanners are removed and sealed, then stored in case a recount is necessary.
These machines offer a fast vote tally, and a paper trail if there's a problem.
Plus, Oklahoma has a centralized voting administration, so the machines are used statewide, and they're used for local elections as well. So it's completely uniform from county to county.
Every in-car FM transmitter I've tried has sucked ass. I'm impressed some people have them that can interfere with your radio - none of them I ever bought ever even interfered with MINE when I wanted them to!
You could also lose all your CDs in a house fire. I don't understand how a potential catastrophe is a mark against iTunes. Music companies aren't going to send you a load of free CDs as replacements.
I could be wrong -- I've only read a couple of things about this -- but my understanding is that Apple ported its Webcore framework to Windows for all this. I think that's the basis of Safari, but is open to other apps on the Mac. It makes me wonder whether Apple has any plans to port Safari itself... ?
I used to drive a Grant Marquis -- and I wouldn't trade my Prius for anything. And no, it's not a $5,000 part -- it's under warranty for 10 years 100,000 miles -- probably longer than the engine in your Vic.
But, the battery replacement shouldn't really cost ANYTHING. It's covered on my Prius for 10 years/100,000 miles. And as with any car that old -- if I have to put that much money into it, I'll probably just buy a new car.
I live in Texas, too. I've had my Prius for over a year. When the car's moving, the A/C isn't a big deal. When you pull up to a stoplight, the engine typically shuts off. If it's really hot outside, you'll feel the air coming out of the vents warm up a bit, then the gas engine kicks in and cools it back down. When it's 90+, the gas engine will stay on to keep the A/C running (plus, you can force it to give the A/C priority with a button on the dash).
As a result, when I run the A/C a lot, mileage suffers, but I still average about 38-41 for purely in-town driving when it's really hot. I think the worst I've ever gotten was about 36. Compare that to a regular car running the A/C constantly, and it's a big improvement.
My understanding is that the 2004 Prius has an improved system that doesn't call on the gas engine, as much -- that it's more electrical than mechanical and only starts the engine if the battery needs to be recharged. But I don't know for certain -- I've only read a few things on it.
No worries. Pre-2004 versions of the Prius have a vent on the side to keep the batteries from getting to hot. I think there are a lot of people trying to feed you a big pile of FUD.
Other cars have batteries and hazardous chemicals in them, too. However, over the life of the car, you're going to be using less refined petroleum than you will for a "regular" car.
I have a 2002 Prius. Oil changes are scheduled for every 7,500 miles, rather than 3,000, and Toyota even picks up the tab. Gas mileage is higher. And the battery pack is really pretty small (and getting smaller in the 2004 Prius).
Plus, the Prius comes with a long warranty on ALL the Hybrid components (including the battery pack, contrary to what some of the posters are trying to tell you). And for the first 3 year/30,000 miles, Toyota provides free roadside assistance if anything happens.
I have no problems. I live in Texas and go into Oklahoma a lot -- neither of them exactly known for their mountains. But there's an area along I-35 in Oklahoma with a steep climb. I usually have the cruise control on, and it passes the other cars going up the hill without breaking a sweat. Yes, the electric motors kick in, but it's not something I have to think about, and I've never noticed the battery gage dip.
I've also had to do some low-speed climbs at a park in Oklahoma and in some housing additions here in Texas, and I've never had any trouble. It's a bit odd, though, because the engine didn't rev, either. I think that at those lower speeds, the car was using the electric motors for the extra torque it needed to climb the hill, so it didn't "feel" as powerful because there wasn't that engine growl.
I have a 2002 Prius and absolutely love it. I tend to drive heavy on the gas, and it can get me first off the line at intersections, no problem. When I drive on the interstate, I typically go 70+. I still manage to average 38-45 MPG in town, running the air conditioner, stop and go traffic, etc. (When I don't run the A/C, I can get 60 or better.) On the highway, I pretty consistently get 50 mpg or better.
I have no complaints about its ability to get up and go. It's perhaps a bit more sluggish than my old 93 Cougar, which had a V-6, but it's about the same as a Camry or some of the other 4-bangers I've driven.
But remember, MPG isn't the only consideration. With a Prius, at least, it's designed to emit less toxic crap even when the engine is running, so it's greener in that regard, too. Plus, you don't have to get your oil changed as often -- again, less toxic waste you have to use, then dispose of.
The hybrid components are all under a good warranty. When I bought mine (and I assume it's still the case), Toyota pays for all your regular maintenance, which helps make up a bit for the slightly higher purchase price. Plus you get a tax deduction (at least, I think you still do).
The breaking takes a little getting used to, but I really, really enjoy mine. It's a great car.
No, I didn't assume the Apple hardware would compare favorably on price. That's not why I asked the question. Someone tossed out a reference to these boards with the implication that these boards would allow someone to build an equivalent system for less money. But when I checked the site I couldn't find a price. (Admittedly, I didn't look very hard). I just thought that for a fair comparison, price should be included.
I agree -- I love "reveal codes." And I generally prefer the way WordPerfect handles automatic outlining and numbering to the Word implementation.
There are lots of features in WP, but they don't get in the way, like they sometimes can in Word. They don't just take over.
Actually, I bought Office.Mac for myself because it's good. I do very little file exchanging, so I'm not that concerned about compatibility with other people. (Heck, my office still uses WordPerfect.) I'd used Word for Mac versions 3, 4 and 5 on my Mac SE, and finally just bought the whole suite a few years ago when I bought an iMac.
Office.Mac is the main reason my wife now lets her Dell sit idle. She got a taste of how much better Word is to work with on the Mac, and she hasn't looked back. She used to hate using my Mac until the hard drive on her Dell went out and she had to complete a project on my machine. Her Dell's fixed, but now she's hooked.
Now she wants to buy a new Mac to replace the Dell so we don't have to share.
It's a format choice. I didn't buy stuff that Sony released on MiniDisc either. If they want to choose this format, that's their (lost) business. (I'm a 15-year Mac user, BTW, but I'm mystified about why someone would go exclusively ITMS.)
I use a 400 Mhz G3 iMac at home. There were times before OSX 10.1 that performance was really pokey, but not since. I'm on 10.2.5 now, and I have no noticeable speed problems. It seems to respond about as well as my work machine (1Ghz P4) running Windows 2000 Professional.
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Why? Because a consumer electronics company refreshed a product? Should I be pissed at Sony every few months when they upgrade their camcorders? Should I be mad that the camcorder I bought from them five years ago cost more and is less capable than one I could buy today? Ditto with HP - the LaserJet model I bought in 2001 cost about $900. I can get one today that does the same job (and has more RAM) for $300 (or less). HP owes me $600!
Oklahoma has been using the same electronic voting machines for about 20 years. When you vote, you get a paper ballot (or more than one, depending on the election). You use a sharpie to draw a line that completes an arrow pointing to your choice. You yourself take it to the scanner and slip it in (face down, face up, doesn't matter, and ballots are coded on the side so the machine can orient itself and tell what ballot it's looking at). The ballot then goes into a storage box beneath the scanner.
When polls close, the machines each print out a tape listing the various vote totals, the numbers of rejected ballots, etc. The ballot storage boxes beneath the scanners are removed and sealed, then stored in case a recount is necessary.
These machines offer a fast vote tally, and a paper trail if there's a problem.
Plus, Oklahoma has a centralized voting administration, so the machines are used statewide, and they're used for local elections as well. So it's completely uniform from county to county.
Every in-car FM transmitter I've tried has sucked ass. I'm impressed some people have them that can interfere with your radio - none of them I ever bought ever even interfered with MINE when I wanted them to!
You could also lose all your CDs in a house fire. I don't understand how a potential catastrophe is a mark against iTunes. Music companies aren't going to send you a load of free CDs as replacements.
I use Windows at work, where I have no choice. I use my Mac at home, where I do. Why would I want to bring Windows into my house?
I was wondering the same thing. Aren't they still supporting Windows 2000? Why can't they add popup blocking to IE running on versions other than XP?
I could be wrong -- I've only read a couple of things about this -- but my understanding is that Apple ported its Webcore framework to Windows for all this. I think that's the basis of Safari, but is open to other apps on the Mac. It makes me wonder whether Apple has any plans to port Safari itself ... ?
I used to drive a Grant Marquis -- and I wouldn't trade my Prius for anything. And no, it's not a $5,000 part -- it's under warranty for 10 years 100,000 miles -- probably longer than the engine in your Vic.
But, the battery replacement shouldn't really cost ANYTHING. It's covered on my Prius for 10 years/100,000 miles. And as with any car that old -- if I have to put that much money into it, I'll probably just buy a new car.
As a result, when I run the A/C a lot, mileage suffers, but I still average about 38-41 for purely in-town driving when it's really hot. I think the worst I've ever gotten was about 36. Compare that to a regular car running the A/C constantly, and it's a big improvement.
My understanding is that the 2004 Prius has an improved system that doesn't call on the gas engine, as much -- that it's more electrical than mechanical and only starts the engine if the battery needs to be recharged. But I don't know for certain -- I've only read a few things on it.
No worries. Pre-2004 versions of the Prius have a vent on the side to keep the batteries from getting to hot. I think there are a lot of people trying to feed you a big pile of FUD.
I have a 2002 Prius. Oil changes are scheduled for every 7,500 miles, rather than 3,000, and Toyota even picks up the tab. Gas mileage is higher. And the battery pack is really pretty small (and getting smaller in the 2004 Prius).
Plus, the Prius comes with a long warranty on ALL the Hybrid components (including the battery pack, contrary to what some of the posters are trying to tell you). And for the first 3 year/30,000 miles, Toyota provides free roadside assistance if anything happens.
I've also had to do some low-speed climbs at a park in Oklahoma and in some housing additions here in Texas, and I've never had any trouble. It's a bit odd, though, because the engine didn't rev, either. I think that at those lower speeds, the car was using the electric motors for the extra torque it needed to climb the hill, so it didn't "feel" as powerful because there wasn't that engine growl.
I have no complaints about its ability to get up and go. It's perhaps a bit more sluggish than my old 93 Cougar, which had a V-6, but it's about the same as a Camry or some of the other 4-bangers I've driven.
But remember, MPG isn't the only consideration. With a Prius, at least, it's designed to emit less toxic crap even when the engine is running, so it's greener in that regard, too. Plus, you don't have to get your oil changed as often -- again, less toxic waste you have to use, then dispose of.
The hybrid components are all under a good warranty. When I bought mine (and I assume it's still the case), Toyota pays for all your regular maintenance, which helps make up a bit for the slightly higher purchase price. Plus you get a tax deduction (at least, I think you still do).
The breaking takes a little getting used to, but I really, really enjoy mine. It's a great car.
No, I didn't assume the Apple hardware would compare favorably on price. That's not why I asked the question. Someone tossed out a reference to these boards with the implication that these boards would allow someone to build an equivalent system for less money. But when I checked the site I couldn't find a price. (Admittedly, I didn't look very hard). I just thought that for a fair comparison, price should be included.
How much $$ are we talking about for these, though?
I agree -- I love "reveal codes." And I generally prefer the way WordPerfect handles automatic outlining and numbering to the Word implementation. There are lots of features in WP, but they don't get in the way, like they sometimes can in Word. They don't just take over.
Actually, I bought Office.Mac for myself because it's good. I do very little file exchanging, so I'm not that concerned about compatibility with other people. (Heck, my office still uses WordPerfect.) I'd used Word for Mac versions 3, 4 and 5 on my Mac SE, and finally just bought the whole suite a few years ago when I bought an iMac. Office.Mac is the main reason my wife now lets her Dell sit idle. She got a taste of how much better Word is to work with on the Mac, and she hasn't looked back. She used to hate using my Mac until the hard drive on her Dell went out and she had to complete a project on my machine. Her Dell's fixed, but now she's hooked. Now she wants to buy a new Mac to replace the Dell so we don't have to share.
It's a format choice. I didn't buy stuff that Sony released on MiniDisc either. If they want to choose this format, that's their (lost) business. (I'm a 15-year Mac user, BTW, but I'm mystified about why someone would go exclusively ITMS.)
I use a 400 Mhz G3 iMac at home. There were times before OSX 10.1 that performance was really pokey, but not since. I'm on 10.2.5 now, and I have no noticeable speed problems. It seems to respond about as well as my work machine (1Ghz P4) running Windows 2000 Professional.