"when racism was still very much overt in the early 2/3rds of the 1900s"
True, today racism is much more covert. I just read a new study (one of about 10 a year) that still show that identical applications for a number of different jobs with that have only one difference to them (race) will have the white applicants receiving call-backs nearly 3 times as often. Women still do not make as much as men when doing identical jobs, and those born into (rich or poor) families have an incredible repeat rate (meaning, class shifts are very hard).
Apple uses your information for two things... to find out where to put new stores via your zip code, and to make any future service for your product seamless. You walk into a store to see a Genius (free personal tech support! Holy shitballs!), they scan the serial number. Done. They know when you purchased your product (no need for a receipt to prove warranty!), and they know your name and phone number to call you when service is done. It is never sold to anyone else, it's merely for Apple to provide better customer service, period. Not sure why these are considered "bad", but I suppose we are all entitled to our opinions...
"If you're particularly technically inclined, you can even rip your music cd into a non-DRM'd format.. although it takes a little more effort."
You mean, that button in the top right of iTunes that automatically changes to "Import" when you put a CD in your optical drive? You can set the import (very easily in preferences: MP3, AAC, AIFF, Apple Lossless Encoder, WAV). I couldn't imagine it being less of an effort. The ripped music is unDRM's, even if they had been previously.
Unfortunately, there isn't one piece of software in the world that is perfect. Not one. With every file and folder in OS X having permissions via UNIX, things are bound to be changed by apps. They "normally" won't create an issue, even if you have several that aren't perfect, but in order to not have them become an issue, repairing them is a nice way to keep them from becomming an issue.
If your finder crashes once a day, then you should fix it as there is obviously something wrong as that is far from the norm.
"Safari just stole focus from this text field because I had the audacity to load a new tab"
That's the way most of us like it, it's how it's supposed to work. If I open a new tab, it's usually because I want to go somewhere else in the same window. Why would you open a new tab otherwise? I'm not sure if it works (not near my Mac at the moment), but UNselecting "Select new tabs as they are created" in the tabs pref pane might work for you.
"And the GUI for Spotlight is almost comically bad, both in the menu bar and in Finder windows."
I like it. What alternative are there for the average use that finds files, folders, documents, messages in Mail, contacts in Address Book, iCal calendars, meta data (Photoshop files, Word docs, E-mails), System Preferences, applications, and even text "within" those files instantly? Your subjective criticism of the GUI not-withstanding, the tech is great. I love it.
"DVD Player steals focus twice every time you insert a DVD"
Again, most people want to watch the DVD they just put in (unless you are ripping them... ahem). And, if that's the case, then just change the preference in the preference pane to not launch DVD player when you put a DVD in! Done! This seems to be simply a usage issue as it takes 3 clicks to change that, from opening the pref panel to change.
So, does anyone still listen to Woz? Why? Is he wanting to "jab" Apple into being "better" at what they do due to an underlying love? What are his motives? Does he cite specific reasonings for his rants?
My wife and I watch Lost via iTunes on our TV, and it's not bad, not bad at all. There are a few gradation anomalies in dark areas, but other than that, it's definetly watchable to say the least... I used to BT recent HDTV grabs, and then convert to mp4, but the time it took wasn't worth the $1.99 to have Apple do it as well as I could.
Spend the $1.99 and try it, it's not that bad at all.
$6 a gallon would only hurt those that couldn't afford it. In other words, people that aren't rich wouldn't be able to drive to work, to the grocery store, to grandma's, etc... No, the answer isn't to once again to hurt the poorer of the lot to make a "statement" (horrible logic), but to make alternative energies a reality, to force large companies to stop producing these gasses, to curb beef intake (methane), etc... I am amazed every time someone suggests something like this. Using monetary deterents hurt those that don't have money exponentially. It just doesn't work. What you want to do is tax the living fuck out of buying SUV's, HUMMER's, and such. THAT would be a far better idea...
Lumping the Disclosure Project with Scientology is a fine example of how to quash critical thought on the matter of UFO's and the reality of intelligent beings in the universe. Scientology was the dream of a science fiction writer to convince the easily swayed via indoctrination of falsities for profit. Yes, there are many in the UFO field that do this too, but not the Disclosure Project. They are a nonprofit organization merely attempting to provide truth. The difference should be obvious. If "...over 400 government, military, and intelligence community witnesses testifying to their direct, personal, first hand experience with UFOs, ETs, ET technology, and the cover-up that keeps this information secret." isn't enough to even lift an eyebrow, then I would suggest reading "UFOs and the National Security State: Chronology of a Coverup, 1941-1973" by Richard M. Dolan and Jacques F. Vallee. An astounding book based merely on research of our governments own statements, documents, etc... showing that there is far more knowledge in this area than many who simply consider anyone who has done the research and realize the possibility of the reality of UFO's and the enormous impact it would have on all humanity as... "demented". That's an ignorant and very easy thing to say. Bravo. I would not consider you stupid, just ignorant. I wonder if I could do the same and do nothing more than merely call you demented for commenting on something you know nothing about and get modded up. Probably not...
Yeah, great, but with more and more of these intrusive glimpses into my life, I inevitably "feel" less free, which is the point...
Put a bolt on the cockpit doors (done). Move on.
You will always be able to find better ways to make yourself "secure" (enter the obligatory Ben Franklin quote "here"), but at what point is it too much? For me we passed that up long ago, for others we will all be living in rubber rooms with curved furniture surrounded by cameras, motion detectors, motes and underground bunkers, flying detectors (oh wait, already have those) where every penny earned goes toward policing the people because it's more... safe. Far sooner than that I will be leaving this "free" country, and moving to a more free country (I like freedom, sue me... oh wait...). One like Canada, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Switzerland, etc... and I'll let you wallow in your greed for power and apparently strife. Those things do, however, make a few people very rich and very powerful, for sure (which is a paramount goal to the nth degree in this country), but this cowboy is losing his freedoms tick by tick. It's akin to not seeing the jail you are in because the bars small, but plentiful and spread out enough to "scare" you into believing you need them. Have fun in your new prison. As soon as our policy becomes the reason for the need to become more secure, you have to realize something is F'd up. I'm just surrounded by too many that don't realize that, and that's even more frightening...
For the very last freaking time (yeah right), Apple is a hardware company. You need not ever go further than that to understand the reasonging behind not letting OS X out into the wild. Why people still discuss this is beyond many of us.
Lastly, the experience (a great one, IMO) of owning a Mac, is knowing that the people I bought this computer from makes and supports everything from the computer to the OS that runs it, seemlessly. It's one of Apple's mantras. Complete and total solutions from beginning to end. iTunes to iPod, Machine to Mac OS, etc... it's why Apple users are so damned happy. You lose that, and the company will, finally, become "beleaguered" because the joy of owning a Mac will fall to the way-side. OS X (damn nice OS) on Bob's X1200 (made in his garage using crappy parts) would completely destroy what Steve/Apple have been doing for years.
" Most of their customers won't bother with any such hacking (especially given Apple's traditional target markets of non-techie creative users in film, image editing etc and the comparatively-neophyte home users)."
So in other words, 90% of the computer using market? Nice... Not to mention audio, print, and web design/production, and anyone else who just wants a sane, easy, and even fun (gasp!) way to go about their daily business, or if they ever decided to create a movie or DVD to pass out to relatives of their wedding/kids birthday, etc...
"And even if they did get OS X to work on their Dell PC, there would be no drivers for their modem, sound card, video card etc."
... no support from Apple should a huge consideration too. When Johnny hacks OS X to run on grandma's Dell because grandma was hit with a virus or found Windows cumbersome, imagine the crickets chirping when grandma calls Apple for help when kernel panics are a plenty.
Now, there will be some that hack OS X to run on a Dell, but no one will care, not even Apple. 99.999% of the computing market wouldn't touch a hacked machine, and Apple knows that. Nothing to see here, please move along...
"Since MS users are trained to handle an overly obtuse interface, we find Apple interfaces simplistic and limiting."
Your logic is quite flawed. Simplistic does not mean limiting... at all. If something does the same thing, only simpler, then it's simply "better". Thanks for playing...
Re:It's a surprisingly decent video player
on
Video iPod Screen Test
·
· Score: 2, Insightful
"...minus some untested issues with first generation products like scratches on iPod Nano."
"Apple said that the screens on the iPod nano are made with the same material that is found in the company's fourth-generation iPod, which, to date, is complaint free. 'We have received very few calls from customers reporting this problem - we do not think this is a widespread issue,' said Schiller. 'If customers are concerned about scratching we suggest they use one of the many iPod nano cases to protect their iPod.'
FUD. And from a PCMag article, "Apple has, in fact, stated that the nano has the same screen material as the iPod mini. So where are all the angry mini users?"
Yes, the worlds best selling mp3 player... the iPod Mini.
I don't want to sound like an apologist, but this was hardly "untested" material they used for the Nano screens. This was more accurately a study in sociology, American style.
EXACTLY. People that don't want a 128 AAC will go to the store and purchase the CD. Burning the CD does not lose quality from the 128 AAC that you agreed to when purchasing that music, re-ripping does. How is this logic STILL escaping people?
The iTMS is for people that aren't/. readers (apparently, according to you). Again, this isn't freaking rocket science.
"...you don't know Apple too well. They will always come out with an update of your product less than a month after you purchased it"
Isn't invention great. And you fail to mention the real reason it makes so many people feeling a little jealous... it's the fact that Apple has been doing this for many years. They will upgrade their line when they feel it's right, while keeping the price of the relative product the same. They've been doing this on the computer side for a very long time.
Seeing an upgrade to your product (upgrades are good, trust me, my original 5 GB iPod wouldn't cut it today, sorry) that is exactly the same price as the one you just bought a month ago is what get's ya. But, Apple knows the balance tips towards keeping the prices constantly in certain ranges while not being afraid of investigating upgrades due to new technology. We as consumers tend to like that much more than don't like the jealousy thing... you picked the time to buy, and the purchase should have been an accepted agreement. Meaning, it was worth it to you to pay what you did for that device at that time, so go with that, or you will never own an xxxxxx.
Burn the CD, then it's yours forever, just as if you bought it from the store. RIP them from that burned CD, and the DRM is stripped. How is this escaping people's thoughts still?
Slashdot Mirror
"when racism was still very much overt in the early 2/3rds of the 1900s"
True, today racism is much more covert. I just read a new study (one of about 10 a year) that still show that identical applications for a number of different jobs with that have only one difference to them (race) will have the white applicants receiving call-backs nearly 3 times as often. Women still do not make as much as men when doing identical jobs, and those born into (rich or poor) families have an incredible repeat rate (meaning, class shifts are very hard).
"If you want my personal information, buy it."
Apple uses your information for two things... to find out where to put new stores via your zip code, and to make any future service for your product seamless. You walk into a store to see a Genius (free personal tech support! Holy shitballs!), they scan the serial number. Done. They know when you purchased your product (no need for a receipt to prove warranty!), and they know your name and phone number to call you when service is done. It is never sold to anyone else, it's merely for Apple to provide better customer service, period. Not sure why these are considered "bad", but I suppose we are all entitled to our opinions...
"If you're particularly technically inclined, you can even rip your music cd into a non-DRM'd format.. although it takes a little more effort."
You mean, that button in the top right of iTunes that automatically changes to "Import" when you put a CD in your optical drive? You can set the import (very easily in preferences: MP3, AAC, AIFF, Apple Lossless Encoder, WAV). I couldn't imagine it being less of an effort. The ripped music is unDRM's, even if they had been previously.
Unfortunately, there isn't one piece of software in the world that is perfect. Not one. With every file and folder in OS X having permissions via UNIX, things are bound to be changed by apps. They "normally" won't create an issue, even if you have several that aren't perfect, but in order to not have them become an issue, repairing them is a nice way to keep them from becomming an issue.
If your finder crashes once a day, then you should fix it as there is obviously something wrong as that is far from the norm.
"Safari just stole focus from this text field because I had the audacity to load a new tab"
That's the way most of us like it, it's how it's supposed to work. If I open a new tab, it's usually because I want to go somewhere else in the same window. Why would you open a new tab otherwise? I'm not sure if it works (not near my Mac at the moment), but UNselecting "Select new tabs as they are created" in the tabs pref pane might work for you.
"And the GUI for Spotlight is almost comically bad, both in the menu bar and in Finder windows."
I like it. What alternative are there for the average use that finds files, folders, documents, messages in Mail, contacts in Address Book, iCal calendars, meta data (Photoshop files, Word docs, E-mails), System Preferences, applications, and even text "within" those files instantly? Your subjective criticism of the GUI not-withstanding, the tech is great. I love it.
"DVD Player steals focus twice every time you insert a DVD"
Again, most people want to watch the DVD they just put in (unless you are ripping them... ahem). And, if that's the case, then just change the preference in the preference pane to not launch DVD player when you put a DVD in! Done! This seems to be simply a usage issue as it takes 3 clicks to change that, from opening the pref panel to change.
No kidding...
So, does anyone still listen to Woz? Why? Is he wanting to "jab" Apple into being "better" at what they do due to an underlying love? What are his motives? Does he cite specific reasonings for his rants?
Why should I care about Woz and his "opinions"?
My wife and I watch Lost via iTunes on our TV, and it's not bad, not bad at all. There are a few gradation anomalies in dark areas, but other than that, it's definetly watchable to say the least... I used to BT recent HDTV grabs, and then convert to mp4, but the time it took wasn't worth the $1.99 to have Apple do it as well as I could.
Spend the $1.99 and try it, it's not that bad at all.
Profit!
You must be either rich, or republican.
$6 a gallon would only hurt those that couldn't afford it. In other words, people that aren't rich wouldn't be able to drive to work, to the grocery store, to grandma's, etc... No, the answer isn't to once again to hurt the poorer of the lot to make a "statement" (horrible logic), but to make alternative energies a reality, to force large companies to stop producing these gasses, to curb beef intake (methane), etc... I am amazed every time someone suggests something like this. Using monetary deterents hurt those that don't have money exponentially. It just doesn't work. What you want to do is tax the living fuck out of buying SUV's, HUMMER's, and such. THAT would be a far better idea...
Lumping the Disclosure Project with Scientology is a fine example of how to quash critical thought on the matter of UFO's and the reality of intelligent beings in the universe. Scientology was the dream of a science fiction writer to convince the easily swayed via indoctrination of falsities for profit. Yes, there are many in the UFO field that do this too, but not the Disclosure Project. They are a nonprofit organization merely attempting to provide truth. The difference should be obvious. If "...over 400 government, military, and intelligence community witnesses testifying to their direct, personal, first hand experience with UFOs, ETs, ET technology, and the cover-up that keeps this information secret." isn't enough to even lift an eyebrow, then I would suggest reading "UFOs and the National Security State: Chronology of a Coverup, 1941-1973" by Richard M. Dolan and Jacques F. Vallee. An astounding book based merely on research of our governments own statements, documents, etc... showing that there is far more knowledge in this area than many who simply consider anyone who has done the research and realize the possibility of the reality of UFO's and the enormous impact it would have on all humanity as... "demented". That's an ignorant and very easy thing to say. Bravo. I would not consider you stupid, just ignorant. I wonder if I could do the same and do nothing more than merely call you demented for commenting on something you know nothing about and get modded up. Probably not...
antithesis
For the non-geeks. *ahem*
Support independent music. It's much better than the crap you hear on the radio anyway...
Give the money to the artists of good music, not to the suits that follow formulas to sell to 12 year olds.
Seriously, for the love of *whatever*, stop enabling them!!!
Yeah, great, but with more and more of these intrusive glimpses into my life, I inevitably "feel" less free, which is the point...
Put a bolt on the cockpit doors (done). Move on.
You will always be able to find better ways to make yourself "secure" (enter the obligatory Ben Franklin quote "here"), but at what point is it too much? For me we passed that up long ago, for others we will all be living in rubber rooms with curved furniture surrounded by cameras, motion detectors, motes and underground bunkers, flying detectors (oh wait, already have those) where every penny earned goes toward policing the people because it's more... safe. Far sooner than that I will be leaving this "free" country, and moving to a more free country (I like freedom, sue me... oh wait...). One like Canada, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Switzerland, etc... and I'll let you wallow in your greed for power and apparently strife. Those things do, however, make a few people very rich and very powerful, for sure (which is a paramount goal to the nth degree in this country), but this cowboy is losing his freedoms tick by tick. It's akin to not seeing the jail you are in because the bars small, but plentiful and spread out enough to "scare" you into believing you need them. Have fun in your new prison. As soon as our policy becomes the reason for the need to become more secure, you have to realize something is F'd up. I'm just surrounded by too many that don't realize that, and that's even more frightening...
All your Yeti belong to us
*tag*
Prove that it hasn't...
For the very last freaking time (yeah right), Apple is a hardware company. You need not ever go further than that to understand the reasonging behind not letting OS X out into the wild. Why people still discuss this is beyond many of us.
Lastly, the experience (a great one, IMO) of owning a Mac, is knowing that the people I bought this computer from makes and supports everything from the computer to the OS that runs it, seemlessly. It's one of Apple's mantras. Complete and total solutions from beginning to end. iTunes to iPod, Machine to Mac OS, etc... it's why Apple users are so damned happy. You lose that, and the company will, finally, become "beleaguered" because the joy of owning a Mac will fall to the way-side. OS X (damn nice OS) on Bob's X1200 (made in his garage using crappy parts) would completely destroy what Steve/Apple have been doing for years.
" Most of their customers won't bother with any such hacking (especially given Apple's traditional target markets of non-techie creative users in film, image editing etc and the comparatively-neophyte home users)."
So in other words, 90% of the computer using market? Nice... Not to mention audio, print, and web design/production, and anyone else who just wants a sane, easy, and even fun (gasp!) way to go about their daily business, or if they ever decided to create a movie or DVD to pass out to relatives of their wedding/kids birthday, etc...
"And even if they did get OS X to work on their Dell PC, there would be no drivers for their modem, sound card, video card etc."
... no support from Apple should a huge consideration too. When Johnny hacks OS X to run on grandma's Dell because grandma was hit with a virus or found Windows cumbersome, imagine the crickets chirping when grandma calls Apple for help when kernel panics are a plenty.
Now, there will be some that hack OS X to run on a Dell, but no one will care, not even Apple. 99.999% of the computing market wouldn't touch a hacked machine, and Apple knows that. Nothing to see here, please move along...
"...with emphasis on dependability instead of performance.""
So, they're making a Mac... again?
"Since MS users are trained to handle an overly obtuse interface, we find Apple interfaces simplistic and limiting."
Your logic is quite flawed. Simplistic does not mean limiting... at all. If something does the same thing, only simpler, then it's simply "better". Thanks for playing...
"...minus some untested issues with first generation products like scratches on iPod Nano."
"Apple said that the screens on the iPod nano are made with the same material that is found in the company's fourth-generation iPod, which, to date, is complaint free. 'We have received very few calls from customers reporting this problem - we do not think this is a widespread issue,' said Schiller. 'If customers are concerned about scratching we suggest they use one of the many iPod nano cases to protect their iPod.'
FUD. And from a PCMag article, "Apple has, in fact, stated that the nano has the same screen material as the iPod mini. So where are all the angry mini users?"
Yes, the worlds best selling mp3 player... the iPod Mini.
I don't want to sound like an apologist, but this was hardly "untested" material they used for the Nano screens. This was more accurately a study in sociology, American style.
EXACTLY. People that don't want a 128 AAC will go to the store and purchase the CD. Burning the CD does not lose quality from the 128 AAC that you agreed to when purchasing that music, re-ripping does. How is this logic STILL escaping people?
/. readers (apparently, according to you). Again, this isn't freaking rocket science.
The iTMS is for people that aren't
"...you don't know Apple too well. They will always come out with an update of your product less than a month after you purchased it"
Isn't invention great. And you fail to mention the real reason it makes so many people feeling a little jealous... it's the fact that Apple has been doing this for many years. They will upgrade their line when they feel it's right, while keeping the price of the relative product the same. They've been doing this on the computer side for a very long time.
Seeing an upgrade to your product (upgrades are good, trust me, my original 5 GB iPod wouldn't cut it today, sorry) that is exactly the same price as the one you just bought a month ago is what get's ya. But, Apple knows the balance tips towards keeping the prices constantly in certain ranges while not being afraid of investigating upgrades due to new technology. We as consumers tend to like that much more than don't like the jealousy thing... you picked the time to buy, and the purchase should have been an accepted agreement. Meaning, it was worth it to you to pay what you did for that device at that time, so go with that, or you will never own an xxxxxx.
"His problem is with the terms of the license, i.e. what you're allowed to do legally, not what you're able to do technically."
Burning a CD of your purchased musice isn't illegal. Burn that CD and keep that CD. It's yours forever, just as if you bought it in a store...
If you are one that needs the audio quality of an original CD, then go to the store and purchase it. This is not rocket science.
Burn the CD, then it's yours forever, just as if you bought it from the store. RIP them from that burned CD, and the DRM is stripped. How is this escaping people's thoughts still?