I find the minimal travel to be more comfortable too. I once had to type on an older Apple keyboard (the plastic one before the aluminium models) and then on an old IBM Model M keyboard and I kept tripping on the keys of both because of their height.
It's no use trying to argue with people who hate anything with an Apple logo on it. All they see is the shiny and the price and automatically think people only buy Apple because of those two things. They hate something that they either never even tried, or tried without giving it a chance because they hate and are locked into the mindset that they're limited in what they can do with anything Apple. They'd say that cars are limited and too expensive because you can't carry a fridge in them.
Never mind that we can print directly to PDF, preview PDFs instantaneously without installing a PDF viewer, take screen captures in 24-bit PNG, use iTunes and all iDevices in WAV or MP3 instead of AAC, use drives in FAT32 instead of Mac OS Extended, etc.
They don't want to understand that the iPad, for example, is not a "computer" in the classic sense, and that it's aimed at non-computer people. Things like mouse pointers, clicking vs double-clicking, files vs folders, browsers vs websites... too many concepts that we take for granted but are alien concepts to those who never used a computer in their life but now want to "get on the internet".
Apple "locks" users into Apple products because Apple products just work. When these people try to use products from other companies, they find that the whole experience just plain sucks and go back to Apple by themselves. That's not locking users away, that's giving them what they want.
Music from the iTunes Store has been DRM-free for a while now. You can play the tunes on pretty much anything, from iTunes to VLC, from Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DSi to Microsoft Xbox 360.
Funnily enough, it requires a small download for the Xbox360 because Microsoft still seems to think that WMA is popular and AAC is a fringe format. It's the other way around. I even wonder if Vorbis isn't more popular than WMA.
we'll see decades to come of incredible innovation from which will emerge all sorts of "connected companions" that we'll wear, we'll carry, we'll use on our desks & walls and the environment all around us.'"
As soon as they can mix that companion thing with life-size holographic projections and make them look like anime characters, sales will go through the roof.
Viewing of "Don't Date a Robot!" required before buying.
If Apple ever wants to replace the cable and satellite companies for TV shows and movies, they're going to need a shitload of datacenters and bandwidth.
If you still believe the AppleTV is a "hobby" that is not going anywhere, then why would they have made a second version tailored for streaming?
One difference is that Flash needs to be a plug-in, not an application. That would mean Safari for iOS being coded to allow for plug-ins in the first place.
It can be both helpful and malicious at the same time. It's still malware if you intentionally install it for the purpose of the advertised jailbreaking but the software also does malicious things in the background without your knowledge.
The thing is, you would still need a VM for all platforms: Windows XP/Vista/7/etc, Mac OS X Snow Leopard/Lion/etc, iOS 4+, Android, Symbian, Xbox360, PS3, PSP, Wii, Nintendo DSi/3DS, etc. just like you would need Flash for all these platforms.
And seeing as how Adobe can't even make a decent Flash plug-in for Mac OS X and Linux that can't use less than 50% of the CPU for even the simple things, I can't see how they could make Flash and keep it up-to-date for all the other less powerful platforms. And with Oracle now in control of Java, you forget about it right now.
Apple can't ship an up-to-date version of Flash. Adobe hasn't made an auto-update tool, and Apple has their computers ready to run out of the box. Once it leaves the factory, no matter what, at one point the installed Flash version is going to become outdated before the computer is even sold. Why should Apple have to carry the burden of having to install and update software from other companies?
When users have to go to Adobe's website to install Flash, they will associate Flash with Adobe instead of Apple. So if they have Flash problems they will stop pointing at Apple as if it's their fault that Flash sucks.
It will also help lower the supposed "Flash installed base" percentage. I don't know how they test this because I'm personally tired of hearing that "99.9% of users have Flash" when Flash sucks so bad on Mac OS X and Linux and when so many people disable or even delete Flash from their system. I even know someone who deleted Flash from his Windows 7 computer because it kept crashing his system.
Another point is that when security lists are made for all operating systems they include software from the regular installation. If Apple drops Java and Flash they'll cut a huge percentage of security holes from their list which, frankly, is in Apple's best interest.
As for power over the mobile Web, this isn't 1995 anymore. The mobile Web is the regular Web, if you see any difference then you're not coding using Web standards. Flash will disappear just like Shockwave disappeared. It's just a question of time.
Slashdot Mirror
Only in the USA, though.
I find the minimal travel to be more comfortable too. I once had to type on an older Apple keyboard (the plastic one before the aluminium models) and then on an old IBM Model M keyboard and I kept tripping on the keys of both because of their height.
There's a reason why the best arcade buttons use Cherry microswitches. They're nearly indestructible!
Dear Aunt, let's set so double the killer delete select all.
You could try something completely different, like the orbiTouch.
They're not ambidextrous, you insensitive clod!
It's no use trying to argue with people who hate anything with an Apple logo on it. All they see is the shiny and the price and automatically think people only buy Apple because of those two things. They hate something that they either never even tried, or tried without giving it a chance because they hate and are locked into the mindset that they're limited in what they can do with anything Apple. They'd say that cars are limited and too expensive because you can't carry a fridge in them.
Never mind that we can print directly to PDF, preview PDFs instantaneously without installing a PDF viewer, take screen captures in 24-bit PNG, use iTunes and all iDevices in WAV or MP3 instead of AAC, use drives in FAT32 instead of Mac OS Extended, etc.
They don't want to understand that the iPad, for example, is not a "computer" in the classic sense, and that it's aimed at non-computer people. Things like mouse pointers, clicking vs double-clicking, files vs folders, browsers vs websites... too many concepts that we take for granted but are alien concepts to those who never used a computer in their life but now want to "get on the internet".
Apple "locks" users into Apple products because Apple products just work. When these people try to use products from other companies, they find that the whole experience just plain sucks and go back to Apple by themselves. That's not locking users away, that's giving them what they want.
Music from the iTunes Store has been DRM-free for a while now. You can play the tunes on pretty much anything, from iTunes to VLC, from Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DSi to Microsoft Xbox 360.
Funnily enough, it requires a small download for the Xbox360 because Microsoft still seems to think that WMA is popular and AAC is a fringe format. It's the other way around. I even wonder if Vorbis isn't more popular than WMA.
So what Darwin was saying is... the transformers will outlive humans?
In cases like this, I'm really glad there's so few elevators where I live.
As soon as they can mix that companion thing with life-size holographic projections and make them look like anime characters, sales will go through the roof.
Viewing of "Don't Date a Robot!" required before buying.
Does the book cover OpenGL on the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad? How about OpenGL on the Wii or the Nintendo DSi? Or the PS3 or PSP?
I've heard that some of these devices use a subset/smaller specifications of OpenGL, but I guess most of the book should still apply.
If the servers are too stressed they should load some hot tea and yoga programs alongside Diablo 3.
Because you pay them to use their services. MobileMe isn't free, you need to pay for it every year.
In Apple's case, they have their iTunes store, which has massive amounts of data from all the music, TV Shows, movies, applications and podcasts.
Some day all the processing power and storage in that place will fit on something you can hold in your hand.
See? That wasn't so hard.
I know a Lieutenant Commander from Starfleet that would disagree with you.
If Apple ever wants to replace the cable and satellite companies for TV shows and movies, they're going to need a shitload of datacenters and bandwidth.
If you still believe the AppleTV is a "hobby" that is not going anywhere, then why would they have made a second version tailored for streaming?
One difference is that Flash needs to be a plug-in, not an application. That would mean Safari for iOS being coded to allow for plug-ins in the first place.
The only thing I can reply is that if ARM wasn't better per watt than x86 or PPC, cellphones from all manufacturers wouldn't be using it.
It's not that hard to destroy a star if you have two stargates and the known coordinates of a black hole.
They sure worked for Jarre.
Chatbots as confused as slashdot readers. News at 11.
It can be both helpful and malicious at the same time. It's still malware if you intentionally install it for the purpose of the advertised jailbreaking but the software also does malicious things in the background without your knowledge.
The thing is, you would still need a VM for all platforms: Windows XP/Vista/7/etc, Mac OS X Snow Leopard/Lion/etc, iOS 4+, Android, Symbian, Xbox360, PS3, PSP, Wii, Nintendo DSi/3DS, etc. just like you would need Flash for all these platforms.
And seeing as how Adobe can't even make a decent Flash plug-in for Mac OS X and Linux that can't use less than 50% of the CPU for even the simple things, I can't see how they could make Flash and keep it up-to-date for all the other less powerful platforms. And with Oracle now in control of Java, you forget about it right now.
Apple can't ship an up-to-date version of Flash. Adobe hasn't made an auto-update tool, and Apple has their computers ready to run out of the box. Once it leaves the factory, no matter what, at one point the installed Flash version is going to become outdated before the computer is even sold. Why should Apple have to carry the burden of having to install and update software from other companies?
When users have to go to Adobe's website to install Flash, they will associate Flash with Adobe instead of Apple. So if they have Flash problems they will stop pointing at Apple as if it's their fault that Flash sucks.
It will also help lower the supposed "Flash installed base" percentage. I don't know how they test this because I'm personally tired of hearing that "99.9% of users have Flash" when Flash sucks so bad on Mac OS X and Linux and when so many people disable or even delete Flash from their system. I even know someone who deleted Flash from his Windows 7 computer because it kept crashing his system.
Another point is that when security lists are made for all operating systems they include software from the regular installation. If Apple drops Java and Flash they'll cut a huge percentage of security holes from their list which, frankly, is in Apple's best interest.
As for power over the mobile Web, this isn't 1995 anymore. The mobile Web is the regular Web, if you see any difference then you're not coding using Web standards. Flash will disappear just like Shockwave disappeared. It's just a question of time.