Commodore Amiga! Good analogy. They're doing so well these days.
As for "all garbage manufacturers and developers".. that's what the free market is for. It's not up to Microsoft to determine what is "garbage" and what isn't. If it's "garbage" and it sells well, it isn't garbage.
This is yet another tired cliche example of Microsoft trying to make more money without producing anything new to earn it.
The 8600 is eight years old. For frak's sake, get a decent computer to do your work on. I don't know any "Mac fanatics" that still use things like 8600s for real work these days. I'd consider myself a "Mac fanatic" and I have a two year old G5.
>> You should rightly be paid for the original act of creation or performance. Not paid over and over again a hugely inflated price for each damn-near-negligible-cost-to-produce copy thereof.
> But why is this so bad? Why shouldn't the creator continue to be paid for his creation? Everyone says this is a horrible thing, but why is it a horrible thing? Is it just because YOU don't want to pay for something, or is their some grander scheme?
Notice how science and art are both represented here. Consider what would happen if universities treated discoveries the same way the **IAs treated media. Research would be impossible. If no one was ever allowed to build on the research and findings of those coming before them without financially compensating hundreds of other scientists in the process, it would be too cost prohibitive to research anything, and we'd forever be living in the bronze age. Why should it be one way for science and another way for the arts?
Now Disney and the **IAs want copyrights and patents to be enforcable indefinitely, because they don't want to have to create something new which would supplant the revenues lost when their copyright protection sunsets. This does not promote or incentivize new creativity. To the contrary, it shuts the door on it.
Oh give it a rest. Thank Microsoft for your job? Sure, if you work in the Symantec antivirus division. No, if Microsoft didn't exist we'd all be using Apples, and frankly they wouldn't be as good as they are today, because they wouldn't have the underdog position to constantly pressure them to excel. To paraphrase Voltaire, if there was no Microsoft, if would have been necessary for the free market to invent one.
No other viable alternatives? Guess you've never used a Mac.
Actually, what Sandy Burger did makes Watergate AND this Plame nonsense look like a college prank. But I don't see any outrage in Mediaville over that.
I'm sorry, was that off-topic? Well, since the parent was modded "interesting" I guess it isn't.
> The most obvious development birthed by this platform will be the absorption of routine. The Machine will take on anything we do more than twice. It will be the Anticipation Machine.
If that's true, then the "computer" will cease to be a computer. It will be a machine capable only of what the government, Intel, Microsoft, Hillary Clinton, Tipper Gore, RIAA, MPAA and $overdomineering_entity allows it to do. The user will not have control over the machine, as it will be programmed only to do what its makers consider it "authorized" to do. So much for managing your music, videos, or probably even most video games (since its content is too violent or sexual for Clinton).
I get furious with my OS X PowerMac when it tells me, "Sorry, you don't have permission to do that." OS9 never told me I "didn't have permission" to do things with my computer. If I screwed it up somehow, I'd have to fix it, but I'd rather not have the computer tell me what it is not going to allow me to do. With Microsoft's Palladium and other watchdog systems in place, this "anticipation machine" will be the most frustrating machine ever to resemble a computer.
"Computers and the programs will start thinking, and the people will stop." - Dr. Gibbs, TRON, 1982
> Are the RIAA and labels totally disgraceful? Doesn't matter. That's how they choose to do business.
You think that if the RIAA were any different, they'd still have an issue with piracy? I seriously doubt it. First of all, piracy is not a "problem" at all, as this and other research repeatedly points out. People who share music get exposed to more music, and this drives sales. Secondly, if the music industry didn't systematically gouge its customers and paid more attention to what the customer wants instead of dictating to them what they (the RIAA) want them to want, perhaps people wouldn't feel the need to pursue alternative means and methods to get what they want.
The simple truth is a free economy can only work when the consumer has power that must be respected. P2P has given us that leverage, and now the music industry has no choice but to pay attention to them. This is a good thing. iTunes Music Store is one of the first usable and fair music stores that actually delivers what customers want, and (unsurprisingly) it has become the most successful.
> Argumentative discourse aside, I'm still going to ask moderators to mod the parent up, because he managed to spell the word "lose" correctly, without adding an extra 'o'.
Damn, I already posted a comment on this thread, otherwise I'd have gladly given the post one of my points.
Why are you compating a laptop computer's specs with that of a Power Mac? If you want to make comparisons, compare laptops at least. The Powerbook G4 starts around $1600 and seems pretty comparably equipped IIRC so I'm not sure what point you're trying to make.
That said, I agree with your point about Apple being in the image business, sort of. Apple has always made image a part of their "unique selling proposition", or the thing that makes their products stand out. Where I think we disagree is that Apple's image as a cutting-edge developer of first rate consumer electronics technology is well-deserved. Apple continually sets the bar in the PC industry, and people are almost always willing to part with a little more money to get something a little better engineered.
Nitpicks like this are really pointless. It is a "major risk" just getting into your car each and every day. I wonder does "Doc" check his tire pressure every morning before he goes to work? Does anyone? NASA has always done an incredible job of making sure--to the best of their ability--that manned spaceflights are successful and safe for all involved. But look. We're doing something that is still a very new and very dangerous enterprise and those astronauts know, each and every time, their lives are in jeopardy.
I say good on NASA for their courage and may our astronauts return home safe and sound.
Slashdot Mirror
Uh, yeah, because we respect and worship contracts that we have no choice but to agree to in order to do our jobs. Like, I don't know, EULAs.
Commodore Amiga! Good analogy. They're doing so well these days.
As for "all garbage manufacturers and developers" .. that's what the free market is for. It's not up to Microsoft to determine what is "garbage" and what isn't. If it's "garbage" and it sells well, it isn't garbage.
This is yet another tired cliche example of Microsoft trying to make more money without producing anything new to earn it.
The 8600 is eight years old. For frak's sake, get a decent computer to do your work on. I don't know any "Mac fanatics" that still use things like 8600s for real work these days. I'd consider myself a "Mac fanatic" and I have a two year old G5.
That's hilarious.
Only on Slashdot can one
find such subtlety.
Yeah, but at least the woman is cute. I think she is, anyway.
> You mean, like in the end, UK residents and europeans all the same still got screwed when the US wanted to get some oil?
I can't mod you Troll today, but you are indeed a troll.
I wish we HAD gone into Iraq for oil, maybe our gas prices wouldn't be the highest they've ever been in my adult life.
We went into Iraq for oil? Then where's the fucking oil? I'm sick of paying $2.25 a gallon.
If you can't afford a $499 computer then you can't afford any computer at all.
> Is socialism against filesharing?
Yes.
If you call that a conspiracy theory, you my friend are living in a wide wide world of naive.
>> You should rightly be paid for the original act of creation or performance. Not paid over and over again a hugely inflated price for each damn-near-negligible-cost-to-produce copy thereof.
> But why is this so bad? Why shouldn't the creator continue to be paid for his creation? Everyone says this is a horrible thing, but why is it a horrible thing? Is it just because YOU don't want to pay for something, or is their some grander scheme?
The US Constitution grants the Congress the power to enact laws to "To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries." (section 8). Note use of the word "limited". Once an author creates a work, getting paid repeatedly, indefinitely, for that work does not incent him to continue to author. If he can just take his one book (or song or invention or whatever) to the bank for the rest of his and his children's children's children's lives, what motive would he have to continue to produce?
Notice how science and art are both represented here. Consider what would happen if universities treated discoveries the same way the **IAs treated media. Research would be impossible. If no one was ever allowed to build on the research and findings of those coming before them without financially compensating hundreds of other scientists in the process, it would be too cost prohibitive to research anything, and we'd forever be living in the bronze age. Why should it be one way for science and another way for the arts?
Now Disney and the **IAs want copyrights and patents to be enforcable indefinitely, because they don't want to have to create something new which would supplant the revenues lost when their copyright protection sunsets. This does not promote or incentivize new creativity. To the contrary, it shuts the door on it.
Oh give it a rest. Thank Microsoft for your job? Sure, if you work in the Symantec antivirus division. No, if Microsoft didn't exist we'd all be using Apples, and frankly they wouldn't be as good as they are today, because they wouldn't have the underdog position to constantly pressure them to excel. To paraphrase Voltaire, if there was no Microsoft, if would have been necessary for the free market to invent one.
No other viable alternatives? Guess you've never used a Mac.
Cop: "Do you have any idea how fast you were going?"
You: "About 2.5GHz."
Mine was no more a troll than the post I was responding to.
I didn't intend to piss off any liberals, but I can't say I'm not satisfied that I did.
Actually, what Sandy Burger did makes Watergate AND this Plame nonsense look like a college prank. But I don't see any outrage in Mediaville over that.
I'm sorry, was that off-topic? Well, since the parent was modded "interesting" I guess it isn't.
I totally agree. Rupert is perfect. Then again, anything would be better than "Quaoar".
> The most obvious development birthed by this platform will be the absorption of routine. The Machine will take on anything we do more than twice. It will be the Anticipation Machine.
If that's true, then the "computer" will cease to be a computer. It will be a machine capable only of what the government, Intel, Microsoft, Hillary Clinton, Tipper Gore, RIAA, MPAA and $overdomineering_entity allows it to do. The user will not have control over the machine, as it will be programmed only to do what its makers consider it "authorized" to do. So much for managing your music, videos, or probably even most video games (since its content is too violent or sexual for Clinton).
I get furious with my OS X PowerMac when it tells me, "Sorry, you don't have permission to do that." OS9 never told me I "didn't have permission" to do things with my computer. If I screwed it up somehow, I'd have to fix it, but I'd rather not have the computer tell me what it is not going to allow me to do. With Microsoft's Palladium and other watchdog systems in place, this "anticipation machine" will be the most frustrating machine ever to resemble a computer.
"Computers and the programs will start thinking, and the people will stop." - Dr. Gibbs, TRON, 1982
The Voyager 1 probe.
> Are the RIAA and labels totally disgraceful? Doesn't matter. That's how they choose to do business.
You think that if the RIAA were any different, they'd still have an issue with piracy? I seriously doubt it. First of all, piracy is not a "problem" at all, as this and other research repeatedly points out. People who share music get exposed to more music, and this drives sales. Secondly, if the music industry didn't systematically gouge its customers and paid more attention to what the customer wants instead of dictating to them what they (the RIAA) want them to want, perhaps people wouldn't feel the need to pursue alternative means and methods to get what they want.
The simple truth is a free economy can only work when the consumer has power that must be respected. P2P has given us that leverage, and now the music industry has no choice but to pay attention to them. This is a good thing. iTunes Music Store is one of the first usable and fair music stores that actually delivers what customers want, and (unsurprisingly) it has become the most successful.
> Paris Hilton can be Skeletor.
I think my ex-wife would be much more convincing in the role.
> Argumentative discourse aside, I'm still going to ask moderators to mod the parent up, because he managed to spell the word "lose" correctly, without adding an extra 'o'.
Damn, I already posted a comment on this thread, otherwise I'd have gladly given the post one of my points.
> Would you pay $100 for a 4GB Solid State Drive that is up to 6x faster than a WD Raptor?"
No, but I'd pay $100 for a conventional FireWire 250GB external that's had to come down in price in order to compete with solid-state.
Why are you compating a laptop computer's specs with that of a Power Mac? If you want to make comparisons, compare laptops at least. The Powerbook G4 starts around $1600 and seems pretty comparably equipped IIRC so I'm not sure what point you're trying to make.
That said, I agree with your point about Apple being in the image business, sort of. Apple has always made image a part of their "unique selling proposition", or the thing that makes their products stand out. Where I think we disagree is that Apple's image as a cutting-edge developer of first rate consumer electronics technology is well-deserved. Apple continually sets the bar in the PC industry, and people are almost always willing to part with a little more money to get something a little better engineered.
Nitpicks like this are really pointless. It is a "major risk" just getting into your car each and every day. I wonder does "Doc" check his tire pressure every morning before he goes to work? Does anyone? NASA has always done an incredible job of making sure--to the best of their ability--that manned spaceflights are successful and safe for all involved. But look. We're doing something that is still a very new and very dangerous enterprise and those astronauts know, each and every time, their lives are in jeopardy.
I say good on NASA for their courage and may our astronauts return home safe and sound.
"Broadcasting beautiful views, 24 hours a day. You're tuned to the Scenery Channel."
- A window in the McFly's future HillDale residence, Back To The Future: Part II , 1989
Better Miles O'Brien than Montgomery Scott.
"Oh look, rocket-powered propulsion. How quaint."