It should only take 1-2 CDs for an iTunes user to burn his or her (on average) 20 purchased, DRM'ed tracks and be able to play them on any other machine. Not all DRM is created equal. Insightful? For chrissakes, RTFA:
"Of course, MSN Music customers do have one other option: burning all of their music to audio CD and then re-ripping them back to the computer as MP3s, sans DRM. But that's a lossy, lousy solution."
In other news, Open Office is being offered WITHOUT ANY ADS for all platforms:-)
And unlike Microsoft Works, it can actually read Microsoft Office documents. I'm confused. Have you (and the moderators) used Works recently? I haven't (recently), but an easy-to-find "How to" article on Microsoft's support site says Works does read Office documents (Word and Excel, at least).
you can put a video card in the base system in the mini you are stuck with the POS gma 950 video and laptop parts.
First you are likely wrong. if you compare the specs on the base price of the open pro $900 and the $399 teaser machine you see they are almost identical. The $399 "teaser machine" is a microATX PC with integrated graphics (and a graphics card slot) while the $1000 OpenPro is a full ATX PC without integrated graphics, so I doubt they're "almost identical" since they're using different chipsets and form factors. (I can't believe they're still taking orders!)
So what's happening for $500? mainly the powersupply fans and case. To me that says the teaser comes with some 5 cent powersupply and the cheapest possible motherboard. The $400 "teaser machine" uses the ASUS TM-211 case. For $50 at Newegg, it comes bundled with a 300W Bestec power supply, a rear 80mm exhaust fan, and vent holes above the CPU and graphics card area to suck in cool air. Since the integrated graphics are GMA 950, that motherboard (with no integrated FireWire) must be cheap as hell. The 945G chipset is at least 2 generations old (predates the first Intel Macs).
Many Slashdot readers would recognize the OpenPro's case as the Antec P182, which Newegg sells for $200 without power supply.
Psystar's FAQ says that the basic Open Computer uses "an Asus 350W power supply which Asus states is rated at 300W," so I'm sure it's the same one bundled at Newegg. They say the OpenPro "runs a 600W PSU."
They don't even offer a video card upgrade for it. Kinda tells you something. Sure they do. Under "Graphics Processor" they offer "Intel GMA 950" (+0.00), GeForce 8600GT (+$110.00), and GeForce 8800GT 512MB (+$200.00).
I'm not saying these Psystar computers are good values or even exist. I'm just fascinated by this story because the order/configuration page looks real and still exists despite all the evidence that suggests this is all a big scam. I can't wait to see these scammers go down in flames.
But why the heck are you comparing the "value" of an expandable microATX minitower (desktop CPU, graphics card option, PCI/PCIe slots, desktop hard/optical drives) to a small form factor desktop made of laptop parts? If Apple offered a decent single-CPU desktop with real desktop parts and no integrated display, I bet it would outsell the Mac mini by a lot. I guess Apple doesn't think such a machine would be profitable enough (nothing wrong with that).
Microsoft. Sold an operating system to IBM before they had one.
No, they agreed to provide one and then bought it from someone else. Expanding the story, Microsoft told IBM that they didn't have an OS. MS bundled CP/M with one of their programming language products and IBM mistakenly believed the bundled OS was a Microsoft product. MS then referred IBM to Digital Research (maker of CP/M), but Digital Research dropped the ball. Paul Allen knew about a rudimentary CP/M clone (QDOS) made by a small company across town (Seattle Computer Products), so MS convinced IBM they could fix up this OS and make it work for the IBM PC. Initially, MS licensed QDOS from SCP, but they later agreed to purchase it for $50,000 (deal of the century).
The false "DOS was vaporware" version of what happened often gets modded up on Slashdot. This is the version told on that stupid made-for-TV, "based on a true story" docudrama Pirates of the Silicon Valley. A much better telling of what actually happened (with actual interviews with Paul Allen, Bill Gates, Steve Balmer, Jack Sams of IBM, and Tim Patterson of SCP) is available from the PBS documentary Triumph of the Nerds (transcript of the relevant part available here).
Antivirus, though, is the closest thing to an exception
Except, I use AntiVir, a free Anti-virus that "annoys" me every few hours to purchase the full version to stop annoying me.
It's pretty good and not annoying enough to bother. I do wish I could generate revenue for them outside of having to directly pay them, outside of loading my system is adverts.
I can't tell if you know about AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition and avast! Home Edition, but these two free (for non-commercial/home use) products don't "nag" you to buy their non-free versions. They get mentioned all the time on Slashdot.
Both products auto-update, provide real-time protection, and have much smaller footprints than the typical bloatware subscription-based "security suites" that are preinstalled on many PCs. I personally use (and recommend to novices) AVG because, unlike avast!, it doesn't require a yearly free registration. OTOH, I've read that avast! offers more control/customization.
I'd never heard of AntiVir. If know about AVG and avast!, is AntiVir better?
What do you honestly think the chances of them letting you use one subscription on multiple computers is?
Going by present form it'll be one subscription per computer and not easily transferable.
By present form, a subscription to OneCare can be used on up to 3 PCs. A license for Office Home and Student allows installations on up to 3 PCs. These are the two products in the "Albany" subscription service.
I'm not disagreeing with you (other replies have that covered), but just a nitpick...
You currently pay $300 for the standard Microsoft Office 2007. TFA says the planned subscription service will offer the "Home and Student" version of Office, not the "standard" version. Office Home and Student 2007 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote) costs $120 at Amazon.com and one license allows installations on up to 3 PCs per household. The $300 "standard" version ($200 upgrade price) includes Outlook.
TFA also says the subscription bundles OneCare, which seperately costs $50 per year for up to 3 PCs. The typical Slashdot reader would probably find little or no value in OneCare, but novices might like it (especially the included phone/chat/email support).
So for most of us, we're comparing a small recurring subscription to a larger $120 purchase that doesn't expire (but newer versions cost another $120).
Poke around the site for a few minutes and it will be come really clear that Roughly Drafted is just some moron running a Microsoft hate blog. Chances are these "documents" are either made up or exaggerated.
Can you cite a specific instance of Roughly Drafted posting fabricated documents in the past, or is this just an ad hominem attack? I wouldn't go so far as saying RoughlyDrafted "made up" the "documents" like the GP did, but I don't think it's unreasonable for the GP to opine "chances are" Daniel Eran (RoughlyDrafted's writer) "exaggerated."
Daniel Eran, who comments on Slashdot (in the third person) as DECS, often submits his own RoughlyDrafted articles (in the third person) using pseudonyms like "peter deacon", "Redrum", and "rdmreader".
Daniel Eran is also somewhat infamous for being banned from Digg because he tried to game their system by using multiple accounts to "digg" his stories and get them on their front page:
Why AMD + ATI Should win: Hypertransport. Another possible reason AMD + ATI won't win: it's too late. Intel's QuickPath Interconnect (QPI) is coming later this year when Nehalem ("tock") is launched.
Putting the GPU on the same bus as the CPU should theoretically eliminate whatever roablocks the PCI bus created. Plus, allowing for die-2-die communication and treating the GPU as a true co-processor instead of a peripheral should open up huge possibilities for performance boosts. Intel has said (and shown in their diagrams) that some versions of Nehalem will have integrated graphics. However, their big GPU statement isn't coming until 2009-2010 in the form of Larrabee. Even if Larrabee is delayed, it might be too late for AMD's Fusion. By the time Fusion launches, Intel should have their interconnect and GPU ready.
IIRC its near 10% now. Nearly 20% of laptop sales, too. As others have pointed out, those numbers are from USA retail sales, which doesn't include international sales and non-retail sales (e.g. direct, business). I think total worldwide unit sales is what's important for your original point about Apple's role in the AMD-Intel war.
According to Gartner's latest numbers, Apple had 6.6% of USA sales in Q1 2008, up from 5.2% in Q1 2007. IDC says Apple has 6% USA market share, up from 4.9%.
Apple's worldwide market share wasn't listed because they weren't in the top 5, but it's less than 4.4% (Toshiba's worldwide share).
Dashboard, which ripped off Konfabulator and was bundled with OS X 10.4. Yes, we all know about Desk Accessories, and suggesting that Konfabulator ripped off Desk Accessories is moronic.
Of course, Apple is not a monopoly and I'm not sure if the makers of Watson and Konfabulator were "competitors." However, they did get fricked by Apple.
I think the thing is, vendors have started using more and more glossy screens because they hide a multitude of sins. You can use a craptacular LCD and have glossy coating on it and it looks halfway decent. Look at the latest iMacs as an example of this. Absolutely sub-par screen...and they coat it with glass so it hides how bad it is. It's something like a 400:1 contract ratio screen with many other vices. Obviously any serious graphic designers aren't going to stand for anything but a matte screen.
Honestly, I think you need to research the displays used by Apple in their iMacs (though this article isn't centered around iMac but laptops instead.) I think you'll find that the contrast ratio on the new displays is far higher than you claim, more like 800:1 or higher. Neither of you specified which iMac displays (20" or 24") you were talking about. The LCDs used in the current 20" iMacs are crappy 6-bit TN panels. The LCDs used in the current 24" iMacs are good 8-bit IPS panels.
Vista Ultimate (feature-wise, it really is the most comparable to the Macboook since the Macbook ships with iLife '08 included) I mostly agree with your comment, but iLife comparable to Vista Ultimate? If someone actually wanted these kinds of "home" applications on their "pro" Lenovo ThinkPad ("Lenovo recommends Vista Business"), then Vista Home Premium ($90 less than Vista Ultimate) has Windows Photo Gallery (iPhoto), Movie Maker 6 (iMovie), and DVD Maker (iDVD). Windows Live Photo Gallery (an improved version of Vista's Photo Gallery) and Picasa are free downloads. Visual Web Developer Express and Popfly (iWeb) are free downloads. MS doesn't offer a free/cheap app comparable to Garage Band, but Apple doesn't offer something comparable to Media Center (Front Row isn't even close). You don't seem to be an Apple fanboy, but I think fanboys tend to assign way too much added value to the bundled current version of the iLife suite (upgrades are $80).
160gb drive (the only 200gb drive on the Lenovo includes encryption and is/way/ more expensive due to that, so I figured I'd leave it off, but this does skew the price a bit more in favor of the Lenovo than a totally true comparison), You also apparently chose the 7200rpm drive on the ThinkPad when a 5400rpm drive was available for $31 less. Apple charges an additional $100 for a 7200rpm 200GB drive.
everything else default. You probably should have added 802.11n for $36 (default is 802.11a/b/g).
Total: $1,621.20 (after $261.80 savings it claims). For an "iLife comparable" ThinkPad, I get $1,535.70 with Vista Home Premium, 5400rpm 160GB drive, and 802.11n. $1612.20 with a 250GB hard drive. If iLife-type apps aren't important, then add $27 for Vista Business (for image-based backup and remote desktop). Vista Ultimate adds $90.
So the actual price difference is closer to 400, or maybe even 300 given the hard drive difference and the fact and the macbook has an integrated webcam which runs another $72 on the lenovo. The ThinkPad also has features not included on the MacBook. Like the MacBook's webcam, the value of these features depends on the buyer. The ThinkPad has an integrated memory card reader, free optional integrated WWAN, workstation graphics with supposedly workstation-quality drivers (nVIDIA Quadro FX 570M), and Linux certifications. The MacBook also has DVI out, digital audio I/O, and FireWire 800. The ThinkPad has options that aren't available on the $1999 MacBook like a 1920x1200 15.4" display, Core 2 Duo options (cheaper or more expensive), and dock support (the $200 dock adds DVI and S/PDIF among other things).
Both notebooks are somewhat expensive and so different that comparing "value" depends almost entirely on what unique features the buyer values more. At this price level, I'd probably choose an MPC TransPort T2500 (comes with Office Basic and 3 years warranty/support by default).
I am still looking for a decent high end card that does not need two slots in my case. How about fixing heat and size issues first? Bingo. I thought the main point of multi-GPU graphics cards (and multi-core processors) was to build good gaming rigs (and workstations) without having to use a monstrous extended ATX uber-tower with multiple CPU sockets and video card slots.
Improved manufacturing processes and software/drivers have allowed us to have multiple processor cores and GPUs in a shoebox-sized Shuttle XPC. Asus's big, hot, and inefficient card just shows us that current manufacturing processes and software/drivers aren't ready for triple-GPU graphics cards. Maybe next generation.
Since EAX doesn't work in Vista anymore, does this really matter anymore? That depends on what is meant by "doesn't work." As your link (from January 2007) describes, Creative provides a Vista driver for their cards that "allows you to run your favourite DirectSound3D games on Windows Vista as the developers intended - with full hardware accelerated 3D audio and EAX support! This is done by translating DirectSound calls into OpenAL."
As TFA says, Asus's card does the same thing in Vista, but performs the EAX acceleration (including the latest version 5.0) using the CPU. Also, they performed an EAX 5.0 listening test in Vista (on page 6) and EAX seemed to "work" just fine. From TFA:
After an afternoon of gaming, I came away quite impressed with DirectSound 3D GX. Creative may be correct in saying that it doesn't deliver a genuine EAX 5.0 experience, and I wouldn't be surprised if its emulation isn't an exact 1:1 replica of EAX effects. But that didn't diminish my gaming experience in the least. Bioshock is packed with aural ambiance, and the underwater city of Rapture was every bit as creepy with the Xonar as it was with the X-Fi. I couldn't detect any difference between the cards in Battlefield 2, either, even in intense firefights loaded with explosions, gunfire, and frantic cries for a medic.
I'm soured on 1&1 too. The Better Business Bureau seems to agree with your opinion and other repliers who have had bad experiences with 1 And 1 Internet, Inc.
From the BBB's reliability report on 1 & 1 Internet:
Customer Experience
Based on BBB files, this company has an unsatisfactory record with the Bureau due to unanswered complaint(s).
Customer Complaint Data
Number of complaints processed by the BBB over the last 36 months: 510
Number of complaints processed by the BBB in the last 12 months: 256
The report that I linked to goes into more detail about the type of complaints and whether or not 1 & 1 made reasonable attempts to resolve.
A nine-year-old girl named Shea O'Gorman wrote a hand-written letter to Steve Jobs suggesting ideas for improving her beloved iPod Nano, including adding onscreen lyrics so people can sing along.
Three months later, she gets back a letter from Mark Aaker, Senior Council of Apple's Law Department, telling the third-grader that Apple doesn;t accept unsolicited ideas, so she should not send them her suggestions and if she wants to know why, she could read their legal policy posted on the Internet.
The girl's mother said, "She was very upset, and kinda threw the letter up in the air and ran in her room and slammed her door."
Actually, running (like many aerobic sports) places a HUGE impact on the knees, which is why many seasoned marathon runners tend to have knee issues as they age. I've had friends quit the sport for this precise reason. Personal anecdote: I quit "running" and started "jogging" (while still getting the benefits of aerobic exercise). Seriously, just changing my mindset from "training for competition" to "excercising for my long-term health" changed my life for the better. Ever since I slowed down my pace and stopped trying to get faster, I haven't had any serious injuries and I've stayed in shape year-round. When I was a "runner," I would occasionally have to deal with shin splints, ankle sprains, and burn-out. As a "jogger," I cover more miles than I did as a runner but I no longer have these running-related injuries and problems.
As a former competitive high school runner (cross country and track), it was mentally tough for me to slow down and jog. I imagine it's tough for many males to accept being passed by a female runner or some shirtless dude that you know can't beat you in a race. Just remind yourself that you aren't training for anything. You're exercising for your health. "Miles per week" is what's important, not "how fast" you're running.
Of course, my testimonial doesn't mean "jogging" will work for everybody that's having problems with running. However, I think many runners (especially guys) need to just slow the frick down if they're getting running-related injuries.
Methinks sophisticated buyers will simply continue buying a $5 mouse from their favorite online retailer, thus fulfilling the vendor's "must be bundled with hardware" requirement for a $169 OEM Vista Ultimate full version instead of a $199 boxed upgrade in which you have to jump through hoops for a clean install. I think some buyers might choose the retail upgrade version because the retail license allows the upgrade version to be transferred to a new computer as long as it's no longer used on the previous computer. The OEM version can only be legally used on the computer it was originally installed on.
Of course, choosing the retail upgrade version for this licensing reason doesn't make much sense if you're violating the upgrade license by not having a previous version of Windows. Also, Microsoft does not seem to enforce the OEM "only on the original computer" license restriction. If you install the OEM version on a different computer than the original, you can just say you got a new motherboard and activation will accept this explanation no further questions asked.
Also, some "sophisticated" users don't need the extra features of Vista Ultimate and would settle for Vista Home Premium. Home Premium got a bigger price cut than Ultimate, so the retail upgrade and OEM versions for Home Premium are about the same now (around $89-$99).
But I suppose you mean and with the ability for any room to have its own different audio. That is still very expensive. And the fact is, I think it is absurd because it just cannot be cost justified versus a bunch of second-hand iPods each sync'd to a common computer. Ok, maybe you have a terabyte of music: well, then, have a few iPods. While I'd love to splurge on some fantastic super automated remote control solution, the bunch-of-ipods solution is still by far cheaper. I guess you missed the part (mentioned throughout the GP's comment) about playing/searching the 2 million+ tracks from a subscription music service. The GP mentioned that playing from just a personal library is not enough.
Unfortunately, the vast majority of Windows PCs (including pretty much every laptop ever made) also use these "inferior" screens, and nobody's tried to sue Dell yet.
The majority of Windows PCs are non-specific about the superiority or inferiority of their screens. Dell doesn't lie about it. No fraud, no suit. I just had to check the specs of Dell's (forgotten?) iMac competitor: the XPS One. From the specs:
Display
Large Size ( 20" )
Widescreen
High Definition: WSXGA (1680x1050) resolution at 16.7 million colors
Hmm... looks like an 8-bit panel.
Viewing Angle (up to 80 degrees)
Fast pixel-response rate (5ms typical for fast motion)
Fuck... that looks like a 6-bit TN panel. I'm assuming a viewing angle of "80 degrees" translates to "160 degrees," which is typical of TN panels. Also, I don't think current 8-bit panels can do 5ms (even with exaggerated response rate measurements).
OTOH, Dell doesn't potentially mislead buyers by comparing the quality of the XPS One's display to their 8-bit displays. Apple uses the same description ("Millions of colors at all resolutions") for both the 20" 6-bit and 24" 8-bit iMacs on their specs page. Apple's "iMac - Technology - Glossy widescreen display" page seems to say that the only difference between the two displays is their size and resolution:
How do the displays compare? The 20-inch widescreen iMac offers a resolution of 1680 by 1050 pixels on its flat-panel LCD screen 36 percent more than the previous 17-inch iMac. The 24-inch iMac offers a panoramic resolution of 1920 by 1200 pixels 30 percent more screen real estate than the 20-inch model.
Rich, vivid color.
No matter what you like to do on your computer watch movies, edit photos, play games, even just view a screen saver its going to look stunning on an iMac.
I don't know if that's misleading enough to sue them, but that incomplete comparison is fuckin' annoying.
They were thinking "low end consumer all-in-one computer, let's use the cheap, plentiful, TN LCD displays that everyone else uses in their equivalent systems". They might have gone a little too cheap it seems, on the other hand it's been out months without any loud complaints before now. Many buyers have been complaining about these displays since the new 20" iMacs started shipping around August. For example, there's a ridiculously long thread about this issue on Apple's discussions site that started on August 7: Topic : Bought new iMac 20" Faded Screen. This thread was also mentioned in a December MacNN article: iMac display issues persist: Apple silent.
Everything except run iPhone OS, but I guess it's still an alternative for some people.
For those that don't want AT&T, their self-branded "Tilt" is really an HTC TyTN II (P4550/Kaiser). It's available unlocked and thru other carriers in other countries.
Apple has 14% ov the market by volume, but more like 28% by price. Actually, it's 14% "unit share" and 25% "dollar share" in U.S. retail sales of notebooks in February. That's still very impressive, but it's U.S. sales (not worldwide) in February only (not yearly and includes the newly-shipped MacBook Air) and does not include mail-order (e.g. almost all of Dell's sales), sales to businesses, and other sales that aren't in the "retail sales" category.
I'm surprised people don't include these details when they mention "14% market share."
Slashdot Mirror
From the article "File formats that are supported in Works 9":
You can open the following file formats in the Works 9 Word Processor:
- Works Documents (*.wps)
- Works Templates (*.wpt)
- [snip]
- Word (Asian Versions) 6.0/95 (*.doc, *.dot)
- Word 2.x for Windows
- Word 2007 Document (*.docx)
- Word 2007 Macro-enabled Document (*.docm)
- Word 6.0/95 for Windows & Macintosh (*.doc)
- Word 97-2002 (*.doc)
- Word 97-2003 Document (*.doc)
- [snip]
You can save files in the following formats in the Works 9 Word Processor:Works 9 Spreadsheet
You can open the following file formats in the Works 9 Spreadsheet:
- [snip]
- Excel 97-2007 (*.xl*)
- [snip]
You can save files in the following formats in the Works 9 Spreadsheet:Many Slashdot readers would recognize the OpenPro's case as the Antec P182, which Newegg sells for $200 without power supply.
Psystar's FAQ says that the basic Open Computer uses "an Asus 350W power supply which Asus states is rated at 300W," so I'm sure it's the same one bundled at Newegg. They say the OpenPro "runs a 600W PSU."
They don't even offer a video card upgrade for it. Kinda tells you something. Sure they do. Under "Graphics Processor" they offer "Intel GMA 950" (+0.00), GeForce 8600GT (+$110.00), and GeForce 8800GT 512MB (+$200.00).I'm not saying these Psystar computers are good values or even exist. I'm just fascinated by this story because the order/configuration page looks real and still exists despite all the evidence that suggests this is all a big scam. I can't wait to see these scammers go down in flames.
But why the heck are you comparing the "value" of an expandable microATX minitower (desktop CPU, graphics card option, PCI/PCIe slots, desktop hard/optical drives) to a small form factor desktop made of laptop parts? If Apple offered a decent single-CPU desktop with real desktop parts and no integrated display, I bet it would outsell the Mac mini by a lot. I guess Apple doesn't think such a machine would be profitable enough (nothing wrong with that).
The false "DOS was vaporware" version of what happened often gets modded up on Slashdot. This is the version told on that stupid made-for-TV, "based on a true story" docudrama Pirates of the Silicon Valley . A much better telling of what actually happened (with actual interviews with Paul Allen, Bill Gates, Steve Balmer, Jack Sams of IBM, and Tim Patterson of SCP) is available from the PBS documentary Triumph of the Nerds (transcript of the relevant part available here).
It's pretty good and not annoying enough to bother. I do wish I could generate revenue for them outside of having to directly pay them, outside of loading my system is adverts.
I can't tell if you know about AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition and avast! Home Edition, but these two free (for non-commercial/home use) products don't "nag" you to buy their non-free versions. They get mentioned all the time on Slashdot.Both products auto-update, provide real-time protection, and have much smaller footprints than the typical bloatware subscription-based "security suites" that are preinstalled on many PCs. I personally use (and recommend to novices) AVG because, unlike avast!, it doesn't require a yearly free registration. OTOH, I've read that avast! offers more control/customization.
I'd never heard of AntiVir. If know about AVG and avast!, is AntiVir better?
Going by present form it'll be one subscription per computer and not easily transferable.
By present form, a subscription to OneCare can be used on up to 3 PCs. A license for Office Home and Student allows installations on up to 3 PCs. These are the two products in the "Albany" subscription service.I think the chances are reasonable.
TFA also says the subscription bundles OneCare, which seperately costs $50 per year for up to 3 PCs. The typical Slashdot reader would probably find little or no value in OneCare, but novices might like it (especially the included phone/chat/email support).
So for most of us, we're comparing a small recurring subscription to a larger $120 purchase that doesn't expire (but newer versions cost another $120).
Daniel Eran, who comments on Slashdot (in the third person) as DECS, often submits his own RoughlyDrafted articles (in the third person) using pseudonyms like "peter deacon", "Redrum", and "rdmreader".
Daniel Eran is also somewhat infamous for being banned from Digg because he tried to game their system by using multiple accounts to "digg" his stories and get them on their front page:
What you need to know about Intel's Nehalem CPU: Page 1
Nehalem Architecture: Improvements Detailed
A Little on Larrabee
According to Gartner's latest numbers, Apple had 6.6% of USA sales in Q1 2008, up from 5.2% in Q1 2007. IDC says Apple has 6% USA market share, up from 4.9%.
Apple's worldwide market share wasn't listed because they weren't in the top 5, but it's less than 4.4% (Toshiba's worldwide share).
Sherlock 3, which ripped off the 2002 Macworld award-winning Watson and was bundled with OS X 10.2, and
Dashboard, which ripped off Konfabulator and was bundled with OS X 10.4. Yes, we all know about Desk Accessories, and suggesting that Konfabulator ripped off Desk Accessories is moronic.
Of course, Apple is not a monopoly and I'm not sure if the makers of Watson and Konfabulator were "competitors." However, they did get fricked by Apple.
Both notebooks are somewhat expensive and so different that comparing "value" depends almost entirely on what unique features the buyer values more. At this price level, I'd probably choose an MPC TransPort T2500 (comes with Office Basic and 3 years warranty/support by default).
Improved manufacturing processes and software/drivers have allowed us to have multiple processor cores and GPUs in a shoebox-sized Shuttle XPC. Asus's big, hot, and inefficient card just shows us that current manufacturing processes and software/drivers aren't ready for triple-GPU graphics cards. Maybe next generation.
As TFA says, Asus's card does the same thing in Vista, but performs the EAX acceleration (including the latest version 5.0) using the CPU. Also, they performed an EAX 5.0 listening test in Vista (on page 6) and EAX seemed to "work" just fine. From TFA:
- Customer Experience
The report that I linked to goes into more detail about the type of complaints and whether or not 1 & 1 made reasonable attempts to resolve.Based on BBB files, this company has an unsatisfactory record with the Bureau due to unanswered complaint(s).
Customer Complaint Data
Number of complaints processed by the BBB over the last 36 months: 510
Number of complaints processed by the BBB in the last 12 months: 256
Three months later, she gets back a letter from Mark Aaker, Senior Council of Apple's Law Department, telling the third-grader that Apple doesn;t accept unsolicited ideas, so she should not send them her suggestions and if she wants to know why, she could read their legal policy posted on the Internet.
The girl's mother said, "She was very upset, and kinda threw the letter up in the air and ran in her room and slammed her door."
As a former competitive high school runner (cross country and track), it was mentally tough for me to slow down and jog. I imagine it's tough for many males to accept being passed by a female runner or some shirtless dude that you know can't beat you in a race. Just remind yourself that you aren't training for anything. You're exercising for your health. "Miles per week" is what's important, not "how fast" you're running.
Of course, my testimonial doesn't mean "jogging" will work for everybody that's having problems with running. However, I think many runners (especially guys) need to just slow the frick down if they're getting running-related injuries.
Of course, choosing the retail upgrade version for this licensing reason doesn't make much sense if you're violating the upgrade license by not having a previous version of Windows. Also, Microsoft does not seem to enforce the OEM "only on the original computer" license restriction. If you install the OEM version on a different computer than the original, you can just say you got a new motherboard and activation will accept this explanation no further questions asked.
Also, some "sophisticated" users don't need the extra features of Vista Ultimate and would settle for Vista Home Premium. Home Premium got a bigger price cut than Ultimate, so the retail upgrade and OEM versions for Home Premium are about the same now (around $89-$99).
- Display
Hmm... looks like an 8-bit panel.Large Size ( 20" )
Widescreen
High Definition: WSXGA (1680x1050) resolution at 16.7 million colors
- Viewing Angle (up to 80 degrees)
Fuck... that looks like a 6-bit TN panel. I'm assuming a viewing angle of "80 degrees" translates to "160 degrees," which is typical of TN panels. Also, I don't think current 8-bit panels can do 5ms (even with exaggerated response rate measurements).Fast pixel-response rate (5ms typical for fast motion)
OTOH, Dell doesn't potentially mislead buyers by comparing the quality of the XPS One's display to their 8-bit displays. Apple uses the same description ("Millions of colors at all resolutions") for both the 20" 6-bit and 24" 8-bit iMacs on their specs page. Apple's "iMac - Technology - Glossy widescreen display" page seems to say that the only difference between the two displays is their size and resolution:
- How do the displays compare? The 20-inch widescreen iMac offers a resolution of 1680 by 1050 pixels on its flat-panel LCD screen 36 percent more than the previous 17-inch iMac. The 24-inch iMac offers a panoramic resolution of 1920 by 1200 pixels 30 percent more screen real estate than the 20-inch model.
I don't know if that's misleading enough to sue them, but that incomplete comparison is fuckin' annoying.Rich, vivid color.
No matter what you like to do on your computer watch movies, edit photos, play games, even just view a screen saver its going to look stunning on an iMac.
http://www.wireless.att.com/businesscenter/atttilt/
Everything except run iPhone OS, but I guess it's still an alternative for some people.For those that don't want AT&T, their self-branded "Tilt" is really an HTC TyTN II (P4550/Kaiser). It's available unlocked and thru other carriers in other countries.
I'm surprised people don't include these details when they mention "14% market share."