Become a customer of Barnes and Noble. The company deserves support- their e-readers are top-notch and their resistance to the MS Borg (You WILL be assimilated.) is good to see.
Microsoft's premiere expertise in recent years has become the generation of FUD about competitors products instead of the actual creation of anything new. Stifling innovation is NOT supposed to be a "business model" but that really seems to be what they are about.
Anyone remember when MS used to be a software company? Yeah, I know- it was a long time ago....
Usually I am against the rampant lawsuits over hot coffee and anything else the shills can think of, but this is one I am in favor of. Sony seems to have taken over as the current best example of "Evil Large Corporation" in the public eye, and deservedly so.
You must be confused, I haven't seen Sony behave in an evil way that is at all dissimilar to the other evil companies (MS, Apple, Nintendo, etc). So why should they be given the title of "best example of ELC".
In this case they had a data security breach, we'll have to wait to find out if this was caused by negligence or not. Even if it was negligence, stupid =/= evil.
As said by another respondent-
Sony has for quite a while now been conducting themselves badly- rootkits, locking down devices and generally doing anything and everything they can to prevent consumers from being able to exercise their rights to use their purchases in any legal way they see fit.
I guess I just don't understand how developing a rootkit that will install itself on any customer pc a disk is accesses by can be looked at as anything but a criminal action.
Usually I am against the rampant lawsuits over hot coffee and anything else the shills can think of, but this is one I am in favor of. Sony seems to have taken over as the current best example of "Evil Large Corporation" in the public eye, and deservedly so.
Now if we could just get the pharmaceutical companies.......
The US government is based on one idea nowadays: Government of the people by the government, for the government.
They do what they do to stay in power.
While it is true that ultimately the people DO have the ability to replace the government, in practice this would be hard to achieve- everything is set up to maintain the status quo. And most of the Money in the US likes the status quo: they get still more money. The largest cooperative groups in the US are the "scary people"- the religious conservatives and corporate entities that continue to make more money. The religious groups have been catered to by a large number of politicians in order to gain/retain the political clout and the corporations have funded the same politicians to continue to receive tax breaks and federal policies that allow them to make still more money.
The PEOPLE in the US are a fractured group, many of whom are so busy simply believing what the Talking Heads say (even when contradicting themselves) that they can not get past pre-conceived ideas that are not based on facts. The PEOPLE in the US are therefore unable to exert much real influence on real issues- every time we get close a topic that is truly silly will be brought up to de-focus attention from important subjects.
Our government is rarely able to accomplish anything meaningful FOR the people of the US and this will continue as long as so many citizens believe that things like gay marriage, presidential infidelity or building a physical fence along our borders are truly important agenda items.
Of course I use an OPERATING system instead of a Steve Jobs System or Malware System. No MacOS or Windows here.
Because Netflix can't manage to pull their heads out and have a client for a secure, modern OS that JUST WORKS on my hardware and provides the applications I need, I am not able to take advantage of the streaming video even though I both live in the US and subscribe to the service.
I don't consider that a huge problem in reality as I am not a fan of streaming media from the internet anyway. Local storage is far superior and allows me to watch without ads, buffer glitches or worries about internet congestion issues.
As for the geek opinions of all the Star Trek series- There can be only One.
Being the owner of a Droid 2 Global (needed global sim capability, wanted Android, Verizon best carrier in my normal area) I can heartily agree with this. MotoBLUR made the D2G slower, buggier and harder to use than the Original Droid I have still.
Fortunately there IS a custom ROM for it (only one that works with the sim though, sadly) and with Fission on it the D2G is a damn good phone. But if Verizon/Motorola hadn't screwed up: 1) the Android operating system in the first place it would have been a good phone in the first place 2) the bootloader to try and force users into using their crappy software then there would be far more options to choose from as far as ROMs for the phone.
It has really become a simple thing: You don't need to make it impossible to install a custom ROM, just make it so that it can ONLY be done intentionally. Once a user makes the decision require a digital signature of some sort that also absolves the carrier and manufacturer of the responsibility to provide support. Easy.
While I have never believed that ANY company has MY best interests in mind, I don't believe Google is wrong to hold onto the source code for Honeycomb until it is done. Manufacturers who have released devices with an operating system which is not yet done.... yeah, I don't see that as such a good idea.
The way Android has moved into the smart phone market so far is pretty incredible but it HAS led to deviations from AOSP that continue to increase. If this continues it will eventually lead to Android being junk. I see no valid reason to complain that Google is taking steps to keep Android healthy.
Last of all- my Nook Color (which is about as un-brickable a device as I have seen!) runs great as a tablet with Gingerbread and some Tablet Tweaks (under development) on it. Personally I am not even INTERESTED in Honeycomb.
Theming is a part of what people do, but only a part. And most- if not all- of that CAN be done now.
Most Android phones are customized with applications that cannot be removed or easily kept from mucking up the phone one way or another. Some users DO like them. Some users despise them for the negative affect on functionality.
Most people just don't know anything can BE done or if they do are not willing to take the risks involved with rooting and installing a custom rom on their phone. It is the functional principles you speak of being either good or bad that the carrier/manufacturer agreements and products make and screw up phones with.
And I think it likely that THIS is what Google aims to fix. Hopefully....
That is, in fact, the first thing I have seen anywhere that made me see the value in a 10" tablet, specifically. And explains why I see a 7" worthwhile: I am not a young'un and a 3.7" phone screen is too small to read for long while 7" is almost as portable.
I also agree wholeheartedly with the idea of spending what you need to GET what you need: $50 for something that doesn't quite work is wasted. $500 for something that DOES work is money well-spent. (I do still like cheap when I can, of course.)
Mainly because I like to have complete control of my devices and I just don't feel that Apple's OS gives me that. Now I am NOT trolling here- please read on! That said, I have an iPod although I use a 3rd party operating system on it.
And I do think I understand some of the attraction Apple products have: they work very well, look very nice and are easy to use. I have not seen a desktop (or laptop) computer that is as easy to use IMMEDIATELY UPON PURCHASE as an Apple. I have little experience with Apple hardware support problems but from my reading there are far fewer (but not NONE) problems and they are usually rectified much faster.
Apple's success is, I think, due to a mix of pretty much all of the opinions mentioned here: not the best OS but a good one that is easy AND works well. It "feels" smooth and intuitive. Hardware works well, in general because it is tightly controlled. The complete user/buyer experience is better than for competing products.
It generally does NOT win- at least for long- in any single area. For years Apple desktop computers were underpowered when compared to the competition- yet they sold well. The operating system was so good that they repackaged FreeBSD and made it their own- and for casual computer users (more accurately- non technical geeks) it was BETTER than the original.
Yes, all of this has a point to make concerning tablets: a more expensive, better-spec'd tablet will not beat the iPads if it does not have a smooth interface and easy to use apps. The mass market wants cheap, but even more it wants EASY. To compete Android tablets need to have a few things: very easy to use apps (not gonna happen in general- open market.) are one, similar or better specs (done), cheaper price (OR significant hardware advantages- will happen but hasn't yet, not for sale), it will have to look as "pretty" (not cool, or impressive- pretty) and, most importantly, the ease of USE will have to be at least as good as Apple products in the OS itself (being worked on.) It will need to "feel" as good as an iPad.
Most of those points are being worked on, one will never be done (Apples control of their app market is tight, Android's is not.) My expectation is that Android will at least give them a run for the money in time.
As for what tablets are used for? Portable connectivity. Check tv listings on the couch? Check. Check email while waiting for the train? Check. Watch tv in the doctor's office? Check. Anything, really. Not as WELL for the most part as it can be done on a desktop, but done anywhere.
Personally I am amazed by the success of 10" tablets- I find a laptop almost as portable and far easier to use. I find a desktop hugely better to actually accomplish anything on. My smartphone is immensely more portable .
I did get a Nook Color recently, as soon as the were successfully rooted. Not because I needed one, but because I like doing that stuff. I expected to mess with it for a month or so and sell it or give it away. A 7" tablet is an entirely different thing than a 10"- it really IS portable, almost as easy as my phone. Upgraded from the stock OS I can now do any of my common "internet" tasks anywhere on an excellent screen- huge improvement over the phone, and I can most of this stuff with one hand. For the money of an iPad or the 10" tablet competitors I would get a laptop, no question. For half the money a 7" tablet DOES now make sense to me- but the only one currently available that is of good quality is... one that requires a custom ROM be flashed instead of using the original operating system.
Apple does what they do well: they find or CREATE a niche that works and then build a competitive product that either/or/and works better and more smoothly while looking nicer, then they ramp up customer desire. They are good at it, and while I don't buy much of their stuff (iPod and a bluetooth keyboard for use with my Nook Color!) I can respect what they make for what it is: products that make a large number of consumers happy.
Yes it was. And how many people have wives, mothers, sisters or even brothers-in-law that would be completely unable to find the fuse never mind change one?
Look- Tesla motors has done a great job, folks but they have to realize that the car is a niche vehicle and the niche it fits in doesn't exist for a LOT of people. And if they continue to try to "prove" the car is suitable for mainstream transportation (as it appears they are attempting) then they will be made fun of. Get over it and get over yourselves.
I am all for hybrids and fuel cell vehicles. I am all for electric cars that are appropriate for their stated uses. I am all for diesel vehicles that do not suck to drive.
As for hurting from gas prices- nobody except the sellers of petroleum products LIKES high fuel costs, but hurting? Nah, just takes a bigger chunk of the budget is all. Less filet mignon and more hamburg in the menu.
My point about a standard 120v outlet is that if a Tesla owner DOES get stuck with a low charge light in the middle of their travels they are not likely to find a place where it is possible to easily connect to a 240v outlet. 120v is likely all the y would have available and it is not good enough.
It is great to see the BBC not succumbing to pressure from fools.
I for one would not have been able to use a Tesla as a daily driver once in the last 15 years: between driving to work and travel during the day, 250 miles is not enough range. I would have been stuck someplace I could charge for the night at least half the time. And if anyone tells me I can fully charge an electric car on 120v US standard household current in 30 minutes I will call you a liar at this time in their development.
The cars stopped functioning normally. That means "broken." If you have an internal combustion engined car with 2 of 4 spark plugs fouled and not firing is your car still fine but just operating with reduced power? No. It is broken and needs to be fixed. Next question!
And the brakes were broken, end of story. How easy the fix was is irrelevant: the brakes broke. Done.
As for a previous comment including Motor Trend as an example of "honest" reporting- seriously? That comment alone makes everything else you say suspect by association, man.
If you watch the Top Gear segment remembering who is doing it- an entertainment show that loves fast cars that handle well, you will actually see that they LIKE the car but don't feel it (or any other pure electric) is ready for use by most of the motoring public. Which is a very accurate assessment. For the money, a Lotus (which the Tesla was based on) is a far more practical, useful and reliable vehicle and leaves plenty of money left for fuel and purchasing "carbon credits" for those who so desire. And yes, it goes faster too.
In the modern world people as individuals are increasingly de-humanized. In many ways we really have become the drones that a lot of science fiction has depicted future humans to be. This is called "progress."
Forcing people to buy cars that drive themselves would be yet another nail in the coffin that human individuality is being buried in and a sad thing. If you want to be able to read the paper on the way into work ride the train or bus. Get into a carpool where you only have to drive once a week or so. Move to a place where you CAN take a train or a bus, whatever.
The world is NOT a safe place and the effort to make it 100% safe for everyone all the time is dehumanizing- and wrecking the planet. We build into nature reserves for more land to make ourselves more comfortable and displace wildlife which has lived there for thousands of years- and kill off the "dangerous" animals. And put a few in zoos so we can feel good about our species.
Yes, I believe strongly that auto-piloted cars are a bad thing and that the drawbacks outweigh the benefits immensely, incalculably. Nobody is FORCING you to drive and don't spout that BS where if you don't drive you can't get where you need to go. That just means you live in the wrong place, fool.
I drive because I ENJOY driving. I LIKE to drive.
I am a huge fan of the idea posted earlier of having far tougher driver licensing requirements. In the US, for one, the exam is a joke. A reasonable and intelligent driver licensing program would likely remove at least 1/3 of the drivers from the roads and maybe even half of them. Good- they drive like manure anyway.
And here is another argument against self-driven cars: there would be zero benefit to reducing oil/coal dependency: people who drive like crap would still have their own cars to waste fuel, just a computer program driving them.
Put the people who want to have a robot car on the bus whether they like it or not and we reduce reduce driving accidents and pollution in one fell swoop. Now THERE is a win-win solution, folks!
Being politically incorrect and making fun of things they don't like regardless of established fact is part of what makes the show a success. For those who have seen it: the "Cool Wall" : decisions are sometimes made as to where a car goes simply because Clarkson is taller than Hammond and Hammond can't take one down. This is childish and often hilarious stuff here. And that is part of what makes it successful.
As for Tesla: you make yourselves look far worse pursuing this lawsuit than Top Gear did lampooning your car, first off.
If you lose you will look even worse! And you may: If a brake fuse blew and caused a brake issue- yup, that right there counts as broken brakes, does it not? My car gets about 22mpg average. On a track day I can expect 8mpg or less. 14x22=308 14x8= 112 That sorta makes the fuel/electric consumption look realistic for a hard used track day, does it not?
So let's see here: *Tesla is suing a company that is unlikely to settle or retract their statements for an amount of money likely to be less than the cost of legal action and even IF they win and force retractions will guarantee that they are made fun of at every opportunity by the entertainment show concerned. (Another show where Bentley was supposed to supply a car and did not- a Yugo was driven instead but referred to as a Bentley for the entire episode.) *The show concerned is an entertainment show that expresses the hosts opinions of cars and many other aspects of life, and occasionally purports to be stating facts. *At least some of the claims made by the show would appear to have some basis in reality although it is easy to believe many or all were magnified. It is possible that some false claims were made on this entertainment program and mis-represented as fact.
Seems to me that Tesla would be better off re-thinking the lawsuit....
There are plenty of other Android tablets around, but none of the ones priced under $500 approach the quality of the Nook Color, never mind equaling it. I have been looking at the Archos devices for years and messed with a couple. Never bought one.
I have had no interest in tablets in general, largely since a 10" device borders on laptop territory as does the $500 USD and up price.
However, for half the money, a 7" Nook Color seemed the ideal size for an ultra-portable device, and while I have no NEED for a tablet (have an excellent netbook running linux) I was given one for Christmas. Within 24 hours of receiving the gift it was rooted and doing far more than the stock software was capable of.
The Android Development community has turned me from an "anti-tablet" person to a fan. My Nook Color is now used as my car navigation device (7" screen is much better than my phone!) thanks to tethering of wifi and gps. A bluetooth keyboard means it has replaced my netbook for longer, comfortable sessions when away from home- great since the NC didn't have Bluetooth enabled originally! Since the NC runs at 1.1Ghz now (Thanks again to the community!) it really loses nothing on the speed or power fronts when compared to current devices. The lack of 3g (or better) means nothing- how many of us are without our cell phones when away from home? Wireless tether gets data connectivity WITHOUT yet another contract.
A rom'd Nook Color is unquestionably (to me) the best available tablet right now, even WITH the few problems remaining: Froyo runs well but is limited. Honeycomb IS running but it is a pretty hacked and compromised version still thanks to the source not being released to the wild yet. CM7 is for many the best option,and very actively worked on but still not actually released- yet works wonderfully even with the few glitches: * Video drivers are causing problems resulting in less than perfect video playing (choppy, stuttering at times) * Turning Bluetooth on often only works when done soon after a reboot. More than a few minutes and it may NOT come on. * Some users report WiFi cycling problems
Those CM7 issues are being worked on as are customization options that will bring many Tablet-Friendly options to the mix:Bottom notification bar with "soft-buttons" that are ALWAYS on screen; and more.....
Which brings me to the point of the article: no, I really don't think rooting an NC and turning it into a tablet will become mainstream. I don't think it likely that rooted Nook Color Tablets will ever outnumber Ipads (or Mac-C-Pads, or whatever they call the new one....)
But I think there ARE a lot of Nook Colors being sold that would not have been if not for the developer community, and that a large number are modified...
Back in the day overclocking and water cooled computers were "fringe" activities too, and while they are still not mainstream, both are multi-million dollar industries today.
If you are going to post something online then yes, you should consider that it is permanently available somewhere on the internet. If you are one of the "Internet Brave" then I expect this will disturb you greatly.
If the statements you make online have the same thought and consideration as the things you say to people in person there is not likely to be much of a problem, now is there?
Ok, now that I am done with MY knee-jerk reaction- those in countries with dictatorships and censorship that does not allow differing viewpoints are a special case. In those instances the anonymous posting of news and opinion pieces is vital to survival and improvement in those countries.
I see it as kind of funny, really. Most Iphone users are very happy with their phones and I don't see them likely to switch- not due to a magazine app, anyway The main thing I see this doing is again emphasizing how tightly Apple restricts content on the Iphone, and how limiting that is.
I DO know a few people who have chosen to get a different phone because of this. I also know a couple of people who have switched from Iphone to Android because of this.
Like many others, in my youth I spent a short time working at one of the companies under discussion. Care was taken- just not that much care, really.
And this was not just a few people that were reprobates or worse than the others, it was required by the speed work was done at and the amount of time allowed for loading/unloading a truck.
The reality is this: with the volume of packages and speed of delivery there WILL be damage. More during busy times than the slack ones.
And as long as people want FAST delivery at LOW prices, it will continue. That being said, there are a few tricks: packages with insurance and tracking DO get treated better. Packages that say FRAGILE and do NOT have insurance and tracking labels WILL be treated worse than normal, eventually, somewhere.
I would say that the g-meter readings were better than I expected considering the number of times I watched trucks get loaded by literally throwing packages 20, 30 even 40 feet while a truck was being loaded.
When electric vehicles match the performance, convenience, cost and actually achieve eco-friendly PARITY with modern internal combustion vehicles, then I will consider one. And not before.
To those for whom driving is simply a way to get from one place to another, and have fairly short distances to cover- yes, they may be a viable option even if they DO actually cause more environmental damage than a real car at this point. (When the full impact of production including fuel production is considered, as well as battery production and disposal.) For those who actually ENJOY driving as an activity in its own right- no current EV or hybrid under 100,000 USD fulfills the requirements. And even those don't really do a good job of it.
Yes, hybrids do cover the range issues of pure electric- for minimal mileage gains and far increased pollution (again the batteries!) and greater cost. The inexpensive hybrids currently available have barely any mileage benefits over a car with an internal combustion engine. The expensive ones.... well, the added weight and complexity of the hybrid system pretty much outweight the benefits and the buyer ends up with a car that costs more, does more damage to the environment (current battery tech is still not where it needs to be) and doesn't handle as well. It MAY accelerate slightly quicker though, thanks to the high torque at 0 rpm of an electric motor. But handling and braking will be worse thanks to the extra weight.
Pure EVs will someday be the ideal urban transport, once the battery issues are truly worked out (progress has been made but they are NOT there yet, don't kid yourselves.) For suburban travelers and those who must travel greater distances, hybrids will also be prevalent one day.
But that day has not yet come.
I do think that those days are getting closer all the time: in the near future we are likely to see hybrid vehicles appear that succeed purely on their benefits and not the hype and purchase/tax incentives, Hell, even the Prius has almost become a practical car, and it's main selling point until now has been that driving one announces to the world that you want everyone who sees you to know that you are an eco-mentalist (to borrow Jeremy Clarkson's word.)
But for the immediate future modern internal combustion engines are the better choice for an automotive powerplant. I do thank all of you who purchase them now however: without all of YOU the research that will one day allow some company to make a GOOD hybrid car would not get done.
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Become a customer of Barnes and Noble.
The company deserves support- their e-readers are top-notch and their resistance to the MS Borg (You WILL be assimilated.) is good to see.
Microsoft's premiere expertise in recent years has become the generation of FUD about competitors products instead of the actual creation of anything new.
Stifling innovation is NOT supposed to be a "business model" but that really seems to be what they are about.
Anyone remember when MS used to be a software company? Yeah, I know- it was a long time ago....
Usually I am against the rampant lawsuits over hot coffee and anything else the shills can think of, but this is one I am in favor of.
Sony seems to have taken over as the current best example of "Evil Large Corporation" in the public eye, and deservedly so.
You must be confused, I haven't seen Sony behave in an evil way that is at all dissimilar to the other evil companies (MS, Apple, Nintendo, etc). So why should they be given the title of "best example of ELC".
In this case they had a data security breach, we'll have to wait to find out if this was caused by negligence or not. Even if it was negligence, stupid =/= evil.
As said by another respondent-
Sony has for quite a while now been conducting themselves badly- rootkits, locking down devices and generally doing anything and everything they can to prevent consumers from being able to exercise their rights to use their purchases in any legal way they see fit.
I guess I just don't understand how developing a rootkit that will install itself on any customer pc a disk is accesses by can be looked at as anything but a criminal action.
Maybe its me....
Usually I am against the rampant lawsuits over hot coffee and anything else the shills can think of, but this is one I am in favor of.
Sony seems to have taken over as the current best example of "Evil Large Corporation" in the public eye, and deservedly so.
Now if we could just get the pharmaceutical companies.......
How different would things be-
Google search would be:
just as simple
Prettier
Slower
Not work as well
Only return approved results
Google would not:
Lead the market in Search or advertising
Have created Android
even pretend to "not be evil"
Let us all give thanks that Steve Jobs did not become CEO of Google!
The US government is based on one idea nowadays:
Government of the people by the government, for the government.
They do what they do to stay in power.
While it is true that ultimately the people DO have the ability to replace the government, in practice this would be hard to achieve- everything is set up to maintain the status quo.
And most of the Money in the US likes the status quo: they get still more money.
The largest cooperative groups in the US are the "scary people"- the religious conservatives and corporate entities that continue to make more money. The religious groups have been catered to by a large number of politicians in order to gain/retain the political clout and the corporations have funded the same politicians to continue to receive tax breaks and federal policies that allow them to make still more money.
The PEOPLE in the US are a fractured group, many of whom are so busy simply believing what the Talking Heads say (even when contradicting themselves) that they can not get past pre-conceived ideas that are not based on facts. The PEOPLE in the US are therefore unable to exert much real influence on real issues- every time we get close a topic that is truly silly will be brought up to de-focus attention from important subjects.
Our government is rarely able to accomplish anything meaningful FOR the people of the US and this will continue as long as so many citizens believe that things like gay marriage, presidential infidelity or building a physical fence along our borders are truly important agenda items.
Wake up, America.
In the US.
Of course I use an OPERATING system instead of a Steve Jobs System or Malware System.
No MacOS or Windows here.
Because Netflix can't manage to pull their heads out and have a client for a secure, modern OS that JUST WORKS on my hardware and provides the applications I need, I am not able to take advantage of the streaming video even though I both live in the US and subscribe to the service.
I don't consider that a huge problem in reality as I am not a fan of streaming media from the internet anyway. Local storage is far superior and allows me to watch without ads, buffer glitches or worries about internet congestion issues.
As for the geek opinions of all the Star Trek series-
There can be only One.
Being the owner of a Droid 2 Global (needed global sim capability, wanted Android, Verizon best carrier in my normal area) I can heartily agree with this.
MotoBLUR made the D2G slower, buggier and harder to use than the Original Droid I have still.
Fortunately there IS a custom ROM for it (only one that works with the sim though, sadly) and with Fission on it the D2G is a damn good phone.
But if Verizon/Motorola hadn't screwed up:
1) the Android operating system in the first place it would have been a good phone in the first place
2) the bootloader to try and force users into using their crappy software then there would be far more options to choose from as far as ROMs for the phone.
It has really become a simple thing:
You don't need to make it impossible to install a custom ROM, just make it so that it can ONLY be done intentionally. Once a user makes the decision require a digital signature of some sort that also absolves the carrier and manufacturer of the responsibility to provide support. Easy.
While I have never believed that ANY company has MY best interests in mind, I don't believe Google is wrong to hold onto the source code for Honeycomb until it is done.
Manufacturers who have released devices with an operating system which is not yet done.... yeah, I don't see that as such a good idea.
The way Android has moved into the smart phone market so far is pretty incredible but it HAS led to deviations from AOSP that continue to increase. If this continues it will eventually lead to Android being junk. I see no valid reason to complain that Google is taking steps to keep Android healthy.
Last of all- my Nook Color (which is about as un-brickable a device as I have seen!) runs great as a tablet with Gingerbread and some Tablet Tweaks (under development) on it.
Personally I am not even INTERESTED in Honeycomb.
Theming is a part of what people do, but only a part. And most- if not all- of that CAN be done now.
Most Android phones are customized with applications that cannot be removed or easily kept from mucking up the phone one way or another.
Some users DO like them. Some users despise them for the negative affect on functionality.
Most people just don't know anything can BE done or if they do are not willing to take the risks involved with rooting and installing a custom rom on their phone.
It is the functional principles you speak of being either good or bad that the carrier/manufacturer agreements and products make and screw up phones with.
And I think it likely that THIS is what Google aims to fix.
Hopefully....
Very well written.
That is, in fact, the first thing I have seen anywhere that made me see the value in a 10" tablet, specifically.
And explains why I see a 7" worthwhile: I am not a young'un and a 3.7" phone screen is too small to read for long while 7" is almost as portable.
I also agree wholeheartedly with the idea of spending what you need to GET what you need:
$50 for something that doesn't quite work is wasted.
$500 for something that DOES work is money well-spent.
(I do still like cheap when I can, of course.)
Mainly because I like to have complete control of my devices and I just don't feel that Apple's OS gives me that.
Now I am NOT trolling here- please read on!
That said, I have an iPod although I use a 3rd party operating system on it.
And I do think I understand some of the attraction Apple products have: they work very well, look very nice and are easy to use.
I have not seen a desktop (or laptop) computer that is as easy to use IMMEDIATELY UPON PURCHASE as an Apple.
I have little experience with Apple hardware support problems but from my reading there are far fewer (but not NONE) problems and they are usually rectified much faster.
Apple's success is, I think, due to a mix of pretty much all of the opinions mentioned here: not the best OS but a good one that is easy AND works well. It "feels" smooth and intuitive.
Hardware works well, in general because it is tightly controlled.
The complete user/buyer experience is better than for competing products.
It generally does NOT win- at least for long- in any single area. For years Apple desktop computers were underpowered when compared to the competition- yet they sold well. The operating system was so good that they repackaged FreeBSD and made it their own- and for casual computer users (more accurately- non technical geeks) it was BETTER than the original.
Yes, all of this has a point to make concerning tablets: a more expensive, better-spec'd tablet will not beat the iPads if it does not have a smooth interface and easy to use apps. The mass market wants cheap, but even more it wants EASY.
To compete Android tablets need to have a few things: very easy to use apps (not gonna happen in general- open market.) are one, similar or better specs (done), cheaper price (OR significant hardware advantages- will happen but hasn't yet, not for sale), it will have to look as "pretty" (not cool, or impressive- pretty) and, most importantly, the ease of USE will have to be at least as good as Apple products in the OS itself (being worked on.) It will need to "feel" as good as an iPad.
Most of those points are being worked on, one will never be done (Apples control of their app market is tight, Android's is not.) My expectation is that Android will at least give them a run for the money in time.
As for what tablets are used for? Portable connectivity. Check tv listings on the couch? Check.
Check email while waiting for the train? Check.
Watch tv in the doctor's office? Check.
Anything, really. Not as WELL for the most part as it can be done on a desktop, but done anywhere.
Personally I am amazed by the success of 10" tablets- I find a laptop almost as portable and far easier to use. I find a desktop hugely better to actually accomplish anything on. My smartphone is immensely more portable .
I did get a Nook Color recently, as soon as the were successfully rooted. Not because I needed one, but because I like doing that stuff.
I expected to mess with it for a month or so and sell it or give it away.
A 7" tablet is an entirely different thing than a 10"- it really IS portable, almost as easy as my phone.
Upgraded from the stock OS I can now do any of my common "internet" tasks anywhere on an excellent screen- huge improvement over the phone, and I can most of this stuff with one hand.
For the money of an iPad or the 10" tablet competitors I would get a laptop, no question.
For half the money a 7" tablet DOES now make sense to me- but the only one currently available that is of good quality is... one that requires a custom ROM be flashed instead of using the original operating system.
Apple does what they do well: they find or CREATE a niche that works and then build a competitive product that either/or/and works better and more smoothly while looking nicer, then they ramp up customer desire.
They are good at it, and while I don't buy much of their stuff (iPod and a bluetooth keyboard for use with my Nook Color!) I can respect what they make for what it is: products that make a large number of consumers happy.
Yes it was.
And how many people have wives, mothers, sisters or even brothers-in-law that would be completely unable to find the fuse never mind change one?
The brakes broke, end of story.
Seconded.
Look- Tesla motors has done a great job, folks but they have to realize that the car is a niche vehicle and the niche it fits in doesn't exist for a LOT of people.
And if they continue to try to "prove" the car is suitable for mainstream transportation (as it appears they are attempting) then they will be made fun of.
Get over it and get over yourselves.
I am all for hybrids and fuel cell vehicles.
I am all for electric cars that are appropriate for their stated uses.
I am all for diesel vehicles that do not suck to drive.
As for hurting from gas prices- nobody except the sellers of petroleum products LIKES high fuel costs, but hurting?
Nah, just takes a bigger chunk of the budget is all. Less filet mignon and more hamburg in the menu.
My point about a standard 120v outlet is that if a Tesla owner DOES get stuck with a low charge light in the middle of their travels they are not likely to find a place where it is possible to easily connect to a 240v outlet. 120v is likely all the y would have available and it is not good enough.
Or I could quit my job and work for the local Starbucks franchise...
Not gonna do it.
I will stick with a good job that pays well- and an efficient, reliable and usable car for my transportation needs.
And laugh at fools.
It is great to see the BBC not succumbing to pressure from fools.
I for one would not have been able to use a Tesla as a daily driver once in the last 15 years: between driving to work and travel during the day, 250 miles is not enough range. I would have been stuck someplace I could charge for the night at least half the time. And if anyone tells me I can fully charge an electric car on 120v US standard household current in 30 minutes I will call you a liar at this time in their development.
The cars stopped functioning normally. That means "broken." If you have an internal combustion engined car with 2 of 4 spark plugs fouled and not firing is your car still fine but just operating with reduced power? No. It is broken and needs to be fixed. Next question!
And the brakes were broken, end of story. How easy the fix was is irrelevant: the brakes broke. Done.
As for a previous comment including Motor Trend as an example of "honest" reporting- seriously? That comment alone makes everything else you say suspect by association, man.
If you watch the Top Gear segment remembering who is doing it- an entertainment show that loves fast cars that handle well, you will actually see that they LIKE the car but don't feel it (or any other pure electric) is ready for use by most of the motoring public.
Which is a very accurate assessment.
For the money, a Lotus (which the Tesla was based on) is a far more practical, useful and reliable vehicle and leaves plenty of money left for fuel and purchasing "carbon credits" for those who so desire.
And yes, it goes faster too.
From an old British Sci-Fi show.
In the modern world people as individuals are increasingly de-humanized. In many ways we really have become the drones that a lot of science fiction has depicted future humans to be.
This is called "progress."
Forcing people to buy cars that drive themselves would be yet another nail in the coffin that human individuality is being buried in and a sad thing.
If you want to be able to read the paper on the way into work ride the train or bus. Get into a carpool where you only have to drive once a week or so. Move to a place where you CAN take a train or a bus, whatever.
The world is NOT a safe place and the effort to make it 100% safe for everyone all the time is dehumanizing- and wrecking the planet. We build into nature reserves for more land to make ourselves more comfortable and displace wildlife which has lived there for thousands of years- and kill off the "dangerous" animals. And put a few in zoos so we can feel good about our species.
Yes, I believe strongly that auto-piloted cars are a bad thing and that the drawbacks outweigh the benefits immensely, incalculably.
Nobody is FORCING you to drive and don't spout that BS where if you don't drive you can't get where you need to go. That just means you live in the wrong place, fool.
I drive because I ENJOY driving. I LIKE to drive.
I am a huge fan of the idea posted earlier of having far tougher driver licensing requirements. In the US, for one, the exam is a joke. A reasonable and intelligent driver licensing program would likely remove at least 1/3 of the drivers from the roads and maybe even half of them.
Good- they drive like manure anyway.
And here is another argument against self-driven cars: there would be zero benefit to reducing oil/coal dependency: people who drive like crap would still have their own cars to waste fuel, just a computer program driving them.
Put the people who want to have a robot car on the bus whether they like it or not and we reduce reduce driving accidents and pollution in one fell swoop.
Now THERE is a win-win solution, folks!
Being politically incorrect and making fun of things they don't like regardless of established fact is part of what makes the show a success.
For those who have seen it: the "Cool Wall" : decisions are sometimes made as to where a car goes simply because Clarkson is taller than Hammond and Hammond can't take one down.
This is childish and often hilarious stuff here. And that is part of what makes it successful.
As for Tesla: you make yourselves look far worse pursuing this lawsuit than Top Gear did lampooning your car, first off.
If you lose you will look even worse!
And you may:
If a brake fuse blew and caused a brake issue- yup, that right there counts as broken brakes, does it not?
My car gets about 22mpg average. On a track day I can expect 8mpg or less.
14x22=308
14x8= 112
That sorta makes the fuel/electric consumption look realistic for a hard used track day, does it not?
So let's see here:
*Tesla is suing a company that is unlikely to settle or retract their statements for an amount of money likely to be less than the cost of legal action and even IF they win and force retractions will guarantee that they are made fun of at every opportunity by the entertainment show concerned. (Another show where Bentley was supposed to supply a car and did not- a Yugo was driven instead but referred to as a Bentley for the entire episode.)
*The show concerned is an entertainment show that expresses the hosts opinions of cars and many other aspects of life, and occasionally purports to be stating facts.
*At least some of the claims made by the show would appear to have some basis in reality although it is easy to believe many or all were magnified. It is possible that some false claims were made on this entertainment program and mis-represented as fact.
Seems to me that Tesla would be better off re-thinking the lawsuit....
From a report co-authored by IDC and Gartner:
Pigs to Fly in 2013!
There are plenty of other Android tablets around, but none of the ones priced under $500 approach the quality of the Nook Color, never mind equaling it.
I have been looking at the Archos devices for years and messed with a couple. Never bought one.
I have had no interest in tablets in general, largely since a 10" device borders on laptop territory as does the $500 USD and up price.
However, for half the money, a 7" Nook Color seemed the ideal size for an ultra-portable device, and while I have no NEED for a tablet (have an excellent netbook running linux) I was given one for Christmas.
Within 24 hours of receiving the gift it was rooted and doing far more than the stock software was capable of.
The Android Development community has turned me from an "anti-tablet" person to a fan.
My Nook Color is now used as my car navigation device (7" screen is much better than my phone!) thanks to tethering of wifi and gps.
A bluetooth keyboard means it has replaced my netbook for longer, comfortable sessions when away from home- great since the NC didn't have Bluetooth enabled originally!
Since the NC runs at 1.1Ghz now (Thanks again to the community!) it really loses nothing on the speed or power fronts when compared to current devices.
The lack of 3g (or better) means nothing- how many of us are without our cell phones when away from home? Wireless tether gets data connectivity WITHOUT yet another contract.
A rom'd Nook Color is unquestionably (to me) the best available tablet right now, even WITH the few problems remaining:
Froyo runs well but is limited.
Honeycomb IS running but it is a pretty hacked and compromised version still thanks to the source not being released to the wild yet.
CM7 is for many the best option,and very actively worked on but still not actually released- yet works wonderfully even with the few glitches:
* Video drivers are causing problems resulting in less than perfect video playing (choppy, stuttering at times)
* Turning Bluetooth on often only works when done soon after a reboot. More than a few minutes and it may NOT come on.
* Some users report WiFi cycling problems
Those CM7 issues are being worked on as are customization options that will bring many Tablet-Friendly options to the mix:Bottom notification bar with "soft-buttons" that are ALWAYS on screen; and more.....
Which brings me to the point of the article: no, I really don't think rooting an NC and turning it into a tablet will become mainstream. I don't think it likely that rooted Nook Color Tablets will ever outnumber Ipads (or Mac-C-Pads, or whatever they call the new one....)
But I think there ARE a lot of Nook Colors being sold that would not have been if not for the developer community, and that a large number are modified...
Back in the day overclocking and water cooled computers were "fringe" activities too, and while they are still not mainstream, both are multi-million dollar industries today.
If you are going to post something online then yes, you should consider that it is permanently available somewhere on the internet.
If you are one of the "Internet Brave" then I expect this will disturb you greatly.
If the statements you make online have the same thought and consideration as the things you say to people in person there is not likely to be much of a problem, now is there?
Ok, now that I am done with MY knee-jerk reaction- those in countries with dictatorships and censorship that does not allow differing viewpoints are a special case.
In those instances the anonymous posting of news and opinion pieces is vital to survival and improvement in those countries.
"We hire politicians to be upfront and honest. We don't hire them to be two faced"
That is one of the funniest jokes I have heard or seen in a long time.
I see it as kind of funny, really.
Most Iphone users are very happy with their phones and I don't see them likely to switch- not due to a magazine app, anyway
The main thing I see this doing is again emphasizing how tightly Apple restricts content on the Iphone, and how limiting that is.
I DO know a few people who have chosen to get a different phone because of this.
I also know a couple of people who have switched from Iphone to Android because of this.
Like many others, in my youth I spent a short time working at one of the companies under discussion.
Care was taken- just not that much care, really.
And this was not just a few people that were reprobates or worse than the others, it was required by the speed work was done at and the amount of time allowed for loading/unloading a truck.
The reality is this: with the volume of packages and speed of delivery there WILL be damage.
More during busy times than the slack ones.
And as long as people want FAST delivery at LOW prices, it will continue.
That being said, there are a few tricks: packages with insurance and tracking DO get treated better.
Packages that say FRAGILE and do NOT have insurance and tracking labels WILL be treated worse than normal, eventually, somewhere.
I would say that the g-meter readings were better than I expected considering the number of times I watched trucks get loaded by literally throwing packages 20, 30 even 40 feet while a truck was being loaded.
When electric vehicles match the performance, convenience, cost and actually achieve eco-friendly PARITY with modern internal combustion vehicles, then I will consider one.
And not before.
To those for whom driving is simply a way to get from one place to another, and have fairly short distances to cover- yes, they may be a viable option even if they DO actually cause more environmental damage than a real car at this point. (When the full impact of production including fuel production is considered, as well as battery production and disposal.)
For those who actually ENJOY driving as an activity in its own right- no current EV or hybrid under 100,000 USD fulfills the requirements. And even those don't really do a good job of it.
Yes, hybrids do cover the range issues of pure electric- for minimal mileage gains and far increased pollution (again the batteries!) and greater cost.
The inexpensive hybrids currently available have barely any mileage benefits over a car with an internal combustion engine. The expensive ones.... well, the added weight and complexity of the hybrid system pretty much outweight the benefits and the buyer ends up with a car that costs more, does more damage to the environment (current battery tech is still not where it needs to be) and doesn't handle as well. It MAY accelerate slightly quicker though, thanks to the high torque at 0 rpm of an electric motor. But handling and braking will be worse thanks to the extra weight.
Pure EVs will someday be the ideal urban transport, once the battery issues are truly worked out (progress has been made but they are NOT there yet, don't kid yourselves.)
For suburban travelers and those who must travel greater distances, hybrids will also be prevalent one day.
But that day has not yet come.
I do think that those days are getting closer all the time: in the near future we are likely to see hybrid vehicles appear that succeed purely on their benefits and not the hype and purchase/tax incentives,
Hell, even the Prius has almost become a practical car, and it's main selling point until now has been that driving one announces to the world that you want everyone who sees you to know that you are an eco-mentalist (to borrow Jeremy Clarkson's word.)
But for the immediate future modern internal combustion engines are the better choice for an automotive powerplant.
I do thank all of you who purchase them now however: without all of YOU the research that will one day allow some company to make a GOOD hybrid car would not get done.