Unless you live in Sudan or somewhere else fun like that, for you the answer is "never."
This is something I just can't wrap my head around. The more they sell, the cheaper they are to make. There are thousands of rural/poor school districts in the U.S. that would LOVE to get their hands on semi-rugged, simple, cheap laptops and give one to each student. I guess because we don't live in Africa the fact that we don't have the money to provide technology to our students doesn't matter.
They could sell tens of millions of those in the U.S. and make the units even more affordable in places like Sudan (mark them up to $150 here if you want, then it only costs $50 to put on in the hands of an African student).
Most likely, you will find that any product made by Apple is of excellent design right out of the box.
You've obviously never used OS 8.
Don't monkey around. Get a Mac. It is the intelligent choice.
No, thanks. Don't like the things myself. Ever since the first iMac and Apple's abomination called iPod, I just have no use for their products. I can get the same (actually, better) level of functionality with a lot less money by going elsewhere.
Nintendo has less competition and a much more loyal user base than Microsoft, so I don't see why anyone should find this surprising.
PDAs have had wireless for years; a comparably-sized handheld console with it was inevitable. The question is, how good is the service? I talked to a friend who has one this afternoon, he said he hasn't really gotten anything out of the wireless service because it's too hard to find and play against friends.
I mean, it's been more than ten years since free online gaming was viable...Quake, for example.
XBOX offers a centralized system for all games to use, and charges a subscription fee...like Steam on steroids. DS appears to use a more game-specific system, more like Battle.net or Half-Life's pre-Steam system. Both are just a result of gradual improvements upon systems used in gaming for years.
(note: I say "appears" because I do not own and do not intend to buy a DS...I am working off what information is readily available on nintendowifi.com)
I'm told by a Desert Storm (Iraq War v1.0) veteran that troops then weren't allowed to carry Bibles or any symbol of Christianity into Saudi Arabia. This isn't really surprising given that bit of information.
Actually I've never lived in LA, but I'm a Cajun by genetics and by upbringing. I can even muster up the accent when needed, and my "AIEE!" is quite impressive. If you've seen Waterboy, the unintelligble assistant coach could have been modeled after one of my uncles.
The effect of violent games *gasp* varies depending on the individual.
If you have a person prone to violence who lacks the ability to consider consequences (a lot of teenage boys fall in this category), it stands to reason that you can see an increase in violent behavior when they are regularly exposed to violent games, movies, music, literature, et cetera. One just needs to be impressionable and have a tendency toward the behavior being presented.
The vast majority of adults and a lot of kids are perfectly capable of distinguishing between reality and fantasy and keeping them seperate. They understand that what they hear, see, and do in a fantasy world is not always acceptable in the real world. But we *must* admit that there are some people who do not do this, and they are the reason so many studies find a link between violent media and violent behavior. If 10% of the subjects showed an increase in violent behavior, the study is published as demonstrating a link between the games and the behavior.
You, me, our friends, maybe even everyone we know may not have a problem with this. But that doesn't mean that there aren't a lot of people who either lack the education, upbringing or the mental capacity to differentiate the two worlds.
For all the mud slung at them, SBC has given me nothing less than great service. VOIP works great, I get better-than-advertised throughput (5 Mb down, instead the listed 3 Mb), and I've asked them repeatedly if I could run small servers off my connection and always been told "yes".
Now the rumor is that they're trying to bring fiber into homes and deliver television signals over the phone system.
We have 50 P2/400s with 128 MB RAM that run XP quite well.
NT is outdated. 2K is a perfectly servicable operating system. Anyone who works with computers regularly knows this.
XP is a far superior OS for home users than any of their previous systems. It's more friendly to old DOS-based apps than 2000, more stable than 95-based systems, and just generally better-built. It's a good OS.
Yes, Linux is more stable and secure. It's also harder to use without a significant amount of knowledge of the OS. Microsoft tries to strike a balance between stable/secure and convenient/user-friendly.
I mention Linux because you clearly aren't a Mac zealot. If you were, you wouldn't be tempting me to bring up how OSX simply refuses to work on hardware that is much, much newer and more expensive than the P2s we run XP on:p
I remember a college textbook that went out of its way to attack creationism several times. That's just brilliant. Every time a scientist/wannabe scientist takes a jab at religion, it fuels the rabid creationists who view science as being antagonistic.
Isn't this what linux people were saying more or less all these years and were called zealots by MS fanboys?
I like how they're linux people and MS fanboys.
I'm almost exclusively a Windows user. Never had a need for anything else. I've said since I first got my hands on Linux in 2000 that MS could stand to learn some lessons from it.
The difference between me and the zealots is that I recognize the strengths and weaknesses of both.
MS is aiming for an easy-to-operate OS that is accessible and reasonably secure. Linux is a full-featured, flexible OS that is complicated and very secure (if you configure it properly). Two totally different creatures, and each would be improved with aspects of the other.
Electronic Whiteboards may jus be a fad and not add any real value to education
They really don't. We evaluated several recently, and they were all useless. They're a gimmick.
(just like computers in general don't)
That's like saying that computers are useless in business. When properly applied, computers are quite useful. We have adaptive curriculum that supplements traditional teaching methods so that kids' specific problems can be targetted for improvement. It has substantially improved reading comprehension.
I really wish we (the linux crowd) could get a foot in the door here but it's very hard.
I'm probably beating a dead horse with this (I've said it a lot recently) but the biggest problem for Linux is that it's hard to learn. It needs better documentation and support before it will be ready for implementation in education.
I consider myself an experienced novice regarding Linux. I'm the most experienced Linux user working at the school I'm at; our network admin and tech director have no practical experience with it. I would have to get a significant amount of training to be able to adminster Linux on our network, and then I would have to train the rest of the department. Then we'd have to train the teachers so they could teach the students how to use it.
No, thanks. We'll stick with Windows, it's a lot less work (and probably less expensive short-term).
We're missing a lot of crucial information here. What is marketable about the product? What sets it apart from the thousand other products produced by startup companies? Does it fill a particular niche that makes it unique, or does it do a better job overall than the competition?
There are two addages that I find particularly relevant here: "Necessity is the mother of invention." and "See a need, fill a need." What need are you filling? From a generic marketing standpoint, what you need to do is address your target audience by first talking about the need. Point out the flaws and shortcomings that exist in the market; your goal is to get that knowing head nod that comes when you're saying something they've been thinking for a long time. Once your potential customers recognize you as someone who understands their needs, it's a short trip to them thinking you can meet those needs.
As for targetting developers specifically: trade publications are probably going to be your best vehicle. If you've got a solid project that you think is unique, you should probably start by trying to get some free press by way of an article or at least a short column on your new product. If they think it's a useful product worth an endorsement, they'll run it because people read magazines that point them to good products they might not have heard about otherwise. Get a few reviews, then buy ad space on web sites and in magazines/newsletters. Quote the best reviews on your website and in your ads.
Slashdot Mirror
Unless you live in Sudan or somewhere else fun like that, for you the answer is "never."
This is something I just can't wrap my head around. The more they sell, the cheaper they are to make. There are thousands of rural/poor school districts in the U.S. that would LOVE to get their hands on semi-rugged, simple, cheap laptops and give one to each student. I guess because we don't live in Africa the fact that we don't have the money to provide technology to our students doesn't matter.
They could sell tens of millions of those in the U.S. and make the units even more affordable in places like Sudan (mark them up to $150 here if you want, then it only costs $50 to put on in the hands of an African student).
Most likely, you will find that any product made by Apple is of excellent design right out of the box.
:D
You've obviously never used OS 8.
Don't monkey around. Get a Mac. It is the intelligent choice.
No, thanks. Don't like the things myself. Ever since the first iMac and Apple's abomination called iPod, I just have no use for their products. I can get the same (actually, better) level of functionality with a lot less money by going elsewhere.
But kudos on a well-written propa...err...post
And how much is the cost of the operating system?
:p
Well, since you probably won't be able to buy the OS without the hardware, $0
Ironic: Will they sell a version "empty" (without OS)?
I should think it's possible, but I seriously doubt it. Won't be long before someone gets Linux on it, though.
Maybe you can install linux to it and then sell the windows OS and then have it for 100$ "less"?
OEM licenses aren't transferable, so no.
The bomb-lobbing cricket-playing robots, of course.
Nintendo has less competition and a much more loyal user base than Microsoft, so I don't see why anyone should find this surprising.
PDAs have had wireless for years; a comparably-sized handheld console with it was inevitable. The question is, how good is the service? I talked to a friend who has one this afternoon, he said he hasn't really gotten anything out of the wireless service because it's too hard to find and play against friends.
how is this special?
I mean, it's been more than ten years since free online gaming was viable...Quake, for example.
XBOX offers a centralized system for all games to use, and charges a subscription fee...like Steam on steroids. DS appears to use a more game-specific system, more like Battle.net or Half-Life's pre-Steam system. Both are just a result of gradual improvements upon systems used in gaming for years.
(note: I say "appears" because I do not own and do not intend to buy a DS...I am working off what information is readily available on nintendowifi.com)
If you can't laugh at yourself, you're never gonna get laid.
Just be sure not to laugh at yourself while getting laid. Even these supposed "Trekkie girls" they say exist won't get the joke.
I've been looking for this. Best "Who's on first" since the original. Thanks.
I'm just waiting for the first mod that gives us hot paddle-on-paddle action.
I'm told by a Desert Storm (Iraq War v1.0) veteran that troops then weren't allowed to carry Bibles or any symbol of Christianity into Saudi Arabia. This isn't really surprising given that bit of information.
N'Awlins isn't Cajun, it's Creole.
The real/original Cajuns are further north.
Actually I've never lived in LA, but I'm a Cajun by genetics and by upbringing. I can even muster up the accent when needed, and my "AIEE!" is quite impressive. If you've seen Waterboy, the unintelligble assistant coach could have been modeled after one of my uncles.
No, it's closer to Flordia.
The effect of violent games *gasp* varies depending on the individual.
If you have a person prone to violence who lacks the ability to consider consequences (a lot of teenage boys fall in this category), it stands to reason that you can see an increase in violent behavior when they are regularly exposed to violent games, movies, music, literature, et cetera. One just needs to be impressionable and have a tendency toward the behavior being presented.
The vast majority of adults and a lot of kids are perfectly capable of distinguishing between reality and fantasy and keeping them seperate. They understand that what they hear, see, and do in a fantasy world is not always acceptable in the real world. But we *must* admit that there are some people who do not do this, and they are the reason so many studies find a link between violent media and violent behavior. If 10% of the subjects showed an increase in violent behavior, the study is published as demonstrating a link between the games and the behavior.
You, me, our friends, maybe even everyone we know may not have a problem with this. But that doesn't mean that there aren't a lot of people who either lack the education, upbringing or the mental capacity to differentiate the two worlds.
For all the mud slung at them, SBC has given me nothing less than great service. VOIP works great, I get better-than-advertised throughput (5 Mb down, instead the listed 3 Mb), and I've asked them repeatedly if I could run small servers off my connection and always been told "yes".
Now the rumor is that they're trying to bring fiber into homes and deliver television signals over the phone system.
Or carve your tribe's traditional markings into the case with a knife.
Do Cajuns have traditional markings?
We have 50 P2/400s with 128 MB RAM that run XP quite well. NT is outdated. 2K is a perfectly servicable operating system. Anyone who works with computers regularly knows this. XP is a far superior OS for home users than any of their previous systems. It's more friendly to old DOS-based apps than 2000, more stable than 95-based systems, and just generally better-built. It's a good OS. Yes, Linux is more stable and secure. It's also harder to use without a significant amount of knowledge of the OS. Microsoft tries to strike a balance between stable/secure and convenient/user-friendly. I mention Linux because you clearly aren't a Mac zealot. If you were, you wouldn't be tempting me to bring up how OSX simply refuses to work on hardware that is much, much newer and more expensive than the P2s we run XP on :p
It only comes in white. If I can't express my individuality by purchasing one of five uniquely-colored handhelds, by god I'm not buying it.
I remember a college textbook that went out of its way to attack creationism several times. That's just brilliant. Every time a scientist/wannabe scientist takes a jab at religion, it fuels the rabid creationists who view science as being antagonistic.
Isn't this what linux people were saying more or less all these years and were called zealots by MS fanboys?
I like how they're linux people and MS fanboys.
I'm almost exclusively a Windows user. Never had a need for anything else. I've said since I first got my hands on Linux in 2000 that MS could stand to learn some lessons from it.
The difference between me and the zealots is that I recognize the strengths and weaknesses of both.
MS is aiming for an easy-to-operate OS that is accessible and reasonably secure. Linux is a full-featured, flexible OS that is complicated and very secure (if you configure it properly). Two totally different creatures, and each would be improved with aspects of the other.
When many analysts agree, then they're probably on to something.
I always thought it was "when many analysts agree, you should run for the hills because the world is ending."
They can have my cold, dead DVD player and the Sony box it came in.
*grumble* Just out of warranty and it dies. Figures. */grumble*
Oh, well. It's as good an excuse as any to finish that HTPC I've been working on.
More pixels, of course! So we can see Nick Cage's nose hairs in much better resolution.
Apple made it, therefore they will buy it.
Electronic Whiteboards may jus be a fad and not add any real value to education
They really don't. We evaluated several recently, and they were all useless. They're a gimmick.
(just like computers in general don't)
That's like saying that computers are useless in business. When properly applied, computers are quite useful. We have adaptive curriculum that supplements traditional teaching methods so that kids' specific problems can be targetted for improvement. It has substantially improved reading comprehension.
I really wish we (the linux crowd) could get a foot in the door here but it's very hard.
I'm probably beating a dead horse with this (I've said it a lot recently) but the biggest problem for Linux is that it's hard to learn. It needs better documentation and support before it will be ready for implementation in education.
I consider myself an experienced novice regarding Linux. I'm the most experienced Linux user working at the school I'm at; our network admin and tech director have no practical experience with it. I would have to get a significant amount of training to be able to adminster Linux on our network, and then I would have to train the rest of the department. Then we'd have to train the teachers so they could teach the students how to use it.
No, thanks. We'll stick with Windows, it's a lot less work (and probably less expensive short-term).
They don't need an MBA to sell it.
We're missing a lot of crucial information here. What is marketable about the product? What sets it apart from the thousand other products produced by startup companies? Does it fill a particular niche that makes it unique, or does it do a better job overall than the competition?
There are two addages that I find particularly relevant here: "Necessity is the mother of invention." and "See a need, fill a need." What need are you filling? From a generic marketing standpoint, what you need to do is address your target audience by first talking about the need. Point out the flaws and shortcomings that exist in the market; your goal is to get that knowing head nod that comes when you're saying something they've been thinking for a long time. Once your potential customers recognize you as someone who understands their needs, it's a short trip to them thinking you can meet those needs.
As for targetting developers specifically: trade publications are probably going to be your best vehicle. If you've got a solid project that you think is unique, you should probably start by trying to get some free press by way of an article or at least a short column on your new product. If they think it's a useful product worth an endorsement, they'll run it because people read magazines that point them to good products they might not have heard about otherwise. Get a few reviews, then buy ad space on web sites and in magazines/newsletters. Quote the best reviews on your website and in your ads.