I always recognize you by your SAC signature. I realized just yesterday that it was actually said first (though not exactly, but close enough) in the first GitS movie. I don't recall it being in the GitS manga or the Man-Machine Interface GN (nor the Human-Error Processor series that just finished getting published in English).
Maybe it isn't widespread, but a lot of McDonalds are partially automated already. They're not efficiently automated (or automated enough, for that matter), however if there's any company that can and will implement near 100% automation when it becomes economically viable, it's McDonalds. Their whole philosophy revolves around giving the customer the same product no matter where they are in the world, and automation would achieve exactly that. Though the real problem is that there's always going to be exceptions to the code that runs the automation, so there's gonna have to be *someone* around (at least in the near future) to handle those exceptions.
Now me, personally. I love the silence. Out of necessity at my workplace we don't listen to music or have TVs going or anything, and initially not being able to listen to music drove me bonkers. Now it's kinda weird if I have music going at work, so go fig.
On the other hand, I love being highly connected, tho I also have no problem turning it off at will. So take from that what you will.
In a world where robots or mechanical problem solvers negate the usefulness of humans would break our current model. This might be a little more appropriate to the idea of post-modernism or hyperreality, but I can't read the phrase "in a world where..." without hearing That Movie Trailer Voiceover Guy say it in my head.
In my mind, there's not much different here for the average consumer.
The PS3 is a device still looking for a way to connect with the average consumer. You know, the one that doesn't see the problem with DVDs, their Playstation 2, and their computer for playing the Sims/Email/WWW, and hand over $600 for a new device.
The iPhone is relying on its interface gizmo to convince the average consumer that they need to spend $600+whatever to replace their cheap cellphone and their iPod so they can cross the street and watch Strongbad at the same time.
Don't get me wrong, I'm all about mobile computing, but this is a device looking for an audience outside of the iDisciples who will gravitate towards anything that glows of Jobs' RDF. Call me when I can use my glasses/sunglasses as viewing interfaces and the device is WiMax capable, I guess. I'll be the guy in the corner with my MacBook looking sideways at the people squinting and poking at their iPhones.
No, the "market" won't fix itself, at least not in the direction of individual liberty. The "market" will migrate towards all the companies requiring it, and then you don't get to choose anymore. I for one would rather not have to sleep in a Faraday cage in order to sleep soundly.
No, I think the author of the article is a mac zealot who thinks the world is out to conspire and make his religion fail. Seriously. Devotion of that sort and language of that sort is analogous to the us vs. them "believe in the Leader" thought processes found in cults.
Another thing; why is anyone making arguments against corporate use of the iPhone in the first place? This phone was meant for personal use! I can understand that unaware Microsoft shills want to use baseless claims against the product, but this is quite asinine. If Apple wanted to compete with the Blackberry, I doubt that it would get this much press anyway (think about it: how much press has the Blackberry 8800 been getting outside of the corporate circle?).
Because the corporate PDA/smartphone market is huge, and very few consumers pay $600 for a phone, while corporations buy smartphones/pdas that cost hundreds of dollars on a regular basis. So, the remaining market is people who really want a new iPod and want to get rid of their old cellphone, and want to plunk down $600+accessories+new phone plan+new data plan in the process.
I keep having flashbacks to the PS3 when reading about all this.
Another fella in another thread this week pointed this out as well (and at length), and it is important. Being able to brick a Blackberry whenever an admin needs to (and not have it overridden) is one of the reasons why this isn't appropriate for the corporate user.
iPhone uses quad-band GSM, the global standard for wireless communications. It also supports AT&T's EDGE network, 802.11b/g Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 2.0 with EDR, which links to Apple's new, remarkably compact Bluetooth headset.
The best knocks on the iPhone are "lack of Microsoft Exchange integration"
I feel like I'm over-harping on this and I realize the reply to this has been agreed in a rather interestingly decentralized manner as "Apple isn't aiming for the corporate customer", but this "knock" is pretty huge.
Let's think about this a second. Now, if I'm a guy who gets his phone paid for by my company, I may very well buy an iPod, but I'm unlikely to shell out $600+plan+accessories for something that isn't my primary business tool and just another device that I'd have to carry around. I might get myself a cheap cellphone for personal use, but in my experience, a large percentage of these folks don't know how (nor want to bother to learn) to sync between devices to maintain personal and business separate contact lists. Add that with the fact that it won't sync with Exchange (I would people would stop with the IMAP/POP BS, it doesn't do what Blackberries do, and that's really the gold standard), and the corporate market is toast. So, what sort of market to we have left. People who want to pay $600 for a cellphone that does what their iPod and essentially free (due to contact subsidy) cellphone already do.
This is a *super*niche* product, which I have no problem with. What gets me annoyed is the IT world pissing all over itself every time Apple puts out a marketing campaign for a new appliance. I'd like to think we know better, but I guess we're not.
I've seen your posts a few times now in the comments to this article.
You do realize you're a wackjob Maczealot fanboy/girl, right?
I mean, comeon, even you should be able to understand the logic behind having different webpages for low-bandwidth connections.
I think what will really be funny, is when people go to their favorite public WiFi hotspot and can't get anywhere anymore cuz everyone is gonna have their iPhones held up to their faces poking at it with their fingers and trying to load YouTube videos.
In general, the Black album was considered the last whimper of the original Metallica amongst a not insignificant number of old-school metal fans. While I don't see anything empirically wrong with wanting to cash in, they shouldn't be surprised that they've lost credibility amongst many of their fans who were listening since Kill'em All. Black was kind of a swerve in the musical road for Metallica but had some pretty decent tracks here and there, but everything after that album was less of a musical "evolution" (witness how Testament's music evolved, for example), than a concerted effort on their part with the help of a well-known radio-friendly commercial rock producer to make songs that were more palatable to record execs, radio playlist managers, and people who like their rock "not too heavy".
That is, if the rumors turn out to be true, disabled except for use with AT&T services. Which makes sense. How can AT&T charge you for data service if you can just wander around and use WiFi?
Let's stick with the iPod for a second, here. The iPod+iTunes combo maintains a database of all your music, with about two dozen fields for each song, including everything from "beats per minute" to "play count". Inside iTunes, you can make playlists based on any combination of these attributes. So "all rock songs rated (by me) as four stars or more, that I haven't played in the last month" is a trivial query to construct in iTunes and sync to the iPod. Live updates continue even on the iPod, so if you re-rate or play a song it would be added to, or bumped from, that list. Of course, inside iTunes you can manage these attributes quickly with keystroke commands. iTunes has some pretty nice features, though frankly I think its only real killer app is the iTunes store. I'm pretty sure that the functionality discussed here is present in WinAmp and has been for quite a while (tho I'll admit that I never bother using the rating system... if I don't like the song, why is it in my music library?).
As for the "real" web, I'm sure you've heard of the "mobile web"? The W3C even has a "Mobile Web Initiative". "Fake web" is a good term for it, since it sucks. Also, I'd appreciate it if you (and others) would stop implying that anyone who happens to like any particular Apple product is awed by the smooth styling or ad campaign. You can see I've got a sensible line of reasoning, even if you don't agree with it. I'd disagree this is the "fake web", honestly, but ymmv I guess. As for the implication... listen, I had a G4 Quicksilver, I had a Mac Mini, and I still have a MacBook (in addition to my other computing things). None of them run the slashdot-favored OSes at the moment. Nonetheless, Apple products are marketed and designed exactly as I said. Try and add in a feature to iTunes on your own, for example. And while you may be a well-reasoned individual, I'm sorry to inform you that your quiet discourse will never be heard above the chorus of MacFanBoi ejaculations whenever Jobs has a new toy to show off.
We're getting off from the original topic, but I'll agree that Expose is a pretty nice feature. Too bad you have to use it with the frustrating POS that is Finder:/
AFAIK you'll still be SOL on the international thing, since they don't have any international carriers (does AT&T/Cingular have non-assrapingly expensive coverage outside of the US?). And you can get a cell data modem for so much less. The iPhone really seems like overkill for you if you're just seeking to have certain features and are willing to get a contract anyway.
The iPhone is, sort of, an exception to that plan.
Typically in the US, you see ads of ridiculously low priced phones (up to and including free) if you sign up for a certain contract of a predefined length. Phones are routinely crippled on some carriers, and by and large people don't move from carrier to carrier with the same phone (though by law now they are required to let you transfer phone numbers).
It's very possible to get pay-as-you-go phones for ~100$ or so, though those too are often linked to a carrier. T-Mobile is the only carrier I know that will let you drop a phone on their network provided the SIM card is changable. Might be others, I dunno.
I'm told that T-Mobile are happy to let you do this, though I haven't yet tried it myself. I guess the downside is that your coverage area isn't as broad as with other carriers. Frankly I don't mind paying extra for the month-to-month (I actually have a Virgin Mobile pay-as-you-go phone right now, I rarely use more than the standard $30/mo "top up" on it, and frequently go 45+ days without putting money into the account) and for the phone, so long as I like the phone and expect to use it for a year or two (this is only my second phone since 2001, the first was a month-to-month Sprint phone).
Slashdot Mirror
Not particularly effective against a Zentran or Meltran invasion.
OT:
I always recognize you by your SAC signature. I realized just yesterday that it was actually said first (though not exactly, but close enough) in the first GitS movie. I don't recall it being in the GitS manga or the Man-Machine Interface GN (nor the Human-Error Processor series that just finished getting published in English).
I suspect that the stress is different in origin, tho I don't know that it matters to the body in the end.
Maybe it isn't widespread, but a lot of McDonalds are partially automated already. They're not efficiently automated (or automated enough, for that matter), however if there's any company that can and will implement near 100% automation when it becomes economically viable, it's McDonalds. Their whole philosophy revolves around giving the customer the same product no matter where they are in the world, and automation would achieve exactly that. Though the real problem is that there's always going to be exceptions to the code that runs the automation, so there's gonna have to be *someone* around (at least in the near future) to handle those exceptions.
They fear Existential Void
Now me, personally. I love the silence. Out of necessity at my workplace we don't listen to music or have TVs going or anything, and initially not being able to listen to music drove me bonkers. Now it's kinda weird if I have music going at work, so go fig.
On the other hand, I love being highly connected, tho I also have no problem turning it off at will. So take from that what you will.
It's not mechanization until I get my own Valkyrie that I can drive to work.
In my mind, there's not much different here for the average consumer.
The PS3 is a device still looking for a way to connect with the average consumer. You know, the one that doesn't see the problem with DVDs, their Playstation 2, and their computer for playing the Sims/Email/WWW, and hand over $600 for a new device.
The iPhone is relying on its interface gizmo to convince the average consumer that they need to spend $600+whatever to replace their cheap cellphone and their iPod so they can cross the street and watch Strongbad at the same time.
Don't get me wrong, I'm all about mobile computing, but this is a device looking for an audience outside of the iDisciples who will gravitate towards anything that glows of Jobs' RDF. Call me when I can use my glasses/sunglasses as viewing interfaces and the device is WiMax capable, I guess. I'll be the guy in the corner with my MacBook looking sideways at the people squinting and poking at their iPhones.
No, the "market" won't fix itself, at least not in the direction of individual liberty. The "market" will migrate towards all the companies requiring it, and then you don't get to choose anymore. I for one would rather not have to sleep in a Faraday cage in order to sleep soundly.
No, I think the author of the article is a mac zealot who thinks the world is out to conspire and make his religion fail. Seriously. Devotion of that sort and language of that sort is analogous to the us vs. them "believe in the Leader" thought processes found in cults.
Because the corporate PDA/smartphone market is huge, and very few consumers pay $600 for a phone, while corporations buy smartphones/pdas that cost hundreds of dollars on a regular basis. So, the remaining market is people who really want a new iPod and want to get rid of their old cellphone, and want to plunk down $600+accessories+new phone plan+new data plan in the process.
I keep having flashbacks to the PS3 when reading about all this.
Another fella in another thread this week pointed this out as well (and at length), and it is important. Being able to brick a Blackberry whenever an admin needs to (and not have it overridden) is one of the reasons why this isn't appropriate for the corporate user.
Stop repeating this.
http://www.apple.com/iphone/technology/
Lacking WiMax isn't a problem yet, but be prepared to buy a whole new one once/if they put out one that works with WiMax in a year or two.
I feel like I'm over-harping on this and I realize the reply to this has been agreed in a rather interestingly decentralized manner as "Apple isn't aiming for the corporate customer", but this "knock" is pretty huge.
Let's think about this a second. Now, if I'm a guy who gets his phone paid for by my company, I may very well buy an iPod, but I'm unlikely to shell out $600+plan+accessories for something that isn't my primary business tool and just another device that I'd have to carry around. I might get myself a cheap cellphone for personal use, but in my experience, a large percentage of these folks don't know how (nor want to bother to learn) to sync between devices to maintain personal and business separate contact lists. Add that with the fact that it won't sync with Exchange (I would people would stop with the IMAP/POP BS, it doesn't do what Blackberries do, and that's really the gold standard), and the corporate market is toast. So, what sort of market to we have left. People who want to pay $600 for a cellphone that does what their iPod and essentially free (due to contact subsidy) cellphone already do.
This is a *super*niche* product, which I have no problem with. What gets me annoyed is the IT world pissing all over itself every time Apple puts out a marketing campaign for a new appliance. I'd like to think we know better, but I guess we're not.
I've seen your posts a few times now in the comments to this article.
You do realize you're a wackjob Maczealot fanboy/girl, right?
I mean, comeon, even you should be able to understand the logic behind having different webpages for low-bandwidth connections.
I think what will really be funny, is when people go to their favorite public WiFi hotspot and can't get anywhere anymore cuz everyone is gonna have their iPhones held up to their faces poking at it with their fingers and trying to load YouTube videos.
In general, the Black album was considered the last whimper of the original Metallica amongst a not insignificant number of old-school metal fans. While I don't see anything empirically wrong with wanting to cash in, they shouldn't be surprised that they've lost credibility amongst many of their fans who were listening since Kill'em All. Black was kind of a swerve in the musical road for Metallica but had some pretty decent tracks here and there, but everything after that album was less of a musical "evolution" (witness how Testament's music evolved, for example), than a concerted effort on their part with the help of a well-known radio-friendly commercial rock producer to make songs that were more palatable to record execs, radio playlist managers, and people who like their rock "not too heavy".
My only question is, what's the eta of me getting a cyberbrain and becoming a full-conversion cyborg?
That is, if the rumors turn out to be true, disabled except for use with AT&T services. Which makes sense. How can AT&T charge you for data service if you can just wander around and use WiFi?
We're getting off from the original topic, but I'll agree that Expose is a pretty nice feature. Too bad you have to use it with the frustrating POS that is Finder :/
AFAIK you'll still be SOL on the international thing, since they don't have any international carriers (does AT&T/Cingular have non-assrapingly expensive coverage outside of the US?). And you can get a cell data modem for so much less. The iPhone really seems like overkill for you if you're just seeking to have certain features and are willing to get a contract anyway.
Well, it's $33/mo just for the phone, plus whatever you pay for your service plan. So really, it's $(600/18)+voice+data+accessories+C per month.
The iPhone is, sort of, an exception to that plan.
Typically in the US, you see ads of ridiculously low priced phones (up to and including free) if you sign up for a certain contract of a predefined length. Phones are routinely crippled on some carriers, and by and large people don't move from carrier to carrier with the same phone (though by law now they are required to let you transfer phone numbers).
It's very possible to get pay-as-you-go phones for ~100$ or so, though those too are often linked to a carrier. T-Mobile is the only carrier I know that will let you drop a phone on their network provided the SIM card is changable. Might be others, I dunno.
I'm told that T-Mobile are happy to let you do this, though I haven't yet tried it myself. I guess the downside is that your coverage area isn't as broad as with other carriers. Frankly I don't mind paying extra for the month-to-month (I actually have a Virgin Mobile pay-as-you-go phone right now, I rarely use more than the standard $30/mo "top up" on it, and frequently go 45+ days without putting money into the account) and for the phone, so long as I like the phone and expect to use it for a year or two (this is only my second phone since 2001, the first was a month-to-month Sprint phone).