I have a 22" that has 1200 vertical lines, the new 17" Macbooks have the same, and I've seen 24 and 27" screens with 1600 for more than a DECADE. many 4" screens have 480 lines for Christ's sake, and there are 15" HDTVs that can do 1080p. We're nowhere NEAR the pixel density... 4X HD screens come in 30"+ models and have more than 1600 lines. WQUSXGA is already a standard at 3840x2400...
3 years ago I bough a pair of DVI/HDMI/VGA input supporting 22" widescreen LCD monitors for under $200 each and they came with 1200 vertical lines of resolution and a snappy 6ms response. They replaced a 19" CRT that was a 1600x1200and a 17" LCD that was 1200x1024. Now most of the 24" screens only have 1080 lines, heck half the 17" ones do too! Over 24" I would not even CONSIDDER a screen that could not do 1600 vertical lines. at 30" 1600 or higher should be the ONLY options.
Thanks to everyone wanting to watch "HD video in native resolution", and they think that's an UPGRADE from previous technology, all the damned screens are 1080... I want my 120 lines back damnit!!!
Re:Buying ARM for a leg?
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Apple To Buy ARM?
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· Score: 2, Interesting
No. ARM has a core architecture, but they OPEN LICENSED that architecture to numerous firms, just as Intel did with AMD. At this point, Intel could refuse to share new tech with AMD, but that does not stop AMD from competing, as they have license to modify the x86 code set and produce chips. That is NOT a revocable license.
Apple's ownership of ARM would NOT prevent independent ARM development or manufacture. If apple played hardball and refused to share new ARM development other than what was already licensed, all that would happen is those who already licensed ARM up to and including core rights to integrate ARM's command set, core architecture, and subsets with other technologies (Tegra, Snapdragon, etc) would continue to partner together with each other and develop further ARM-based processors, and Apple would be left in the cold...
Apple is not stupid. FRAND laws apply here, existing licenses and contracts can not be altered by this merger, Apple is merely interested in the profit from the arrangements ARM already has (and lowering their internal costs with PMI Semi and the A4 and future architectures).
An all the "ARM based" products from Qualcomm, Samsung, and more that are not made by ARM, and which have existing contracts which would be required to be preserved, including in Samsung and nVidia's case, full access to all in-development architectures and new released products?
Apple can buy ARM, but existing contracts and licenses prevent them from stopping others from using the chip architecture. Those who already have it have license to MODIFY it, and continue its growth. If Apple tried to cut them off from new centralized research, those with existing license could still make chips, could still cooperate on standards, and could still augment the technology and make it better. Essentially, enough companies have existing standards and license for ARM tech that if Apple cut them off, the only company they'd be cutting off is themselves, as the standard would continue for everyone else, and Apple's chips would be a fragmented branch development no longer compatible with everyone else.... It would be a huge bad move, but would NOT stop competition, and would thus not be illegal.
Re:Buying ARM for a leg?
on
Apple To Buy ARM?
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· Score: 5, Informative
Most currently marketed phones use ARM, perhaps. This is FAR from a monopoly on production however. In fact, if it was, ARM would already likely be under investigation if there was any fishy stuff since Apple is so small comparatively.
So, here's the current line-up: - ARM (11, Cortex A8, ARMv7, etc) - nVidia (tegra, Tegra 2, which has existing license on the ARM core architecture set that can not be taken away by a merger with Apple). - Marvell XScale (also ARM based, but licenses only instructions, not the core architecture). - Qualcomm Scorpion (an ARM clone, also licensed, combined with ATI graphics - Intel Atom - Moorestown MeeGo. - Samsung. yet another licenses ARM core design, but using alternative architecture. So, not exactly a monopoly (not even a duopoly) but, there's more...
Don't think for a second ATI is not designing their own. Rumor has it Big Blue is also...
Then, there's other issues, most notably FRAND. ARM is a reference architecture, and is already open licensed. That license must be offered to ALL comers provided fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory pricing, or Apple would be in a world of shit.
Then, there's the idea that it is COMPLETELY LEGAL to be a monopoly! It is only illegal to ABUSE monopoly position to unfairly stifle competition or emergent alternatives. Since they're already covered by FRAND, it's pretty hard for Apple to do anything aggressive that way.
* Don't click on links without verifying the actual link matches the name displayed in HTML when you mouse over it. When in doubt, type the root URL in by hand and browse to the specific page.
* Don't read spam. Anything anyone sends you, even family members, providing you with news, alerts, health related info, virus warnings, saftey warnings, etc, is ALL bullshit. HaoxBusters and snopes.com are your friends, when in doubt, LOOK UP the email there, and then tell your friend/family member to check themselves next time or risk being blacklisted. (I actually created a default reply script so when a family member sent me something that looked fishy, i ran a script that made a fairly convincing looking e-mail that would appear to come from a security server indicating the content of thier e-mail was blocked as it was known SPAM and may contain a virus, took a few months and they ALL stopped sending me crap...)
* Don't download and install anything unless its direct from a nationally known vendor and its a product sold commercially (or a known safe FOSS vendor). If it's not sold on a shelf in a store, ask yourself why not? Clearly, if it was a legit product, it should be... (yes, I know, many perfectly acceptable FOSS packages out there. in that case a good rule of thumb is that If 3 PC literate people you know can't name it, its not safe).
* ignore all adverts, block them if you can
* Don't use any account with admin privileged unless you're doing something at that moment that requires it.
* Use strong passwords, and use a DIFFERENT ONE on EVERY site. There are lots of tricks for coming up with good passwords, and for remembering which one is for which site.
* only sign up for what you have to; don't enter contests, marketing programs, or provide email addresses or phone numbers of your primary accounts. Some web sites insist on sending you an e-mail to validate an account ID: use a special, separate email account just for that, and immediately change any password they may issue you in that e-mail.
* never give out your personal/primary email address to a company or someone you do not personally trust for any reason.
* stay off P2P and other sharing systems completely.
* there's not just AntiVirus software, there's also AntiSpyware software, USE BOTH!
* Back up regularly, to a drive that is NOT always connected to your system (leaving a backup USB drive or network share mounted all the time means a virus can wipe out your backups too!) back up stuff you want to save from fire and other disasters online to a secure hosted system.
* When browsing questionable sites, do so from a virtual machine or a machine that uses completely different account information from your primary accounts and contains none of your personal files. A cheap old laptop is a good solution for that).
and just try hanging that from the back of your car seat and see how long the screen hinges last...
This is to replace a car entertainment system, not a laptop troll.
An ipad and a simple sling/case can easily be hung from a headrest on the drivers seat, and be strapped around it for stability, and be a very nice 10" personal screen for a kid (or hung between the 2 front seats to be shared). It easily connected via an audio jack or FM tranceiver to the car stereo, or a few pairs of bluetooth A2DP headsets (or even old school FM wireless headsets, or even older school wired headsets with a Y adapter.
Laptops A) can't easily be suspended as such, don't cost under $500 and also play H.264 video since there are no sub-$500 laptops with descrete MPEG decoders (DVD yes, if the drive doesn't shake so much it skips), B) most don't include bluetooth at all, C) 3G plans for data streaming cost twice as much and come with contracts (an iPad could be activated for a few weeks, or even a few days, for a big trip and then disabled again), D) are not easily synced with a home library (especially if you have more than 1 of them).
Laptops are superior to iPods, if properly equipped with wirelessN, bluetooth, and a GPU to actually BE an equivalent (pushing their price over $650 in most cases), and a decent enough processor (not a netbook), and enough storage, and if you can accept the 3G costs on top of that vs the iPad if you need that, and the TCO of software and OS upgrades and licenses for EACH machine unlike the iPad, and if you can accept the lack or portability and lower battery life, and accept the maintenance and security responsibilities, and can deal with poor at best parental controls, the difficulty in backing it up, poor streaming options from central computers (unless you run a home server), and more. Yea, they're better at some tasks, much better at others, but at media, and portability, and daily tasks, NO, laptops are NOT better.
Uh, you have heard of this thing called the CLOUD, right? a 3G connection, or a MiFi access point covers streaming from not only a variety of content sources (including netflix and very soon hulu), but also allows streaming of ANY content your PC can play (even if the iPad can't) via a $3 app, including controlling a TV tuner card on that PC remotely, allowing kids to even watch live TV in the car...
Also do you take 100 DVDs with you in the car? no, you take a few dozen. Inevitably, the kid does not have the movie they want anyway with DVDs. SYNC a few dozen works just the same! The kid can control, through iTunes, very easily, what they do and don't want on the pad, up to and including automatically purging and replacing current episodes as they're watched, and configuring some content to always be on the device unless manually deleted.
Actually, most collection agencies spoof caller ID. The bulk of them simply replace the company name with a state or city name so they're not easily identified, smarter ones are spoofing it to make it look like the call originated from within your zip core, even your region code if there are available unused numbers to spoof, and others go so far as to use the name of the bank they're collecting for in the caller ID even though they have no formal association. This is all legal, and legitimate up until this law was passed.
No, what i meant however was that banks and other organizations that DON'T spoof will have THEIR names spoofed by people willing to break the law. If you have an account with BoA, and they occasionally call you (automated low balance notices for example, or calls to tell you they spotted odd activity on your account), you might readily expect it to be a legit call, and answer. The person on the other end may CLAIM to be a BOA employee, but in reality, they're a scammer. Since BoA can't spoof caller ID, and has to use a SPECIFIC and KNOWN ID, it is easily spoofed. Today, BoA can be on their toes a bit, and use any ID they like
The law will reduce spoofing, but only from legitimate companies, which actually makes scamming EASIER and answering a call riskier.
What I'd REALLY like to see: Ban companies making any unsolicited call to your residence PERIOD. If they have communication for you, it should be through the postal system, or the call should be a simple recording indicating you call a different number back, one easily verifiable online, and that they read to you the last 6 (not 4, that's too easy to get), of your account number in that message and the name on the account, and a very easy system for cross checking bad numbers (by pressing 1 on that call to be automatically removed). No one can call you in person unless you requested it otherwise. No telemarketing unless you added yourself to a list (explicitly, not through association, and had to complete a specific form, including typing in the phone number and hours of the day you want to be called).
That way, ANY call to you from a company that is more than a simple informational message, and that offers for you to be removed, and provides you a number to call back at your convenience (or simply telly you to log onto your account and click into some help system for online support or to schedule a call back), that call is illegal, or a scam.
A quick and simple method for reporting people who don't follow the system provides self-enforcement. Get a call more than once for a wrong number, or get a scam call, a simple online form, like the one on the FCC website today (that's buried), would be fine, and when a company gets a few complaints, we pull call records, and start sending out civil fine notices, or conduct formal investigations.
Collections: until you validate my name, account, and address with an account history check (verifying the debt is real, as yet uncollected, and collectible under state laws, and has not been charged off by the originating company) followed by sending me a certified letter of the intent to collect a debt and the attempt to validate my identity for further correspondence, you can't call me AT ALL. No more of "is John Smith there?" bull shit just because this number at one time had a "smith" how had it registerd, or someone named "smith" at some point in history lived at that address. If the STATE can't confirm I live there, or provides evidence someone ELSE does, and the phone company can't provide a matching name/number association, then they need to do more research before contacting me at all. I have no bad debt, but I get calls 4 or 5 times a day for people trying to collect debts for OTHER people (and on rare occasions, scammers trying to collect debts i paid more than a decade ago).
Illegitimate people who will still spoof caller ID will start immediately using the legitimate names of companies that can't use spoofing, meaning then when it says "bank of America" calling, and you'de think to answer because you have an account with them, it could easily be a telemarketer, spammer, or a phishing call.
Caller ID spoofing legislation only works if it's STRICTLY enforced, easily reportable, universally communicated to people HOW to report it, and if they put the manpower behind it to actually go after those people.
its *57 in most places, no 69. Also, in most cases, this is something you have to request your carrier to enable on your line (its free, but not automatically enabled, since the trace happens every time once enabled and only "saves" the trace then pressed, it has a cost the them on some small level if you're not using it).
Further, *57 traces can not be provided to you, only your local magistrate, which means you need to sue someone to get it, and even then for the real scammers, this is easily overcome.
Further, Vonage, Skype, and most mobile phones do not offer this feature, only land lines.
If you utilize PRI lines for your business, you can specify by DID number how this is handled. Each can have a different caller ID, some can be lumped together, and more. it's completely customizable. If you using POTS lines, the ID is locked to the physical line, even if your PBX is not, so that either requires complex internal PBX configuration, or a shared caller ID across the pool.
1) assuming you have a mortgage, emptying your account should require more than a couple of $100 transactions... Big transactions, or lots of little ones, especially when it's not in the region of a state you live in, raised BIG red flags, and these are either caught in advance by the bank, or easily flagged and refunded later. 2) assuming you have a mortgage, you have several months of salary in a separate savings or checking account, such to cover emergency situations as not to bounce your mortgage in an emergency. Your failure to do so risks your house and lifestyle, not just a few hundred bucks, and is completely STUPID. 3) nearly all debit card fraud is signature or online transaction fraud, and that is covered by VISA, not your bank. You have 100% protection from VISA under the merchant agreement! It may take a few days to put the money back, but it is NOT GONE. (they have 10 days by law, but typically when fraud is obvious it only takes 1-2 years). 4) Most banks will offer you fast cash in a pinch to cover you for a few days, and will also "hold" transactions as approved even if your balance is too low while the fraud dispute if processed. If you notice your account IS empty, the bank will retroactively approve any bounced transactions from the first evident fraudulent transaction, and they'll call your mortgage company and explain the issue (banking issues causing bounced transactions are covered by either visa or your bank, up to $50 in charger per transaction, and even if your mortgage bounced, they can not report that on your credit if you bank claims responsibility or if you can document having been the victim of fraud) 5) MOST banks use algorithms to look for bad transactions, or call you to confirm large, unusual ones. If you bank is not, move banks.
Use of a debit card may have some risks, but they're small. use of CHECKS is GOD AWFUL RISKY, and comes with little or not protection at all.
Given the choice of using debit vs using a check? Debit. Not having to deal with traditional credit cards (and interest, penalties, and credit reporting hassles when something goes wrong like a lost payment in the mail), priceless.
The BANKS love signatures because they're not on the hook for those, VISA is. The bank is only on the hook for DEBIT transactions (requiring a pin), and they're only on the hook for certain limits (unless they extend additional coverage, as the only bank I'll bank with all do).
And that's where google vice, and the ability to record all calls to any business (by pressing a few buttons when starting the call), comes in so importantly. (provided you live in a single party state, or if you live in a 2 party state, you inform the person on the other end you are recording).
The recording itself is not legally binding for the CONTENT of the call (statements made can't be defended directly) in some states, the fact that call wes MADE is in fact admissible. Though, typically just playing that call back to a supervisor, manager, or company exec gets things not only done fast, but with some extra "compensation" for your trouble (aka giving you everything you ask for costs less than a guaranteed loss in a court room).
Any "debit" transaction run as a credit transaction (you use a signature instead of a pin, or pay online in any way), are covered by the EXACT SAME VISA RULES as a credit card. The ONLY transactions on a debit card that are not covered in kind are "ATM" transactions, using your pin number.
When you swipe your card, your should NEVER enter your pin number. The merchant is required to offer you a signature based option. They bury it on some machines, but make it readily available on others. Ask the cashier "how do i use this as credit?" and they'll tell you how. If you do this, your transactions are protected by Visa (and you earn Visa rewards if you signed up).
If someone has your card number, but not your pin, ALL the illegal transactions they run go through Visa, not your bank directly. Your BANK may not offer protection (most do), but that doesn't matter since VISA does protect you. It may take a few business days to get the money back, and your bank may need to issue you a temporary "loan" (nearly all will offer up $500 interest free for a few weeks in these cases, no application required), or you can simply move money from savings to checking or use your wife's account for a few days.
most good banks also have fraud detection algorithms, which understand where transactions are run, time indexes between them, types of transactions, how much was pre-authorized vs rung up later (find waiters who write in big tips), and more. I've gotten calls from my bank several times when they blocked a transaction detected as such.
The VISA transactions, through the CREDIT network, via your debit card, come with the EXACT SAME merchant and VISA guarantees as ANY OTHER CARD. Only ATM and PIN transactions are covered by your bank, the rest are 100% covered by Visa's own fraud protections, and is no less of a risk that a credit card, other than up to your daily maximum withdrawl could be mnissing from your checking account for a few days while you dispute it (in which case your savings, or cash backups, that you keep for emergencies, including the not less than 2 months salary you should be holding back in case of unemployment or other major life issue, should easily be able to cover for you...
The bank is under legal obligation to cover faulty transactions on my Visa Debit card because they PUT IT IN MY CONTRACT with the bank. Further, the bank, and the merchants, involved in the transactions are further bound by the VISA merchant agreement, and have very specific time lines for charge backs and re-credits if a charge is disputed (by either me, or preferably by the bank saving me the trouble).
3-5 weeks is bullshit. OBVIOUS fraudulent charges should go back on your account within 24 hours. Its very easy for the bank and VISA to make that happen.
My bank goes a bit further than basic protection, not only guaranteeing availability of funds within 24 hours, but actually pro-actively checking the debits as they come in and validating them against behavioral purchase history and location data/time differences between transactions.
My last trip north, about 2 years ago, I got 2 calls from the bank on the way up, cross checking my activity. The first was that i made it about 500 miles before filling up, and it was a weekday afternoon while I'd typically be at work. They called to inquire why someone might be using my debit card 2 states away. They had pre-authorized the transaction, but asked if I wanted them to call the police and block completion of the transaction. I let them know what was going on and they cleared the transaction, and noted I was on vacation and said I'd not get another call. Had I not answered, they would have left me messages and e-mails and approved transactions until such a time as i called back, not stopping me from spending money, but keeping an eye on it, and "questionable" transactions would not be deducted from my account until I confirmed (though they would retroactively).
Later that day I got a second call.... When i inquired as to why, I was told that they called a restaurant I had apparently stopped at to inquire as to why I might have spent $70 for a dinner on a pre-authorized $35 bill. Turns out the waitress penned in a much larger tip... They called me to confirm i had not done that, which i had not, and told me police had already BEEN dispatched and that I'd not be charged at all for the transaction that had been rung.
Yes, if a bad transaction gets through, it may very well be a pain in the ass. But, it's no more or less secure than your credit card or a check book. (in fact, quite a bit less secure than checks, and people need only whats on the face of a check to make fake ones).
You should have a savings account, and only enough cash in checking for say 6 weeks of bills. You and your spouse should have separate checking accounts bound to 1 or 2 savings accounts. You should also have enough cash in savings to support your family for 2 months jobless (if not more). If you do not meet these metrics already, you are living beyond your means, and a simple inconvenience of moving money around and a few bank calls becomes a "you can't buy shit" major problem. Don;t blame the card for your own faults.
yes, it can be more secure, but not much. Yes, we can mandate better protections, and we should. Fact is, Visa's own agreements with the merchant give you fairly good protections, and give the merchant good reason not to process questionable transactions. Keeping an eye on your bank account works well too. Using a bank that offers more than the mandated-by-law $50 coverage is also completely within your power.
The iPhone can do handwriting recognition. There are several 3rd party apps for that. Glad to hear there are some low power systems out there (non-netbooks), than can do comparably well at common tasks including video.
I really wish people would drop the walled garden thing... There are over 200,000 apps, and growing fast. Just because you have to submit through them is NO DIFFERNT then submitting through a retail distributor, or selling/distributing online, since if you app is illegal, the courts will happily pull it anyway... If you WANT illegal apps, no one is stopping you on the iPhone, its easily jailbroken, and there is a thriving illegal app community... It;s NO DIFFERENT, except its more secure, better controlled, and comes with a single company backing your purchases that can (and has) given refunds.
OK, so you've got a $450 machine that can (barely, we'll see how Windows holds out after a few patches and some background apps, not to mention AV running) do H.264.
no bluetooth, no portrait mode, expensive apps, not always on, lots of maintenance and patching, weighs more (people are complaining about the 1.5lb iPad to read books on already, let alone 3 lbs), get at best 6 hours on a charge ("under controlled settings" per acer, aka, not streaming over wiFi and playing H.264, as the iPad is quoted for 10 hours), and it can't do 3D gaming, and no touch screen.
You've proved there are some sub $600 machines that can do the video. Great. misses on all other counts.
- the iPad is a companion device, used for casual media consumption and communication. If you REQUIRE flash access for some reason, and the web publisher was a bad publisher and didn't include non-flash content, then you have another PC in the house (or at work), or you could simply bookmark the page and view it later. If access to flash content is a hard requirement and such that it must be done THEN AND THERE and waiting is not an option, but you also require the iPad's other media features, then go spend a thousand or more dollars on another tablet, or a netbook with a GPU. No one is stopping you. Business requirements and TCO are separate pieces of the argument, not part of the same. ALL points must be considered, not one. Flash is dying, FAST. Since February when the MPAA anounced a 56 year moratorium on royalties (which we all expect to get extended another 5 at that point), everyone gave up on flash. in 6 months, not one of the top 150 sites, and virtually no commercial streaming sites will use it for 1 key reason: flah servers cost money, H.264 are free, and H.264 also takes less bandwidth less storage, and less resources. They not only have security reasons to switch, but economic ones too, so only Ads and games will remain, and game devs are freeing to the iPhone Os in record numbers too (because it's easier to code and they make more money too). - The aspire is not a netbook. It's a core 2, and it's battery life need not try to compare. (which, btw, it's a core SOLO, not a dual core...)...and no, a core2Duo alone CAN NOT do H.264 unless it has a chipset that is post G41/43 generation. - the Oleophobic glass in the iPad is the same in the iPhone 3GS, and very similar to that of the iPhone 2G and 3G, generally considered one of the hardest glass surfaces ever made. The "scratched glass" issue was a problem only for early generation iPod Nanos, was a deficiency of the subcontracted manufacturer not meeting design specs, alll effected models were covered by an extended voluntary recall, and new models did not have that issue. Thanks for bringing up an unrelated issue on a single product and trying to apply that to the entire line, troll. I drop my iPhone regularly, often hard. It has a few dings, but no issues. My first generation 2G has 1 tiny scratch, from being dropped while running in the rain, landing face down on concrete where I stepped on it and slid a few inches. 1 tiny scratch. No screen protector has EVER been placed on my phone. - Hand over? a lot of good that does for 4 kids. Hanging from the seat lets them all =see it. notebooks don't hand quite so easily. - bingo, as much as Flash is youre desire, netbooks are useless to me without portrait mode. - Oh, the Aspire is a CORE SOLO (model 8804 or 8913/8414)), not core duo, at the $450-489 mark. For $549 (model 2920) its a celeron. Both do have 802.11n (2.4GHz only, not MiMo) but both also LACK bluetooth. - 3G USB adapters require contracts, and expensive terms ($60+ monthly with data caps and overage fees, no provider i can find offers a true unlimited air card, let alone $29 without a contract). - yes, the iPad does make use of paging to disk (flash), and no, it need not read back from hibernate because it DOESN'T hibernate, as stated, it's ALWAYS ON, with 30 DAYS of standby time on WiFi. - iPhone/app updates can be ignored until you are ready, and it's only the PC that annoys for for them, not the pad. Security updates for your PC are essentially manditory. You need to install an OS update on the iPhone about every 3-4 months that requires a reboot, and you don;t loose any data-in-flight doing it. On a PC, you have to manually save and close everything or risk data loss, and the reboots about about 2 times a month, plus FAR more frequent and in-your-face update notices, and automatic installs. Syncing to the PC is also your backup. How easy is it to back up your netbook since Windows can't do that automatically (it requires a schedule, and configuration, and complex recovery pro
Re:The reason there is no camera
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iPad Review
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· Score: 1
No, the software is in there, and quite ready, and in fact supports bluetooth web cams natively.
The problem was THEY TESTED IT. People HATED it, and completely panned it;s inclusion, with only 15% of APPLE EMPLOYEES thinking the camera was a worthy inclusion... This included a groups of people who DO use iChat, plus a small sampling of people who did not.
Want to know why people hated it?
1) primary reason: camera position on the device. Only likely position was along the longer bezel edge, behind the glass. To fit, it had to be about 1" in from the edge, centered above the landscape screen. From here, the camera pointed directly up from the glass. Weeeellll... the glass does not point at your face... The camera on your laptop bezel points at an alge from the screen, which is 10" above the surface of your lap. The iPad camera, even if angled a bit, would have a hard time pointing at you without the device having to be at a steep viewing angle, and holding it at that angle is tiring for a 1.5lb device. People only found it useful when it was docked (at which point an external camera could be readily available). 2) typing on it caused the person on the other end great distress. Every strike of a key shook the whole device. To counter, software based anti-shake would have been required, and the pad simply can't do that in real time (nothing on an ARM base can). The angle to see your face was not ergonomic for the on-screen keyboard. Not a big deal in video and audio chat, but dealing with pop-ups, notifications, and other things while chatting, the person watching you was not amused. 3) Walking around with it was confusing to the viewer. besides the shake, your face staying still while the background swirled and moved was vomit inducing... Video chat should no be a portable system... stay put while talking. The only plausible solution would have been background detection and blanking (like iChat does by inserting a false background) but that takes WAY more processing power than the pad can muster, several times what it can muster actually.... It's so light, people would forget to consider what the person on the other end saw while chatting.... maintaining etiquite was a problem. 4) Everyone wanted cameras that could face both ways (at you and at other people). This was a complicated design, and added a lot of cost, and software complexity with existing apps. It was either include no cameras, include 2, or include a camera on a swivle of some kind (everyone hated the prototype with the moving camera). 5), camera placement, on the side bezel, because of device form and likely placement for most usability, also happened to be EXACTLY where right handed people put the thumb of their left hand when using the device in portrait mode. The camera lens was always dirty... 6) not including a camera lowers the device cost. only 25% of people polled would even USE video chat, most admitted they would rarely, and with so many drawbacks for it's use on a small, light device like the pad, it was clear that making a camera an option (via Bluetooth, or the dock port connector), solved ALL of the above issues. It was cut from the design. Native software (iChat) is rumored to be part of OS 4 and should bring an Apple solution, but we expect others to add 3rd party video chat sooner as the camera APIs are available in the SDK, one only need provide a camera...
Re:I'll try not to be an Apple basher
on
iPad Review
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· Score: 1
I agree. I've tested DOZENS of handwriting apps. They all suck, even for people considered to have generally good handwriting (which among the geek community is a rare trait, very rare).
Also, typing is simply faster, even on a touch screen, than handwriting. The iPad CAN capture signatures, and other handwriting, it just does not convert it to text (there are some 3rd party apps that can do that though). Also, speech recognition IS in there, and that's probably about the fastest input method, and dragon is actually pretty damned good at it.
Then there's the capacitive stylus issues.... They also mostly suck, typically require power, are bulkier than typical stylus, and would never fit in a slot in the case so you'd have to carry it separately (likely to loose that quick). The screen is responsive enough that you could easily use a finger for handwriting input, but that's a bit unnatural, and likely the keyboard would be quicker.
What the iPad needs is an ALTERNATE keyboard, designed for one handed input (type with one hand, hold with other), and that might make quick simple entry more comfortable. Longer entries you flip open the case/stand (great product btw), and typing is not too much different from soft-touch keyboards. For long typing sessions, caring around a folding bluetooth keyboard is not an issue in my mind...
SOME people can get by with ONLY a netbook (not me). I don't see the iPad as a NetBook replacement because i see a Netbook as a useless and cumbersome device, slower and less useful than a PC, but still requiring all the maintenance, security patching, and hand holding, not to mention the expense in additional non-portable software licenses... Sure, it;s a small PC, light and with long battery, but without portrait mode, and on such a small screen, it can't be an ebook reader for most people, and no netbooks under $649 can do H.264 full screen (in fact, until the Tegra 2, none can at all unless they have either an AMD processor, or a Core2 and a non-intel GPU) so it;s useless for video. Big deal, it has flash... I turned that off for security concerns about 3 years ago, and on the very rare occasions i come across a site that requires it (with no non-flash version) instead of bookmarking the site to come back later, I flame the webmaster, and CC: the consumer office for the company, then waste their time by calling and inquiring to a person on the phone.
the iPad is a platform for media consumption, staying in touch, messaging, as as a companion device to your PC. Having a simple pad that's always on, that plays video, that i can use comfortably in the living room, that's weather sealed for outdoor use, and that DOESN'T require the costs, maintenance and hassle of a full OS is exactly what this thing is for. Does everyone need one? no. Everyone doesn't NEED anything like this. Can millions of people get a device like this that makes media consumption as simple, effective, and do it as cheaply? no. This is a device in a perfect nich. I can find dozens of reasons I'd want this instead of a netbook, and anything the netbook can do this can't, i can easily do on the real PC I'd need anyway if I had a netbook.
Competition? - Cost of the DEVICE has nothing to do with TCO, which should be compared, and your NetBook has much higher and recurring software costs, which must be considered, especially for a family that might get several of them (iPad software is usable on up to 25 devices, 5 each per 5 active iTunes computers) - Your netbook can't do H.264 fullscreen, let alone 720P (or 1080p as the iPad is capable of, as soon as the HDMI dock connector hits the market). - Your netbook is not hermetically sealed, making it especially poor in outdoor environments like the beach, even the backyard if you forget to cut the sprinklers off.... - Netbooks are near impossible to hand from the back of a car seat so your kids can watch TV on a road trip - netbooks don;t do portrait mode, considered a standard necessity for ebooks and comics. - Your netbook likely doesn't have WiFI N, let along a 5GHz mode, and that means even if it can do HD video, it likely can't STREAM it. - Your netbook, if it has 3G, has a lock-in contract that likely costs double the iPad's monthly contract price, or at least the same to tether it to your phone. If you're tethering, watch out for those overage charges too!, ouch. - iPad is ALWAYS ON, which is a huge difference compared to a Windows or Linux machine that hibernates (and takes several minutes to boot). - iPad doesn't require continual maintenance and security management as a Windows OS does. We keep a notebook in our living room, and every few days when i use it, it needs ANOTHER fucking patch, and insists I reboot... Flash, Java, AV, Windows, Office, Spyware security, iTunes, Opera, FireFox, constantly fucking bugging me, and I never get any work done on it, and the damned desktop needs just as much effort. This device is supposed to COMPLEMENT my PC, not waste my time by being a second-but-less-useful one. If I have to have a PC and a Netbook, I'd rather just have a beefy laptop and deal with the weight. in this case, a good desktop and an iPad COST LESS and provide more function (as a pair).
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I have a 22" that has 1200 vertical lines, the new 17" Macbooks have the same, and I've seen 24 and 27" screens with 1600 for more than a DECADE. many 4" screens have 480 lines for Christ's sake, and there are 15" HDTVs that can do 1080p. We're nowhere NEAR the pixel density... 4X HD screens come in 30"+ models and have more than 1600 lines. WQUSXGA is already a standard at 3840x2400...
3 years ago I bough a pair of DVI/HDMI/VGA input supporting 22" widescreen LCD monitors for under $200 each and they came with 1200 vertical lines of resolution and a snappy 6ms response. They replaced a 19" CRT that was a 1600x1200and a 17" LCD that was 1200x1024. Now most of the 24" screens only have 1080 lines, heck half the 17" ones do too! Over 24" I would not even CONSIDDER a screen that could not do 1600 vertical lines. at 30" 1600 or higher should be the ONLY options.
Thanks to everyone wanting to watch "HD video in native resolution", and they think that's an UPGRADE from previous technology, all the damned screens are 1080... I want my 120 lines back damnit!!!
No. ARM has a core architecture, but they OPEN LICENSED that architecture to numerous firms, just as Intel did with AMD. At this point, Intel could refuse to share new tech with AMD, but that does not stop AMD from competing, as they have license to modify the x86 code set and produce chips. That is NOT a revocable license.
Apple's ownership of ARM would NOT prevent independent ARM development or manufacture. If apple played hardball and refused to share new ARM development other than what was already licensed, all that would happen is those who already licensed ARM up to and including core rights to integrate ARM's command set, core architecture, and subsets with other technologies (Tegra, Snapdragon, etc) would continue to partner together with each other and develop further ARM-based processors, and Apple would be left in the cold...
Apple is not stupid. FRAND laws apply here, existing licenses and contracts can not be altered by this merger, Apple is merely interested in the profit from the arrangements ARM already has (and lowering their internal costs with PMI Semi and the A4 and future architectures).
So, intel Atom is not a competitor, huh?
An all the "ARM based" products from Qualcomm, Samsung, and more that are not made by ARM, and which have existing contracts which would be required to be preserved, including in Samsung and nVidia's case, full access to all in-development architectures and new released products?
Apple can buy ARM, but existing contracts and licenses prevent them from stopping others from using the chip architecture. Those who already have it have license to MODIFY it, and continue its growth. If Apple tried to cut them off from new centralized research, those with existing license could still make chips, could still cooperate on standards, and could still augment the technology and make it better. Essentially, enough companies have existing standards and license for ARM tech that if Apple cut them off, the only company they'd be cutting off is themselves, as the standard would continue for everyone else, and Apple's chips would be a fragmented branch development no longer compatible with everyone else.... It would be a huge bad move, but would NOT stop competition, and would thus not be illegal.
Most currently marketed phones use ARM, perhaps. This is FAR from a monopoly on production however. In fact, if it was, ARM would already likely be under investigation if there was any fishy stuff since Apple is so small comparatively.
So, here's the current line-up:
- ARM (11, Cortex A8, ARMv7, etc)
- nVidia (tegra, Tegra 2, which has existing license on the ARM core architecture set that can not be taken away by a merger with Apple).
- Marvell XScale (also ARM based, but licenses only instructions, not the core architecture).
- Qualcomm Scorpion (an ARM clone, also licensed, combined with ATI graphics
- Intel Atom
- Moorestown MeeGo.
- Samsung. yet another licenses ARM core design, but using alternative architecture.
So, not exactly a monopoly (not even a duopoly) but, there's more...
Don't think for a second ATI is not designing their own. Rumor has it Big Blue is also...
Then, there's other issues, most notably FRAND. ARM is a reference architecture, and is already open licensed. That license must be offered to ALL comers provided fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory pricing, or Apple would be in a world of shit.
Then, there's the idea that it is COMPLETELY LEGAL to be a monopoly! It is only illegal to ABUSE monopoly position to unfairly stifle competition or emergent alternatives. Since they're already covered by FRAND, it's pretty hard for Apple to do anything aggressive that way.
Additionally,
* Don't click on links without verifying the actual link matches the name displayed in HTML when you mouse over it. When in doubt, type the root URL in by hand and browse to the specific page.
* Don't read spam. Anything anyone sends you, even family members, providing you with news, alerts, health related info, virus warnings, saftey warnings, etc, is ALL bullshit. HaoxBusters and snopes.com are your friends, when in doubt, LOOK UP the email there, and then tell your friend/family member to check themselves next time or risk being blacklisted. (I actually created a default reply script so when a family member sent me something that looked fishy, i ran a script that made a fairly convincing looking e-mail that would appear to come from a security server indicating the content of thier e-mail was blocked as it was known SPAM and may contain a virus, took a few months and they ALL stopped sending me crap...)
* Don't download and install anything unless its direct from a nationally known vendor and its a product sold commercially (or a known safe FOSS vendor). If it's not sold on a shelf in a store, ask yourself why not? Clearly, if it was a legit product, it should be... (yes, I know, many perfectly acceptable FOSS packages out there. in that case a good rule of thumb is that If 3 PC literate people you know can't name it, its not safe).
* ignore all adverts, block them if you can
* Don't use any account with admin privileged unless you're doing something at that moment that requires it.
* Use strong passwords, and use a DIFFERENT ONE on EVERY site. There are lots of tricks for coming up with good passwords, and for remembering which one is for which site.
* only sign up for what you have to; don't enter contests, marketing programs, or provide email addresses or phone numbers of your primary accounts. Some web sites insist on sending you an e-mail to validate an account ID: use a special, separate email account just for that, and immediately change any password they may issue you in that e-mail.
* never give out your personal/primary email address to a company or someone you do not personally trust for any reason.
* stay off P2P and other sharing systems completely.
* there's not just AntiVirus software, there's also AntiSpyware software, USE BOTH!
* Back up regularly, to a drive that is NOT always connected to your system (leaving a backup USB drive or network share mounted all the time means a virus can wipe out your backups too!) back up stuff you want to save from fire and other disasters online to a secure hosted system.
* When browsing questionable sites, do so from a virtual machine or a machine that uses completely different account information from your primary accounts and contains none of your personal files. A cheap old laptop is a good solution for that).
and just try hanging that from the back of your car seat and see how long the screen hinges last...
This is to replace a car entertainment system, not a laptop troll.
An ipad and a simple sling/case can easily be hung from a headrest on the drivers seat, and be strapped around it for stability, and be a very nice 10" personal screen for a kid (or hung between the 2 front seats to be shared). It easily connected via an audio jack or FM tranceiver to the car stereo, or a few pairs of bluetooth A2DP headsets (or even old school FM wireless headsets, or even older school wired headsets with a Y adapter.
Laptops A) can't easily be suspended as such, don't cost under $500 and also play H.264 video since there are no sub-$500 laptops with descrete MPEG decoders (DVD yes, if the drive doesn't shake so much it skips), B) most don't include bluetooth at all, C) 3G plans for data streaming cost twice as much and come with contracts (an iPad could be activated for a few weeks, or even a few days, for a big trip and then disabled again), D) are not easily synced with a home library (especially if you have more than 1 of them).
Laptops are superior to iPods, if properly equipped with wirelessN, bluetooth, and a GPU to actually BE an equivalent (pushing their price over $650 in most cases), and a decent enough processor (not a netbook), and enough storage, and if you can accept the 3G costs on top of that vs the iPad if you need that, and the TCO of software and OS upgrades and licenses for EACH machine unlike the iPad, and if you can accept the lack or portability and lower battery life, and accept the maintenance and security responsibilities, and can deal with poor at best parental controls, the difficulty in backing it up, poor streaming options from central computers (unless you run a home server), and more. Yea, they're better at some tasks, much better at others, but at media, and portability, and daily tasks, NO, laptops are NOT better.
Uh, you have heard of this thing called the CLOUD, right? a 3G connection, or a MiFi access point covers streaming from not only a variety of content sources (including netflix and very soon hulu), but also allows streaming of ANY content your PC can play (even if the iPad can't) via a $3 app, including controlling a TV tuner card on that PC remotely, allowing kids to even watch live TV in the car...
Also do you take 100 DVDs with you in the car? no, you take a few dozen. Inevitably, the kid does not have the movie they want anyway with DVDs. SYNC a few dozen works just the same! The kid can control, through iTunes, very easily, what they do and don't want on the pad, up to and including automatically purging and replacing current episodes as they're watched, and configuring some content to always be on the device unless manually deleted.
Actually, most collection agencies spoof caller ID. The bulk of them simply replace the company name with a state or city name so they're not easily identified, smarter ones are spoofing it to make it look like the call originated from within your zip core, even your region code if there are available unused numbers to spoof, and others go so far as to use the name of the bank they're collecting for in the caller ID even though they have no formal association. This is all legal, and legitimate up until this law was passed.
No, what i meant however was that banks and other organizations that DON'T spoof will have THEIR names spoofed by people willing to break the law. If you have an account with BoA, and they occasionally call you (automated low balance notices for example, or calls to tell you they spotted odd activity on your account), you might readily expect it to be a legit call, and answer. The person on the other end may CLAIM to be a BOA employee, but in reality, they're a scammer. Since BoA can't spoof caller ID, and has to use a SPECIFIC and KNOWN ID, it is easily spoofed. Today, BoA can be on their toes a bit, and use any ID they like
The law will reduce spoofing, but only from legitimate companies, which actually makes scamming EASIER and answering a call riskier.
What I'd REALLY like to see: Ban companies making any unsolicited call to your residence PERIOD. If they have communication for you, it should be through the postal system, or the call should be a simple recording indicating you call a different number back, one easily verifiable online, and that they read to you the last 6 (not 4, that's too easy to get), of your account number in that message and the name on the account, and a very easy system for cross checking bad numbers (by pressing 1 on that call to be automatically removed). No one can call you in person unless you requested it otherwise. No telemarketing unless you added yourself to a list (explicitly, not through association, and had to complete a specific form, including typing in the phone number and hours of the day you want to be called).
That way, ANY call to you from a company that is more than a simple informational message, and that offers for you to be removed, and provides you a number to call back at your convenience (or simply telly you to log onto your account and click into some help system for online support or to schedule a call back), that call is illegal, or a scam.
A quick and simple method for reporting people who don't follow the system provides self-enforcement. Get a call more than once for a wrong number, or get a scam call, a simple online form, like the one on the FCC website today (that's buried), would be fine, and when a company gets a few complaints, we pull call records, and start sending out civil fine notices, or conduct formal investigations.
Collections: until you validate my name, account, and address with an account history check (verifying the debt is real, as yet uncollected, and collectible under state laws, and has not been charged off by the originating company) followed by sending me a certified letter of the intent to collect a debt and the attempt to validate my identity for further correspondence, you can't call me AT ALL. No more of "is John Smith there?" bull shit just because this number at one time had a "smith" how had it registerd, or someone named "smith" at some point in history lived at that address. If the STATE can't confirm I live there, or provides evidence someone ELSE does, and the phone company can't provide a matching name/number association, then they need to do more research before contacting me at all. I have no bad debt, but I get calls 4 or 5 times a day for people trying to collect debts for OTHER people (and on rare occasions, scammers trying to collect debts i paid more than a decade ago).
Illegitimate people who will still spoof caller ID will start immediately using the legitimate names of companies that can't use spoofing, meaning then when it says "bank of America" calling, and you'de think to answer because you have an account with them, it could easily be a telemarketer, spammer, or a phishing call.
Caller ID spoofing legislation only works if it's STRICTLY enforced, easily reportable, universally communicated to people HOW to report it, and if they put the manpower behind it to actually go after those people.
its *57 in most places, no 69. Also, in most cases, this is something you have to request your carrier to enable on your line (its free, but not automatically enabled, since the trace happens every time once enabled and only "saves" the trace then pressed, it has a cost the them on some small level if you're not using it).
Further, *57 traces can not be provided to you, only your local magistrate, which means you need to sue someone to get it, and even then for the real scammers, this is easily overcome.
Further, Vonage, Skype, and most mobile phones do not offer this feature, only land lines.
If you utilize PRI lines for your business, you can specify by DID number how this is handled. Each can have a different caller ID, some can be lumped together, and more. it's completely customizable. If you using POTS lines, the ID is locked to the physical line, even if your PBX is not, so that either requires complex internal PBX configuration, or a shared caller ID across the pool.
1) assuming you have a mortgage, emptying your account should require more than a couple of $100 transactions... Big transactions, or lots of little ones, especially when it's not in the region of a state you live in, raised BIG red flags, and these are either caught in advance by the bank, or easily flagged and refunded later.
2) assuming you have a mortgage, you have several months of salary in a separate savings or checking account, such to cover emergency situations as not to bounce your mortgage in an emergency. Your failure to do so risks your house and lifestyle, not just a few hundred bucks, and is completely STUPID.
3) nearly all debit card fraud is signature or online transaction fraud, and that is covered by VISA, not your bank. You have 100% protection from VISA under the merchant agreement! It may take a few days to put the money back, but it is NOT GONE. (they have 10 days by law, but typically when fraud is obvious it only takes 1-2 years).
4) Most banks will offer you fast cash in a pinch to cover you for a few days, and will also "hold" transactions as approved even if your balance is too low while the fraud dispute if processed. If you notice your account IS empty, the bank will retroactively approve any bounced transactions from the first evident fraudulent transaction, and they'll call your mortgage company and explain the issue (banking issues causing bounced transactions are covered by either visa or your bank, up to $50 in charger per transaction, and even if your mortgage bounced, they can not report that on your credit if you bank claims responsibility or if you can document having been the victim of fraud)
5) MOST banks use algorithms to look for bad transactions, or call you to confirm large, unusual ones. If you bank is not, move banks.
Use of a debit card may have some risks, but they're small. use of CHECKS is GOD AWFUL RISKY, and comes with little or not protection at all.
Given the choice of using debit vs using a check? Debit. Not having to deal with traditional credit cards (and interest, penalties, and credit reporting hassles when something goes wrong like a lost payment in the mail), priceless.
The BANKS love signatures because they're not on the hook for those, VISA is. The bank is only on the hook for DEBIT transactions (requiring a pin), and they're only on the hook for certain limits (unless they extend additional coverage, as the only bank I'll bank with all do).
And that's where google vice, and the ability to record all calls to any business (by pressing a few buttons when starting the call), comes in so importantly. (provided you live in a single party state, or if you live in a 2 party state, you inform the person on the other end you are recording).
The recording itself is not legally binding for the CONTENT of the call (statements made can't be defended directly) in some states, the fact that call wes MADE is in fact admissible. Though, typically just playing that call back to a supervisor, manager, or company exec gets things not only done fast, but with some extra "compensation" for your trouble (aka giving you everything you ask for costs less than a guaranteed loss in a court room).
Any "debit" transaction run as a credit transaction (you use a signature instead of a pin, or pay online in any way), are covered by the EXACT SAME VISA RULES as a credit card. The ONLY transactions on a debit card that are not covered in kind are "ATM" transactions, using your pin number.
When you swipe your card, your should NEVER enter your pin number. The merchant is required to offer you a signature based option. They bury it on some machines, but make it readily available on others. Ask the cashier "how do i use this as credit?" and they'll tell you how. If you do this, your transactions are protected by Visa (and you earn Visa rewards if you signed up).
If someone has your card number, but not your pin, ALL the illegal transactions they run go through Visa, not your bank directly. Your BANK may not offer protection (most do), but that doesn't matter since VISA does protect you. It may take a few business days to get the money back, and your bank may need to issue you a temporary "loan" (nearly all will offer up $500 interest free for a few weeks in these cases, no application required), or you can simply move money from savings to checking or use your wife's account for a few days.
most good banks also have fraud detection algorithms, which understand where transactions are run, time indexes between them, types of transactions, how much was pre-authorized vs rung up later (find waiters who write in big tips), and more. I've gotten calls from my bank several times when they blocked a transaction detected as such.
The VISA transactions, through the CREDIT network, via your debit card, come with the EXACT SAME merchant and VISA guarantees as ANY OTHER CARD. Only ATM and PIN transactions are covered by your bank, the rest are 100% covered by Visa's own fraud protections, and is no less of a risk that a credit card, other than up to your daily maximum withdrawl could be mnissing from your checking account for a few days while you dispute it (in which case your savings, or cash backups, that you keep for emergencies, including the not less than 2 months salary you should be holding back in case of unemployment or other major life issue, should easily be able to cover for you...
The bank is under legal obligation to cover faulty transactions on my Visa Debit card because they PUT IT IN MY CONTRACT with the bank. Further, the bank, and the merchants, involved in the transactions are further bound by the VISA merchant agreement, and have very specific time lines for charge backs and re-credits if a charge is disputed (by either me, or preferably by the bank saving me the trouble).
3-5 weeks is bullshit. OBVIOUS fraudulent charges should go back on your account within 24 hours. Its very easy for the bank and VISA to make that happen.
My bank goes a bit further than basic protection, not only guaranteeing availability of funds within 24 hours, but actually pro-actively checking the debits as they come in and validating them against behavioral purchase history and location data/time differences between transactions.
My last trip north, about 2 years ago, I got 2 calls from the bank on the way up, cross checking my activity. The first was that i made it about 500 miles before filling up, and it was a weekday afternoon while I'd typically be at work. They called to inquire why someone might be using my debit card 2 states away. They had pre-authorized the transaction, but asked if I wanted them to call the police and block completion of the transaction. I let them know what was going on and they cleared the transaction, and noted I was on vacation and said I'd not get another call. Had I not answered, they would have left me messages and e-mails and approved transactions until such a time as i called back, not stopping me from spending money, but keeping an eye on it, and "questionable" transactions would not be deducted from my account until I confirmed (though they would retroactively).
Later that day I got a second call.... When i inquired as to why, I was told that they called a restaurant I had apparently stopped at to inquire as to why I might have spent $70 for a dinner on a pre-authorized $35 bill. Turns out the waitress penned in a much larger tip... They called me to confirm i had not done that, which i had not, and told me police had already BEEN dispatched and that I'd not be charged at all for the transaction that had been rung.
Yes, if a bad transaction gets through, it may very well be a pain in the ass. But, it's no more or less secure than your credit card or a check book. (in fact, quite a bit less secure than checks, and people need only whats on the face of a check to make fake ones).
You should have a savings account, and only enough cash in checking for say 6 weeks of bills. You and your spouse should have separate checking accounts bound to 1 or 2 savings accounts. You should also have enough cash in savings to support your family for 2 months jobless (if not more). If you do not meet these metrics already, you are living beyond your means, and a simple inconvenience of moving money around and a few bank calls becomes a "you can't buy shit" major problem. Don;t blame the card for your own faults.
yes, it can be more secure, but not much. Yes, we can mandate better protections, and we should. Fact is, Visa's own agreements with the merchant give you fairly good protections, and give the merchant good reason not to process questionable transactions. Keeping an eye on your bank account works well too. Using a bank that offers more than the mandated-by-law $50 coverage is also completely within your power.
The iPhone can do handwriting recognition. There are several 3rd party apps for that. Glad to hear there are some low power systems out there (non-netbooks), than can do comparably well at common tasks including video.
I really wish people would drop the walled garden thing... There are over 200,000 apps, and growing fast. Just because you have to submit through them is NO DIFFERNT then submitting through a retail distributor, or selling/distributing online, since if you app is illegal, the courts will happily pull it anyway... If you WANT illegal apps, no one is stopping you on the iPhone, its easily jailbroken, and there is a thriving illegal app community... It;s NO DIFFERENT, except its more secure, better controlled, and comes with a single company backing your purchases that can (and has) given refunds.
OK, so you've got a $450 machine that can (barely, we'll see how Windows holds out after a few patches and some background apps, not to mention AV running) do H.264.
no bluetooth, no portrait mode, expensive apps, not always on, lots of maintenance and patching, weighs more (people are complaining about the 1.5lb iPad to read books on already, let alone 3 lbs), get at best 6 hours on a charge ("under controlled settings" per acer, aka, not streaming over wiFi and playing H.264, as the iPad is quoted for 10 hours), and it can't do 3D gaming, and no touch screen.
You've proved there are some sub $600 machines that can do the video. Great. misses on all other counts.
- the iPad is a companion device, used for casual media consumption and communication. If you REQUIRE flash access for some reason, and the web publisher was a bad publisher and didn't include non-flash content, then you have another PC in the house (or at work), or you could simply bookmark the page and view it later. If access to flash content is a hard requirement and such that it must be done THEN AND THERE and waiting is not an option, but you also require the iPad's other media features, then go spend a thousand or more dollars on another tablet, or a netbook with a GPU. No one is stopping you. Business requirements and TCO are separate pieces of the argument, not part of the same. ALL points must be considered, not one. Flash is dying, FAST. Since February when the MPAA anounced a 56 year moratorium on royalties (which we all expect to get extended another 5 at that point), everyone gave up on flash. in 6 months, not one of the top 150 sites, and virtually no commercial streaming sites will use it for 1 key reason: flah servers cost money, H.264 are free, and H.264 also takes less bandwidth less storage, and less resources. They not only have security reasons to switch, but economic ones too, so only Ads and games will remain, and game devs are freeing to the iPhone Os in record numbers too (because it's easier to code and they make more money too). ...and no, a core2Duo alone CAN NOT do H.264 unless it has a chipset that is post G41/43 generation.
- The aspire is not a netbook. It's a core 2, and it's battery life need not try to compare. (which, btw, it's a core SOLO, not a dual core...)
- the Oleophobic glass in the iPad is the same in the iPhone 3GS, and very similar to that of the iPhone 2G and 3G, generally considered one of the hardest glass surfaces ever made. The "scratched glass" issue was a problem only for early generation iPod Nanos, was a deficiency of the subcontracted manufacturer not meeting design specs, alll effected models were covered by an extended voluntary recall, and new models did not have that issue. Thanks for bringing up an unrelated issue on a single product and trying to apply that to the entire line, troll. I drop my iPhone regularly, often hard. It has a few dings, but no issues. My first generation 2G has 1 tiny scratch, from being dropped while running in the rain, landing face down on concrete where I stepped on it and slid a few inches. 1 tiny scratch. No screen protector has EVER been placed on my phone.
- Hand over? a lot of good that does for 4 kids. Hanging from the seat lets them all =see it. notebooks don't hand quite so easily.
- bingo, as much as Flash is youre desire, netbooks are useless to me without portrait mode.
- Oh, the Aspire is a CORE SOLO (model 8804 or 8913/8414)), not core duo, at the $450-489 mark. For $549 (model 2920) its a celeron. Both do have 802.11n (2.4GHz only, not MiMo) but both also LACK bluetooth.
- 3G USB adapters require contracts, and expensive terms ($60+ monthly with data caps and overage fees, no provider i can find offers a true unlimited air card, let alone $29 without a contract).
- yes, the iPad does make use of paging to disk (flash), and no, it need not read back from hibernate because it DOESN'T hibernate, as stated, it's ALWAYS ON, with 30 DAYS of standby time on WiFi.
- iPhone/app updates can be ignored until you are ready, and it's only the PC that annoys for for them, not the pad. Security updates for your PC are essentially manditory. You need to install an OS update on the iPhone about every 3-4 months that requires a reboot, and you don;t loose any data-in-flight doing it. On a PC, you have to manually save and close everything or risk data loss, and the reboots about about 2 times a month, plus FAR more frequent and in-your-face update notices, and automatic installs. Syncing to the PC is also your backup. How easy is it to back up your netbook since Windows can't do that automatically (it requires a schedule, and configuration, and complex recovery pro
No, the software is in there, and quite ready, and in fact supports bluetooth web cams natively.
The problem was THEY TESTED IT. People HATED it, and completely panned it;s inclusion, with only 15% of APPLE EMPLOYEES thinking the camera was a worthy inclusion... This included a groups of people who DO use iChat, plus a small sampling of people who did not.
Want to know why people hated it?
1) primary reason: camera position on the device. Only likely position was along the longer bezel edge, behind the glass. To fit, it had to be about 1" in from the edge, centered above the landscape screen. From here, the camera pointed directly up from the glass. Weeeellll... the glass does not point at your face... The camera on your laptop bezel points at an alge from the screen, which is 10" above the surface of your lap. The iPad camera, even if angled a bit, would have a hard time pointing at you without the device having to be at a steep viewing angle, and holding it at that angle is tiring for a 1.5lb device. People only found it useful when it was docked (at which point an external camera could be readily available).
2) typing on it caused the person on the other end great distress. Every strike of a key shook the whole device. To counter, software based anti-shake would have been required, and the pad simply can't do that in real time (nothing on an ARM base can). The angle to see your face was not ergonomic for the on-screen keyboard. Not a big deal in video and audio chat, but dealing with pop-ups, notifications, and other things while chatting, the person watching you was not amused.
3) Walking around with it was confusing to the viewer. besides the shake, your face staying still while the background swirled and moved was vomit inducing... Video chat should no be a portable system... stay put while talking. The only plausible solution would have been background detection and blanking (like iChat does by inserting a false background) but that takes WAY more processing power than the pad can muster, several times what it can muster actually.... It's so light, people would forget to consider what the person on the other end saw while chatting.... maintaining etiquite was a problem.
4) Everyone wanted cameras that could face both ways (at you and at other people). This was a complicated design, and added a lot of cost, and software complexity with existing apps. It was either include no cameras, include 2, or include a camera on a swivle of some kind (everyone hated the prototype with the moving camera).
5), camera placement, on the side bezel, because of device form and likely placement for most usability, also happened to be EXACTLY where right handed people put the thumb of their left hand when using the device in portrait mode. The camera lens was always dirty...
6) not including a camera lowers the device cost. only 25% of people polled would even USE video chat, most admitted they would rarely, and with so many drawbacks for it's use on a small, light device like the pad, it was clear that making a camera an option (via Bluetooth, or the dock port connector), solved ALL of the above issues. It was cut from the design. Native software (iChat) is rumored to be part of OS 4 and should bring an Apple solution, but we expect others to add 3rd party video chat sooner as the camera APIs are available in the SDK, one only need provide a camera...
I agree. I've tested DOZENS of handwriting apps. They all suck, even for people considered to have generally good handwriting (which among the geek community is a rare trait, very rare).
Also, typing is simply faster, even on a touch screen, than handwriting. The iPad CAN capture signatures, and other handwriting, it just does not convert it to text (there are some 3rd party apps that can do that though). Also, speech recognition IS in there, and that's probably about the fastest input method, and dragon is actually pretty damned good at it.
Then there's the capacitive stylus issues.... They also mostly suck, typically require power, are bulkier than typical stylus, and would never fit in a slot in the case so you'd have to carry it separately (likely to loose that quick). The screen is responsive enough that you could easily use a finger for handwriting input, but that's a bit unnatural, and likely the keyboard would be quicker.
What the iPad needs is an ALTERNATE keyboard, designed for one handed input (type with one hand, hold with other), and that might make quick simple entry more comfortable. Longer entries you flip open the case/stand (great product btw), and typing is not too much different from soft-touch keyboards. For long typing sessions, caring around a folding bluetooth keyboard is not an issue in my mind...
yes, thank you.
SOME people can get by with ONLY a netbook (not me). I don't see the iPad as a NetBook replacement because i see a Netbook as a useless and cumbersome device, slower and less useful than a PC, but still requiring all the maintenance, security patching, and hand holding, not to mention the expense in additional non-portable software licenses... Sure, it;s a small PC, light and with long battery, but without portrait mode, and on such a small screen, it can't be an ebook reader for most people, and no netbooks under $649 can do H.264 full screen (in fact, until the Tegra 2, none can at all unless they have either an AMD processor, or a Core2 and a non-intel GPU) so it;s useless for video. Big deal, it has flash... I turned that off for security concerns about 3 years ago, and on the very rare occasions i come across a site that requires it (with no non-flash version) instead of bookmarking the site to come back later, I flame the webmaster, and CC: the consumer office for the company, then waste their time by calling and inquiring to a person on the phone.
the iPad is a platform for media consumption, staying in touch, messaging, as as a companion device to your PC. Having a simple pad that's always on, that plays video, that i can use comfortably in the living room, that's weather sealed for outdoor use, and that DOESN'T require the costs, maintenance and hassle of a full OS is exactly what this thing is for. Does everyone need one? no. Everyone doesn't NEED anything like this. Can millions of people get a device like this that makes media consumption as simple, effective, and do it as cheaply? no. This is a device in a perfect nich. I can find dozens of reasons I'd want this instead of a netbook, and anything the netbook can do this can't, i can easily do on the real PC I'd need anyway if I had a netbook.
Competition?
- Cost of the DEVICE has nothing to do with TCO, which should be compared, and your NetBook has much higher and recurring software costs, which must be considered, especially for a family that might get several of them (iPad software is usable on up to 25 devices, 5 each per 5 active iTunes computers)
- Your netbook can't do H.264 fullscreen, let alone 720P (or 1080p as the iPad is capable of, as soon as the HDMI dock connector hits the market).
- Your netbook is not hermetically sealed, making it especially poor in outdoor environments like the beach, even the backyard if you forget to cut the sprinklers off....
- Netbooks are near impossible to hand from the back of a car seat so your kids can watch TV on a road trip
- netbooks don;t do portrait mode, considered a standard necessity for ebooks and comics.
- Your netbook likely doesn't have WiFI N, let along a 5GHz mode, and that means even if it can do HD video, it likely can't STREAM it.
- Your netbook, if it has 3G, has a lock-in contract that likely costs double the iPad's monthly contract price, or at least the same to tether it to your phone. If you're tethering, watch out for those overage charges too!, ouch.
- iPad is ALWAYS ON, which is a huge difference compared to a Windows or Linux machine that hibernates (and takes several minutes to boot).
- iPad doesn't require continual maintenance and security management as a Windows OS does. We keep a notebook in our living room, and every few days when i use it, it needs ANOTHER fucking patch, and insists I reboot... Flash, Java, AV, Windows, Office, Spyware security, iTunes, Opera, FireFox, constantly fucking bugging me, and I never get any work done on it, and the damned desktop needs just as much effort. This device is supposed to COMPLEMENT my PC, not waste my time by being a second-but-less-useful one. If I have to have a PC and a Netbook, I'd rather just have a beefy laptop and deal with the weight. in this case, a good desktop and an iPad COST LESS and provide more function (as a pair).