I just bought a new Samsung Galaxy s7 (Unlocked & GSM)
And was it actually cheaper than an equivalent iPhone? Because, when I priced both (actually, Samsung won't sell you an unlocked phone directly), they were pretty much neck and neck, price-wise.
What are you expecting? Monthly articles on Slashdot titled "Irrelevant companies are still irrelevant"
No. But it DOES harken back to the days where people would breathlessly post about Apple "Going Out Of Business" Every. Single. Week. Which of course prompted the (now updated) Signature Line "Apple - Proudly Going Out Of Business for Forty Years."
Those same corporate secrets that Apple uses to produce smartphones that look like something from 6 years ago? The corporate secrets that produce desktop or laptop computers with the 3d graphics capabilities of a 10 year old PC (if that)?
You're so full of shit it's running out of your ears.
What, Jealous much? Actually, I have 7 of my current 15 mod points left. I get mod points awarded about two or three times every week. I just wanted to post to this Article.
And yes, I did screw up in closing my quote tag. I think that was the first time in about the last 3 years that I've done that.
Glad YOU'RE perfect.
What? Don't have mod points? Go grab your team of fanbois!
MB Air. Stolen. Then reality distortion field'ed into being 'revolutionary'.
Stolen? Again, from WHO? If you count "Netbooks" as "Prior Art" for the MBA, you might as well count the horse and buggy "prior art" for the Tesla.
Apple TC. Stolen. Then reality distortion field'ed into being 'revolutionary'.
TC? Time Capsule? How does that even make the list? It is nothing more than an obvious marriage of a WiFi Router and a Hard Drive for Time Machine Backups of several machines in the same household. But it isn't "Stolen".
Apple Watch. Stolen. Then they tried but failed to make it into being 'revolutionary'.
Everybody and his dog was more or less simultaneously working on Smart Watches. Apple's is cooler than most, because of the infrastructure it shares. But I don't think that anyone particularly "Stole" stuff from anyone else. There are only so many ways to do a SmartWatch. That's why they are ALL so similar. But seriously, STOLE???
$10 per month is about 200% too expensive for that level of music service. But, like everything else Apple does, it is overpriced and Apple's customers seem to like, indeed seek out, being overcharged.
Of course. Riiiiiight. For exactly WHAT "Level of music service" would YOU consider paying the princely sum of $10 per month?
But anyway, the trope would be like saying that Ferdinand Porsche somehow stole the automobile from Henry Ford, so Porsches will always suck when compared to a Ford (we all know better, no?)
Exactly.
What is "innovation", but the continual refinement of that which has been invented before?
It's like saying "After the Wheel, everything else that used a wheel-shaped part in its design was a ripoff."
...Really avoiding big new product releases. And just giving boring incremental updates.
And yet, when Dell, HP, Lenovo, Asus, Acer, et al. do that for decades on end, nobody cries that they have "Lost Their Mojo".
Dell lost whatever "cool factor" they had probably about 10 years ago. HP, probably even earlier than that, though maybe not as much in the server market (I wasn't involved in that market back then). Lenovo certainly hasn't been selling computers "for decades". I don't recall Asus or Acer ever having any "mojo" at all.
You're right, of course; but you're missing the point, to wit: There are NEVER hand-wringing Articles ANYWHERE about how THOSE Companies "Are fading into irrelevance, suffering declining sales, not innovating, just ripping others off, etc."
And yet, when Dell, HP, Lenovo, Asus, Acer, et al. do that for decades on end, nobody cries that they have "Lost Their Mojo".
To be fair, those garbage companies never had any mojo. [And I am reading HP in the above context as the personal computer company, not the engineering equipment company which had plenty of mojo.]
Right on both counts. But I don't even think that the HP/Agilent test equipment company is alive anymore.
Apple's business model is to sell shiny junk to idiots. Granted, that's one of the oldest models there is, but it's not like we're running out of idiots.
Yup, you'll be paying $1.00 a month to store your music in the cloud. You'll be paying $10 a month to listen to music. And whatever other services that Apple can think of (or copy, in order to monetize).
I'll tell you what: I generally dislike the idea of "You never own me" Music; but for $10 a month, having On-Demand access to 99% of the ENTIRE iTunes Catalog (not just what some Algorithm "thinks" I WANT to listen to!) anywhere I can grab an internet connection is pretty fucking sweet!
Those same corporate secrets that Apple uses to produce smartphones that look like something from 6 years ago? The corporate secrets that produce desktop or laptop computers with the 3d graphics capabilities of a 10 year old PC (if that)?
You're so full of shit it's running out of your ears.
However, lately for the past 5 years or so. Apple made it to #1 and have started to play it safe. Really avoiding big new product releases. And just giving boring incremental updates.
And yet, when Dell, HP, Lenovo, Asus, Acer, et al. do that for decades on end, nobody cries that they have "Lost Their Mojo".
Face it; for the past 3 to 5 years, we happen to be in a kind of boring time, compute-wise. The days of the incredible speed gains are long past. We have caught up to the laws of physics, and the only thing that will make computers faster now is more cores, and even that has a point of diminishing returns, heat-wise.
This sounds suspiciously like the claims for "PolyWater", a magical form of water that I first saw mention of in Popular Science magazine in the early 1970s.
It turned out to be the result of impurities in the water.
I'm in the bay area... I'm over 50 and I've been a sw/hw guy since my teens. I'm currently out of work
Get a grip on reality - that is to say, you are NOT LIVING IN IT.
Move anywhere outside and you can find work, and a good life...
The "Bay Area" is an aberration that wrongly colors of discussions around issues. It's a reason why theres such a furor over diversity in tech hiring, because the "Bay Area" is filled with a lot more drama than you will find in any workplace outside.
That said even in the "Bay Area" I know plenty of older SW workers who are quite happily working across a number of companies.
SK, normally you and I are in agreement; but I have to say you are dead wrong on this one.
You may well know some grey-beards that are still working in sw/hw Dev. positions; but it it very bit as hard, maybe harder, due to lesser Dev. job-supply overall, to find Dev. Work as a Greybeard outside of a Silicon Valley than inside, believe me.
but the place where it needs to be discussed - the national stage of public opinion, perhaps prompted by news coverage (crickets chirping sound heard) - it is NOT discussed. its swept under the rug.
I'm in the bay area, I'm over 50 and I've been a sw/hw guy since my teens. I'm currently out of work, looking, and its been dead for months, for me, so far. this is typical and usual, sad to say, and I have a little more time left before I'm empty and near bankruptcy again. yet again. I don't know if I'll ever see reliable employment in tech ever again.
I have tons of experience and a great resume. but I'm older, white, male, independant and aware of management's BS; and I guess ALL of that is out of favor for hiring prospects.
I really wish this was made more visible to non-geeks. taking to geeks is not useful, about this, as we all know about it already.
My story exactly.
Just under 40 years' paid Embedded Dev. Experience. HUGE resume (left out 90% of experience to get it to two pages). Laid off in January 2009. Posted said resume everywhere. Crickets. Actually, I STILL get headhunter calls every single week; but they are ALL horrible little short-term contract jobs halfway across the country, or more...
If I hadn't had an ex coworker help handshake me into a job writing hideous Windows ERP s/w JUST in the nick of time, plus having no house payment (house paid-for), I would have LONG ago been out on the street.
Slashdot Mirror
Two words: Soldered RAM. For me that's more than enough.
Then you have probably purchased your last laptop from ANYONE.
I don't like it much, either; but it seems to be an industry-wide trend.
I just bought a new Samsung Galaxy s7 (Unlocked & GSM)
And was it actually cheaper than an equivalent iPhone? Because, when I priced both (actually, Samsung won't sell you an unlocked phone directly), they were pretty much neck and neck, price-wise.
Apple is living on borrowed time. They need to come out with something disruptive, but all they can do is incremental upgrades.
I guess it IS time to haul out the old Tagline:
"Apple: Proudly going out of business for Forty years..."
The MUNSTERS!
Now THAT's funny!
And yes, I did screw up in closing my quote tag. I think that was the first time in about the last 3 years that I've done that.
Okay, the SECOND time...
Dammit!
What are you expecting? Monthly articles on Slashdot titled "Irrelevant companies are still irrelevant"
No. But it DOES harken back to the days where people would breathlessly post about Apple "Going Out Of Business" Every. Single. Week. Which of course prompted the (now updated) Signature Line "Apple - Proudly Going Out Of Business for Forty Years."
Those same corporate secrets that Apple uses to produce smartphones that look like something from 6 years ago? The corporate secrets that produce desktop or laptop computers with the 3d graphics capabilities of a 10 year old PC (if that)? You're so full of shit it's running out of your ears.
What, Jealous much? Actually, I have 7 of my current 15 mod points left. I get mod points awarded about two or three times every week. I just wanted to post to this Article.
And yes, I did screw up in closing my quote tag. I think that was the first time in about the last 3 years that I've done that.
Glad YOU'RE perfect.
What? Don't have mod points? Go grab your team of fanbois!
Also, learn to quote.
Just like MS, Apple stole their entire UI idea from Palo Alto.
Nope. They PAID for that, then took it FAR beyond what Xerox PARC even ENVISIONED.
They have stolen countless software app ideas over the years from devs.
And if you have written more than 10 lines of code in your life, so have you, me, and EVERY other Developer. Next!
Ipod. Stolen. Then refined with a better interface.
So NOT "Stolen". Refined. So, as another Poster said, Porsche "stole" the CAR from "Ford", right?
Ipad. Stolen. Then reality distortion field'ed into being 'revolutionary'.
Stolen? From WHAT, exactly??? Those POS "Slabs" that ran Windows for about 45 minutes and weight 10 pounds? See Porsche, above.
Iphoney. Stolen. Then reality distortion field'ed into being 'revolutionary'.
Again, Really? Who STOLE from WHO, again?
MB Air. Stolen. Then reality distortion field'ed into being 'revolutionary'.
Stolen? Again, from WHO? If you count "Netbooks" as "Prior Art" for the MBA, you might as well count the horse and buggy "prior art" for the Tesla.
Apple TC. Stolen. Then reality distortion field'ed into being 'revolutionary'.
TC? Time Capsule? How does that even make the list? It is nothing more than an obvious marriage of a WiFi Router and a Hard Drive for Time Machine Backups of several machines in the same household. But it isn't "Stolen".
Apple Watch. Stolen. Then they tried but failed to make it into being 'revolutionary'.
Everybody and his dog was more or less simultaneously working on Smart Watches. Apple's is cooler than most, because of the infrastructure it shares. But I don't think that anyone particularly "Stole" stuff from anyone else. There are only so many ways to do a SmartWatch. That's why they are ALL so similar. But seriously, STOLE???
$10 per month is about 200% too expensive for that level of music service. But, like everything else Apple does, it is overpriced and Apple's customers seem to like, indeed seek out, being overcharged.
Of course. Riiiiiight. For exactly WHAT "Level of music service" would YOU consider paying the princely sum of $10 per month?
But anyway, the trope would be like saying that Ferdinand Porsche somehow stole the automobile from Henry Ford, so Porsches will always suck when compared to a Ford (we all know better, no?)
Exactly.
What is "innovation", but the continual refinement of that which has been invented before?
It's like saying "After the Wheel, everything else that used a wheel-shaped part in its design was a ripoff."
And yet, somehow, I'M the Troll... (rollseyes)
I know, I know, I shouldn't feed the trolls.
...Really avoiding big new product releases. And just giving boring incremental updates.
And yet, when Dell, HP, Lenovo, Asus, Acer, et al. do that for decades on end, nobody cries that they have "Lost Their Mojo".
Dell lost whatever "cool factor" they had probably about 10 years ago. HP, probably even earlier than that, though maybe not as much in the server market (I wasn't involved in that market back then). Lenovo certainly hasn't been selling computers "for decades". I don't recall Asus or Acer ever having any "mojo" at all.
You're right, of course; but you're missing the point, to wit: There are NEVER hand-wringing Articles ANYWHERE about how THOSE Companies "Are fading into irrelevance, suffering declining sales, not innovating, just ripping others off, etc."
NEVER. Why is that?
And yet, when Dell, HP, Lenovo, Asus, Acer, et al. do that for decades on end, nobody cries that they have "Lost Their Mojo".
To be fair, those garbage companies never had any mojo. [And I am reading HP in the above context as the personal computer company, not the engineering equipment company which had plenty of mojo.]
Right on both counts. But I don't even think that the HP/Agilent test equipment company is alive anymore.
That's because the exciting stuff isn't happening at the consumer level it's happening at the engineering level.
You're right. But unless you watch the WWDC Keynote, you don't even get to know about those advances, even by Apple.
Apple's business model is to sell shiny junk to idiots. Granted, that's one of the oldest models there is, but it's not like we're running out of idiots.
Actually, that's Samsung's model.
Services!
Yup, you'll be paying $1.00 a month to store your music in the cloud. You'll be paying $10 a month to listen to music. And whatever other services that Apple can think of (or copy, in order to monetize).
I'll tell you what: I generally dislike the idea of "You never own me" Music; but for $10 a month, having On-Demand access to 99% of the ENTIRE iTunes Catalog (not just what some Algorithm "thinks" I WANT to listen to!) anywhere I can grab an internet connection is pretty fucking sweet!
Those same corporate secrets that Apple uses to produce smartphones that look like something from 6 years ago? The corporate secrets that produce desktop or laptop computers with the 3d graphics capabilities of a 10 year old PC (if that)? You're so full of shit it's running out of your ears.
The SE/30 was expensive, under-powered, there were no NuBus slots and not even a color display. The MacIntosh II family was a Great Leap Forward.
The SE/30 was released AFTER the Macintosh II.
However, lately for the past 5 years or so. Apple made it to #1 and have started to play it safe. Really avoiding big new product releases. And just giving boring incremental updates.
And yet, when Dell, HP, Lenovo, Asus, Acer, et al. do that for decades on end, nobody cries that they have "Lost Their Mojo".
Face it; for the past 3 to 5 years, we happen to be in a kind of boring time, compute-wise. The days of the incredible speed gains are long past. We have caught up to the laws of physics, and the only thing that will make computers faster now is more cores, and even that has a point of diminishing returns, heat-wise.
BUT their NIH syndrome (and arrogance) may be their downfall... as they never invented shit. They always stole it, refined it, and repacked it.
Ya know, every single Apple thread has this same meme. Yet there is NEVER any PROOF.
So, PROVE IT, OR STFU, FUCKER!
This sounds suspiciously like the claims for "PolyWater", a magical form of water that I first saw mention of in Popular Science magazine in the early 1970s.
It turned out to be the result of impurities in the water.
Manufacturers aren't interested in supporting older phones because they make money when people update
Apple does. Even though their business model is based on HARDWARE sales.
Think about that.
Fuck. That. Noise. Get the carriers out of the OS business.
Apple did. Why can't Google?
Oh, wait! They don't WANT to.
Co-workers will rat you out if you kill the boss. Friends will help you with the body. Family will bring their own shovels.
;-)
I'm in the bay area... I'm over 50 and I've been a sw/hw guy since my teens. I'm currently out of work
Get a grip on reality - that is to say, you are NOT LIVING IN IT.
Move anywhere outside and you can find work, and a good life...
The "Bay Area" is an aberration that wrongly colors of discussions around issues. It's a reason why theres such a furor over diversity in tech hiring, because the "Bay Area" is filled with a lot more drama than you will find in any workplace outside.
That said even in the "Bay Area" I know plenty of older SW workers who are quite happily working across a number of companies.
SK, normally you and I are in agreement; but I have to say you are dead wrong on this one.
You may well know some grey-beards that are still working in sw/hw Dev. positions; but it it very bit as hard, maybe harder, due to lesser Dev. job-supply overall, to find Dev. Work as a Greybeard outside of a Silicon Valley than inside, believe me.
we all KNOW this is a problem.
we all know h1b is a problem.
but the place where it needs to be discussed - the national stage of public opinion, perhaps prompted by news coverage (crickets chirping sound heard) - it is NOT discussed. its swept under the rug.
I'm in the bay area, I'm over 50 and I've been a sw/hw guy since my teens. I'm currently out of work, looking, and its been dead for months, for me, so far. this is typical and usual, sad to say, and I have a little more time left before I'm empty and near bankruptcy again. yet again. I don't know if I'll ever see reliable employment in tech ever again.
I have tons of experience and a great resume. but I'm older, white, male, independant and aware of management's BS; and I guess ALL of that is out of favor for hiring prospects.
I really wish this was made more visible to non-geeks. taking to geeks is not useful, about this, as we all know about it already.
My story exactly.
Just under 40 years' paid Embedded Dev. Experience. HUGE resume (left out 90% of experience to get it to two pages). Laid off in January 2009. Posted said resume everywhere. Crickets. Actually, I STILL get headhunter calls every single week; but they are ALL horrible little short-term contract jobs halfway across the country, or more...
If I hadn't had an ex coworker help handshake me into a job writing hideous Windows ERP s/w JUST in the nick of time, plus having no house payment (house paid-for), I would have LONG ago been out on the street.