b0blndsy
Feb 26, 01:57 AM
You're already dead. You only appear on forums. Go run naked in the streets. No one will able to see you. ;)
a big LOL
a big LOL
weldon
Apr 2, 07:56 PM
It's a great Word alternative for those who don't need Excel and don't want to shell out several hundred bucks (MS Office) just to get something better than TextEdit.
At $80 for iWork and $150 for the student/teacher edition of Office, it's a bit harder to justify. Of course, if you get an academic discount, $50 for iWork is low enough that you might just pick up both. I'm waiting for Pages to become a more capable page layout app. I'm still a little worried that Apple won't stick with it.
At $80 for iWork and $150 for the student/teacher edition of Office, it's a bit harder to justify. Of course, if you get an academic discount, $50 for iWork is low enough that you might just pick up both. I'm waiting for Pages to become a more capable page layout app. I'm still a little worried that Apple won't stick with it.
Rat-Boy
Aug 19, 10:19 AM
Why is everyone ragging on Facebook for this?
It's not as if they invented it.
Foursquare, Loopt and Gowalla have had these types of apps for many many months.
It's not as if they invented it.
Foursquare, Loopt and Gowalla have had these types of apps for many many months.
ryuok
Apr 19, 01:29 PM
It's not the first time that the Vietnamese got their hands on an unreleased iPhone. The question is why? It's not like that Vietnam has anything to do with anything.
hulugu
May 2, 12:50 PM
No major changes. Some new wacko will step up and fill the fresh void.
That being said, it is a HUGE moral victory for us and our troops.
I'm not so sure that the void can be filled. Osama Bin Laden had become a figurehead, split away from his funding and logistical support, and existed as a symbol.
A new leader would have to fulfill that same roll, but Al Qaeda's money trail has been cut to ribbons, their logistical support is broken, and the organization's ability to recruit may be blunted by the 'Arab Spring.'
The Taliban, however, will keep on rolling, but they have always operated as a separate group, although their operational structures were intertwined.
Remember that Al Qaeda has been 'franchising' itself since before 9/11, so expect to see clones popping up in Africa and the Mid East that claim the same lineage, with leaders who will claim to be the next Osama Bin Laden.
However, that moment has passed.
That being said, it is a HUGE moral victory for us and our troops.
I'm not so sure that the void can be filled. Osama Bin Laden had become a figurehead, split away from his funding and logistical support, and existed as a symbol.
A new leader would have to fulfill that same roll, but Al Qaeda's money trail has been cut to ribbons, their logistical support is broken, and the organization's ability to recruit may be blunted by the 'Arab Spring.'
The Taliban, however, will keep on rolling, but they have always operated as a separate group, although their operational structures were intertwined.
Remember that Al Qaeda has been 'franchising' itself since before 9/11, so expect to see clones popping up in Africa and the Mid East that claim the same lineage, with leaders who will claim to be the next Osama Bin Laden.
However, that moment has passed.
carbonmotion
Apr 11, 06:30 PM
Hello,
I have an Omega Speedmaster Professional as a gift from my former employer. It has a steel band. Is there anyway to replace with with a faux leather bad. I don't think I can afford the genuine Omega band at this point in my life and the Steel bites my wrist. Also, how would I install such a thing?
Best,
CM
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2530/4128411229_9a721d9a58_z.jpg?zz=1
I want a band that looks something like this. Reference photo.
I have an Omega Speedmaster Professional as a gift from my former employer. It has a steel band. Is there anyway to replace with with a faux leather bad. I don't think I can afford the genuine Omega band at this point in my life and the Steel bites my wrist. Also, how would I install such a thing?
Best,
CM
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2530/4128411229_9a721d9a58_z.jpg?zz=1
I want a band that looks something like this. Reference photo.
chris200x9
Mar 17, 04:08 PM
The government wants to make sure that, as online piracy moves increasingly to streaming, the law keeps up with the activity. Currently, "reproducing" and "distributing" copyrighted works are felony charges, and they cover peer-to-peer file-sharing.
full article here (http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/03/obama-ip-czar-wants-felony-charges-for-illegal-web-streaming.ars)
What do you think about this? I personally agree with what the full article points out, streaming is like holding a public performance without a proper license which is not a felony.
full article here (http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/03/obama-ip-czar-wants-felony-charges-for-illegal-web-streaming.ars)
What do you think about this? I personally agree with what the full article points out, streaming is like holding a public performance without a proper license which is not a felony.
barkmonster
Apr 23, 03:48 AM
This is the primary design flaw with the iPad. This tablet can't be the normal person's computer unless every normal person has a tech friend/relative to keep the tablet working/updated. So while Woz is correct that the tablet will be the normal person's computer, Apple's iPad is not yet that tablet.
Same for all the iGadgets with an iTunes account attached. Why apple doesn't make the default behaviour "charge" not "sync" and then simply verify that it's not the same iTunes account and "do nothing" instead of the hassle of it hiding all your music if you plug an iDevice into a PC and you're mate decides to click eject for you if your charging off it.
I can understand the need to only offer syncing on a device that isn't internet and wifi enabled because the only way of adding stuff to it is to sync to a computer but for all the other devices, it would be good if it was 100% self-contained.
I'd have no issues getting a used Mac Mini then turning it into a media centre through an LCD TV at a later date because I eventually know a Mac Pro would be my best choice for running Pro Tools 9. Someone who just wants to listen to and buy music or video, send emails, view youTube clips and keep in touch on social networking sites doesn't necessarily need a computer when the iPad does it all. Apple could even offer a way of interfacing their external DVD from the Macbook Air with the iDevices so you can rip your own music to the device itself without even needing a computer.
Same for all the iGadgets with an iTunes account attached. Why apple doesn't make the default behaviour "charge" not "sync" and then simply verify that it's not the same iTunes account and "do nothing" instead of the hassle of it hiding all your music if you plug an iDevice into a PC and you're mate decides to click eject for you if your charging off it.
I can understand the need to only offer syncing on a device that isn't internet and wifi enabled because the only way of adding stuff to it is to sync to a computer but for all the other devices, it would be good if it was 100% self-contained.
I'd have no issues getting a used Mac Mini then turning it into a media centre through an LCD TV at a later date because I eventually know a Mac Pro would be my best choice for running Pro Tools 9. Someone who just wants to listen to and buy music or video, send emails, view youTube clips and keep in touch on social networking sites doesn't necessarily need a computer when the iPad does it all. Apple could even offer a way of interfacing their external DVD from the Macbook Air with the iDevices so you can rip your own music to the device itself without even needing a computer.
avus
Nov 11, 10:41 PM
Yes, there is.
You got a problem wit' that? :rolleyes:
Why does everyone get so sensitive whenever someone points out a difference in race, culture, etc? It's not like someone said "That <insert racial slur here> can't even say iLife right! What a retard!" Everyone wants to be different and unique, but no one can handle their differences pointed out in a humorous way.
Yes, it is funny when a Japanese person tries to make the "L" sound and it comes out sounding like an "R", just as it would be equally funny for me to completely bork the Japanese language while attempting to speak it.
Like freeny said, lighten up. We're laughing with you, unless you can't laugh at yourself, then you're just getting laughed at.
Gee, you weren't laughing while you wrote this, were you? So pushy and heavy-handed while preaching us to "Lighten up," it is so... American :p
You got a problem wit' that? :rolleyes:
Why does everyone get so sensitive whenever someone points out a difference in race, culture, etc? It's not like someone said "That <insert racial slur here> can't even say iLife right! What a retard!" Everyone wants to be different and unique, but no one can handle their differences pointed out in a humorous way.
Yes, it is funny when a Japanese person tries to make the "L" sound and it comes out sounding like an "R", just as it would be equally funny for me to completely bork the Japanese language while attempting to speak it.
Like freeny said, lighten up. We're laughing with you, unless you can't laugh at yourself, then you're just getting laughed at.
Gee, you weren't laughing while you wrote this, were you? So pushy and heavy-handed while preaching us to "Lighten up," it is so... American :p
IntelliUser
May 3, 12:16 AM
Some perspective
http://www.politicalcompass.org/images/canada2011.png
http://www.politicalcompass.org/images/uscandidates2008.png
http://www.politicalcompass.org/images/eu2008.gif
http://www.politicalcompass.org/images/canada2011.png
http://www.politicalcompass.org/images/uscandidates2008.png
http://www.politicalcompass.org/images/eu2008.gif
rk21jc
Mar 31, 01:07 PM
I'm not sure if it was the 10.6.3 or the iPhoto update, but iPhoto now recognizes faces. yay!
nick1817
Mar 4, 01:07 PM
This was addressed earlier, but I haven't found a solution yet.
In "Live Feed", Farmville/Game stuff still shows up even if I've selected them not to via the full website
So, if I got to status updates in the app, or the website they don't show up, but they do in the Live Feed.
In "Live Feed", Farmville/Game stuff still shows up even if I've selected them not to via the full website
So, if I got to status updates in the app, or the website they don't show up, but they do in the Live Feed.
fourthtunz
Sep 12, 06:36 PM
Well, intel schmintel, its still windoz! Just fyi, the new dual 867 is screamin fast in Jaguar, so the dual thing is now real.
As far as the future, don't count Apple out yet.
Peace daniel:)
As far as the future, don't count Apple out yet.
Peace daniel:)
pmz
Mar 19, 04:40 PM
I disagree, very very small discount
Apple should have extended the full education discount of 14% to students. As much as I love Apple's products, they're very much an overly greedy company these days. They're also possibly being myopic, as students are highly likely to buy content for the device IMO
Very shameful Apple
wtf?
4 years ago my brother (parents) had to pay $2000 for his "tablet PC" from HP in highschool.
This works out to what, $470 a piece? Give me a break.
Apple should have extended the full education discount of 14% to students. As much as I love Apple's products, they're very much an overly greedy company these days. They're also possibly being myopic, as students are highly likely to buy content for the device IMO
Very shameful Apple
wtf?
4 years ago my brother (parents) had to pay $2000 for his "tablet PC" from HP in highschool.
This works out to what, $470 a piece? Give me a break.
theblotted
Nov 21, 04:28 PM
it could be same as flash technology. too expensive for actual implementation.
great idea tho. love recycling.
great idea tho. love recycling.
Misplaced Mage
Jun 22, 01:07 AM
Are people overestimating Apple's motives? Could it perhaps not be a masterplan but just that the new motherboard, etc they are using just happens to have this component so it's been included? That could explain why it's hidden around the back. If being placed on the back is deliberate it could just be for aesthetics sake as ports on the front will look messy.
Entirely possible. If you look at this picture of the new Mini's logic board (http://s1.guide-images.ifixit.net/igi/eBGMrGURJuJjcmlh.huge) from iFixIt's teardown, it looks like the logic board is just wide enough at the front (right side of the board) of the housing to have accommodated the SD card slot. But it looks like it would have been at the expense of either growing the housing so an inserted card sat flush with it, or having the card stick out significantly (and asymmetrically) from the rounded corner.
I really don't get why people who come up with specs don't think ahead. When SD came out it has a 2GB limit. So they updated it, SDHC for a 32GB limit. Now they had to update it again, SDXC for a 2TB limit. They should have just designed the format to scale in the FIRST place.
For example: CompactFlash came out in like 1994 and has scaled all the way up to like 137GB, when the first cards were under 1MB.
Fair point. It could have been a cost-driven design decision to keep the cost of the driver silicon down, similar to those that drove the design of the original USB 1.0 specification.
With regard to booting:
I think a lot of people in here are also looking over the fact that the card reader is on the USB bus. Meaning the speeds you'd be limited to would be that of USB 2.0. Internal 5400rpm boot drive would still be faster.
The card reader doesn't show up on the Mini's USB device tree in System Profiler, hence is not a USB device. The USB device tree lists every device that is currently enumerated on the bus.
I believe its part of the ethernet controller chip.
Correct. Looking at the BCM57765 block diagram, the SD card data is accessed via the PCI Express bus. The SMBus is several orders of magnitude too slow to handle 2.5GT/s, and is likely used for controlling the driver IC.
Entirely possible. If you look at this picture of the new Mini's logic board (http://s1.guide-images.ifixit.net/igi/eBGMrGURJuJjcmlh.huge) from iFixIt's teardown, it looks like the logic board is just wide enough at the front (right side of the board) of the housing to have accommodated the SD card slot. But it looks like it would have been at the expense of either growing the housing so an inserted card sat flush with it, or having the card stick out significantly (and asymmetrically) from the rounded corner.
I really don't get why people who come up with specs don't think ahead. When SD came out it has a 2GB limit. So they updated it, SDHC for a 32GB limit. Now they had to update it again, SDXC for a 2TB limit. They should have just designed the format to scale in the FIRST place.
For example: CompactFlash came out in like 1994 and has scaled all the way up to like 137GB, when the first cards were under 1MB.
Fair point. It could have been a cost-driven design decision to keep the cost of the driver silicon down, similar to those that drove the design of the original USB 1.0 specification.
With regard to booting:
I think a lot of people in here are also looking over the fact that the card reader is on the USB bus. Meaning the speeds you'd be limited to would be that of USB 2.0. Internal 5400rpm boot drive would still be faster.
The card reader doesn't show up on the Mini's USB device tree in System Profiler, hence is not a USB device. The USB device tree lists every device that is currently enumerated on the bus.
I believe its part of the ethernet controller chip.
Correct. Looking at the BCM57765 block diagram, the SD card data is accessed via the PCI Express bus. The SMBus is several orders of magnitude too slow to handle 2.5GT/s, and is likely used for controlling the driver IC.
Michael CM1
Jun 22, 03:27 AM
Yep. The Xbox will format the drive and let you use it for extra storage. The only problem is, no matter what the size of the drive, it will only let you use up to 16GB for storage. But yes, if you have a USB drive just sitting around gathering dust, might as well put it to use.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/981974
I just noticed that. 250GB on the drive, 16GB to use. Well, beats nothing. I already figured out how to get Live Gold for $1 for a month, then found out about demos. Holy crap. It's taking forever for the NCAA 11 demo to download, but that should be awesome instead of dropping $50 on crap, like I did on the Wii version in 08.
I may eventually end up wishing I had gotten the $300 system, but I did end up with a pair of free games with this. I can add a 250GB HDD for $100 and then be mostly the same except for built-in WiFi. That's saving $50 by running an ethernet cable.
I sent you an invite or whatever on Halo. I think it was on Halo. Anywho, my name is the same as here except without the space. I slightly got better, but I'm still mostly running around and just shooting at stuff.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/981974
I just noticed that. 250GB on the drive, 16GB to use. Well, beats nothing. I already figured out how to get Live Gold for $1 for a month, then found out about demos. Holy crap. It's taking forever for the NCAA 11 demo to download, but that should be awesome instead of dropping $50 on crap, like I did on the Wii version in 08.
I may eventually end up wishing I had gotten the $300 system, but I did end up with a pair of free games with this. I can add a 250GB HDD for $100 and then be mostly the same except for built-in WiFi. That's saving $50 by running an ethernet cable.
I sent you an invite or whatever on Halo. I think it was on Halo. Anywho, my name is the same as here except without the space. I slightly got better, but I'm still mostly running around and just shooting at stuff.
MikeTheC
Nov 3, 01:19 AM
I'd like to tackle a few points in the discussion here.
Dirt-Cheap vs. Reasonable Economy (a.k.a. "The Wal-Martization of America"):
Apple has always had the philosophy that their name needs to mean a superior product. They have tended to shy away from producing bargain-basement products because it tends to take away from the "high-quality" reputation they are otherwise known for and desire to continue cultivating.
At direct odds with this is the pervasive and continually-perpetuated attitude in the U.S. (and elsewhere, perhaps) that the universe revolves exclusively around the mantra of "faster, cheaper, better", with emphasis on the latter two: cheaper and better. What I have noticed in my own 34 years on this planet is a considerable change in attitude, most easily summed up as people in general having their tastes almost "anti-cultured". It isn't "... cheaper, better" for them, but rather "cheaper = better". You can see this at all levels. Businesses, despite their claims to the contrary, tend to prioritize the executives specifically and the company generally making money over any other possible consideration. They try and drive their workforce from well-paid, highly competent full-time people, to part-time, no-medical or retirement-benefits-earning, low-experience, low-paid domestic help; and the second prong of their pincer movement is to outsource the rest.
Or, in short, "let's make a lot of money, but don't spend any in the process."
My goal here is not to get into the lengthy and well-trod discussion of corporate exploitation of the masses; rather it is to show the Wal-Mart effect at all levels.
More and more over the years I find that people have no taste. Steve Jobs accuses Microsoft of having no taste (a point I am not trying to argue against); I think however that he's hit a little low of the mark. The attitude out there seems to be one of total self-focus -- and not merely "me first", but rather "me first, me last, and ******* everybody else". They're the "I don't want to know anything", "all I want to do is get out of having to do anything I can, including not using my brain except for pleasure-seeking tasks," and "For God's sake, I surely don't want to have to spend more than the minimum on a computer" bunch.
Now, clearly, not everyone in the U.S. is like this; obviously, if they were, Apple would have no customers at all. But this is a real and fairly large group. Short of Apple practically giving away their computers, it's hard to imagine them being all that specifically attractive to that demographic. Moreover, those people are not merely non-enthusiasts; they want all of the benefits of having this trendy computer thing, but wish to be encumbered by none of the responsibilities.
To my way of thinking, frankly however large this group of people is, I would encourage Apple to avoid appealing to them whenever and wherever possible. If this means continuing the perception mentioned above of being a computer "for yuppies", then so be it.
Market Share Percentage and it's Perception:
Clearly, there is something to be gained by having the perception that "everyone's doing it". It's part of the reason why smoking, drinking, under-age sex, and drugs are so amazingly popular with us human beings the world over. It's part of the reason (maybe even a significant part) that iPods are so incredibly successful. Now, before someone here puts forth the argument that, "Well, you know, Apple's got a better design, and that's what attracts people to it," -- and that's quite true in it's own right -- let's break things down a bit.
Many animals develop and learn through a process called "patterning", and through imitation. Humans are not psychologically exempt from this; we do it all the time, and particularly so when we're younger. It's the fundamental force behind fashion, fads, and trends. There are definitely positive benefits to this. Kids, as they develop their social skills, learn from others the socially approved ways of behaving and interacting. Please note I did not use the term "correct" nor "right", but merely the "approved" (or, one might call it the "accepted") way. We also learn and learn from such things as casualty (actions have consequences), and other factors too numerous to pursue here.
Anyhow, all of these factors are in operation when it comes to buying technology (which is the boiled-down essence of what we're talking about here). Microsoft has learned this game, and has played it well for many years. Regardless of the "technically, we know it's bulls**t" truth, the reality of it is (and has been) when an unsavvy person walks into a store to buy a computer, and they see ten Windows-running computers on the shelf, and only one or two Mac OS-running computers there, they get the prima-facia notion that most computers are Windows computers, and by extension that statistically most people must be running Windows; therefore they should buy a Windows computer, too. There's a whole other subject here about how the ignorant sales people in electronics stores essentially use the same process to unwittingly deceive themselves into thinking the same thing. This is one of the factors which helped catapult Microsoft into the major, successful company they became. In truth, this specific scenario is a bit more 1994 than but it helps to explain why most people today who own a computer have only known life in a Microsoft world. As enough people attained this status, it became the dominant developmental factor in the world at large, which sort of helped to self-perpetuate the effect.
Let's also not lose sight of the fact that these statistics of percentage of platform used by definition leave out one particular group of people -- those who don't use a computer at all. After all, if you don't own a computer, you can't browse the web, send or receive email, or have your computer platform of choice tabulated in any kind of statistical data sample. One might be tempted to think that such a notion is silly, but it isn't. True, once we get to the point that only a statistically insignificant number of people on this planet don't own a computer (which is still far from the reality of today), counting their numbers won't matter for statistical purposes, it does matter. Why? Well, the statistics as presented make it seem like Macs (or Linux, or anything else) are only used by a subset of people on this planet. Not true! They're only used by a subset of a subset, the latter being the number of people on this planet who have a computer to be counted in such statistics in the first place.
Also, statistics vary depending on a variety of factors. It's also easy to write them off as a business or let them drop "below the radar" by various statistical gathering or reporting agencies; or merely through the informal process on the part of business owners of anecdotal evidence. Here's a perfect example of that very factor.
When the Macintosh came on the scene in 1984, and as it continued through it's early incarnations in the mid 1980s, it entered the fray of lots of non-defacto computer platforms. Or, to put it another way, it "came late to the party". So, you had all these computer dealers who were already trying to sell Apple ][s, TRS-80s, Commodore 64s (and later, C128s), Timex Sinclairs, an assortment of other PCs running proprietary OSs, amongst which were those which ran this thing called MS-DOS, and so forth and so on. Also, people who wound up buying Macs didn't exactly fit the same profile as those who had bought the other computers. You had artists -- literary, graphic, musical, etc. -- buying these things. While they didn't mind being technologically self-sufficent, they were not people who were interested in such things as tearing their computer apart and having a go at it's various electronic innards. Anyhow, they formed their own communities, and for various reasons didn't get a lot of support initially from local dealers and computer software stores. However, Apple did get quite a number of companies to write software or build hardware for their Mac platform. These companies started using mail-order as a significant portion of their sales strategy. Consequently, Mac owners used it as their more-and-more-primary computer-stuff purchasing regimen.
Ultimately, fewer and fewer Mac owners were going locally to buy stuff, due to availability and pricing. What then happened largely was this "perception" on the part of shop owners (and later their suppliers, etc.) that nobody out there used a Mac. As a result of their mis-perception, companies began to simply ignore us Mac users (I was around back then), acting as if we didn't exist; or at the least there weren't enough of us to bother supporting us or even trying to make money from us.
Now, at this point there's no denying there's more Windows boxen out there than Mac boxen, but this is still a valid factor and should not be discounted.
Besides, what number you hear quoted still, as it has for many, many years, depends on what your source is. I've heard numbers within the past month that range from 4.1 percent to 6 percent. Which one is correct? Does anyone even really know?
Since we can run Windows, why run Mac OS? (paranoia of market erosion):
I've been hearing this since before Apple ever disclosed their plans to switch to x86. It was actually one of the topics frequently -- and rather hotly, as I recall -- debated in these forums. However, I think the fear is greatly unjustified, and here's why.
First, let's look at it from an economic standpoint: Buying a Mac to run Windows is hardly the most cost-effective approach.
Second, let's look at it from a socio-economic standpoint: People don't buy a Mac to run Windows so much as they buy it to either try something different, or to escape Windows and the onslaught of problems that, in more recent years, it has brought to them.
Third, and while this really applies more to tech-savvy people: Windows represents a security and stability liability which most other operating systems do not.
In other words, by and large, people out there who are switching to a Mac are doing more than merely switching hardware: they're switching OS platforms. The fact that they can run Windows on a Mac is only slightly more of interest to them than is running an x86-based distro of GNU/Linux.
Bottom Line: Apple will appeal to and convert those that they can, and those are the hearts and minds which are the most vital and important anyhow. Let's not forget the relative merits of dummy-dropping. Sometimes, Darwin's theories of Evolution are more satisfyingly applied sociologically than biologically.
Dirt-Cheap vs. Reasonable Economy (a.k.a. "The Wal-Martization of America"):
Apple has always had the philosophy that their name needs to mean a superior product. They have tended to shy away from producing bargain-basement products because it tends to take away from the "high-quality" reputation they are otherwise known for and desire to continue cultivating.
At direct odds with this is the pervasive and continually-perpetuated attitude in the U.S. (and elsewhere, perhaps) that the universe revolves exclusively around the mantra of "faster, cheaper, better", with emphasis on the latter two: cheaper and better. What I have noticed in my own 34 years on this planet is a considerable change in attitude, most easily summed up as people in general having their tastes almost "anti-cultured". It isn't "... cheaper, better" for them, but rather "cheaper = better". You can see this at all levels. Businesses, despite their claims to the contrary, tend to prioritize the executives specifically and the company generally making money over any other possible consideration. They try and drive their workforce from well-paid, highly competent full-time people, to part-time, no-medical or retirement-benefits-earning, low-experience, low-paid domestic help; and the second prong of their pincer movement is to outsource the rest.
Or, in short, "let's make a lot of money, but don't spend any in the process."
My goal here is not to get into the lengthy and well-trod discussion of corporate exploitation of the masses; rather it is to show the Wal-Mart effect at all levels.
More and more over the years I find that people have no taste. Steve Jobs accuses Microsoft of having no taste (a point I am not trying to argue against); I think however that he's hit a little low of the mark. The attitude out there seems to be one of total self-focus -- and not merely "me first", but rather "me first, me last, and ******* everybody else". They're the "I don't want to know anything", "all I want to do is get out of having to do anything I can, including not using my brain except for pleasure-seeking tasks," and "For God's sake, I surely don't want to have to spend more than the minimum on a computer" bunch.
Now, clearly, not everyone in the U.S. is like this; obviously, if they were, Apple would have no customers at all. But this is a real and fairly large group. Short of Apple practically giving away their computers, it's hard to imagine them being all that specifically attractive to that demographic. Moreover, those people are not merely non-enthusiasts; they want all of the benefits of having this trendy computer thing, but wish to be encumbered by none of the responsibilities.
To my way of thinking, frankly however large this group of people is, I would encourage Apple to avoid appealing to them whenever and wherever possible. If this means continuing the perception mentioned above of being a computer "for yuppies", then so be it.
Market Share Percentage and it's Perception:
Clearly, there is something to be gained by having the perception that "everyone's doing it". It's part of the reason why smoking, drinking, under-age sex, and drugs are so amazingly popular with us human beings the world over. It's part of the reason (maybe even a significant part) that iPods are so incredibly successful. Now, before someone here puts forth the argument that, "Well, you know, Apple's got a better design, and that's what attracts people to it," -- and that's quite true in it's own right -- let's break things down a bit.
Many animals develop and learn through a process called "patterning", and through imitation. Humans are not psychologically exempt from this; we do it all the time, and particularly so when we're younger. It's the fundamental force behind fashion, fads, and trends. There are definitely positive benefits to this. Kids, as they develop their social skills, learn from others the socially approved ways of behaving and interacting. Please note I did not use the term "correct" nor "right", but merely the "approved" (or, one might call it the "accepted") way. We also learn and learn from such things as casualty (actions have consequences), and other factors too numerous to pursue here.
Anyhow, all of these factors are in operation when it comes to buying technology (which is the boiled-down essence of what we're talking about here). Microsoft has learned this game, and has played it well for many years. Regardless of the "technically, we know it's bulls**t" truth, the reality of it is (and has been) when an unsavvy person walks into a store to buy a computer, and they see ten Windows-running computers on the shelf, and only one or two Mac OS-running computers there, they get the prima-facia notion that most computers are Windows computers, and by extension that statistically most people must be running Windows; therefore they should buy a Windows computer, too. There's a whole other subject here about how the ignorant sales people in electronics stores essentially use the same process to unwittingly deceive themselves into thinking the same thing. This is one of the factors which helped catapult Microsoft into the major, successful company they became. In truth, this specific scenario is a bit more 1994 than but it helps to explain why most people today who own a computer have only known life in a Microsoft world. As enough people attained this status, it became the dominant developmental factor in the world at large, which sort of helped to self-perpetuate the effect.
Let's also not lose sight of the fact that these statistics of percentage of platform used by definition leave out one particular group of people -- those who don't use a computer at all. After all, if you don't own a computer, you can't browse the web, send or receive email, or have your computer platform of choice tabulated in any kind of statistical data sample. One might be tempted to think that such a notion is silly, but it isn't. True, once we get to the point that only a statistically insignificant number of people on this planet don't own a computer (which is still far from the reality of today), counting their numbers won't matter for statistical purposes, it does matter. Why? Well, the statistics as presented make it seem like Macs (or Linux, or anything else) are only used by a subset of people on this planet. Not true! They're only used by a subset of a subset, the latter being the number of people on this planet who have a computer to be counted in such statistics in the first place.
Also, statistics vary depending on a variety of factors. It's also easy to write them off as a business or let them drop "below the radar" by various statistical gathering or reporting agencies; or merely through the informal process on the part of business owners of anecdotal evidence. Here's a perfect example of that very factor.
When the Macintosh came on the scene in 1984, and as it continued through it's early incarnations in the mid 1980s, it entered the fray of lots of non-defacto computer platforms. Or, to put it another way, it "came late to the party". So, you had all these computer dealers who were already trying to sell Apple ][s, TRS-80s, Commodore 64s (and later, C128s), Timex Sinclairs, an assortment of other PCs running proprietary OSs, amongst which were those which ran this thing called MS-DOS, and so forth and so on. Also, people who wound up buying Macs didn't exactly fit the same profile as those who had bought the other computers. You had artists -- literary, graphic, musical, etc. -- buying these things. While they didn't mind being technologically self-sufficent, they were not people who were interested in such things as tearing their computer apart and having a go at it's various electronic innards. Anyhow, they formed their own communities, and for various reasons didn't get a lot of support initially from local dealers and computer software stores. However, Apple did get quite a number of companies to write software or build hardware for their Mac platform. These companies started using mail-order as a significant portion of their sales strategy. Consequently, Mac owners used it as their more-and-more-primary computer-stuff purchasing regimen.
Ultimately, fewer and fewer Mac owners were going locally to buy stuff, due to availability and pricing. What then happened largely was this "perception" on the part of shop owners (and later their suppliers, etc.) that nobody out there used a Mac. As a result of their mis-perception, companies began to simply ignore us Mac users (I was around back then), acting as if we didn't exist; or at the least there weren't enough of us to bother supporting us or even trying to make money from us.
Now, at this point there's no denying there's more Windows boxen out there than Mac boxen, but this is still a valid factor and should not be discounted.
Besides, what number you hear quoted still, as it has for many, many years, depends on what your source is. I've heard numbers within the past month that range from 4.1 percent to 6 percent. Which one is correct? Does anyone even really know?
Since we can run Windows, why run Mac OS? (paranoia of market erosion):
I've been hearing this since before Apple ever disclosed their plans to switch to x86. It was actually one of the topics frequently -- and rather hotly, as I recall -- debated in these forums. However, I think the fear is greatly unjustified, and here's why.
First, let's look at it from an economic standpoint: Buying a Mac to run Windows is hardly the most cost-effective approach.
Second, let's look at it from a socio-economic standpoint: People don't buy a Mac to run Windows so much as they buy it to either try something different, or to escape Windows and the onslaught of problems that, in more recent years, it has brought to them.
Third, and while this really applies more to tech-savvy people: Windows represents a security and stability liability which most other operating systems do not.
In other words, by and large, people out there who are switching to a Mac are doing more than merely switching hardware: they're switching OS platforms. The fact that they can run Windows on a Mac is only slightly more of interest to them than is running an x86-based distro of GNU/Linux.
Bottom Line: Apple will appeal to and convert those that they can, and those are the hearts and minds which are the most vital and important anyhow. Let's not forget the relative merits of dummy-dropping. Sometimes, Darwin's theories of Evolution are more satisfyingly applied sociologically than biologically.
Chip NoVaMac
Feb 24, 01:01 AM
Parents need to grow up and be just that....parents and not the kid's buddy, etc.
We do not need Government to step in here, Apple provides several ways for parents to control this:
We do not need Government to step in here, Apple provides several ways for parents to control this:
KnightWRX
Apr 15, 07:09 AM
Let's see...
Most successful desktop operating system: Microsoft Windows.
Most successful server operating system: Microsoft Windows Server.
Most successful office suite: Microsoft Office.
Yes, having been given a monopoly over the IBM compatible PC platform by IBM themselves is quite a measure of how great Microsoft is. :rolleyes:
Their success is based on IBM's failure to realise how important that market would become. They have not built their success off of making good products.
And Microsoft Windows Server ? really ? Is it successful because I have to install 30 of those to run a simple SSO db like AD whereas I can run eDirectory off of 3 Sun boxes and achieve the same results with about 100 times more objects in the directory ?
But this story is about a guy who manages data center, not about Microsoft's rise to power and their illegal moves to remain at the top for years. And their data center seems to have been top notch, since you rarely hear of Windows update not working or Microsoft.com being down, or MSN messenger not responding or Hotmail.com being on the fritz.
Most successful desktop operating system: Microsoft Windows.
Most successful server operating system: Microsoft Windows Server.
Most successful office suite: Microsoft Office.
Yes, having been given a monopoly over the IBM compatible PC platform by IBM themselves is quite a measure of how great Microsoft is. :rolleyes:
Their success is based on IBM's failure to realise how important that market would become. They have not built their success off of making good products.
And Microsoft Windows Server ? really ? Is it successful because I have to install 30 of those to run a simple SSO db like AD whereas I can run eDirectory off of 3 Sun boxes and achieve the same results with about 100 times more objects in the directory ?
But this story is about a guy who manages data center, not about Microsoft's rise to power and their illegal moves to remain at the top for years. And their data center seems to have been top notch, since you rarely hear of Windows update not working or Microsoft.com being down, or MSN messenger not responding or Hotmail.com being on the fritz.
steve_hill4
Oct 26, 05:51 PM
Why such a negative response? The software out there sucks... more competition means more quality. Sound design needs some major upgrades. It needs to more innovate.
I had a quick play with SoundBooth and this appeared to suck too. I can't see it being a decent replacement just yet.
I had a quick play with SoundBooth and this appeared to suck too. I can't see it being a decent replacement just yet.
PBF
Mar 28, 08:16 AM
What are the chances of iPhone 5 going on sale the same week or the week after? :o
Vertigo50
May 2, 12:49 PM
It's amazing what someone with the proper tool can do to actually test these kind of issues.
I was waiting for someone to FINALLY grab a caliper and measure both devices. Game over.
I was waiting for someone to FINALLY grab a caliper and measure both devices. Game over.
phineas
Apr 6, 01:36 PM
Are you people seriously applauding this? What a waste of our tax dollars!! I do contracts with the Navy every single day and I know that the technology that they have will not be benefited by the use of iPad/iPod/iPhone. The military does not offer wi-fi to their staff on base. Everything is hard wired and the conduit is sealed with a tamper proof silicon. The Government is very very particular about their SIPRnet (as they call it). Without wi-fi, what use is the iPad for the military other than to give them a little treat and waste our tax dollars? They already have mobile equipment in the vehicles that is far superior to Apple's products.
Because you do contracts for the Department of the Navy does not mean you know everything. Also there is more tax dollars going to waste every DAY with the current administration.
Trust me I served for 21 years and saw waste fraud and abuse, and there aint a dam thing your going to do, as soon as you blow the whistle your career is down the toilet and that is active duty personnel and the civilian workers also.
Because you do contracts for the Department of the Navy does not mean you know everything. Also there is more tax dollars going to waste every DAY with the current administration.
Trust me I served for 21 years and saw waste fraud and abuse, and there aint a dam thing your going to do, as soon as you blow the whistle your career is down the toilet and that is active duty personnel and the civilian workers also.
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