aristobrat
Jan 12, 05:30 PM
it is my personal opinion that there also exists a 'Church of Apple' with 'members' who are smug, patronizing, holier-than-thou, basking in the glory of some perceived exclusivity and enlightenment, borderline brainwashed lodge brothers with a special handshake. It sickens me to no end. Again, this is merely one man's opinion, I know you wouldn't agree so let's just leave it there.
IMO, I think the general religion is "smug, matronizing, hollier-than-thou, etc", and it breaks down into sub-regions called Apple, Microsoft, Coke, Pepsi, etc, each with their own church. I'm not a fan of the Apple people that are like that, nor am I a fan of the Microsoft people who act that way either.
Well, I'm sure the iPhone was meant as a mere appetizer for the 30th anniversary... not "Well, it took us 30 years but dagnammit, we finally managed to make a thingamabob that rings!"
I was glad to hear Steve say "over the course of the next several months, we're going to roll out some awesome stuff for the Mac." :)
IMO, I think the general religion is "smug, matronizing, hollier-than-thou, etc", and it breaks down into sub-regions called Apple, Microsoft, Coke, Pepsi, etc, each with their own church. I'm not a fan of the Apple people that are like that, nor am I a fan of the Microsoft people who act that way either.
Well, I'm sure the iPhone was meant as a mere appetizer for the 30th anniversary... not "Well, it took us 30 years but dagnammit, we finally managed to make a thingamabob that rings!"
I was glad to hear Steve say "over the course of the next several months, we're going to roll out some awesome stuff for the Mac." :)
SmileyBlast!
Apr 29, 03:12 PM
Nope.
That iCal is kinda annoying.
That iCal is kinda annoying.
Mexbearpig
Apr 11, 04:35 PM
Bought these little sunglasses to last me for the week in Florida on spring vacation. But hopefully they last longer.
http://i1116.photobucket.com/albums/k575/julian4444/IMG_20110411_170128.jpg
http://i1116.photobucket.com/albums/k575/julian4444/IMG_20110411_170128.jpg
kernkraft
Jul 30, 11:22 AM
I think the Volt is a success in terms of meeting its intended design parameters. However, I think the whole notion of the all-electric car and plug-in hybrids are flawed due to our current infrastructure.
As long as we burn fossil fuels to get the electricity, the electric car is just sweeping the fossil fuel/pollution problem under the rug by putting the "dirty" side of power consumption out of sight (back at the power plant). Also, there's no way our current power generation infrastructure could support even a fraction of the population switching to electric cars. California already has rolling blackouts - if people stopped burning gas and switched to electrics, the problem would get drastically worse.
I think electric cars are a dead end for the present...At least until our entire power grid makes large-scale switches to alternative energy, and there is no timeline for that currently. Also, there is currently no guarantee that practical fuel-cell systems will ever be truly affordable or mass-producable. The current offerings are all extremely expensive, proof-of-concept vehicles with short useful lives.
We'd be better off with diesels or diesel hybrids. People don't want to admit it, but those are currently our best options IMO.
I really wish I didn't sound so cynical, but that's the picture as I understand it.
Very valid points! My only point to add would be that BMW already makes diesel cars that use the company's EfficientDynamics technology to regenerate wasted energy. In the end, what might solve our energy crisis is the combination of alternative energy, frugality on the user end and trying to capture and re-use as much energy and energy-intensive (to make) products as possible. To me, there is no great difference between a hybrid and a BMW diesel that stops in stationary traffic. Of course, in city centres, using a purely electric drive helps to keep the air clean, which is something that diesel engines are not good at.
Well, they should research capacitors then, never wear out, and charge veeeeewy quick. Like EEstor (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EEStor)
Very good point. And not without a bit of irony as Rudolf Diesel patented his engine in the U.S. (608,845), and we don't use it - though that's because of the Oil companies, not the car companies.
I agree we should use the diesel. After the apocalypse, you could make your own fuel from zombie bodies!
Used vegetable oil or quality diesel would be a start...
True on the economies of scale bit - although the batteries are always going to be pricey.
I keep hammering the same point here, but the Volt would see a quite significant fuel economy boost by switching to a diesel engine to charge the batteries and run the motors. Sort it out, US car companies...it's not like we don't sell diesel here.
I heard it that the reason why BMW stopped selling diesel cars in the US was that the engines failed, due to the very poor quality. In Europe, you can get quality fuel, but in the US, diesel is still the fuel of trucks, primarily.
Just one statistics: in continental Europe (not in the UK), new diesel cars have been outselling petrol ones for almost a decade, despite the premium.
That's the great thing about a platform like the Volt, or anything like it: you can easily change whatever gives the electricity. Gas not working right? The American public finally getting their asses out of their collective heads about diesel? Just get one the right size, and hook it up to the generator. It works for trains. Small fusion reactors finally a possibility? Bingo!
If GM hadn't ****ed up when they tried bringing diesel cars to the market, it wouldn't be anywhere near as bad. We still have some old M-B diesels kicking around, and probably a good bunch of them run on SVO by now.
Subaru still sells FWD cars, just not in the US or Europe.
You may easily change the source of electricity (actually, you cannot, it mainly comes from coal and oil in the US, I think), but so far, there is no decent technology available to solve the problem of storing electricity. Batteries suck and the Volt still uses ancient batteries that you would find in all sorts of consumer products. That is a car, running on laptop batteries (or AA's, if you prefer).
Why did you burst my bubble of Subarus awesomeness? :(
Don't forget the dealership markup. Some of the automotive blogs have people complaining that the dealerships are adding a $10k markup to the already expensive vehicle.
You shouldn't have any impression about Subarus. They really have the traction of a train (AWD ones, of course - why would you buy anything else?!), but everything else is just midrange quality at best.
I've had a 1998 Impreza estate several years ago and it was OK. Recently, I've had a 2007 Legacy Outback from work. Nice glass on the top and good traction, but I have no intention of trading a BMW or Mercedes for it the next time. The interior is low quality and Subaru has no understanding of fuel efficiency, it seems. OK, it's a 2.5L engine, automatic and AWD, but still... 25 imperial mpg?!
As long as we burn fossil fuels to get the electricity, the electric car is just sweeping the fossil fuel/pollution problem under the rug by putting the "dirty" side of power consumption out of sight (back at the power plant). Also, there's no way our current power generation infrastructure could support even a fraction of the population switching to electric cars. California already has rolling blackouts - if people stopped burning gas and switched to electrics, the problem would get drastically worse.
I think electric cars are a dead end for the present...At least until our entire power grid makes large-scale switches to alternative energy, and there is no timeline for that currently. Also, there is currently no guarantee that practical fuel-cell systems will ever be truly affordable or mass-producable. The current offerings are all extremely expensive, proof-of-concept vehicles with short useful lives.
We'd be better off with diesels or diesel hybrids. People don't want to admit it, but those are currently our best options IMO.
I really wish I didn't sound so cynical, but that's the picture as I understand it.
Very valid points! My only point to add would be that BMW already makes diesel cars that use the company's EfficientDynamics technology to regenerate wasted energy. In the end, what might solve our energy crisis is the combination of alternative energy, frugality on the user end and trying to capture and re-use as much energy and energy-intensive (to make) products as possible. To me, there is no great difference between a hybrid and a BMW diesel that stops in stationary traffic. Of course, in city centres, using a purely electric drive helps to keep the air clean, which is something that diesel engines are not good at.
Well, they should research capacitors then, never wear out, and charge veeeeewy quick. Like EEstor (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EEStor)
Very good point. And not without a bit of irony as Rudolf Diesel patented his engine in the U.S. (608,845), and we don't use it - though that's because of the Oil companies, not the car companies.
I agree we should use the diesel. After the apocalypse, you could make your own fuel from zombie bodies!
Used vegetable oil or quality diesel would be a start...
True on the economies of scale bit - although the batteries are always going to be pricey.
I keep hammering the same point here, but the Volt would see a quite significant fuel economy boost by switching to a diesel engine to charge the batteries and run the motors. Sort it out, US car companies...it's not like we don't sell diesel here.
I heard it that the reason why BMW stopped selling diesel cars in the US was that the engines failed, due to the very poor quality. In Europe, you can get quality fuel, but in the US, diesel is still the fuel of trucks, primarily.
Just one statistics: in continental Europe (not in the UK), new diesel cars have been outselling petrol ones for almost a decade, despite the premium.
That's the great thing about a platform like the Volt, or anything like it: you can easily change whatever gives the electricity. Gas not working right? The American public finally getting their asses out of their collective heads about diesel? Just get one the right size, and hook it up to the generator. It works for trains. Small fusion reactors finally a possibility? Bingo!
If GM hadn't ****ed up when they tried bringing diesel cars to the market, it wouldn't be anywhere near as bad. We still have some old M-B diesels kicking around, and probably a good bunch of them run on SVO by now.
Subaru still sells FWD cars, just not in the US or Europe.
You may easily change the source of electricity (actually, you cannot, it mainly comes from coal and oil in the US, I think), but so far, there is no decent technology available to solve the problem of storing electricity. Batteries suck and the Volt still uses ancient batteries that you would find in all sorts of consumer products. That is a car, running on laptop batteries (or AA's, if you prefer).
Why did you burst my bubble of Subarus awesomeness? :(
Don't forget the dealership markup. Some of the automotive blogs have people complaining that the dealerships are adding a $10k markup to the already expensive vehicle.
You shouldn't have any impression about Subarus. They really have the traction of a train (AWD ones, of course - why would you buy anything else?!), but everything else is just midrange quality at best.
I've had a 1998 Impreza estate several years ago and it was OK. Recently, I've had a 2007 Legacy Outback from work. Nice glass on the top and good traction, but I have no intention of trading a BMW or Mercedes for it the next time. The interior is low quality and Subaru has no understanding of fuel efficiency, it seems. OK, it's a 2.5L engine, automatic and AWD, but still... 25 imperial mpg?!
samcraig
May 2, 11:55 AM
The only way to remove the cache after 4.3.3 will be to disable location services. They wont have poor location service performance, they will have none. :rolleyes:
On or off - like the switch says. Makes sense and is logical.
On or off - like the switch says. Makes sense and is logical.
Gasu E.
Sep 29, 09:34 PM
If we're speculating, maybe those with private baths for each bedroom care more about their guests/kids than you? A person who gives everyone equal convenience to his or her own bedroom shows that they don't think they deserve better than others.
Right, we wouldn't want any little princelings to have to share a baath, would we? After all, doing so might compromise their senses of entitlement and privilege. :rolleyes:
Right, we wouldn't want any little princelings to have to share a baath, would we? After all, doing so might compromise their senses of entitlement and privilege. :rolleyes:
firewood
Mar 24, 09:33 PM
I had a Apple PowerMac 7100 with an external HD so I could dual boot into an Apple distribution of MkLinux, circa '96 to '99. I may still have the MkLinux CD somewhere.
And before that there was A/UX for some 680x0 desktop Macs, which was too expensive for me to try, IIRC.
And before that there was A/UX for some 680x0 desktop Macs, which was too expensive for me to try, IIRC.
thequicksilver
Jan 5, 07:48 PM
If it was live you wouldnt get all the split screen editing etc. It would be quite a linear and boring presentation.
Editing the feed can give emphasis to certain aspects and also cut out anything that goes wrong.
Believe it or not this isn't the case. I was at the Paris Expo in 2004 sat directly behind the video editing booth in the middle of the hall with a clear view of the editor's screen. The split screens and the like were prepared one slide in advance and all was done as it went along.
I was one of the first few outside of Apple to see the new iMac G5, about 30 seconds in front of everyone else. :)
Editing the feed can give emphasis to certain aspects and also cut out anything that goes wrong.
Believe it or not this isn't the case. I was at the Paris Expo in 2004 sat directly behind the video editing booth in the middle of the hall with a clear view of the editor's screen. The split screens and the like were prepared one slide in advance and all was done as it went along.
I was one of the first few outside of Apple to see the new iMac G5, about 30 seconds in front of everyone else. :)
Peace
Sep 12, 08:27 AM
Is this new? DLO Home Dock Deluxe
http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/wo/2.RSLID?mco=34809CF6&nplm=TH578LL%2FA
http://store.apple.com/Catalog/US/Images/th578lla_alt.jpg
http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/wo/2.RSLID?mco=34809CF6&nplm=TH578LL%2FA
http://store.apple.com/Catalog/US/Images/th578lla_alt.jpg
villanova329
Sep 25, 11:00 AM
Great day for photographers. Hope this update increases your productivity and capital.
SandynJosh
Mar 28, 05:11 PM
This is kind of rough. Shame it's heading this way.
Think about it. If MS Office is too large to sell through the App Store, then Apple avoids the dubious situation where it needs to offer the award to Microsoft. :)
Think about it. If MS Office is too large to sell through the App Store, then Apple avoids the dubious situation where it needs to offer the award to Microsoft. :)
bense27
Aug 3, 06:40 PM
just the fact that its name is the "Argo" tells you that its not posing a threat to iPods.
benjayman2
Apr 9, 01:41 PM
The knockoffs don't break? j/k
lol Definitely seen a lot of videos of broken solos not too many studios though. In real person the only studio I saw snapped was at a best buy near me, but every display model there is usually halfway broken there :p My cousin and coworker have had their studios for over a year with no issues. Regardless at $80 I couldn't pass it up. It was definitely a form over function kind of purchase, but were on MR anyways, most purchases fall in that category on this thread :D
lol Definitely seen a lot of videos of broken solos not too many studios though. In real person the only studio I saw snapped was at a best buy near me, but every display model there is usually halfway broken there :p My cousin and coworker have had their studios for over a year with no issues. Regardless at $80 I couldn't pass it up. It was definitely a form over function kind of purchase, but were on MR anyways, most purchases fall in that category on this thread :D
0010101
Oct 29, 04:10 PM
For the record, i'd gladly pay top dollar for OSX 10.5 if I could put it on my own 'home built' x86 box with Apples blessing.
Here's an idea for Apple.. start selling ATX motherboards for the DIY crowd bundled with the latest MacTel OSX version, and let the consumer just drop them in their own case.
Really.. that would be going right back to their roots (the Apple I was sold like that)
Price the board/OS bundle package at a point that makes it cost prohibitive for OEM's to build clones with the boards.. but low enough that the 'Techno Geek' (who would otherwise simply buy a simular spec'ed Intel Chipset board and run their bootleg osX86 on it.) is buying their parts right from Apple.
Let's face it.. if you're a guy who wants OSX, but can't shell out the $1000+ bucks for an iMac, but could.. say.. spend $300 for the OS and a board you can just drop in your exsisting PC case, and use your current hard drive, power supply, etc.. you would probably not even bother trying to build a 'bootleg' MacTel.
That way, Apple stays in firm control of the hardware, makes their big fat margins, and nips the whole 'osx86' thing right in the bud.. not to mention that such a program would have little to no impact on their 'full machine' sales (because the typical Mac buyer isn't a person real interested in 'building' their own computer)
Here's an idea for Apple.. start selling ATX motherboards for the DIY crowd bundled with the latest MacTel OSX version, and let the consumer just drop them in their own case.
Really.. that would be going right back to their roots (the Apple I was sold like that)
Price the board/OS bundle package at a point that makes it cost prohibitive for OEM's to build clones with the boards.. but low enough that the 'Techno Geek' (who would otherwise simply buy a simular spec'ed Intel Chipset board and run their bootleg osX86 on it.) is buying their parts right from Apple.
Let's face it.. if you're a guy who wants OSX, but can't shell out the $1000+ bucks for an iMac, but could.. say.. spend $300 for the OS and a board you can just drop in your exsisting PC case, and use your current hard drive, power supply, etc.. you would probably not even bother trying to build a 'bootleg' MacTel.
That way, Apple stays in firm control of the hardware, makes their big fat margins, and nips the whole 'osx86' thing right in the bud.. not to mention that such a program would have little to no impact on their 'full machine' sales (because the typical Mac buyer isn't a person real interested in 'building' their own computer)
Chundles
Sep 12, 08:41 AM
Where is The Gong anyway? Dont tell Chundles but Im his stalker!
Little over an hour south of Sydney.
Looks like I'm slowing the thread down a bit. Good, people need to stop and have a breath for a second.
Little over an hour south of Sydney.
Looks like I'm slowing the thread down a bit. Good, people need to stop and have a breath for a second.
lostontheisland
Apr 5, 03:51 PM
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8G4 Safari/6533.18.5)
hahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.........
Whoever spends their time looking at adverts is a lost cause and has no life. Seriously I think this is the most ridiculous thing apple has come up with.
no no i think you will find buying an iPad 2 for over �600 and having to wait over a month for it to be delivered is top of the list!
hahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.........
Whoever spends their time looking at adverts is a lost cause and has no life. Seriously I think this is the most ridiculous thing apple has come up with.
no no i think you will find buying an iPad 2 for over �600 and having to wait over a month for it to be delivered is top of the list!
BlueRevolution
Oct 28, 02:36 PM
That's hardly surprising. I'm more interested in the 100% legal bit - it's interesting that Apple hasn't yet moved to explicitly ban running OS X on non-Apple hardware.
DeathChill
May 3, 11:34 PM
But have you actually *touched* the internet before? Browsing the internet is a really magical experience on the iPad. ;)
I touched the Internet before. I got charged. :(
I touched the Internet before. I got charged. :(
KnightWRX
Apr 28, 04:27 AM
Look, your attitude really needs some adjustment Nekbeth. I have not asked a single trick question. My questions have all been about trying to understand what it is you're trying to do and what problems you are facing. You have been less than clear this whole time.
I think part of that problem is that you're thinking "I'm a newbie, these guys are pros, I'll probably get help but end up being laughed at". Seriously, if I want to laugh at people, I'll just head over to the news discussion. Those guys are a riot. And I'm not a pro at all. Sure I've been doing this for 15 some odd years in one form or another, but never as a job, only as a hobby.
The programming forum is full of newbies. I was a newbie once too. We all start somewhere and it's no laughing matter. I wouldn't spend all this time trying to figure out what it is you're doing wrong if it was only to laugh at you in the end.
Relax and try to realise we want to help you, otherwise we wouldn't be posting here. Now listen to us. We need your help too. As Pros, there are things we know that you might not, and you need to be clear and specific about your problem and what you're not understanding.
Now I'll try to take a look at the code you posted (I just got up and I need to get to work) and see if I can dig out something if someone doesn't do it faster than me.
I think part of that problem is that you're thinking "I'm a newbie, these guys are pros, I'll probably get help but end up being laughed at". Seriously, if I want to laugh at people, I'll just head over to the news discussion. Those guys are a riot. And I'm not a pro at all. Sure I've been doing this for 15 some odd years in one form or another, but never as a job, only as a hobby.
The programming forum is full of newbies. I was a newbie once too. We all start somewhere and it's no laughing matter. I wouldn't spend all this time trying to figure out what it is you're doing wrong if it was only to laugh at you in the end.
Relax and try to realise we want to help you, otherwise we wouldn't be posting here. Now listen to us. We need your help too. As Pros, there are things we know that you might not, and you need to be clear and specific about your problem and what you're not understanding.
Now I'll try to take a look at the code you posted (I just got up and I need to get to work) and see if I can dig out something if someone doesn't do it faster than me.
roadbloc
Apr 9, 07:39 AM
From what I've heard of Windows 8 so far, I am impressed that Microsoft are back on the ball in terms of features that users want. A lot of the features coming in Windows 8 should either have been added ages ago, or are polished/expanded versions of something that existed in Windows for a long time, but was either poorly integrated or went stale due to no updates for it over the years. It will also be good to see a return of the Marketplace.
The idea of Live integration and the 'Ribbon' in explorer are the only things that put me off.
What disappoints me in Lion is the system requirements. It is massively bloated. Core2Duo and 2GB of RAM minimum is terrible. Even though my Mac is capable of running it, I'm still not impressed. Hopefully the Resume feature will kick ass so much that it will be worth it. Other than Resume and Versions, the rest of Lion's features are a big 'meh'.
The idea of Live integration and the 'Ribbon' in explorer are the only things that put me off.
What disappoints me in Lion is the system requirements. It is massively bloated. Core2Duo and 2GB of RAM minimum is terrible. Even though my Mac is capable of running it, I'm still not impressed. Hopefully the Resume feature will kick ass so much that it will be worth it. Other than Resume and Versions, the rest of Lion's features are a big 'meh'.
Macinthetosh
Apr 29, 03:50 PM
I am glad they got rid of the slider. The slider currently used for Time Machine is annoying.
*LTD*
Apr 9, 05:01 PM
That's what Microsoft does. Copy Apple and make the copy so bad that Apple can't quite sue them. MS has been doing that for DECADES.
That's why I call MS "The Worlds Biggest Out-Of-Focus Copying Machine".
It's not good for consumers in the long run. We get stuck with expensive and inferior copies of Apple products. Yuck.
A Microsoft App Store is almost too hilarious a concept to think about. Thinking about it might make good therapy for depression but could have side effects related to excessive laughter.
If they're very lucky it will be Zune2.
MS has been focusing on Enterprise features? Odd. Our MS based computers at work are actually worse to use than Windows computers at home. Perhaps our IT guys are just being cruel?
Have Fun.
Keri
MS knows 5 things, more or less:
1) How to extend boredom and bad software into the enterprise
2) How to copy (poorly)
3) Office suite rehashes
4) Xbox
5) How to ride the coattails of their universal licensing racket
For quite a long time now, the only thing MS has had left is empty talk. Lip service and blustery denial, i.e., tablets are a fad, Apple rounding errors, etc. All of these are excuses in the face of continued, embarrassing criticism. MS is all about excuses. Ever notice that? Whenever it's question period Ballmer always has an answer - even if it sounds batshit insane. Of course, excuses don't put insanely great products into consumers' hands (unless it's substandard copies three years later!) But that's OK. MS wil "get it right" eventually. We keep hearing that. Just give them time. Meanwhile Apple, at a fraction of the cost, redefines entire markets overnight. It's almost like business as usual at Apple: redefine markets and create new ones. Lead the way forward. So in other words: no waste. Money spent wisely. Which leads me to the next point . . .
Did you know that Microsoft has outspent Apple roughly 8-1 in R&D over the last decade? Yup. 8 to freaking 1.
And in that time - a decade, Apple has produced Mac OS X, Mac OS X Server, lots of groundbreaking Mac models (multiple iMac versions, the iBooks, MacBooks, MacBook Pros, MacBook Air, Power Macs, etc.), iPod, popularized Podcasting, iTunes, iTunes Store, iPhone, iOS, Apple TV, the App Store, Mac App Store, and, of course their current game-changer: the iPad.
Microsoft, on the other hand, for 8x the money, has come up with: another back-asswards Mac OS X clone - a Windows rehash that they're trying to shoehorn onto tablets with varying degrees of failure, some bloated Office retreads, the Zune, Kin, Bing, and Windows Phone 2007. If it wasn’t for the Sony-inspired Xbox (Red Ring of Death included) and a Nintendo-inspired Xbox controller, Microsoft would have nothing but a string of failures to show for roughly 80 billion dollars. The ratio of R&D to revenue for both companies couldn’t be more telling. Of course, they put a lot of R&D into their Enterprise software. Which doesn't function any better today than it has years ago. We're still on XPee at work. So, of course it's all useless to us. It's hard to get excited about Exchange and Outlook.
That's right. $80 billion for a PlayStation clone, an accessory to make it work like a Wii, an also-ran search engine, and what’s left of Nokia.
Is it more funny than sad? I'm not sure.
Any random person picked off the street could have run Microsoft better during the last decade. Mind you, not that a lot of other CEOs are any brighter (here's lookin' at ya, Acer!)
Microsoft does two things really well, though: Retarded product names and waste. Add these to the other five above. The list still doesn't look any better.
Cheers
That's why I call MS "The Worlds Biggest Out-Of-Focus Copying Machine".
It's not good for consumers in the long run. We get stuck with expensive and inferior copies of Apple products. Yuck.
A Microsoft App Store is almost too hilarious a concept to think about. Thinking about it might make good therapy for depression but could have side effects related to excessive laughter.
If they're very lucky it will be Zune2.
MS has been focusing on Enterprise features? Odd. Our MS based computers at work are actually worse to use than Windows computers at home. Perhaps our IT guys are just being cruel?
Have Fun.
Keri
MS knows 5 things, more or less:
1) How to extend boredom and bad software into the enterprise
2) How to copy (poorly)
3) Office suite rehashes
4) Xbox
5) How to ride the coattails of their universal licensing racket
For quite a long time now, the only thing MS has had left is empty talk. Lip service and blustery denial, i.e., tablets are a fad, Apple rounding errors, etc. All of these are excuses in the face of continued, embarrassing criticism. MS is all about excuses. Ever notice that? Whenever it's question period Ballmer always has an answer - even if it sounds batshit insane. Of course, excuses don't put insanely great products into consumers' hands (unless it's substandard copies three years later!) But that's OK. MS wil "get it right" eventually. We keep hearing that. Just give them time. Meanwhile Apple, at a fraction of the cost, redefines entire markets overnight. It's almost like business as usual at Apple: redefine markets and create new ones. Lead the way forward. So in other words: no waste. Money spent wisely. Which leads me to the next point . . .
Did you know that Microsoft has outspent Apple roughly 8-1 in R&D over the last decade? Yup. 8 to freaking 1.
And in that time - a decade, Apple has produced Mac OS X, Mac OS X Server, lots of groundbreaking Mac models (multiple iMac versions, the iBooks, MacBooks, MacBook Pros, MacBook Air, Power Macs, etc.), iPod, popularized Podcasting, iTunes, iTunes Store, iPhone, iOS, Apple TV, the App Store, Mac App Store, and, of course their current game-changer: the iPad.
Microsoft, on the other hand, for 8x the money, has come up with: another back-asswards Mac OS X clone - a Windows rehash that they're trying to shoehorn onto tablets with varying degrees of failure, some bloated Office retreads, the Zune, Kin, Bing, and Windows Phone 2007. If it wasn’t for the Sony-inspired Xbox (Red Ring of Death included) and a Nintendo-inspired Xbox controller, Microsoft would have nothing but a string of failures to show for roughly 80 billion dollars. The ratio of R&D to revenue for both companies couldn’t be more telling. Of course, they put a lot of R&D into their Enterprise software. Which doesn't function any better today than it has years ago. We're still on XPee at work. So, of course it's all useless to us. It's hard to get excited about Exchange and Outlook.
That's right. $80 billion for a PlayStation clone, an accessory to make it work like a Wii, an also-ran search engine, and what’s left of Nokia.
Is it more funny than sad? I'm not sure.
Any random person picked off the street could have run Microsoft better during the last decade. Mind you, not that a lot of other CEOs are any brighter (here's lookin' at ya, Acer!)
Microsoft does two things really well, though: Retarded product names and waste. Add these to the other five above. The list still doesn't look any better.
Cheers
jared1988
Apr 9, 09:10 PM
ipodtoucher -- that desk is pretty cool
ghostlyorb
Apr 16, 07:03 AM
I feel like Apple will be in the lead for quite sometime!