Sharkus
Sep 1, 07:00 AM
Even though people may be illegally using the dev preview of 10.5, how much testing are they actually doing? Developers, yeah, we're actually testing, to make sure our products are compatible, but normal users, I doubt it.
Having said this though, I think there might be a few devs out there who have downloaded the preview illegally. The reason for this being that Apple has *still* not put the dev preview up on the Developer Connection site. Now I'm expecting we'll see a dvd in the next ADC seed mailing, but it's a little unfair to not have it downloadable. There are various reasons why developers may not be able to attend WWDC and they are being penalised for not being there by not being able to legally obtain a copy of the software released there.
It's a small gripe I know, as it's not as if 10.5 is released and we're waiting to test with the GM, it's the first seed release. But it's always nice to know from the get-go whether your software is going to need a minor tweak or a complete rewrite to make it work with the new OS.
Having said this though, I think there might be a few devs out there who have downloaded the preview illegally. The reason for this being that Apple has *still* not put the dev preview up on the Developer Connection site. Now I'm expecting we'll see a dvd in the next ADC seed mailing, but it's a little unfair to not have it downloadable. There are various reasons why developers may not be able to attend WWDC and they are being penalised for not being there by not being able to legally obtain a copy of the software released there.
It's a small gripe I know, as it's not as if 10.5 is released and we're waiting to test with the GM, it's the first seed release. But it's always nice to know from the get-go whether your software is going to need a minor tweak or a complete rewrite to make it work with the new OS.
KnightWRX
May 1, 09:18 AM
Phht...what a cop out dude. Now you're gonna booey unix based on specific software, designed for unix, among specific personal networks of colleagues. You can tell your "real story" to IDC and hope they change their market research methods! :rolleyes:
IDC talks about revenues and number of boxes. I'm talking about actual environnements. ;)
One day, when you work in IT, you'll understand what the real workhorse of the industry is.
IDC talks about revenues and number of boxes. I'm talking about actual environnements. ;)
One day, when you work in IT, you'll understand what the real workhorse of the industry is.
Phrasikleia
Mar 3, 10:10 PM
I get your suggestioin about a focal point. That brings up some interesting questions about how to light it. It would have to be very deliberate so as not to spill into the red and blue. As it was I ran around in the dark with a flashlight to light the scene. The total exposure time was 66.7 seconds. :) Perhaps even a faint image of somebody sitting in the foreground. Maybe even a ghostly figure -- only in the frame temporarily so that the cabin bleeds through.
I love this kind of thinking! You obviously have a creative mind, so go for it! I frequently return to the same sites to try out new ideas; it can be an extremely rewarding way to shoot because you eventually become a master of that location and know exactly what you want to do there. So yeah, let your imagination run wild and go back to try out something fun.
I do a lot of this kind of shooting (gelled strobes, dilapidated structures, low light), and I know all too well how challenging it is to get the balance right between the artificial and ambient light. You said you now have some more strobes and triggers, and that will free you up a lot to do shorter exposures, which will help you to incorporate more ambient light and get more detail into the shadows.
I look forward to seeing what you come up with next. :)
I love this kind of thinking! You obviously have a creative mind, so go for it! I frequently return to the same sites to try out new ideas; it can be an extremely rewarding way to shoot because you eventually become a master of that location and know exactly what you want to do there. So yeah, let your imagination run wild and go back to try out something fun.
I do a lot of this kind of shooting (gelled strobes, dilapidated structures, low light), and I know all too well how challenging it is to get the balance right between the artificial and ambient light. You said you now have some more strobes and triggers, and that will free you up a lot to do shorter exposures, which will help you to incorporate more ambient light and get more detail into the shadows.
I look forward to seeing what you come up with next. :)
brucem91
May 3, 01:56 PM
Both my friend Cass and I are playing SC II on Late 2009 MBP 15", and we cannot get voice chat to work. I am running 10.6.3, he is running 10.5.8 (it's still .8, isnt it?)
more...
AppliedVisual
Nov 14, 11:44 AM
United is the ONLY airline that does this.
No they're not. I've listened to ATC transmissions on Delta and Alaska Air too... Then again, it's been a few years since I've flown anyone other than United, Southwest and Frontier and of those three, United is the only doing it.
No they're not. I've listened to ATC transmissions on Delta and Alaska Air too... Then again, it's been a few years since I've flown anyone other than United, Southwest and Frontier and of those three, United is the only doing it.
tmofee
Dec 28, 05:05 AM
it's a bit cliche that song now. but i do love rage against the machine. that whole album is a work of art. one of the few albums I can listen to all the way through without skipping a track...
OT, i hope the band get together for a whole album again. be interesting to see how different the music would sound now these days. i dont think tom & the rest of the band have developed much (audioslave) but zac's work (what little he has done) since rage has been interesting...
OT, i hope the band get together for a whole album again. be interesting to see how different the music would sound now these days. i dont think tom & the rest of the band have developed much (audioslave) but zac's work (what little he has done) since rage has been interesting...
more...
Thomas Veil
Apr 27, 08:30 PM
Previously on "Trump, the Strip":
Donald Trump's brain is transplanted into Bill the Cat. (http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5028/5660460279_730016b321_b.jpg)
Adjusting to life as Trump the Cat. (http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5308/5663116850_e95a700b43_b.jpg)
It's not what you are, but what you own. (http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5147/5662550089_2b5388ce35_b.jpg)
Trump deals a fatal blow to "Bloom County". (http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5150/5662594949_bd06d88574_b.jpg)
And now...
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5301/5663117546_c4150a82fc_b.jpg
Full disclosure: I assembled some of these images using...layers!!!
Donald Trump's brain is transplanted into Bill the Cat. (http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5028/5660460279_730016b321_b.jpg)
Adjusting to life as Trump the Cat. (http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5308/5663116850_e95a700b43_b.jpg)
It's not what you are, but what you own. (http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5147/5662550089_2b5388ce35_b.jpg)
Trump deals a fatal blow to "Bloom County". (http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5150/5662594949_bd06d88574_b.jpg)
And now...
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5301/5663117546_c4150a82fc_b.jpg
Full disclosure: I assembled some of these images using...layers!!!
Will Cheyney
Nov 28, 11:21 AM
No problem.
more...
ThePowerOfTheMac
Jun 16, 08:40 AM
This will probably never happen because T-Mobile was one of the founding members of the OHA (Open Handset Alliance).
Enigma55
Mar 20, 02:52 PM
I'm not sure if many of us have grasped just how significant this product really is, and equally how important it is that it succeeds.
Yes, this is obviously the case for Apple. I would contend that they're betting a huge proportion of their reputation, and therefore Apple's future success, on the iPad's success.
But it's equally important for the rest of us. For decades MS has had a virtual monopoly in large areas of education sector. This hasn't been good for education and it surely hasn't been good for students.
Apple need to get it right. And pricing is a part of that. The deal is a part of that. But it will be the nature of the whole package that makes or breaks iPad. And in the case of education, it's the deals Apple signs with text book publishers that will make all the difference.
We buy iPods because the interface is great and buying music through iTunes is easy. [Yes, I know it's not the only way to get music on an iPod].
We buy iPhones because the interface is great and buying apps through the App Store is easy [Yes, I know you can jailbreak an iPhone], and getting on the net is easy.
We will buy iPads because the interface is great and buying books through iBookstore will be as easy as music and apps.
When Steve Jobs said "We're standing on the shoulders of Amazon�s Kindle..." he wasn't kidding.
In as many ways as the Kindle is revolutionary [the screen, the process of buying books etc], it is also equally crippled and retarded. The absence of colour makes it useless for text books. Books were printed with colour plates over 100 years ago. Imagine trying to study the use of colours in a artist's work, or studying anatomy... in B&W!
No, Apple have to drown the Kindle before Amazon perfect colour. It's a race in which Apple already have a head start, and a serious competitive edge, in the form of their OS and entire business model, which is much more diverse and competent and than Amazon's.
But we shouldn't ignore the other options:
15 years after Amazon revolutionized the way we buy books [and arguably saved reading books as an idea], in 2009 Barnes & Noble finally started to catch on and announced it is to Launch a Kindle Competitor... in Color! And Fujitsu is set to release its Flepia color e-book reader in Japan with a $1,000 price tag.
Whilst these are not competitors for the iPad in the real sense, they are indicators of how their market could be dinted, and where the technology might be going.
Apple's are not the only fruit, but the iPad is looking increasingly like the most credible education companion. We need to get beyond the package pricing and examine the real benefits of a ubiquitous Apple device in the education sector.
I agree. You people just don't get it. What is good for Apple is good for America. We need to support them and help Apple change the world through this magical product. Buy it!
Yes, this is obviously the case for Apple. I would contend that they're betting a huge proportion of their reputation, and therefore Apple's future success, on the iPad's success.
But it's equally important for the rest of us. For decades MS has had a virtual monopoly in large areas of education sector. This hasn't been good for education and it surely hasn't been good for students.
Apple need to get it right. And pricing is a part of that. The deal is a part of that. But it will be the nature of the whole package that makes or breaks iPad. And in the case of education, it's the deals Apple signs with text book publishers that will make all the difference.
We buy iPods because the interface is great and buying music through iTunes is easy. [Yes, I know it's not the only way to get music on an iPod].
We buy iPhones because the interface is great and buying apps through the App Store is easy [Yes, I know you can jailbreak an iPhone], and getting on the net is easy.
We will buy iPads because the interface is great and buying books through iBookstore will be as easy as music and apps.
When Steve Jobs said "We're standing on the shoulders of Amazon�s Kindle..." he wasn't kidding.
In as many ways as the Kindle is revolutionary [the screen, the process of buying books etc], it is also equally crippled and retarded. The absence of colour makes it useless for text books. Books were printed with colour plates over 100 years ago. Imagine trying to study the use of colours in a artist's work, or studying anatomy... in B&W!
No, Apple have to drown the Kindle before Amazon perfect colour. It's a race in which Apple already have a head start, and a serious competitive edge, in the form of their OS and entire business model, which is much more diverse and competent and than Amazon's.
But we shouldn't ignore the other options:
15 years after Amazon revolutionized the way we buy books [and arguably saved reading books as an idea], in 2009 Barnes & Noble finally started to catch on and announced it is to Launch a Kindle Competitor... in Color! And Fujitsu is set to release its Flepia color e-book reader in Japan with a $1,000 price tag.
Whilst these are not competitors for the iPad in the real sense, they are indicators of how their market could be dinted, and where the technology might be going.
Apple's are not the only fruit, but the iPad is looking increasingly like the most credible education companion. We need to get beyond the package pricing and examine the real benefits of a ubiquitous Apple device in the education sector.
I agree. You people just don't get it. What is good for Apple is good for America. We need to support them and help Apple change the world through this magical product. Buy it!
more...
apolloa
Apr 12, 12:58 PM
aaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh I want to buy this!!!! But alas I cannot afford it at present, well it depends on if I get a 3DS next weekend or not. But having used the demo of Outlook I love it, much better then Mail IMO.
If anyone knows of a cheaper price then around �160 in the UK let me know cause that's the best I've found.
If anyone knows of a cheaper price then around �160 in the UK let me know cause that's the best I've found.
steelfist
Nov 22, 11:09 AM
I thought of this idea a couple of years ago. glad to see it taking shape for apple. think about it. zero heat cpus and ultra-long battery life.
more...
ny2nctova
Oct 11, 07:22 PM
i dont know if it was posted yet but god please put out an iphone with a physical keyboard.
http://images.mobilefun.co.uk/graphics/misc/Blogs/iPhone/iphone-pro-large.jpg
i miss my tilt and the ability to see everything i type in text.
AT&T Tilt was amazing, I loved the phone and best keyboard ever.
I so hope they bring out an iPhone like!!!
http://images.mobilefun.co.uk/graphics/misc/Blogs/iPhone/iphone-pro-large.jpg
i miss my tilt and the ability to see everything i type in text.
AT&T Tilt was amazing, I loved the phone and best keyboard ever.
I so hope they bring out an iPhone like!!!
lifeinhd
Apr 12, 04:59 PM
Why do you say 2000 people is not a large enough sample? Do you know statistical sampling methods?
This. You want a simple random sample, a sample size greater than 30, and a population size greater than ten times your sample size.
This. You want a simple random sample, a sample size greater than 30, and a population size greater than ten times your sample size.
more...
CrAkD
May 2, 01:00 PM
Cool. Now where are the spy shots of the new iMacs?
EricNau
Sep 27, 09:14 AM
Sounds good!
I've been waiting for this update a long time.
I've been waiting for this update a long time.
more...
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.
lhshockey24
Mar 11, 03:20 PM
20 In line at the Best Buy in Flower Mound. I wonder what the other Best Buys look like now that people are getting off work.
JML42691
Mar 13, 10:17 AM
Checked my phone at about 3:06 this morning, when I hit the sleep/wake button the lockscreen clock said 2:06, but as soon as I unlocked the screen the clock adjusted to 3:06, hardly a problem for me, and Verizon iPhone by the way.
Silencio
Feb 18, 11:06 AM
Notice Steve is the only guy without wine?
Perhaps drinking alcohol when you've got a transplanted liver is not exactly the brightest idea.
Perhaps drinking alcohol when you've got a transplanted liver is not exactly the brightest idea.
MacRumorUser
Apr 21, 06:33 AM
Did you use the 3ds flashcart to play DS titles ?
No, just standard DSi cartridges.
No, just standard DSi cartridges.
mdwsta4
Aug 23, 12:16 AM
downloaded the update, my news feed won't populate. just get an error message. deleted it and reuploaded the previous release which didn't have any problems. i could care less about the places feature so i guess it doesn't matter.
JackAxe
Apr 5, 06:17 PM
Hopefully, not merely updated N64 titles... ;)
Yes, even with the 3D off - the games look nice...
I see it as a portable Wii, which could bring something much worse than a few key games from the n64, but a slew of shovelware from lazy-cash-in-devs like Ubisoft.
One thing I'm looking forward to on this, is its Virtual Console. With the higher rez screen it can handle the older SNES and Genesis titles.
Yes, even with the 3D off - the games look nice...
I see it as a portable Wii, which could bring something much worse than a few key games from the n64, but a slew of shovelware from lazy-cash-in-devs like Ubisoft.
One thing I'm looking forward to on this, is its Virtual Console. With the higher rez screen it can handle the older SNES and Genesis titles.
liavman
Apr 28, 01:44 AM
Thanks AidenShaw. Good idea. I need to get familiar with the BART. You are right about no traffic related worry. I will also consider taking it to get to the hotel instead of taking a cab. Thx.
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