Linked by Universal Mind on Fri 6th Aug 2010 16:16 UTC
The "Macs are too expensive" argument is one of the most tiresome and long-lived flamewars in internet history. Obviously, Apple makes a premium product and charges premium prices, and you can always find a computer from another vendor that seems to match or exceed specs that costs less. But if you look at Apple's Mac Pro line, and compare it not so much to other vendors, but to the past lineup of Mac Pros, you discover some very unpleasant truths that help explain why Apple is enjoying record earnings for their Mac line, but doing so to the detriment of some its most loyal and valuable customers.
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RE[2]: Already wrong at the second sentence.
by DeadFishMan on Sat 7th Aug 2010 01:15
in reply to "RE: Already wrong at the second sentence."
Member since:2006-01-09
While I don't have any beef with most of your points, this one really bugs me...
"Iphone 4 back glass susceptible to shattering" -- seriously? So is my monitor and any freaking thing else on this planet made of glass!
Unlike a monitor, a cell phone is intended to be kept mostly on a back pocket or some such and MUST face a drop on the floor every now and then and therefore having any part made of glass that can crack, shatter, scratch or otherwise damage easily is indeed a poor design decision. Apple probably knows it but then again it is not exactly known for putting function over form...
RE[3]: Already wrong at the second sentence.
by Morgan on Sat 7th Aug 2010 01:42
in reply to "RE[2]: Already wrong at the second sentence."
Member since:2005-06-29
Not to defend them --because I do agree with you, it's stupid to have the entire back shell made of glass -- but at least they were smart enough to use hardened glass. I would have preferred to see a metal back like the original iPhone and the current iPod touch, or even ceramic, but hardened glass is still a good bit more durable than the cheap plastic my BlackBerry is made of.
I do think they should have included free silicone sleeves in every iPhone 4 box from the beginning, both to improve durability as well as fix the antenna issue before it became an issue.
Also, don't forget that almost all smartphones these days are made with glass screens that cover 90% or more of the phone's surface. Once it's in your back pocket, it doesn't matter if it's the front or the back made of glass, it's only a matter of time until it's sat on and cracked. That is what belt cases are for.
As for those who must pocket their phone since they wouldn't be caught dead wearing a belt, there are front and thigh pockets on pants for a reason.
RE[2]: Already wrong at the second sentence.
by nt_jerkface on Sat 7th Aug 2010 03:43
in reply to "RE: Already wrong at the second sentence."
Member since:2009-08-26
I can't count the Toshiba laptops I've had to fix recurrent issues like the power receptacle breaking and falling into the case (nearly impossible to fix without a new bottom shell), six-month life on the LCD lamp and inverter, rampant keyboard failure, etc.
Sounds like bad luck and not indicative of the company.
http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/17/laptop-reliability-survey-asus-a...
News
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/24/13 22:33 UTC
Joint statement to The Next Web from Microsoft and Google: "Microsoft and YouTube are working together to update the new YouTube for Windows Phone app to enable compliance with YouTube's API terms of service, including enabling ads, in the coming weeks. Microsoft will replace the existing YouTube app in Windows Phone Store with the previous version during this time." Good to know these children stopped acting like little pricks. Can we have full Google support in Windows 8 now, please?
Linked by Howard Fosdick on 05/24/13 21:41 UTC
Yahoo is acquiring Tumblr, the microblogging and social networking website, for $1.1 billion USD. Tumblr offers little revenue but lots of eyeballs if Yahoo can monetarize them. Now Yahoo is bidding for Hulu, the streaming video service. After years of ineffective responses while Google, Facebook, and others took large chunks of the online advertising market, Yahoo is fighting back. Can Yahoo reignite the momentum it had at the turn of the century? What do you think?
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/24/13 14:44 UTC
"Sources have described iOS 7 as 'black, white, and flat all over'. This refers to the dropping of heavy textures and the addition of several new black and white user interface elements." I couldn't be happier.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/23/13 23:22 UTC
"Ilja van Sprundel, a security researcher with IOActive, has discovered a large number of issues in the way various X client libraries handle the responses they receive from servers, and has worked with X.Org's security team to analyze, confirm, and fix these issues."
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/23/13 22:04 UTC
"Google is facing a new antitrust probe by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission into whether the company is using its leadership in the online display-advertising market to illegally curb competition, people familiar with the matter said." Sucks to be Google today, apparently.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/23/13 22:01 UTC
"In the midst of the major press blitz surrounding its annual I/O Conference, Google dropped some unfortunate news about its instant messaging plans. In several places around the web, the company is replacing the existing 'Talk' platform with a new one called 'Hangouts' that sharply diminishes support for the open messaging protocol known as XMPP (or sometimes informally Jabber), and also removes the option to disable the archiving of all chat communications. These changes represent a switch from open protocols to proprietary ones, and a clear step backward for many users." That's why I always say: only suckers trust companies.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/23/13 17:52 UTC
"The wave of departures is a sign of internal struggle, but amidst all the bad news, there is a glimmer of hope. According to an anonymous HTC executive cited by WSJ, the crucial HTC One is selling 'pretty good so far'. The executive revealed that HTC sold about five million One units since launch, a performance that is deemed encouraging. However, sales have been limited by the persisting supply issues that still plague the production of the HTC One." Finally some good news for HTC. Five million units amidst supply constraints is very impressive.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/22/13 22:23 UTC
"Sony gave the PS4 50% more raw shader performance, plain and simple (768 SPs @ 800MHz vs. 1152 SPs & 800MHz). Unlike last generation, you don't need to be some sort of Jedi to extract the PS4's potential here. The Xbox One and PS4 architectures are quite similar, Sony just has more hardware under the hood. Weâll have to wait and see how this hardware delta gets exposed in games over time, but the gap is definitely there. The funny thing about game consoles is that itâs usually the lowest common denominator that determines the bulk of the experience across all platforms. On the plus side, the Xbox One should enjoy better power/thermal characteristics compared to the PlayStation 4. Even compared to the Xbox 360 we should see improvement in many use cases thanks to modern power management techniques." AnandTech does its usual in-depth thing.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/22/13 13:38 UTC
"The Verge has learned that HTC's Chief Product Officer, Kouji Kodera, left the company last week. Kodera was responsible for HTC's overall product strategy, which makes the departure especially notable on the heels of the global launch of the make-or-break One. It's not just Kodera. In the past three-odd months, HTC has lost a number of employees in rapid succession." I really hope HTC pulls it together.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/22/13 13:30 UTC, submitted by JRepin
"It is with huge pleasure that the Debian GNU/Hurd team announces the release of Debian GNU/Hurd 2013. This is a snapshot of Debian 'sid' at the time of the Debian 'wheezy' release (May 2013), so it is mostly based on the same sources. It is not an official Debian release, but it is an official Debian GNU/Hurd port release." Important note: 75% of Debian packages are supported bu Debian GNU/Hurd. Impressive.More News »
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Member since:
2005-06-29
You can build a similar list for any major manufacturer. Dell and Toshiba particularly come to mind. I can't count the Toshiba laptops I've had to fix recurrent issues like the power receptacle breaking and falling into the case (nearly impossible to fix without a new bottom shell), six-month life on the LCD lamp and inverter, rampant keyboard failure, etc.
Then there is Sony's infamous failing RAM slots in early and mid-2000s Vaio laptops. Dell with their faulty capacitor cover-up, HP and Compaq with overheating drives and underpowered power supplies, respectively...I can go on all day, as I've been diagnosing and fixing these issues for friends, family and customers for the past 15 years.
I couldn't help but notice that your list had 18 incidents over a 30-year life span; not bad for one company. You also included fixed issues -- "MacBook fan 'mooing' (fixed with firmware)" -- and issues common to anything made similar -- "Iphone 4 back glass susceptible to shattering" -- seriously? So is my monitor and any freaking thing else on this planet made of glass!
Sorry but just about everything on your list has happened to every tech gadget company and computer manufacturer out there. I mean, come on: "G5 cooling issues" -- have you never owned a Pentium 4? "Mighty Mouse ball susceptible to constant malfunction from dirt" -- as was every ball-based mouse made in the past 30 years or so.
Look, I'm not apologizing for Apple; they are a tech company and they have their good and bad designs. In fact, I'll give you proprietary connectors one hundred percent; that's a beef I've had with Apple since day one (and I'm literally as old as the Apple ][ ). My point is that it's easy to build a list like this for any company, and it doesn't prove anything.