Linked by the_randymon on Mon 21st Jan 2013 19:27 UTC
"The first computers were gigantic, filling rooms and requiring constant care and maintenance. [...] The computer stayed on the desk until the laptop computer, a smaller, more portable, but just as powerful machine, made it nearly obsolete. And then, the iPhone was released, followed shortly after by Android and the Palm WebOS, and the next step in computing was clear. What we did not immediately understand was if mobile computing was an accessory, or a replacement, for the traditional desktop machines." Jon-Buys at Ostatic believes the phone-becomes-computer paradigm is the next step.
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RE: I actually really did LOL
by shmerl on Mon 21st Jan 2013 20:19
in reply to "I actually really did LOL"
Member since:2010-06-08
RE[2]: I actually really did LOL
by the_randymon on Mon 21st Jan 2013 20:37
in reply to "RE: I actually really did LOL"
Member since:2005-07-06
No, it was clear since PDAs came out. Way before iPhone. The fact that mobile computers were combined with telephony wasn't really a revolutionary breakthrough in technological thought, though it was a breakthrough in consumer market.
Everyone I know who has an iphone (and these days it seems like every American walking the city streets has an iphone; where's the diversity?) says that the iphone is a pocket computer that happens to have phone capability. Furthermore, most confess as a telephone it's somewhat mediocre. Interesting.
As for the PDA revolution, I remember well the days when we were asking if PDAs would absorb phone features, or if phones would absorb PDA features. It's not really important which of those two scenarios actually happened, since where we wound up is the same.
I'm carrying a small Android phone by Samsung, and while I like it, there are still some things about it that make me miss my old cheapie cellphone (dumb phone). Furthermore, I'm not letting go of my desktop for any smartphone+Cloud Schmaboozle for anything on earth.
RE: I actually really did LOL
by galvanash on Mon 21st Jan 2013 21:16
in reply to "I actually really did LOL"
Member since:2006-01-25
Of course smart phones are computers.
I'm pretty sure the article is specifically talking about "Personal Computing" as is the modern status quo - desktops with keyboards, mice, and monitors...
You might want to read up on the feature set of Ubuntu Phone before you comment further. Yes, the iPhone is and was certainly a computer, but so was the average PDA that predated it. What it isn't is a functional replacement for you PC - and it has never in the last 6 years tried to be one...
An Ubuntu Phone device IS trying to be a functional PC replacement. Whether it succeeds or not is a different story - but your cavalier response that this is "obvious" neglects to acknowledge that this is the opposite of what Apple is trying to do with iPhones and iPads.
Apple is either trying to replace PCs with something completely different, or they are content with it being a companion device. An Unbuntu Phone is trying to make one device that fulfills both roles, a portable computing device AND a conventional desktop PC.
Well see how it goes. I'm not saying it will work, and it certainly isn't a new idea. But neither was a touch screen portable communication device... Just as with Apple's success, it boils down to timing and execution.
RE: I actually really did LOL
by WereCatf on Mon 21st Jan 2013 23:09
in reply to "I actually really did LOL"
Member since:2006-02-15
Interestingly when Apple was designing the first iPhone they were going to call it the iPad and market it as a computer that also had a phone function built it. In the end they decided not to, but what's clear is that Apple always saw the iPhone as a computer.
How does the fact that Steve Jobs wanted the iPhone to be a completely locked-down appliance with no possibility for the end-users to install applications on them at all fit in your description? Doesn't sound at all like what you're portraying.
Edited 2013-01-21 23:24 UTC
RE[2]: I actually really did LOL
by shmerl on Tue 22nd Jan 2013 00:03
in reply to "RE: I actually really did LOL"
Member since:2010-06-08
RE: I actually really did LOL
by M.Onty on Tue 22nd Jan 2013 13:30
in reply to "I actually really did LOL"
Member since:2009-10-23
This breathless account of something that is both obvious and has been happening for six years is just too much. Of course smart phones are computers. That has been clear from when the first iPhone launched and was obvious once the App Store launched and took off. And Ubuntu is definitely not the future of anything 
Interestingly when Apple was designing the first iPhone they were going to call it the iPad and market it as a computer that also had a phone function built it. In the end they decided not to, but what's clear is that Apple always saw the iPhone as a computer.
Interestingly when Apple was designing the first iPhone they were going to call it the iPad and market it as a computer that also had a phone function built it. In the end they decided not to, but what's clear is that Apple always saw the iPhone as a computer.
Quickly, bung a load of references to the brilliance of Apple into the conversation! Phew, that was a close one; we almost managed to have an intelligent debate about a potentially interesting new direction for computing without an unnecessary fruity reference.
For what its worth, I think Canonical could really be on to something here. Shame they're going to be competing with Mozilla for market share though, I'd rather see the two work together.
Features
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/13/13 14:35 UTC
The third and final WWDC product I want to talk about is - of course - OS X 10.9 Mavericks. While iOS 7 was clearly the focus of this year's WWDC, its venerable desktop counterpart certainly wasn't left behind. Apple announced OS X 10.9 Mavericks, the first OS X release not to carry the name of a big cat.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/11/13 17:07 UTC
We already talked about iOS 7 yesterday (after a night of sleep, it's only looking worse and worse - look at this, for Fiona's sake!), so now it's time to talk about the downright stunning and belly flutters-inducing new Mac Pro. As former owner and huge, huge, huge fan of the PowerMac G4 Cube - I haven't been this excited about an Apple product since, well, I would say the iMac G4. This is the Apple I used to love.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/10/13 23:13 UTC
Apple held its big keynote event thing at WWDC earlier this evening, but since I was away with friends I've had to read up on it later in the evening. The company announced iOS 7, OS X 10.9 Mavericks, and they gave a preview of the new Mac Pro. Especially the Mac Pro impressed me, and while iOS 7's new Holo/Metro-inspired theme looks messy and garish to me, I do commend Apple for finally breaking the mold. This news item will focus on iOS 7 - I'll dive into the Mac Pro and OS X 10.9 tomorrow (it's late here now).
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/08/13 14:57 UTC
And yes, the PRISM scandal is far, far from over. More and more information keeps leaking out, and the more gets out, the worse it gets. The companies involved have sent out official statements - often by mouth of their CEOs - and what's interesting is that not only are these official statements eerily similar to each other, using the same terms clearly designed by lawyers, they also directly contradict new reports from The New York Times. So, who is lying?
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/07/13 11:40 UTC
This story is getting bigger and bigger. Even though most Americans probably already knew, it is now official: the United States government, through its National Security Agency, is collecting the communications and data of all American citizens, and of non-Americans using American services, through a wide collaboration with the large companies in technology, like Apple, Google, Microsoft, Facebook, and so on. Interestingly enough, the NSA itself, as well as the US government, have repeatedly and firmly denied this massive spying on Americans and non-Americans took place at all.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/04/13 12:45 UTC
Ah, patents - the never-ending scourge of the technology industry. Whether wielded by companies who don't actually make any products, or large corporations who abuse them because they can't compete in the market place or because they're simply jerks, they do the industry a huge disservice and are simply plain dangerous. According to The Wall Street Journal (circumvention link), president Obama is about to take several executive actions to address patent trolls - which may seem like a good idea, but I am very worried that all this will do is strengthen the positions of notorious patent system abusers such as Apple and Microsoft.
Linked by nfeske on 05/31/13 10:12 UTC
With version 13.05, the developers of the Genode OS Framework take measures to ensure that Genode continues to scale well with a growing number of users and the steadily broadening platform coverage. Further highlights are the improved SoC support for Exynos 5, OMAP4, Raspberry Pi, i.MX, and new components for realizing headless systems.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/29/13 16:59 UTC
At the D11 conference, Apple CEO Tim Cook once again took the stage to be interviewed by Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher. While most of the interview can be replicated by picking and reading 10 random Apple fanblog stories - there were still a number of very interesting things that warrant some closer scrutiny.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/24/13 17:26 UTC
So, the Xbox One disaster continues. Microsoft's policy for dealing with the used games market has reportedly leaked - and it's a clear and direct attack to destroy the used games market. Prices for used games will be set at the retail value of a new game, and retailers have to hook into Microsoft's computer systems and comply with Microsoft's terms and conditions.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/21/13 21:38 UTC
At an event earlier today, Microsoft unveiled the next Xbox - the third model, but confusingly named Xbox One. The big focus was TV, integrated Kinect, and all the other stuff we all expected to be forced down our throats. I think it took them 25 minutes to actually come to what should be the core of the story: gaming. Nothing groundbreaking in the gaming department, except for how Microsoft intends to handle the used games market and borrowing games from friends: pay up, buddy!More Features »
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2009-08-22
This breathless account of something that is both obvious and has been happening for six years is just too much. Of course smart phones are computers. That has been clear from when the first iPhone launched and was obvious once the App Store launched and took off. And Ubuntu is definitely not the future of anything
Interestingly when Apple was designing the first iPhone they were going to call it the iPad and market it as a computer that also had a phone function built it. In the end they decided not to, but what's clear is that Apple always saw the iPhone as a computer.