backinblack875
Feb 21, 07:28 PM
need a new and bigger desk, workin on it
bjoplin21
Feb 17, 09:08 PM
Just got my 2009 Mac Pro Quad 2.66 today. It has a 120GB SSD drive and 640GB secondary drive, blu ray player, and 16GB of DDR3 Ram. Sitting next to it is my 2009 17 inch 2.66ghz Core2Duo Macbook Pro which has a 240GB SSD drive and 8GB of RAM.
http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j377/bjoplin21/DSC00964.jpg
http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j377/bjoplin21/DSC00972.jpg
http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j377/bjoplin21/DSC00964.jpg
http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j377/bjoplin21/DSC00972.jpg
tablo13
Oct 24, 03:07 PM
hello everyone..i have bought a new ipod touch and i want a case to cover it and to provide protection from scratches.please can anyone suggest me.
$1 cases on eBay is good enough to protect from scratches IMO.
$1 cases on eBay is good enough to protect from scratches IMO.
akkkmed
Jan 8, 10:42 AM
2008 Pontiac G6. Lease is up soon...
(Not my picture)
http://carphotos.cardomain.com/ride_images/3/3048/3101/32619050002_large.jpg
(Not my picture)
http://carphotos.cardomain.com/ride_images/3/3048/3101/32619050002_large.jpg
CalBoy
Apr 26, 03:17 PM
I doubt any legal battle between titans is a simple case, even if it appears so to us laypersons.
Certainly there are going to be minutiae that most of us won't ever learn about (and even fewer will understand), but in this case the trademark dispute is going to invariably depend on whether or not "app" is specific enough to trademark or whether it is generic to the point that trademarking it would deprive consumers and companies of a simple ands valuable labeling device.
"Amazon" is a generic term and should not be used for a store name.
Generic in a legal sense means that the term describes the product or service. For example, "computer" broadly describes any device with a chip, some storage, and an ability to perform calculations or other functions for the user. A person could not trademark "Computer Store" because it would leave other competitors with no way of describing the service they offer.
Amazon is an online retailer; hence "online retailer" cannot be trademarked but "Amazon" can be.
In much the same way "app store" describes what is being sold and how, and any competitor would want to make use of the same basic naming structure in order to clearly inform consumers about what they could expect to find.
The general population never heard the term "App" until Apple released the iPhone.
Nor did the general population ever shop for Apps online until Apple built the App Store.
The abbreviation "App" used in conjunction with "store" to denote an online marketplace in which to buy applications is a unique combination that is not known in generic parlance.
Apple will win this.
This is just not true. App has long been in use since before the 1990s.
Apple is also not the only company to sell software online; many companies had been doing direct downloads for years before iOS came out.
You make it sound as though this is such an obvious distinction that Apple could never get a trademark for "app store". But apparently this argument is not so strong in trademark law as Apple actually has the trademark already. If that were not the case how could they sue another entity for trademark infringement?
I think all of you who believe you have trademark law all figured out should keep this in mind. Apple has a trademark for app store. Previously another company had a trademark for "appstore" which is very similar.
You can write about the topic as though you have it all figured out but clearly your interpretation is not definitive as Apple was awarded the trademark.
Now perhaps eventually apple will lose it or have to modify it but the fact that they got the trademark and a legal battle would need to be waged for them to lose proves that your opinion of trademark law in this case is oversimplified.
It was.
Apple does not actually hold the trademark yet. That is still being decided. They filed their case against Amazon prematurely, hoping to either make Amazon change names or get a leg-up in the trademark hearings (or both).
Certainly there are going to be minutiae that most of us won't ever learn about (and even fewer will understand), but in this case the trademark dispute is going to invariably depend on whether or not "app" is specific enough to trademark or whether it is generic to the point that trademarking it would deprive consumers and companies of a simple ands valuable labeling device.
"Amazon" is a generic term and should not be used for a store name.
Generic in a legal sense means that the term describes the product or service. For example, "computer" broadly describes any device with a chip, some storage, and an ability to perform calculations or other functions for the user. A person could not trademark "Computer Store" because it would leave other competitors with no way of describing the service they offer.
Amazon is an online retailer; hence "online retailer" cannot be trademarked but "Amazon" can be.
In much the same way "app store" describes what is being sold and how, and any competitor would want to make use of the same basic naming structure in order to clearly inform consumers about what they could expect to find.
The general population never heard the term "App" until Apple released the iPhone.
Nor did the general population ever shop for Apps online until Apple built the App Store.
The abbreviation "App" used in conjunction with "store" to denote an online marketplace in which to buy applications is a unique combination that is not known in generic parlance.
Apple will win this.
This is just not true. App has long been in use since before the 1990s.
Apple is also not the only company to sell software online; many companies had been doing direct downloads for years before iOS came out.
You make it sound as though this is such an obvious distinction that Apple could never get a trademark for "app store". But apparently this argument is not so strong in trademark law as Apple actually has the trademark already. If that were not the case how could they sue another entity for trademark infringement?
I think all of you who believe you have trademark law all figured out should keep this in mind. Apple has a trademark for app store. Previously another company had a trademark for "appstore" which is very similar.
You can write about the topic as though you have it all figured out but clearly your interpretation is not definitive as Apple was awarded the trademark.
Now perhaps eventually apple will lose it or have to modify it but the fact that they got the trademark and a legal battle would need to be waged for them to lose proves that your opinion of trademark law in this case is oversimplified.
It was.
Apple does not actually hold the trademark yet. That is still being decided. They filed their case against Amazon prematurely, hoping to either make Amazon change names or get a leg-up in the trademark hearings (or both).
PBF
Apr 3, 02:37 AM
- can press ctrl+up again to close Mission Control, doesnt work with ctrl-down for Expos� app windows though
That's because the 'control' button acts like a four-finger gesture. Same applies to ctrl+left arrow and ctrl+right arrow.
That's because the 'control' button acts like a four-finger gesture. Same applies to ctrl+left arrow and ctrl+right arrow.
MacMan86
Apr 23, 07:50 PM
I live in MA and it was on the Boston news channels, CNN, MSNBC, Ars Technica, etc. It hit all of the major news outlets.
Doesn't make it any less sensationalist. It's just a file on a phone after all. Some people I know save their online banking passwords as contacts in their address book. I think there is far more appealing data on a phone besides this that people would rather get hold of (email accounts, Safari autofill passwords, call records�). Good luck to someone who has possession of my phone and now knows where I was 6 months ago, I bet knowing that will be invaluable to them� Maybe I should start having an affair or something to make it actually useful.
Doesn't make it any less sensationalist. It's just a file on a phone after all. Some people I know save their online banking passwords as contacts in their address book. I think there is far more appealing data on a phone besides this that people would rather get hold of (email accounts, Safari autofill passwords, call records�). Good luck to someone who has possession of my phone and now knows where I was 6 months ago, I bet knowing that will be invaluable to them� Maybe I should start having an affair or something to make it actually useful.
someone28624
Mar 22, 04:16 PM
Do people seriously have that many songs?!!! seriously?!!!
220gb = 50,000 songs?!!!!! That is totally not necessary.
Apple discontinue that dinosaur! It makes you look bad to just have it on your website.
iPod plays videos and shows photos also.
220gb = 50,000 songs?!!!!! That is totally not necessary.
Apple discontinue that dinosaur! It makes you look bad to just have it on your website.
iPod plays videos and shows photos also.
Ravich
May 4, 03:37 AM
This is going to seriously hinder my productivity with application deletion. In fact, I'm going to go ahead and change my productivity schedules for next year to include an hour of application deletion per day instead of 30 minutes.
Oh, wait a second, this only applies to mac app store applications? Thanks god! I'll just need to increase it to 45 minutes per day in that case. What a relief.
Oh, wait a second, this only applies to mac app store applications? Thanks god! I'll just need to increase it to 45 minutes per day in that case. What a relief.
takao
Feb 24, 06:34 PM
The Koreans have been improving a great deal since they built my borther's 1998 Hyundai Accent (which I someday hope to convert into a rally car when it's served it's on-road purpose). I would say that many of the lates models from Korea equal or exceed the Japanese in quality.
true i think the mentioned Kia Cee'd is the prime example of a great korean car ... the problem though is that with it the price advantage also vanished ;)
and i nretroperspective the name change from Dewoo to Chevrolet really helped GM a lot, sales really have been picking on ... relativly
regarding japanese cars they somehow again managed to hit 2 homeruns in the stupid name department
the Mitsubishi iMiEV which in german is spoken out (translated) "iStink"
and the suzuki Kizashi which in austrian dialekt german sounds pretty close to " kiss...'lower backside' "
As for the Germans, I am a fan of many German cars and they have earned their reputation, but not all of their cars are great. I remember looking over the C-Class hatchback a few years ago and aside from the RWD and the badge it was inferior to a Golf IMO, and quite a bit more money. Same goes for the M-Class, or the BMW 318 and Z3. I think people often assume that the German cars are benchmarks, but not all of them are.
true that .. regarding german benchmark cars i would mention the Golf TDI, the Mercedes E250 Blu Efficiency CDI, the BMW M3 .. in their markets they are simply the best there is for different reasons:
the Golf TDI is defining a whole vehicle class for most of europe: "Golf Klasse", every new vehicle roughly the same size and hatchback layout gets compared to it
the E250 BE CDI: showing that a fuel saving vehicle doesn't need to be hideous and still can be a big saloon car driving from Barcelona to Stuttgart on a single tank
the M3: the sporty 4 door saloon car benchmark
true i think the mentioned Kia Cee'd is the prime example of a great korean car ... the problem though is that with it the price advantage also vanished ;)
and i nretroperspective the name change from Dewoo to Chevrolet really helped GM a lot, sales really have been picking on ... relativly
regarding japanese cars they somehow again managed to hit 2 homeruns in the stupid name department
the Mitsubishi iMiEV which in german is spoken out (translated) "iStink"
and the suzuki Kizashi which in austrian dialekt german sounds pretty close to " kiss...'lower backside' "
As for the Germans, I am a fan of many German cars and they have earned their reputation, but not all of their cars are great. I remember looking over the C-Class hatchback a few years ago and aside from the RWD and the badge it was inferior to a Golf IMO, and quite a bit more money. Same goes for the M-Class, or the BMW 318 and Z3. I think people often assume that the German cars are benchmarks, but not all of them are.
true that .. regarding german benchmark cars i would mention the Golf TDI, the Mercedes E250 Blu Efficiency CDI, the BMW M3 .. in their markets they are simply the best there is for different reasons:
the Golf TDI is defining a whole vehicle class for most of europe: "Golf Klasse", every new vehicle roughly the same size and hatchback layout gets compared to it
the E250 BE CDI: showing that a fuel saving vehicle doesn't need to be hideous and still can be a big saloon car driving from Barcelona to Stuttgart on a single tank
the M3: the sporty 4 door saloon car benchmark
ryannel2003
Feb 22, 10:34 PM
http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n46/ryannel2003/IMAG0168.jpg
My new addition, a white MacBook. It's a mid-2007 model I picked up for $400. Not a bad deal at all, considering many of these computers are still going for $550. Apple installed a new top case and display bezel for free, picked up a used Combo drive for $40 (old one was kaput) and a fresh install of Snow Leopard and I'm ready to go. Really enjoying it.
My new addition, a white MacBook. It's a mid-2007 model I picked up for $400. Not a bad deal at all, considering many of these computers are still going for $550. Apple installed a new top case and display bezel for free, picked up a used Combo drive for $40 (old one was kaput) and a fresh install of Snow Leopard and I'm ready to go. Really enjoying it.
gnagy
Jun 23, 01:54 AM
Imagine you lived in the 1500s and someone showed you two computers. If you had zero prior computer experience, would you pick a touch based computer... or would you pick one where you move some arrow shaped icon with a 2nd device called the mouse.
We're very used to using a mouse, but it's definitely not the most natural way to interact with a computer. It's not easy either. I've seen old people that never could figure out how to double click without moving the cursor 50 pixels from where they wanted to click.
We're very used to using a mouse, but it's definitely not the most natural way to interact with a computer. It's not easy either. I've seen old people that never could figure out how to double click without moving the cursor 50 pixels from where they wanted to click.
HunterMaximus
Nov 25, 03:09 PM
Some ski pants (black to go with my on-hill uniform, green for fun):
http://i55.tinypic.com/14mavxv.jpg
http://i55.tinypic.com/wl385w.jpg
New glasses. First time for me, astigmatism correction takes some getting used to, but I think they look good:
http://i56.tinypic.com/2vsf6ef.jpg
http://i55.tinypic.com/14mavxv.jpg
http://i55.tinypic.com/wl385w.jpg
New glasses. First time for me, astigmatism correction takes some getting used to, but I think they look good:
http://i56.tinypic.com/2vsf6ef.jpg
aiqw9182
Mar 24, 03:53 PM
ATI has years developing graphics. Functionality wins over a supposed performance edge.Intel has had years developing graphics as well. That statement by itself really doesn't say anything.
Functionality wins over a supposed performance edge? Your whole argument is based on how Llano is supposedly going to be faster than Sandy Bridge. You have yet to state any OpenCL applications that you are using or plan on using in the future yet suddenly you need it NOW because you saw some AMD propaganda video on their YouTube channel. The fact of the matter is, Llano has a VERY slim chance of coming to Macs so it's high time you get over that video and just enjoy Sandy Bridge if you are only buying computers from Apple. If you really needed that extra power then you wouldn't be buying a machine with only an IGP to begin with.
Right.
Like running the new FF 4 (which appears to trigger the dGPU now for no apparent reason). Or when Safari needs to update its thumbnails and the dGPU kicks on.
:p
Hopefully Apple will improve the switchover to make it more frugal.
Yeah, that's why I said generally, lol.
Functionality wins over a supposed performance edge? Your whole argument is based on how Llano is supposedly going to be faster than Sandy Bridge. You have yet to state any OpenCL applications that you are using or plan on using in the future yet suddenly you need it NOW because you saw some AMD propaganda video on their YouTube channel. The fact of the matter is, Llano has a VERY slim chance of coming to Macs so it's high time you get over that video and just enjoy Sandy Bridge if you are only buying computers from Apple. If you really needed that extra power then you wouldn't be buying a machine with only an IGP to begin with.
Right.
Like running the new FF 4 (which appears to trigger the dGPU now for no apparent reason). Or when Safari needs to update its thumbnails and the dGPU kicks on.
:p
Hopefully Apple will improve the switchover to make it more frugal.
Yeah, that's why I said generally, lol.
surroundfan
Sep 6, 09:24 AM
Sometimes it's about form over function. This is nothing new for Apple.
Well quite, but it's going to lock the Mac Mini into being a poor value proposition.
Well quite, but it's going to lock the Mac Mini into being a poor value proposition.
rk1991
Nov 28, 12:08 PM
Just got back from Mexico and during my time there had a run in with the local police. This is common as hire cars have different colour number plates so the police can easily pick you out of a crowd. Apparently we were 'speeding'. It's all fun and games though. I got the fine down from about $400 US to 1000 pesos. We were warned this would happen when we arrived and should just look at it as an extra 'toll'. I could have probably got it down lower but it was hot and we had a long way to go still.
At the end of the negotiation you get a form to sign with how much you paid and then you have to sign your name. The document is cleary made in something like Word and it's in no way official....I signed it Ben T Copper! :p
Corruption FTW!
At the end of the negotiation you get a form to sign with how much you paid and then you have to sign your name. The document is cleary made in something like Word and it's in no way official....I signed it Ben T Copper! :p
Corruption FTW!
lordonuthin
Mar 21, 09:33 PM
your electricity bill must be outrageous!
what do you do?
Actually it is rather high, the machines provide quite a bit of heat too which is good in the winter but not so good in the summer. I will probably have to cut way back once it gets warm enough that I have to turn the air on which would be much sooner with the machines running. I wish I could get a receipt for the power that I use for folding it would make a nice tax write off, probably several hundred $$$ a year just for folding. As for what do I do? I just pay it and smile :p
congrats! keep it up!
Thanks.
what do you do?
Actually it is rather high, the machines provide quite a bit of heat too which is good in the winter but not so good in the summer. I will probably have to cut way back once it gets warm enough that I have to turn the air on which would be much sooner with the machines running. I wish I could get a receipt for the power that I use for folding it would make a nice tax write off, probably several hundred $$$ a year just for folding. As for what do I do? I just pay it and smile :p
congrats! keep it up!
Thanks.
maclaptop
Apr 21, 12:01 PM
There is a reason that some of us Jailbreak, outside of the desire to add applications outside of the appstore.
Apple hackers develop better jailbreaks now so they can keep up with the superior system Android has.
There's so much more one can do with Android.
After having every iPhone, I tried Android and I'm so amazed at their great capabilities.
Android is awesome.
That said my Iphone 4 is best as an iPod replacement.
I have the best of both worlds.
Apple hackers develop better jailbreaks now so they can keep up with the superior system Android has.
There's so much more one can do with Android.
After having every iPhone, I tried Android and I'm so amazed at their great capabilities.
Android is awesome.
That said my Iphone 4 is best as an iPod replacement.
I have the best of both worlds.
lordonuthin
Nov 8, 07:09 PM
bigadv are not available on windows but many are running virtual machines...
Aha! I knew it, those widozers breaking the rulz again!
Aha! I knew it, those widozers breaking the rulz again!
donlphi
Sep 6, 07:26 PM
CAN YOU SAY, "HERBIE FULLY LOADED IS THE #1 DOWNLOAD ON ITUNES MOVIE STORE"?
IF YOU CAN'T, GET READY, BECAUSE THAT WILL BE THE ONLY MOVIE AVAILABLE... ugh... that and Mary Poppins... geeze...
56781
IF YOU CAN'T, GET READY, BECAUSE THAT WILL BE THE ONLY MOVIE AVAILABLE... ugh... that and Mary Poppins... geeze...
56781
sycho
Jan 31, 07:18 PM
It's keeping the OEM 17s, I look the OEM+ look. It's simple and good looking.
andrewm
Aug 24, 08:12 PM
What the @*!& is Labour Day? Something to do with Tony Blair?
To quote the Dictionary widget, Labor Day is "a public holiday or day of festivities held in honor of working people, in the U.S. and Canada on the first Monday in September, in many other countries on May 1."
Cheers!
To quote the Dictionary widget, Labor Day is "a public holiday or day of festivities held in honor of working people, in the U.S. and Canada on the first Monday in September, in many other countries on May 1."
Cheers!
ctsport1234
Sep 1, 02:08 PM
This is awsome news! :D
If Apple does make a 23'' imac, I will definately be getting one! (albeit when Leopard is released) :D
If Apple does make a 23'' imac, I will definately be getting one! (albeit when Leopard is released) :D
Blue Velvet
Jan 1, 05:22 PM
The Apple Product Cycle
An obscure component manufacturer somewhere in the Pacific Rim announces a major order for some bleeding-edge piece of technology that could conceivably become part of an expensive, digital-lifestyle-enhancing nerd toy.
Some hardware geek, the sort who actually reads press releases from obscure Pacific Rim component manufacturers, posts a link to the press release in a Mac Internet forum.
The Mac rumor sites spring into action. Liberally quoting �reliable� sources inside Cupertino, irrelevant �experts,� and each other, they quickly transform baseless speculation into widely accepted fact.
Eager Mac-heads fan the flames by flooding the Mac discussion forums with more groundless conjecture. Threads pop up around feature wish lists, favorite colors, and likely retail price points. In a matter of days, a third-hand, unsubstantiated rumor blossoms into a hand-held device that can do everything except find a girlfriend for a fat, smelly nerd.
Apple issues it customary �we don�t comment on possible future products� statement in response to inquiries about the hypothetical new product. Mac fanatics are convinced that they're onto something.
The haters enter the fray to introduce fear, uncertainty and doubt. How expensive will the product be? Will it support Windows file formats? Will it work with my ten-year-old Quadra 840AV running Mac OS 8.1?
As Macworld or the Worldwide Developer�s Conference draws near, the chatter builds to a fever pitch. Rumor sites jockey for position, posting a new unverifiable, contradictory rumor every hour or so. eBay is flooded with six-month-old, slightly used gadgets as college students, underemployed web designers and independent musicians struggle to clear credit card space.
On the morning of Steve Jobs�s keynote presentation, the online Apple store grinds to a halt as Mac-heads set their browsers to refresh every 15 seconds.
Steve Jobs spends the first half-hour of his keynote crowing about how many iPods shipped during the previous six months and how many �native applications� have been developed for OS X. Attempting to appear as though it�s just an afterthought, he finally introduces the new Apple product. The product has sleek, clean lines, a diminutive form factor, and less than half of the useful features that everyone was expecting. Jobs announces that the product is available �immediately.�
Five minutes later, the new product appears on the online Apple store. Orders have an estimated ship date that is four weeks away.
The online Apple store takes 50,000 orders in the first 24 hours.
Apple�s stock surges as Wall Street analysts proclaim the new device will be �Apple�s savior� and the key to turning around the decades-long decline in Apple�s share of the global PC market.
The haters offer their assessment. The forums are ablaze with vitriolic rage. Haters pan the device for being less powerful than a Cray X1 while zealots counter that it is both smaller and lighter than a Buick Regal. The virtual slap-fight goes on and on, until obscure technical nuances like, �Will it play multiplexed Ogg Vorbis streams?� become matters of life and death.
The editors of popular Mac magazines hail the new device as the next great step toward our utopian digital future. Wired News runs exclusive interviews with the Apple design team. Fortune publishes another glowing fluff piece about Steve Jobs, proclaiming him to be the great visionary behind all technological innovation. Newsweek declares the device the new �must have� item for any self-respecting urban technophile. All of this is written before anybody outside of Cupertino has held the new device in his or her hand.
Business Week publishes an article stating that unless Apple immediately releases a Windows version of the new product its market share will continue to shrink and Apple will be out of business within six months. Mac zealots howl with fury and crash Business Week�s email server with their angry rebuttals.
In the wee hours of the morning on the initial ship date, as the Mac heads lay snug in their beds or take MDMA and dance to bad music, Apple delays everybody�s ship date by four weeks.
Rage reigns in the Mac forums. Lifelong Mac users who would never consider purchasing anything made by Microsoft or Dell, regardless of how shabbily Apple treats them, vent their anguish and frustration. Failing utterly to see the irony of the situation, they prattle on until their panties are twisted in knots.
The rumor sites abound with half-baked theories blaming the shipping delay on everything from heat dissipation problems to SARS. The most obvious explanation, that Apple lied about the initial shipment dates, is ignored in favor of more elaborate and unlikely scenarios.
Apple�s stock plummets as Wall Street analysts fret about the company�s supply chain problems. The same analysts who were raising their targets on Apple three weeks earlier appear on CNBC and predict that Apple could file for bankruptcy as soon as the week after next.
A week before the revised ship date rolls around, small quantities of the new product begin to appear in Apple�s retail stores. Chaos ensues as crazed Mac-heads queue up hours before the stores open, hoping to get their hands on one of the prized gizmos. The bedwetting in Mac Internet forums reaches tidal proportions as people post empty threats to cancel their online orders. The devices begin to appear on eBay and get bid up to absurd premiums over MSRP.
Pointless outrage slowly turns to pointless optimism. Driven insane by the lack of instant gratification, would-be customers profess their willingness to gun down the Tooth Fairy, Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny if it would hasten the arrival of the FedEx delivery person.
Nerd porn threads appear in the Mac forums. Some lunatic with too much time and money on his hands disassembles the new device down to the bare, soldered components and posts pictures.
The obligatory �I�m waiting for Rev. B� discussion appears in the Mac forums. People who�ve been burned by first-generation Apple products open up their old wounds and bleed their tales of woe. Unsympathetic technophiles fire back with, �if you can�t handle the heat, stay out of the kitchen. *****.� Everyone has this stupid argument for the twenty-third time.
Apple issues a press release to announce that they have now taken orders for over 100,000 of the new devices and shipped at least eight or nine dozen. Backorders and waiting lists stretch into months.
Movie stars, professional athletes and rappers begin accessorizing with Apple�s new gadget. Shaquille O�Neal appears on the cover of ESPN The Magazine using one. Mac fans unconditionally forgive him for Kazaam.
Wall Street analysts appear on CNBC wearing big smiles and bright spring colors to announce that Apple's new device will drive Apple's sales to unprecedented levels and might be the key to turning around the decades-long decline in Apple�s share of the global PC market. Apple's share price surges. People who understand the root cause of the dot com bubble shake their heads in silent disgust.
Trade publications and business magazines begin to refer to the market for Apple's new product as a "space."
A minor, rarely occurring flaw in the device begins to be discussed in the Apple support forums. Whiny, artistic types post lengthy diatribes about how this terrible design flaw has made the device unusable and scarred them emotionally. Electronic petitions are created demanding that Apple replace the devices for free, plus pay for counseling to help traumatized users overcome their emotional distress.
Taken completely by surprise at the success of Apple's new gadget, executives from Dell or Sony or Microsoft appear on CNBC and offer vague suggestions that they are beginning development of a new product to compete with Apple. In its next issue, PC Week magazine publishes an article declaring that Apple's dominance of the [insert gadget here] space is in jeopardy.
Weeks before most users are able to hold Apple's new gadget in their hands, "What features would you like in the next version?" discussions take place on Mac mailing lists. Mac-heads cook up droves of far-fetched, often bizarre ideas. A cursory reading makes it readily apparent why Apple executives pay no attention to their fanatical customers.
Apple releases the first software update for the new device through its Software Update control panel. Several hours later, it pulls the updater. A small number of people who applied the update experience crashes, data loss, headaches and ennui. The Apple support forums are filled with outraged posts. A day or so later, Apple releases a revised installer without comment, then quietly removes the angry posts from its support forums.
Somebody starts a thread on a Mac chat board that asks whether anyone knows of a way to use the new device with some other nerd toy in a way that makes no sense whatsoever. Out of the blue, somebody writes a hack that facilitates the unholy combination and offers it as $39 shareware. Seven of the nine people who actually try to use the hack download it off of BitTorrent and use a pirate serial number. Advocates point to this as an example of how independent Mac software development is thriving.
Dell or Sony or Microsoft releases a competing device which costs $100 less and is based on completely incompatible, Windows-only technology. Business Week declares Apple's dominance of the [insert gadget here] space over. Angry Mac zealots make plans to surround Business Week's corporate offices with torches and pitchforks until someone points out that fire and garden tools are so un-digital.
Wall Street analysts appear on CNBC to explain that Apple's device will never be able to compete with the onslaught of cheaper Windows-based competitors. Apple's stock plummets. Idiot technology investors experience a brief moment of deja vu before they return to masturbating to photos of Maria Bartiromo.
Consumers discover that the Windows-based competitor to Apple's device contains a proprietary digital rights management technology that prevents them from using the device to do anything expect except look at family photographs taken in the last 20 minutes.
An obscure component manufacturer somewhere in the Pacific Rim announces a major order for some new bleeding-edge piece of technology that could conceivably become part of some expensive, digital-lifestyle-enhancing nerd toy. The fun begins again...
http://www.misterbg.org/AppleProductCycle/
:D
An obscure component manufacturer somewhere in the Pacific Rim announces a major order for some bleeding-edge piece of technology that could conceivably become part of an expensive, digital-lifestyle-enhancing nerd toy.
Some hardware geek, the sort who actually reads press releases from obscure Pacific Rim component manufacturers, posts a link to the press release in a Mac Internet forum.
The Mac rumor sites spring into action. Liberally quoting �reliable� sources inside Cupertino, irrelevant �experts,� and each other, they quickly transform baseless speculation into widely accepted fact.
Eager Mac-heads fan the flames by flooding the Mac discussion forums with more groundless conjecture. Threads pop up around feature wish lists, favorite colors, and likely retail price points. In a matter of days, a third-hand, unsubstantiated rumor blossoms into a hand-held device that can do everything except find a girlfriend for a fat, smelly nerd.
Apple issues it customary �we don�t comment on possible future products� statement in response to inquiries about the hypothetical new product. Mac fanatics are convinced that they're onto something.
The haters enter the fray to introduce fear, uncertainty and doubt. How expensive will the product be? Will it support Windows file formats? Will it work with my ten-year-old Quadra 840AV running Mac OS 8.1?
As Macworld or the Worldwide Developer�s Conference draws near, the chatter builds to a fever pitch. Rumor sites jockey for position, posting a new unverifiable, contradictory rumor every hour or so. eBay is flooded with six-month-old, slightly used gadgets as college students, underemployed web designers and independent musicians struggle to clear credit card space.
On the morning of Steve Jobs�s keynote presentation, the online Apple store grinds to a halt as Mac-heads set their browsers to refresh every 15 seconds.
Steve Jobs spends the first half-hour of his keynote crowing about how many iPods shipped during the previous six months and how many �native applications� have been developed for OS X. Attempting to appear as though it�s just an afterthought, he finally introduces the new Apple product. The product has sleek, clean lines, a diminutive form factor, and less than half of the useful features that everyone was expecting. Jobs announces that the product is available �immediately.�
Five minutes later, the new product appears on the online Apple store. Orders have an estimated ship date that is four weeks away.
The online Apple store takes 50,000 orders in the first 24 hours.
Apple�s stock surges as Wall Street analysts proclaim the new device will be �Apple�s savior� and the key to turning around the decades-long decline in Apple�s share of the global PC market.
The haters offer their assessment. The forums are ablaze with vitriolic rage. Haters pan the device for being less powerful than a Cray X1 while zealots counter that it is both smaller and lighter than a Buick Regal. The virtual slap-fight goes on and on, until obscure technical nuances like, �Will it play multiplexed Ogg Vorbis streams?� become matters of life and death.
The editors of popular Mac magazines hail the new device as the next great step toward our utopian digital future. Wired News runs exclusive interviews with the Apple design team. Fortune publishes another glowing fluff piece about Steve Jobs, proclaiming him to be the great visionary behind all technological innovation. Newsweek declares the device the new �must have� item for any self-respecting urban technophile. All of this is written before anybody outside of Cupertino has held the new device in his or her hand.
Business Week publishes an article stating that unless Apple immediately releases a Windows version of the new product its market share will continue to shrink and Apple will be out of business within six months. Mac zealots howl with fury and crash Business Week�s email server with their angry rebuttals.
In the wee hours of the morning on the initial ship date, as the Mac heads lay snug in their beds or take MDMA and dance to bad music, Apple delays everybody�s ship date by four weeks.
Rage reigns in the Mac forums. Lifelong Mac users who would never consider purchasing anything made by Microsoft or Dell, regardless of how shabbily Apple treats them, vent their anguish and frustration. Failing utterly to see the irony of the situation, they prattle on until their panties are twisted in knots.
The rumor sites abound with half-baked theories blaming the shipping delay on everything from heat dissipation problems to SARS. The most obvious explanation, that Apple lied about the initial shipment dates, is ignored in favor of more elaborate and unlikely scenarios.
Apple�s stock plummets as Wall Street analysts fret about the company�s supply chain problems. The same analysts who were raising their targets on Apple three weeks earlier appear on CNBC and predict that Apple could file for bankruptcy as soon as the week after next.
A week before the revised ship date rolls around, small quantities of the new product begin to appear in Apple�s retail stores. Chaos ensues as crazed Mac-heads queue up hours before the stores open, hoping to get their hands on one of the prized gizmos. The bedwetting in Mac Internet forums reaches tidal proportions as people post empty threats to cancel their online orders. The devices begin to appear on eBay and get bid up to absurd premiums over MSRP.
Pointless outrage slowly turns to pointless optimism. Driven insane by the lack of instant gratification, would-be customers profess their willingness to gun down the Tooth Fairy, Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny if it would hasten the arrival of the FedEx delivery person.
Nerd porn threads appear in the Mac forums. Some lunatic with too much time and money on his hands disassembles the new device down to the bare, soldered components and posts pictures.
The obligatory �I�m waiting for Rev. B� discussion appears in the Mac forums. People who�ve been burned by first-generation Apple products open up their old wounds and bleed their tales of woe. Unsympathetic technophiles fire back with, �if you can�t handle the heat, stay out of the kitchen. *****.� Everyone has this stupid argument for the twenty-third time.
Apple issues a press release to announce that they have now taken orders for over 100,000 of the new devices and shipped at least eight or nine dozen. Backorders and waiting lists stretch into months.
Movie stars, professional athletes and rappers begin accessorizing with Apple�s new gadget. Shaquille O�Neal appears on the cover of ESPN The Magazine using one. Mac fans unconditionally forgive him for Kazaam.
Wall Street analysts appear on CNBC wearing big smiles and bright spring colors to announce that Apple's new device will drive Apple's sales to unprecedented levels and might be the key to turning around the decades-long decline in Apple�s share of the global PC market. Apple's share price surges. People who understand the root cause of the dot com bubble shake their heads in silent disgust.
Trade publications and business magazines begin to refer to the market for Apple's new product as a "space."
A minor, rarely occurring flaw in the device begins to be discussed in the Apple support forums. Whiny, artistic types post lengthy diatribes about how this terrible design flaw has made the device unusable and scarred them emotionally. Electronic petitions are created demanding that Apple replace the devices for free, plus pay for counseling to help traumatized users overcome their emotional distress.
Taken completely by surprise at the success of Apple's new gadget, executives from Dell or Sony or Microsoft appear on CNBC and offer vague suggestions that they are beginning development of a new product to compete with Apple. In its next issue, PC Week magazine publishes an article declaring that Apple's dominance of the [insert gadget here] space is in jeopardy.
Weeks before most users are able to hold Apple's new gadget in their hands, "What features would you like in the next version?" discussions take place on Mac mailing lists. Mac-heads cook up droves of far-fetched, often bizarre ideas. A cursory reading makes it readily apparent why Apple executives pay no attention to their fanatical customers.
Apple releases the first software update for the new device through its Software Update control panel. Several hours later, it pulls the updater. A small number of people who applied the update experience crashes, data loss, headaches and ennui. The Apple support forums are filled with outraged posts. A day or so later, Apple releases a revised installer without comment, then quietly removes the angry posts from its support forums.
Somebody starts a thread on a Mac chat board that asks whether anyone knows of a way to use the new device with some other nerd toy in a way that makes no sense whatsoever. Out of the blue, somebody writes a hack that facilitates the unholy combination and offers it as $39 shareware. Seven of the nine people who actually try to use the hack download it off of BitTorrent and use a pirate serial number. Advocates point to this as an example of how independent Mac software development is thriving.
Dell or Sony or Microsoft releases a competing device which costs $100 less and is based on completely incompatible, Windows-only technology. Business Week declares Apple's dominance of the [insert gadget here] space over. Angry Mac zealots make plans to surround Business Week's corporate offices with torches and pitchforks until someone points out that fire and garden tools are so un-digital.
Wall Street analysts appear on CNBC to explain that Apple's device will never be able to compete with the onslaught of cheaper Windows-based competitors. Apple's stock plummets. Idiot technology investors experience a brief moment of deja vu before they return to masturbating to photos of Maria Bartiromo.
Consumers discover that the Windows-based competitor to Apple's device contains a proprietary digital rights management technology that prevents them from using the device to do anything expect except look at family photographs taken in the last 20 minutes.
An obscure component manufacturer somewhere in the Pacific Rim announces a major order for some new bleeding-edge piece of technology that could conceivably become part of some expensive, digital-lifestyle-enhancing nerd toy. The fun begins again...
http://www.misterbg.org/AppleProductCycle/
:D
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