GregA2
Nov 11, 02:26 AM
That sucks Justin Long isn't going to be in the ads anymore. I hope they don't stop them altogether- I was looking forward to some really good ones once Zune and Vista get here... :D
i.Feature
Aug 14, 02:04 PM
...if you're selling soap.
Imagine the following. You're Apple's ad agency, and you've been hired by the Reds, the local sports team. A few miles away is the home of the Blues, and in your town, the Reds make up the team affiliation of about 80% of the population, with the Blues making up the other 20%. There's a degree of rivalry between the teams.
The Reds want more people coming to their stadiums. They need increased revenue ticket sales. The only people to attract now are the Blues. The Blues obviously like your sport, otherwise they wouldn't have chosen a team in the first place, but they're not willing to consider, as yet, seeing Red team games. How do you attract Blue supporters?
If you're Apple's ad agency, your ad goes something like:
Blue: "I'm a blue player"
Red: "And I'm a red player"
Blue: "Duh. I can kick this ball, duh, look" (*kicks at ball several times, finally actually hitting it the 7th time*)
Red: *smugly bounces a ball on knee* "Red scored the highest last season, and we're consistantly the best team"
Blue: "Hey! Hey, watch this" *attempts to balance ball on nose, ball consistantly rolling off and away. Blue chases after ball*
Red: *Kicks ball up, bounces on knee, headbutts it, and catches it with one hand behind him* "We have some really skilled players"
(Ad continues ad-nausium. By which I mean it's an ad that makes you nauseous.)
Now, another approach might be to run an ad that consists of a bunch of shots from your stadium. You show some pretty good playing, stuff people will find impressive and will have wished they saw. You show the Reds most often, but, hey, there are two teams in every game. In other words, instead of taking sides based upon the team, you show people that if they come to your stadium, they're going to have a good time. They're going to see some impressive playmanship. Even if it's not their team, there's reason for them to want to go and see the next game.
Which type of ad would sway you? Which type of ad would get you to go to a stadium owned by your team's rival?
The current "I'm a Mac" series doesn't work because it appeals to fanboism, but in doing so, it also ends up being fanboism's victim. It doesn't appeal to PC owners, it just cements existing Mac user's sense of superiority. Except me. I cringe every time I see them.
I disagree totally. People buy superiority. Thats what a good portion of the population wants. Thats why peop;le buy designer clothes. Thats why people buy fancy cars. Thats why people buy expensive jewelery. Thats why people stay at 5 star hotels. People want to feel like they are better than everyone else or they've made better choices.
Not everyone of course. But there are alot.
Imagine the following. You're Apple's ad agency, and you've been hired by the Reds, the local sports team. A few miles away is the home of the Blues, and in your town, the Reds make up the team affiliation of about 80% of the population, with the Blues making up the other 20%. There's a degree of rivalry between the teams.
The Reds want more people coming to their stadiums. They need increased revenue ticket sales. The only people to attract now are the Blues. The Blues obviously like your sport, otherwise they wouldn't have chosen a team in the first place, but they're not willing to consider, as yet, seeing Red team games. How do you attract Blue supporters?
If you're Apple's ad agency, your ad goes something like:
Blue: "I'm a blue player"
Red: "And I'm a red player"
Blue: "Duh. I can kick this ball, duh, look" (*kicks at ball several times, finally actually hitting it the 7th time*)
Red: *smugly bounces a ball on knee* "Red scored the highest last season, and we're consistantly the best team"
Blue: "Hey! Hey, watch this" *attempts to balance ball on nose, ball consistantly rolling off and away. Blue chases after ball*
Red: *Kicks ball up, bounces on knee, headbutts it, and catches it with one hand behind him* "We have some really skilled players"
(Ad continues ad-nausium. By which I mean it's an ad that makes you nauseous.)
Now, another approach might be to run an ad that consists of a bunch of shots from your stadium. You show some pretty good playing, stuff people will find impressive and will have wished they saw. You show the Reds most often, but, hey, there are two teams in every game. In other words, instead of taking sides based upon the team, you show people that if they come to your stadium, they're going to have a good time. They're going to see some impressive playmanship. Even if it's not their team, there's reason for them to want to go and see the next game.
Which type of ad would sway you? Which type of ad would get you to go to a stadium owned by your team's rival?
The current "I'm a Mac" series doesn't work because it appeals to fanboism, but in doing so, it also ends up being fanboism's victim. It doesn't appeal to PC owners, it just cements existing Mac user's sense of superiority. Except me. I cringe every time I see them.
I disagree totally. People buy superiority. Thats what a good portion of the population wants. Thats why peop;le buy designer clothes. Thats why people buy fancy cars. Thats why people buy expensive jewelery. Thats why people stay at 5 star hotels. People want to feel like they are better than everyone else or they've made better choices.
Not everyone of course. But there are alot.
quigleybc
Oct 10, 01:24 PM
I just hope they update the Black Macbook to a reasonable price like the white one...
and 12" has to be an option soon.
Oh, and fixing all the bugs I read about, so when I get mine...I don't have to deal with them.
REV B!
and 12" has to be an option soon.
Oh, and fixing all the bugs I read about, so when I get mine...I don't have to deal with them.
REV B!
kazmac
Apr 30, 06:24 PM
Same resolution for the 13" > but these changes would be nice:
8GB ram option
larger SSD drive
Thunderbolt
longer battery life > closer to the iPad (iPad has really spoiled me as far as battery life).
and perhaps just a little lighter.
If the RAM/Battery life bumps are in I'll reconsider, especially since my wrists are okay with the magic mouse and an Apple laptop > (why I didn't use my Magic Mouse with the Airs/Pros I tested over the last month > duh).
8GB ram option
larger SSD drive
Thunderbolt
longer battery life > closer to the iPad (iPad has really spoiled me as far as battery life).
and perhaps just a little lighter.
If the RAM/Battery life bumps are in I'll reconsider, especially since my wrists are okay with the magic mouse and an Apple laptop > (why I didn't use my Magic Mouse with the Airs/Pros I tested over the last month > duh).
more...
Zwhaler
Jan 6, 01:02 PM
Cool. Some people say it's fake but I know for a fact that it is legit unless someone photoshopped the Banner in... but it looks very Apple so all it is is another reason to get stoked :)
BenRoethig
Oct 9, 04:10 PM
Maybe it's just me, (and maybe this has been said before) but when I first got my "video capable" iPod, I was downloading music videos left and right. Then as soon as TV shows became available I got hooked on "Lost", "Battlestar Galactica" and more...but I quickly found out that the quality was not that great...
I still ended up buying the DVD's of the shows that I really liked, and for those movies that I want on my iPod (for travel purposes) I simply convert them to iPod format, the quality is far better than anything you can download.
Downloading may be convenient, but I will still run to the store for a hardcopy.
And I agree with some earlier comments, once the HD/Blu-Ray war is over and the dust settles, I will begin rebuilding my video library with the winning format, because I can't imagine (yet) trying to download those files.
You're far from alone.
I still ended up buying the DVD's of the shows that I really liked, and for those movies that I want on my iPod (for travel purposes) I simply convert them to iPod format, the quality is far better than anything you can download.
Downloading may be convenient, but I will still run to the store for a hardcopy.
And I agree with some earlier comments, once the HD/Blu-Ray war is over and the dust settles, I will begin rebuilding my video library with the winning format, because I can't imagine (yet) trying to download those files.
You're far from alone.
more...
talmy
Mar 27, 02:51 PM
Doing Lion evaluation and testing I upgraded a Snow Leopard drive (an external clone of a working system drive) to Lion, BUT I GOOFED and somehow upgraded to Lion Server! It attempted to upgrade my server settings, which of course were not present, but did see the existing server and integrated itself into Open Directory it provided.
My conclusion from this mini-disaster is that unlike other OS X server versions, this one will be capable of an upgrade installation. That is great news! I'm still concerned about the apparently missing services, but I think we all need to wait for Snow Leopard Server BETAs instead of just relying on this Developer Preview. At that time I'll also be trying an upgrade of Snow Leopard Server cloned on an external drives.
(FWIW, I don't intend on running any of these Lion pre-releases on any internal drive because I don't have a system that I can risk.)
My conclusion from this mini-disaster is that unlike other OS X server versions, this one will be capable of an upgrade installation. That is great news! I'm still concerned about the apparently missing services, but I think we all need to wait for Snow Leopard Server BETAs instead of just relying on this Developer Preview. At that time I'll also be trying an upgrade of Snow Leopard Server cloned on an external drives.
(FWIW, I don't intend on running any of these Lion pre-releases on any internal drive because I don't have a system that I can risk.)
rowanhall
Nov 14, 09:33 AM
we all know m$ is stuffed from day one... the only people i could imagine buying the zune are m$ fanboys or apple haters... "bet your ipod can't do this"... so what...
i had been expecting something huge like this to come out today... and i'm expecting bigger still...
how long till somebody makes an adaptor for the zune to make use of the apple dock connector?
i had been expecting something huge like this to come out today... and i'm expecting bigger still...
how long till somebody makes an adaptor for the zune to make use of the apple dock connector?
more...
theblotted
Nov 21, 04:28 PM
it could be same as flash technology. too expensive for actual implementation.
great idea tho. love recycling.
great idea tho. love recycling.
AbyssImpact
Apr 20, 02:07 PM
Why do you guys assume Nvidia cannot make graphic cards for Sandy Bridge? Have you seen Dell's Alienware laptop line? They have the new processors and also are using Nvidia graphics card.
more...
scirica
Mar 30, 04:17 PM
There were about 20 people in line at the Southlake Apple Store this morning at 7am. Manager came out at 8am with cards for available iPads and there were plenty for everyone and some to boot. I wanted the black 32gb, but was forced to go white 32gb when they ran out of that one popular configuration. After 3 months missing my lost iPad, I'm back in business. Oh how I've missed this thing!
iJohnHenry
Apr 8, 05:05 PM
Cut defence,
<Sorry, I needed a quote.> ;)
Defence? WTF!!!! Has anyone actually attacked the U.S. mainland since 9/11??
It should be offence, if anything, as in throwing their weight about the World.
And the U.S. taxpayers are working their asses off, to support this endeavour.
Nuts, all nuts.
<Sorry, I needed a quote.> ;)
Defence? WTF!!!! Has anyone actually attacked the U.S. mainland since 9/11??
It should be offence, if anything, as in throwing their weight about the World.
And the U.S. taxpayers are working their asses off, to support this endeavour.
Nuts, all nuts.
more...
scem0
Sep 17, 04:33 PM
Ask her if you can mount your drive on her desktop.
Lethal
or ping her router. Or mount your iPod in her dock. :p
scem0
Lethal
or ping her router. Or mount your iPod in her dock. :p
scem0
Amazing Iceman
Feb 23, 01:30 PM
FTC go do something useful, let parents learn to educate their kids and earn their respect, so they won't over spend at the AppStore.
It could be the Candy Store or the Arcade, so what's the difference???
It could be the Candy Store or the Arcade, so what's the difference???
more...
BC2009
Apr 12, 05:34 PM
Pages and Number are TRASH compared to Word and Excel(especially excel)
Keynote is actually pretty good!
I use MS Office, iWork and even OpenOffice.org. I never said Word and Excel were bad (I think they are great) -- only that I also think Pages and Numbers and Keynote are great too (especially Keynote). Each has their purpose. Pages is fantastic for creating a single page layout from their templates. Numbers does a rocking job of creating fluffy charts and diagrams for you to copy/paste into other things (it also does a nice job letting you categorize by column).
If I am working with a large data set I prefer Excel or OpenOffice.org depending on which makes it easier to crunch the numbers in my desired way. When I am writing a large document (like a technical specification), again I turn to MS Word or OpenOffice.org, since Pages seems to do better at single page layouts and is less robust when working with large documents. I tend to prefer OpenOffice.org when I need to make sure my documents are portable to others who have not chosen to fork over hundreds of dollars to Microsoft.
Keynote is actually pretty good!
I use MS Office, iWork and even OpenOffice.org. I never said Word and Excel were bad (I think they are great) -- only that I also think Pages and Numbers and Keynote are great too (especially Keynote). Each has their purpose. Pages is fantastic for creating a single page layout from their templates. Numbers does a rocking job of creating fluffy charts and diagrams for you to copy/paste into other things (it also does a nice job letting you categorize by column).
If I am working with a large data set I prefer Excel or OpenOffice.org depending on which makes it easier to crunch the numbers in my desired way. When I am writing a large document (like a technical specification), again I turn to MS Word or OpenOffice.org, since Pages seems to do better at single page layouts and is less robust when working with large documents. I tend to prefer OpenOffice.org when I need to make sure my documents are portable to others who have not chosen to fork over hundreds of dollars to Microsoft.
jacg
Sep 25, 04:58 PM
?????????
I can display a 10,000 x 8.000 pixel picture on an iPod if I throw away 99% of the data as well. But why would you want to use such a huge file for no reason? Not only would it take up vast amounts of space, but you have to process all that "throwing away" info on the fly.
The new videos take longer for you to download, use more storage space on the iPod, require the iPod to downsample at playback, and cost Apple more bandwidth.
So why would Apple do all this if they weren't in fact planing to USE the new format on an iPod? Soem may say "it's for rregular Macs", but this size is too SMALL for to build a new standard for computers. So the only conclusion I can reach is that it has to be for a new iPod to come...
Front Row? iTV?
I can display a 10,000 x 8.000 pixel picture on an iPod if I throw away 99% of the data as well. But why would you want to use such a huge file for no reason? Not only would it take up vast amounts of space, but you have to process all that "throwing away" info on the fly.
The new videos take longer for you to download, use more storage space on the iPod, require the iPod to downsample at playback, and cost Apple more bandwidth.
So why would Apple do all this if they weren't in fact planing to USE the new format on an iPod? Soem may say "it's for rregular Macs", but this size is too SMALL for to build a new standard for computers. So the only conclusion I can reach is that it has to be for a new iPod to come...
Front Row? iTV?
more...
KnightWRX
Apr 26, 09:05 AM
That is what the USB stick is for! No need to download from anywhere. Don't cherry pick what you want to see and leave out the other options.
And a Apple branded USB Thumb drive makes no sense cost wise! DVD makes much more sense as an installation media. And you know what, shipping .iso files or images you can write to your own USB stick outside the Mac App Store makes EVEN MORE sense! And even more sense is shipping a simple 20 MB file (either iso or USB thumb drive format) that basically boots the Mac into the installer and gets the rest of the OS from FTP/HTTP! Wow, 1996 called they want their distribution method back...
Stop cherry picking arguments to answer and look, I can abuse exclamation points too!
Saying we need DVD Drives just because all the machines out there (still) have DVD drives is a poor argument - following that we still would have floppies. I don't want a DVD drive in my next machine. I would need it only for reinstalling the OS (which on MacOS I actually never had to do, but worst case it might be needed). Actually I won't have a DVD in my next machine since it will be the MBA. The future is here.
Then that next machine can come with a USB thumb drive like the MBA! But mass duplicating Lion media for retail sale is not about future Mac machines, it's about current owners buying the OS for their current Macs, which currently have DVD drives.
And if you see the whole picture (distribution, shipping, storage, ...) I doubt that a read-only chip on a USB stick is much more expensive - and you save on all new machines the cost for the DVD drive and can use the space for better things. If it is so much more expensive, why does the cheapest Apple laptop come with a USB stick instead of DVD? Yes it might be a tiny bit more expensive.
It's at least 15$ more expensive for a 4 GB drive. More for a 8 GB drive. DVDs cost pennies. USB Flash memory doesn't. You can put your hands over your hears and refuse to listen to the truth all you want, but that's how it is.
Duplication time and costs alone make this prohibitive. Where pressing a DVD takes a few seconds is not less, the Flash memory is limited by its writing speed. 4GB is non-trivial to write out, 8 GB is twice as long. We're talking at least a few minutes per drive. Pair that to the massive parrallele storage array is that writing out these in parallele, and costs go way up over a simple DVD press.
How often to you reinstall your OS that you keep inserting and removing it and scratching it all up? It should be a cheap stick (not good for anything else) that just sits 99.99999% of its time in the shelf. It's not that this is meant as a 'free Apple branded USB Stick' that you use all the time.
Mine is still in its packaing if you want it. I can ship it to you if that is really just you want, instead of spamming the forums asking for an overpriced installation media when DVD makes much more economical sense for Apple and its users.
As for the scratching, reports on the MBA forum are that 1 use is enough to leave the thumb-drive in a less than pristine state. Not multiple. Not "reinstall the OS every week". 1 use. It's just that cheaply made and frankly, from having looked at it, I can agree it is. With no guides to insert it into the port properly, there is no question in my mind that it will get scratched up pretty bad the first time you try to use it.
And a Apple branded USB Thumb drive makes no sense cost wise! DVD makes much more sense as an installation media. And you know what, shipping .iso files or images you can write to your own USB stick outside the Mac App Store makes EVEN MORE sense! And even more sense is shipping a simple 20 MB file (either iso or USB thumb drive format) that basically boots the Mac into the installer and gets the rest of the OS from FTP/HTTP! Wow, 1996 called they want their distribution method back...
Stop cherry picking arguments to answer and look, I can abuse exclamation points too!
Saying we need DVD Drives just because all the machines out there (still) have DVD drives is a poor argument - following that we still would have floppies. I don't want a DVD drive in my next machine. I would need it only for reinstalling the OS (which on MacOS I actually never had to do, but worst case it might be needed). Actually I won't have a DVD in my next machine since it will be the MBA. The future is here.
Then that next machine can come with a USB thumb drive like the MBA! But mass duplicating Lion media for retail sale is not about future Mac machines, it's about current owners buying the OS for their current Macs, which currently have DVD drives.
And if you see the whole picture (distribution, shipping, storage, ...) I doubt that a read-only chip on a USB stick is much more expensive - and you save on all new machines the cost for the DVD drive and can use the space for better things. If it is so much more expensive, why does the cheapest Apple laptop come with a USB stick instead of DVD? Yes it might be a tiny bit more expensive.
It's at least 15$ more expensive for a 4 GB drive. More for a 8 GB drive. DVDs cost pennies. USB Flash memory doesn't. You can put your hands over your hears and refuse to listen to the truth all you want, but that's how it is.
Duplication time and costs alone make this prohibitive. Where pressing a DVD takes a few seconds is not less, the Flash memory is limited by its writing speed. 4GB is non-trivial to write out, 8 GB is twice as long. We're talking at least a few minutes per drive. Pair that to the massive parrallele storage array is that writing out these in parallele, and costs go way up over a simple DVD press.
How often to you reinstall your OS that you keep inserting and removing it and scratching it all up? It should be a cheap stick (not good for anything else) that just sits 99.99999% of its time in the shelf. It's not that this is meant as a 'free Apple branded USB Stick' that you use all the time.
Mine is still in its packaing if you want it. I can ship it to you if that is really just you want, instead of spamming the forums asking for an overpriced installation media when DVD makes much more economical sense for Apple and its users.
As for the scratching, reports on the MBA forum are that 1 use is enough to leave the thumb-drive in a less than pristine state. Not multiple. Not "reinstall the OS every week". 1 use. It's just that cheaply made and frankly, from having looked at it, I can agree it is. With no guides to insert it into the port properly, there is no question in my mind that it will get scratched up pretty bad the first time you try to use it.
Drpepper99uk
Mar 24, 04:20 AM
Interesting news, One day we might even see the iTank :D
Mike.
Mike.
Chupa Chupa
Apr 1, 09:01 AM
Gotta love the old dinosaurs, they never want to adapt to new technologies...
Who cares if its being shown on a TV or an iPad? Obviously the iPad app owner must be a cable subscriber to view the content, so its paid for.
Not only that but it's as-if they are completely unaware that Slingbox has been around for years. I get they may not want people to be able to "double dip" but the Slingbox apps prevent that so no reason TWCs can't as well.
2011. People are still watching TV? Scary.
2011. People are still wasting their time leaving snarky non-sequitur comments on web forums to prove to themselves they are a superior being? Scary.
Who cares if its being shown on a TV or an iPad? Obviously the iPad app owner must be a cable subscriber to view the content, so its paid for.
Not only that but it's as-if they are completely unaware that Slingbox has been around for years. I get they may not want people to be able to "double dip" but the Slingbox apps prevent that so no reason TWCs can't as well.
2011. People are still watching TV? Scary.
2011. People are still wasting their time leaving snarky non-sequitur comments on web forums to prove to themselves they are a superior being? Scary.
powerofmac
Aug 19, 10:13 AM
After numerous accusations from all over the world of Facebook violating private privacy rights they now do this...
Yep, I really thing that Facebook is going to go down with all this crap they are doing.
Microsoft's rep = crashing and copying Mac
Facebook's rep = lack of privacy and opt out NOT opt in
Yep, I really thing that Facebook is going to go down with all this crap they are doing.
Microsoft's rep = crashing and copying Mac
Facebook's rep = lack of privacy and opt out NOT opt in
Spaceboy88
Apr 5, 09:00 AM
Apple would not put a capacitive home button. If anything, they'd remove the home button all together and use some of the new gestures that appeared briefly in iOS 4.3 to multitask and go home.
alent1234
Apr 15, 08:44 AM
lets see, DB2 is just as expensive if not more. mysql and postgres suck compared to SQL server. we do use them a little. mysql is good for websites but not for internal databases. it's missing a lot of features that SQL and Oracle have because the former CEO is a moron and only put in features to make it standards compliant. i don't think it even had a x64 version back in 2006.
AD is a killer solution for internal IT. it sucks for customer facing ldap, but for your employee database it's great. integrates with MS exchange and upgrades over the years are easy.
This lot on these boards are amazing. Incredible what this place has devolved into.
If you people were all here 14 years ago, I guess you would have TORN INTO Apple for hiring Tim Cook from the "beige" PC maker?
or the other execs who came from macromedia and IBM
AD is a killer solution for internal IT. it sucks for customer facing ldap, but for your employee database it's great. integrates with MS exchange and upgrades over the years are easy.
This lot on these boards are amazing. Incredible what this place has devolved into.
If you people were all here 14 years ago, I guess you would have TORN INTO Apple for hiring Tim Cook from the "beige" PC maker?
or the other execs who came from macromedia and IBM
longofest
Apr 12, 03:36 PM
Kudos to Microsoft for continuing to support Office 2004 (released in 2003) for 7 years after it was released. That's a pretty long time of support. Apparently it will continue until January.
iphoneguy123
Jun 29, 07:36 PM
I said this a while back. Apple should buy SanDisk, buy Sony, get rid of Ex-FAT and re-package/re-brand/standardize this media in every product they make and package a flavor of it for ROM as a successor to Blu-Ray.
Small, portable, insane storage capacity and Apple could build the format without the insane licensing fees that have been attached to Blu-Ray. Apple is a global company and they want all of their products to be immensely useful globally, unfortunately broadband and internet mean something completely different to everyone, in terms of connection speed, and that will in all likely hood never change. A small disc, slightly larger than a half a stick of gum, that can hold up to 2TB of data potentially is the perfect bridge for every digital device in virtually any form factor.
Buy Sony?
http://raoworld.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/facepalm.jpg
Small, portable, insane storage capacity and Apple could build the format without the insane licensing fees that have been attached to Blu-Ray. Apple is a global company and they want all of their products to be immensely useful globally, unfortunately broadband and internet mean something completely different to everyone, in terms of connection speed, and that will in all likely hood never change. A small disc, slightly larger than a half a stick of gum, that can hold up to 2TB of data potentially is the perfect bridge for every digital device in virtually any form factor.
Buy Sony?
http://raoworld.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/facepalm.jpg
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