jxyama
Mar 19, 09:26 AM
Apple Computer, Inc.: Proudly dying since 1976. :rolleyes:
if apple really was dying, the last thing it needs to do is to listen to amateur marketing gurus and online petitions.
is the apple marketshare lower than it used to be in the 90s? yes, absolutely. that doesn't mean apple is dying - that it's on the blink of an extinction. a company with nearly $4 billion in cash reserve with no debt will be able to carry on for quite some time... (gee, how long have gateway been dying?)
funny you mention japan. last time i went to tokyo (oct. '03), i was hard pressed to find any store with an electronics/computer department that didn't carry any macs.
if apple really was dying, the last thing it needs to do is to listen to amateur marketing gurus and online petitions.
is the apple marketshare lower than it used to be in the 90s? yes, absolutely. that doesn't mean apple is dying - that it's on the blink of an extinction. a company with nearly $4 billion in cash reserve with no debt will be able to carry on for quite some time... (gee, how long have gateway been dying?)
funny you mention japan. last time i went to tokyo (oct. '03), i was hard pressed to find any store with an electronics/computer department that didn't carry any macs.
Kingsly
Aug 6, 11:40 PM
More pix of the same... in case anyone cares!
1) WWDC2006!!
2) the now infamous banners�
3) me, with the now infamous baners�
4) Nifty computer bags� they are giving out
5) delicious gelato� :p
1) WWDC2006!!
2) the now infamous banners�
3) me, with the now infamous baners�
4) Nifty computer bags� they are giving out
5) delicious gelato� :p
TerryJ
Jul 14, 08:25 AM
As purely a data storage format, obviously Blu-ray has the potential to store more data than HD DVD.
However, as someone who has been following the whole BD vs. HD DVD consumer video format war, and as someone who has bought an HD DVD player (and, until recently, had a BD video player on order), at this (albeit early) stage of the game, HD DVD is the superior video format.
HD DVD has 30gb dual layer discs available (almost all the latest video releases on HD DVD are 30gb dual layer.) There are many more titles available for HD DVD right now (probably because it's been out longer and the discs themselves are easier to manufacture.) HD DVD uses a more efficient codec (Microsoft's VC-1, which is akin to H.264, in that it's much much more efficient than MPEG-2.) HD DVD titles have either Dolby Digital Plus (a higher bit-rate multichannel audio codec) and Dolby TruHD (a lossless multichannel audio codec).
BD only has 25gb single layer discs available now. Apparently the 50gb dual layer discs are hard to manufacture and the yields are not ready for prime time. No BD retail video discs are above 25gb single layer. No timetable for 50gb discs has been announced. The video is MPEG-2, meaning it takes up more space on the disc. And, the most recent BD releases all suffer from more MPEG artifacts than any HD DVD releases. BD audio is either standard Dolby Digital or space consuming uncompressed PCM audio (which sucks up even more disc space, leaving even less for video.)
The current Samsung BD player actually has the same (Broadcom) chip that the current Toshiba HD DVD player has in terms of outputing video... and it only outputs 1080i. The Samsung player tacks on another (Faroudja) chip to deinterlace it, so it outputs 1080p (so BD can say "we output 1080p!"), except, that chip apparently stinks and makes the picture somewhat soft. In reality, any HDTV worth its salt can easily deinterlace 1080i signals, so the whole "we output 1080p" is a false advantage anyway. Both BD and HD DVD discs store the video as 1080p, by the way.
So, what you have, on the video front, BD has a smaller capacity disk with less efficient video and audio codecs (that look and sound worse). And it is TWICE the price ($500 vs. $1000). And has less titles. And is late.
If you read any reports on BD video quality vs. HD DVD video quality on boards like AVSforum.com, HD DVD beats BD hands down.
Who knows how this video format war will shake out, but Blu-ray is way behind right now.
-Terry
However, as someone who has been following the whole BD vs. HD DVD consumer video format war, and as someone who has bought an HD DVD player (and, until recently, had a BD video player on order), at this (albeit early) stage of the game, HD DVD is the superior video format.
HD DVD has 30gb dual layer discs available (almost all the latest video releases on HD DVD are 30gb dual layer.) There are many more titles available for HD DVD right now (probably because it's been out longer and the discs themselves are easier to manufacture.) HD DVD uses a more efficient codec (Microsoft's VC-1, which is akin to H.264, in that it's much much more efficient than MPEG-2.) HD DVD titles have either Dolby Digital Plus (a higher bit-rate multichannel audio codec) and Dolby TruHD (a lossless multichannel audio codec).
BD only has 25gb single layer discs available now. Apparently the 50gb dual layer discs are hard to manufacture and the yields are not ready for prime time. No BD retail video discs are above 25gb single layer. No timetable for 50gb discs has been announced. The video is MPEG-2, meaning it takes up more space on the disc. And, the most recent BD releases all suffer from more MPEG artifacts than any HD DVD releases. BD audio is either standard Dolby Digital or space consuming uncompressed PCM audio (which sucks up even more disc space, leaving even less for video.)
The current Samsung BD player actually has the same (Broadcom) chip that the current Toshiba HD DVD player has in terms of outputing video... and it only outputs 1080i. The Samsung player tacks on another (Faroudja) chip to deinterlace it, so it outputs 1080p (so BD can say "we output 1080p!"), except, that chip apparently stinks and makes the picture somewhat soft. In reality, any HDTV worth its salt can easily deinterlace 1080i signals, so the whole "we output 1080p" is a false advantage anyway. Both BD and HD DVD discs store the video as 1080p, by the way.
So, what you have, on the video front, BD has a smaller capacity disk with less efficient video and audio codecs (that look and sound worse). And it is TWICE the price ($500 vs. $1000). And has less titles. And is late.
If you read any reports on BD video quality vs. HD DVD video quality on boards like AVSforum.com, HD DVD beats BD hands down.
Who knows how this video format war will shake out, but Blu-ray is way behind right now.
-Terry
Object-X
Nov 27, 08:26 PM
Well, see... there's this little thing called market analysis and listening to the people you sell things to. I highly doubt Apple was sitting around going "we need to release something new because its been months. I know! How about a different monitor size!"
Why not reduce the 20" to $399? Why should they when they seem to be selling just fine at where they are?
Dell is putting IMAGINED price pressure on Apple with their monitors. Selling cheaper crap will cost you less.
IMAGINED?
Let's look at the facts.
20" Apple $699 - Dell $399
23" Apple $999 - Dell $799 (24")
30" Apple $1999 - Dell $1499
Those are real numbers. Dell has brighter specs, more connection options, and with the 23" they have a 24" that's still $200 cheaper.
What imaginary planet are you on? $300, $200, and $500 difference in price respectively. That's real money. And it pressures people into considering a Dell. (Bad Apple!) All you are really getting for those extra hundres of dollars is a display that looks nice with your mini, MBP, or MP.
You claim that Apple's monitors are selling well, but you have no facts to back that up. Apple doesn't post their sales numbers for products like this so you're just making it up. Those sales numbers could suck a$$ and you wouldn't know. And I believe they do suck, but Apple won't tell you that, it sucks because they want them to suck. Keep reading.
I believe Apple does this to encourage people to buy iMacs. If your willing to pony up $2400 or more on a Mac Pro then maybe an extra $500 doesn't bother you for the two 30" displays your going to use, and if all you can afford is mini Apple doesn't seem to mind you buying that Dell monitor. By pricing the monitors several hundred more than they are really worth, you are now in the iMac price range. I bet if you could see and add up the numbers, buying a mini and an over priced cinema display gives Apple the same profit margin as an iMac. Apple doesn't have a mid range tower. Again, because they want to sell you an iMac. By keeping their product line simple they reduce costs; making one widget as apposed to five different widgets is cheaper. But that limits choice.
I have an iMac, but I really don't want one. I want a mid-range tower and an external monitor. I'm not alone either. Apple's monitor price is a "choice incentive". It may help their bottom line, but it limits my choice. And since I hate Windows I'm forced into Apple's program. This is really what people are complaining about here. They want a mini and 20" cinema for under $1000, and I want a 23" and tower for under $2000, not a 24" iMac!
So, back to a 17" cinema. Why would Apple do this? I don't think they will. A 17" iMac is only $899. That's where they make their money, oh, and people like me willing to pay premium because we value esthetics.
Why not reduce the 20" to $399? Why should they when they seem to be selling just fine at where they are?
Dell is putting IMAGINED price pressure on Apple with their monitors. Selling cheaper crap will cost you less.
IMAGINED?
Let's look at the facts.
20" Apple $699 - Dell $399
23" Apple $999 - Dell $799 (24")
30" Apple $1999 - Dell $1499
Those are real numbers. Dell has brighter specs, more connection options, and with the 23" they have a 24" that's still $200 cheaper.
What imaginary planet are you on? $300, $200, and $500 difference in price respectively. That's real money. And it pressures people into considering a Dell. (Bad Apple!) All you are really getting for those extra hundres of dollars is a display that looks nice with your mini, MBP, or MP.
You claim that Apple's monitors are selling well, but you have no facts to back that up. Apple doesn't post their sales numbers for products like this so you're just making it up. Those sales numbers could suck a$$ and you wouldn't know. And I believe they do suck, but Apple won't tell you that, it sucks because they want them to suck. Keep reading.
I believe Apple does this to encourage people to buy iMacs. If your willing to pony up $2400 or more on a Mac Pro then maybe an extra $500 doesn't bother you for the two 30" displays your going to use, and if all you can afford is mini Apple doesn't seem to mind you buying that Dell monitor. By pricing the monitors several hundred more than they are really worth, you are now in the iMac price range. I bet if you could see and add up the numbers, buying a mini and an over priced cinema display gives Apple the same profit margin as an iMac. Apple doesn't have a mid range tower. Again, because they want to sell you an iMac. By keeping their product line simple they reduce costs; making one widget as apposed to five different widgets is cheaper. But that limits choice.
I have an iMac, but I really don't want one. I want a mid-range tower and an external monitor. I'm not alone either. Apple's monitor price is a "choice incentive". It may help their bottom line, but it limits my choice. And since I hate Windows I'm forced into Apple's program. This is really what people are complaining about here. They want a mini and 20" cinema for under $1000, and I want a 23" and tower for under $2000, not a 24" iMac!
So, back to a 17" cinema. Why would Apple do this? I don't think they will. A 17" iMac is only $899. That's where they make their money, oh, and people like me willing to pay premium because we value esthetics.
Jbook
Jul 13, 11:39 PM
Maybe if there was more media available in blue-ray format, I would be more excited. Anyways, blue-ray player or not, the Mac Pro is gonna be a beast.
TheMacGuy
Aug 7, 12:30 AM
I am buying an iMac very soon, and I just want a 64-bit intel core in it. Cmon merom!
Yeah.... MacBook Pro too,...
"... its the most wonderful time of the year..."
WARNING! off topic - I just hear some wonderful (ole) mac music... look here! - http://davidpogue.com/pogue_unplugged/songspoofs.html
Yeah.... MacBook Pro too,...
"... its the most wonderful time of the year..."
WARNING! off topic - I just hear some wonderful (ole) mac music... look here! - http://davidpogue.com/pogue_unplugged/songspoofs.html
zivilist
Apr 19, 01:36 PM
Please...Please...Please...provide a pro graphics card option (FirePro or Quadro)
Not possible: the iMac is not a workstation. Hopefully a big HD6xxx and a big hexa and quadcore are included.
I just hope that the SSD option is more affordable. For me the top chip on the 27inch is a no-brainer but the SSD turns a $2200 computer into a $2950 computer. Hell, in San Francisco I have to tack 9.5% tax on that too.
Agreed. 64 GB and 128 GB SSD option would be nice (already posted this feedback to apple).
Not possible: the iMac is not a workstation. Hopefully a big HD6xxx and a big hexa and quadcore are included.
I just hope that the SSD option is more affordable. For me the top chip on the 27inch is a no-brainer but the SSD turns a $2200 computer into a $2950 computer. Hell, in San Francisco I have to tack 9.5% tax on that too.
Agreed. 64 GB and 128 GB SSD option would be nice (already posted this feedback to apple).
boncellis
Sep 6, 01:47 PM
...Works great on my hdtv bc i have vga input on it. so i store all my music and play dvds through it to the tv.....
I sure hope you mistook the VGA input for the DVI input, otherwise you're crippling that gorgeous TV. Or you can get a DVI to HDMI cable to connect the Mini.
Sounds like a cool setup, the kind of thing I want to do too. ;)
I sure hope you mistook the VGA input for the DVI input, otherwise you're crippling that gorgeous TV. Or you can get a DVI to HDMI cable to connect the Mini.
Sounds like a cool setup, the kind of thing I want to do too. ;)
bigmc6000
Jan 11, 08:39 PM
I don't see the benefit of a MacBook Slim.
Can someone pursued me or tell me why it would be better then just having a MacBook?
Benefit? I would buy one! :) Honestly tho - I don't want a 15" laptop. I'm on a 12" PB and my sister has a 15". While it's cool and looks awesome it's huge (relatively speaking). One of the biggest things I find is portability. I can sit on a plane, have my laptop out and there's still plenty of room for a drink, it's great. I really wouldn't mind having an external optical drive as I use one about once or twice a month. It'd be fine to just shove it in the bag and have it with you if you need it. Actually, I would prefer that over it eating space in my laptop. So is that convincing enough?
1 thing tho - it has to come with the external drive STANDARD. I'm not paying extra for it - that'd just be really really annoying.
Can someone pursued me or tell me why it would be better then just having a MacBook?
Benefit? I would buy one! :) Honestly tho - I don't want a 15" laptop. I'm on a 12" PB and my sister has a 15". While it's cool and looks awesome it's huge (relatively speaking). One of the biggest things I find is portability. I can sit on a plane, have my laptop out and there's still plenty of room for a drink, it's great. I really wouldn't mind having an external optical drive as I use one about once or twice a month. It'd be fine to just shove it in the bag and have it with you if you need it. Actually, I would prefer that over it eating space in my laptop. So is that convincing enough?
1 thing tho - it has to come with the external drive STANDARD. I'm not paying extra for it - that'd just be really really annoying.
ADMProducer
Feb 20, 03:07 PM
What speakers and how's the bass on them?
Here's the speakers: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Sumvision-N-Cube-2-1-Pro-Speakers-MP3-PC-Laptop-/400136541206?pt=UK_Computing_DesktopComponents_RL&hash=item5d29ff1416
For the price, they're great. The bass is very good, i'm suited to genres like grime and dubstep where bass is quite the focal point.
Here's the speakers: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Sumvision-N-Cube-2-1-Pro-Speakers-MP3-PC-Laptop-/400136541206?pt=UK_Computing_DesktopComponents_RL&hash=item5d29ff1416
For the price, they're great. The bass is very good, i'm suited to genres like grime and dubstep where bass is quite the focal point.
Mr Fusion
Apr 21, 10:27 PM
... Really? Since privacy issues don't seem to mean squat to some people here, mind handing over your credit card numbers, SSN's, compromising photographs etc. They uh, help improve my networks. ;)
PeterQVenkman
Mar 25, 10:53 AM
Bye bye Nvidia. Twas interesting whilst it lasted.
While professionals can say bye bye to nVidia's CUDA processing and PhysX.
:-(
ATI/AMD is doing what they can, developing an OpenCL driven bullet physics port to Maya but they always seem to be one step behind - announcing a plugin for Maya 2011 in the same week that Autodesk announced that nVidia Physx is being integrated directly into Maya 2012 with real time physx cloth deformation, rigid body dynamics, and physx accelerated calculations for DMM destruction.
On the windows side, 3ds Max is getting Physx integration, too. Open CL is cool but it's got some ground to make up in the application world.
While professionals can say bye bye to nVidia's CUDA processing and PhysX.
:-(
ATI/AMD is doing what they can, developing an OpenCL driven bullet physics port to Maya but they always seem to be one step behind - announcing a plugin for Maya 2011 in the same week that Autodesk announced that nVidia Physx is being integrated directly into Maya 2012 with real time physx cloth deformation, rigid body dynamics, and physx accelerated calculations for DMM destruction.
On the windows side, 3ds Max is getting Physx integration, too. Open CL is cool but it's got some ground to make up in the application world.
war
Nov 28, 11:49 AM
For all those people talking about XBox let's not forget one major thing about it. It took off because of Halo. What you may not know is that Halo was originally a mac game from a mac developer that MS bought in 2000. Read up on it to tell your MS fanboi friends here.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bungie_Studios
Without Apple gaming there probably would be no XBox today.
Enjoy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bungie_Studios
Without Apple gaming there probably would be no XBox today.
Enjoy
tablo13
Sep 21, 04:40 PM
I have the dermaSHOT case too, and I too find the top button a little hard to press. Kinda like I have to feel around for the button.
I also have a $1 one from China, not as thick as the Incipio, but the buttons feel good
Would you say the dermaSHOT is better?
Do you people know any good cheap(few bucks) TPU cases?
I also have a $1 one from China, not as thick as the Incipio, but the buttons feel good
Would you say the dermaSHOT is better?
Do you people know any good cheap(few bucks) TPU cases?
paeza
Oct 24, 12:35 AM
Could anyone tell me what is "Santa Rosa " ?
m-dogg
Sep 1, 12:19 PM
Hmph...I don't really trust masOSXrumors at all, even if they were correct on a couple things for Leopard, I think those were more just lucky guesses that lots of people were speaking upon prior to WWDC...
23" would be sweet though. I love my 20" iMac, so I can only imagine that with 3 more inches to love!
Maybe they'll just bring out the 30" Anniversary iMac with Jobs saying "Did you really think we'd just ignore our 30th this year?" Then again, maybe not.
23" would be sweet though. I love my 20" iMac, so I can only imagine that with 3 more inches to love!
Maybe they'll just bring out the 30" Anniversary iMac with Jobs saying "Did you really think we'd just ignore our 30th this year?" Then again, maybe not.
miamiracing
Jan 27, 07:59 AM
Some pics of my Impreza after a night of freezing rain:
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5203/5366971777_ce8b11c76d_b.jpg
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5090/5366971673_6d6ab4f12e_b.jpg
nice shots! yea i hated the freezing rain last week.
how do you like the snow we got last night haha
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5203/5366971777_ce8b11c76d_b.jpg
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5090/5366971673_6d6ab4f12e_b.jpg
nice shots! yea i hated the freezing rain last week.
how do you like the snow we got last night haha
Evangelion
Jul 20, 05:05 AM
People dont want to download the source and compile it
What makes you think that you have to do that?
even the best package managers dont really solve the problem, I want to download any application and run it, I dont want to have something check dependancies and then get teh appropriate version ect.
have you ever used Linux? Application-installation in any modern Linux-distro is VERY smooth. If I want to install an app in Ubuntu (the previous distro I used), how do I do that? Well, I load a package-manager, which gives me a list of apps. I select the app I want to install, and click "Install". And that's it. How much simpler could it be? Why does everyone think that loading a web-browser, searching the app with Google, browsing to the website, downloading the installer (assuming that the apps is free. Usually with Mac, it's not) and running the installer is somehow "easier" that launching an app, selecting the app to be installed from a list and clicking "install"? Seriously?
The newest Suse enterprise desktop has a lot of Mac os like features, and claim to have done a lot of research into user interface optomization ect, but thats only Suse, what about the rest, Linux will never have a singular unified front, and that is its achilees heel, and the macs inherant strenght (ok so the mac isnt that unified anymore)
What do you mean by "unified front"? The GUI? Most distros use either KDE or GNOME (usually alloweing the user to choose which one he prefers), so they are in fact quite unified.
What makes you think that you have to do that?
even the best package managers dont really solve the problem, I want to download any application and run it, I dont want to have something check dependancies and then get teh appropriate version ect.
have you ever used Linux? Application-installation in any modern Linux-distro is VERY smooth. If I want to install an app in Ubuntu (the previous distro I used), how do I do that? Well, I load a package-manager, which gives me a list of apps. I select the app I want to install, and click "Install". And that's it. How much simpler could it be? Why does everyone think that loading a web-browser, searching the app with Google, browsing to the website, downloading the installer (assuming that the apps is free. Usually with Mac, it's not) and running the installer is somehow "easier" that launching an app, selecting the app to be installed from a list and clicking "install"? Seriously?
The newest Suse enterprise desktop has a lot of Mac os like features, and claim to have done a lot of research into user interface optomization ect, but thats only Suse, what about the rest, Linux will never have a singular unified front, and that is its achilees heel, and the macs inherant strenght (ok so the mac isnt that unified anymore)
What do you mean by "unified front"? The GUI? Most distros use either KDE or GNOME (usually alloweing the user to choose which one he prefers), so they are in fact quite unified.
Tonepoet
Apr 21, 12:02 PM
It's not a terribly big concern for everybody I'll admit but for those it is a concern to, this is a sale killer for all of these little GPS enabled electronics. Their safety is worth waay more to them than some piddly little iToy or other GPS enabled microdevice. Even normal cell phones and credit cards allow for too much risk.
jwdsail
Apr 21, 01:21 PM
I like Franken, he's a good egg.. Shrug. Minnesota *needs* at least one elected official with an IQ higher than 40...
While I agree that this data (location data in general) really should be better protected against the chance of being intercepted without a user's permission, I think it's more important for all involved in this chicken little act re: iPhone location data to remember that most iPhone users already openly share all of this info and more on sites like Facebook, 4 Square, twitter, flickr, etc..
I don't share this type of data, I hate Facebook, 4square, etc... (and git off my lawn!!!) and if I'm using my iPhone camera, make sure I have location services turned off unless I want to use the gps data for MYSELF... Actually, unless I'm using Navigon I usually keep location services turned off ..
Sadly, the vast majority of smartphone users have handed over more data than this willingly, and don't really seem to care about privacy..
I think that's the real story in all of this, that few are picking up on. And, shrug, that's just pathetic. If all this chicken little energy was put towards educating consumers about their data, their privacy, you wouldn't need Franken to write a letter to Jobs. But, no one *really* wants educated consumers in any marketplace, be it music, video, phones, food... It's just bad for business. And states like MN should be the last to throw a stone in the glass house of privacy, just google how they want to track cars that *gasp* are *too efficient* ... to collect more taxes .. sigh.. God forbid they just raise the license/tag fees.. have to add expensive tech and invade citizen's privacy... sigh. I'd like to see Franken speak out against invasions of privacy by the state just as aggressively..
While I agree that this data (location data in general) really should be better protected against the chance of being intercepted without a user's permission, I think it's more important for all involved in this chicken little act re: iPhone location data to remember that most iPhone users already openly share all of this info and more on sites like Facebook, 4 Square, twitter, flickr, etc..
I don't share this type of data, I hate Facebook, 4square, etc... (and git off my lawn!!!) and if I'm using my iPhone camera, make sure I have location services turned off unless I want to use the gps data for MYSELF... Actually, unless I'm using Navigon I usually keep location services turned off ..
Sadly, the vast majority of smartphone users have handed over more data than this willingly, and don't really seem to care about privacy..
I think that's the real story in all of this, that few are picking up on. And, shrug, that's just pathetic. If all this chicken little energy was put towards educating consumers about their data, their privacy, you wouldn't need Franken to write a letter to Jobs. But, no one *really* wants educated consumers in any marketplace, be it music, video, phones, food... It's just bad for business. And states like MN should be the last to throw a stone in the glass house of privacy, just google how they want to track cars that *gasp* are *too efficient* ... to collect more taxes .. sigh.. God forbid they just raise the license/tag fees.. have to add expensive tech and invade citizen's privacy... sigh. I'd like to see Franken speak out against invasions of privacy by the state just as aggressively..
notsofatjames
Jan 12, 05:49 PM
this is crap,
no one in their right mind would make something with 0 ports, you have to at a bare minimum have an audio out.
buy a macbook then. the audio out works just fine on that.
no one in their right mind would make something with 0 ports, you have to at a bare minimum have an audio out.
buy a macbook then. the audio out works just fine on that.
Evangelion
Jul 20, 11:36 AM
I have used Linux before, admit that I gave up with linux with Suse 9. The point I was trying to make with the package manager is that its not easy to go out and find something, every time you either have to find a package for your specific distribution or have it "built" for your distro. If you look at the way the mac works now I can drag the aduim icon to a remote drive, and from almost any machine that meets the basic specs I can then double click that app, even if its on a network drive, it will run, can you say the same for Linux?
Yes I can. Like I said, I just fire up the package-manager, find the app in question and click "Install". That really is all there is to it. No need to browse the web, looking for installers to download.
By unification I meant giving a constant user experience with singal points of administration, management ect. Some of my previous sessions with linux the applications did not always fully adhere to guidelines that were set out by KDE, whatever theme i choose, it didnt adapt to it for example.
Things are different these days. You are basing your judgement on SUSE9, which was released three years ago. During that three years, Linux has made HUGE progress. Things are chaning for the better, and they are changing FAST. I would say that Linux has changed more during the last three years than it did during the five years before 2003.
Note: that is NOT a bad thing for Apple. I bet that Apple would much rather co-exists with Linux than with Windows. There could never be a monopoly Linux could exploit to harm competitors, Microsoft could do that, and they have done it. Linux is open and follows established standards, Microsoft does not, if they can get away with it. Linux has no interest in destroying competitors, Microsoft does.
I fully admit im not a linux guru, and that things very likely have changed, but my perception is that every distro comes with a boat load of software on the DVD or via download, if you want to get something thats not listed it becomes a bit more difficult.
Well, SUSE does ship with tons of apps on the DVD (mainly so that it could be used wby people without broadband). But if you look at Ubuntu for example, it ships with relatively few apps. In a way, they have selected "best of breed"-apps for their distro. But if the user wants to have some additional piece of software, he can just fire up the package-manager, where he can choose from 16.000 pieces of software. The app the user is looking for is most likely listed there. If he's installing a piece of commercial software, they usually ship with nice installers that are not one bit harder to use than the ones in OS X or Windows.
There is the issue of building your own kernel
You have no need to do that. Seriously. I haven't built my own kernels in years. And when I did, it was because I wanted to do it, not because I had to do it.
Just because you CAN compile your own kernel does not mean that you are required to do so. The possibility is there for power-users.
The mac advantage is that its a bit easier to get, install and run applications than windows, and IMO linux as well.
I disagree. In Linux all the apps I could even want were just few mouse-clicks away. On OS X (and on Windows) I have to hunt for those apps in internet, only to find out that I'm expected to pay for them. I had none of those problems in Linux.
why is there a few big distros out there after years of linux development, why are there so many niche ones, and why do linux users argue with others over their favorite distro?
There are several distros, because one distro can't do it all. Want an OS that can be tweaked and customized to your exact needs and for your specific hardware? Obviously Ubuntu is not ideal then, but Gentoo is. Want a distro that "just works"? Ubuntu would be a good choice then. Want a distro with rock-solid reliablity? Try Debian. Want to run Red Hat servers, but don't want to pay for support? Use CentOS.
All those distros exist because there are users who find them to be better for their needs than the other distros are. And there's nothing wrong with that, since one size does not fit all. No-one could tell the users that "from now on, there will be just one distro". And even if someone could say that, the users who were unhappy with the "one true distro" could start their own distro if they wanted to.
Why do users argue which distro is best? For the same reason why Mac-users tell Linux and Windows-users that OS X is the best? For the same reason why BMW-drivers tell others that BMW is better than Merc is? People like to rationalise their choice of OS.
Diversity and flexability is one of the strenghts of Linux, its users know that, and having a single distro that does everything will counter that strength, they also know that.
They know that there can't be one distro that "does everything". Ubuntu wants to be easy to use OS that just works. Gentoo wnts to be as customizable, flexible and powerful as possible. It would be very, very hard for single OS to offer both of those ideoogies in one package. It would en up being "jack of all trades, master of none".
Take Mandrake (Mandiva these days) and Red Hat for example. Years ago Red Hat decided to use GNOME as their default desktop. There were bunch of Red Hat users who liked the distro, but liked KDE more than GNOME. So they took Red Hat, replaced GNOME with KDE and voila: Mandrake was born. From that point te two started to diverge. as independted OS'es.
Yes I can. Like I said, I just fire up the package-manager, find the app in question and click "Install". That really is all there is to it. No need to browse the web, looking for installers to download.
By unification I meant giving a constant user experience with singal points of administration, management ect. Some of my previous sessions with linux the applications did not always fully adhere to guidelines that were set out by KDE, whatever theme i choose, it didnt adapt to it for example.
Things are different these days. You are basing your judgement on SUSE9, which was released three years ago. During that three years, Linux has made HUGE progress. Things are chaning for the better, and they are changing FAST. I would say that Linux has changed more during the last three years than it did during the five years before 2003.
Note: that is NOT a bad thing for Apple. I bet that Apple would much rather co-exists with Linux than with Windows. There could never be a monopoly Linux could exploit to harm competitors, Microsoft could do that, and they have done it. Linux is open and follows established standards, Microsoft does not, if they can get away with it. Linux has no interest in destroying competitors, Microsoft does.
I fully admit im not a linux guru, and that things very likely have changed, but my perception is that every distro comes with a boat load of software on the DVD or via download, if you want to get something thats not listed it becomes a bit more difficult.
Well, SUSE does ship with tons of apps on the DVD (mainly so that it could be used wby people without broadband). But if you look at Ubuntu for example, it ships with relatively few apps. In a way, they have selected "best of breed"-apps for their distro. But if the user wants to have some additional piece of software, he can just fire up the package-manager, where he can choose from 16.000 pieces of software. The app the user is looking for is most likely listed there. If he's installing a piece of commercial software, they usually ship with nice installers that are not one bit harder to use than the ones in OS X or Windows.
There is the issue of building your own kernel
You have no need to do that. Seriously. I haven't built my own kernels in years. And when I did, it was because I wanted to do it, not because I had to do it.
Just because you CAN compile your own kernel does not mean that you are required to do so. The possibility is there for power-users.
The mac advantage is that its a bit easier to get, install and run applications than windows, and IMO linux as well.
I disagree. In Linux all the apps I could even want were just few mouse-clicks away. On OS X (and on Windows) I have to hunt for those apps in internet, only to find out that I'm expected to pay for them. I had none of those problems in Linux.
why is there a few big distros out there after years of linux development, why are there so many niche ones, and why do linux users argue with others over their favorite distro?
There are several distros, because one distro can't do it all. Want an OS that can be tweaked and customized to your exact needs and for your specific hardware? Obviously Ubuntu is not ideal then, but Gentoo is. Want a distro that "just works"? Ubuntu would be a good choice then. Want a distro with rock-solid reliablity? Try Debian. Want to run Red Hat servers, but don't want to pay for support? Use CentOS.
All those distros exist because there are users who find them to be better for their needs than the other distros are. And there's nothing wrong with that, since one size does not fit all. No-one could tell the users that "from now on, there will be just one distro". And even if someone could say that, the users who were unhappy with the "one true distro" could start their own distro if they wanted to.
Why do users argue which distro is best? For the same reason why Mac-users tell Linux and Windows-users that OS X is the best? For the same reason why BMW-drivers tell others that BMW is better than Merc is? People like to rationalise their choice of OS.
Diversity and flexability is one of the strenghts of Linux, its users know that, and having a single distro that does everything will counter that strength, they also know that.
They know that there can't be one distro that "does everything". Ubuntu wants to be easy to use OS that just works. Gentoo wnts to be as customizable, flexible and powerful as possible. It would be very, very hard for single OS to offer both of those ideoogies in one package. It would en up being "jack of all trades, master of none".
Take Mandrake (Mandiva these days) and Red Hat for example. Years ago Red Hat decided to use GNOME as their default desktop. There were bunch of Red Hat users who liked the distro, but liked KDE more than GNOME. So they took Red Hat, replaced GNOME with KDE and voila: Mandrake was born. From that point te two started to diverge. as independted OS'es.
Lukeit
Mar 31, 03:08 AM
Talking about new "features": have you noticed the Fuji wallpaper is different?
The new one has clouds at the base...
The new one has clouds at the base...
iJohnHenry
Mar 19, 05:23 PM
No, and I just googled it and it appears to be just a product review site?
To what are you referring?
Sorry, failed to include a :rolleyes: , and just happened to hit on something that actually exists.
I could have easily used LoseFaceBook, but I thought the other rolled off the tongue better. :o
To what are you referring?
Sorry, failed to include a :rolleyes: , and just happened to hit on something that actually exists.
I could have easily used LoseFaceBook, but I thought the other rolled off the tongue better. :o
