Why Apple and Folly Go Hand-in-Glove

For about as long as I've considered actually buying a computer (really only a few years), I've had some serious questions about Apple and why it operates the way it does. I've talked to the Mac worshipers and the Gates/Microsoft haters and heard all the reasons the Mac is best. I've struggled with PCs at school and at work and learned the hard way all the problems that just seem to go hand in hand with Microsoft. I've struggled with Word because IT made the decision to scrap WordPerfect and even cursed Bill Gates, myself, but when the time came to buy a computer, I looked a both and firmly came down on the side of the PC and bought the best one I could afford and I'm not sorry. I've learned a lot.

Well, now someone has written a short history of Apple and it's business ethos that really doesn't explain why they do things the way they do, but confirms that Apple has had the opportunity more than once to wipe Microsoft off the planet.

The real reason Microsoft dominates is because the PC and its clones give the people lots of choices and plenty of room to innovate for themselves at a prices most can afford and when you boil down the free market system, choice, value and flexibility are what takes the cake every time. At least that's the way I see it. I might want a Rolls Royce, but my Honda gets me where I'm going with all the style I need.

Apple and Folly

Interesting. Coming from someone who has grown up under M$ I can say, that now is the time for change(even apple can challenge them when Longhorn comes out). They might start to challenge Microsoft yet again. This time it's Movie Downloads for the cheap price of 6.99 a month with an expiring licencing model(ie you have to sync up once a month to make sure you've paid your subscription, as you are only "renting" the copy)

Here is an article that discusses the future power plays in the works now, with the most unlikely entrants too, I'll hold that back for some suspence.

www.pbs.org...

I, Cringely is my favorite IT and Telecommunications Pundit/Analyist/Expert whatever you wanna call him he knows his stuff and in my experience he is around 80 right on target with his out-on-a-limb predictions.

EDIT: Also the Ipod was not a folly The Mindset that created the IPOD can remake Apple for the 21st Century if they play thier cards right.

EDIT2: Brain Meltdown on my part :doh:


[edit on 14-5-2005 by sardion2000]

Well, I don't claim to be an expert, but the Xbox looks to me to be a set-top box that is dedicated to one basic purpose, but has to the capacity to duplicate some of the other functions one usually associates with a computer. Microsoft has been selling and futzing around with MSNTV née WebTV, which can be described pretty much as I did above without stepping on the toes of any of its customers. I could be wrong, but I don't see Microsoft kicking the dog here.

By the way, here is Gates' take on the IPod. I think he's right and the so called "halo effect' that Apple has been expecting to turn things around for them is about to blink out.



[edit on 05/5/14 by GradyPhilpott]

It isn't the customers that will feel the pinch of this upcoming war. They will benefit LARGE no matter who comes out on top, I'm just hoping it's not going to be a hegemognous type of company(like Microsoft)

Just wanted to point out the fact that some non-traditional and traditional rivals are gearing up for a fight. It all comes down to where the consumers vote with thier money. That is what will decide it as always, and there is already large disconent with Microsoft these days due to thier own ineptitude(and Arrogance). I'm just wondering if they have any steam left in them beyond XBOX 360 and Longhorn.

In the article I supplied, it talking about a new push by Google to do something it doesn't have too, but because it can(read that section more cloesly ). My prediction will be Microsoft will be relegated to second rate software company by 2015. I may be wrong, but I can smell blood in the water and can see the sharks homing in on target. One can only hope

[edit on 14-5-2005 by sardion2000]

Actually, I was using the term customer in the sense that the author used it, referring to HP, Dell, Gateway, et al.

To see some of what MS has in its future regard the following:

www.pcworld.com...

abcnews.go.com...

The plot thinkens as lines are drawn in the sand.

Oh yeah this is why I am skeptical of Microsoft's next product entry into the "Console" space

msxb.wmod.llnwd.net...

All glizt, glamour and all that with no content to speak of.


I hope this thread doesn't get burried, I want more opinions on this.

NO empire lasts forever.

Down with Gates and his bullying buyout and corporate tactics.

I grew up with both, and I prefer PCs. The way I see it, Mac computers restrict the ability of the user to damage the integrity of the system, which in turn limits user control over all aspects of operation. The PC is a self-imploding time bomb in the wrong hands, it's simply too easy to shoot yourself in the foot if you don't know what you're doing.

Most corporations rely on PCs, except for studios, which utilize Mac's almost across the board. PCs have the capability to outperform Macs in the realm of graphics, but they are chronically under-RAMed off the shelf.

My past employers run the gamut, so I've had a chance to use a wide range of computers in the workplace, and my favorites are still PCs. I wouldn't want one if I had to export to print media, like catalog photograhy, but for most tasks, especially databasing, they are more compatible, and have a greater diversity of good software to choose from.

I think the X Box was a great game system, better than PS2 or Gamecube, by a wide margin. The flagship title says it all. Master Chief or Mario, who would you put your money on in a fight? I'd pick the guy with the rocket launcher and the tank..personally.

I think some of you guys are seriously mistaken over the operating system that Macs use. The operating system is based on FreeBSD and unlinke M$, the OS is Open Source. People actually develop upon the Linux architecture and introduce changes to the OS all the time. Then Apple can decide whether they want to implement them in their next version. But, even if Apple doesn't include it, people can program their OS as they want to.

The reason you don't see as many viruses for Mac is because people, in general, just want to damage PCs. There just aren't many viruses written for Linux-based systems.

Their really is no reason to use Windows anymore, unless you play games that is. But, pretty much everything you want to do on Windows can be done on any other OS, and with the aid of such programs as OpenOffice, you can create and read Windows-compatible documents.

I think the main reason people like Windows, is because it's easier for them to go with the flow.

By the way, I'm using W$ right now, but I have a dual boot with Ubuntu Linux. The reason I don't like Mac is that they are just too darn expensive. I can just buy a cheap PC and put Linux on there with the same effect for much cheaper.

[edit on 14-5-2005 by Jamuhn]

Good points people. But what do you guys think of Google buying up all that Dark Fiber? They could become a major factor in this whole War when all is said and done.

The linked article contains the following assessment. Perhaps, someone else can shed more light.

Dark motivations

A handful of dark-fiber projects have been gaining momentum recently, mostly involving large consortia of private companies, universities and medical facilities, sometimes with heavy government backing. Best-known is the National LambdaRail (NLR) , which has acquired more than a third of the 28,000 route miles of dark fiber so far snapped up by the research community, according to Steve Corbato, Internet2's director of network initiatives and an NLR board member.

"We view this, in a sense, as exploiting a moment in time," Corbato said. The telecom boom of the late 1990s led to a glut in fiber assets, and the subsequent bust put undeveloped fiber on the market at bargain basement prices. "The sense of urgency in acquiring these assets has been tied to the unique opportunity that's been presented...The spot market for fiber is already going up, and most people expect these assets will get gobbled up."

Corbato says he has noticed signs of increasing interest in dark fiber from private enterprise of late, most notably among large financial institutions. Meanwhile, in December, cable giant Comcast signed a $100 million-plus deal to buy long-haul dark fiber to build out its network.

A Level3 representative declined to comment when told of Google's job posting.

Corbato also declined to speculate about Google's plans. But he said fiber-optic expertise is a natural fit for a company like Google.

"If I were the CIO of an international information technology company," he said, "I would think that having these types of skills would be a natural to have within the organization."

news.com.com...

[edit on 05/5/14 by GradyPhilpott]

I can rant for ages, but let me just say: what Gates said is old news. Reports of phones replacing mp3 players, ipod especially, have been out for months, and most were better articulated than this. They are, for the record, wrong.

Apple made a lot of mistakes in the past, yes, but they'r emoving beyond that. Microshaf, err, soft, became the powerhouse with cheap computer systems that were uninnovative and widespread. Apple dimmed out for a while, and M$ took the stand.

Now, everyone uses a PC. And because everyone uses a PC, you have to use a PC. You were raised on one, you'll get one at work, your colleagues use one, you don't want to learn. You use a PC. It's the sheeple, the lemming aspect of it all. Herd instinct.

And now Apple is leading with machines. They're groundbreaking, better designed, better supported, faster, come with better software and have better software options (including games), more secure, and yes, better looking.

The main sign things are changing? People are saying cell phones will overtake the ipod. The rest of the industry is being forced to play catch-up to Apple, and personally, I'm lovin' it.

As for xbox, that is going to be the cheapest, best computer out there, it's fantastic. I'm debating whether to buy one to use as a spare computer; I know friends of mine are.

As much as I hate Apple OS and Computing I have to give them credit for trying to swing the boat around. All I want for them to do is improve PC Interoperability, the day's of Multiple OS's are coming to a close. I just hope Jobs still has vision left to see that Proprietary OS's should become obsolete, the damage that has been done by poorly programmed software is most likely in the Hundreds of Billions of dollars right now, and if this new "Tiger" becomes more popular, well the Security through Obscurity that Apple has enjoyed may well be destroyed also. It's happening to a degree with Firefox, but the response from the Mozilla Foundation has been impressive to say the least. Taking every threat serously and not sweeping anything under the rug(because they can't )

I see a world where ONE OS(that is compatible with mutiple hardware platforms and is also Open Source(hopefully))will be domininent and alone while 3rd party developers create the killer-appz that will make it sell. Who will be the one to make it? Google? M$? Yahoo? Sony? Apple? Or will alliances form much like the Betamax vs. VHS days. The Future is murky, if it was clear I would be rich by now

I think what Gates said about the IPod was an observation, not a groundbreaking edict. What he was getting at was basically that a dedicated device for storing music will become outdated when the technology allows for competitive formats that can be integrated into appliances that people already have strapped to their belts and in their purses. Of course, that would be the cell phone.

Dedicated PDAs are already beginning to see a decline in sales compared to integrated devices and Gates is simply observing that putting a few hundred MBs of music storage into one of those is right around the corner. Actually, it's already here:


www.pcworld.com...

informationweek.com...

www.eweek.com...

www.mobiledia.com...

www.pcworld.com...

www.pcworld.com...

[edit on 05/5/14 by GradyPhilpott]

Originally posted by sardion2000
I see a world where ONE OS(that is compatible with mutiple hardware platforms and is also Open Source(hopefully))will be domininent and alone while 3rd party developers create the killer-appz that will make it sell.

I think if it ever happens this way, it'll have to be open source, just by the very nature of open source and business. Open sourcing a single OS would happen, no company would fund a project like that, to work with their competitor. Besides, couldn't that be misconstrued as a monopoly if it wasn't open?

I think, grady, that until you find a way to get a large amount of music onto a device already taking calls, especially when neither device is particular famous for battery life, and can make it a good size, we'll have separate devices.

I agree about the battery life. I really don't want my phone to do much more than make and receive calls, but the technology is advancing and we may not have much choice in the future.

As for a $300-$400 single device that will hold 60 gigabytes of music, personally, I don't really see the appeal. Such a unit is just too vulnerable to sink that much time and money into, as far as I'm concerned.

Eventually, the new will wear off the IPod and people will migrate to other formats and when someone with the track record of Bill Gates makes such a claim, I say listen.

I remember watching a TV show years ago, in which a reporter was following Gates around at a trade show. With all the new stuff there that was catching people's eyes, Gates was drawn to a flat screen monitor. The reporter was mysitfied and so was I. Of all the things featured, the flat screen monitor was by far the least spectacular, or so it seemed.

It would be interesting to go back to that footage to see just what among all those whiz bang electronics is still around. Certainly, the flat screen monitor is and in spades.

Originally posted by GradyPhilpott
As for a $300-$400 single device that will hold 60 gigabytes of music, personally, I don't really see the appeal. Such a unit is just too vulnerable to sink that much time and money into, as far as I'm concerned.

I disagree. People are starting to move into the range that they would need a 40 or 60 gigabyte storage space just for music, and an iPod is no harder or easier to lose than anything else. If you don't treat it like that crap, as people are wont to do, then it will behave fantastically.

Eventually, the new will wear off the IPod and people will migrate to other formats and when someone with the track record of Bill Gates makes such a claim, I say listen.

Consider the source, and where HE'S coming from. To quote Ole Bill and a grand old phrase,

"Nobody will ever need more than 16MB of RAM"
Windows requires 32MB of RAM.
Conclusion: Nobody will ever need windows.



[edit on 5/15/2005 by Amorymeltzer]

homepage.mac.com...

theage.com.au...

I rest my case.

Originally posted by GradyPhilpott
I rest my case.

LOL. I can't argue with cassette tapes. Although, there's a reason it's designed to not be opened.

Good finds.

1. The cassette tape holds less music
2. You need a device to play a cassette tape
3. You need a device and software to interface a cassette tape with a computer
4. iPods provide better sound quality


I'm not even sure how the cassette tape can even be compared to an iPod. Why not compare the iPod to other mp3 players, zipdrives, or other devices with similar technology?