If someone has a half decent job, a mortgage and a car, chances are that a slight tweak to their budget would allow them to get a Mac if they wanted one. Just getting the 1.8l instead of the 2.0l. or a 3 year old car instead of a 2 year old car would save you that kind of money.
Almost nobody can afford a Veyron. You're comparing things that are three orders of magnitude apart.
My kids, 10 and 12 have facebook profiles. My wife and I are friends, and the email updates come to our accounts. All privacy settings are on max. A lot of their friends from school are on there, but I'd say the majority of the parents are aware - parents are friends on there too.
Thin, though it looks quite chunky (way to go Dell designers). Not quite as thin as a MacBook. Thicker again than a MacBook Pro. Both 13", both with optical drives.
The iPod Touch has pretty much killed the DS in my house. The DS simply doesn't get used any more. Cost of games is a big win. Yes, they're DRMed, but can share on multiple iPods, and they're backed up. My daughter lost her DS and a box of about 15 games before Christmas. Would cost about £500 to replace. Does the same with an iPod, and it's £150.
iPad is a multi function device that can be used as a book reader. It'll be shit on the beach, but it's not really designed for that. The Kindle & Sony are shit for reading in dim light.
Horses for courses. Get the one that works best for you.
The iPod Touch (and iPhone) do the same as described for the
AC gets it right. The problem is that there are many varieties of invalid passwords. People want to use the same password or use an easy to remember password system that they can apply to all systems. Too many sites can break this - forcing mixed case, forcing the use of numbers, not allowing numbers etc.
By all means warn people that their password is shit, but let 'em use whatever they can remember rather than engineering a more secure password that makes them write it down somewhere, which then becomes less secure.
OK. I can believe that it might be an improvement, but why would there be any need to display the keys as triangles on a virtual keyboard ? Surely the underlying sensing mechanism could use triangles even if the keys are still square ?
Maybe AAPL could do that on just not tell the guy !
Looked at photos. Looked at my hand position on the symmertrical unergonomic-looking Apple mouse, and it's identical. Wrist is elevated,fingers relaxed. Most movement from the whole forearm.
Turn to PC on the right side of my desk to see what happened. Still relaxed, but wrist grounded.
Try to figure out the difference. Due to desk space, the Mac mouse is rotated 90º. Problem on that side is that there's no support for my left arm while typing.
My conclusion is that what people need isn't a new mouse, it's a new desk. I always preferred a corner desk, and I think this is why.
... it's got that dock. Better cameras, phantom powered condenser mics etc could be added fairly easily.
Better advice would be for every other manufacturer to make fewer phones. SE cut its _to_ 78 models recently. 78 is ludicrous. I'd get it down to 5 or 6. Any more than 10 is insanity.
Aparently USB in the new Mac Books (but probably not this one), since they dropped FW, is much speedier. Apple figured out the problem or relented and took out whatever was crippling USB on Mac ?
USB has greater overheads and relies on the CPU more. Mbps is just one crude gross measurement. Real world: USB 2 is fine for file transfer, but has the potential to suck compared to FW a bit for real-time video and audio.
It's a VHS/Betamax thing. Most people don't give a stuff (which is fine) , and pros will use the better tech becaue they need to.
----
The article mentions the 'new' mini DVI. Something's wrong there. It's either the old mini DVI port or the new mini Display Port.
Paranoid partner records partner's brain activity, where they dream of shagging partners brother/sister/mother/father/best friend/woman from the checkout at Tescos/Nigella/Nigel/Angelina/Brad etc.
Either get woken up violently, or get some serious evils over breakfast, eventually leading to all out war and divorce.
I can't even get 5.1 past the missus and into the living room. Stuck with 2.1. And SD until HD projectors go mainstream (cheap, that is).
Oh, and I've got wonky eyes in atypical viewing situations. Can't use binoculars, can't see magic eye b0ll0x, can't see the 3D in 3D movies, see two of everything after about 4 pints.
Try putting "Vista fastest laptop" into Google. You don't need to prime the search with "Mac". You'll hit sites like Windows Vista Magazine and PC World magazine.
Never understood this attitude. Better to try something and fail than just give up. The kid was dead without this intervention
I remember that a bloke in the office, having been on some first aid course, was then (technically) prohibited from giving some paracetamol to a mate. Madness.
I thought misleading advertising that had small print was perfectly acceptable. Car ads do this all the time. £5999 in big print, model shows £12999 in small print etc.
It was certainly acceptable for Intel to advertise some fella using a laptop via wi-fi half way up a fucking mountain a few years back. The ASA said so. I know, cos I complained to them that it was misleading bollocks.
I don't particularly object to this decision. Just the inconsistency.
The difference in cash could be made up by Microsoft in a single year by not paying dividends (Apple doesn't).
And also that paying dividends at the same level would cost Apple about half as much (At currently depressed market cap).
Kristin's right to point out that M$ has a hefty profit margin going on. Higher than Apple, who are traditionally considered to be the kings of overpricing.
The Indy is appalling for tech. It's part of the 'Lifestyle' section. Tech is a bit of fluff on a Wednesday in an otherwise decent rag. A few years ago it was a sparse bit of quality tech comment on a Wednesday, but Charles Arthur buggered off to pastures new.
Nobody buys the Indy for tech news. They should either simply cut it out completely, have decent articles in the main paper once in a while, or really invest in a tech section as good as their education section. This half arsed approach does nobody any favours (least of all Rhodri Marsden).
They could cut out the property section. That's not much use these days.
You don't press the 'play' button to switch off an iPod. You press the 'Play/Pause' button to pause the song and the iPod switches itself off. Th button has both symbols on it.
So when a newbie asks "how do I switch it off', the answer is "just pause the song and it'll switch itself off automatically after a minute".
This is entirely different from shutting down by clicking on the start button. In fact, it's a good example of how well Apple thinks things through. There is no need for an on/off button, so there isn't one. Just as there isn't one on most tape players (note also that on many a ghetto blaster, 'off' is 'tape/off' : same thing)
Reduced TO 20% isn't even enough. Reduce to 7%, I say.
Put that effort into making 5 superb handsets : Cheap bar, cheap flip, mid-price bar, mid-price flip, smart/mediaphone.
And with the bar vs flip, the only difference should be the packaging. Same feature, same software.
Give them names. Like the Sony, the Sony Flip, The Sony Plus, the Sony Flip Plus and the Sony SmartMedia. Keep these names through product refreshes and redesigns.
Ideal for the morbidly obese. Better than a tapeworm, certainly. Use the energy in fat reserves without having to do any work. rather than harness the energy produced to run a heart, have an iPod dock put in place of one's belly button.
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155 posts • joined Monday 12th March 2007 14:04 GMT
Page:
Posted Sunday 27th February 2011 17:05 GMT
Hywel Thomas
They'll be interested on this then... → #
In Fairness FAIL: When small print contradicts the big print
http://lloydstsbfail.tumblr.com/
Posted Thursday 14th October 2010 11:08 GMT
Hywel Thomas
Nonsense. → #
In Apple to lead fanbois 'Back to the Mac'
If someone has a half decent job, a mortgage and a car, chances are that a slight tweak to their budget would allow them to get a Mac if they wanted one. Just getting the 1.8l instead of the 2.0l. or a 3 year old car instead of a 2 year old car would save you that kind of money.
Almost nobody can afford a Veyron. You're comparing things that are three orders of magnitude apart.
Posted Wednesday 8th September 2010 13:01 GMT
Hywel Thomas
Johnny Fartpants → #
In Cattle-burp eco menace mastered - by oregano
When I use oregano, it cerainly makes my farts more powerful.
Posted Monday 29th March 2010 22:39 GMT
Hywel Thomas
Mine are on there → #
In A quarter of underage children have social networking profiles
My kids, 10 and 12 have facebook profiles. My wife and I are friends, and the email updates come to our accounts. All privacy settings are on max. A lot of their friends from school are on there, but I'd say the majority of the parents are aware - parents are friends on there too.
It's not so much Facebook as access to Farmville.
Posted Wednesday 17th March 2010 20:48 GMT
Hywel Thomas
Yes, yes.. → #
In Flat-pack plug designer wins top award
... but when can we buy them ? I want 3. Yesterday.
Posted Wednesday 10th March 2010 19:29 GMT
Hywel Thomas
Thinnest ? → #
In Dell intros restyled biz laptops
Thin, though it looks quite chunky (way to go Dell designers). Not quite as thin as a MacBook. Thicker again than a MacBook Pro. Both 13", both with optical drives.
Do they just mean the thinnest Dell ?
Posted Tuesday 9th February 2010 15:22 GMT
Hywel Thomas
Apple win in my house → #
In Mobile games developers shift to iPhone
The iPod Touch has pretty much killed the DS in my house. The DS simply doesn't get used any more. Cost of games is a big win. Yes, they're DRMed, but can share on multiple iPods, and they're backed up. My daughter lost her DS and a box of about 15 games before Christmas. Would cost about £500 to replace. Does the same with an iPod, and it's £150.
Posted Friday 5th February 2010 15:19 GMT
Hywel Thomas
Fail → #
In Brits take iTablet moniker for 12in iPad rival
"But the iTablet runs a full-scale, multi-tasking OS: Windows 7."
Ah. Runs an OS that's designed for desktop use. So a piece of shit then.
Posted Thursday 4th February 2010 19:55 GMT
Hywel Thomas
All about compromise → #
In E-book readers are a satisfied lot
iPad is a multi function device that can be used as a book reader. It'll be shit on the beach, but it's not really designed for that. The Kindle & Sony are shit for reading in dim light.
Horses for courses. Get the one that works best for you.
Posted Tuesday 2nd February 2010 17:01 GMT
Hywel Thomas
What happened next... → #
In Oz banker caught porn-surfing on live TV
http://content.foxsearchlight.com/videos/node/598
Posted Friday 8th January 2010 16:45 GMT
Hywel Thomas
Rotate it 180 degrees… → #
In Sony readies family-friendly internet access gadget
… the display will be facing you and the image will rotate. (I assume)
Posted Wednesday 16th December 2009 17:13 GMT
Hywel Thomas
Ring Piece → #
In Intel staff 'fired' in ring piece stunt
LINSIHNLTMSGDOAMCHLTITM!
Posted Thursday 15th October 2009 16:15 GMT
Hywel Thomas
@Chris Miller → #
In LaCie Starck
'Mobile' is the key word here.
Posted Wednesday 23rd September 2009 13:02 GMT
Hywel Thomas
@bikerboi87 → #
In Average Brit shags 2.8m people
How many can you count that weren't rough ?
Posted Wednesday 23rd September 2009 09:22 GMT
Hywel Thomas
Top Bras denied by Top Brass ? → #
In Swedish military bras burst, melt during 'rigorous exercise'
Type your comment here — plain text only, no HTML
Posted Friday 11th September 2009 12:19 GMT
Hywel Thomas
Agree as well. → #
In Disney sued over Pixar lamp 'copy'
Initially thinking that it was probably trolling, but seems fair enough. They had no problem while is was virtual. Behind Luxo on this one.
Posted Friday 31st July 2009 00:12 GMT
Hywel Thomas
V for Vendetta was on last night → #
In Johnson signs off ID card for UK citizenry
Shit film, but compelling message.
Posted Tuesday 30th June 2009 12:11 GMT
Hywel Thomas
I can see where they're coming from… → #
In Masked passwords must go
But it's still idiotic.
The iPod Touch (and iPhone) do the same as described for the
AC gets it right. The problem is that there are many varieties of invalid passwords. People want to use the same password or use an easy to remember password system that they can apply to all systems. Too many sites can break this - forcing mixed case, forcing the use of numbers, not allowing numbers etc.
By all means warn people that their password is shit, but let 'em use whatever they can remember rather than engineering a more secure password that makes them write it down somewhere, which then becomes less secure.
Posted Wednesday 24th June 2009 11:11 GMT
Hywel Thomas
Superb → #
In Designer pitches flat-pack power plug
As long as it's reliable, not a fire risk etc, looks superb. I'll be buying at least a couple of these if they ever get to market.
Posted Tuesday 2nd June 2009 16:37 GMT
Hywel Thomas
Why show triangles ? → #
In Triangular buttons key to touchscreen typing success - inventor
OK. I can believe that it might be an improvement, but why would there be any need to display the keys as triangles on a virtual keyboard ? Surely the underlying sensing mechanism could use triangles even if the keys are still square ?
Maybe AAPL could do that on just not tell the guy !
Posted Monday 18th May 2009 13:40 GMT
Hywel Thomas
It's just plain wrong → #
In Facebook eliminates parts of Wales
They should really fix this. If they want to reduce the locations, use UK instead.
It's not their only geographical blunder. The "I don't live in London, I live in KENT!! Campaign to get Kent a network" group springs to mind.
Posted Monday 18th May 2009 11:37 GMT
Hywel Thomas
Don't think I need one → #
In Hippus HandshoeMouse
Looked at photos. Looked at my hand position on the symmertrical unergonomic-looking Apple mouse, and it's identical. Wrist is elevated,fingers relaxed. Most movement from the whole forearm.
Turn to PC on the right side of my desk to see what happened. Still relaxed, but wrist grounded.
Try to figure out the difference. Due to desk space, the Mac mouse is rotated 90º. Problem on that side is that there's no support for my left arm while typing.
My conclusion is that what people need isn't a new mouse, it's a new desk. I always preferred a corner desk, and I think this is why.
Or something.
Posted Saturday 9th May 2009 05:31 GMT
Hywel Thomas
Private Browsing → #
In Site schools world+dog in browsing history pilfering
I knew there was a good reason for having private browsing turned on. (Other than it being embarrassing if the Top Sites previews show NSFW content)
Posted Thursday 23rd April 2009 18:21 GMT
Hywel Thomas
Splendid → #
In Apple eyes patent for web silence
Handy for private browsing. I expect.
Posted Thursday 26th March 2009 13:59 GMT
Hywel Thomas
Soz... → #
In Knee X-ray biometrics plan to fight spoofing
What will they use to process this biometric kneecapping ? A Kray ?
Posted Friday 20th March 2009 15:41 GMT
Hywel Thomas
No need for specalist versions... → #
In Apple proves: It pays to be late
... it's got that dock. Better cameras, phantom powered condenser mics etc could be added fairly easily.
Better advice would be for every other manufacturer to make fewer phones. SE cut its _to_ 78 models recently. 78 is ludicrous. I'd get it down to 5 or 6. Any more than 10 is insanity.
Nice article.
Posted Friday 27th February 2009 11:07 GMT
Hywel Thomas
Splendid. → #
In BlackBerry advert sticks it to Apple
Whatever I think the truth may be (bought an iPod Touch yesterday, so it's probbly obvious), I think that's a great advert.
Posted Thursday 19th February 2009 14:16 GMT
Hywel Thomas
Is it ? → #
In Scotland Today in news nipslip outrage
Not convinced. I reckon it's light coming through a buttonhole.
STV's site can't take the pressure though, so can't watch the , er (presumably) flash video to make a proper assessment.
Posted Thursday 12th February 2009 13:05 GMT
Hywel Thomas
@ Sam → #
In Apple White MacBook Early 2009
Aparently USB in the new Mac Books (but probably not this one), since they dropped FW, is much speedier. Apple figured out the problem or relented and took out whatever was crippling USB on Mac ?
Posted Thursday 12th February 2009 13:05 GMT
Hywel Thomas
@ Adrian → #
In Apple White MacBook Early 2009
USB has greater overheads and relies on the CPU more. Mbps is just one crude gross measurement. Real world: USB 2 is fine for file transfer, but has the potential to suck compared to FW a bit for real-time video and audio.
It's a VHS/Betamax thing. Most people don't give a stuff (which is fine) , and pros will use the better tech becaue they need to.
----
The article mentions the 'new' mini DVI. Something's wrong there. It's either the old mini DVI port or the new mini Display Port.
Posted Thursday 15th January 2009 16:36 GMT
Hywel Thomas
Think of the tax → #
In LibDem cheeky boy rides to Segway's rescue
Come on Gordy ... VAT, Pavement Fund License, VAT on compulsory 3rd party insurance. What's not to like ?
Posted Monday 5th January 2009 13:28 GMT
Hywel Thomas
Nice touch... → #
In Nikon D90 digital SLR with HD video recording
... taking that photo of a police car.
Posted Tuesday 23rd December 2008 13:28 GMT
Hywel Thomas
Is there… → #
In Apple ejects iBoobs
Is there an open sauce version ?
Posted Thursday 18th December 2008 11:55 GMT
Hywel Thomas
An excuse at last… → #
In US nuclear bomb lab develops 'self-warming' hand cream
It can't be any hotter than this unfortunately named product, surely ?
http://www.aveda.co.uk/templates/products2/spp.tmpl?CATEGORY_ID=CAT8137&PRODUCT_ID=PROD76203
Posted Thursday 11th December 2008 20:17 GMT
Hywel Thomas
Great for paranoid partners → #
In World's first 'thought images' seen on screen
Paranoid partner records partner's brain activity, where they dream of shagging partners brother/sister/mother/father/best friend/woman from the checkout at Tescos/Nigella/Nigel/Angelina/Brad etc.
Either get woken up violently, or get some serious evils over breakfast, eventually leading to all out war and divorce.
Posted Wednesday 10th December 2008 15:23 GMT
Hywel Thomas
22.2 Sound ? → #
In ITU plots third dimension
I can't even get 5.1 past the missus and into the living room. Stuck with 2.1. And SD until HD projectors go mainstream (cheap, that is).
Oh, and I've got wonky eyes in atypical viewing situations. Can't use binoculars, can't see magic eye b0ll0x, can't see the 3D in 3D movies, see two of everything after about 4 pints.
Posted Wednesday 10th December 2008 05:20 GMT
Hywel Thomas
@AC → #
In Apple's Snow Leopard set to exploit GPU power
Try putting "Vista fastest laptop" into Google. You don't need to prime the search with "Mac". You'll hit sites like Windows Vista Magazine and PC World magazine.
Posted Saturday 6th December 2008 20:11 GMT
Hywel Thomas
@Shewchuk → #
In Doctor amputates boy's arm using SMS instructions
Never understood this attitude. Better to try something and fail than just give up. The kid was dead without this intervention
I remember that a bloke in the office, having been on some first aid course, was then (technically) prohibited from giving some paracetamol to a mate. Madness.
Posted Thursday 4th December 2008 07:06 GMT
Hywel Thomas
I bet that kid's called… → #
In 'Faith-based' investment firm fingers holiday's most sinful games
… Damien
Posted Tuesday 2nd December 2008 19:10 GMT
Hywel Thomas
Old news ? → #
In Apple tells Mac users: Get anti-virus
So how come this is being depicted as a volte face ? The same article from Apple from June 08 2007 says exactly the same thing.
Posted Wednesday 26th November 2008 12:34 GMT
Hywel Thomas
Inconsistent ? → #
In Apple forced to pull misleading UK iPhone ad
I thought misleading advertising that had small print was perfectly acceptable. Car ads do this all the time. £5999 in big print, model shows £12999 in small print etc.
It was certainly acceptable for Intel to advertise some fella using a laptop via wi-fi half way up a fucking mountain a few years back. The ASA said so. I know, cos I complained to them that it was misleading bollocks.
I don't particularly object to this decision. Just the inconsistency.
Posted Thursday 6th November 2008 01:18 GMT
Hywel Thomas
Dividends → #
In Who's got more cash? Apple or Microsoft?
The difference in cash could be made up by Microsoft in a single year by not paying dividends (Apple doesn't).
And also that paying dividends at the same level would cost Apple about half as much (At currently depressed market cap).
Kristin's right to point out that M$ has a hefty profit margin going on. Higher than Apple, who are traditionally considered to be the kings of overpricing.
Posted Wednesday 5th November 2008 13:43 GMT
Hywel Thomas
Indy awful for tech → #
In The Independent gets the wrong end of Jacqui's gIMP
The Indy is appalling for tech. It's part of the 'Lifestyle' section. Tech is a bit of fluff on a Wednesday in an otherwise decent rag. A few years ago it was a sparse bit of quality tech comment on a Wednesday, but Charles Arthur buggered off to pastures new.
Nobody buys the Indy for tech news. They should either simply cut it out completely, have decent articles in the main paper once in a while, or really invest in a tech section as good as their education section. This half arsed approach does nobody any favours (least of all Rhodri Marsden).
They could cut out the property section. That's not much use these days.
Posted Wednesday 29th October 2008 13:31 GMT
Hywel Thomas
@Richard → #
In Windows 7 early promise: Passes the Vista test
You don't press the 'play' button to switch off an iPod. You press the 'Play/Pause' button to pause the song and the iPod switches itself off. Th button has both symbols on it.
So when a newbie asks "how do I switch it off', the answer is "just pause the song and it'll switch itself off automatically after a minute".
This is entirely different from shutting down by clicking on the start button. In fact, it's a good example of how well Apple thinks things through. There is no need for an on/off button, so there isn't one. Just as there isn't one on most tape players (note also that on many a ghetto blaster, 'off' is 'tape/off' : same thing)
Posted Thursday 23rd October 2008 15:06 GMT
Hywel Thomas
Fifty Eight ? → #
In Sony Ericsson to reduce handset range by 20 per cent
Reduced by 20% isn't enough
Reduced TO 20% isn't even enough. Reduce to 7%, I say.
Put that effort into making 5 superb handsets : Cheap bar, cheap flip, mid-price bar, mid-price flip, smart/mediaphone.
And with the bar vs flip, the only difference should be the packaging. Same feature, same software.
Give them names. Like the Sony, the Sony Flip, The Sony Plus, the Sony Flip Plus and the Sony SmartMedia. Keep these names through product refreshes and redesigns.
Build a brand within a brand.
Posted Monday 20th October 2008 11:49 GMT
Hywel Thomas
See it in action here... → #
In Holy f**k, Microsoft covers up ‘undesired’ words
http://movies.apple.com/movies/us/apple/getamac/apple_getamac_vword_20081019_480x272.mov
Posted Friday 17th October 2008 13:11 GMT
Hywel Thomas
@shakje → #
In Apple MacBook
Er, comparing a 13" laptop with a 17 " laptop with awful resolution ?
What's the battery life, what's the weight, what's the volume ?
I'll tell you...
Mac Book: 44% of the volume of the Sony
Mac Book - battery life 210 minutes longer (300 versus 90)
Mac Book - 54% of the weight of the Sony.
Or in other words, a simply list of specs like the one you gave is out-of-context and meaningless.
it might be handier when the 15.4" review comes out. Here are the numbers...
Mac Book: 52% of the volume of the Sony
Mac Book - battery life 180 minutes longer (270 versus 90)
Mac Book - 65% of the weight of the Sony.
... maybe not.
Posted Wednesday 15th October 2008 16:55 GMT
Hywel Thomas
Price → #
In Apple takes wraps off rumour-matching MacBook Pros
£744 through a currency calculator. £807 taking the VAT off. The rip-off-Britain factor is on 8% or so. How is anyone surprised by his ?
Posted Wednesday 15th October 2008 13:22 GMT
Hywel Thomas
Will you stupid c**ts never learn ? → #
In Apple MacBook Air stays skinny, gains beefier specs
ADD THE FUCKING VEE AY TEE !
At today's exchange rate, with VAT, it comes out as £1210. It's less that 10% more expensive over here. That's less than the usual difference.
Posted Tuesday 14th October 2008 13:11 GMT
Hywel Thomas
Metabolising implants ? → #
In Texan boffins working on electric cyber-heart
Ideal for the morbidly obese. Better than a tapeworm, certainly. Use the energy in fat reserves without having to do any work. rather than harness the energy produced to run a heart, have an iPod dock put in place of one's belly button.
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