It's probably also to do with the fact that Chinese bosses like to have their workers in for all hours. It doesn't matter they aren't working, I've seen Chinese staff slumped on their desk asleep often, but they have to be IN.
Haha, thanks for that post, it made me laugh. I could use a bit of humor today.
As an aside, I was a long term Nokia customer until I couldn't withhold my disgust at their dropping of Symbian (and failure to follow through with Meego). They work for years on a replacement/upgrade and then, just before it's due out, chuck it away? That makes little sense on any level.
I'm not an Android man. Good work Nokia. Way to alienate people.
Pollution and squat toilets depend where you are in China. I don't even count Shanghai as China, as it could be a modern city in any country in the world. It's certainly not a normal Chinese city. Beijing is more Chinese though, and certainly has squat toilets in many places.
If you go to smaller cities, then yes, squats there.
If you wish to work here and do so for a large multinational in one of the big three cities, or even some of the 'second tier' cities (Qingdao etc), then you're probably going to be more than fine. However, smaller, local, companies will take some getting used to as they probably won't be used to the strange western working habits, such as not randomly being called in for a non-urgent meeting at the weekend. Chinese work habits are... not western work habits.
Pollution is bad in the big cities yes, but coastal cities like Dalian or Qingdao are quite nice.
(I've been living in a number of cities in China over the last ten years, so talking from experience here. My blog about living in China: www.ChinarensBlog.com)
"I've got the original transformer and it does everything I want of a portable device, except play mkv video. "
Don't know what player you are using, but mine can play these no problem. Try downloading a few different players.
Yeah, looking a bit envious at this new one, but can't afford an upgrade. Still, my original Transformer is fine, and I've been using it to replace my old laptop with no real problems. (Except for printing stuff, but I can work around that).
I can understand the figures shown. I still believe that, yes, whilst many people have a legit use for a pad (of any denomination), their (the pads I mean) functionality is limited for most people.
I'm not an Apple fan, but the pad is nice to use (some friends have them). However, I own an Asus Transformer because I simply couldn't justify *any* pad for my daily usage.
Yes, sometimes I detach my AT's screen and use it as an ebook, but 90% of the time it's attached to its keyboard and is used as a laptop (with looaadds of battery life).
I do have a few niggles with it, but that's just because it's not yet a mature system. I have confidence the few features lacking will be added eventually.
As already mentioned, Macs already record your phone number, and also Starbucks (at least here in Beijing) now does this as well.
I'm just more careful where I visit using these, though I also tend to use a VPN about 95% of the time these days, as so much of the net is blocked otherwise.
As soon as I read about the whole Gmail/Dali Lama thing I groaned, knowing some of my Google connectivity would suffer. Just didn't expect it to be the Market, which I can confirm is blocked.
At least I have my VPN. Fking China. Fking Google come to that.
Come to think of it, most Chinese Android users don't use the 'normal' market anyway, but a Chinese version of it, so it seems to be more spiteful than usual.
I don't mind paying for something I watch. However, when I lived in the UK I *never* watched the BBC, or the other ones. (really, my TV wasn't even tuned in to terrestrial channels). Yet I still had to pay for them.
I'm fine with having the BBC, but let's have it so that only the people who watch it pay for it. According to the above that's still 4/5s of the population, so should be plenty.
As an aside, I had a friend who worked for the BBC as a manager, and he often boasted to me about how many jollies his chums and he went on on the Beeb's ticket. Great value I'm sure.
Should I ever live in the UK again I won't be getting a TV at all.
I seem to remember reading that Asus's lappad Transformer was doing rather well, probably because it sold with a keyboard as a 'computer' with a detachable screen. I bought one myself, where I would never buy just a pad.
A fad is a time thing, the pads could still be one, even with many sold.
Also, could we have a 'raving fanboi' label on the Reg's authors please? Just so I'm ready for the drooling and the raving and the waving of arms and so on in the article.
"It's not comedy racism. It's a well-known fact in science circles that the best and brightest in China (and not just China, but many countri..."
If you do a bit or research you'd find that HK UST is a very highly placed university in world rankings. Many of the professors there are from Havard and other top universities.
I'd not buy a pad simply because I couldn't justify the niche usage. However, I'm rather drooling at the new Asus eee pad with keboard (a category I've decided to call lappads). This would basically give me another laptop to replace my aging one, whilst letting me detach the screen to use as a pad for those few times that I'd do that.
I'm so going to get this as a replacement for my old laptop.
I can't justify a pad device, I simply wouldn't use it enough. However this is perfect. It's a laptop most of the time, and a pad for the few times that I'd use a pad.
Whilst I can't argue with the numbers, the point is that SMS/MMS aren't exactly the same thing are they? Send a text to people without asking and they'll scream spam at you for a start.
Out Run was more than just choosing your music, it was the first game that let you choose the 'route' so having multiple courses that you had to master.
I can't believe this company is still around, but then again its customers were just about always the most computer illiterate people. (from years of tech support and running my own PC repair business).
I remember the term 'Assholes OnLine', which suited most very well.
The day this company dies should be declared a public holiday. I'd celebrate.
It's not just google.cn they've redirected, but Google.com as well! I'm not sure why they've done .com too, as that wasn't filtered (by Google) in China before anyway. (It was filtered by China though).
I'll post updates on my blog ChinarensBlog.com if they change it. I can still reach country specific Googles though, like .co.uk, so doesn't really make much sense.
Then again, half of what China does doesn't make much sense.
How the hell did this become a discussion about Apple FFS?
Nokia still make good phones, but I've always hated their PC software. The OVI stuff isn't a great improvement, or any improvement really. They need to totally start over in this area.
Here's hoping the N900 will spawn others of its kind and pull Nokia back on track. They can do some good stuff if they put their mind to it.
I noticed the DRM option when I loaded my ebook (Free PDF copy at www.TiredofDeath.com btw!), but what I'd *really* like them to do is to make it so I can get paid by Paypal rather than check!
I don't have a US tax number, and I live in China, but if I wish to get online payments I need US tax details. If not, then it's a check, which isn't the best option for anybody. Especially as mail often doesn't reach me out here.
I don't understand why they can send a check and not pay online wihout this information either, it makes no sense to me. They haven't replied to my questions on this yet either.
Still, at least I can publish there now I suppose. We should be thankful for what we've got. :s
I don't disagree the slate will be for 'consumption', but so are laptops, so whilst your argument isn't wrong, it misses the point.
No doubt devout Apple fans will buy one, but they won't replace laptops for functionality, and most people aren't going to buy another expensive device when they have a perfectly good laptop.
It's not about not wanting to have, it's about the practicality and cost.
I was working here in China for a franchise, the main office of which was an Olympic sponsor of the 08 games.
Before the Olympics we had a bunch of *very8 stern warnings that franchises couldn't use the Olympic logo in promotions, unless they paid a frankly stupid amount of money to HO.
Needles to say, this being China, those emails were ignored. Lol.
I looked at a number of different forum apps, and discounted vBull early on, on account that is looked good, but not good enough to pay for when you can get phpbb and SMF for free.
Try either of these is my recommendation. I used phpbb for a while, but then switched to SMF as I liked it better. However, there's not much to choose from the two, and both have sites that offer free support, and both have tons of excellent mods.
Yeah, companies in China (not all of them of course, but a lot) are run by greedy, short sighted people, who's ethical values fall short of a rats. I've known many people come here with the hope of making money, only to be fleeced by their so called Chinese 'partners' who are after a quick buck.
I have more info about living and working in China on my blog:
http://www.ChinarensBlog.com
It's possibly to make money here, but you have to know the market, and you MUST have a totally reliable local partner. Really, like your spouse or something. Either that or be a multinational company.
It's sure getting harder to get through these days here in Beijing. I can confirm that the few proxy sites that are still working no longer function with certain web sites.
I've resorted to using VPN software, though how long that will last I don't know. This is my second one, as the first was blocked.
If you stop buying stuff made in China, who do you think will suffer? It will be the workers who make the stuff. They're already on a pittance as it is.
Anyway, this new stuff seems to be working, as even proxies don't work at times now (here in Beijing).
Register
96 posts • joined Thursday 14th June 2007 04:31 GMT
Page:
China
How do they know there's 500k users in China? If they use a VPN (as I do), then your IP will be from pretty much anywhere else *except* China.
Just curious.
Hours
It's probably also to do with the fact that Chinese bosses like to have their workers in for all hours. It doesn't matter they aren't working, I've seen Chinese staff slumped on their desk asleep often, but they have to be IN.
www.ChinarensBlog.com
Re: overpriced?
Asus Transformer then.
Re: To the haters
Haha, thanks for that post, it made me laugh. I could use a bit of humor today.
As an aside, I was a long term Nokia customer until I couldn't withhold my disgust at their dropping of Symbian (and failure to follow through with Meego). They work for years on a replacement/upgrade and then, just before it's due out, chuck it away? That makes little sense on any level.
I'm not an Android man. Good work Nokia. Way to alienate people.
China
Pollution and squat toilets depend where you are in China. I don't even count Shanghai as China, as it could be a modern city in any country in the world. It's certainly not a normal Chinese city. Beijing is more Chinese though, and certainly has squat toilets in many places.
If you go to smaller cities, then yes, squats there.
If you wish to work here and do so for a large multinational in one of the big three cities, or even some of the 'second tier' cities (Qingdao etc), then you're probably going to be more than fine. However, smaller, local, companies will take some getting used to as they probably won't be used to the strange western working habits, such as not randomly being called in for a non-urgent meeting at the weekend. Chinese work habits are... not western work habits.
Pollution is bad in the big cities yes, but coastal cities like Dalian or Qingdao are quite nice.
(I've been living in a number of cities in China over the last ten years, so talking from experience here. My blog about living in China: www.ChinarensBlog.com)
Re: Wifi in China?
There's a fair bit of wifi in Beijing and Shanghai, but out in smaller towns (which means pretty much everywhere else) there are few hotspots.
Wifi is quite common in people's apartments now, though the days when they were just about all unencrypted seem to have passed.
Missed it
The Great Firewall here has become so bad* my VPN is now always on, hence I actually 'missed' this due to not surfing 'au natural', so to speak.
*Or good I guess, depending upon which side of the fence you are sitting on.
www.ChinarensBlog.com - My life in China
MKV
"I've got the original transformer and it does everything I want of a portable device, except play mkv video. "
Don't know what player you are using, but mine can play these no problem. Try downloading a few different players.
Yeah, looking a bit envious at this new one, but can't afford an upgrade. Still, my original Transformer is fine, and I've been using it to replace my old laptop with no real problems. (Except for printing stuff, but I can work around that).
Ah
They put the batteries in backwards.
Understandable
I can understand the figures shown. I still believe that, yes, whilst many people have a legit use for a pad (of any denomination), their (the pads I mean) functionality is limited for most people.
I'm not an Apple fan, but the pad is nice to use (some friends have them). However, I own an Asus Transformer because I simply couldn't justify *any* pad for my daily usage.
Yes, sometimes I detach my AT's screen and use it as an ebook, but 90% of the time it's attached to its keyboard and is used as a laptop (with looaadds of battery life).
I do have a few niggles with it, but that's just because it's not yet a mature system. I have confidence the few features lacking will be added eventually.
Also Starbucks
As already mentioned, Macs already record your phone number, and also Starbucks (at least here in Beijing) now does this as well.
I'm just more careful where I visit using these, though I also tend to use a VPN about 95% of the time these days, as so much of the net is blocked otherwise.
www.ChinarensBlog.com
Whut?
I don't use the native email app on my Android, and I'm fairly sure most people don't rank that highly when choosing their phone!
Mountain out of a molehill here.
Yep
My HTC Desire HD has been great. No probs at all, except for when I dropped it and broke the screen.
That was quickly replaced though.
Agree!
Yes indeed, a fantastic game. Could stand up to anything available today even, IMO.
Bah.
As soon as I read about the whole Gmail/Dali Lama thing I groaned, knowing some of my Google connectivity would suffer. Just didn't expect it to be the Market, which I can confirm is blocked.
At least I have my VPN. Fking China. Fking Google come to that.
Sigh.
Also
Come to think of it, most Chinese Android users don't use the 'normal' market anyway, but a Chinese version of it, so it seems to be more spiteful than usual.
Awesome!
Fantastic stuff! Kudos!
Optional!
I don't mind paying for something I watch. However, when I lived in the UK I *never* watched the BBC, or the other ones. (really, my TV wasn't even tuned in to terrestrial channels). Yet I still had to pay for them.
I'm fine with having the BBC, but let's have it so that only the people who watch it pay for it. According to the above that's still 4/5s of the population, so should be plenty.
As an aside, I had a friend who worked for the BBC as a manager, and he often boasted to me about how many jollies his chums and he went on on the Beeb's ticket. Great value I'm sure.
Should I ever live in the UK again I won't be getting a TV at all.
Asus
I seem to remember reading that Asus's lappad Transformer was doing rather well, probably because it sold with a keyboard as a 'computer' with a detachable screen. I bought one myself, where I would never buy just a pad.
A fad is a time thing, the pads could still be one, even with many sold.
Also, could we have a 'raving fanboi' label on the Reg's authors please? Just so I'm ready for the drooling and the raving and the waving of arms and so on in the article.
HK UST
"It's not comedy racism. It's a well-known fact in science circles that the best and brightest in China (and not just China, but many countri..."
If you do a bit or research you'd find that HK UST is a very highly placed university in world rankings. Many of the professors there are from Havard and other top universities.
This is in HK too remember, not mainland China.
Lappads
I'd not buy a pad simply because I couldn't justify the niche usage. However, I'm rather drooling at the new Asus eee pad with keboard (a category I've decided to call lappads). This would basically give me another laptop to replace my aging one, whilst letting me detach the screen to use as a pad for those few times that I'd do that.
Lappads. The future. IMHO. ;)
Yes!
I'm so going to get this as a replacement for my old laptop.
I can't justify a pad device, I simply wouldn't use it enough. However this is perfect. It's a laptop most of the time, and a pad for the few times that I'd use a pad.
And great battery life!
Anahilated.
So if an anti and a (plus) meet they are zapped, does this mean they vanish? Where to they go if so? Or are they converted to energy?
Varies.
Apps sometimes link and sometimes don't, I guess it depends on the app. Appbrain is blocked, as an example, and their app doesn't work either.
Also different cities tend to vary, and even at different times. Sometimes I get through to blogger for example (not often mind). (I'm in Beijing).
@Semihere: Many proxies are also blocked. Recently they had a big clampdown on VPNs as well which all but killed my service for a while.
More on life in China on my blog: Chinarensblog.com
yeah.
Whilst I can't argue with the numbers, the point is that SMS/MMS aren't exactly the same thing are they? Send a text to people without asking and they'll scream spam at you for a start.
Gaaa
Can you link to the app in the marketplace rather than appbrain? Appbrain is blocked in China. For goodness knows what reason.
It's very annoying.
Confused
What's the difference between Nokia OS and Symbian OS???
Apps
Many apps aren't available in China in the various App stores. It's very annoying.
And yes, 'wo' means 'me' or 'I' in Chinese. Never an original thought here.
Yeah,
So it's alright to sell guns then. Sorry, this doesn't wash.
Any simpleton can currently buy a gun with great ease. Mixing explosives would likely end in him blowing himself up.
Cutting access to guns isn't going to result in *more* killings! Compare the US to the rest of the (more civilised) world.
Out Run
Out Run was more than just choosing your music, it was the first game that let you choose the 'route' so having multiple courses that you had to master.
I pumped a heckofalot of money into that game.
Also: Ghosts and Goblins!
FF?
Works alright in FF (and Opera) for me.
AOL
I can't believe this company is still around, but then again its customers were just about always the most computer illiterate people. (from years of tech support and running my own PC repair business).
I remember the term 'Assholes OnLine', which suited most very well.
The day this company dies should be declared a public holiday. I'd celebrate.
Strange
...cos I'm still redirected to HK. (From Beijing).
Chinese
Strangely enough, most Chinese don't know and don't care about the blocked content on the net.
They have their own sites which they use, and the vast, vast majority don't even know about the blocked stuff, let alone worry about it!
Of course, that doesn't mean it's right, but the problem isn't all it's made out to be in the west.
Still annoying having to use a VPN to access Youtube, facebook and the rest though.
Games
I tend to veer over to various flash games sites when I'm bored. I think the iPad would be a great platform for... oh, wait.
Gaaah!
It's not just google.cn they've redirected, but Google.com as well! I'm not sure why they've done .com too, as that wasn't filtered (by Google) in China before anyway. (It was filtered by China though).
I'll post updates on my blog ChinarensBlog.com if they change it. I can still reach country specific Googles though, like .co.uk, so doesn't really make much sense.
Then again, half of what China does doesn't make much sense.
Just as long...
...as they don't block gmail. Remember google.com is still available here (China), though some results don't come up. Annoying.
Ha!
turdspurts! ROFL. Great word.
Bugs?
Well I've had my n97 for nearly six months now, and never had any problems with it, neither has the missus.
@AC: And of course it has a comma and fullstop. Look next to the return key!
Because
Because China is a potentially massive market, and Australia mostly isn't.
Nokia
How the hell did this become a discussion about Apple FFS?
Nokia still make good phones, but I've always hated their PC software. The OVI stuff isn't a great improvement, or any improvement really. They need to totally start over in this area.
Here's hoping the N900 will spawn others of its kind and pull Nokia back on track. They can do some good stuff if they put their mind to it.
DRM is one thing.
I noticed the DRM option when I loaded my ebook (Free PDF copy at www.TiredofDeath.com btw!), but what I'd *really* like them to do is to make it so I can get paid by Paypal rather than check!
I don't have a US tax number, and I live in China, but if I wish to get online payments I need US tax details. If not, then it's a check, which isn't the best option for anybody. Especially as mail often doesn't reach me out here.
I don't understand why they can send a check and not pay online wihout this information either, it makes no sense to me. They haven't replied to my questions on this yet either.
Still, at least I can publish there now I suppose. We should be thankful for what we've got. :s
Consumption
I don't disagree the slate will be for 'consumption', but so are laptops, so whilst your argument isn't wrong, it misses the point.
No doubt devout Apple fans will buy one, but they won't replace laptops for functionality, and most people aren't going to buy another expensive device when they have a perfectly good laptop.
It's not about not wanting to have, it's about the practicality and cost.
Ads
I wonder how this will affect their targeted ads.
Strict
I was working here in China for a franchise, the main office of which was an Olympic sponsor of the 08 games.
Before the Olympics we had a bunch of *very8 stern warnings that franchises couldn't use the Olympic logo in promotions, unless they paid a frankly stupid amount of money to HO.
Needles to say, this being China, those emails were ignored. Lol.
Life.
"And then some people still believe that intelligent life exists only on Earth. Clearly they exclude themselves out of that count though..."
Exactly what I was going to say AC. How can people even *doubt* there's other life out there with all those galaxies?
A mind blowing picture, really. I look at it in sheer awe and amazement.
Alternatives
I looked at a number of different forum apps, and discounted vBull early on, on account that is looked good, but not good enough to pay for when you can get phpbb and SMF for free.
Try either of these is my recommendation. I used phpbb for a while, but then switched to SMF as I liked it better. However, there's not much to choose from the two, and both have sites that offer free support, and both have tons of excellent mods.
Business in China
Yeah, companies in China (not all of them of course, but a lot) are run by greedy, short sighted people, who's ethical values fall short of a rats. I've known many people come here with the hope of making money, only to be fleeced by their so called Chinese 'partners' who are after a quick buck.
I have more info about living and working in China on my blog:
http://www.ChinarensBlog.com
It's possibly to make money here, but you have to know the market, and you MUST have a totally reliable local partner. Really, like your spouse or something. Either that or be a multinational company.
Yah
It's sure getting harder to get through these days here in Beijing. I can confirm that the few proxy sites that are still working no longer function with certain web sites.
I've resorted to using VPN software, though how long that will last I don't know. This is my second one, as the first was blocked.
www.ChinarensBlog.com
Wall
If you stop buying stuff made in China, who do you think will suffer? It will be the workers who make the stuff. They're already on a pittance as it is.
Anyway, this new stuff seems to be working, as even proxies don't work at times now (here in Beijing).
Sheesh.
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