Frosty Grin's Profile

The problem with SETI is that we don't know what we are searching for. There are too many stars and planets, each one is unique, so (if we're really not alone) all the alien civilizations are very different. Therefore, we don't know what signal is "intelligent". We actually don't know if they use radiowaves. As the only civilization we know about is our civilization we think that aliens look like we do, think like we do and act like we do. We're searching for "little green men", our search is "human-centric". It's nothing new, actually. When people didn't know about other "suns" and planets, they thought that the sun revolves around the earth. If our world is the "universe" and people are "planets", then people who use computers are a "galaxy". And Mac users are a bunch of planets circling around the huge green apple. ;-] Of course they know that other planetary systems exist, so they don't think that they're alone (unlike many "PC planets" who don't know about the "Apple system"). But they're still searching for "little green men"... ;-] There are very many PC users, each one is unique. Everyone of them has a unique set of reasons he's not interested in the "Apple system". Some of them just don't look into the sky, some got used to the gutter they call their home, some just cannot afford the flight to another "planetary system"... ;-] Anyway, it's not a war. We're just different. No matter who you are, you differ from anyone else...

"So, will all the authentication be annoying enough to send users scurrying to the Mac en masse? Of course not, for the majority of folks the Mac isn’t even an option. The enhanced security may, however, be sufficient to cause many home users to revert to XP." I guess you understand that most users don't want/need Windows Vista. They'll just stick to the same old XP without buying/trying Vista. If the (rather old) PC you're using costs about 400 $ you won't buy Vista for 300 $, not to mention Vista's system requirements. Of course, eventually PC users (including Mac users ;-]) will be using Vista, but the "migration" will take a few years, and I don't think it's that bad, as XP is "good enough". ;-] Security aspects aren't that important anyway: most Windows users will keep using Windows, with or without "anti-something" software.

Well, I'm an iPod user and a PC user. Surprisingly, Sandisk's site, unlike Apple's ads, doesn't insult me at all. I guess it's because they're not _laughing_ at iPod users. They just ask:"Are you in a herd?" The site is ironic. They describe themselves as "a few guys beyond the new Sansa player", or something like that. It's pretty clear that "a few guys" wouldn't make a flashy Flash site to express their opinions, so this "revolution" is fake. But that's cool! The artwork is really cool and creative (again, unlike Apple's ads) with all the tiny cool details. The iPuppet, for example, is in a suit, so it reminded me of Johnny Mnemonic and the Matrix (all those white wires...). And his eyes (unlike animals' eyes) are closed! I don't know if it's a coincidence... ;-] Of course both ads are "subtle as a brick in the face"! But Sandisk's site (again, unlike Apple's ads) doesn't try to_look_subtle. So it's more "honest". They say what they mean: it's a war! And that's really cool. Even fake honesty in ads is priceless. This Sandisk's move is great. EVERY pro-Apple site I visit posted this story. There are HUNDREDS of comments. Many people say: "I bought an iPod not because it's cool, I bought it because it's..." Sure. But many people with brains may actually start thinking about the reasons they bought an iPod (partly because the artwork is visually catchy), and when people think about something it's good. Some people (like me) are getting tired of iSomething names so "iDont" hits the right button. Anyway, when most people have something, it isn't cool anymore. ;-] Of course Sandisk made this move because they're desperate (they have only one half-decent player, and even companies like Sony and Samsung aren't popular in the DAP market). "Anything but iPod" is a market so they may be successful in this market as they're actually the first company that claimed this "territory". Actually I already thought about buying Sansa e200 sometime in the future (when they get rid of all the bugs ;-]). So this "gorilla marketing" made me think about it again. However, I may still buy an iPod if Apple comes with something new instead of those black/white scratch-prone players and silhouette ads. iDon't want to be a silhouette! (I really like this quote from iDont.com) "Insults, whether they be racist, sexist, religious or choice-ist, are in the eye of the receiver. " It's funny you say it. The Mac/PC Apple's ad can actually be considered racist. If a white man is a Mac, another white man is a PC, then what a black man is? A fridge? ;-] Oh, and this ad also objectifies women! (That "digital camera from Japan", and the whole "connectivity" thing ;-])

The article is great. However, I don't see what the problem with Wal-Mart is. "For those of you who have never shopped at a Wal-Mart allow me to fill you in on the experience." I've never shopped at Wal-Mart (for obvious reasons) so it was quite interesting to read about it. "If you are in the electronics department then chances are good that you know more about what they are selling than the person behind the counter." I think it's normal. I always know all I need to know about electronics I'm buying. Do you really think a salesperson can/should know everything about 50+ digital cameras, 20+ mp3-players etc. AND be on minimum wage ? Gadgets are too sophisticated. "No, Apple is so successful because is the anti-Wal-Mart." So Apple has oh-so-great stores and sells oh-so-great computers but still Macs have only 4% marketshare. The reason is the same "good enough" concept which is a reason why Windows PCs (and, of course, Wal-Mart) are so popular. Most people don't care about PCs and "shopping experience", so they buy PCs at Wal-Mart. It's that simple. No one forces anyone to buy anything at Wal-Mart or anywhere else. If you don't like a store you can always find another one (or shop online). It's market economy... ;-]

"Now, what makes this so frustrating, is that each phone has sucked in different ways." It's called diversity. ;-] Would you like them better if they all sucked in the same way? ;-] Sure cellphones are a problem. We need Apple to solve it! "Wouldn’t this be a great market for Apple to turn on its head? Now, I am not advocating that they become a carrier themeselves, but rather a producer of cell phones." It makes no sense. Apple likes controlling all parts of "user experience". So if they control only phones people will suffer from frustrating tariffs, poor service quality etc. Apple definitely will become an MVNO if they release the iPhone. "Features such as a very crisp screen, slim form and a minimum number of easy to use buttons.""How many buttons are on the average TV now? At least 20 for a cheap one and near 40 or 50 on the most expensive TVs. Isn’t that a bit overkill? " So your main "wish" for phones and TVs is "less buttons"? I probably think the same. But some modern phones have few buttons, if buttons with numbers don't count. ;-] Click wheel seems to be the only way of text/number input that can be as convenient as standard buttons. So Apple will have to use click wheel to "reinvent the cell phone". And they'll have to do the same with TV remotes. However, I don't think Apple will (and should) make TVs. IPods don't have FM radio for a reason. A few reasons, actually. The same reasons work for TV shows. And, in my opinion, watching TV is faux pas. Uhm...I mean mauvais ton... ;-] "The most complex of computers, running the most powerful of operating systems only uses a keyboard of about 50 keys." ??? What do you mean? ;-] Sure you can say "about 50 keys" about 100 keys... or is it a "special" computer? ;-]

"The iPod was beautifully packaged and it is a joy to handle and look at. That was interesting… And then iTunes didnt work too well on Windows - if i ran any other application while ripping a track, the result was crackly. I needed a new notebook… With my heart in my mouth, i bought a 17” Powerbook. " So can your Powerbook be considered an iPod accessory? Yeah, iPod accessories are really quite expensive... ;-]

"Premium games [1] • • • •" I hope they'll include Doom 3 or at least Half-life 2... ;-] The videocard, powerful enough for Vista's iCandy, will definitely be able to handle those games... I wonder what "Subsystem for UNIX-based Applications • • " means... Will I be able to play Mac games on a PC? ;-] Please, please! I want to be able to play Mac games on a PC! Of course, I won't play them, it just might be nice to be able to do it... ;-] "Windows Media Center (supports CableCARD, HDTV, and Media Center Extenders such as Xbox 360) • • " I thought Xbox 360 is a gaming console... Now they tell me it's an extender... I'm so confused... ;-]

Apple is against tiered pricing for the same reasons prices on iPods and Macs are set with a "decree from Cupertino". ;-] Each purchase should be a no-brainer. "Do I really want to buy this Britney's song for 2 dollars? Maybe I should buy it 2 months later for 1 dollar? Maybe I don't need it at all? Charging 2 dollars for a song is a rip-off!!! I guess I need to P2P it..." His Steveness doesn't want it. Does anybody really believe that majors could pull their songs from iTMS? They may be stupid, but they aren't that stupid. If they really did that, people who buy music at iTMS everyday would find out that there are many small labels that record really good music (not that crap majors think people like). So prices will stay the same for a long time. (However, I think they should improve sound quality - keeping prices the same).