redeye be
Jun 13, 03:59 AM
My back is still killing me but at least i can sit for more than 30 minutes right now, expect the widget to change this week.
welcome back to folding dubbz!
As for the tracking of other folders and multiple instances.
It is indeed, as Flying Llama pointed out, an apple thing with the prefs. You should however be able to work around this by duplicating the widget in your library and giving it a different name. This will let you run different widgets in stead of different instances. No idea on the performance hit though, not at home/mac right now.
A 'target' option is in the make. It will let you track 3 folders or teams of your choice in one widget. Now how cool is that ;).
welcome back to folding dubbz!
As for the tracking of other folders and multiple instances.
It is indeed, as Flying Llama pointed out, an apple thing with the prefs. You should however be able to work around this by duplicating the widget in your library and giving it a different name. This will let you run different widgets in stead of different instances. No idea on the performance hit though, not at home/mac right now.
A 'target' option is in the make. It will let you track 3 folders or teams of your choice in one widget. Now how cool is that ;).
Joshuarocks
Apr 11, 01:22 PM
What we need to do is GET RID OF THE FEDERAL RESERVE and IRS.. thats what we need to get rid of and bring the jobs back from India.. We also need to take complete control of the banks and corporations - power to the people.. or freedom, something this country does not have at present.
kashimo
Nov 12, 09:28 PM
This is totally off subject but...
????????? doesn't make much sense, sure that is what he said? kyo ha pasokon desu? hmmm...
and...
I agree with you. Even though ??? can be read as Konnichiwa. In most cases it will be read as Kyouwa. Usually Konnichiwa is written in Hiragana (?????). I am not saying it is not used but the Kanji usage is very rare and most Japanese will read it as Kyowa.
Linguistically the humor of the first commercial "Work vs Mac" is very Japanese. It is too the point where even as a consultant in East Asian cultures I had to watch it several times till I really got the joke. Still cannot laugh. My wife (Japanese) said it was not funny and must have been written by a Kanto comedian. If a Kansai comedian had written it, it would have been funnier.
????????? doesn't make much sense, sure that is what he said? kyo ha pasokon desu? hmmm...
and...
I agree with you. Even though ??? can be read as Konnichiwa. In most cases it will be read as Kyouwa. Usually Konnichiwa is written in Hiragana (?????). I am not saying it is not used but the Kanji usage is very rare and most Japanese will read it as Kyowa.
Linguistically the humor of the first commercial "Work vs Mac" is very Japanese. It is too the point where even as a consultant in East Asian cultures I had to watch it several times till I really got the joke. Still cannot laugh. My wife (Japanese) said it was not funny and must have been written by a Kanto comedian. If a Kansai comedian had written it, it would have been funnier.
emiljan
Apr 27, 12:33 PM
Although i don't have a suggestion for your graphing program. here (http://seashore.sourceforge.net/The_Seashore_Project/About.html) is something that is very similar to MSPaint, but much better.
Its called seashore and its open-source and free.
Its called seashore and its open-source and free.
more...
projectle
Nov 17, 05:53 PM
Kinda wonder if this "PI" is even real...
Since the story broke, the guy's website has been posted across every tech news site around.
Fact of the matter is that I am sure that this situation has netted him a few more sales.
Since the story broke, the guy's website has been posted across every tech news site around.
Fact of the matter is that I am sure that this situation has netted him a few more sales.
mattsaxuk
Oct 23, 05:43 PM
Finally decided to register on MR forums just for this! Much of a turnout expected? New comers to the forums welcome in the macrumours party??
Should be there about 5 - is there a handshake or something i should know about?
See you there!
Should be there about 5 - is there a handshake or something i should know about?
See you there!
more...
oban14
Apr 6, 06:29 PM
Why can't they just make a JACK connector, with 4 wires, like for the iPod Shuffle? That would allow everything to go through ONE port, it would be easy to manufacture, compatible, and there would be no wrong way of connecting it. Not to mention it's tiny.
You could then replace all the USB, Thunderbolt, FireWire 400, FireWire 800 and all that random stuff with ONE connector that would be easy to connect, cheap to buy and it would be very small and secure.
Wake me up when it will be possible to supply data at high speed and enough power through 4 cables with a jack connector.
Because Apple wants you to buy as many 29 dollar adapters as possible.
You could then replace all the USB, Thunderbolt, FireWire 400, FireWire 800 and all that random stuff with ONE connector that would be easy to connect, cheap to buy and it would be very small and secure.
Wake me up when it will be possible to supply data at high speed and enough power through 4 cables with a jack connector.
Because Apple wants you to buy as many 29 dollar adapters as possible.
doctor-don
Jun 14, 10:02 AM
depends on who you are. my bill with 500 more minutes and rollover, 1500 text and unlimited data is only $7 more than yours. of course I have had my voice plan for almost 8 years
and tmobile is simply awful
Only your [minority] opinion. I have been a customer of T-Mo for more than a decade, and I have no complaints except coverage in remote areas (which might be alleviated only with a satellite phone). My 1,000 family minutes and 4 phones and 2 datas cost $177/month, btw.
and tmobile is simply awful
Only your [minority] opinion. I have been a customer of T-Mo for more than a decade, and I have no complaints except coverage in remote areas (which might be alleviated only with a satellite phone). My 1,000 family minutes and 4 phones and 2 datas cost $177/month, btw.
more...
nostaws
Oct 9, 03:18 PM
Of course they are less expensive. No packaging, no media, no store space, no shipping required.
They should be less expensive.
If they were the same price this would be a serious problem. I still have a problem at the outrageous prices of CDs and DVDs because they are more expnsive than cassettes were, but cheaper to produce. It is all about greed and $$.
Apple wants to make money too. but they eliminated some considerable costs.
They should be less expensive.
If they were the same price this would be a serious problem. I still have a problem at the outrageous prices of CDs and DVDs because they are more expnsive than cassettes were, but cheaper to produce. It is all about greed and $$.
Apple wants to make money too. but they eliminated some considerable costs.
m4c1nt05h
Aug 19, 11:43 AM
Can anyone confirm this? It's so annoying when new features are turned on by default. I guess I just need to delete my account. I have a fb, but never check it, but I keep it around just because I get an email if somebody sends me a message on there and then I contact them back. Facebook is just awful, worst mistake signing up for it. If you don't have one DON'T GET ONE!!
http://lifehacker.com/5616395/how-to-disable-facebook-places
http://lifehacker.com/5616395/how-to-disable-facebook-places
more...
hulugu
May 2, 12:06 PM
Unfortunately, I doubt it will change anything regarding our domestic panicking or foreign military intrusions.
I wonder about the 'domestic panicking' actually. So much of it was fear driven and we've just killed the boogeyman, will the American people remain willing to submit to 'nudie' scanners, shoe checks, and fingernail clipper peculation.
It's not like Obama injected the name of Osama Bin Laden to justify sending drones into Libya a couple of weeks ago.
Sure, but going into Libya wasn't for the same reasons we went to Afghanistan, rather it's the reason we went into Bosnia; we're using military force to keep a dictator from killing his own people. It's a different mission with different moral arguments.
The death of the dollar/US economy, not the death of Bin Laden, will end our ongoing wars, whether those wars be abstract wars "on terror," or actual, needless invasions halfway around the world.
There's some truth to this.
I wonder about the 'domestic panicking' actually. So much of it was fear driven and we've just killed the boogeyman, will the American people remain willing to submit to 'nudie' scanners, shoe checks, and fingernail clipper peculation.
It's not like Obama injected the name of Osama Bin Laden to justify sending drones into Libya a couple of weeks ago.
Sure, but going into Libya wasn't for the same reasons we went to Afghanistan, rather it's the reason we went into Bosnia; we're using military force to keep a dictator from killing his own people. It's a different mission with different moral arguments.
The death of the dollar/US economy, not the death of Bin Laden, will end our ongoing wars, whether those wars be abstract wars "on terror," or actual, needless invasions halfway around the world.
There's some truth to this.
alfmil
Apr 24, 03:20 AM
I'm just waiting for Lion to come out, then I am buying an 11" MBA. However, I would like to see a Thunderbolt port next to the power port so I won't have to stretch cables to both sides of the MBA when using a Cinema Display.
My guess is that if there is a Thunderbolt port, and the Cinema Display is updated to utilize a Thunderbolt cable, the USB cable would be unnecessary. That would be pretty slick.
My guess is that if there is a Thunderbolt port, and the Cinema Display is updated to utilize a Thunderbolt cable, the USB cable would be unnecessary. That would be pretty slick.
more...
Kedrik
Mar 27, 09:25 AM
Eric: Do you like the coffee?
SJ: It's magical, easy to use, brilliant, so easy to use, magical....
15 minutes later...unbelievable, magical...
SJ: It's magical, easy to use, brilliant, so easy to use, magical....
15 minutes later...unbelievable, magical...
CyberPrey
Sep 19, 07:25 PM
i have the exact same problem, i can't get update to work, i unplugged all the usb and firewire cables etc. nothing, beeeeep, reboot, grey screen, apple and circle for normal boot... frustration.
i'm running startup disk in sriped raid, can this influence the update?
I have the same problem... can't update...
3 disk striped array for mac OS
system came with a 7300Gt, but I got my upgrade to the X1900XT...
I can't think of anything I have done personally to cause the update to fail...
i'm running startup disk in sriped raid, can this influence the update?
I have the same problem... can't update...
3 disk striped array for mac OS
system came with a 7300Gt, but I got my upgrade to the X1900XT...
I can't think of anything I have done personally to cause the update to fail...
more...
hsotnicam8002
Apr 13, 03:15 AM
I can't get this to work either even when the correct sync services box is checked. :confused:Doesn't work for me either. Turning to Time Machine now after messing up all of my calendars in the wasted time with this. :mad::mad::mad::mad:
iJon
Apr 25, 11:00 AM
Rich bastard who deserves to be shot 300 times in the heart.. Yes, I hate rich people... I am glad many died in WWII and other wars.. at least they can't take their money which is worthless anyway to heaven.
Yikes, this post is frightening.
Yikes, this post is frightening.
more...
michael31986
Jan 6, 06:44 PM
let me restart the phone, because im not getting any push and everything is turned on :(
Ish
Mar 4, 07:29 AM
http://jddavis.zenfolio.com/img/s9/v0/p1055447075-5.jpg
There's a lot more going on here than I thought at first glance. There's not only the contrast between the bright flowers and the dark background, which is what I noticed first, but there's also the contrast between the front and the back of the flowers and thirdly red and green are on opposite sides of the colour wheel. Well done JD!
I went out to make use of the first bit of sunshine I've seen for ages:
http://img694.imageshack.us/img694/7522/contrasth.jpg
There's a lot more going on here than I thought at first glance. There's not only the contrast between the bright flowers and the dark background, which is what I noticed first, but there's also the contrast between the front and the back of the flowers and thirdly red and green are on opposite sides of the colour wheel. Well done JD!
I went out to make use of the first bit of sunshine I've seen for ages:
http://img694.imageshack.us/img694/7522/contrasth.jpg
hcuar
Oct 26, 05:14 PM
This demonstrates that Adobe is a bunch of morons. If they listened to Apple and used xCode they could click one button and produce a universal binary.
Perhaps Adobe writes ****** software that isn't engineered to be platform independant.
Perhaps Adobe writes ****** software that isn't engineered to be platform independant.
kiljoy616
Apr 17, 08:17 AM
I can't say I am a fan of Adobe Flash as I am a big supporter of an open web, but I must say that if cross-compiled apps are inferior then the customers in the app store will certainly vote with their dollars to favor the natively written apps.
You really don't know much about consumers do you. You have a lot of psychology to learn, the customer is for the most part dumb and does not vote with their dollars, if they do then you have a really bad marketing department, what a utopian believe haha.
You must remember a product of say 100 dollars is not about selling to the whole world but just a percentage of it, a good product or a bad product its all the same for marketing its about the perception. Just look around your world its full of bad and really bad products and there are still people buying them. Palm sold for years good products and then started selling crap and yet people bought, even today Palm still sells and its their Marketing that really has gone down.
Apple not only makes good things but they have a top notch marketing department. ;)
You really don't know much about consumers do you. You have a lot of psychology to learn, the customer is for the most part dumb and does not vote with their dollars, if they do then you have a really bad marketing department, what a utopian believe haha.
You must remember a product of say 100 dollars is not about selling to the whole world but just a percentage of it, a good product or a bad product its all the same for marketing its about the perception. Just look around your world its full of bad and really bad products and there are still people buying them. Palm sold for years good products and then started selling crap and yet people bought, even today Palm still sells and its their Marketing that really has gone down.
Apple not only makes good things but they have a top notch marketing department. ;)
Burnsey
May 4, 03:19 PM
Technically 60% of the voting public did not want a conservative government. Only 40% voted conservative, another reason why we need a two party system or proportional representation.
MikeTheC
Nov 3, 01:19 AM
I'd like to tackle a few points in the discussion here.
Dirt-Cheap vs. Reasonable Economy (a.k.a. "The Wal-Martization of America"):
Apple has always had the philosophy that their name needs to mean a superior product. They have tended to shy away from producing bargain-basement products because it tends to take away from the "high-quality" reputation they are otherwise known for and desire to continue cultivating.
At direct odds with this is the pervasive and continually-perpetuated attitude in the U.S. (and elsewhere, perhaps) that the universe revolves exclusively around the mantra of "faster, cheaper, better", with emphasis on the latter two: cheaper and better. What I have noticed in my own 34 years on this planet is a considerable change in attitude, most easily summed up as people in general having their tastes almost "anti-cultured". It isn't "... cheaper, better" for them, but rather "cheaper = better". You can see this at all levels. Businesses, despite their claims to the contrary, tend to prioritize the executives specifically and the company generally making money over any other possible consideration. They try and drive their workforce from well-paid, highly competent full-time people, to part-time, no-medical or retirement-benefits-earning, low-experience, low-paid domestic help; and the second prong of their pincer movement is to outsource the rest.
Or, in short, "let's make a lot of money, but don't spend any in the process."
My goal here is not to get into the lengthy and well-trod discussion of corporate exploitation of the masses; rather it is to show the Wal-Mart effect at all levels.
More and more over the years I find that people have no taste. Steve Jobs accuses Microsoft of having no taste (a point I am not trying to argue against); I think however that he's hit a little low of the mark. The attitude out there seems to be one of total self-focus -- and not merely "me first", but rather "me first, me last, and ******* everybody else". They're the "I don't want to know anything", "all I want to do is get out of having to do anything I can, including not using my brain except for pleasure-seeking tasks," and "For God's sake, I surely don't want to have to spend more than the minimum on a computer" bunch.
Now, clearly, not everyone in the U.S. is like this; obviously, if they were, Apple would have no customers at all. But this is a real and fairly large group. Short of Apple practically giving away their computers, it's hard to imagine them being all that specifically attractive to that demographic. Moreover, those people are not merely non-enthusiasts; they want all of the benefits of having this trendy computer thing, but wish to be encumbered by none of the responsibilities.
To my way of thinking, frankly however large this group of people is, I would encourage Apple to avoid appealing to them whenever and wherever possible. If this means continuing the perception mentioned above of being a computer "for yuppies", then so be it.
Market Share Percentage and it's Perception:
Clearly, there is something to be gained by having the perception that "everyone's doing it". It's part of the reason why smoking, drinking, under-age sex, and drugs are so amazingly popular with us human beings the world over. It's part of the reason (maybe even a significant part) that iPods are so incredibly successful. Now, before someone here puts forth the argument that, "Well, you know, Apple's got a better design, and that's what attracts people to it," -- and that's quite true in it's own right -- let's break things down a bit.
Many animals develop and learn through a process called "patterning", and through imitation. Humans are not psychologically exempt from this; we do it all the time, and particularly so when we're younger. It's the fundamental force behind fashion, fads, and trends. There are definitely positive benefits to this. Kids, as they develop their social skills, learn from others the socially approved ways of behaving and interacting. Please note I did not use the term "correct" nor "right", but merely the "approved" (or, one might call it the "accepted") way. We also learn and learn from such things as casualty (actions have consequences), and other factors too numerous to pursue here.
Anyhow, all of these factors are in operation when it comes to buying technology (which is the boiled-down essence of what we're talking about here). Microsoft has learned this game, and has played it well for many years. Regardless of the "technically, we know it's bulls**t" truth, the reality of it is (and has been) when an unsavvy person walks into a store to buy a computer, and they see ten Windows-running computers on the shelf, and only one or two Mac OS-running computers there, they get the prima-facia notion that most computers are Windows computers, and by extension that statistically most people must be running Windows; therefore they should buy a Windows computer, too. There's a whole other subject here about how the ignorant sales people in electronics stores essentially use the same process to unwittingly deceive themselves into thinking the same thing. This is one of the factors which helped catapult Microsoft into the major, successful company they became. In truth, this specific scenario is a bit more 1994 than but it helps to explain why most people today who own a computer have only known life in a Microsoft world. As enough people attained this status, it became the dominant developmental factor in the world at large, which sort of helped to self-perpetuate the effect.
Let's also not lose sight of the fact that these statistics of percentage of platform used by definition leave out one particular group of people -- those who don't use a computer at all. After all, if you don't own a computer, you can't browse the web, send or receive email, or have your computer platform of choice tabulated in any kind of statistical data sample. One might be tempted to think that such a notion is silly, but it isn't. True, once we get to the point that only a statistically insignificant number of people on this planet don't own a computer (which is still far from the reality of today), counting their numbers won't matter for statistical purposes, it does matter. Why? Well, the statistics as presented make it seem like Macs (or Linux, or anything else) are only used by a subset of people on this planet. Not true! They're only used by a subset of a subset, the latter being the number of people on this planet who have a computer to be counted in such statistics in the first place.
Also, statistics vary depending on a variety of factors. It's also easy to write them off as a business or let them drop "below the radar" by various statistical gathering or reporting agencies; or merely through the informal process on the part of business owners of anecdotal evidence. Here's a perfect example of that very factor.
When the Macintosh came on the scene in 1984, and as it continued through it's early incarnations in the mid 1980s, it entered the fray of lots of non-defacto computer platforms. Or, to put it another way, it "came late to the party". So, you had all these computer dealers who were already trying to sell Apple ][s, TRS-80s, Commodore 64s (and later, C128s), Timex Sinclairs, an assortment of other PCs running proprietary OSs, amongst which were those which ran this thing called MS-DOS, and so forth and so on. Also, people who wound up buying Macs didn't exactly fit the same profile as those who had bought the other computers. You had artists -- literary, graphic, musical, etc. -- buying these things. While they didn't mind being technologically self-sufficent, they were not people who were interested in such things as tearing their computer apart and having a go at it's various electronic innards. Anyhow, they formed their own communities, and for various reasons didn't get a lot of support initially from local dealers and computer software stores. However, Apple did get quite a number of companies to write software or build hardware for their Mac platform. These companies started using mail-order as a significant portion of their sales strategy. Consequently, Mac owners used it as their more-and-more-primary computer-stuff purchasing regimen.
Ultimately, fewer and fewer Mac owners were going locally to buy stuff, due to availability and pricing. What then happened largely was this "perception" on the part of shop owners (and later their suppliers, etc.) that nobody out there used a Mac. As a result of their mis-perception, companies began to simply ignore us Mac users (I was around back then), acting as if we didn't exist; or at the least there weren't enough of us to bother supporting us or even trying to make money from us.
Now, at this point there's no denying there's more Windows boxen out there than Mac boxen, but this is still a valid factor and should not be discounted.
Besides, what number you hear quoted still, as it has for many, many years, depends on what your source is. I've heard numbers within the past month that range from 4.1 percent to 6 percent. Which one is correct? Does anyone even really know?
Since we can run Windows, why run Mac OS? (paranoia of market erosion):
I've been hearing this since before Apple ever disclosed their plans to switch to x86. It was actually one of the topics frequently -- and rather hotly, as I recall -- debated in these forums. However, I think the fear is greatly unjustified, and here's why.
First, let's look at it from an economic standpoint: Buying a Mac to run Windows is hardly the most cost-effective approach.
Second, let's look at it from a socio-economic standpoint: People don't buy a Mac to run Windows so much as they buy it to either try something different, or to escape Windows and the onslaught of problems that, in more recent years, it has brought to them.
Third, and while this really applies more to tech-savvy people: Windows represents a security and stability liability which most other operating systems do not.
In other words, by and large, people out there who are switching to a Mac are doing more than merely switching hardware: they're switching OS platforms. The fact that they can run Windows on a Mac is only slightly more of interest to them than is running an x86-based distro of GNU/Linux.
Bottom Line: Apple will appeal to and convert those that they can, and those are the hearts and minds which are the most vital and important anyhow. Let's not forget the relative merits of dummy-dropping. Sometimes, Darwin's theories of Evolution are more satisfyingly applied sociologically than biologically.
Dirt-Cheap vs. Reasonable Economy (a.k.a. "The Wal-Martization of America"):
Apple has always had the philosophy that their name needs to mean a superior product. They have tended to shy away from producing bargain-basement products because it tends to take away from the "high-quality" reputation they are otherwise known for and desire to continue cultivating.
At direct odds with this is the pervasive and continually-perpetuated attitude in the U.S. (and elsewhere, perhaps) that the universe revolves exclusively around the mantra of "faster, cheaper, better", with emphasis on the latter two: cheaper and better. What I have noticed in my own 34 years on this planet is a considerable change in attitude, most easily summed up as people in general having their tastes almost "anti-cultured". It isn't "... cheaper, better" for them, but rather "cheaper = better". You can see this at all levels. Businesses, despite their claims to the contrary, tend to prioritize the executives specifically and the company generally making money over any other possible consideration. They try and drive their workforce from well-paid, highly competent full-time people, to part-time, no-medical or retirement-benefits-earning, low-experience, low-paid domestic help; and the second prong of their pincer movement is to outsource the rest.
Or, in short, "let's make a lot of money, but don't spend any in the process."
My goal here is not to get into the lengthy and well-trod discussion of corporate exploitation of the masses; rather it is to show the Wal-Mart effect at all levels.
More and more over the years I find that people have no taste. Steve Jobs accuses Microsoft of having no taste (a point I am not trying to argue against); I think however that he's hit a little low of the mark. The attitude out there seems to be one of total self-focus -- and not merely "me first", but rather "me first, me last, and ******* everybody else". They're the "I don't want to know anything", "all I want to do is get out of having to do anything I can, including not using my brain except for pleasure-seeking tasks," and "For God's sake, I surely don't want to have to spend more than the minimum on a computer" bunch.
Now, clearly, not everyone in the U.S. is like this; obviously, if they were, Apple would have no customers at all. But this is a real and fairly large group. Short of Apple practically giving away their computers, it's hard to imagine them being all that specifically attractive to that demographic. Moreover, those people are not merely non-enthusiasts; they want all of the benefits of having this trendy computer thing, but wish to be encumbered by none of the responsibilities.
To my way of thinking, frankly however large this group of people is, I would encourage Apple to avoid appealing to them whenever and wherever possible. If this means continuing the perception mentioned above of being a computer "for yuppies", then so be it.
Market Share Percentage and it's Perception:
Clearly, there is something to be gained by having the perception that "everyone's doing it". It's part of the reason why smoking, drinking, under-age sex, and drugs are so amazingly popular with us human beings the world over. It's part of the reason (maybe even a significant part) that iPods are so incredibly successful. Now, before someone here puts forth the argument that, "Well, you know, Apple's got a better design, and that's what attracts people to it," -- and that's quite true in it's own right -- let's break things down a bit.
Many animals develop and learn through a process called "patterning", and through imitation. Humans are not psychologically exempt from this; we do it all the time, and particularly so when we're younger. It's the fundamental force behind fashion, fads, and trends. There are definitely positive benefits to this. Kids, as they develop their social skills, learn from others the socially approved ways of behaving and interacting. Please note I did not use the term "correct" nor "right", but merely the "approved" (or, one might call it the "accepted") way. We also learn and learn from such things as casualty (actions have consequences), and other factors too numerous to pursue here.
Anyhow, all of these factors are in operation when it comes to buying technology (which is the boiled-down essence of what we're talking about here). Microsoft has learned this game, and has played it well for many years. Regardless of the "technically, we know it's bulls**t" truth, the reality of it is (and has been) when an unsavvy person walks into a store to buy a computer, and they see ten Windows-running computers on the shelf, and only one or two Mac OS-running computers there, they get the prima-facia notion that most computers are Windows computers, and by extension that statistically most people must be running Windows; therefore they should buy a Windows computer, too. There's a whole other subject here about how the ignorant sales people in electronics stores essentially use the same process to unwittingly deceive themselves into thinking the same thing. This is one of the factors which helped catapult Microsoft into the major, successful company they became. In truth, this specific scenario is a bit more 1994 than but it helps to explain why most people today who own a computer have only known life in a Microsoft world. As enough people attained this status, it became the dominant developmental factor in the world at large, which sort of helped to self-perpetuate the effect.
Let's also not lose sight of the fact that these statistics of percentage of platform used by definition leave out one particular group of people -- those who don't use a computer at all. After all, if you don't own a computer, you can't browse the web, send or receive email, or have your computer platform of choice tabulated in any kind of statistical data sample. One might be tempted to think that such a notion is silly, but it isn't. True, once we get to the point that only a statistically insignificant number of people on this planet don't own a computer (which is still far from the reality of today), counting their numbers won't matter for statistical purposes, it does matter. Why? Well, the statistics as presented make it seem like Macs (or Linux, or anything else) are only used by a subset of people on this planet. Not true! They're only used by a subset of a subset, the latter being the number of people on this planet who have a computer to be counted in such statistics in the first place.
Also, statistics vary depending on a variety of factors. It's also easy to write them off as a business or let them drop "below the radar" by various statistical gathering or reporting agencies; or merely through the informal process on the part of business owners of anecdotal evidence. Here's a perfect example of that very factor.
When the Macintosh came on the scene in 1984, and as it continued through it's early incarnations in the mid 1980s, it entered the fray of lots of non-defacto computer platforms. Or, to put it another way, it "came late to the party". So, you had all these computer dealers who were already trying to sell Apple ][s, TRS-80s, Commodore 64s (and later, C128s), Timex Sinclairs, an assortment of other PCs running proprietary OSs, amongst which were those which ran this thing called MS-DOS, and so forth and so on. Also, people who wound up buying Macs didn't exactly fit the same profile as those who had bought the other computers. You had artists -- literary, graphic, musical, etc. -- buying these things. While they didn't mind being technologically self-sufficent, they were not people who were interested in such things as tearing their computer apart and having a go at it's various electronic innards. Anyhow, they formed their own communities, and for various reasons didn't get a lot of support initially from local dealers and computer software stores. However, Apple did get quite a number of companies to write software or build hardware for their Mac platform. These companies started using mail-order as a significant portion of their sales strategy. Consequently, Mac owners used it as their more-and-more-primary computer-stuff purchasing regimen.
Ultimately, fewer and fewer Mac owners were going locally to buy stuff, due to availability and pricing. What then happened largely was this "perception" on the part of shop owners (and later their suppliers, etc.) that nobody out there used a Mac. As a result of their mis-perception, companies began to simply ignore us Mac users (I was around back then), acting as if we didn't exist; or at the least there weren't enough of us to bother supporting us or even trying to make money from us.
Now, at this point there's no denying there's more Windows boxen out there than Mac boxen, but this is still a valid factor and should not be discounted.
Besides, what number you hear quoted still, as it has for many, many years, depends on what your source is. I've heard numbers within the past month that range from 4.1 percent to 6 percent. Which one is correct? Does anyone even really know?
Since we can run Windows, why run Mac OS? (paranoia of market erosion):
I've been hearing this since before Apple ever disclosed their plans to switch to x86. It was actually one of the topics frequently -- and rather hotly, as I recall -- debated in these forums. However, I think the fear is greatly unjustified, and here's why.
First, let's look at it from an economic standpoint: Buying a Mac to run Windows is hardly the most cost-effective approach.
Second, let's look at it from a socio-economic standpoint: People don't buy a Mac to run Windows so much as they buy it to either try something different, or to escape Windows and the onslaught of problems that, in more recent years, it has brought to them.
Third, and while this really applies more to tech-savvy people: Windows represents a security and stability liability which most other operating systems do not.
In other words, by and large, people out there who are switching to a Mac are doing more than merely switching hardware: they're switching OS platforms. The fact that they can run Windows on a Mac is only slightly more of interest to them than is running an x86-based distro of GNU/Linux.
Bottom Line: Apple will appeal to and convert those that they can, and those are the hearts and minds which are the most vital and important anyhow. Let's not forget the relative merits of dummy-dropping. Sometimes, Darwin's theories of Evolution are more satisfyingly applied sociologically than biologically.
My1stMacWasLisa
Nov 21, 08:32 AM
Never said I was Gandhi. My point is valid nonetheless.
There is only a finite amount of water available within the Earth ecosystem an only a percentage of that is available for drinking at any given time. A far greater volume is used for agriculture to grow food for human consumption.
We could all sell our iPhones and Macs right now and donate the cash to a charity of your nomination but it wouldn't change the volume of water available within the Earth ecosystem.
The problem isn't wasteful spending of money. The problem is that Earth does not have enough water to support 7 billion human mouths.
Are these white iPhones genuine. Thought Foxconn would just eliminate employees who stole.
There is only a finite amount of water available within the Earth ecosystem an only a percentage of that is available for drinking at any given time. A far greater volume is used for agriculture to grow food for human consumption.
We could all sell our iPhones and Macs right now and donate the cash to a charity of your nomination but it wouldn't change the volume of water available within the Earth ecosystem.
The problem isn't wasteful spending of money. The problem is that Earth does not have enough water to support 7 billion human mouths.
Are these white iPhones genuine. Thought Foxconn would just eliminate employees who stole.
floatingspirit
May 8, 02:36 PM
The thing is that OS X uses OpenGl, where Windows uses DirectX. I'd agree with you, but I'd prefer running in OS X vs rebooting and my macbook running hotter. Plus while in the b.net menus, I can resize with apple + m, and open safari real quick, yet still be in the game. Plus, even on low, the game still looks pretty cool in my opinion.
Why do u need safari while you're in a game? Looking up a useful hack? ;)
Why do u need safari while you're in a game? Looking up a useful hack? ;)