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RadioGiant
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Posted 9:29 am, 02/07/2010
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Yeah, from what I've read (never owned a Mac), the interface was largely lifted from OS X. Not exactly shocking...that's kind of what Microsoft has always done. What was an actual Microsoft innovation? I'll be da#ned if I can thin of one!
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c26sail
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Posted 5:07 pm, 02/06/2010
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I did have Ubuntu 8.1 installed, but apparently I have deleted it a some point. I am sure it was deleted as a grab for space. I messed with it a little bit, but I've never really had the time to sit down and get to know it. I will download 9.1 and reinstall and see how that works out. Thanks for the info.
I have heard good things about Win 7. I went to a buddy of mine who works in Cyber-security and he was showing me some of the new features of Win 7. And although I told him how great they were, it was things that OS X has been doing for the last 4 years. These were top layer items and I am sure the real improvements made by Win 7 are the ones under the hood. I would like to try it out, but I am spending money on lenses for the camera before I invest in software for me to play around with. Microsofts software pricing is a killer for me.
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RadioGiant
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Posted 12:44 pm, 02/06/2010
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c26, I really want to join you! The solution in my situation is probably a desktop PC for aowk, and a Mac for everything else. That's probably how I'll end up eventually. I do enjoy Ubuntu on my netbook. Have you tried it? It's a seriously fun, simple operating system. On my netbook it found all the hardware, automatically installed all the drivers, and everything worked...bada bing!
It worked that way on my Gateway laptop. I did have it dual-booting, using Wubi, but took Ubuntu off prior to the Win 7 "upgrade". I haven't decided whether to put it back, or just use Ubuntu on the netbook.
Have you tried Ubuntu 9.10 "karmic"? I think you might like it. H#ll, Win 7 is actually tolerable!
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c26sail
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Posted 7:47 pm, 02/05/2010
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Switching platforms is always going to cost. Try doing it with dual platforms. That will eat a whole in your wallet. I can assure you Adobe Creative Suite is no walk in the park to purchase. This is why I don't tell people to get a Mac, it may not fit their current needs and it obviously doesn't fit yours.
I do think the iPad will fit a lot of peoples needs. My mother-in-law uses her machine to read email and browse the web and she doesn't on a desktop by her couch with her keyboard in her lap. This is the perfect item for her and I would say many other Americans who don't use their computer for much more. It will be great for me to use as a traveling portfolio that is constantly updated. It will also allow me download photos from my camera directly to the pad via the USB connector. I bought one of these connectors for my original iPod back in ’05, chances are it will work and I won't have to purchase another one.
But I do have to ask, because I hear it all the time. Do people really buy Macs because they look cool? I have never met one that did, but their are a lot of people out there. I buy Macs because PC's always end up costing me more money than I thought they would and I have to be frustrated with the way the OS works. It just has never felt fluid to me. Simple as that. It's the same reason I shoot Nikon over Canon. I just like the way it feels.
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RadioGiant
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Posted 7:18 pm, 02/05/2010
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c26, you misunderstand my point. I DO like Apple! I DO think they make products that are ALMOST exactly what I want. They always seem to lack that little something. And it pisses me off, because I DO NOT WANT TO BE THE GUY WHO DOESN'T USE THE COOL PRODUCTS!
My gee-whiz side says "that's a beautiful piece of equipment". I came very close to buying a Mac last summer when I bought a laptop. But I produce radio programs and commercials using Adobe Audition...exclusively a Windows program. I didn't mind the initial extra cost of a Mac. But when I factored-in the extra cost of a copy of Windows, it started to look like a pretty steep price of admission.
I seriously considered using the recording tools that come with a Mac, and asked myself if I could do what I needed to with them. But my favorite audio plug-in in the world is a multi-band compressor/limiter by a small British company...and it's DirectX only...which means Windows.
I could have bought something that sounded as good. For hundreds of dollars. This Windows plugin cost 50 dollars, five-years ago. Adobe Audition is a four-hundred-dollar program. Replacing it with something comparable for Mac would not doubt cost as much or more.
We were talking thousands of dollars for hardware and software, when a 600 dollar Gateway could do everything I needed, and was compatible with the software I had already invested in.
So I left with a Gateway...and Mac envy. The Mac was prettier. It had a better feel thatn Windows Vista. It was more trouble-free. And it could not, without thousands of extra dollars, do what I needed.
I lust after Mac! I think the Ipod Touch looks like a wonderful replacement for my old Windows Mobile-based PDA (a Dell Axim X51v). That is, after all, what an Ipod touch is...a glorified, re-badged, PDA. But there are these nagging things that I can't do on it that I've done for YEARS on Windows-based gear.
It frustrates me. I wish Jobs would address PEOPLE LIKE ME who "want to play with the cool toys", but can't...because they don't offer what we need!
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c26sail
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Posted 6:44 pm, 02/05/2010
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RG, maybe you are caught up too much in your fight to destroy this and apparently Apple that you didn't take the time to read my post. I said "your mileage may vary." So you don't like apple, big deal, a lot of people don't. I was merely referencing some of you points. I also explained that this is not a full fledged computer. No one said you have to buy it. I love the reference to Apple Kool Aid, apparently you have been drinking somebody's Kool aid to get so angry over this device. I have been using computer since the TRS-80 and TI-994a. I used the first Mac 128 when it appeared, I used Win 3.1 and the DOS of that time period. I was an adamant Windows user at one time and was willing to flail back immediately if anyone said anything was wrong with Windows.
I started in the print industry as a prep operator in 1993. I was given a Power Mac and Quarkxpress. Was it different? Yes. But it was necessary. Know what? Over all those years we continuously added more Macs and Win boxes and that very first mac was pulling duty running proofing machines in 2000 when we retired it. The Win boxes were upgraded every 3 years, while we typically didn't upgrade Macs for 5-6 years. When it came time to purchase a laptop, I wanted an Apple laptop. They were running $1500 at the time so I bought a PC for $600. I did this three times in the span of 2 years. Not system problems so much as build quality. In 2005 I bought an iBook G4. It's the computer I use most days. It runs just as fast as it did the day we bought it, if not slightly faster due to OS updates and it is currently running Leopard. I haven't upgraded to Snow Leopard yet. All in due time I guess.
If you ask me what computer to buy, I will tell you that's something you have to figure out for yourself. I use Macs 90% of the time. You have the option not to.
I use iTunes for streaming radio. I can listen to WFDD on my iPhone and guess what, it is via real player, my bad. I didn't realize this. I assume this is made by RealAudio (honestly, I am just too lazy to look it up right now). I also listen to Pandora, and rarely hear the same song twice.
When you compare computers spec for spec, the prices aren't that far out of line. The problem is Apple doesn't cater to the low price segment. That's just not the place they want to sell computers and you don't have to buy them. I don't believe anyone is twisting your arm.
I bought my parents a Mac Mini for Christmas a few years ago to replace there aging Windows machine. They still do the same things they always did and I don't get phone calls to fix their computer anymore. It doesn't cost me anymore of my time and I would say I broke even in that area.
Your message implies that you don't have a Mac and don't use them, but your ready to jump on the bandwagon and complain about them based on price and what you've heard. That's just as bad as people who listen to certain opinion commentators on cable news networks and take their word without doing any research on their own to fact check. I am sure this is something you can relate to.
You make it sound as if I took your heart out and stomped on it. Use the computer that works for you, but don't try and destroy a product that hasn't been released and probably doesn't apply to what you need it for anyway.
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RadioGiant
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Posted 3:32 pm, 02/05/2010
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You haven't seen RealAudio or RealVideo? Do you listen to internet radio? Virtually every public radio station out there has at least one stream in RealAudio.
At WFDD, for instance, there's a crappy 56kbps mp3 stream, but a honkin' 192kbps for RealAudio!
http://www.wfdd.org
The aac+ codec in RealAudio is, in my opinion, the best sounding codec out there. It's why I use RealAudio to stream my show from my website.
http://www.theproductionroo...stshow.ram
The latest version of RealPlayer has a "record" feature that lets you easily download web video and audio, and not just Real formats...flash too. Real had a deserved reputation for years of having bloated, kind of clumsy players. But they have redeemed themselves! it's a five-star recommended download at Download.com.
In my opinion every internet media device should, at minimum, be able to play Windows Media, RealMedia, Quicktime, Flash, mp3, mp4, .avi with divx or xvid, and h.264. THAT will cover 99 percent of the multimedia on the internet.
Miss one or two of those, and you really don't have much of a multimedia device! ANY netbook can easily pass the above test with a piece or two of freeware...something like the VLC player can do all of it but Flash, for instance. Pretty darn easy on Windows, Unbuntu...or most any other flavor of Linux. Nearly impossible on Mac-centric devices, and inexcusable if you really want to sample the media that's out there.
Apple users convince themselves that "I don't really need Windows Media", "I don't really need RealAudio", "I don't really need to play .avi files". "I don't really need to play the media types EVERYONE WITH NON-MAC BASED SYSTEMS PLAYS EVERY FREAKING DAY!"
The reason I get so emotional is that I REALLY WANT to like Apple products. I don't want to be the only guy on the block that doesn't have an Ipod, for instance. But with my Sandisk player, I can play six MILLION songs...everything in their library...for 14.99 a month. Itunes has no subscription-based service.
Then there's the matter of FM radio. I know it's a recent addition to some Ipods, but it's been standard in most non-apple mp3 players for years! I don't want to be completely isolated from the world at large with only my own tunes to listen to for the 900th time! GIVE ME A FREAKING RADIO!
To me, Apple is the company that gives you the neatest products in the world...and the prettiest...but there's just one catch (or twenty!) It can't do....insert essential task here.
DRIVES ME NUTS! Then there's the fact that you can get PC based notebooks for about half the price of Macbooks, with more power, more RAM, larger hard drives, better 3D graphics....and better ability to interface with the ENTIRE world of media...not just the Apple-centric parts!
YES, "Snow Leopard" is a gorgeous, user-friendly operating system, and I envy it's trouble-free operation, and freedom from viruses and malware. But I am not willing to give up what I can do that you can't in order to have it! And Ubuntu 9.10 is just as gorgeous, just as trouble-free, just as free from viruses and malware. AND IT'S FREE! It will even run on a netbook. I run it on my original EEEPC 701G.
I know..you can dual-boot your Mac into Windows. For another 150 bucks (for Win 7). But hey...it's only money! And Apple users apparently will shell-out for the latest pretty doo-dad in lieu of setting-aside cash for the kids' education...let-alone GROCERIES!
I really would love to "drink the Apple Kool Aid". But they keep coming out with these devices that ALMOST do what I want. And cost more than other devices which DO IT ALL!
Interesting points about being able to add USB and maybe SD with an additional, no-doubt expensive, external doo-dad. Of course every netbook that costs half as much, has dozens-of-times more storage, and is available at Wal-Mart or Staples already has these features. But it ain't as pretty. Or cool! 
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c26sail
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Posted 6:20 am, 02/05/2010
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RG, you may want to look a little deeper into the specs. There is no on-board USB or SD, but there is an adaptor if you need USB and SD. I think we will have to wait and see if a USB keyboard is usable with the adaptor when the item goes live, I personally doubt it. I haven't seen a Real Audio or Real Video file in a long time and it is the rare case I ever need to view a Windows Media File. That's my situation, your mileage may vary. Using my iPhone i haven't missed flash. It comes into play a lot less than I thought it would. It does connect to a TV. See link below for specs. An external monitor kinda defeats the purpose of this particular product, but to each his own. You can print from the iPhone with Air Share or Pint and Share, why do you think the iPad would be different. Yes there is a kickstand. Actually there are three. I agree it is pretty. It seems you are looking at this as a full fledged computer. That is not what this device is. The purpose of a netbook is to allow people to travel lighter and still have web access, email and text processing. The iPad allows these tasks and more. They're not made with the graphics or processing power for high end apps and even if they do have the needed specs, the screens are no match for a laptop or desktop machine. As far as storage, this is just another lead into cloud computing. In that respect, you can have all the storage money can buy. The iPad is situated for the business traveller and casual home user. It is intended as an enhancement to the computing experience, not necessarily a stand alone product.
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RadioGiant
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Posted 11:28 pm, 02/04/2010
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What Apple didn't tell you about the Ipad.
The 499 dollar one has 16GB of storage, several GB of which are occupied by the operating system. Most netbooks these days have at least 160GB of storage.
There is no way to add extra storage...no SD card slot...something every netbook has.
There is no way to add an external hard drive. No USB port. Nearly ever netbook has three of these.
There is no way to add an inexpensive keyboard from Staples of WalMart. again...no usb port. But you can add a SEVENTY-DOLLAR keyboard from Apple.
This machine, designed to play multimedia, can't play flash...the most common format for streaming video on the 'net. It cannot play divx files, the most popular format for distributing video files on the 'net. It cannot play RealAudio, RealVideo, or Windows Media files...all of which are more commonly used than Apple's Quicktime.
This "multimedia" displays gorgeous video on it's screen. Enjoy it there, because it has NO ABILITY TO DRIVE AN EXTERNAL MONITOR OR TV AT ALL! Your video is trapped inside the Ipad!
Find something on the web you'd like to print? The Ipad CANNOT DO IT!
Want to place the Ipad on the table to watch a video? Good luck with that! There is no "kickstand" to hold the unit upright.
But ain't it pretty?
As for me, I'll take a 300 dollar netbook over an Ipad anyway. A netbook is actually a real computer!
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pixel
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Posted 3:58 pm, 02/04/2010
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I do not own any apple products other than a Shuffle I won.
But I would LOVE to have one of those iPads, despite its name.
Most of my work is text based, so I could definitely use it even if
I had to use the keyboard dock.
Do I have an actual NEED for it?
No.
But MAN!
I'd love to own one.
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LocalSportFan
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Posted 8:41 am, 02/03/2010
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I've done a complete flip-flop on the iPad. I actually am looking forward to getting one now. Originally, I was disappointed because I'm more of a tech computer guy, but I see that Steve Jobs is actually making another brilliant decision. He aimed this device at the entertainment and casual computer population. Once this device builds some momentum I feel like there will be more Mac-like versions available for folks that need something more powerful. There are already rumors of a version with a bigger processor and bigger screen on the way. I'm already using my iPhone more than my laptop; at least now I will have a bigger screen to look at. I will certainly miss Flash, but it is a flawed platform; HTML5 offers so much more in a more stable environment. Most developers will fall in behind Apple over time. Steve Jobs has a way of shaping the industry - for good or bad, he's an innovator.
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pk
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Posted 1:08 pm, 01/28/2010
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I'm dissappointed. I already have an ipod touch, a laptop, and a windows smartphone.
Check out Lenovo's new IdeaPad hybrid....I think I'll get one of these to replace my current laptop..
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LocalSportFan
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Posted 7:52 am, 01/28/2010
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No Flash video, multitasking, and no SD card slot or USB ports were a deal breaker for me concerning the iPad. Hopefully, the next Generation will be more complete.
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LocalSportFan
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Posted 4:15 pm, 01/27/2010
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I would definitely hold off on the first generation of the iPad. Missing multitasking, front-facing camera (no camera at all), no HDMI port, no USB ports, bezel is too wide around screen, and a few other things. If I didn't already have an iPhone, it would be cooler. I like the size, the book reader and store look great, various keyboards and pull-over menus look cool too. Good product; just a bit bumbed at the exclusion of a few key features.
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LocalSportFan
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Posted 4:16 pm, 01/26/2010
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Anyone else looking forward to seeing what Steve Jobs has to bring to the table tomorrow? I really would like an Apple-made tablet device of some sort, but I wonder if it might be better to wait for the second generation to hit the market. Looks like there will be a newer iPhone software (4.0?) coming and Verizon iPhones also. Rumors are out there for a TV subscription service and a platform for streaming all of your media purchases to all of your devices from an online "cloud". Those conferences always have so much excitement around them. Steve Jobs has been quoted as saying that his "new product" may be the best product he has ever introduced. Big words from the inventor of the iPod, iPhone, and Macs.
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