bretm
Oct 10, 12:10 PM
For those of you saying that we live in a capitalistic society... not by a long shot. Corporate welfare is MUCH MUCH bigger than any fictional welfare queen in Brooklyn. These companies receive tax cuts, loopholes, exemptions far beyond what a middle class suburban couple has access to.
What Target and Walmart are doing is actually against some of the monopoly legistation that was passed in the early 20th century. One of the tenets was that a company coulodn't tell another producer who they could sell to, at what price, etc. This prevented a very large company from gaining to much of an advantage over their competitors.
What Target and Walmart are probably threatening is to just jack up the prices on the DVDs a couple of dollars. This improves their bottom line and reduces the number of impluse buys a consumer makes on a DVD. Or to not put DVD on encaps, in front of the stores next to the checkout. They really do have a myriad of ways of making the studios lose some profit. At tsome point though, the retailers are going to shaft themselves. It really is a game of chicken and the first one to blink, gets the bullet in the head (how's that for mixed metaphors?)
First, no company pays taxes. YOU pay all their taxes. In a capitalistic society it doesn't matter if they are given tax breaks or increases. It is all passed on to the consumer to achieve the bottom line.
You cite it yourself in your misunderstanding that Walmart or Target will just jack up their prices to increase their profit. That's what a company does if your increase their corporate taxes. Decrease them and they can better compete.
Now Walmart and Target jacking up their prices probably wouldn't hurt anyone but Walmart and Target. They may make more per item but obviously they would sell less DVDs. And since they're not in cahoots with each other (THAT would actually be a monopolistic type practice) neither can actually jack the price, because everyone would simply go to Walmart or Target respectively. Or Best Buy, or Curcuit City or whoever. Walmart may be the biggest seller of DVDs, but it they yank them then they won't be. And they won't pull people into their stores to buy stuff they actually make profit on. Another company will glady pickup the slack.
The reason Walmart and Target are all talk is because they have no hand. None. They're backed into a corner. Thier best bet is to open their own online download biz.
This stuff is the same year after year. Companies ride their little economic model for years without looking to the future. Then they complain moan and threaten. If they really had options, they would simply implement them.
What Target and Walmart are doing is actually against some of the monopoly legistation that was passed in the early 20th century. One of the tenets was that a company coulodn't tell another producer who they could sell to, at what price, etc. This prevented a very large company from gaining to much of an advantage over their competitors.
What Target and Walmart are probably threatening is to just jack up the prices on the DVDs a couple of dollars. This improves their bottom line and reduces the number of impluse buys a consumer makes on a DVD. Or to not put DVD on encaps, in front of the stores next to the checkout. They really do have a myriad of ways of making the studios lose some profit. At tsome point though, the retailers are going to shaft themselves. It really is a game of chicken and the first one to blink, gets the bullet in the head (how's that for mixed metaphors?)
First, no company pays taxes. YOU pay all their taxes. In a capitalistic society it doesn't matter if they are given tax breaks or increases. It is all passed on to the consumer to achieve the bottom line.
You cite it yourself in your misunderstanding that Walmart or Target will just jack up their prices to increase their profit. That's what a company does if your increase their corporate taxes. Decrease them and they can better compete.
Now Walmart and Target jacking up their prices probably wouldn't hurt anyone but Walmart and Target. They may make more per item but obviously they would sell less DVDs. And since they're not in cahoots with each other (THAT would actually be a monopolistic type practice) neither can actually jack the price, because everyone would simply go to Walmart or Target respectively. Or Best Buy, or Curcuit City or whoever. Walmart may be the biggest seller of DVDs, but it they yank them then they won't be. And they won't pull people into their stores to buy stuff they actually make profit on. Another company will glady pickup the slack.
The reason Walmart and Target are all talk is because they have no hand. None. They're backed into a corner. Thier best bet is to open their own online download biz.
This stuff is the same year after year. Companies ride their little economic model for years without looking to the future. Then they complain moan and threaten. If they really had options, they would simply implement them.
netdog
Oct 26, 02:54 AM
My heart goes out to anyone lost enough to get on a line for 3 hours for a t-shirt. Only in England, the land where we love to queue.
I am reminded about sad guy who got in line in New York on Monday for an iPhone, and the expected throngs lining up behind him over the next 5 days never materialized.
Don't get me wrong...I'll be down at Regent Street later today, but if I were to arrive at 3, it would only be to share a drink and a laugh at some pub with my fellow forum mates. So far, it doesn't seem that is going to happen, but if their is a pre-sale pub meetup, call it here and count me in.
IT'S LEOPARD DAY!!!!
I am reminded about sad guy who got in line in New York on Monday for an iPhone, and the expected throngs lining up behind him over the next 5 days never materialized.
Don't get me wrong...I'll be down at Regent Street later today, but if I were to arrive at 3, it would only be to share a drink and a laugh at some pub with my fellow forum mates. So far, it doesn't seem that is going to happen, but if their is a pre-sale pub meetup, call it here and count me in.
IT'S LEOPARD DAY!!!!
0815
Apr 26, 07:28 AM
If you have a blank Mac because of a problem or HD upgrade, a network install image being sold outside the Mac App Store makes a lot more sense than Mac App Store distribution. OSes shouldn't be distributed in a store that requires an OS installation to even work.
That is what the USB stick is for! No need to download from anywhere. Don't cherry pick what you want to see and leave out the other options.
That's the point. You say it yourself, your machines still have DVD drives. What's the point of going to the more expensive USB drive option ? Again : CDs were cheaper than floppies to produce and were much quicker to mass produce. Going from optical to Flash memory is the opposite move, it makes the media both more expensive and much more complicated/long to duplicate in mass.
Saying we need DVD Drives just because all the machines out there (still) have DVD drives is a poor argument - following that we still would have floppies. I don't want a DVD drive in my next machine. I would need it only for reinstalling the OS (which on MacOS I actually never had to do, but worst case it might be needed). Actually I won't have a DVD in my next machine since it will be the MBA. The future is here.
And if you see the whole picture (distribution, shipping, storage, ...) I doubt that a read-only chip on a USB stick is much more expensive - and you save on all new machines the cost for the DVD drive and can use the space for better things. If it is so much more expensive, why does the cheapest Apple laptop come with a USB stick instead of DVD? Yes it might be a tiny bit more expensive.
As an Air user with such a thumb drive let me tell you this : their design is pure crap and it is not quite as convenient as a real thumb drive. It also tends to get all scratched up when inserting it and removing it because it lacks the proper guides for the USB port.
How often to you reinstall your OS that you keep inserting and removing it and scratching it all up? It should be a cheap stick (not good for anything else) that just sits 99.99999% of its time in the shelf. It's not that this is meant as a 'free Apple branded USB Stick' that you use all the time.
That is what the USB stick is for! No need to download from anywhere. Don't cherry pick what you want to see and leave out the other options.
That's the point. You say it yourself, your machines still have DVD drives. What's the point of going to the more expensive USB drive option ? Again : CDs were cheaper than floppies to produce and were much quicker to mass produce. Going from optical to Flash memory is the opposite move, it makes the media both more expensive and much more complicated/long to duplicate in mass.
Saying we need DVD Drives just because all the machines out there (still) have DVD drives is a poor argument - following that we still would have floppies. I don't want a DVD drive in my next machine. I would need it only for reinstalling the OS (which on MacOS I actually never had to do, but worst case it might be needed). Actually I won't have a DVD in my next machine since it will be the MBA. The future is here.
And if you see the whole picture (distribution, shipping, storage, ...) I doubt that a read-only chip on a USB stick is much more expensive - and you save on all new machines the cost for the DVD drive and can use the space for better things. If it is so much more expensive, why does the cheapest Apple laptop come with a USB stick instead of DVD? Yes it might be a tiny bit more expensive.
As an Air user with such a thumb drive let me tell you this : their design is pure crap and it is not quite as convenient as a real thumb drive. It also tends to get all scratched up when inserting it and removing it because it lacks the proper guides for the USB port.
How often to you reinstall your OS that you keep inserting and removing it and scratching it all up? It should be a cheap stick (not good for anything else) that just sits 99.99999% of its time in the shelf. It's not that this is meant as a 'free Apple branded USB Stick' that you use all the time.
Natesac
Mar 10, 11:23 PM
My buddy Ryan and I are going to be at willow bend around 9am.
more...
TN-3
Jul 10, 11:01 PM
Wow, I was going to go by after my meeting at work (approx. noon)...I hope there will be some left. I guess I will stop by the Apple store in Green Hills first, if they are out, then it is off to the Cool Springs store.
kingdonk
Mar 1, 10:36 PM
more options
more...
toysblack
Sep 20, 08:29 AM
I just software stripped 2 * 160Gb Hitachi SATA in XP and got 100 MB/Sec from Sandra. so it works!
feel relieved finally.
feel relieved finally.
baypharm
Dec 3, 10:02 AM
If you want it, buy it. Stop complaining about other people's success. Lots of people sell 3rd party junk.
Sorry but this is not legal success. That's the difference.
Sorry but this is not legal success. That's the difference.
more...
Azathoth
Mar 25, 10:21 AM
They did not avoid digital at all, in fact they were an early entrant to digital. The problem was that they were used to having a lucrative near-monopoly in film, a fat side business in film processing and a nice low-end camera business built around proprietary "connvenience" film packaging. They were now facing aggressive consumer electronics companies who were used to relently feature upgrades and short model lifecycles. Moreover, they could not rely on their film dominance to keep competitors at a disadvantage. In other words, they had to change their business model completely-- from near monopoly to completely competitive-- in order to success in the new business. Only a fraction of companies manage to do this successfully.
Keep in mind, also, due to the increased competition and lack of a film component, that the opportunity for Kodak in digital was much smaller than their film and related businesses. It's very hard to manage a shrinking company, and even harder if you are also trying to reinvent yourself.
Not only that - but the fact that there is no film in a digital camera - Kodak is a "film emulsion" company. Professionals never bought Kodak cameras or lenses. There is no "film" in a digital camera. The most natural progression would have been for Kodak to make memory cards.
Most of the R&D (and they did some great R&D in chemistry, materials and human image perception) were fundementally irrelevant to digital.
The changes that Kodak would have needed to be relevant were so huge (fire 90% of staff, change the entire core business) that I don't think there was any way they could have been succesful.
The successful camera companies today fall into one of two camps: 1. well established camera companies. 2. Consumer electronics companies.
Afga (a film emulsion company): effectively dead.
Fuji: very limited success (though they almost had their head above water for a while).
Keep in mind, also, due to the increased competition and lack of a film component, that the opportunity for Kodak in digital was much smaller than their film and related businesses. It's very hard to manage a shrinking company, and even harder if you are also trying to reinvent yourself.
Not only that - but the fact that there is no film in a digital camera - Kodak is a "film emulsion" company. Professionals never bought Kodak cameras or lenses. There is no "film" in a digital camera. The most natural progression would have been for Kodak to make memory cards.
Most of the R&D (and they did some great R&D in chemistry, materials and human image perception) were fundementally irrelevant to digital.
The changes that Kodak would have needed to be relevant were so huge (fire 90% of staff, change the entire core business) that I don't think there was any way they could have been succesful.
The successful camera companies today fall into one of two camps: 1. well established camera companies. 2. Consumer electronics companies.
Afga (a film emulsion company): effectively dead.
Fuji: very limited success (though they almost had their head above water for a while).
theranch
Sep 21, 11:21 PM
Correct me if I'm wrong...but, did any of you notice on that site that they gave an A+ rating to the Celeron machine and D & C's to the top 8 in the list? If you click on the colored bar for each system then scroll down the page there is a chart to explain the rating. It's a joke. I wouldn't depend on this site at all.
more...
freeny
Aug 14, 12:52 PM
Interesting article on how the Apple ads are turning off potential buyers in the recent InfoWorld. I blogged my thoughts on the campaign and WWDC here (http://www.donmappin.com/?p=189).
Apparently Apple is turning on more then it is turning off if you judge by their rising market share.
You cant make everyone happy. You also cant deny the adds are working.
Using the ploy where you show your cool, hip and better then the competition is an advertising angle that has been both used for decades as well as working to sell your product-
Pepsi vs. Coke (Pepsi was a smigeon of what Coke was before they began poking fun at Coke)
Chevy vs. Ford (Talk to any one who is an American truck enthusiest and they will be on one side or the other. Chevy and Ford have been prodding each other forever)
Burger King vs McDonalds vs Wendy's (Wheres the beef? Was one of the biggest ad campains ever and all it did was make fun of the competition)
I could go on and on but I hope you get the point
If you are going to judge Apple by its ads and not its products you are completely missing the point. I suggest you protest and go out and switch to a pc.
Apparently Apple is turning on more then it is turning off if you judge by their rising market share.
You cant make everyone happy. You also cant deny the adds are working.
Using the ploy where you show your cool, hip and better then the competition is an advertising angle that has been both used for decades as well as working to sell your product-
Pepsi vs. Coke (Pepsi was a smigeon of what Coke was before they began poking fun at Coke)
Chevy vs. Ford (Talk to any one who is an American truck enthusiest and they will be on one side or the other. Chevy and Ford have been prodding each other forever)
Burger King vs McDonalds vs Wendy's (Wheres the beef? Was one of the biggest ad campains ever and all it did was make fun of the competition)
I could go on and on but I hope you get the point
If you are going to judge Apple by its ads and not its products you are completely missing the point. I suggest you protest and go out and switch to a pc.
Applespider
Oct 17, 04:54 PM
Probably. I'm not buying Leopard since I'm going to pick up a shiny new iMac I think.
But since I've been planning on meeting up with another Mac pal for a while, Leopard night seems like a good one to do so... (we did the same on Tiger night) so I'll be at Regent St. :D
But since I've been planning on meeting up with another Mac pal for a while, Leopard night seems like a good one to do so... (we did the same on Tiger night) so I'll be at Regent St. :D
more...
arian19
Apr 12, 01:03 PM
I don't understand why it won't let you update, from the Help Menu > check for updates, in the app itself... why do i have to go to Microsofts website to get the update?
MacRumorUser
Mar 25, 06:34 PM
I should have gone for black!!! :(
I got my Aqua Blue (it's more green than blue) and I'm not really keen on the color and if anything it is actually off putting. Oh well.
I got Ridge Racer as a freebie, and I'm glad as I certainly would not have liked to pay for it. Its a big pile of meh!
PilotWings which I was so looking forward to is likewise only ok, it's not as good as pilotwings 64!
SuperStreet Fighter IV is likewise good but not spectacular in any shape or form.
The problem with all of these is that they somehow don't look as sharp or smooth (AA) as they should and it's a little jarring. Somehow the many videos of over the shoulder camera shoots / hands on And the game trailers themselves look better than reality.
In actual fact I'm not bowled over by any of the launch titles and there is so much stuff on the 3DS itself that tells you 'will be available in an update' when you click on it that im not bowled over by it too. I mean come on Nintendo FFS!
Stereoscopy works but by god that sweet spot it requires is really fecking tight! The merest tilt throws it off and as this is a handheld console you will be throwing it off a lot, unless you unnaturally physically force your arms to hold it as rigid as possible, hold your eyes half crossed and fixed tight (which strains), and your neck stiff too. It's clear why Parralax 3D is a long way off being used for commercial TV screens. When it works it works, but it takes a wasps fart to blow it off course.
It is much harder to view 3D content on the 3DS than with 3D glasses on an active 3DTV.
Overall I'm glad this cost me negligible (traded in dsi xl and couple of games) otherwise I'd be mightily pissed off with myself.
Certainly is nt worth the €270 asking price - nor the €45 game prices either.
I got my Aqua Blue (it's more green than blue) and I'm not really keen on the color and if anything it is actually off putting. Oh well.
I got Ridge Racer as a freebie, and I'm glad as I certainly would not have liked to pay for it. Its a big pile of meh!
PilotWings which I was so looking forward to is likewise only ok, it's not as good as pilotwings 64!
SuperStreet Fighter IV is likewise good but not spectacular in any shape or form.
The problem with all of these is that they somehow don't look as sharp or smooth (AA) as they should and it's a little jarring. Somehow the many videos of over the shoulder camera shoots / hands on And the game trailers themselves look better than reality.
In actual fact I'm not bowled over by any of the launch titles and there is so much stuff on the 3DS itself that tells you 'will be available in an update' when you click on it that im not bowled over by it too. I mean come on Nintendo FFS!
Stereoscopy works but by god that sweet spot it requires is really fecking tight! The merest tilt throws it off and as this is a handheld console you will be throwing it off a lot, unless you unnaturally physically force your arms to hold it as rigid as possible, hold your eyes half crossed and fixed tight (which strains), and your neck stiff too. It's clear why Parralax 3D is a long way off being used for commercial TV screens. When it works it works, but it takes a wasps fart to blow it off course.
It is much harder to view 3D content on the 3DS than with 3D glasses on an active 3DTV.
Overall I'm glad this cost me negligible (traded in dsi xl and couple of games) otherwise I'd be mightily pissed off with myself.
Certainly is nt worth the €270 asking price - nor the €45 game prices either.
more...
MacNut
Apr 29, 12:46 PM
The problem is not that we build too many highways to nowhere, it is that they don't know how to properly design a highway in the first place. Traffic jams are caused by bottlenecks. Adding 5 more lanes won't fix it if the bottleneck still exists. Lets fix the roads we have now and build them to allow traffic to move more freely.
AxisOfBeagles
Mar 6, 05:39 PM
Apples and Oranges.
D&^$ it all anyway JD! I was gonna do an apples and oranges for this one. Oh well, back to the drawing board.
Meanwhile, last day of a long weekend down here in the Baja. will post a few photos on the POTD thread from the trip - and ponder how to address this challenge WITHOUT apples and oranges. Darnit!
D&^$ it all anyway JD! I was gonna do an apples and oranges for this one. Oh well, back to the drawing board.
Meanwhile, last day of a long weekend down here in the Baja. will post a few photos on the POTD thread from the trip - and ponder how to address this challenge WITHOUT apples and oranges. Darnit!
more...
gkarris
Apr 22, 11:23 PM
I'm a little bit Rock 'n Roll... :eek:
;)
;)
slb
Sep 18, 01:40 AM
Efoto, if you see this girl again, strike up some chit-chat, then smile and ask her casually, "Hey, would you be interested in going out sometime?" Girls don't think it's a big deal; as long as someone isn't pushy or annoying, they don't mind if someone asks, and they find it flattering, even when they say they're not interested. Just do it casually and matter-of-factly, and if she says no, no big deal. At least you won't be wondering if she's interested anymore.
'Tis the natural order of things. :) You ask, they say yes/no, you get together or shrug it off and move on.
'Tis the natural order of things. :) You ask, they say yes/no, you get together or shrug it off and move on.
JoEw
Jun 12, 02:54 PM
I don't understand why T-Mobile is using 700/2100 instead of 2100 up and down. The iPhone and other handsets support 2100 but not 700.
because the 700 spectrum has theoretical data speeds much higher then the "standard" spectrum.
my family has been happy with t-mobiles service where we live for over 6 years and there rates are very affordable.
The only reason i went to ATT is because of the iPhone and if the iphones does come to t-mobile i will be switching back.
because the 700 spectrum has theoretical data speeds much higher then the "standard" spectrum.
my family has been happy with t-mobiles service where we live for over 6 years and there rates are very affordable.
The only reason i went to ATT is because of the iPhone and if the iphones does come to t-mobile i will be switching back.
jimbobb24
Feb 23, 03:18 PM
The government already manages my retirement and my healthcare. Managing in-app purchases seems like small potatoes. Really, there are no limits to federal power anymore. They should just do whatever gets them a few minutes on TV to get re-elected.
Dreadnought
Jun 7, 12:51 PM
read the first post of this thread, this explains how to use it and find your number. I got a bit confused at first too...
SwiftLives
Jun 10, 01:19 PM
Those of you hoping for T-Mobile should do a little bit of research into Mr. Wu's track record in Apple predictions.
CrzySausageBaby
Apr 5, 10:23 AM
A MacBook trackpad does NOT need a click to register.
You can change the settings so that you do not need to click at all, it simply takes your touch as a click. I use it in this way all the time, I NEVER click the touchpad.
+1 I also never click the trackpad.....I hate the clicking noise and it takes too long, much easier to tap.
You can change the settings so that you do not need to click at all, it simply takes your touch as a click. I use it in this way all the time, I NEVER click the touchpad.
+1 I also never click the trackpad.....I hate the clicking noise and it takes too long, much easier to tap.
ready2switch
Aug 14, 04:03 PM
I know some Mac haters and I know some PC haters, and I don't believe the ads are focused on either. I think the ads are focused on people like myself, PC users who know the ins and outs and pitfalls of a life with Windows and understand just how frustrating and "un-fun" they can be. While they may seem condescending from some standpoints, I see it as being closer to self-depricating humor. Everyone knows that Windows has its quirks (or bugs or flaws, depending on which camp you are in), and that's what the ads play off of. What the ads do for me is make me want to research the OS alternative to Windows, and really find out if Mac is all it's cracked up to be.
The fact that Justin Long is getting caught up in the buzz and mistakenly thought of as a Mac Nerd just shows how idiotic the tv-watching public can be. If they don't understand that these are actors, how are they ever going to understand the commercial's premise: that Macs may be just what you, the frustrated Windows user, have been looking for.
The fact that Justin Long is getting caught up in the buzz and mistakenly thought of as a Mac Nerd just shows how idiotic the tv-watching public can be. If they don't understand that these are actors, how are they ever going to understand the commercial's premise: that Macs may be just what you, the frustrated Windows user, have been looking for.
No comments:
Post a Comment