soLoredd
Jan 15, 02:25 PM
I was disappointed with most of it but I think that's because the lack of any mention of Mac Mini. I was ready to buy one today, credit card on the table. Now I will probably head out this week and get an iMac instead. The Mini was a great idea and still could find a place for people who just want a quick, inexpensive set up, but it seems Apple is not bothered with the affordables. I thought we might have seen a shift in Apple ideology with the introduction of the Mini, but that was a pipe dream.
Time Capsule looks great, though, and it will work out well with my MacBook and the iMac. The iPhone update was ok but now that I've seen 'My Location' place me about a mile off-track, sent 2 mass SMS, and watched the icons jiggle, it has worn off. Makes me wonder what the folks in the iPhone development team are doing these days, as Google made the Maps app so all Apple did was implement Webclips and multi-SMS. Woohoo! :rolleyes:
Here's hoping for the better at some point.
Time Capsule looks great, though, and it will work out well with my MacBook and the iMac. The iPhone update was ok but now that I've seen 'My Location' place me about a mile off-track, sent 2 mass SMS, and watched the icons jiggle, it has worn off. Makes me wonder what the folks in the iPhone development team are doing these days, as Google made the Maps app so all Apple did was implement Webclips and multi-SMS. Woohoo! :rolleyes:
Here's hoping for the better at some point.
MattDell
Sep 12, 12:45 AM
If it's just Disney, then there's not much point.
Disney is the 2nd largest media company in the world. I surely hope you don't think we're just getting Mickey Mouse and Daffy Duck movies. Here's just the movie companies that Disney owns:
Walt Disney Pictures
Touchstone Pictures
Hollywood Pictures
Miramax Films
Buena Vista Home Entertainment
Pixar
I think that's quite a good start.
-Matt
Disney is the 2nd largest media company in the world. I surely hope you don't think we're just getting Mickey Mouse and Daffy Duck movies. Here's just the movie companies that Disney owns:
Walt Disney Pictures
Touchstone Pictures
Hollywood Pictures
Miramax Films
Buena Vista Home Entertainment
Pixar
I think that's quite a good start.
-Matt
dunk321
Mar 17, 01:24 AM
JohnnyQuest chill out man you sound worse then my Dad growing up as a kid. Just telling a story, and sorry for my grammar must be that UCF education I paid for. Go to the fridge and bust open a bottle of that hater-aid or better yet, go get laid. Since you obviously seem pretty stressed over the story. Who are you anyway? Judge Jury and Executioner? Please
Eidorian
Sep 25, 11:24 AM
You are kidding right? There's a whole guide on "next Tuesday" right here on MR.I was worried I'd have to make one.
http://guides.macrumors.com/Next_Tuesday
http://guides.macrumors.com/Next_Tuesday
more...
dgree03
May 4, 11:03 AM
iPads will be as great and as useful as this commercial makes them seem, when they get more features and usablity to being it closer to a desktop OS(no apple fanboys, I do not want it to BE a desktop OS)
demallien
Oct 6, 07:55 AM
How so. Please elaborate?
The decryption keys are everywhere and not top secret. Each iPod and iTunes has access to them. If you can get your hands on them you have something like hymn or FairKeys. Where does one get the encryption key?
EDIT: BTW I'm quite serious, if I got it wrong please help me understand where you're coming from.
B
No, you are WAAAAY off base.
The encryption key is public, the decryption key is private. The decryption key used in iTunes is hidden away to the very best of Apple's ability from the eyes of prying hackers. (at least, one assumes so - it's illegal for me to even try and confirm that.... thanks DCMA)
If I want to exchange confidential information with someone, I am going to need their public key. They can send this to me unencrypted (normally as part of a "certificate" to prove who they are at the same time...). I then use this key to encrypt the secret message, and send the encrypted message to them. They in turn can decrypt this message by using their private key....
Normally, the messages exchanged in this manner are actually symmetric keys (keys that can be used for encrypting and decypting a message). This is certainly the case for iTunes, which uses AES, a symmetric encryption system to encode it's media files.
Contrary to what you seem to think, the keys in iTunes are not freely available. Both the private assymetric key, used to communicate with the server (to obtain the symmetric keys) and all of the symmetric keys, used to decrypt the actual media files, are hidden inside iTunes. Try looking for them on your harddrive, I promise you that you won't find them (unless you are an expert pirate with a few months of your time where you have nothing better to do....)
BTW, that article that you linked earlier about FairPlay has internal consistency problems. If what it says about retrieving keys from the Apple Store is correct, then what it says about VLC can NOT be correct. one or the other is wrong. My money is on the info about retreiving keys is wrong. I do this stuff for a living, and it's certainly NOT how I would do it....
The decryption keys are everywhere and not top secret. Each iPod and iTunes has access to them. If you can get your hands on them you have something like hymn or FairKeys. Where does one get the encryption key?
EDIT: BTW I'm quite serious, if I got it wrong please help me understand where you're coming from.
B
No, you are WAAAAY off base.
The encryption key is public, the decryption key is private. The decryption key used in iTunes is hidden away to the very best of Apple's ability from the eyes of prying hackers. (at least, one assumes so - it's illegal for me to even try and confirm that.... thanks DCMA)
If I want to exchange confidential information with someone, I am going to need their public key. They can send this to me unencrypted (normally as part of a "certificate" to prove who they are at the same time...). I then use this key to encrypt the secret message, and send the encrypted message to them. They in turn can decrypt this message by using their private key....
Normally, the messages exchanged in this manner are actually symmetric keys (keys that can be used for encrypting and decypting a message). This is certainly the case for iTunes, which uses AES, a symmetric encryption system to encode it's media files.
Contrary to what you seem to think, the keys in iTunes are not freely available. Both the private assymetric key, used to communicate with the server (to obtain the symmetric keys) and all of the symmetric keys, used to decrypt the actual media files, are hidden inside iTunes. Try looking for them on your harddrive, I promise you that you won't find them (unless you are an expert pirate with a few months of your time where you have nothing better to do....)
BTW, that article that you linked earlier about FairPlay has internal consistency problems. If what it says about retrieving keys from the Apple Store is correct, then what it says about VLC can NOT be correct. one or the other is wrong. My money is on the info about retreiving keys is wrong. I do this stuff for a living, and it's certainly NOT how I would do it....
more...
BJB Productions
Mar 17, 10:57 AM
I feel bad for the kid who's not going to have a job because a costumer was too American to be honest and tell him that he did not pay the correct amount.
What is American coming to? I think I'll move to Japan.
What is American coming to? I think I'll move to Japan.
Warbrain
Sep 12, 08:22 AM
NO
Thank you. I've been restraining myself from doing that. How many times do we need to say that?
Thank you. I've been restraining myself from doing that. How many times do we need to say that?
more...
AhmedFaisal
Apr 13, 07:15 AM
I don't see anything wrong with it at all. People use children to carry goods all the time and the TSA agent was totally professional about it talking through each step. The rules are there to provide a layer of safety and if you think that it doesn't and don't like the rules, ride the bus!
Better yet, let's remove the TSA agents and let someone fly a plane into another building. :rolleyes:
That again? You do realize that 9/11 had very little to do with airport security but everything to do with incompetence on the side of the secret service and negligence on the side of the US government? TSA has not made airtravel any safer than prior to 9/11.
Better yet, let's remove the TSA agents and let someone fly a plane into another building. :rolleyes:
That again? You do realize that 9/11 had very little to do with airport security but everything to do with incompetence on the side of the secret service and negligence on the side of the US government? TSA has not made airtravel any safer than prior to 9/11.
63dot
Mar 4, 06:26 PM
I'm not sure if this is true. According to investigative reporter Alexander Zaitchik's biography of Beck, he's not a very likable person. He went into the project thinking Beck would be sort of like Limbaugh, who even some liberals like when he's not doing his schtick.
In his early days, the guy could rant a long time, but in such a weird persuasive way as to not hit the audience with an obvious barrage of conservative garbage like older pundit Rush Limbaugh. This was however before Beck came crashing out of the conservative closet. Now he's all about being a conservative bully, but I don't know how many people remember when he was the likable type of guy who pretended to use reason in his arguments.
His star rose so fast that now he's bigger than the politicians he criticizes (or at least makes multitudes more) and he knows it.
I hate to think how many people who were on the fence got influenced by Beck, but I am sure it's far more than previous commentators were able to do. The guy is kind of like a cult leader and while some may listen to Limbaugh or Savage, they worship Beck and keep on asking him to run for president. Though he's certainly not qualified, he could move to some states, run for governor, and easily win. He's kind of like a movie star, and we all know how obviously unqualified movie stars have been able to run for governor in a state and win. I hope he stays out of politics but I have a feeling he has an ego, helped greatly by his mass fan base, which may convince him to go into politics:mad:
In his early days, the guy could rant a long time, but in such a weird persuasive way as to not hit the audience with an obvious barrage of conservative garbage like older pundit Rush Limbaugh. This was however before Beck came crashing out of the conservative closet. Now he's all about being a conservative bully, but I don't know how many people remember when he was the likable type of guy who pretended to use reason in his arguments.
His star rose so fast that now he's bigger than the politicians he criticizes (or at least makes multitudes more) and he knows it.
I hate to think how many people who were on the fence got influenced by Beck, but I am sure it's far more than previous commentators were able to do. The guy is kind of like a cult leader and while some may listen to Limbaugh or Savage, they worship Beck and keep on asking him to run for president. Though he's certainly not qualified, he could move to some states, run for governor, and easily win. He's kind of like a movie star, and we all know how obviously unqualified movie stars have been able to run for governor in a state and win. I hope he stays out of politics but I have a feeling he has an ego, helped greatly by his mass fan base, which may convince him to go into politics:mad:
more...
MarximusMG
Apr 21, 11:17 AM
Very nice! I've been waiting for this feature to be implemented on MR.
atari1356
Sep 25, 11:03 AM
Why are people rating this news as negative? It seems like a decent update to a good program, and it's free for existing Aperture users. What were you expecting?
more...
SevenInchScrew
Nov 14, 09:10 PM
The campaign is great, and you really get attached to the characters.
I don't know what you're all talking about.
No, having to replay sections over and over and over and over, just to learn what is killing you is not great. It is crappy 90s game design, that we should not have to deal with in 2010. Crappy checkpoints mixed with crappy enemy and team "AI" (if you can call it that) make for a really crappy game. I'm turning it down to Recruit just to get it over with, so I can flush it from my mind as quick as possible.
I beat both MW games on Hardened, and about half of the levels of each on Veteran. While the plot in both was ludicrous, they were at least fun. Lots of clear objectives, teammates who would stay out of the way, and very few of those "monster closet" moments (grrrrr, Favela :mad:) Those games were fun from start to finish. Black Ops is just a mess of crazy flashbacks cutscenes, messy game design, and terrible direction.
Yeah. I liked MW2's campaign better. It may be because I am from the DC area so it was quite weird seeing it war torn.
How about Fallout 3? I've never been to DC, but I find it really funny how when I see it on TV or in movies now, I recognize so much of it, and where things are, just from my hundreds of hours in that game. :D
I don't know what you're all talking about.
No, having to replay sections over and over and over and over, just to learn what is killing you is not great. It is crappy 90s game design, that we should not have to deal with in 2010. Crappy checkpoints mixed with crappy enemy and team "AI" (if you can call it that) make for a really crappy game. I'm turning it down to Recruit just to get it over with, so I can flush it from my mind as quick as possible.
I beat both MW games on Hardened, and about half of the levels of each on Veteran. While the plot in both was ludicrous, they were at least fun. Lots of clear objectives, teammates who would stay out of the way, and very few of those "monster closet" moments (grrrrr, Favela :mad:) Those games were fun from start to finish. Black Ops is just a mess of crazy flashbacks cutscenes, messy game design, and terrible direction.
Yeah. I liked MW2's campaign better. It may be because I am from the DC area so it was quite weird seeing it war torn.
How about Fallout 3? I've never been to DC, but I find it really funny how when I see it on TV or in movies now, I recognize so much of it, and where things are, just from my hundreds of hours in that game. :D
skunk
Apr 25, 03:01 PM
Or, more simply, you could just remove the injunction against posting "+1".
more...
reubs
Apr 6, 11:17 AM
http://img709.imageshack.us/img709/3282/photoapr06114008am.jpg (http://img709.imageshack.us/i/photoapr06114008am.jpg/)
Re-upped on my sunburst mix
Mmm. Publix.
Re-upped on my sunburst mix
Mmm. Publix.
MacRumors
Oct 2, 02:53 PM
http://www.macrumors.com/images/macrumorsthreadlogo.gif (http://www.macrumors.com)
Jon Lech Johansen, or "DVD Jon", is getting back into the ring with Apple's Fairplay (http://featured.gigaom.com/2006/10/02/dvd-jon-fairplays-apple/) according to GigOM's Liz Gannes. This time, however, Jon plans to replicate Fairplay so that other companies can sell songs in iPod-compatible formats (similar to what Navio (http://www.macrumors.com/pages/2006/05/20060522152531.shtml) and Real's Harmony (http://www.macrumors.com/pages/2004/07/20040725235143.shtml) have previously attempted). According to the article, at least one unnamed company is already on board.
Earlier this summer, Jon joined with Monique Farantzos to create DoubleTwist Ventures, the company face to Jon's recent endeavor. Apparently, Apple's recently announced iTV (http://www.macrumors.com/pages/2006/09/20060912161621.shtml) has spurred Jon and Farantzos' entrepreneurial spirit:
[Jon] and Farantzos were giddy about the prospect of Apple�s iTV, hoping companies will pay up to get movies on the set-top box when it comes out, after seeing the ill effects of being shut off the iPod. Spurned by Apple? Step right up.
Jon has apparently already spoken to Steve Jobs on vague terms about his business ideas.
Jobs apparently warned that while Apple was not a litigious company, other tech firms might not take kindly to whatever DVD Jon might be up to.
DVD Jon had previously circumvented Fairplay's DRM in 2003 (http://www.macrumors.com/pages/2003/11/20031122001549.shtml), and since then multiple other tools have appeared to provide similar functionality for updated versions of Quicktime/iTunes. Jon is also credited for developing an algorithm named deCSS to strip a DVD of its encryption (called Content Scrambling System, or CSS), hence his nickname.
Jon Lech Johansen, or "DVD Jon", is getting back into the ring with Apple's Fairplay (http://featured.gigaom.com/2006/10/02/dvd-jon-fairplays-apple/) according to GigOM's Liz Gannes. This time, however, Jon plans to replicate Fairplay so that other companies can sell songs in iPod-compatible formats (similar to what Navio (http://www.macrumors.com/pages/2006/05/20060522152531.shtml) and Real's Harmony (http://www.macrumors.com/pages/2004/07/20040725235143.shtml) have previously attempted). According to the article, at least one unnamed company is already on board.
Earlier this summer, Jon joined with Monique Farantzos to create DoubleTwist Ventures, the company face to Jon's recent endeavor. Apparently, Apple's recently announced iTV (http://www.macrumors.com/pages/2006/09/20060912161621.shtml) has spurred Jon and Farantzos' entrepreneurial spirit:
[Jon] and Farantzos were giddy about the prospect of Apple�s iTV, hoping companies will pay up to get movies on the set-top box when it comes out, after seeing the ill effects of being shut off the iPod. Spurned by Apple? Step right up.
Jon has apparently already spoken to Steve Jobs on vague terms about his business ideas.
Jobs apparently warned that while Apple was not a litigious company, other tech firms might not take kindly to whatever DVD Jon might be up to.
DVD Jon had previously circumvented Fairplay's DRM in 2003 (http://www.macrumors.com/pages/2003/11/20031122001549.shtml), and since then multiple other tools have appeared to provide similar functionality for updated versions of Quicktime/iTunes. Jon is also credited for developing an algorithm named deCSS to strip a DVD of its encryption (called Content Scrambling System, or CSS), hence his nickname.
more...
newamiga
Sep 12, 12:44 AM
Guys.. just a quick thought,, but remember when they released the iPod HiFi.. they didn't really play it up, but it can be addressed via Airtunes and the Airport Express. That means you can select it by name as a speaker set via iTunes. Now the thing that is missing is a remote device that can show off the album art and play the DRM protected files in remote areas of the house. Note that there are expensive solutions for doing this today, but they don't support DRM (Sonos). I am wondering if the supposed remote or all purpose device will bring this control throughout a house via wireless. This would make the iPod HiFi that much more valuable as a solution for streaming your music with full control throughout the house. It just seems like a logical leap, and one that would not take much technically to do. Now take that the next step and have it also control the output of the new Airport Express Video edition and have the preview on the remote or at least cover art.. stream the movie to where you want in the house.. I know the use of 802.11 in its current form may not be the best for this.. just thinking out loud.
840quadra
Sep 12, 10:11 AM
Minimal impact, or importance, but interesting..
http://images.apple.com/quicktime/qtv/wwdc06/images/sjwwdc.jpg
Demi Lovato Back at Work - but
http://images.apple.com/quicktime/qtv/wwdc06/images/sjwwdc.jpg
likemyorbs
Apr 15, 03:24 PM
Did you ever see that Man Show video when the guys set up a table and tried to get women to sign a petition to end women's suffrage? A lot of them did, too!
Haven't seen it but that hilarious. I find it funny how many people have no idea what suffrage means, most assume it means "suffering". :D
Haven't seen it but that hilarious. I find it funny how many people have no idea what suffrage means, most assume it means "suffering". :D
rezenclowd3
Apr 7, 11:44 AM
^^ Yup, in the E30! That's why I bought it after all: a cheap(er) easy to fix car that is predictable and balanced at its limit, even though that is relatively low compared to more modern suspension.
Oh darn, no preregister for you? If that didn't happen here, we'd have much too full of a day and less than 14 runs that we usually get. What are you going to bring to your event? Your 325Ci again? I LOVE the E46s....
Just curious though, can you go unstaggered wheel setup with the same size stock rears in the front? That's the only thing I don't care for on the E46.
Oh darn, no preregister for you? If that didn't happen here, we'd have much too full of a day and less than 14 runs that we usually get. What are you going to bring to your event? Your 325Ci again? I LOVE the E46s....
Just curious though, can you go unstaggered wheel setup with the same size stock rears in the front? That's the only thing I don't care for on the E46.
Labaguette
Apr 15, 01:40 PM
hmm hmm hmm - this is clearly Maxwell Render (http://www.maxwellrender.com/gallery/gallery.php) image. Exactly the same style. sry guys, no a(luminium)Phone.
twoodcc
Jul 13, 09:49 PM
Good to have you back folding again. We need the points...
^^ yeh i agree! would be nice to get a new bunch of people on having a crack.
Welcome back. We need the points... Our medium term outlook not looking so great right now...
thanks. it's good to be back, but like i said, i'm having serious internet issues here. i'm paying for 12 mb/s, and sometimes i'm getting less than 1! :mad:
Yeah, we moved to 57th place but there is pleasurdome and bitgamer right behind us :( some new guy, awachs, is making 10 mil a week :eek: his electric bill must be outrageous, must have a pile of gtx480's... and he will pass us in about 3 or 4 months.
dang. well once i get the internet situation under control, i'll be able to contribute more.
^^ yeh i agree! would be nice to get a new bunch of people on having a crack.
Welcome back. We need the points... Our medium term outlook not looking so great right now...
thanks. it's good to be back, but like i said, i'm having serious internet issues here. i'm paying for 12 mb/s, and sometimes i'm getting less than 1! :mad:
Yeah, we moved to 57th place but there is pleasurdome and bitgamer right behind us :( some new guy, awachs, is making 10 mil a week :eek: his electric bill must be outrageous, must have a pile of gtx480's... and he will pass us in about 3 or 4 months.
dang. well once i get the internet situation under control, i'll be able to contribute more.
Doctor Q
May 3, 07:25 PM
It's funny because nowhere in europe (well, from first hand experience in UK/ Scandanavia), do the carriers prevent tethering, nor do they charge an extra fee for it.
They have data caps (100MB, 500MB, 1GB etc) but they don't care what you use it for. And this makes sense. Thus I can work from cafes through my HTC Desire, and as long as I'm not streaming video or downloading many podcasts then the 1GB/month is more than enough for my phone and occasional tethered usage.
For once Europe seems to be ahead of the curve to the advantage of the consumer when compared to the USA.
I'd like that arrangement better. I'd rather pay for one package and use it as I like without being nickel-and-dimed.
They have data caps (100MB, 500MB, 1GB etc) but they don't care what you use it for. And this makes sense. Thus I can work from cafes through my HTC Desire, and as long as I'm not streaming video or downloading many podcasts then the 1GB/month is more than enough for my phone and occasional tethered usage.
For once Europe seems to be ahead of the curve to the advantage of the consumer when compared to the USA.
I'd like that arrangement better. I'd rather pay for one package and use it as I like without being nickel-and-dimed.
*LTD*
Apr 9, 05:01 PM
That's what Microsoft does. Copy Apple and make the copy so bad that Apple can't quite sue them. MS has been doing that for DECADES.
That's why I call MS "The Worlds Biggest Out-Of-Focus Copying Machine".
It's not good for consumers in the long run. We get stuck with expensive and inferior copies of Apple products. Yuck.
A Microsoft App Store is almost too hilarious a concept to think about. Thinking about it might make good therapy for depression but could have side effects related to excessive laughter.
If they're very lucky it will be Zune2.
MS has been focusing on Enterprise features? Odd. Our MS based computers at work are actually worse to use than Windows computers at home. Perhaps our IT guys are just being cruel?
Have Fun.
Keri
MS knows 5 things, more or less:
1) How to extend boredom and bad software into the enterprise
2) How to copy (poorly)
3) Office suite rehashes
4) Xbox
5) How to ride the coattails of their universal licensing racket
For quite a long time now, the only thing MS has had left is empty talk. Lip service and blustery denial, i.e., tablets are a fad, Apple rounding errors, etc. All of these are excuses in the face of continued, embarrassing criticism. MS is all about excuses. Ever notice that? Whenever it's question period Ballmer always has an answer - even if it sounds batshit insane. Of course, excuses don't put insanely great products into consumers' hands (unless it's substandard copies three years later!) But that's OK. MS wil "get it right" eventually. We keep hearing that. Just give them time. Meanwhile Apple, at a fraction of the cost, redefines entire markets overnight. It's almost like business as usual at Apple: redefine markets and create new ones. Lead the way forward. So in other words: no waste. Money spent wisely. Which leads me to the next point . . .
Did you know that Microsoft has outspent Apple roughly 8-1 in R&D over the last decade? Yup. 8 to freaking 1.
And in that time - a decade, Apple has produced Mac OS X, Mac OS X Server, lots of groundbreaking Mac models (multiple iMac versions, the iBooks, MacBooks, MacBook Pros, MacBook Air, Power Macs, etc.), iPod, popularized Podcasting, iTunes, iTunes Store, iPhone, iOS, Apple TV, the App Store, Mac App Store, and, of course their current game-changer: the iPad.
Microsoft, on the other hand, for 8x the money, has come up with: another back-asswards Mac OS X clone - a Windows rehash that they're trying to shoehorn onto tablets with varying degrees of failure, some bloated Office retreads, the Zune, Kin, Bing, and Windows Phone 2007. If it wasn’t for the Sony-inspired Xbox (Red Ring of Death included) and a Nintendo-inspired Xbox controller, Microsoft would have nothing but a string of failures to show for roughly 80 billion dollars. The ratio of R&D to revenue for both companies couldn’t be more telling. Of course, they put a lot of R&D into their Enterprise software. Which doesn't function any better today than it has years ago. We're still on XPee at work. So, of course it's all useless to us. It's hard to get excited about Exchange and Outlook.
That's right. $80 billion for a PlayStation clone, an accessory to make it work like a Wii, an also-ran search engine, and what’s left of Nokia.
Is it more funny than sad? I'm not sure.
Any random person picked off the street could have run Microsoft better during the last decade. Mind you, not that a lot of other CEOs are any brighter (here's lookin' at ya, Acer!)
Microsoft does two things really well, though: Retarded product names and waste. Add these to the other five above. The list still doesn't look any better.
Cheers
That's why I call MS "The Worlds Biggest Out-Of-Focus Copying Machine".
It's not good for consumers in the long run. We get stuck with expensive and inferior copies of Apple products. Yuck.
A Microsoft App Store is almost too hilarious a concept to think about. Thinking about it might make good therapy for depression but could have side effects related to excessive laughter.
If they're very lucky it will be Zune2.
MS has been focusing on Enterprise features? Odd. Our MS based computers at work are actually worse to use than Windows computers at home. Perhaps our IT guys are just being cruel?
Have Fun.
Keri
MS knows 5 things, more or less:
1) How to extend boredom and bad software into the enterprise
2) How to copy (poorly)
3) Office suite rehashes
4) Xbox
5) How to ride the coattails of their universal licensing racket
For quite a long time now, the only thing MS has had left is empty talk. Lip service and blustery denial, i.e., tablets are a fad, Apple rounding errors, etc. All of these are excuses in the face of continued, embarrassing criticism. MS is all about excuses. Ever notice that? Whenever it's question period Ballmer always has an answer - even if it sounds batshit insane. Of course, excuses don't put insanely great products into consumers' hands (unless it's substandard copies three years later!) But that's OK. MS wil "get it right" eventually. We keep hearing that. Just give them time. Meanwhile Apple, at a fraction of the cost, redefines entire markets overnight. It's almost like business as usual at Apple: redefine markets and create new ones. Lead the way forward. So in other words: no waste. Money spent wisely. Which leads me to the next point . . .
Did you know that Microsoft has outspent Apple roughly 8-1 in R&D over the last decade? Yup. 8 to freaking 1.
And in that time - a decade, Apple has produced Mac OS X, Mac OS X Server, lots of groundbreaking Mac models (multiple iMac versions, the iBooks, MacBooks, MacBook Pros, MacBook Air, Power Macs, etc.), iPod, popularized Podcasting, iTunes, iTunes Store, iPhone, iOS, Apple TV, the App Store, Mac App Store, and, of course their current game-changer: the iPad.
Microsoft, on the other hand, for 8x the money, has come up with: another back-asswards Mac OS X clone - a Windows rehash that they're trying to shoehorn onto tablets with varying degrees of failure, some bloated Office retreads, the Zune, Kin, Bing, and Windows Phone 2007. If it wasn’t for the Sony-inspired Xbox (Red Ring of Death included) and a Nintendo-inspired Xbox controller, Microsoft would have nothing but a string of failures to show for roughly 80 billion dollars. The ratio of R&D to revenue for both companies couldn’t be more telling. Of course, they put a lot of R&D into their Enterprise software. Which doesn't function any better today than it has years ago. We're still on XPee at work. So, of course it's all useless to us. It's hard to get excited about Exchange and Outlook.
That's right. $80 billion for a PlayStation clone, an accessory to make it work like a Wii, an also-ran search engine, and what’s left of Nokia.
Is it more funny than sad? I'm not sure.
Any random person picked off the street could have run Microsoft better during the last decade. Mind you, not that a lot of other CEOs are any brighter (here's lookin' at ya, Acer!)
Microsoft does two things really well, though: Retarded product names and waste. Add these to the other five above. The list still doesn't look any better.
Cheers
