Gabe H's Profile

  • Dec 12, 2007
  • 40
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Latest comments made by: Gabe H

  • Interesting question, Chris. I'm not sure if I know outside of the reasons you bring up. What I do know is that there is something wierd going on with your apostrphe key.
    Gabe H had this to say on Nov 28, 2007 Posts: 40
    Why Do I Use Apple's Apps?
  • While I completely agree that it is so silly of companies like Apple to patent the silly little interfaces and the look of the software, I think that Apple and everyone else in the boat are doing this as a defensive move. I can't really fault a company that gets sued for patent infringement every other week for applying for a patent for every little thing they do. If they didn't, some mom and pop shop would patent the design, and sue every company that used it. It's ridiculous but happens all the time. The whole patent system is a little screwy and I think it is a good thing that it is now more difficult to acquire patents like these. It's good for the whole industry.
  • Good points, Beav, but I do not think James is lamenting that the voiceless have a voice. Only what they are choosing to do with that voice. Having a voice is a powerful thing and to throw it away in the manner that is happening is simply a shame.
    Gabe H had this to say on Mar 27, 2007 Posts: 40
    The "Privacy Optional" Generation
  • James, this is, by far, the most entertaining article I've read here. And, I couldn't agree more... I would argue that we haven't had social responsibility in America in a very, very long time.
    Gabe H had this to say on Mar 27, 2007 Posts: 40
    The "Privacy Optional" Generation
  • I can't believe you would like a show like Lost more than Heroes because Heroes moves too fast. I can't stand it when a show drags on and on. Regarding the DRM of MS, Apple et al: I'm sure that for both ZM and iTunes, we get the best that all of the labels would agree to. I agree with Eric that the confusion of trying to make sure what I can do with my movies and music while I'm trying to check out is the equivalent of waiting in line at the grocery store while some little, old lady counts out her nickels and pennies. I just don't have the time. Apple's DRM to me is almost transparent as I'm sure ZM will be for most people that use it. I just don't think it matters to the overall success of the iPod or the Zune for that matter.
    Gabe H had this to say on Mar 19, 2007 Posts: 40
    The Not So Great Future Of The iPod
  • I really like the current design except for one thing; I wish it were height adjustable. If I could get that one thing, the only other I would wish for would be to have to option of a touchscreen like the iPhone. I can imagine sitting at my desk and typing e-mails and working in Photoshop with my mouse, keyboard, pen stylus, etc, but sometimes I just need to walk over to my computer and look at swomething while standing or change my song in iTunes, etc. If I am brainstorming I like to work standing up often. It would even be great if there was the option to wall-mount the iMac. The only other thing I can think of is to put a couple of USB/Firewire ports on the front for easy access. None of this is groundbreaking stuff, but like you said, it's a pretty good machine as it stands.
    Gabe H had this to say on Mar 12, 2007 Posts: 40
    Where Does the iMac Go From Here?
  • Tanner, I think you may have missed Jobs' point on this. His point is that with the teacher unions blocking the firing of bad teachers, they can't get good teachers in the classroom. His point was specifically that technology can't do the whole job with the unions keeping bad teachers from being fired. The same as you sort of intimate. You can't get new teachers in if you can't fire the bad ones. There's only so much in the budget for teachers' salaries. The teachers' unions also block any and all efforts at allowing the state governmants to give out school vouchers that would allow all parents to choose where their children go to school, even if they want to apply that money to a private school. If we could have a system like that, there would be a lot of competition for administrators to create a better school environment to attract the money to keep their school going. But the union doesn't want to have to put forth the effort for that. They'd rather keep the teachers safe in their cushy jobs as glorified babysitters, as you say.
  • I agree with many here. There are way too many tasks that are suited to a PC that mobile devices just can't accomplish without great compromise in ease of use. While I do not disagree that the PC may morph into another form that may include touchscreen interface, etc, I think the Mac will be here in whatever form that takes. For example, how many people would have thought they could manage and edit the thousands of digital photos they now have? And kids are still going to need to sit down and type a term paper. I do not doubt that these tasks will be done in a way that is new, but I do doubt that the majority of people will want to perform them on a mobile device.
    Gabe H had this to say on Jan 26, 2007 Posts: 40
    iPhone and the Mac's Slow Slog Towards iDeath
  • It seems to me that if an 8-core Mac Pro were to be released the perfect time to do that would be at the NAB2007 show where lots of pro apps and hardware is showcased for the broadcasting industry. They could showcase a new Mac Pro running Leopard with revisions to Final Cut Pro etc. That's only three months away in April...
    Gabe H had this to say on Jan 16, 2007 Posts: 40
    When Is The Real MacWorld?
  • Actually the accident with faulty airbags doesn't work either. It would be more like blaming the car manufacturer for not building superior handling and accident avoidance capabilities into the car. Or, if you prefer, it would be an ok analogy if Apple were blaming Norton Antivirus. The thing is, it's not the analogy here that is improper (read the whole thing before you criticize this time, Beeb). It's using the analogy to state that Apple's response is comparable to a situation in which a person's life was at risk. Devanshu states, "How would you have felt if you had E. Coli poisoning- or worse, died- and all the farmer responsible said, 'There is E. Coli in our spinach and we are really upset that human bodies are not more strong and healthy to protect against these things.'" Well, you cannot compare the two and then say that the response for one is the same as the other. That's what I was talking about when I said the analogy doesn't work and said the analogy itself is ok.
    Gabe H had this to say on Oct 23, 2006 Posts: 40
    The iPod Virus: Apple Arrogance
  • It seems that everyone here has missed the point of the initial criticism. While I think it is perfectly fine to compare a computer to a human life since the whole virus vulnerability is exactly that kind of analogy in and of itself, the analogy used here in the article is quite poorly made. Devanshu, you ask the question, "How would you have felt if you had E. Coli poisoning- or worse, died- and all the farmer responsible said, “There is E. Coli in our spinach and we are really upset that human bodies are not more strong and healthy to protect against these things.” This is that part that is solely to evoke the emotional response from everyone here. It doesn't play out because the response from Apple was not made in response to something so serious as a person's death. If someone were actually injured I don't think anyone would treat it so flippantly. But we are talking about MP3 players and computer viruses so, while it may be on poor taste and bad business, it does not rise to the level of malfeasance that you illustrate. Of course, Apple is completely at fault here. They should check their systems for viruses. To everyone that says that anyone on a Windows computer should be running anti-virus software I would say that includes the one Apple (or their partners) uses. But, they sent the defective product and they should make it right if it needs to be made right. I haven't heard of anyone actually having problems with this as of yet. If it was me, I would blame myself and Apple for the problems. I think the article here, and the subsequent discussion is blowing the thing way out of proportion. A tale told by an idiot. Full of sound and fury and all that...
    Gabe H had this to say on Oct 20, 2006 Posts: 40
    The iPod Virus: Apple Arrogance
  • That depends on whether Microsoft forces vendors to make their music software/store the default in order to install Windows on it. Of course we couldn't possibly have a discussion without Beeblebrox trying to make it about why Apple fans are all Kool-Aid drinking myrmidons. Every single post!
    Gabe H had this to say on Oct 17, 2006 Posts: 40
    DRM and iPod Success
  • Two words: baby steps First you go after the home user, as time goes and people are generally more familiar with the Mac they will look more palatable to the corporate world because they won't see it as a huge learning curve. Well, maybe. That strategy may work just as well getting the enterprise user hooked first as a way to go after the home market but I guess Apple thought it was easier to get the home user first. Either way seems pretty daunting but I think it's a long term strategy. I don't think the strategy can be judged by one line of commercials that runs for a year but this was a very interesting read. As a general business move I question the wisdom of making fun of the people you are trying to attract. For the most part I guess it usually works as long as you're funny about it. Some of these ads do that but a few miss the mark in my opinion.
    Gabe H had this to say on Oct 11, 2006 Posts: 40
    Latest Apple Ads: Is the Mac Message Missed in the Mirth?
  • Strong arm tactics are Microsoft dictating to other companies how they are allowed to deal with other companies if they are to use Microsoft's products. Strong arm tactics are Wal Mart dictating to movie studios what their agreements with anothher party are to be if they want to do business with Wal Mart. In my opinion this is illegal. It is attempting to influence the market to maintain your own advantages in such a way that prevents others from competing fairly. Not licensing the technology that you OWN is not a strong arm tactic. Apple worked for quite a while to perfect it's product. Why should they just give that up by letting cheaper competitors come in a ride the coattails of their success and hard work? That is not the same thing that Wal Mart is doing here by any stretch of the imagination and your thick-headed desire to blast "Apple-apologists" has completely confused your sense of what competition, monopoly and strong arm tactics are. Competition is NOT allowing others to jump onto the popular product that you own! Competition is allowing others to create their own product. Another company could easily create another iPod competitor that would have less restrictive DRM and try to compete. Apple does absolutely nothing to prevent any of the other companies out there to do this. If they did, THAT would be what Wal Mart is trying to do. Just because you and a lot of other people want to be able to take the most popular device out there and do everything you wnat with it, doesn't make Apple anti-competitive. It just means you and all those people need to read more before you make your buying decisions. The difference is that Apple has always done their own thing and said that they want to control their own products and who they sell to. They don't tell PC manufacturers that they can only install iTunes if they remove other jukebox software. They OWN the patents to the iPod. It is their intellectual property. It is their right to say to all other vendors what they can and can't do with it. Your examples are completely out of line with the subject at hand. The printer ink example may be similar, but guess what. The printer manufacturers own the tech that allows them to dictate who will manufacture ink cartridges as well. It is not anti-competitive either since there are a lot of other printers you can buy. Jesus, it's like complaining that your neighbor won't let you knock down the wall in their living room so you can expand your apartment. What we are talking about here is PROPERTY. In this country (for a little while longer at least) individuals and corporations are still allowed to own said property. There is no public ownership of something just because you have purchased it. Apple does some things that drive me crazy. I still haven't purchased one video off iTunes because I don't like the fact I can't burn it to disk. Call me an Apple-apologist if you like. That's fine, I could care less. But, if there's something I don't like I vote with my dollars. I don't go on a blog and insite flame-wars by blaming a company for not letting me do everything I want with their intellectual property. You're right about one thing. You are consistent with your criticism. Consistently wrong. And I'm no Apple-apologist. I'm a capitalist. And when the public starts demanding the right to dictate to privately held companies and corporations we will severely destroy all the incentive for companies to develop new and exciting technologies. Whether those companies be Apple with it's computers and iPods or Epson and HP with printers and ink.
    Gabe H had this to say on Sep 30, 2006 Posts: 40
    Walmart Threatens Movie Studios
  • Like, say, locking out competitors with restrictive DRM that you refuse to license to anyone else? If that bothered me I wouldn't shop iTunes. Apple creates both hardware and software to complement each other and they lock most everyone else out. I knew that going in. The only way your analogy works is if Apple were to go to Best Buy and say that they could not sell any Macs or iPods if they continue to sell Dells. Not a fair comparison, Beeb. We all know you have this major problem with the way Apple runs that whole iTunes/iPod integration. Try to bring something new once in a while. That's not even the point of the article and it's not a reasonable parallel to bring up here. But, I would like to make another point about the whole Wal Mart whine-fest. I think they are really miscalculating here. I know there is a small percentage of people that buy DVDs on impule. I've done it myself. But, if someone can't find their DVDs at Wal Mart, are they really going to not buy the DVD? I think they would just go somewhere else and the movie studios would still get their money. Maybe I'm wrong and the impulse buy is a larger percentage and since a LOT of people shop at Wal Mart they buy DVDs while they stop to pick up a socket wrench and some pants and a gallon of Hi-C. I just think Wal Mart sells more for the same reason they sell more of everything. Price. If they don't carry the DVDs I think people will just get them elsewhere. But maybe that's just me.
    Gabe H had this to say on Sep 28, 2006 Posts: 40
    Walmart Threatens Movie Studios