vb_baysider's Profile

If it were a significantly larger shift than the probably margin of error, then there might be something to talk about.

I usually have Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and Safari all running at the same time. Are all or these Intel native? I'm assuming that even if there is a UB version available, you're probably using whatever version you used on your old Mac, right? Are they the PowerPC versions of those apps? That could be part of your speed issue right there. As for browsers, well, that's what you have to live with if you want XHTML, Javascript, CSS, Flash, AJAX and all that other fancy crap. Welcome to "Web 2.0". Browsers have become some of the most complex applications we run because they have to interpret all kinds of crappy HTML, Javascript and other embedded content, often very poorly coded. An email client, by comparison, is a walk in the park. Email is just text... Sure there is occasionally some HTML formatting, but email doesn't have to support all the other bells and whistles that a web browser does, and even if an email client adds support for all those bells and whistles, it only needs to load those rendering engine(s) when you get an email with all kinds of crap in it (which is rarely -- most HTML email is just text effects, no javascript, external style sheets or other hooey). Software is complex, but browsers take the cake in that they have to do so many different things and do them well. Unfortunately, this takes a lot of memory and CPU... and sometimes it's not even the browser's fault. If everyone created lightweight web pages and used strict coding practices to build them, you'd see a lot less work being done by your browser, but that just isn't the case. This is not a Mac-specific problem. Browsers on all platforms suck. The first thing you should do is disable Flash. Flash is a ginormous memory hog. I'd say diable Javascript too, but let's face it -- most sites won't even load without Javascript enabled these days. The second thing you should do -- learn good coding practices. Since you're a design student, you're going to have to know HTML, some Javascript and CSS. Do it right. Learn how to code pages that pass the strictest XHTML validators. If you build tight code, browsers will never choke on your sites and render them quickly and easily. Be a part of the solution.

Apple already loses hundreds of dollars when consumers choose a mini over an iMac, and yet they still sell the mini. You're completely ignoring the point in order to appear correct. I never implied Apple would/should stop selling the Mini. Quite the opposite. I stated that they're not IMPROVING the Mini's specs in order not to compete with the iMac. There are many, many users who buy an iMac becauase the Mini is just slightly underpowered for their needs. They want a slightly more powerful processor, or a better video options or both. If Apple created a Mini with theses BTO options, iMac sales would weaken. Sure, there are people that currently choose the Mini anyway and Apple is glad to have them buy any Mac, but Apple really wants those extra $$$ from iMac buyers, or else they would have already provided better BTO options for the Mini. The iPod Touch is basically a carbon copy of the iPhone, with a trade-off of phone calls for twice as much storage Actually, you're wrong, Beeb. Apple disabled email and hobbled calendaring in the iPod Touch for just that very reason -- product overlap. The iPhone gives you a little bit more (besides telephony) when the iPod Touch *could* do everything the iPhone does (minus the phone), but it doesn't. So why doesn't it? Because those extra features might push a few buyers to step up to the iPhone.

James, you are right in the sense that Apple won't build a "UMPC" as you phrase it. However, I wouldn't be surprised if the iPod Touch was revamped to include more Newton/PDA-like functions. One of the first things I noticed about the iPod Touch is that it lacked some very basic functionality that the iPhone has -- email and calendaring. It has wifi, so why not email? And WTF is up with calendaring? Why can't you add appointments? I agree with you, James. Apple is not going to release a UMPC in the way the internet describes. However, I think it is very likely there are prototypes floating around Apple that are basically an iPhone or iPod touch with various feature sets that aren't currently on the market. I'm certain Apple is playing around with possible Newton-esque configurations to see if there is a "fit" in their product line for such a device, or to explore what features the current iPhone/iPod Touch models could have in the near future.

Did someone forget to close an italics tag?

At the end of the day, it boils down to "Who cares?" I.E. -- Even if it *was* the manipulations of Jobs, or a reaction, Apple had no fiduciary responsibility to give early adopters ANYTHING. So they gave those adpoters a $100 mulligan for being fools by needing to be first in line. Well, good on them, I suppose. But honestly... who cares?

I guess it's good business for Apple to give the $100 gift card since it will inevitably create more Apple Store customers from the early adopters... ... but I kind of wish Apple hadn't caved to all the whiners.