Bibulous
Sep 10, 11:04 PM
$3-4.99 rentals of brand new movies would be awesome. Otherwise, "meh"
I can't get to excited about this, it will take me 10 hours to download 2GB :eek:
I can't get to excited about this, it will take me 10 hours to download 2GB :eek:
TalonFlyer
Dec 2, 04:39 PM
TalonFlyer..
Here is how I grade the Car Kit (1-10):
Mounting: 8
Rotation: 7
Articulation: 3
Hands-Free: 4 (Weak, speaker is facing away from you, VOX'ing problem)
GPS: 6 (Only very slightly better that the built in GPS)
Compatibility: 3 (Can't use iPod Touch)
Bluetooth: 2 (Phone will not pair until docked, can't pair with other devices)
Overall it's a $79.00 retail mount with a questionable hands-free, only a small incremental change in GPS accuracy and a useless bluetooth implementation. I'll give it a generous 5 out of 10 for now.
*************************************************************
Nice review, and thanks. It sounds like you might have gotten a unit that is sub par. The rotation and articulation of the car kit in many of the Youtube videos seems very tight, very solid with strong mounting. Did it just loosen up over that short time or did it start out not so great? Maybe send it back?
I thought I remember reading that the Handsfree Bluetooth is duplex so I'm also not sure where your issue comes from. That said, I may get that as a separate item on the visor of my car if its below quality. I have another car with a BluAnt unit in it and its terrific.
Also, there are now several places where you can order the car kit for much less money. I have an order into BTL for $87 which sounds like a more reasonable price for the unit. I'm sure it will continue to drop.
Thanks again!
I updated my post and yesterday I returned the Car Kit.
This is a slick looking mount with to many functional limitations.
I exchanged the car kit and had the same hands-free issues.
What I noticed after many calls is that there is a GATE circuit (similar to an AGC (Automatic Gain Control) circuit) that is turning off the speaker most likely to reduce background noise. The problem is that this GATING is causing the audio to be choppy making it very difficult to hear your call.
The useless hands-free along with other limitations make it far to expensive to just sit around and charge the phone.
You cannot mount it on you dash due to the off-center swivel making it impossible to rotate it vertical (unless the mount is hanging over the edge a little).
Why the bluetooth does not connect until docked does not make any sense and makes it even less valuable.
Having to remove the case every time is a real pain as well.
Why do you need a different unit for the iPod touch? The connection is the same and if the little pins retracted it would work.
They did a great job getting everyone excited, but then Bernie Madoff did also.
The bottom line, it's not worth it, get something else.
Here is how I grade the Car Kit (1-10):
Mounting: 8
Rotation: 7
Articulation: 3
Hands-Free: 4 (Weak, speaker is facing away from you, VOX'ing problem)
GPS: 6 (Only very slightly better that the built in GPS)
Compatibility: 3 (Can't use iPod Touch)
Bluetooth: 2 (Phone will not pair until docked, can't pair with other devices)
Overall it's a $79.00 retail mount with a questionable hands-free, only a small incremental change in GPS accuracy and a useless bluetooth implementation. I'll give it a generous 5 out of 10 for now.
*************************************************************
Nice review, and thanks. It sounds like you might have gotten a unit that is sub par. The rotation and articulation of the car kit in many of the Youtube videos seems very tight, very solid with strong mounting. Did it just loosen up over that short time or did it start out not so great? Maybe send it back?
I thought I remember reading that the Handsfree Bluetooth is duplex so I'm also not sure where your issue comes from. That said, I may get that as a separate item on the visor of my car if its below quality. I have another car with a BluAnt unit in it and its terrific.
Also, there are now several places where you can order the car kit for much less money. I have an order into BTL for $87 which sounds like a more reasonable price for the unit. I'm sure it will continue to drop.
Thanks again!
I updated my post and yesterday I returned the Car Kit.
This is a slick looking mount with to many functional limitations.
I exchanged the car kit and had the same hands-free issues.
What I noticed after many calls is that there is a GATE circuit (similar to an AGC (Automatic Gain Control) circuit) that is turning off the speaker most likely to reduce background noise. The problem is that this GATING is causing the audio to be choppy making it very difficult to hear your call.
The useless hands-free along with other limitations make it far to expensive to just sit around and charge the phone.
You cannot mount it on you dash due to the off-center swivel making it impossible to rotate it vertical (unless the mount is hanging over the edge a little).
Why the bluetooth does not connect until docked does not make any sense and makes it even less valuable.
Having to remove the case every time is a real pain as well.
Why do you need a different unit for the iPod touch? The connection is the same and if the little pins retracted it would work.
They did a great job getting everyone excited, but then Bernie Madoff did also.
The bottom line, it's not worth it, get something else.
techpr
May 7, 11:58 AM
Beter not be free or the SPAMMERS will get a new domain name to SPAM with. If Apple is going to do something is lower the price but NOT free.
My MobileMe experience has been great.
My MobileMe experience has been great.
baleensavage
Apr 26, 02:50 PM
This is hardly surprising considering only Apple manufactures iOS phones and new Android phones are coming out each week. What's clear from this data is RIM and the others are quickly on their way out and many of those people are buying Android phones. But I do agree with others that Apple needs to start upping their game to compete. They should start with a low-end phone that has a smaller non-retina display and a few less other features that could get iOS devices into the hands of those that won't buy an expensive smartphone.
topherchris
Sep 11, 03:31 PM
Nobody else seems interested, so they must have already seen it, but I have not. That's pretty interesting.
no. THIS is interesting (though old)
http://mammals.org/
no. THIS is interesting (though old)
http://mammals.org/
HiRez
May 4, 05:57 PM
cons: what if i want to format the hard drive and restart from scratch? or even just archive and install? what if i completely replace my hard drive? what if i want to sell my mac and get a new one, would i retain the license or would the buyer get it? how would they reinstall the OS after I wipe the hard drive? how long is this going to take to download? will we be able and authorized to burn our own install DVDs from the downloaded software?
It'd be cool for Apple to start building a small, fast SSD "drive" (memory chips) into every Mac, that would be dedicated to the core System, and only the System. Small enough to be inexpensive, large enough to easily accommodate current and future System files, fast enough to be faster than any current hard drive. Make the drive say 32-64 GB, with two partitions. One partition holds the installed System, the other partition is just scratch space for downloaded and uninstalled software, including the System itself. Possibly this partition contains some minimal boot system in order to re-download and install the package from the app store in case the installation gets botched.
It'd be cool for Apple to start building a small, fast SSD "drive" (memory chips) into every Mac, that would be dedicated to the core System, and only the System. Small enough to be inexpensive, large enough to easily accommodate current and future System files, fast enough to be faster than any current hard drive. Make the drive say 32-64 GB, with two partitions. One partition holds the installed System, the other partition is just scratch space for downloaded and uninstalled software, including the System itself. Possibly this partition contains some minimal boot system in order to re-download and install the package from the app store in case the installation gets botched.
DeaconGraves
May 4, 06:00 PM
i "predict" the next car i buy will have four wheels.
i don't "predict" that Lion will be handled the same as every other App Store product, but there's reason to believe it will be, and that's a cause for concern.
please stop putting words in my mouth.
But that's the point, there is no reason to believe that it will be handled like every other app. Because it's not an app!
Your car analogy is perfect. If all cars have four wheels, and your next vehicle is a car, then you can logically predict it has four wheels.
But if all cars have four wheels, and your next vehcile is a Segway, you can't conclude that the Segway will have four wheels. Because its not a car.
You can't logically predict that Lion on the App Store will have to follow the rules of the other Apps. Lion does not fit the definition of any other product currently on the store. It's an operating system with different issues to deal with than a simple app.
As I mentioned previously, I can't conclude that it will be handled differently, but I also can't conclude it will be handled the same. I can only guess that Apple recognizes the issue regarding system restore and will handle it in some fashion.
i don't "predict" that Lion will be handled the same as every other App Store product, but there's reason to believe it will be, and that's a cause for concern.
please stop putting words in my mouth.
But that's the point, there is no reason to believe that it will be handled like every other app. Because it's not an app!
Your car analogy is perfect. If all cars have four wheels, and your next vehicle is a car, then you can logically predict it has four wheels.
But if all cars have four wheels, and your next vehcile is a Segway, you can't conclude that the Segway will have four wheels. Because its not a car.
You can't logically predict that Lion on the App Store will have to follow the rules of the other Apps. Lion does not fit the definition of any other product currently on the store. It's an operating system with different issues to deal with than a simple app.
As I mentioned previously, I can't conclude that it will be handled differently, but I also can't conclude it will be handled the same. I can only guess that Apple recognizes the issue regarding system restore and will handle it in some fashion.
koobcamuk
Mar 29, 07:36 PM
Hard for me, even as an Apple fan, to weep too much for a company that chooses to do business overseas isntead of here in America, employing Americans.
Hopefully the situation in Japan improves -- for reasons beyond this.
Oh do shut up. America doesn't have the technology. Furthermore, I am sure prices of your beloved Apple products would increase almost tenfold if Apple didn't have to pay Chinese peasants to make your shiny toys.
Hopefully the situation in Japan improves -- for reasons beyond this.
Oh do shut up. America doesn't have the technology. Furthermore, I am sure prices of your beloved Apple products would increase almost tenfold if Apple didn't have to pay Chinese peasants to make your shiny toys.
Keebler
Aug 7, 04:08 PM
love it love it love it...wish i had some cash for i would plunk it down on a new one right now.
love the 4 bay internal HDs...very sweet. cost savings right there of not buying externals
processors cool
2 opticals...very nice...shows expandability to bluray in the future and/or another dvd burner.
i see posts, yet again, screaming for a mid range tower and then they argue for mid range pcs. for the price of the 2.0 processors, you can get a mac pro for just over 2 Gs.
what people quickly...so very quickly seem to forget are the intangibles such as:
increased workflow - how anyone could possibly argue that working on windows xp is faster than os x is beyond me. colour coded folders and items; expose; spotlight; drop and dragging items etc.. etc.. etc..
stability - no crashes...things run very smooth compared to a peecee world.
for anybody working on these machines, these 2 factors are HUGE. saved time = saved money = more projects done = more billable hours
i can't understand why graphic designers/ video and photo folks would want to work on a pc.. macs are the way to go.
these are intangibles which allow me to work faster, which saves me money. unfortunately, there is no up front cost associated for these so when ppl start looking at a 'lack of mid range'...they forget the additional savings and VALUE which you could say are 'built in'.
wrt to the gaming issue, from what i understand, macs are great for gaming. personally, i wouldn't own a personal computer for just one thing. that sounds pretty darn silly. i'd like it to be multi-functional. if anyone has the cash to have a machine just for gaming, they could surely afford a mac then b/c they must have some cash...
love the 4 bay internal HDs...very sweet. cost savings right there of not buying externals
processors cool
2 opticals...very nice...shows expandability to bluray in the future and/or another dvd burner.
i see posts, yet again, screaming for a mid range tower and then they argue for mid range pcs. for the price of the 2.0 processors, you can get a mac pro for just over 2 Gs.
what people quickly...so very quickly seem to forget are the intangibles such as:
increased workflow - how anyone could possibly argue that working on windows xp is faster than os x is beyond me. colour coded folders and items; expose; spotlight; drop and dragging items etc.. etc.. etc..
stability - no crashes...things run very smooth compared to a peecee world.
for anybody working on these machines, these 2 factors are HUGE. saved time = saved money = more projects done = more billable hours
i can't understand why graphic designers/ video and photo folks would want to work on a pc.. macs are the way to go.
these are intangibles which allow me to work faster, which saves me money. unfortunately, there is no up front cost associated for these so when ppl start looking at a 'lack of mid range'...they forget the additional savings and VALUE which you could say are 'built in'.
wrt to the gaming issue, from what i understand, macs are great for gaming. personally, i wouldn't own a personal computer for just one thing. that sounds pretty darn silly. i'd like it to be multi-functional. if anyone has the cash to have a machine just for gaming, they could surely afford a mac then b/c they must have some cash...
Number 41
Apr 20, 07:17 AM
No LTE/4G = No sale
No Antenna Redesign = No sale
No use of quality build materials (read: not glass) = No sale
Sorry, Apple -- I'm not going to sign a 2 year service agreement to buy a phone that has reception issues, is made of a shatter-prone material, and cannot access high-speed data.
There's no point to this update, just like there was no point to the 3GS update. In this case, it's arguably worse because -- given the rollout of 4G/LTE currently ongoing and the publicity surounding the poor antenna of the iP4 -- it's fairly safe to assume that the next iPhone will address at least 2 of the above issues.
No Antenna Redesign = No sale
No use of quality build materials (read: not glass) = No sale
Sorry, Apple -- I'm not going to sign a 2 year service agreement to buy a phone that has reception issues, is made of a shatter-prone material, and cannot access high-speed data.
There's no point to this update, just like there was no point to the 3GS update. In this case, it's arguably worse because -- given the rollout of 4G/LTE currently ongoing and the publicity surounding the poor antenna of the iP4 -- it's fairly safe to assume that the next iPhone will address at least 2 of the above issues.
28monkeys
Apr 23, 06:21 PM
Bogus story because Apple would never fit graphics cards capable of outputting at that res in the iMacs or laptops. Plus I don't think any single monitor can have that resolution that you can buy today?
Do you understand technology?
Do you understand technology?
JackAxe
Apr 18, 05:02 PM
How dare Samsung use a black rectangle with rounded corners! * sarcasm*
milo
May 4, 03:32 PM
I'm only "hung up" on that because that's what everything points to right now.
Except that NOTHING points to that right now. There has never been an OS for sale on the app store before. Assuming that it will be handled exactly the same as an app is lunacy.
This reminds me of the thread a couple weeks back about FCS where the "professional experts" were all ranting because they assumed that since only Final Cut was shown it meant all the other apps in the suite were discontinued, and assumed that any feature that wasn't shown in the presentation was removed from the app.
Except that NOTHING points to that right now. There has never been an OS for sale on the app store before. Assuming that it will be handled exactly the same as an app is lunacy.
This reminds me of the thread a couple weeks back about FCS where the "professional experts" were all ranting because they assumed that since only Final Cut was shown it meant all the other apps in the suite were discontinued, and assumed that any feature that wasn't shown in the presentation was removed from the app.
Eidorian
Mar 29, 02:25 PM
Note that MS is dropping the standalone Zune hardware, and moving the Zune interface into Windows Phone 7.
If your phone can do it all, why make standalone music players?I am stuck in a limbo where I want the phone for everything that it does except the phone part...
If your phone can do it all, why make standalone music players?I am stuck in a limbo where I want the phone for everything that it does except the phone part...
shaolindave
May 4, 05:51 PM
Thank you for making my point for me. Last time I checked you were the one making predictions that Lion was going to be handled in the store exactly like every other app.
All I am saying is that there is no proof to point either way at the moment. But coming to a conclusion that Lion is going to be handled like every other app is like concluding that the iPhone SDK, when released, was going to be exactly like "web apps" were previously.
i "predict" the next car i buy will have four wheels.
i don't "predict" that Lion will be handled the same as every other App Store product, but there's reason to believe it will be, and that's a cause for concern.
please stop putting words in my mouth.
All I am saying is that there is no proof to point either way at the moment. But coming to a conclusion that Lion is going to be handled like every other app is like concluding that the iPhone SDK, when released, was going to be exactly like "web apps" were previously.
i "predict" the next car i buy will have four wheels.
i don't "predict" that Lion will be handled the same as every other App Store product, but there's reason to believe it will be, and that's a cause for concern.
please stop putting words in my mouth.
Friscohoya
May 7, 11:19 AM
It should be free. Further lock people into this ecosystem. Besides, the future is in the cloud...
ARF900
Apr 25, 09:28 AM
They may be preparing but im not holding my breath on this. They havent even gotten retina displays for the iPad yet...
LarryC
Apr 21, 09:22 PM
It's not going to happen. If Apple was still interested in offering a rack mountable system they would have redesigned the X-Serve instead of the Mac Pro.
Where is the logic in dropping a perfectly fine rack-mountable system, because apparently it wasn't sold enough, and then convert the Mac Pro workstation to... a rack-mountable system?! They could've dropped the Mac Pro and rebrand X-Serve to Mac Pro instead. Same result.
He makes a very good point. I do not understand why so many people want to make everything so small. I saw a post recently where a guy wanted Apple to drop the optical drive and use nothing but SSD in the iMac! Maybe I'm getting old and senile, but it makes no sense to me. And SSD's are still too expensive to be practical.
Where is the logic in dropping a perfectly fine rack-mountable system, because apparently it wasn't sold enough, and then convert the Mac Pro workstation to... a rack-mountable system?! They could've dropped the Mac Pro and rebrand X-Serve to Mac Pro instead. Same result.
He makes a very good point. I do not understand why so many people want to make everything so small. I saw a post recently where a guy wanted Apple to drop the optical drive and use nothing but SSD in the iMac! Maybe I'm getting old and senile, but it makes no sense to me. And SSD's are still too expensive to be practical.
Al Coholic
Apr 7, 12:59 PM
I've found most of the time what they do only benefits their coffers.I don't begrudge Apple for looking after their shareholders. (And no other publicly held company for that matter).
It's the kool-aide drinkers that actually buy their crap based on "emotion" and a monkey-see-monkey-do mentality that I don't understand. Somebody needs to do a study on these lemming types and bottle it.
It's the kool-aide drinkers that actually buy their crap based on "emotion" and a monkey-see-monkey-do mentality that I don't understand. Somebody needs to do a study on these lemming types and bottle it.
BRLawyer
Nov 28, 04:31 PM
How do you define a REAL tablet?
A thing the size of a notebook, with an open screen for handwriting...not just like a PDA or vPod.
A thing the size of a notebook, with an open screen for handwriting...not just like a PDA or vPod.
ThemacNub
Apr 10, 06:37 AM
48/2(9+3) Brackets first
48/2(12) Brackets first. Then division, multiplication, addition, subtraction
48/24
2
48/2(12) Brackets first. Then division, multiplication, addition, subtraction
48/24
2
geese
Nov 23, 11:19 AM
I already own Apple and cannot see Rim's advancing any more than a few points on the news.
You own Apple do you? My! You've kept a very low profile!
You own Apple do you? My! You've kept a very low profile!
Creative One
Apr 9, 09:29 PM
The answer is 288. Anyone who think's it is two doesn't know math.
KnightWRX
Apr 11, 07:17 AM
are we still debating over this?
Yes, because the uninitiated that claim this is ambiguous keep popping up. Oh wait...
if we stay to basic math, it depends on how you read the / sign
If you read it as anything other than a division, you need to go back to school.
it is poorly written (or more likely purposely ambiguously written)
Only for those with a lack of understanding of basic math. Again, the problem is not the equation per say, it's the people that don't understand mathematics.
Yes, because the uninitiated that claim this is ambiguous keep popping up. Oh wait...
if we stay to basic math, it depends on how you read the / sign
If you read it as anything other than a division, you need to go back to school.
it is poorly written (or more likely purposely ambiguously written)
Only for those with a lack of understanding of basic math. Again, the problem is not the equation per say, it's the people that don't understand mathematics.