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WSJ on Apple and its obsession with secrecy - Page 2

post #41 of 62
6/29/06 at 1:54pm
Quote:
Originally posted by JeffDM
Magsafe may be a solution to a problem that really didn't exist. It's concievable that the problem exists, but I've never heard much of damage that arises because of a power cord yanking. It may have a second factor in preventing third party power adapters from existing because Apple is reputably not licencing the connector to accessory makers.

Other companies do employ motion sensors, particularly notably IBM and now Lenovo, but you haven't been paying attention because you exclude yourself from that market.

I don't think Apple was the first to make a backlit keyboard, but they do appear to be the only ones to integrate it to a notebook.

I tripped on my friend's Powerbook cord and it landed on the corner with the CD drive. $650.
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post #42 of 62
6/29/06 at 2:01pm
Yeah, MagSafe is certainly a worthwhile luxury. While sure, you try to be careful with where you put your cord, there still exists the possibility that you or one of your friends/family can get tangled in the thing and bring your laptop down with it.
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post #43 of 62
6/29/06 at 2:07pm
My sister tripped on the cord of my Powerbook. The cord pulled out of the connector, leaving the connector in the laptop.
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post #44 of 62
6/29/06 at 2:26pm
Quote:
Originally posted by Placebo
Yeah, MagSafe is certainly a worthwhile luxury. While sure, you try to be careful with where you put your cord, there still exists the possibility that you or one of your friends/family can get tangled in the thing and bring your laptop down with it.

OK, I mispoke. But that's still easilypossible with magsafe especially if the power outlet is on the opposite side as the power plug. I've had some close calls with my MBP, but at least that was over carpet. So it's at best a partial solution to a problem.
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post #45 of 62
6/29/06 at 2:39pm
  • Kickaha
  • Really Fast Typing Member
Which is better than no solution at all.
My brain is hung like a HORSE!
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My brain is hung like a HORSE!
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post #46 of 62
6/29/06 at 3:04pm
Quote:
Originally posted by Kickaha
Which is better than no solution at all.

If someone was under the impression that it was a good solution, then they could get too careless and more than negate the intended effect.
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post #47 of 62
6/29/06 at 3:50pm
  • Kickaha
  • Really Fast Typing Member
I do believe that was one of the original arguments against seat belts as well. Since it wasn't *perfect*, then, y'know, why bother?

Sorry JeffDM, I think you're offbase on this one.

MagSafe is *better than* the old connector for situations of unexpected force pulling on the cord. That's all that matters.
My brain is hung like a HORSE!
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My brain is hung like a HORSE!
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post #48 of 62
6/29/06 at 5:03pm
Quote:
Originally posted by zpapasmurf
Not to be a jackass, but by McGuffin, I think you actually wanted to say surprise.

McGuffin according to dictionary.com

Definition: \tin film, a plot device that has no specific meaning or purpose other than to advance the story; any situation that motivates the action of a film either artificially or substantively; also written MacGuffin

Unless you mean to say that Apple will release hardware with no purpose in order to motivate action.

Yes I know the dictionary definition. I also know it was made up by Hitchcock. I also stand by its use in this context. Think about it.
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post #49 of 62
6/29/06 at 5:05pm
[QUOTE]Originally posted by sunilraman
Quote:
Originally posted by vinney57
.... Not to mention Jon Ive's latest masterpiece of industrial design....


What *has* Ives been up to lately? He seems to have gone under the radar. If we're talking exteriors, Mac Mini, iMac, even for the most part MacBook Pro, it's kinda well, the same. MacBook has some exterior tweaks, and a color change, and well, that's it.

Well he's been working on the video iPod, the handheld, the tablet and the home entertainment system obviously
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post #50 of 62
6/29/06 at 5:36pm
Quote:
Originally posted by vinney57
Well he's been working on the video iPod, the handheld, the tablet and the home entertainment system obviously

You forgot my 10" notebook in there...
Hard-Core.
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Hard-Core.
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post #51 of 62
6/29/06 at 5:41pm
Quote:
Originally posted by JeffDM
Magsafe may be a solution to a problem that really didn't exist. It's concievable that the problem exists, but I've never heard much of damage that arises because of a power cord yanking. It may have a second factor in preventing third party power adapters from existing because Apple is reputably not licencing the connector to accessory makers.

Other companies do employ motion sensors, particularly notably IBM and now Lenovo, but you haven't been paying attention because you exclude yourself from that market.

I don't think Apple was the first to make a backlit keyboard, but they do appear to be the only ones to integrate it to a notebook.

I read general tech news daily like every other tech geek here I guess. Apple gets HUGE coverage in most tech news sites. Probably partly because they know presentation, and most other computer manufacturers don't.

And I have janked the cord by mistake at least a couple of times. Once the pbook actually flew off the desk. Heart stopped. I'm sure every detail that avoids bending and janking improves on long time reliability. But of course it's got other aspects as well as you point out. It doesn't really matter what the top motive is. As far as Apple get less damage report and gets better control over what they sell plus they can present it as a "unique feature" I guess it's enough for them. For me it's enough that I feel a little more relaxed around the power cable.
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post #52 of 62
6/29/06 at 8:31pm
Quote:
Originally posted by JeffDM
Magsafe may be a solution to a problem that really didn't exist. It's concievable that the problem exists, but I've never heard much of damage that arises because of a power cord yanking. It may have a second factor in preventing third party power adapters from existing because Apple is reputably not licencing the connector to accessory makers.

Other companies do employ motion sensors, particularly notably IBM and now Lenovo, but you haven't been paying attention because you exclude yourself from that market.

I don't think Apple was the first to make a backlit keyboard, but they do appear to be the only ones to integrate it to a notebook.

Magsafe:
Every PowerBook I've owned I've had to repair or fix the power adapter end because a cat, a child, or my leg would accidentally pull it sideways bending the thin metal. Magsafe is genius as I never have to worry about that again.

Motion Sensors:
Wrong. IBM/Lenovo put them in the hard drives only. Not the whole computer like Apple.

I am someone who has spent a LOT of time with Thinkpads in the past few months.
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post #53 of 62
6/30/06 at 12:40am
Quote:
Originally posted by Johnny Mozzarella
Ironically, I believe Apple's "Maps" is based on NASA's World Wind project
http://worldwind.arc.nasa.gov/

Apple's "Maps"? There is a dashboard widget based on Google Maps. Do you have a link for Maps?

http://www.apple.com/downloads/dashb...apsviewer.html

Quote:
I love Google Earth but World Wind is heavily used in Education and research and it has sucked not having a Mac client.

World Wind is heavily used in research because to do research with Google Earth costs $100K + $400/seat. Nice piece of software though.

I dunno how quick the World Wind java version will appear...the september date seems optimistic. On the other hand, rumor had it that Sun was helping in some fashion. If Apple helped I'm sure it would go even faster.

Vinea
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post #54 of 62
6/30/06 at 11:07am
JeffDM, I don't want to kick you while you're down, but I've also knocked my PBG4 off the sofa TWICE by yanking the cord, and had a bent connector and a dented case to show for it. Luckily no screen or internal damage (whew!).

It's not a partial solution, it's a whole solution... for some problems. I know it's just semantics, but for the MOST common problem (IMO) of tripping while walking across the cord creating a shear force (off to an angle), it's a GREAT solution. It's actually HARDER to pull the MagSafe out than the old connector if you apply a perpendicular force (straight out), so I usually grab the connector and turn it to one side to remove it.

David
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post #55 of 62
7/1/06 at 6:10am
Quote:
Originally posted by Gm7Cadd9
When I first read this article the first thought that popped into my mind was Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory...

Seriously, I would love to see a well-made parody with a Gene Wilder-like Steve Jobs... Oompa-Loompa-like Apple employees. Slugworth could even be a Bill Gates impersonator.

it's all too perfect...

-Roy

I was not alone in laughing when the glass elevator equipped flagship store was unveiled and Jobs was seen touching the exterior cautiously like the astronauts around the monolith on 2001: A Space Odyssey.

If there's one thing they do right, it's use their cultural references!

Wilder for iCEO!
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post #56 of 62
7/1/06 at 7:03am
I think the Oompa-Loompas are the underpaid Chinese and Taiwanese iPod factory slaves
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post #57 of 62
7/1/06 at 12:57pm
Ye,s and one day Jobs will give out 5 golden tickets hidden in random ipod cases to tour the secret facility... because he can't go on forever and he can't trust an adult to run the factory, so he finds a pure and innocent child to run Apple.
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post #58 of 62
7/2/06 at 1:32pm
Quote:
Originally posted by JeffDM
Magsafe may be a solution to a problem that really didn't exist. It's concievable that the problem exists, but I've never heard much of damage that arises because of a power cord yanking.

Anecdotes aren't data, of course, but I know of two people who had to send their books in for repair after jerking them so hard (tripping over the power cords) that the plug-in connector was ruined.
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post #59 of 62
7/4/06 at 10:12am
Security like that is not a big deal. To get to the research campus at school we have to go through procedures like that. I'm just curious as to what Apple and ANL were going to do. Xserves?
David W.
The University of Texas at Austin
Mechanical Engineering | LBJ School of Public Affairs
www.davidwogan.us
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David W.
The University of Texas at Austin
Mechanical Engineering | LBJ School of Public Affairs
www.davidwogan.us
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post #60 of 62
7/4/06 at 10:24am
Security must really love those build-in isight cameras.
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post #61 of 62
7/4/06 at 11:33am
  • Kickaha
  • Really Fast Typing Member
I was wondering when the iSight-enabled laptops came out, why they weren't on swivel mounts ala the Sony VAIO units. Part of that may be so that you *can't* have the iSight facing out when the laptop is closed. Certainly makes security a bit easier when you can see at a glance whether that camera is covered or not.

Imagine walking through a secure area with your laptop closed, but running, with the camera pointing out, and the mike on, recording everything as you go.
My brain is hung like a HORSE!
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My brain is hung like a HORSE!
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post #62 of 62
7/5/06 at 6:42pm
I bought my MBP just a couple of weeks after tripping over the power cord destroyed the power connector and the screen latch on my PC notebook. The magsafe is definitely a great innovation. However, it's not just ripping the power cord out that's easier, it's also way easier to connect. There's no hunting for the right tiny little hole like on most computers--the magsafe connector finds its own way even if I'm just holding the cord from a few inches back.
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