wizard69

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  • Arm's new chip architecture will power future devices, possibly including Apple's

    wizard69wizard69
    rob53 said:
    Is Apple required to push their Apple developed ARM designs back to the main ARM design architecture? It appears v9 will include many of the ideas Apple has developed. 

    As for Nvidia buying Arm Ltd there better be a whole lot more investigation into how Nvidia will be allowed to control the architecture and its users before they’re allowed to buy them. 

    This has been a long standing question in my mind, that is how much cooperation is there between ARM and Apple.    I'm literally of the belief that Apple was a big factor in ARMs 64 bit architecture.

    As for the ARM / NVidia deal I think that is already done.   I"m not sure if it si a good thing for ARM long term, however NVIdia can bring a lot of resources to bare on on the 69 bit platform and hopefully drive it towards a more viable processor for builders of PC's.    As for Apple most likely they have a pretty air tight contract.   If Apple was worried they would be pretty loud about the buy out.
    killroywatto_cobra

  • If you can't convert a file into a PDF, maybe you shouldn't be writing laws about technolo...

    wizard69wizard69
    Is anybody surprised???    We have placed into congress some of the biggest idiots in history.    The are people that had to run for public office because they are too stupid to hold a real job.   I really think it is time for a third party to grow enough to displace the current mess of democrats and republicans that have no business being in office.

    Sadly over the last two decades of voting I really have the feeling that I have to choose based on whom will do the least harm to the country and my personal freedom.    It isn't like we are electing people that inspired with intelligence.
    kingofsomewherehotdewmeFileMakerFellerOctoMonkey

  • Apple discontinues full-size HomePod, to focus on HomePod mini

    wizard69wizard69
    This has been a most interesting thread to read and I don't want to leave people with misconceptions about my position.    First off I would welcome Apple into the high end audio equipment industry as they have been the one company most responsible for years of sub par equipment being considered mainstream.   The advent of MP3 players with sub par sound quality really lead to industry taking focus off of hardware that could produce decent sound and instead focused on the MP3 generation that didn't know any better.   It would be great if Apple could undo some of the damage it created in the audio industry and making high fidelity components would have been a good start.

    Unfortunately for us Apple took an approach with Home Pod that was so ignorant of the high fidelity market that I have to wonder if anybody working there has a clue.   For one the market demands inter interoperability!!!!      You can succeed with hardware that doesn't have standard interfaces that work with hardware from other suppliers.   

    The second issue is that the hardware you supply to this market must be usable for decades and repairable.   It isn't uncommon for an amplifier to be recapped several times along with other repairs because they are an investment not a irrational purchase.   Plus (I know this will shock Apple management) repair is good for the environment.   It is not uncommon for quality gear to remain in service for 20-30 years or more.    Personally I have a Marantz receiver, that I purchased when I was 15, that still works even if it needs some work (I'm 60 now).   Frankly Apples hostility towards repair is counter to what is expected from the users.   Honestly are people even going to be able to get a Home Pod repaired next year or in 5, be that DIY or at a qualified shop?

    RF communications, Bluetooth and the like, has its place but the tech is a pretty poor replacement for wired connections.   You need multiple channels of input and frankly some of those should be old fashion analog (yes RCA connections).   Nothing made for the high end world should require that people throw out tons of working equipment, even if that is just a TV.    Wired is just reliable, Bluetooth can be hit or miss even with Apples products, I have not been impressed at all with my IPhone nor other Bluetooth hardware that I've had.   It is great when it works, not so great when you can't get stuff to pair.

    If Apple was smart they would offer up some old fashion speakers and a separate amplifier unit, maybe even a full receiver.    The fact of the matter is that both AM and FM are still popular and  frankly one of the better ways to remain connected to the local community, so yeah lets make it a receiver with AM & FM capability which these days is a trivial cost anyways.   I mean really many
    WiFi chips have FM built right in.   I'm not sure why Apple has such an ignorant view of broadcast, I can listen to the local college station and actually hear about music that I might actually buy from them.   Plus broadcast eliminates bandwidth usage.   In any even lets imagine that Apple offers up a really nice receiver of say 75 watts per channel capable of 7.1(2).   They do a credible job and it can be called hi fidelity, it will not be cheap.   For example something similar to a Marantz SR5015 will set you back (list price) $1200; however you get much much more than Home Pod can offer, you don't have to throw out everything you invested in and it can have Apple tech built in.   Make sure it can be supported and you have an interesting product that actually might appeal to a certain range of buyers.

    I also realize that the hi fi world isn't a massive market like Apple would prefer but maybe they can grow out of their stubbornness and realize that some products don't need to move in the millions to be called a success.   Even Sony was able to navigate this marketing problem over the years with products from Walkman to really good hi fi gear.   All apple needs to do is to avoid the really high end marketing BS that some in this industry has adopted.   Sell an honest product, that will be serviceable for at least 20 years and performs well.    That isn't a lot to ask really.   Oh an by the way yes I know that the speakers would be extra but even here the buyer is already likely to have speakers and if he doesn't will not be adverse to buying a set that will likely last decades.

    In the end it isn't hard for Apple to figure out what people want these days.   The forums are full of opinions, products specs for existing devices are at your finger tips and they could ask me.   Nobody really wants a HomePod it is just a silly product for people easily swayed by Apple reality distortion field.

    canukstormmuthuk_vanalingamanantksundaramAlex1N

  • Apple discontinues full-size HomePod, to focus on HomePod mini

    wizard69wizard69
    gatorguy said:
    wizard69 said:
    darkvader said:
    Hi Homepod, this is iPod Hi-Fi!  Welcome to the discontinued overpriced garbage club!

    It was a stupid product when it was new, it never improved, the price never dropped to anything even remotely close to reasonable, Apple discontinued it. 

    Why would anybody be surprised?  It was a failure from minute 1.

    Exactly!   I can't imagine why anybody would have purchased one to begin with.    To me it was a spy tool that people willingly paid a massive mark up on.
    Wizard, the "always on listening" remains on your local device unless the AI (Google or Apple, doesn't matter) "hears" the keyword for activation. The companies are not listening, only your local device is. 

    You don't know that for sure and frankly some of the reported issues with such devices pretty solidily disagrees with you.   Beyond that it doesn't mean that third parties can't hack into the device to accomplish their goals.   So tell me how can you be absolutely sure at any point in time the device isn't being used to spy on you?    Even cell phones are not completely secure from such spying.
    Alex1N

  • Apple discontinues full-size HomePod, to focus on HomePod mini

    wizard69wizard69
    slurpy said:
    darkvader said:
    Hi Homepod, this is iPod Hi-Fi!  Welcome to the discontinued overpriced garbage club!

    It was a stupid product when it was new, it never improved, the price never dropped to anything even remotely close to reasonable, Apple discontinued it. 

    Why would anybody be surprised?  It was a failure from minute 1.
    What an idiotic post. 

    The vast, vast majority of reviews proclaimed the sound quality to be incredible, and the price was actially resonable when compared to other speakers in its class with the same quality. It's not "garbage" , and Im not sure what universe the price "isn't even remotely close to reasonable". The fucking Google speaker is the same price. Apple discontinued it because it because it wasn't selling at the levels of Apple's other products (ie. astronomically high). Doesn't mean it was a "garbage" or "stupid" product.

    I'm curious why you have such passionate hate towards it? What did it do to you? Pretty much everyone who cared about good sound quality and was in the Apple ecosystem loved it. Your post just sounds like a tired troll. Funny how you have to go back like 2 decades to find another discontinued product to pretend there's some kind of pattern. 

    Actually your response was idiotic and represents a niche that is slowly in decline.   That niche is the group of people that buy whatever Apple offers up no matter how ill conceived or overpriced, it is.

    The product was garbage on day one and I really think the rest of the world said that on day one!   consider:
    1.   Grossly over priced for what it is.
    2.   It is a 24/7 spying device that you willingly place in your home.
    3.   It doesn't work well if at all with other stuff in your home.
    4.   To get stereo operation you need to buy another grossly over priced device.

    This isn't trolling or hate so get your head screwed on straight!   Rather it is a rational evaluation of a consumer product based on experience with consumer products over several decades.    It always amazes me how sheep respond with accusations of hate or trolling when presented with rational thoughts on a product.   Home Pods are a gigantic rip off and a massive security risk, no rational person would have purchased them.

    muthuk_vanalingamanantksundaramcanukstormAI_liasAlex1N