Author Topic: So Apple really is a religious thing... (Read 28964 times)

40hz · « **Reply #25 on:** May 20, 2011, 07:46 AM »

From some of the comments posted in this thread, I'm beginning to think that in the more affluent levels of society, one's choice of computing platform serves roughly the same social function as tattoos and jive-signs do for inner city street gangs.

Josh · « **Reply #26 on:** May 20, 2011, 07:47 AM »

I have to ask...Was it Apple who predicted the end of the world to occur tomorrow?

40hz · « **Reply #27 on:** May 20, 2011, 08:08 AM »

I have to ask...Was it Apple who predicted the end of the world to occur tomorrow?
-Josh (May 20, 2011, 07:47 AM)

I don't think so. But there's probably an app for it anyway.

-----------
Update: Figures. They do have an app for it!

End Of The World Facts 1.0
Device: iOS iPhone
Category: Lifestyle
Price: Free, Version: 1.0 (iTunes)

Description:

Select the end of the world prediction to display countdown to that date.Features interesting facts about what will happen by then based on current statistics.

Simple and fun.

Fun? $:-\$

superboyac · « **Reply #28 on:** May 20, 2011, 09:11 AM »

Ha!!

Stoic Joker · « **Reply #29 on:** May 20, 2011, 11:25 AM »

I have to ask...Was it Apple who predicted the end of the world to occur tomorrow?
-Josh (May 20, 2011, 07:47 AM)

I don't think so. But there's probably an app for it anyway.

-----------
Update: Figures. They do have an app for it!

End Of The World Facts 1.0
Device: iOS iPhone
Category: Lifestyle
Price: Free, Version: 1.0 (iTunes)

Description:

Select the end of the world prediction to display countdown to that date.Features interesting facts about what will happen by then based on current statistics.

Simple and fun.

Fun? $:-\$
-40hz (May 20, 2011, 08:08 AM)

Sure! World ends tomorrow - Screw the Bills - It's Party Time!!! <-Common sense is not a factor...)

Hay, maybe I could sue Apple ... Count down to the end of the world clock was my idea!

nudone · « **Reply #30 on:** May 20, 2011, 11:27 AM »

Going to watch it on the iPlayer now...

zridling · « **Reply #31 on:** May 20, 2011, 04:30 PM »

Pic unrelated. This just in: The human brain is extremely susceptible to liking the things it likes to like!

___________________
I also think this is what a couple of great 20th century philosophers, Alfred North Whitehead and Martin Heidegger, wrote of in our tendency to mistake novelty for meaning (Whitehead), i.e., "the next new thing" is always better and will always make me better. If not, it will at least make me feel better. Heidegger thought that Technologie, or Technik, lures us into thinking of everything -- even our selves -- as things: "I'm only worth what I own, what I carry, what I have, what I can buy...."

Although I don't fall for gadgets -- a better mousetrap is attractive, look at HDTV for instance. I spend money on the right tools in my garage. Unlike an electronic gadget, however, if the tool is well built and well designed, I never have to buy that tool again in my life. And don't we all have our one hobby or interest that we've spent stupid amounts of money on? (For me, it's books by Proust and about his novel.) I plead guilty as hell.

But this Apple obsession, well, that's just insane, right? ha.

Stoic Joker · « **Reply #32 on:** May 20, 2011, 04:57 PM »

I spend money on the right tools in my garage. Unlike an electronic gadget, however, if the tool is well built and well designed, I never have to buy that tool again in my life.
-zridling (May 20, 2011, 04:30 PM)

Damn Straight! I was a mechanic years ago, and I still have tools that I bought in my teens that are still just as good as they were the day I bought them!

40hz · « **Reply #33 on:** May 20, 2011, 06:40 PM »

^Same goes for most musical instruments and equipment.

All the guitars, basses, percussion and wind instruments, as well as the non-electronic keyboards I've ever purchased are still going strong. Same goes for most of the instrument amplifiers of which virtually all were based on the same simple tube circuit (i.e. Bassman) developed by Leo Fender & Co. back in the 50's. About half of my collection has had previous owners. And barring the eminent end of the universe scheduled for tomorrow evening, most will probably survive me to go on serving their purposes for many years to come.

Which is more than I can say for most of the 'modern' music tech I've owned.

Stoic Joker · « **Reply #34 on:** May 20, 2011, 07:17 PM »

^Same goes for most musical instruments and equipment.
-40hz (May 20, 2011, 06:40 PM)

...And my almost 25 year old Harley Davidson, which is probably worth more now than it sold for new back in 1987.

Renegade · « **Reply #35 on:** May 20, 2011, 07:35 PM »

Which is more than I can say for most of the 'modern' music tech I've owned.
-40hz (May 20, 2011, 06:40 PM)

And that, sadly, is the most telling thing...

Commoditization of products for a consumer economy means building in "breakability" (planned obsolescence) so that people need to go out an buy a new one. e.g. Take the lightbulb and its history.

That has filtered down an become the normal way of doing things.

Engineering is now the art of how to make things last just a tad bit more than the warranty... Anyone have that happen? Something goes out of warranty and a month later, it breaks?

I wish I were insanely rich as I'd love to open a chain of stores called "Forever", with only products that are designed to last as long as possible. I think the shelves would be sparsely stocked though...

On the music gear side... I need to get a new mixer. Thank you very much to the new way of building "quality" products that maintain their quality for the life of the warranty...

Carol Haynes · « **Reply #36 on:** May 21, 2011, 06:17 AM »

Commoditization of products for a consumer economy means building in "breakability" (planned obsolescence) so that people need to go out an buy a new one.
-Renegade (May 20, 2011, 07:35 PM)

Apple have taken it one stage further - change the version number and the product needs to be replaced.

Am I stupid not understanding - I just bought a DVD of Black Swan (fantastic film by the way) but it came with a digital copy that I can watch anywhere. Of course I really want to take a film designed for the cinema that is enjoyable on a large format TV and watch it on my 2.5 " handheld device. Does anyone actually watch a film on an iPod - if so are they mad? I can understand the odd clip on YouTube (which of course you can't do) but feature films - really? I know lots of people who have iPods (sadly) but the only videos they watch are short things off iTunes to prove the device plays video (Apple users don't seem to believe that any other player can play videos) - otherwise they just use them as an expensive MP3 player.

Also Apple pioneered the brilliant strategy of non-changeable batteries - and charge so much to send you someone else's iPod with a new battery that you may as well just go and buy a new one. Given the state of the planet this is pretty much criminally profligate behaviour with limited world resources. Of course other manufacturers have joined the con game.

Even cheap printers are cheaper to throw away than buy a set of ink cartridges - has everyone gone mad?

40hz · « **Reply #37 on:** May 21, 2011, 06:25 AM »

has everyone gone mad?
-Carol Haynes (May 21, 2011, 06:17 AM)

Looks like it from where I'm sitting.

Renegade · « **Reply #38 on:** May 21, 2011, 06:37 AM »

has everyone gone mad?
-Carol Haynes (May 21, 2011, 06:17 AM)

Looks like it from where I'm sitting.
-40hz (May 21, 2011, 06:25 AM)

Yep.

"Save the environment! Recycle. Be environmentally friendly. Just as long as you throw everything out and buy new ones..."

Yeah... F*** that.

1) REDUCE
2) Reuse
3) recycle

What part of that got lost?

40hz · « **Reply #39 on:** May 21, 2011, 06:46 AM »

I wish I were insanely rich as I'd love to open a chain of stores called "Forever", with only products that are designed to last as long as possible. I think the shelves would be sparsely stocked though...
-Renegade (May 20, 2011, 07:35 PM)

I think the only thing there would be a credit card application. Once you use one of those, the monthly statements never seem to go away.
$:-\$

On the music gear side... I need to get a new mixer.

Quasi-OT

Check out the Behringer Eurorack series if you get a chance. Got the suggestion from my godson who recently graduated from the Berklee College of Music in Boston. You would not believe the labs! That school has every piece of music technology known to mankind. (And I suspect a few alien cultures as well!) His major was in music production and engineering - so he knows his boards.

'The B-Euro' is not a Neve or Allen-Heath by any stretch. But it's remarkably good sounding and versatile. Especially for the price. And you don't need a pilot's license to understand it. Very 'classic' design.

I just started working with one and I'm surprised how good it actually is. For live sound reinforcement it's also a good option. And cheap enough that you won't go completely insane if some drunk dumps a pitcher of cream stout over it in the middle of a gig. Maybe it won't get you bragging rights with the equipment snobs. But it will get the job done.

Renegade · « **Reply #40 on:** May 21, 2011, 06:55 AM »

Check out the Behringer Eurorack series if you get a chance
-40hz (May 21, 2011, 06:46 AM)

The one that I've been looking at is this:

http://www.behringer...oducts/X1204USB.aspx

Analog cables & computers just do not mix at the low end. Headphones? Sure. Speakers? Maybe. Anything else? Forget it.

So, USB should solve those problems.

Incidentally, my dead mixer is the Eurorack UB1204FX-Pro. Bought it just before the next series came out.

Figgers... It died during the trip from Korea.

superboyac · « **Reply #41 on:** May 21, 2011, 06:27 PM »

The eurorack has good bang for the buck. I used to have one before I got a Mackie Big Knob. For audio equipment, it's difficult to find that good balance between price and quality. The hardest thing is trying to figure out if the given price justifies the quality. There's so much bullshit in the descriptions and the touted features, it's almost impossible to know. Most of the so-called experts also spew a lot of bullshit. It's hard to know if it's a monster cable type bullshit thing going on or if something truly is expensive because its very good.

A lot of the equipment is also unbalanced in their feature sets. For example, for consumer grade mixers and such, I find that there are too many outputs and not enough inputs. There are a lot of knobs and holes, and it looks like you can do a lot with it, but in the end, it makes me feel like I could have done the same with a few cheapo adapters and cable splicers. There's seems to be a disconnect in the market between industry level studio equipment, and being able to achieve similar results on a consumer level. I would like to see more products that are affordable that offer neat solutions to the typical consumer setup: speakers, computers, and a couple of instruments and mics. But once you start trying to find stuff for your own setup, you'll run into a lot of really frustrating issues. Anyway, I'm always here to poo poo on the party, right?

Renegade · « **Reply #42 on:** May 21, 2011, 10:04 PM »

I'm splitting off the audio stuff here since it's really OT, but a few people are also into audio.

zridling · « **Reply #43 on:** May 21, 2011, 11:04 PM »

With continuous lobbying, groups like the RIAA, MPAA, et al. have waged war on the internet (not just file sharing) by spending billions to get governments to outlaw illegal playing of media, from DMCA to ACTA, and more assaults to follow soon. Now many ebooks have thrown in the mix, with Amazon urging you to buy a restrictive kindle (apple, too), only to secretly retain control of what's on the device whether you like it or not.

This results in where we are -- a subscription-based media consumption model, where you buy everything you like over and over for each different device you ever buy.

No thanks, I'll sit that fraudulent trail of tears out until there are open devices using open formats.

Renegade · « **Reply #44 on:** May 22, 2011, 12:35 AM »

With continuous lobbying, groups like the RIAA, MPAA, et al. have waged war on the internet (not just file sharing) by spending billions to get governments to outlaw illegal playing of media, from DMCA to ACTA, and more assaults to follow soon. Now many ebooks have thrown in the mix, with Amazon urging you to buy a restrictive kindle (apple, too), only to secretly retain control of what's on the device whether you like it or not.

This results in where we are -- a subscription-based media consumption model, where you buy everything you like over and over for each different device you ever buy.

No thanks, I'll sit that fraudulent trail of tears out until there are open devices using open formats.
-zridling (May 21, 2011, 11:04 PM)

It's worse than that. You're paying for each time you download... So you're not really getting a real "license" in the normal sense that we're used to.

We've all heard about people buying things through iTunes, something goes wrong, and they are forced to purchase all their music and videos again.

I have zero sympathy for these people when they complain about piracy. "Oh... Boo hoo... Poor me... My customers are only paying for the products they buy 1x instead of 5x... They're soooo bad!" Yeah... Right. <insert profanity here />

Stoic Joker · « **Reply #45 on:** May 22, 2011, 07:46 AM »

It's really just history repeating itself. We're right back to 1975 as DRM has become the digital equivalent of the grenade prone 8-Track tapes.

Deozaan · « **Reply #46 on:** May 22, 2011, 03:47 PM »

This explains a lot:
http://www.digitaltr...say-neuroscientists/
-JavaJones (May 19, 2011, 11:00 AM)

Either the article was poorly written (by not explaining the scientific process of the study very well), or (in my opinion) the science is bad.

So a (single, one, individual) self-proclaimed Apple fanatic who claims to think about Apple 24 hours each day looks at some Apple related images and parts of his brain light up. The scientists then compare the images of his brain activity to images of brain activity that religious people had when looking at images of religion. And this proves what exactly?

First of all, I know lots of religious people and I doubt any single one of them would claim to think about their religion 24 hours per day as the Apple fanatic does.

Secondly, how is the image of the brain activity any indicator that this is their "non-logical" parts of their brains? Maybe it's the "image-processing and interpretation" part of the brain. You know, from looking at pictures and images and processing them into some kind of meaning.

Admittedly I don't like Apple very much and I enjoy a good Apple bash here and there (they certainly deserve it!) but I'm not convinced by this article and I see it as a lame excuse to bash Apple by taking a single individual who is at the extreme end of the obsession spectrum and applying that to everyone who likes Apple.

That would be like taking the few people who honestly believed the so called rapture would happen yesterday and saying all Christians are as extreme as that.

It's a straw-man argument and doesn't hold up against even the smallest amount of scrutiny.

Renegade · « **Reply #47 on:** May 22, 2011, 04:25 PM »

@Deozaan - True. But it's still funny!

JavaJones · « **Reply #48 on:** May 22, 2011, 04:32 PM »

Aww, you're taking all the fun out of it Deo!

- Oshyan

Renegade · « **Reply #49 on:** May 22, 2011, 04:44 PM »

One thing that truly is fun -- Helping to convert Apple users away from Apple~!

Hehehehehehe~!