Bez
Sep 11, 11:43 AM
A wi-fi enabled NAS-box that sits next to your TV. It will be able to play files firectly to the telly, without your computer being on.
It will be controlled by a thing that looks just like an iPod. This wi-fi device gives you access to your media, using an iPod-like menu structure. This remote tells the NAS-box what to play. Video is not streamed wirelessly, since that requires too much bandwidth. Instead, the NAS-box is connected directly to the TV.
But the NAS box can also stream audio, via Airport Express, to hi-fis. Multiple strreams can be supported, and additional remotes can be added to the system to enable users in different parts of the house to listen to different things.
You computer need not be on for all this to operate. Although it is needed for management and perhaps downloading.
I know this because I emailled Apple a year or two back to suggest it. And its such an ace idea, I am sure they listened.
:)
(Edited for typos)
It will be controlled by a thing that looks just like an iPod. This wi-fi device gives you access to your media, using an iPod-like menu structure. This remote tells the NAS-box what to play. Video is not streamed wirelessly, since that requires too much bandwidth. Instead, the NAS-box is connected directly to the TV.
But the NAS box can also stream audio, via Airport Express, to hi-fis. Multiple strreams can be supported, and additional remotes can be added to the system to enable users in different parts of the house to listen to different things.
You computer need not be on for all this to operate. Although it is needed for management and perhaps downloading.
I know this because I emailled Apple a year or two back to suggest it. And its such an ace idea, I am sure they listened.
:)
(Edited for typos)
Joshuarocks
Apr 7, 10:35 AM
Wow I'm suprised that people. Are saying it sucks before its out. Could anyone tell me why excatly its a bad product. Seems that it will be great for enteprise with the bb bridge.
By now you should know that Apple is a greedy company, just wanting to hurt others and bankrupt several in the process.. its corporate america at its best.. hopefully NOT FOR TOO LONG.
By now you should know that Apple is a greedy company, just wanting to hurt others and bankrupt several in the process.. its corporate america at its best.. hopefully NOT FOR TOO LONG.
Lepton
Nov 26, 05:22 PM
Listen my children. Take a Sony PSP. Chop off the two ends with the game controls, leaving just the screen. This is the form factor. Remove the Sony drive put in a hard disk and infrared port and touch sensitivity. Leave the WiFi, removable rechargable battery, USB 2, headphone.
This is pocketable. It runs OSX. It is 'the' video iPod. It is a smart remote. It is an Apple Remote Desktop device that can control ANY Mac over WiFi or the Internet from anywhere.
Now add quad GSM and you have the Apple iPhone. I'm tellin' ya. $500.
And, Apple becomes a cellular carrier using that huge enormous data center they just bought. The phone works on any carrier but with Apple yoiu get all you can eat high speed Internet, perfect iSync, music/video downloads/purchase, ARD and so on.
This is pocketable. It runs OSX. It is 'the' video iPod. It is a smart remote. It is an Apple Remote Desktop device that can control ANY Mac over WiFi or the Internet from anywhere.
Now add quad GSM and you have the Apple iPhone. I'm tellin' ya. $500.
And, Apple becomes a cellular carrier using that huge enormous data center they just bought. The phone works on any carrier but with Apple yoiu get all you can eat high speed Internet, perfect iSync, music/video downloads/purchase, ARD and so on.
0815
Apr 5, 02:47 PM
Maybe now Apple realizes that they must allow some things on their devices like themes. Or not...
What makes you think this? Because Toyota pulled it after Apple asked them friendly to do so?
What makes you think this? Because Toyota pulled it after Apple asked them friendly to do so?
xPismo
Jul 21, 10:25 PM
Regarding hot laptops:
Tell me about it!
Add a pro book that lasts ~5hours and I'd be one happy man. Lets hope Apple can crack the heat / battery / weight triangle of pain this time around.
Tell me about it!
Add a pro book that lasts ~5hours and I'd be one happy man. Lets hope Apple can crack the heat / battery / weight triangle of pain this time around.
SiliconAddict
Nov 22, 11:16 PM
Palm makes nothing but garbage.
The management of the company, in fact, was so pathetic that they ended up selling out to big MS and making PPC-based phones like everyone else. Ever since that day, I have no interest for any of the garbage they make - and I was lusting after their stupid overpriced and ugly PDA phones before they made that decision.
They sold out to MS because the idiots at Palm couldn't find their butt with a flashlight and both hands. Seriously in 2001 the CEO of Palm stood infront of a crowd at CES and stated our users don't want color, sound etc. It was the beginning of the end because by the time they figured out that yes. Not only do users want color and sound they also want the ability to multitask. Something that POS (Notice that Palm OS and Peice of **** share the same acronym.) STILL to this day doesn't really do. Well it sort of does it in a craptacular manner. My point is Palm doomed them selves because they had management who didn't have a clue or simply didn't have the resources to really revamp the OS from the ground up. I'm willing to bet there is legacy code in POS that dates back to v1. Because POS never had its OS X its Windows 2000. It never had its rewrite. All Palm has been doing is slapping on a new addition to the house and calling it NEW and improved!
It isn't. It sucks and the Pocket PC or Windows Mobile (ick I hate that name.) kicks the living snot out of POS right now in pretty much every way imaginable. Heck Palm is so lost that they are trying to pull an Apple. they purchased some *nix company in China that has experience with mobile versions of *nix and right now is trying to migrate POS over to a *nix flavor of OS.
Unfortunately unlike Apple its too little, too late.
Palm went to Windows because they didn't want to stay stuck in the mobile equivalent of DOS.
The management of the company, in fact, was so pathetic that they ended up selling out to big MS and making PPC-based phones like everyone else. Ever since that day, I have no interest for any of the garbage they make - and I was lusting after their stupid overpriced and ugly PDA phones before they made that decision.
They sold out to MS because the idiots at Palm couldn't find their butt with a flashlight and both hands. Seriously in 2001 the CEO of Palm stood infront of a crowd at CES and stated our users don't want color, sound etc. It was the beginning of the end because by the time they figured out that yes. Not only do users want color and sound they also want the ability to multitask. Something that POS (Notice that Palm OS and Peice of **** share the same acronym.) STILL to this day doesn't really do. Well it sort of does it in a craptacular manner. My point is Palm doomed them selves because they had management who didn't have a clue or simply didn't have the resources to really revamp the OS from the ground up. I'm willing to bet there is legacy code in POS that dates back to v1. Because POS never had its OS X its Windows 2000. It never had its rewrite. All Palm has been doing is slapping on a new addition to the house and calling it NEW and improved!
It isn't. It sucks and the Pocket PC or Windows Mobile (ick I hate that name.) kicks the living snot out of POS right now in pretty much every way imaginable. Heck Palm is so lost that they are trying to pull an Apple. they purchased some *nix company in China that has experience with mobile versions of *nix and right now is trying to migrate POS over to a *nix flavor of OS.
Unfortunately unlike Apple its too little, too late.
Palm went to Windows because they didn't want to stay stuck in the mobile equivalent of DOS.
mmoosa
Apr 20, 06:31 AM
Boring. I see a lot of people jump ship. :D me to wp7
sick of those notifications, boring same ol design etc.
sick of those notifications, boring same ol design etc.
Cobrien
Jul 30, 12:15 PM
Oh, more rumours are coming in, my previous dog's owners' great granddaughter has told me about a new iPod, as much as I would like this to be true, it's not going to be.
Eidorian
Jul 22, 09:56 PM
Does this current set of chips include some very low power consumption chips for use in the Apple ultra-portable I want so badly?:confused:No
lilo777
Apr 18, 04:54 PM
lol I take it you DO think they look very similar. I see that they both use icons in a grid format. So tell me, what exactly are you suggesting would give LG the grounds for any kind of lawsuit? Or is it just the icons and grid (the rest of which has been done with phone interfaces before)?
And if you still think LG would theoretically have a case, refer to babbit's post:
I am not suggesting that LG has any merits for such lawsuit at all. I am suggesting the opposite - that Apple does not have any merits either.
And if you still think LG would theoretically have a case, refer to babbit's post:
I am not suggesting that LG has any merits for such lawsuit at all. I am suggesting the opposite - that Apple does not have any merits either.
carlos700
Aug 7, 04:56 PM
The NVIDIA GeForce 7300 GT is cool with me. It is actually based on the same chip the GeForce 7600 GT is, just with 4 Pixel Pipelines disabled. It should have been called the GeForce 7600 LE since it is closer to the 7600 than it is to the other 7300s, but whatever...
Umbongo
Apr 21, 06:00 PM
http://www.macrumors.com/2011/04/21/apple-developing-narrower-rackmountable-mac-pro-prototypes/
It makes a lot of sense. Quietly cooling two CPUs, a high-end GPU, 8 DIMMs and multiple drives in such a form factor makes me a little dubious. That and it seems pure hearsay on the part of 9 to 5 mac.
Mods please don't lock this, discussion of Mac Pro related articles in the main news section is really hard to have as 90% of the posts are by people who have little interest or knowledge in the topic.
It makes a lot of sense. Quietly cooling two CPUs, a high-end GPU, 8 DIMMs and multiple drives in such a form factor makes me a little dubious. That and it seems pure hearsay on the part of 9 to 5 mac.
Mods please don't lock this, discussion of Mac Pro related articles in the main news section is really hard to have as 90% of the posts are by people who have little interest or knowledge in the topic.
QuarterSwede
Nov 24, 08:13 AM
Yet the hardware arm of Palm has said it might not buy the new sytem from the software arm.
That's like shooting yourself in the foot! Morons!
That's like shooting yourself in the foot! Morons!
miles01110
Aug 4, 08:30 AM
I think I remeber reading that exact point in an interview with an Intel exec - they like the way Apple can bring a product to market quickly, and use innovative technologies in their chips before anyone else.
We like it too...the main problem is that it's usually not soon enough!
We like it too...the main problem is that it's usually not soon enough!
ImNoSuperMan
Sep 11, 06:51 AM
Apple has over 150 stores in US(or is it 250?). So is it possible if someone wants to Buy or rent a movie he just goes to any of these stores(which will have Optic fibre connectivity with the online store) and download the desired movie on his iPod/Laptop/mini taking no more than 10 minutes. Now this might not sound that great but it should definitely up the sales of iFlicks by atleast 10-15% IMO. All these stores are located in prime locations in big cities. There is a huge number of footfalls in and around these stores. I dont live in US. But if I did and had such a store nearby I`d definitely be renting/buying atleast thrice as much movies than I`d otherwise even if I had a 10 Mbps connection.
It`s just a thought and it might not really be possible. But if possible it can be one of those nice little extras which can help Apple gain on Amazon.
It`s just a thought and it might not really be possible. But if possible it can be one of those nice little extras which can help Apple gain on Amazon.
ShiftyPig
Apr 25, 09:05 AM
How can that person say a Droid does not track him? Traffic data on Google Maps is a manifestation of Google tracking your phone :rolleyes:
zero2dash
Aug 7, 03:30 PM
I'm excited but disappointed at the same time.
It's nice to see some of the things they're incorporating into Leopard, and it's great to finally see a physical MacPro and read a spec sheet. You get a lot of processing power for the money, no doubt.
On the flipside -
the base video card is pretty meh. Additional HD options are ridiculously limited; you can only add 500g ones (no 250) for 2nd/3rd/4th HD. Base price on the dual 2.6 is..ok I guess. I join many others when I say I was hoping for lower cost but we'll see if they deliver a high end iMac with a Core 2 in the next few months.
Congrats to all the early adopters; I'm envious. :)
But I think the waiting game is best, even though it sucks. Then again I don't have the necessary funds so it's excusable. I'll be waiting til next year around the time Leopard launches I think and then I'll buy...mmm something. :D (Depends on what these are going for and also if we see any Core 2 iMacs.)
All in all though, way to go Apple...you've got yourself another customer. I can't wait to be able to use some of the new features in Leopard.
It's nice to see some of the things they're incorporating into Leopard, and it's great to finally see a physical MacPro and read a spec sheet. You get a lot of processing power for the money, no doubt.
On the flipside -
the base video card is pretty meh. Additional HD options are ridiculously limited; you can only add 500g ones (no 250) for 2nd/3rd/4th HD. Base price on the dual 2.6 is..ok I guess. I join many others when I say I was hoping for lower cost but we'll see if they deliver a high end iMac with a Core 2 in the next few months.
Congrats to all the early adopters; I'm envious. :)
But I think the waiting game is best, even though it sucks. Then again I don't have the necessary funds so it's excusable. I'll be waiting til next year around the time Leopard launches I think and then I'll buy...mmm something. :D (Depends on what these are going for and also if we see any Core 2 iMacs.)
All in all though, way to go Apple...you've got yourself another customer. I can't wait to be able to use some of the new features in Leopard.
Clive At Five
Nov 26, 02:42 PM
After time-and-time-again of seeing no Apple tablet (even after following "Next MWSF, 100% for sure!" rumors) I've been convinced that there won't be one. As everyone is saying, the Tablet PC is dead... or, if anything, is being replaced by laptops whose screens turn around at the neck.
What does anyone need a tablet for anyway? If the demand is for a $300 - $600 portable, there is WAY more demand for a MacBook Mini than a tablet. Plus, how would you protect that screen?? Laptops have distinct advantages over tablets... the main ones being that they are durable and versatile. Tablets are clumsy and weak.
I would be SERIOUSLY surprised if Apple debuted a tablet
-Clive
What does anyone need a tablet for anyway? If the demand is for a $300 - $600 portable, there is WAY more demand for a MacBook Mini than a tablet. Plus, how would you protect that screen?? Laptops have distinct advantages over tablets... the main ones being that they are durable and versatile. Tablets are clumsy and weak.
I would be SERIOUSLY surprised if Apple debuted a tablet
-Clive
Erasmus
Aug 4, 07:35 AM
I do not believe that Apple should wait to announce their new 64 bit systems. They should (and could) give promos of complete overhauls of their entire Mac lineup. (Final propaganda for iMac Ultra)
I think that Apple should concentrate on getting lots of switchers. Apple probably care about us old "maccies", because, of course, it is very rare for a mac user to change to using the Operating System That Must Not Be Named.
I therefore think Apple promoing iMacs, Macbooks, MBPs, MPs, MMs, etc. would be in their best interest, as potential switchers would know that Apple intends to bring out cool machines as soon as they can, if not immediately. Sure, it would impact on initial sales, as no-one would buy any of their computers between then and the shipping date, however, Apple would catch many fence-sitters who would otherwise bite the bullet and buy a much cheaper (and much more pathetic) PC after Steve's Keynote.
Wining Switchers should be Apple's goal now.
I think that Apple should concentrate on getting lots of switchers. Apple probably care about us old "maccies", because, of course, it is very rare for a mac user to change to using the Operating System That Must Not Be Named.
I therefore think Apple promoing iMacs, Macbooks, MBPs, MPs, MMs, etc. would be in their best interest, as potential switchers would know that Apple intends to bring out cool machines as soon as they can, if not immediately. Sure, it would impact on initial sales, as no-one would buy any of their computers between then and the shipping date, however, Apple would catch many fence-sitters who would otherwise bite the bullet and buy a much cheaper (and much more pathetic) PC after Steve's Keynote.
Wining Switchers should be Apple's goal now.
dukebound85
Apr 10, 06:02 PM
I don't see how you can say that. None the less how anyone can confidently answer this question.
You arrive at 288 by multiplying 48/2 * (9+3), but that is assuming multiplication is the implied operator.
Multiplication is always what you do when there is a term directly adjacent the ()
balamw & dukebound85:
You guys are making too many assumptions.
Following your thought process, the original post is not properly written then?
No assumptions are being made to get 288, but assumptions are being made to get 2. That is the point
There is nothing wrong with how the original post is written from a mathematical point of view as it produces a definite result.
However, if the author of the equation meant for all that to be under the denominator, it is not properly written.
If he did not mean for it to be, it is written in a proper manner but could be written in a clearer form such as (48/2)(9+3). However, that is identical to 48/2(9+3)
You arrive at 288 by multiplying 48/2 * (9+3), but that is assuming multiplication is the implied operator.
Multiplication is always what you do when there is a term directly adjacent the ()
balamw & dukebound85:
You guys are making too many assumptions.
Following your thought process, the original post is not properly written then?
No assumptions are being made to get 288, but assumptions are being made to get 2. That is the point
There is nothing wrong with how the original post is written from a mathematical point of view as it produces a definite result.
However, if the author of the equation meant for all that to be under the denominator, it is not properly written.
If he did not mean for it to be, it is written in a proper manner but could be written in a clearer form such as (48/2)(9+3). However, that is identical to 48/2(9+3)
DrDomVonDoom
Apr 6, 06:15 PM
-Sync wirelessly (No more messing with that iTunes syncing madness)
-SD Card (Expandable storage)
-File manager (Operates more like a PC)
-Can actually attach files in the stock E-Mail app (IPad cannot)
-Photo file management in stock photo app (Not possible in iPad without iTunes syncing madness)
-USB Port (This is HUGE)
-HDMI (Also pretty huge)
-Decent cameras
-Flash
-UI looks very cool.
Haven`t held a Xoom yet so just working from posted specs..
But I do have an iPad 1. Quite a disappointing experience for a power user.
The games rock though!!
Yet despite all this perfections over the iPad, it struggles to sell 100,000 units. Why? Why is this? Is it JUST the Apple on the back of it? Is it because iOS is so widely adopted, understood and familure? It shouldn't make sense, not to a power user. A power user is someone who deals with 1' and 0's every other, other every day. 1 +1 =2, thats true today, tomarrow and so on so forth. iPad is a anomoly, despite other higher powered, more flexable options its really the only name in the game. The human factor is what comes into factor, its a ameoba, a never ending algorithim of DNA that changes at will, and is persuaded just as easily. Its this Human factor that the iPad is what it is. Somehow Apple's best service is taming the human factor, its something in the DNA of the company that makes its products sell as they do. This annoys power users and lots of Apple Haters, it doesn't make sense, it shouldn't make sense. But outside of motherboards, 1+1=2 doesn't mean much when humans are involved.
-SD Card (Expandable storage)
-File manager (Operates more like a PC)
-Can actually attach files in the stock E-Mail app (IPad cannot)
-Photo file management in stock photo app (Not possible in iPad without iTunes syncing madness)
-USB Port (This is HUGE)
-HDMI (Also pretty huge)
-Decent cameras
-Flash
-UI looks very cool.
Haven`t held a Xoom yet so just working from posted specs..
But I do have an iPad 1. Quite a disappointing experience for a power user.
The games rock though!!
Yet despite all this perfections over the iPad, it struggles to sell 100,000 units. Why? Why is this? Is it JUST the Apple on the back of it? Is it because iOS is so widely adopted, understood and familure? It shouldn't make sense, not to a power user. A power user is someone who deals with 1' and 0's every other, other every day. 1 +1 =2, thats true today, tomarrow and so on so forth. iPad is a anomoly, despite other higher powered, more flexable options its really the only name in the game. The human factor is what comes into factor, its a ameoba, a never ending algorithim of DNA that changes at will, and is persuaded just as easily. Its this Human factor that the iPad is what it is. Somehow Apple's best service is taming the human factor, its something in the DNA of the company that makes its products sell as they do. This annoys power users and lots of Apple Haters, it doesn't make sense, it shouldn't make sense. But outside of motherboards, 1+1=2 doesn't mean much when humans are involved.
bedifferent
Apr 23, 04:46 PM
not the icons the wallpaper
and its Macintosh HD/Library/Desktop pictures
icons are located by clicking get info on an application, then clicking the icon in the window and command+c to copy. open up preview and click file, open from clipbord
LOL was going about it the hardware in CoreServices/Finder.app (which has all the sidebar icons btw). Didn't think it would be the obvious in the Contents of the app. DOH!
Thanks!
Wait, so the desktop wallpaper should be 3200x2000? I'm only seeing 2560x1600. Hmmmm.
Checked out the icons, the largest I see in the App's are 512x512. Strange.
UPDATE: Launchpad.icns shows 1024x1024. Checking app's specific to Lion, just odd some don't have the reported 1024.
and its Macintosh HD/Library/Desktop pictures
icons are located by clicking get info on an application, then clicking the icon in the window and command+c to copy. open up preview and click file, open from clipbord
LOL was going about it the hardware in CoreServices/Finder.app (which has all the sidebar icons btw). Didn't think it would be the obvious in the Contents of the app. DOH!
Thanks!
Wait, so the desktop wallpaper should be 3200x2000? I'm only seeing 2560x1600. Hmmmm.
Checked out the icons, the largest I see in the App's are 512x512. Strange.
UPDATE: Launchpad.icns shows 1024x1024. Checking app's specific to Lion, just odd some don't have the reported 1024.
CalBoy
May 5, 02:27 PM
Sorry it took so long to respond to this; I assure you it took only a second to Google (this is just the first result I found):
http://lamar.colostate.edu/~hillger/pays-off.html
All of that is about the private sector switching to save money on their bottom line, something which I already mentioned should happen (and will without intervention).
The question is if the government mandated the metric system for EVERYTHING, from speed limits on the roads to the measurements on a box of Betty Crocker brownies. Many of these things won't actually lead to any increased economic efficiency because certain products can only be produced locally (say weather reports) and consumed locally. The cost of these industries switching would be quite expensive with no real economic gain because the products and services can't be exported or imported.
Is that wink a small admission of how silly your system really is? :) Sure, the math was simple, but how meaningful are all these crazy fractions? If I actually had to try and picture what these fractions represent, I'd want to convert the denominator into a multiple of 10 first in order to try and picture it. I might note that twice 48 is roughly 100, so I know we're dealing with a bit over 26%. Other fractions could prove more difficult. With the metric system, you never have to do this. You're always dealing with base-10, which is something we all understand and can picture, without having to memorise particular fractions and what they represent.
No the wink was just to say that 1) I would use a calculator, and 2) even if I couldn't, multiplying fractions is not hard at all.
Well, we could certainly argue that international communication would be a LOT simpler if there was only one language � and it would be! However, the reality is, we have a world with not only a diversity of language, but a diversity of culture, and the two are intricately linked. That makes the world a very interesting place, and being able to speak multiple languages would be a wonderful skill to have when travelling and engaging in other cultures. People are generally proud of their heritage, culture and language, and there aren't too many people suggesting the world should lose all of that richness in the interest of conformity. (Well, there are such people, but I think we can agree they're generally pretty scary.)
This is off topic, but language is but one part of culture. Customs, celebrations, and even measures, are all marks of a culture. In the process of colonization and free trade, we've actively destroyed many languages, customs, celebrations, and measures. I think we typically don't consider the loss of a measurement system to be too catastrophic because of the many conveniences that can be had from uniformity. But the same is true for language as well. I think the real reason we tend to gloss over measures is because they are typically easier to learn than a new language. Anthropologically speaking, however, they are very valuable in exploring a culture.
What is different about the US that it can't do likewise? I honestly find it perplexing. Be honest now� Is it because the French invented it?
Ultimately I think it comes down to the fact that the US is one of the few countries that had a great deal of popular sovereignty determine the outcome of whether or not we should switch to the metric system. Most other countries enacted policy through a quiet parliamentary action that was later carried out by agencies or at a time when most people weren't active in politics. Still others had theirs done at the point of a gun.
In the US there are a lot of veto points in the legislative process, making any significant change hard to do. Americans also tend not to have a great deal of respect for the sciences (scientific literacy is appallingly low) so it makes it a tougher pitch to the everyday person. Then there's also the issue that to most it's a solution for a problem that doesn't exist; why should they care about a measurement system when the one they are using right now is working for them?
You're not stepping out onto the moon this time. Just about every other country on the planet (and there are quite a few of them!) have gone before you, and it worked out just fine. Sure, it takes some time, but not as long as you might like to imagine. Let me come back to my own experience� I was born in the 70s, around the time Australia was just starting to transition to the metric system. The older folk may well have had a difficult time with it, but if so I was blissfully unaware of it. I came to learn what an inch was, since most rulers had inches on one side and mm/cm on the other, and people still, to this day, casually talk about their height in feet and the weight of newborn babies in pounds. (Yes, some old habits die hard.) But these sort of things are the exceptions. The transition to metric was so efficient, I, as a first generation growing up with it, didn't even notice there was a transition happening.
Seriously, you should be looking to Australia and other countries with successful transitions and learning from them, instead of just perpetuating all these fanciful stories of how terrible it's going to be to change.
The issue goes beyond just the prescribed time period to shift, however. As I mentioned above, there are a lot of infrastructure concerns. Not to mention that Australia in the 1970s was 13 million people, or about 24 times smaller than the current US population. The only other countries that were on this scale were India and China when they transitioned, and both had much less infrastructure and an already illiterate population that could be trained from the ground up.
Any realistic transition for the US would take decades.
http://lamar.colostate.edu/~hillger/pays-off.html
All of that is about the private sector switching to save money on their bottom line, something which I already mentioned should happen (and will without intervention).
The question is if the government mandated the metric system for EVERYTHING, from speed limits on the roads to the measurements on a box of Betty Crocker brownies. Many of these things won't actually lead to any increased economic efficiency because certain products can only be produced locally (say weather reports) and consumed locally. The cost of these industries switching would be quite expensive with no real economic gain because the products and services can't be exported or imported.
Is that wink a small admission of how silly your system really is? :) Sure, the math was simple, but how meaningful are all these crazy fractions? If I actually had to try and picture what these fractions represent, I'd want to convert the denominator into a multiple of 10 first in order to try and picture it. I might note that twice 48 is roughly 100, so I know we're dealing with a bit over 26%. Other fractions could prove more difficult. With the metric system, you never have to do this. You're always dealing with base-10, which is something we all understand and can picture, without having to memorise particular fractions and what they represent.
No the wink was just to say that 1) I would use a calculator, and 2) even if I couldn't, multiplying fractions is not hard at all.
Well, we could certainly argue that international communication would be a LOT simpler if there was only one language � and it would be! However, the reality is, we have a world with not only a diversity of language, but a diversity of culture, and the two are intricately linked. That makes the world a very interesting place, and being able to speak multiple languages would be a wonderful skill to have when travelling and engaging in other cultures. People are generally proud of their heritage, culture and language, and there aren't too many people suggesting the world should lose all of that richness in the interest of conformity. (Well, there are such people, but I think we can agree they're generally pretty scary.)
This is off topic, but language is but one part of culture. Customs, celebrations, and even measures, are all marks of a culture. In the process of colonization and free trade, we've actively destroyed many languages, customs, celebrations, and measures. I think we typically don't consider the loss of a measurement system to be too catastrophic because of the many conveniences that can be had from uniformity. But the same is true for language as well. I think the real reason we tend to gloss over measures is because they are typically easier to learn than a new language. Anthropologically speaking, however, they are very valuable in exploring a culture.
What is different about the US that it can't do likewise? I honestly find it perplexing. Be honest now� Is it because the French invented it?
Ultimately I think it comes down to the fact that the US is one of the few countries that had a great deal of popular sovereignty determine the outcome of whether or not we should switch to the metric system. Most other countries enacted policy through a quiet parliamentary action that was later carried out by agencies or at a time when most people weren't active in politics. Still others had theirs done at the point of a gun.
In the US there are a lot of veto points in the legislative process, making any significant change hard to do. Americans also tend not to have a great deal of respect for the sciences (scientific literacy is appallingly low) so it makes it a tougher pitch to the everyday person. Then there's also the issue that to most it's a solution for a problem that doesn't exist; why should they care about a measurement system when the one they are using right now is working for them?
You're not stepping out onto the moon this time. Just about every other country on the planet (and there are quite a few of them!) have gone before you, and it worked out just fine. Sure, it takes some time, but not as long as you might like to imagine. Let me come back to my own experience� I was born in the 70s, around the time Australia was just starting to transition to the metric system. The older folk may well have had a difficult time with it, but if so I was blissfully unaware of it. I came to learn what an inch was, since most rulers had inches on one side and mm/cm on the other, and people still, to this day, casually talk about their height in feet and the weight of newborn babies in pounds. (Yes, some old habits die hard.) But these sort of things are the exceptions. The transition to metric was so efficient, I, as a first generation growing up with it, didn't even notice there was a transition happening.
Seriously, you should be looking to Australia and other countries with successful transitions and learning from them, instead of just perpetuating all these fanciful stories of how terrible it's going to be to change.
The issue goes beyond just the prescribed time period to shift, however. As I mentioned above, there are a lot of infrastructure concerns. Not to mention that Australia in the 1970s was 13 million people, or about 24 times smaller than the current US population. The only other countries that were on this scale were India and China when they transitioned, and both had much less infrastructure and an already illiterate population that could be trained from the ground up.
Any realistic transition for the US would take decades.
fkntotalkaos
May 7, 06:18 PM
about time.... Google was becoming more popular. I was a .mac person, but that $99 price per year was idiotic. I remember when .mac was free.
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