Sodner
Apr 7, 09:30 AM
Ha ha! Way to go Apple!!!! Kill the competition any way you can!!
Apple is doing everyone a favor saving them from the mistake of getting a RIM tablet.
Apple is doing everyone a favor saving them from the mistake of getting a RIM tablet.
gglockner
May 6, 12:52 AM
And let's not forget one thing: Apple moved from 680x0 to PPC and PPC to Intel because each time, the new CPU series offered a major improvement from the previous one. Today, Intel is the biggest innovator across the board in high-end CPUs - for desktop, server and laptops. There is no one on the horizon who can meet or beat Intel.
eawmp1
Apr 21, 03:06 PM
Hopefully the smaller form factor won't cause additional heat dissipation issues.
vampyren
Nov 18, 02:49 AM
Nah, there's no firewall, no anti-spam, no credit card protection - nothing like that. It's just NOD32 for Mac. Both NOD32 and Eset Smart Security Windows licenses should work with it.
Cool and thanks for the clarification. I give it a try tonight.
I do have a key for windows so if it works on my mac simultaneously it would be marvelous :)
Cool and thanks for the clarification. I give it a try tonight.
I do have a key for windows so if it works on my mac simultaneously it would be marvelous :)
toddybody
Mar 31, 09:01 AM
Lol...
So where exactly did I personally insult you?
Ehh, you were a bit snarky:p
That said, people need to thicken their skin a bit...last time i checked sarcasm and subtle jabbing isnt a reportable offense on MR; at least not yet :rolleyes:
So where exactly did I personally insult you?
Ehh, you were a bit snarky:p
That said, people need to thicken their skin a bit...last time i checked sarcasm and subtle jabbing isnt a reportable offense on MR; at least not yet :rolleyes:
Don't panic
May 6, 03:36 PM
Com'on lads! we are waisting precious time.
i just need one volunteer to split off, or one volunteer to lead the group so i split off.
it really is worth to do this as it cuts down on unproductive turns, which means lees varmints to soil our weapons with.
i just need one volunteer to split off, or one volunteer to lead the group so i split off.
it really is worth to do this as it cuts down on unproductive turns, which means lees varmints to soil our weapons with.
bedifferent
Mar 30, 10:56 PM
Application Launcher - Useful for organizing apps
Versions - Useful for those who don't leave an external HDD plugged in at all times such as laptop users.
Resume - Useful when you need to restart your Mac.
Auto-save - Self explanatory.
Mission Control - Useful because you can view EVERYTHING on your Mac at a quick glance your windows, spaces, full screen apps, dashboard, etc.
Lion Server - Server functionality that wasn't there before unless you bought a server capable Mac.
Air Drop - Useful for quick file sharing.
Full screen apps - Useful when you are only doing one thing on your Mac or when you are using an app that uses a lot of real estate.
Want me to explain any more features for you?
Application Launcher is horrendous. Moving an app each icon at a time, and restarting after command+alt+control deleting applications brings them back. If you could command+click on more than one app to arrange them, that's an improvement. Beyond that, it's an implementation that makes more sense on a multi-touch iOS device than a desktop OS. FAIL
Mission Control - I agree, an improvement. A bit buggy, but it is convenient to see Expos�/Spaces/Desktops unified. Although I loathe the 2-dimensial/linear "Spaces" implementation, "Snow Leopard" had it right. An iOS Springboard "Spaces" on a desktop system is counterintuitive Mr Jobs, especially for those who use spaces on a projector for demonstrating different desktops quickly in lectures, presentations, etc.
As for the rest, applications such as "MacPilot" already have the ability to utilize those functions (and ad-hoc AirDrop is interesting but unless you are with another nearby Lion system and both are present to "accept" a transfer, it seems rather meh).
The lack of color in the system icons is god awful. Color graphics are much more easily identified than a scaled down grey icon.
Stroop effect (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stroop_effect)
Green Red Blue
Purple Blue Purple
Blue Purple Red
Green Purple Green
the Stroop effect refers to the fact that naming the color of the first set of words is easier and quicker than the second.
This is very relevant in working as it distracts and takes longer to identify aspects that lose inherent and easily characterized qualities. If there isn't an option for this in the GM/Commercial build there better be a patch ala iTunes.rsrc to bring back sidebar color icons.
Versions - Useful for those who don't leave an external HDD plugged in at all times such as laptop users.
Resume - Useful when you need to restart your Mac.
Auto-save - Self explanatory.
Mission Control - Useful because you can view EVERYTHING on your Mac at a quick glance your windows, spaces, full screen apps, dashboard, etc.
Lion Server - Server functionality that wasn't there before unless you bought a server capable Mac.
Air Drop - Useful for quick file sharing.
Full screen apps - Useful when you are only doing one thing on your Mac or when you are using an app that uses a lot of real estate.
Want me to explain any more features for you?
Application Launcher is horrendous. Moving an app each icon at a time, and restarting after command+alt+control deleting applications brings them back. If you could command+click on more than one app to arrange them, that's an improvement. Beyond that, it's an implementation that makes more sense on a multi-touch iOS device than a desktop OS. FAIL
Mission Control - I agree, an improvement. A bit buggy, but it is convenient to see Expos�/Spaces/Desktops unified. Although I loathe the 2-dimensial/linear "Spaces" implementation, "Snow Leopard" had it right. An iOS Springboard "Spaces" on a desktop system is counterintuitive Mr Jobs, especially for those who use spaces on a projector for demonstrating different desktops quickly in lectures, presentations, etc.
As for the rest, applications such as "MacPilot" already have the ability to utilize those functions (and ad-hoc AirDrop is interesting but unless you are with another nearby Lion system and both are present to "accept" a transfer, it seems rather meh).
The lack of color in the system icons is god awful. Color graphics are much more easily identified than a scaled down grey icon.
Stroop effect (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stroop_effect)
Green Red Blue
Purple Blue Purple
Blue Purple Red
Green Purple Green
the Stroop effect refers to the fact that naming the color of the first set of words is easier and quicker than the second.
This is very relevant in working as it distracts and takes longer to identify aspects that lose inherent and easily characterized qualities. If there isn't an option for this in the GM/Commercial build there better be a patch ala iTunes.rsrc to bring back sidebar color icons.
Floris
Apr 20, 01:41 AM
I honestly can not imagine why.
This is the 3gs to the 3th gen iPhone?
Man, imagine just buying one from verizon, don't you feel f* for not waiting a month.
Useless for them to release another one this year. Enjoy the spoils of everybody buying it. And release a 'real worthy' upgrade to iPhone5 for early 2012 release.
This is the 3gs to the 3th gen iPhone?
Man, imagine just buying one from verizon, don't you feel f* for not waiting a month.
Useless for them to release another one this year. Enjoy the spoils of everybody buying it. And release a 'real worthy' upgrade to iPhone5 for early 2012 release.
wclyffe
Nov 20, 09:35 AM
I just got this email!!
Hi Robert,
Thank you for your email. Your order is fine and will be filled normally.
We've simply restricted new backorders on the item until currently placed
orders such as yours are filled.
Please don't hesitate to contact us should you have any additional
questions or concerns. Thank you for your business!
Sam S.
Bottom Line Telecommunications
Hi Robert,
Thank you for your email. Your order is fine and will be filled normally.
We've simply restricted new backorders on the item until currently placed
orders such as yours are filled.
Please don't hesitate to contact us should you have any additional
questions or concerns. Thank you for your business!
Sam S.
Bottom Line Telecommunications
Popeye206
Apr 20, 04:51 AM
This will definitely be the first iteration of the iPhone that I will pass on. It's certainly not much of an upgrade from the iPhone 4.
LOL! Sorry... not just laughing at you, but these are all pretty vague rumors so far so we have no idea what's really going to be there.
Besides things like faster processors, upgraded cameras, more RAM, 4G, and/or RFID what the heck else can you pack into a phone that isn't addressed at the software level?
However... with that said, I did also hear from the neighbor of a friend that has a friend that works for a supplier that makes the buttons on the iPhone that the new iPhone will definitely have buttons. :p
LOL! Sorry... not just laughing at you, but these are all pretty vague rumors so far so we have no idea what's really going to be there.
Besides things like faster processors, upgraded cameras, more RAM, 4G, and/or RFID what the heck else can you pack into a phone that isn't addressed at the software level?
However... with that said, I did also hear from the neighbor of a friend that has a friend that works for a supplier that makes the buttons on the iPhone that the new iPhone will definitely have buttons. :p
KindredMAC
Aug 7, 05:22 PM
I am very much a pro user and I very much have no use for airport or bluetooth. So I'm glad that it's not being forced on me.
I'm a Pro too...BUT I did get my PM G5 with APE and BT installed and I DO think they should be standard.
My reasoning was the "Future" and "Wirelessness".
I knew that my Airport Extreme station sits right above my set up on a shelf, but I don't know where my G5 might end up down the road in my house, especially if I finish my basement and put a seperate Studio in there. I will probably need to put the Airport somewhere in the middle of the house so our laptops can still get it put not right where the G5 is.
As for BT... #1 Reason- Wireless Keyboard, Mouse and Tablets.
#2 Reason- Many rumors have circulated for almost a year of possible BT integration into the iPods. Maybe for Headphones? Maybe for file transfers? Who knows at this point! So I wanted it JUST IN CASE. As it is, you can't add those items after market into the Macs so why not do it now.
As for "forcing" a tech on someone, I think FW 800 is a forcing of tech on people. I don't need FW 800. I make use of it because it is there in place of extra FW 400 plugs. I would like to know how many out there use their FW 800 ports on their G5's and for what. Ya know what I use mine for? My 3G iPod. Whuppdy Doo!
I'm a Pro too...BUT I did get my PM G5 with APE and BT installed and I DO think they should be standard.
My reasoning was the "Future" and "Wirelessness".
I knew that my Airport Extreme station sits right above my set up on a shelf, but I don't know where my G5 might end up down the road in my house, especially if I finish my basement and put a seperate Studio in there. I will probably need to put the Airport somewhere in the middle of the house so our laptops can still get it put not right where the G5 is.
As for BT... #1 Reason- Wireless Keyboard, Mouse and Tablets.
#2 Reason- Many rumors have circulated for almost a year of possible BT integration into the iPods. Maybe for Headphones? Maybe for file transfers? Who knows at this point! So I wanted it JUST IN CASE. As it is, you can't add those items after market into the Macs so why not do it now.
As for "forcing" a tech on someone, I think FW 800 is a forcing of tech on people. I don't need FW 800. I make use of it because it is there in place of extra FW 400 plugs. I would like to know how many out there use their FW 800 ports on their G5's and for what. Ya know what I use mine for? My 3G iPod. Whuppdy Doo!
wclyffe
Dec 16, 10:34 AM
just received an email detailing that BLT has an updated eta for 12/20
Me, too.
Me, too.
bigwig
May 6, 04:26 AM
You could put a lot of ARM cores in the same space one x86 uses, and I think ARM is the superior ISA. Intel had a chance in Itanium to dump x86, but it was a half-hearted effort (current version arrived 3 years late and uses an obsolete 65nm process) and spent all their money improving x86. I have no doubt that Microsoft's refusal to support Itanium had something to do with it.
Intel's advantage is in its manufacturing, not its CPU design. x86 is a hack, but combine it with billions of dollars in semiconductor research and there's no way ARM competes with x86. Intel might fab ARM cores, but there's no way they let their best tech (22nm, 3D) be used on ARM unless they intend to dump Atom.
Intel's advantage is in its manufacturing, not its CPU design. x86 is a hack, but combine it with billions of dollars in semiconductor research and there's no way ARM competes with x86. Intel might fab ARM cores, but there's no way they let their best tech (22nm, 3D) be used on ARM unless they intend to dump Atom.
davidw
Mar 28, 10:11 AM
Who even knows what hardware changes the iPhone 5 is going to make?
iPhone 4 was a major, major, major upgrade. It is still an exceedingly modern iPhone, and it's hard to imagine what they can upgrade from this device. Sure, the new device will be "faster." Sure, it may have more RAM and sure it may have a better camera. It will probably have a larger flash drive inside to hold more music/movies/apps.
It might even have a slightly larger screen and/or be thinner. That said, the iPhone as it stands is a nearly perfect device. The only significant upgrade I can think of would be to have 4G radios included to increase data transmission rates.
The iPhone 4 screen is already about perfect. The build quality and construction is incredible.
When the first iPhone came out it was clearly lacking a decent camera and 3G. When the 3G came out the build quality was reduced and it was too slow with too little RAM. When the 3GS came out the construction was still poor and the screen was beginning to get long in the tooth.
The iPhone 4, on the other hand, has it all from a hardware perspective. For a phone it's speedy, the buttons feel good to press and it doesn't break easily. It's also totally and absolutely gorgeous and from a tactile standpoint, it is feels good and substantial in your hand.
Having to "wait" another few months for an iPhone 5 shouldn't be a problem, because getting an iPhone 4 is the equivalent to buying a truly amazing device without any significant flaws.
iPhone 4 was a major, major, major upgrade. It is still an exceedingly modern iPhone, and it's hard to imagine what they can upgrade from this device. Sure, the new device will be "faster." Sure, it may have more RAM and sure it may have a better camera. It will probably have a larger flash drive inside to hold more music/movies/apps.
It might even have a slightly larger screen and/or be thinner. That said, the iPhone as it stands is a nearly perfect device. The only significant upgrade I can think of would be to have 4G radios included to increase data transmission rates.
The iPhone 4 screen is already about perfect. The build quality and construction is incredible.
When the first iPhone came out it was clearly lacking a decent camera and 3G. When the 3G came out the build quality was reduced and it was too slow with too little RAM. When the 3GS came out the construction was still poor and the screen was beginning to get long in the tooth.
The iPhone 4, on the other hand, has it all from a hardware perspective. For a phone it's speedy, the buttons feel good to press and it doesn't break easily. It's also totally and absolutely gorgeous and from a tactile standpoint, it is feels good and substantial in your hand.
Having to "wait" another few months for an iPhone 5 shouldn't be a problem, because getting an iPhone 4 is the equivalent to buying a truly amazing device without any significant flaws.
MacRumors
Apr 5, 12:58 PM
http://www.macrumors.com/images/macrumorsthreadlogo.gif (http://www.macrumors.com/2011/04/05/apple-asks-toyota-to-pull-jailbreak-ad-campaign/)
http://images.macrumors.com/article/2011/04/05/135715-4d50435725f85.jpg
Handheld Barcode Scanners
arcode scanner for online
What Is Barcode Scanner App
Use Barcode Reader to compare
http://images.macrumors.com/article/2011/04/05/135715-4d50435725f85.jpg
marksman
Mar 29, 05:43 PM
God hates us listening to music.
AidenShaw
Mar 30, 09:07 PM
And what do you mean by a 64-bit [file]system?
The main hallmark of a 64-bit filesystem is that you can have files that are larger than (4GiB-1) - or (2GiB-1) if the filesystem treats offsets as signed integers.
Another area where 64-bit filesystems show up is in the total volume size - if the filesystem uses 32-bits for sector addressing you'll have a maximum volume size of (2TiB-512).
If your filesystem has issues with files bigger than 4 GiB (or 2GiB), and has issues with volumes bigger than 2 TiB - you have some 32-bit issues in your filesystem.
The main hallmark of a 64-bit filesystem is that you can have files that are larger than (4GiB-1) - or (2GiB-1) if the filesystem treats offsets as signed integers.
Another area where 64-bit filesystems show up is in the total volume size - if the filesystem uses 32-bits for sector addressing you'll have a maximum volume size of (2TiB-512).
If your filesystem has issues with files bigger than 4 GiB (or 2GiB), and has issues with volumes bigger than 2 TiB - you have some 32-bit issues in your filesystem.
Tilpots
May 7, 01:25 PM
The problem with this idea is that it's based on the assumption that Apple wants to be like Google and suddenly become an advertiser.
They purchased Quattro and developed iAds because it represents a mutually beneficial deal for developers on the app store and Apple. Apple designs the ads and runs them on their servers and developers get to deliver free or .$99 apps that can actually be profitable. Quid pro quo...Apple gets more apps hopefully that don't suck and the developer gets to reap the rewards of the success of the app store.
That same play doesn't come into effect with Mobileme. It's not dependent on 3rd party developers delivering content so thusly you will not see iAds in Mobileme.
It's no assumption at all that Apple's getting into the advertising game. They announced iAd loud and clear as part of the iPhone's new OS. Your assuming these ads won't make it into any thing other than apps and I'm saying you're mistaken.
Why would they limit a massive profit opportunity and a chance to deliver a huge financial blow to their new arch enemy? They wouldn't. Google's laid the groundwork for how these free services work. Apple's may just put their spin on it.
I do think that a paid, ad free version would exist. They'll continue their current service uninterrupted. But to offer it free, well, "Ain't nothin' free, baby." They'll generate revenue off it with their new ad system. It wouldn't make any sense not to. It's just the world in which we live.
They purchased Quattro and developed iAds because it represents a mutually beneficial deal for developers on the app store and Apple. Apple designs the ads and runs them on their servers and developers get to deliver free or .$99 apps that can actually be profitable. Quid pro quo...Apple gets more apps hopefully that don't suck and the developer gets to reap the rewards of the success of the app store.
That same play doesn't come into effect with Mobileme. It's not dependent on 3rd party developers delivering content so thusly you will not see iAds in Mobileme.
It's no assumption at all that Apple's getting into the advertising game. They announced iAd loud and clear as part of the iPhone's new OS. Your assuming these ads won't make it into any thing other than apps and I'm saying you're mistaken.
Why would they limit a massive profit opportunity and a chance to deliver a huge financial blow to their new arch enemy? They wouldn't. Google's laid the groundwork for how these free services work. Apple's may just put their spin on it.
I do think that a paid, ad free version would exist. They'll continue their current service uninterrupted. But to offer it free, well, "Ain't nothin' free, baby." They'll generate revenue off it with their new ad system. It wouldn't make any sense not to. It's just the world in which we live.
Bonte
Jul 30, 11:48 AM
Me thinks WWDC will be great for us. Apple only presents max 3 major items on a keynote and has now already introduced, more series on iTunes, the educational iMac and a wireless mouse. So greater (pro?) news must be ready for the conference.
tekmoe
Sep 15, 06:36 PM
People should get automatically banned for having those 3 keywords in any post...
+1
+1
toddybody
Apr 7, 10:52 AM
Apple makes products that people want. RIM makes products that cause people to point and laugh. Google makes products that they can only sell two for one or give away for free. Microsoft makes products that sit on the shelves until they are sent of to be recycled.
Don't get me wrong, I like Google. Gmail is great and Google is the only search I use. Unfortunately, they don't know how to make mobile devices.
Totally right. Apple is perfect and everyone else should just close up shop...:rolleyes: Please get a grip on reality before posting nonsense.
Don't get me wrong, I like Google. Gmail is great and Google is the only search I use. Unfortunately, they don't know how to make mobile devices.
Totally right. Apple is perfect and everyone else should just close up shop...:rolleyes: Please get a grip on reality before posting nonsense.
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.
LightSpeed1
Apr 20, 06:37 AM
I'll take it!
talkingfuture
Mar 28, 09:36 AM
Surely not beyond them to focus on the software but then announce some upgrades to the iMac or Mini or MacBook as they'll all be due for updates if they don't get done before then. I wouldn't be surprised if they hold off on iPhone 5 though.
