Apple Rocks Again!

[clio]

One of these days I must go to MacWorld San Francisco. I go to MacWorld, New York, but SF is sooo much cooler!

They released NEW powerbooks!
Apple kicks ass.
They released THE FIRST 17" laptop computer, it's sick!
Also they have the cutest little 12" powerbook too.

i am in love

Check out the videos and ads they have, clever as usual.
http://www.apple.com/hardware/video

And check out the new powerbooks
http://www.apple.com/powerbook/

I want one. will you buy me one?

Okay besides this being a mac love fest, there's also some dicussion.

What do you guys think of the 17" Laptop? The idea of a laptop is to be small. But this is just HUGE. My sister has a 16" sony vaio and it's just HUGE. What defines a laptop? At what point will this stop? After Apple released a 15.2" laptop, sony came out with a 16" one and now Apple is at 17". Will this ever end?

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE apple. I haven't seen a 17" yet, but I think it's soo big, I might be afraid of breaking it and putting it somewhere safe. It's sooo big!

ONe of Apple's ideas is to completely replace the desktop. what do you think? Will this happen?

[lookout]

Originally posted by clio
ONe of Apple's ideas is to completely replace the desktop. what do you think? Will this happen?

You mean the desktop computer or one's actual desktop?

If the former, not for some years yet, but maybe eventually. Right now, laptops just aren't as reliable as Desktops, are much more likely to get stolen, and still don't compete well on an initial price/performance ratio. Mobility is the laptop's chief attribute, and not everyone really needs that.

If the latter, no. It's remeniscent of the "paperless office" hype of the early 80's. If anything, technology has created more office paperwork in recent years, not less. Desks of a sort are here to stay.

They had a funny article on the Mac faithful in San Jose Mercury News the other day, regarding Job's keynote address. Have to hand it to him how he is still able to create a buzz among his target audience (and the technology sector in general), some of whom you might think would have become awfully jaded by now.

Appended:
Maybe funny wasn't quite the right word for the article. Entertaining though, at least to this local. Here it is, straight from the Silicon Valley press, for your reading pleasure.

[clio]

Yes I meant the latter.

Originally posted by lookout
Mobility is the laptop's chief attribute, and not everyone really needs that.

If the latter, no. It's remeniscent of the "paperless office" hype of the early 80's. If anything, technology has created more office paperwork in recent years, not less. Desks of a sort are here to stay.

Well why not? I'm a huge laptop fan. As a student it is most convenient for me. I do have a desktop, but I never do use it.

My father is a businessman. He has a desktop, but uses a laptop 90% of the time now.

My friend's father is a lawyer. He uses a laptop. They have a family desktop, but he doesn't use it.

LOTS of various people I know prefer laptops over desktops. Who prefers a desktop?

[mattsiegman]

I prefer a desktop cause they are better for gaming They are faster, and easier to upgrade as well.

I would prefer any newer computer right now thought, cause this is a decent computer (desktop PC ) but its old

[clio]

Originally posted by mattsiegman
I prefer a desktop cause they are better for gaming They are faster, and easier to upgrade as well.

I would prefer any newer computer right now thought, cause this is a decent computer (desktop PC ) but its old

Actually MANY gamers prefer laptops. THey have like COunter Strike Parties and stuff. They actually have computers that are SPECIFICALLY gaming computers. It's crazy. These CS parties are usually an Asian thing though. People actually die in them. They forget to eat. =/

[lookout]

Note: The following post was revised slightly for clarification, and to incorporate a few additional thoughts on the matter.

Let me clarify to make sure we are talking about the same thing, Clio. The latter I was referring to was "desktop" in the sense of actual furniture, not in the computer sense of the word. Periodically one reads stuff about how mobile computing will eliminate the need for physical office space. To a degree that has happened already with some occupations. But it is not something that applies well to all lines of work.

In general, I think replacing desks with portable computers, at least in the business world, would meet great resistance. It runs counter to basic workplace psychology. Desks are more than a place to rest your computer (however temporarily), to keep a cache of office supplies, to organize paperwork, and exhibit or store other objects. They, and the offices or cubicles that house them, represent claims of personal territory. Computers are simply accoutrements of this territory. They are not substantial enough to mark the physical space in the manner necessary to satisfy the average worker. But a desk can be.

As for laptops, they are best suited for people who put mobility ahead of all other considerations. I can see how for some that would be the overriding concern, and it certainly helps if someone else is footing the bill. But many people do not need or want that kind of mobility, particularly when it comes at the expense of cost, performance, expandability, peripheral options, and general stability. And even if these are not concerns to end users, they may be to those who must finance and support the equipment that they use.

Safety is a serious concern with laptops. Just think what a target you become to criminals when carrying such a valuable, portable piece of equipment, all nicely bundled up for the taking. What they might do with the data stored there is yet another concern.

Laptops DO have a much higher failure rate of components than desktops, are less easily upgraded (and hence become obsolete even more quickly), and cost considerably more than a similarly equipped desktop. Component failures in laptops also are more likely to require a complete system replacement. For example, if your monitor fails, or you spill coffee on your keyboard, you may very well need a new laptop because you can't get a replacement for the component that failed. But if money is no object....

In the graphics world, one would likely be hit twice for the price of a nice monitor. Many graphic professionals will not be satisfied with a mere 17" screen. They often require a larger one with better specs when back at their desk (or laptop docking station).

For many, the decision of whether to buy a laptop or a desktop is a matter of balancing all of these factors. Is mobility really worth the cost? With declining prices and more powerfully equipped laptops, this may yet become a non-issue. I don't think we're quite there yet though. Perhaps what we may see is less of a distinction between laptops and desktop computers in the future. Maybe smaller desktop computers, more easily ported about, will become mainstream. Maybe more modular notebooks, capable of supporting a wide range of inexpensive, detachable monitors.

My idea of something truly revolutionary at the MacWorld show would have been the introduction of big and handsome new Apple laptops at prices below $1000, or even better, $500. Imagine that!

[lookout]

Here's more on Apple's new notebooks, with a description of basic features and suggested pricing:

http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/4902694.htm

Just out of curiousity, why do you think they didn't include a keyboard with a separate numeric pad on the bigger one? I mean, it looks like it might have been wide enough to accommodated one. It's a frequent complaint of laptops among people who do lots of number crunching. Not to mention those who are bothered by reduced keyboard footprints. Usually they end up buying a separate keyboard or numeric pad. Similar thing with the pointer (touch pad in this case). Quite a few prefer an external mouse solution.

Ahhh! And I see the article mentions yet another new web browser to worry about! Has Google searching built into it too. Not sure if that's a good thing. Google's a great search engine now, but will it continue to be? Or will they go the way of past leaders like Infoseek, AltaVista, Northern Light, etc.?

[clio]

Ah, I stand correct with the desktop then. Heh. But just so you know, a paperless society is QUITE possible. Just as the United States has been able to switch over to a non-oil dependent society, it refuses to do so because of the norm and our infrastructure. But if we wanted to, we could.

Now, I supposed people want examples of a paperless society. Sure!

Ok, my history class has a correspondence with a class at the International School of Prague. One of their History/Psycology teacher has done something quite rebellous. He threw away his desk and paper. And that is example of a paperless possibility. All grades and work are done on the computers in the classroom.
All readings are on the computers. All grades are inputted into a computer system. Tests theoretically could be taken online, but right now that is probably the only item that requires paper. But as education begins to evolve, tests play a lesser and lesser role in our education. Both our classes have maybe one test a semester. It's a great class, I love it!

[mattsiegman]

I hate reading text on computers, its much easier to read a paper than a monitor.

[lookout]

A few more ramblings while I prepare some new hard disks....

I agree Clio that a paperless society might be possible with a major cultural shift in mindset. Technology has opened the door. I do what I can to conserve on paper myself. But legitimate, non-cultural factors exist here that technology has not successfully addressed. For the concept to become a public success, they must be. The following lists a couple reasons for why there's been public resistance to the paperless office idea. I'm sure there's others.

Many people feel as Matt does. Even I do, and I spend a great deal of time behind a computer screen generating work. Paper is simply easier on the eye than a computer screen, absorbing (and diffusely reflecting), rather than radiating light. The whole viewing experience is completely different, even if the content is essentially the same. Looking at a relatively fixed computer screen can be much like looking at an uncovered, low wattage light bulb (possibly a flickering one at that). Paper looks best in light. Monitors look best in the dark. Paper is visually softer, more accessible, more portable, more organic, and more tactile.

Paper can also be extremely useful for long-term record keeping purposes. Occasional Luddites like me like to keep backups of more important documents in at least two kinds of media, one being paper based, the other electronic. I've seen far too much lost data resulting from changes in technology to believe that my hard work will be safe for long in a purely electronic format. The electronic media that computer generated documents are stored on may be perfectly fine, guaranteed for years and years. But the hardware and software necessary to access the documents may no longer be available, rendering the data inaccessible. This is not really a problem with paper records. Properly stored and filed, they may remain viewable long after their electronic counterparts have become casualties in the march of progress.

[CeleronXL]

There are gaming laptops of course, but they are very, very expensive, although they are comparable to a desktop.

The 17" one is ugly with all that completely empty space on the bottom part around the keyboard.. it would've been nice if they put something there, maybe speakers or something.. anything.. to dress up that completely empty area.

[Dogma]

Originally posted by CeleronXL
The 17" one is ugly with all that completely empty space on the bottom part around the keyboard.. it would've been nice if they put something there, maybe speakers or something.. anything.. to dress up that completely empty area.

The speakers are already filling up the vast space on either side of the keyboard...

Here's an idea: just think of the empty space as a design feature. It's another Apple Innovation!

[Zacrifice]

K i got a notebook and a desktop
I use the desktop so much more then i use the notebook.
On the desktop i can type about twice as fast I can use photoshop much quicker 3D Studio Max refuses to run on a notebook at an acceptable speed and my monitors have better colour comparade to me notebook (Plus i got three monitors now 21ins and its just bloody ****ing fantastic!)

I don't think i could ever give up paper.. well atleast not yet
I like reading books I would prefer to read something on the lounge (Or even in the bath) then sit in one possition at a monitor

There are applications that i will happly use a monitor over a peice of paper like in the kitchen with cooking recipies i'm working on a application where you have a flat touch screen monitor in the kitchen that allows you to access things like Cooking Ideas Video cooking and hundreds of recipies.. (Mind you still in the designstage so nothing solid)

Anywho i'l done yaking!

[clio]

Originally posted by lookout
Many people feel as Matt does. Even I do, and I spend a great deal of time behind a computer screen generating work. Paper is simply easier on the eye than a computer screen, absorbing (and diffusely reflecting), rather than radiating light.

That's why it is a discussion based class. I love that class, heh.
We do have readings, but usually they're in books.

Originally posted by lookout
But the hardware and software necessary to access the documents may no longer be available, rendering the data inaccessible. This is not really a problem with paper records. Properly stored and filed, they may remain viewable long after their electronic counterparts have become casualties in the march of progress.

But then massive floodings destroy everything.

Several years ago, a large rainstorm destroyed much of the archives and public documents stored in the basement of the public library. Our library houses many historical documents. Needless to say, they've now moved the older historical documents to a higher floor.

Also, remember the floods in Europe? In Prague, the destruction of such records was devastating.

I don't think computer formats will change so drastically that we cannot read ASCII text files or picture files. There will be conversion software/program/hardware stuff available.

Besides, digital is just more compact.

[lookout]

Yes, that is why it is good to have both formats for the most important documents, preferably stored in different (safe) locations. Fire, flood, earthquake, theft, etc. are always concerns with archival data, no matter what the media.

Digitally stored documents are definitely more compact than their paper counterparts, a major advantage. In fact, they offer many other advantages over paper documents. I didn't mean to imply otherwise. I was simply saying that in some respects, they are not very effective paper replacements. Until those and other issues are addressed, I think it unlikely that we will see a paperless office on a large scale for some time yet.

For long term archiving, paper has some points in its favor as a low tech solution, requiring only proper storage and filing to access the data it contains.

Digitally stored data requires something similar, but with the added requirement of special hardware and software to retrieve the documents from specially coded, digital media. Because the digital world tends to change dramatically from decade to decade (sometimes even from year to year), digital storage is a rather rocky platform for long term data archiving. Hardly anything in the digital world looks like it did ten years ago, let alone twenty. This can make it both difficult and expensive to access older digital data, much of which will be stored in the proprietary formats of the programs that made the documents.

Very few business generated documents lend themselves well to simple ASCII conversions. Even if they did, you'd still have to access the old data somehow and (likely) convert it yourself. That may not be so easy, if no modern system supports it anymore (not to mention the media it is stored on). If by some miracle you can access it, converting it into a useable modern digital format may pose another problem, much like trying to bring paper generated documents into the digital world. Often possible, but not without its pitfalls.

Sounds like a thought-provoking class you're taking there, Clio.