Recent Comments:
iPhone firmware 2.0 is live (plus hands-on) {Engadget}
Jul 10th 2008 9:51AM Does it make a difference that there's several Apple news stories floating about, or would it be better if they simply ignored them because they didn't make the site "diverse" enough for you?
Openmoko FreeRunner looking good for early July release {Engadget}
Jun 22nd 2008 8:59PM Wait, no EDGE?
I saw the GPRS, and just assumed EDGE I suppose. Really? No EDGE? How is there no tirade? No outrage? Apple got crapped on because they didn't include 3G on the first go-round, and OpenMoko gets to scrape by with GPRS?
I spell hypocrisy on the internet, shocking I know.
Newsflash! Firmware 2.0 hints suggest Apple might be working on a 3G iPhone {Engadget}
May 11th 2008 1:47AM You assume that the solution to a better mobile platform is *more* developers, whereas Apple is trying to entice *better* developers.
I would note the iFund (VC money for iPhone development), Apple-branded app deployment, etc. as evidence that Apple isn't trying to get *every* developer, just the ones they consider to be *good* developers.
Whether you agree with their categorizations, that's another matter, but there's no denying the following statements:
a.) There is going to be more crappy software for Android than for iPhone.
b.) Two developers with a brilliant business plan, one wants to develop for iPhone, the other for Android, the iPhone developer will have a chance at a piece of VC pie, the Android developer has to devote more time to finding and securing that VC dough.
c.) App Store will boost software adoption. Android needs an app store.
I'm not trying to rain on Android or anything, I should note that I think Android is awesome. It's not for me, but it's great step forward, and a move towards openness, and will have plenty of commercial success.
Latest iPhone beta firmware does full screen captures, saves web images {Engadget}
Apr 15th 2008 12:36AM Artie Macstrawman strikes again!
Latest iPhone beta firmware does full screen captures, saves web images {Engadget}
Apr 14th 2008 10:51PM LMAO, too true for so many people.
And unfortunately not likely to get any better. The wireless networks currently cover the places have the best cost/profit population densities (including throughput, like interstates), so if you're not covered now, you're probably not going to be covered in the future. The wireless companies just write it off as irrelevant.
Their new spectrum is purchased to overlay their current coverage maps with higher speed, faster technologies, not to reach additional customers.
You could always go with a WinMo Smartphone and Skype for your home usage (or potentially an iPhone and Skype), and then take advantage of the cellular coverage when you're in a more populated place.
The winners of the 2007 Engadget Awards! {Engadget}
Apr 14th 2008 8:07PM @ chickista:
It's an accurate depiction of the views expressed here. The distortion of the original point (people that buy Apple products are fanboys/sheep, and being a fanboy/sheep is easy to criticize) is what makes it a straw man.
There's plenty of ad hominem, which isn't even worth going after, since it's usually interspersed with the straw man fallacy. I could gussy it up a bit, but sadly, the thesaurus is a tad lacking in options for describing the straw man fallacy (http://thesaurus.reference.com/browse/straw%20man).
Besides, I don't honestly think anyone here pays attention anyways (just take a look at the moderation system), I'm flattered you even read my comment. I just get angry and like venting, so making my argument more effective won't have an appreciable effect.
The winners of the 2007 Engadget Awards! {Engadget}
Apr 14th 2008 5:52PM @ Rich:
Isn't that a bit disingenuous? I mean, it launched with 3rd-party applications on it, and it's two months away from having a complete 3rd party application solution?
I mean, at this point, aren't you just warping semantics to try and prove your point?
I'm just curious what exactly you would define as a smartphone. I think the rich Cocoa (Obj-C) environment and complex operating system like kernel would certainly meet the bill, even though the J2ME based Ericsson cannot.
If you don't like the iPhone, fine, but saying it's not a "smartphone" seems a tad phony. It shipped with 3rd-party apps, it provided complex desktop quality frameworks (CoreAnimation, etc.), and now has an SDK in the hands of developers already. I don't know how much more you could ask for.
The winners of the 2007 Engadget Awards! {Engadget}
Apr 14th 2008 5:44PM @ Rip & Rich:
Holy shit, a civilized discussion about the merits of devices???
HERESY I SAY!
Rich, I demand that you immediately begin calling rip an Apple fanboy, and accuse him of deviant sexual acts with Steve Jobs.
rip, you must in turn just go "LOLOLOOOLOL Apple r0xx0rs the big one11!!!111!!!"
Let's get this comments section back to the high standards we've come to expect.
The winners of the 2007 Engadget Awards! {Engadget}
Apr 14th 2008 5:39PM What we've dished out for the past two years???
Are you kidding me? I'm sure I don't need to direct you to evidence of Apple's marketshare. We're always playing the persecuted role, all the way back to "ZOMG iMac has no floppy drive, it is pure fail," "Apple is beleagured," and "they should close their doors and return the money to shareholders." In fact, it's gotten to the point where Apple gets painted like they aren't the underdog, but they have nowhere near the market share of Windows.
People like the iPhone. Those people most likely wanted to have meaningful discussions about the products they are passionate about, but alas, we have the circus that is Engadget's Comment section, which pretty much nullifies that point. It's probably why there's a disconnect in the voting and the comments (you'd think the way the comments paint the picture, Engadget is nothing but Apple fanboys stroking every product that comes out, but every Apple story is now dominated by incessant whining from across the board). A few of us show up (I only arrive occasionally, I hate this place and these people, there's no meaningful discussion taking place here) and it makes us angry to see the characterization of Apple users as mindless sheep, fanboys, or total shills.
As for the straw men, bad logic is EVERYONE'S enemy.
The idea that Apple is the majority, the giant that everyone gets crushed by is, in my opinion, bad perception.
Like I said to another poster, if you want to defend your point, fine, do that, but don't defend the rest of the people that run around here acting like total jerks. Seriously, look at the mod-up/mod-down stuff and ask yourself if these comments are really supporting the positions you want advocated...
The winners of the 2007 Engadget Awards! {Engadget}
Apr 14th 2008 5:30PM I challenge you to find and bring me the posts of people on this comments thread who are engaging the in the behavior you are talking about.
More to the point, go start on page one, ignore the replies, just look at the initial post, and see what the substantive content is. Typically it's "Engadget is an Apple shill" not "Apple products TOTALLY deserved to win those categories," or, even worse, your strawman "Zen/Nokia/MS; please, all garbage before the might of Apple!!"
Those are non-existent here.
Your position might be the one of moderation, the position that says, "I buy the gadgets that work best for me, my choices have typically been non-Apple," but that's also not the thrust of the points here. The thrust of the points here is that anything and everything that is pro-Apple is evidence of a.) fanboyism, b.) shilling or c.) group-think. It's absurd to believe that people can't simply just like the products Apple makes.
Instead, the comments section turns into rabid insults, where anything pro-Apple gets modded down. Go look. I'll wait. I realize you're trying to defend your position, and I'll accept that, but don't try and defend their position because it's one of relatively radical intolerance. If they provided more revenue to Engadget, we'd probably see a whole lot less Apple stories run. I imagine no matter how much Engadget loves Apple they love money a whole lot more (if you don't want to believe that they don't love journalistic integrity more than Apple).
