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That awkward moment when Apple mocked good hardware and poor people

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Re: That awkward moment when Apple mocked good hardware and poor people

#321

Post by pilsetnieks »

gopz wrote: post #81

Apple says this shit every time it has a major press event. Saying it mocks poor people is digging around for something to be offended about. Is the author really offended every time they see an ad for a newer car model when current and prior models work just fine? Saying it mocks good hardware isn't out of touch. Seriously, what did they think Apple was going to say: > Buy a new iPad pro. Schiller turns around, goes…

I miss the olden days when people were reading tea leaves before an announcement to divine from invitation phrasing what new products Apple is going to offer. As opposed to nowadays when after the announcement people are looking for words to latch on and twist their meaning to be offended about.

I bet they're not as much offended about the pageviews and ad impressions a link titled like that brings in.

Re: That awkward moment when Apple mocked good hardware and poor people

#322

Post by ams6110 »

widdershins wrote: post #13
Udo wrote: post #10

I'm an Apple-only user at the moment, both mobile and desktop. When Apple asserts that a desktop computer should be replaced by a locked-down handheld device with very limited capabilities, the odd thing seems to me is they don't realize these devices do very different things and fulfill very different needs. I don't worry about the demise of the desktop because I'm nostalgic, I worry about the loss of power and prod…

As far as I can see, Apple 'get' the different use cases better than some others in the industry. That's why they've been reluctant to add touch screen to their laptops as Microsoft have done, because they don't see it being useful. I think this was just an ill-judged offhand comment. P.S. I'm typing this on an 2010 MBP which, with an SSD upgrade, still works beautifully.

Or maybe they haven't added touch screen to the laptops because then some fraction of owners might not feel the need to buy an iPad?

Re: That awkward moment when Apple mocked good hardware and poor people

#323

Post by freehunter »

frogpelt wrote: post #264
protomyth wrote: post #251

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> What the author of the article finds offensive - and which also put me off when watching the live presentation - was the suggestion that using old hardware is "sad". Using old hardware is sad. I work in a depressed area and we constantly fix our students computers. 5 years is a long time on a hard drive and the forced Windows 10 upgrade has been a pain to people on 5 year old hardware. Its fine for technical people…

It's sad for Apple. Apple is a business. They want to sell new hardware. How is this confusing?

That's actually how I took the comment. Granted, I read a live blog instead of watching the stream so maybe the author missed a part of it, but what I took away from the comment was "we at Apple are failing to show the value of replacing an old PC with an iPad".

Re: That awkward moment when Apple mocked good hardware and poor people

#324

Post by FD3SA »

drzaiusapelord wrote: post #218
ricw wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The iPad clearly isn't for your use cases. The vast majority of people only want to browse, look at photos, read emails and occasionally write some text. For them it's a cheap ($280 for the cheapest iPad) and easy solution.

This isn't remotely true and rhetoric like this is why the linux desktop failed. Yes, people want to browse and look at photos and that's 80% of their use, but you're not covering that other 20% and that other 20% is mandatory. Playing a PC only game, using a PC only productivity suite, continue to use their beloved software, use real software suites not dumbed down mobile equivalents, etc. Taking away a PC and givin…

Linux would have killed every other OS a long time ago if it had put its principles aside.

Open source kernel, with proprietary, for-profit userland like Android on top to make money and afford proper engineers.

Ubuntu is pretty amazing for an OS developed by hobbyists and non-profits, but is of course a disaster compared to OSX or Android which have had countless billions spent on constantly improving them.

Re: That awkward moment when Apple mocked good hardware and poor people

#325

Post by ams6110 »

wstrange wrote: post #266
zanny wrote: post #106

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can get a refurbished Moto G 2013 for $35. I have a huge number of people in my extended family on those, since they are not techies and just want a good phone.

We have two in the family as well. They are solid, good quality phones. Best value on the market today.

I have one as do two of my kids. $10/month for Republic Wireless, and we're set.

Re: That awkward moment when Apple mocked good hardware and poor people

#326

Post by s_q_b »

norea-armozel wrote: post #244
s_q_b wrote: post #210

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've often thought conspicuous consumption is largely just a message to the world of one's fitness as a mate. If so, sexual selection produces some very interesting and complex but functionally "useless" objects.

I think there's plenty of ways to signal you're a good provider or good in bed without throwing the entire viability of both into money pits of useless junk. It just takes more skull sweat to figure that out on a case-by-case basis.

Sure, but now you're just showcasing a different skill set that has high survival utility, namely cognitive ability.

My hypothesis is that complex cognitive activities are one way humans measure fitness as a mate. Conspicuous consumption implies, "Hey, not only was I able to acquire all of this shiny stuff, I have so much I can afford to use it on useless things."

Re: That awkward moment when Apple mocked good hardware and poor people

#327

Post by melling »

waspleg wrote: post #41

I completely agree with the author of the article. Apple is the real-world incarnation of the economic premise of Huxley's "A Brave New World". This was just the mask dropping for a second to pander to the faithful. I'd like to add, as someone who works at K12 public high school, that I've seen the reality of the article played out. My building is 100% free lunch, most are extremely poor, and yet there is a sizable n…

Gosh, I love a good nerd debate but I always feel like it's a complete waste of time. Maybe this time is different? Perhaps if people whine loud enough, Apple won't make jokes about people with 5 year old PC's. They're probably trying to get a piece of that Windows XP market.

If you're using a > 5 year old XP box, there's a reasonable possibility that a new iPad Pro might satisfy your needs[1]; at least Apple wants you to consider it.

Instead the political correct "people" of the world debate endlessly about the nuances, while not adding a bit of value themselves. 'Do you fucking know that there are some people in this world who would be grateful for that computer?!". I don't think Apple was talking to them but don't let that stop you from getting on a soapbox.

Computers, and technology in general, are something that all kids should master before they're adults. Smartphones are great tools. Do some of that homework while you're between things. Learn another language (http://duolingo.com). Scratch that artistic itch, write a story, collaborate on school projects via the cloud, or work on a blog, even if no one reads it. Learn better English by debating on Reddit (not on HN, of course). Take lots of pictures and create movies.

Also, there's nothing wrong with a good Android phone. Learn the differences well, and don't pick one phone like it's a religion.

[1] No one said it works for everyone. Please don't explain all the use cases it doesn't handle.

Re: That awkward moment when Apple mocked good hardware and poor people

#328

Post by petra »

cableshaft wrote: post #286
petra wrote: post #105

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>> no one is forcing people to buy iPhones. It's not that simple. I once heard a lecture from a psychologist researching the effects brands have on teenagers, and she said owning a brand can deeply affect a teenager's self-assurance, create anxieties, etc.

I didn't have brand name anything in high school. I got through it okay. Wasn't the most popular kid by any means, but I was shy to begin with (I didn't start being more outgoing until I started going to regular meetups recently, years after I had owned 'status symbol' iPhones). I'm not denying that other teens can and do feel the way your psychologist said, but I'm pretty sure it's a learned behavior, not something…

I'm not expert in that subject, but the psychologist, who saw this deeply, over many different kids, saw it as a big problem. An i'm sure she knew full well what's innate/learnable and how practical is that unlearning process.

Re: That awkward moment when Apple mocked good hardware and poor people

#329

Post by FD3SA »

ethbro wrote: post #153
waspleg wrote: post #41

I completely agree with the author of the article. Apple is the real-world incarnation of the economic premise of Huxley's "A Brave New World". This was just the mask dropping for a second to pander to the faithful. I'd like to add, as someone who works at K12 public high school, that I've seen the reality of the article played out. My building is 100% free lunch, most are extremely poor, and yet there is a sizable n…

The K12 public school (I'm assuming Title 1 from the free lunches) comment struck especially close to home. A few years ago, in helping my mother get ready for a new year of kindergarten teaching at a similar school, she asked if I could do anything about the computers (slow, unreliable, etc etc). ... In ~2013, the best processor of the four machine lot was a 2.8ghz P4. With 2GB of RAM. It had obviously been cobbled…

That well meaning computer shop probably assumed someone would understand that you could throw Lubuntu on that computer and have it work flawlessly.

The common mistake people make is trying to run modern, bloated software on old computers.

Re: That awkward moment when Apple mocked good hardware and poor people

#330

Post by protomyth »

frogpelt wrote: post #264
protomyth wrote: post #251

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> What the author of the article finds offensive - and which also put me off when watching the live presentation - was the suggestion that using old hardware is "sad". Using old hardware is sad. I work in a depressed area and we constantly fix our students computers. 5 years is a long time on a hard drive and the forced Windows 10 upgrade has been a pain to people on 5 year old hardware. Its fine for technical people…

It's sad for Apple. Apple is a business. They want to sell new hardware. How is this confusing?

Its also sad for our support people and the owners trying to keep some of these machines running. It takes time that they could be using elsewhere since they don't really want to learn how to fix the computer, they just want to drive.
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