Throwing Out Software That Works 622
theodp writes "Just as the iPhone rendered circa-2007 smartphones obsolete, points out Marco Arment, the iPad is on the verge of doing the same to circa-2010 netbooks. Should this succeed, cautions Dave Winer, we may be entering an era of deliberate degradation of the user experience and throwing overboard of software that works, for corporate reasons. Already, Winer finds himself having to go to a desktop machine if he wants to view web content that's inaccessible with his iPhone and iPad. 'There was no bottleneck for software in the pre-iPad netbooks,' he writes. 'It matters. What I want is the convenient form factor without the corporate filter. It's way too simplistic to believe that we'll get that, but we had it. That's what I don't like — deliberate devolution.'"
Yeah, totally wiped out my netbook... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Yeah, totally wiped out my netbook... (Score:5, Funny)
What I really wanted was a digital picture frame I could poke...
And there we have the definitive description of an iPad. If I hadn't just finished my drink it would have been coming out of my nose.
Re:He has my sympathy (Score:5, Funny)
"It must suck to have Steve Jobs break into your house, smash your netbook, and force you at gunpoint to buy an iPad."
I for one find the idea vaguely arousing.
Comment removed (Score:4, Funny)
Re:iPad? Seriously? (Score:5, Funny)
TV? It's junk. I'm sorry to say it. I had high hopes, but the thing is just an overpriced miniature theatre.
In my village, we watch the puppet shows. They have all the entertainment we need. The music is better that the noise on the TV. We listen to the elders for their wisdom. And we hear about outside events from travelers. All together, it costs less than half what a TV costs.
All this hype over these electronic devices mind boggling. I just don't get it.
Re:Yeah nothing works anymore (Score:2, Funny)
some of their the mobile mail clients will not allow you to input port numbers that are 5 or more digits long.
What kind of crap software is that? My mail server is on port 216843 goddammit.
Re:iPad? Seriously? (Score:1, Funny)
It's junk. I'm sorry to say it, I had high hopes but the thing is an overpriced etch-a-sketch.
Don't you *dare* compare the iPad to an Etch-a-Sketch.
One is a smartly designed piece of hardware that's easy to use- the other lacks proper dials and a "shake to reset" function. :-P
Re:iPad? Seriously? (Score:3, Funny)
If your argument is that an iPad is good for sitting on the couch wasting your life, then I can both "get it" and "loathe it". Isn't life grand?
Re:He has my sympathy (Score:2, Funny)
Julian Assange?
Re:Yeah nothing works anymore (Score:5, Funny)
Oh hey, wait a minute, Flash won't run on my iPad. Flash sux!
Re:Huh? (Score:3, Funny)
wait, so do you like a real keyboard or are you writing this on your eeepc?