lordonuthin
Jul 22, 11:21 AM
i pay $130aus a month ($~110 US) for 50GB of downloads! (adsl2+). at least i hit the speeds.
are you on cable lord?
Yes I'm on cable, I did have dsl a couple of years ago but the company couldn't offer anything faster than 10gb/s at a higher price.
are you on cable lord?
Yes I'm on cable, I did have dsl a couple of years ago but the company couldn't offer anything faster than 10gb/s at a higher price.
MacinDoc
Sep 12, 12:15 AM
http://www.macrumors.com/images/macrumorsthreadlogo.gif (http://www.macrumors.com)• Several sites continue to report (http://www.thinksecret.com/news/0609moviestudios.html) that only the Disney Studio is on-board for the initial launch of the iTunes Movie Store.
If it's just Disney, then there's not much point. The reason iTMS succeeded from the start was that it was simple and it had the largest library from which you could purchase single songs. If the iTunes Movie store starts with just Disney movies, then it's dead in the water. Let's just hope that ThinkSecret is wrong again, as usual.
If it's just Disney, then there's not much point. The reason iTMS succeeded from the start was that it was simple and it had the largest library from which you could purchase single songs. If the iTunes Movie store starts with just Disney movies, then it's dead in the water. Let's just hope that ThinkSecret is wrong again, as usual.
kindaobsessed
Mar 17, 01:57 AM
I would have never walked out of the store unless I paid for my purchase in full!
I wonder how you would have reacted it the "stoner" kid charge your card the entire puchase and pocketed the cash?
Is it really worth it? As others have said the kid most likely got fired and in the back of his friends and family's mind he may be seen as a thief.
That's great you returned the iPhone to the person who owned it, kudos to you for doing the right thing because it sounds like that is out of character.
I really hope that you will really dig down in your soul and do the right thing.
All you have to do is go back to the store and say you noticed the money never came out of your bank account.
I wonder how you would have reacted it the "stoner" kid charge your card the entire puchase and pocketed the cash?
Is it really worth it? As others have said the kid most likely got fired and in the back of his friends and family's mind he may be seen as a thief.
That's great you returned the iPhone to the person who owned it, kudos to you for doing the right thing because it sounds like that is out of character.
I really hope that you will really dig down in your soul and do the right thing.
All you have to do is go back to the store and say you noticed the money never came out of your bank account.
clintob
Oct 3, 03:45 PM
At the risk of having a Captain Obvious moment here, I think it's safe to say that the "we want Merom" posts are getting a tad old at best. That horse has been beaten far beyond anything resembling a humane death.
The fact is that while there are a select few of us (don't kid yourselves, the people who post on this forum represent a tiny fraction of Apple's customer base, albeit a loud fraction) that know the difference between Core Duo and Core 2 Duo, the VAST majority of users and customers neither know nor care. And to be perfectly honest, the speed difference in 99% of the things people use their computers for are unnoticeable. Try it for yourself. Web pages load at the same speed, email is sent at the same speed, and IM's come and go with the same frequency.
The truth is, Apple doesn't really care all that much about who is or isn't shipping C2D. They know that once they come out with the next big thing, all us Photoshop users and media producers will skamper to the website and order ours just as we would have if it came out a month ago. They have stock of MB and MBP to clear out, and there's no reason for them to rush into selling a processor that most people don't even know much about when their sales are still high. Their business is great, and more importantly, their big push right now is obviously iPods for the holiday season. This is a much more popular gift item, and the holiday shopping season is barely gearing up.
C2D (or whatever is next) will come when Apple sees novelty sales for the iPod starting to die down. Not before.
The fact is that while there are a select few of us (don't kid yourselves, the people who post on this forum represent a tiny fraction of Apple's customer base, albeit a loud fraction) that know the difference between Core Duo and Core 2 Duo, the VAST majority of users and customers neither know nor care. And to be perfectly honest, the speed difference in 99% of the things people use their computers for are unnoticeable. Try it for yourself. Web pages load at the same speed, email is sent at the same speed, and IM's come and go with the same frequency.
The truth is, Apple doesn't really care all that much about who is or isn't shipping C2D. They know that once they come out with the next big thing, all us Photoshop users and media producers will skamper to the website and order ours just as we would have if it came out a month ago. They have stock of MB and MBP to clear out, and there's no reason for them to rush into selling a processor that most people don't even know much about when their sales are still high. Their business is great, and more importantly, their big push right now is obviously iPods for the holiday season. This is a much more popular gift item, and the holiday shopping season is barely gearing up.
C2D (or whatever is next) will come when Apple sees novelty sales for the iPod starting to die down. Not before.
Mattie Num Nums
Apr 8, 12:51 PM
ok, now i can go back to best buy. they aren't evil anymore and the sales people are the most knowledgeable i've seen
http://icanhascheezburger.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/funny-pictures-cats-see-what-you-did.jpg
Best Buy knows who D:apple:ddy is... They know who's keeping that company afloat and relevant in todays chaotic economy.
They wouldn't do anything to jeopardize a business relationship they NEED.
Again they know who D:apple:ddy is.
Yeah because before Apple came to Best Buy, Best Buy was in a lot of trouble.
Give me a break dude.
http://icanhascheezburger.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/funny-pictures-cats-see-what-you-did.jpg
Best Buy knows who D:apple:ddy is... They know who's keeping that company afloat and relevant in todays chaotic economy.
They wouldn't do anything to jeopardize a business relationship they NEED.
Again they know who D:apple:ddy is.
Yeah because before Apple came to Best Buy, Best Buy was in a lot of trouble.
Give me a break dude.
ThE.MeSsEnGeR
Apr 25, 05:49 PM
Same here! Still carry it with no case. But it is really time to send this one into retirement.
oh yeah, it's time ;)
oh yeah, it's time ;)
Belly-laughs
Oct 17, 09:31 AM
yawn! the disc is dead.
(dying, at least.)
(dying, at least.)
abhimat.gautam
May 3, 11:52 PM
Great ad, but the music seemed to fit completely with the "We Believe" ad and not really with this one.
applebum
Aug 5, 12:09 PM
I was thinking, ( always a dangerous activity).
There IS one thing that could make me switch over to the cross platform compatibility side of this argument.
That would be if the CC of Norway enforced it ACROSS THE BOARD!
My first MP3 player was a Creative Zen Micro. The only reason I have an iPod is because when I switched to Macs, the nice people at Creative Labs informed me that their sync software DID NOT SUPPORT MAC OS.
I can't even access Sony's Connect music store on my Mac. I'm told I need to "upgrade to Internet Explorer 5.5 or higher". (Upgrade to IE??? Bwahahahahaha!!! Those silly wabbits. :D)
I have a couple of programs I used in my PC days that are completely useless now, they won't run on Mac OS. Why not? I bought them! I paid for them! What right do these software companies have to lock me into a single platform?
I have, at last count, 317 files on my comp with the extension .xls. If I should decide I prefer to use Lotus, will I be able to open these files as is? Or will I have to take the time to convert them to XML format? Will I lose any of the custom formatting these files contain? ( I honestly don't know. I'm just beginning to learn the ODF stuff. Beside, current version of Lotus appears to be Windows only!) And these files aren't something I paid for, they are my own creations!
I'd be more than willing to see Apple surrender some iPod sales, (given the quality of the product, I don't think it would be much), if it would remove the single largest block against switching to Mac OS; the availabilty of software! Then the OS's could compete on other planes; features, ease of use, quality of computing experience, stability, etc. All of which would be, dare I say, good for the consumer?
Maybe I'm just a silly dreamer, but imagine the boon to Mac and Linux users if all these software development companies were forced to make their products interoperable, with the same functionality, and price.
What a beautiful place the world would be! :cool:
dsnort - finally, someone has hit the nail on the head. A standard DRM does not help ALL consumers - only those using Windows. This is why I see these rules/laws as fluff. There has to be 2 parts to any law before I will see it as positive. First - the law must insist on OS Neutrality. Meaning, if you want to have an online music store, it must work on Linux, Mac, and Windows. You make a music player, then it must have drivers or work on Linux, Mac and Windows. Once you have that, then let's get a universal DRM that is used by all these music stores and all these music players. Until both things happen, these laws do not help all consumers. And isn't what these laws are supposed to do - help the consumer???
My household has nothing but Macs. If these "laws" were enacted and we suddenly had a universal DRM, it would NOT help me as a consumer. I would still only be able to use iTunes, as none of the other big music stores (Sony, Yahoo, Napster, Real, Microsoft, Walmart) work on a Mac. I could perhaps buy a different player, but that would only help if that player had drivers or software that would work on a Mac.
These "laws" seemed to be created by Windows using politicians who don't truly understand what it would take to be fair to ALL consumers. It seems that they only care about whether Windows users get all the bells, whistles, and benefits. So I say leave it the way it is until it will help everyone.
There IS one thing that could make me switch over to the cross platform compatibility side of this argument.
That would be if the CC of Norway enforced it ACROSS THE BOARD!
My first MP3 player was a Creative Zen Micro. The only reason I have an iPod is because when I switched to Macs, the nice people at Creative Labs informed me that their sync software DID NOT SUPPORT MAC OS.
I can't even access Sony's Connect music store on my Mac. I'm told I need to "upgrade to Internet Explorer 5.5 or higher". (Upgrade to IE??? Bwahahahahaha!!! Those silly wabbits. :D)
I have a couple of programs I used in my PC days that are completely useless now, they won't run on Mac OS. Why not? I bought them! I paid for them! What right do these software companies have to lock me into a single platform?
I have, at last count, 317 files on my comp with the extension .xls. If I should decide I prefer to use Lotus, will I be able to open these files as is? Or will I have to take the time to convert them to XML format? Will I lose any of the custom formatting these files contain? ( I honestly don't know. I'm just beginning to learn the ODF stuff. Beside, current version of Lotus appears to be Windows only!) And these files aren't something I paid for, they are my own creations!
I'd be more than willing to see Apple surrender some iPod sales, (given the quality of the product, I don't think it would be much), if it would remove the single largest block against switching to Mac OS; the availabilty of software! Then the OS's could compete on other planes; features, ease of use, quality of computing experience, stability, etc. All of which would be, dare I say, good for the consumer?
Maybe I'm just a silly dreamer, but imagine the boon to Mac and Linux users if all these software development companies were forced to make their products interoperable, with the same functionality, and price.
What a beautiful place the world would be! :cool:
dsnort - finally, someone has hit the nail on the head. A standard DRM does not help ALL consumers - only those using Windows. This is why I see these rules/laws as fluff. There has to be 2 parts to any law before I will see it as positive. First - the law must insist on OS Neutrality. Meaning, if you want to have an online music store, it must work on Linux, Mac, and Windows. You make a music player, then it must have drivers or work on Linux, Mac and Windows. Once you have that, then let's get a universal DRM that is used by all these music stores and all these music players. Until both things happen, these laws do not help all consumers. And isn't what these laws are supposed to do - help the consumer???
My household has nothing but Macs. If these "laws" were enacted and we suddenly had a universal DRM, it would NOT help me as a consumer. I would still only be able to use iTunes, as none of the other big music stores (Sony, Yahoo, Napster, Real, Microsoft, Walmart) work on a Mac. I could perhaps buy a different player, but that would only help if that player had drivers or software that would work on a Mac.
These "laws" seemed to be created by Windows using politicians who don't truly understand what it would take to be fair to ALL consumers. It seems that they only care about whether Windows users get all the bells, whistles, and benefits. So I say leave it the way it is until it will help everyone.
Cassie
Jan 12, 05:28 PM
He may be arrogant, but he deserves it. He's turned Apple from near bankruptcy to some of it's highest profits ever in just 10 years.
If anything, he SHOULD be arrogant.
If anything, he SHOULD be arrogant.
mw360
Apr 6, 08:03 AM
Agreed. Sadly, I was working on an App nearly IDENTICAL to what Apple just came out with. I am about 80% done but am wondering if it is even worth completing: http://computerharmonyinc.com/ibillboard.html
Been tried, been rejected.
Nice try though. An app where you make money every time someone taps the screen - you must have been wetting yourself with excitement.
Been tried, been rejected.
Nice try though. An app where you make money every time someone taps the screen - you must have been wetting yourself with excitement.
maczter
Nov 20, 12:29 PM
...VIA has done more to hurt AMD's acceptance in the mainstream than Intel could ever have hoped to do.
Anyone know who's making the fantabulously spotty logic boards for the MacBook Pros? They bought one for me at work and it's getting ready to go in for its 3rd logic board replacement. I've used Macs since '92 and owned several of my own since '96 and I've never had to replace anything but a worn out (noisy) fan in a PowerMac. This thing's really starting to annoy me.
it would mean backstabbing and betrayal if apple went with amd.
Seriously though, what's the big deal? These days CPU's don't cost much more than mid-range GPU's, but you don't hear anyone freaking out when Apple offers both NVidia *and* ATI GPU's in the Mac Pro and the iMac. :eek:
Anyone know who's making the fantabulously spotty logic boards for the MacBook Pros? They bought one for me at work and it's getting ready to go in for its 3rd logic board replacement. I've used Macs since '92 and owned several of my own since '96 and I've never had to replace anything but a worn out (noisy) fan in a PowerMac. This thing's really starting to annoy me.
it would mean backstabbing and betrayal if apple went with amd.
Seriously though, what's the big deal? These days CPU's don't cost much more than mid-range GPU's, but you don't hear anyone freaking out when Apple offers both NVidia *and* ATI GPU's in the Mac Pro and the iMac. :eek:
rdowns
Apr 26, 10:07 AM
I did have something to add, my opinion, which I am more than entitled to state just as much as you do.
That's nice. IMO, your opinions are worthless. You're just looking to stir **** up. As I said, your act is wearing thin.
That's nice. IMO, your opinions are worthless. You're just looking to stir **** up. As I said, your act is wearing thin.
tigress666
Apr 25, 12:07 PM
Resizing only means having to rewrite apps if the screen resolution changes -- especially if it changes by something other than a whole-number multiple (e.g. 1.5x versus 2x). All rumors indicate a 3.7-inch screen iPhone would have the same Retina-Display resolution (still maintaining over 300dpi).
Technically their "Retina-Display" stuff is based also on typical viewing distance as well -- so a "Retina Display" iPad, iMac, or MacBook (assuming those are in the works) may not go as high as 300dpi. However, a Retina-Display iPad would like require the same pixel-doubling (2x) that was done for apps not optimized for the Retina Display until updates came that included higher-resolution graphics.
Well, in that case, I'd be for it. It won't make me jealous of the 5 (I have a 4 and my contract doesn't run out til next year so no plans on a new phone til then), but I certainly wouldn't be complaining (where as I might if they made the phone bigger or messed up the form in some way to make it less usable or really ugly).
It will be a nice extra when I get my "6" next year (that better have bigger storage by then, that and a faster processor is really all I really want/require out of my next iphone. Not that I would complain about extras other than those two things long as they didn't ruin the phone for what I like it for).
Technically their "Retina-Display" stuff is based also on typical viewing distance as well -- so a "Retina Display" iPad, iMac, or MacBook (assuming those are in the works) may not go as high as 300dpi. However, a Retina-Display iPad would like require the same pixel-doubling (2x) that was done for apps not optimized for the Retina Display until updates came that included higher-resolution graphics.
Well, in that case, I'd be for it. It won't make me jealous of the 5 (I have a 4 and my contract doesn't run out til next year so no plans on a new phone til then), but I certainly wouldn't be complaining (where as I might if they made the phone bigger or messed up the form in some way to make it less usable or really ugly).
It will be a nice extra when I get my "6" next year (that better have bigger storage by then, that and a faster processor is really all I really want/require out of my next iphone. Not that I would complain about extras other than those two things long as they didn't ruin the phone for what I like it for).
nuckinfutz
Oct 18, 05:59 PM
With the new codecs Sony can barely justify 50GB discs for movie distribution. How in the world can you justify 300GB discs?
HVD or something like it would be keen for an Ultra HD format or a 4k format in 10-15yrs but right now it's a solution to a problem that doesn't exist for movie playback.
HVD or something like it would be keen for an Ultra HD format or a 4k format in 10-15yrs but right now it's a solution to a problem that doesn't exist for movie playback.
Swift
Mar 24, 07:12 PM
It's the slogan for OS X Lion. Right.
Now, maybe they could get "Back to My Mac" working as a celebration...
Now, maybe they could get "Back to My Mac" working as a celebration...
Warbrain
Nov 16, 12:48 PM
Do they have to remake a new "Universal Binary?" Because aren't the current UB's for Intel and PPC? Please tell me they wont. I don't wnat to have to wait again for new UB's
I think it would just be an additional code in the x86 part of the UB. Correct me if I'm wrong...
I think it would just be an additional code in the x86 part of the UB. Correct me if I'm wrong...
shartypants
May 3, 01:55 PM
Why is it that Google always touts how open is so good, then they realize that, oh, guess we should tighten things up a bit, maybe being too open is not such a good thing.
ChrisA
Oct 17, 10:55 AM
That comment about not including the burner is interesting, and I'm at least trying to give it some more thoughtful consideration. Who really needs to burn 30 - 50 GB of data? For backup solutions, wouldn't just getting a huge external hard drive be more practical?
Anyone who owns a video camera and uses it will have way more then 30 to 50 GB of data. Mini DV camera make 12Gb of data per hour. If you own a DSLR and shoot in RAW format the image files are on order of 10MB each. My music colection is 50GB.
I do use a hard drive to do backups but there is a basic rule in the computer industry that data is not safe unless it exists in three copies and at two physical locations. How many 500GB hard drives do you want to own? What about photos. Peope like to think they will keep these for 50 or 90 years. You need a very robust backup system if the data are to last that long. Some of the ways data has been lost historically is by theft, fire or flood.
Anyone who owns a video camera and uses it will have way more then 30 to 50 GB of data. Mini DV camera make 12Gb of data per hour. If you own a DSLR and shoot in RAW format the image files are on order of 10MB each. My music colection is 50GB.
I do use a hard drive to do backups but there is a basic rule in the computer industry that data is not safe unless it exists in three copies and at two physical locations. How many 500GB hard drives do you want to own? What about photos. Peope like to think they will keep these for 50 or 90 years. You need a very robust backup system if the data are to last that long. Some of the ways data has been lost historically is by theft, fire or flood.
ericschmerick
Sep 28, 12:25 PM
Aperture runs fine on my MBP 15" 2.0ghz. I have 2GB of ram, and I've definitely noticed that it'll use almost all of it. After 1 hr or so of working with images, I've seen it using 1.5GB+ of ram. So I suspect if you're running it with 1GB, you're missing out on some level of performance.
I agree, the rotate/straighten tool sucks hard. I've found that it's really hard to move the mouse precisely enough, and the click buttons on each side go up/down by 1 degree! Too much for each step.
I think the thing I love more than anything is not having an intermediate format. Working directly with RAW, and just leaving everything in that format until I'm ready to output, is terrific. I'm not a huge photoshopper, so once an image is sharpened, straightened, and levels adjusted, I'm usually done. So I'm not outputting a TIFF and bouncing into PS much. That might make a big difference in how you think about the value of aperture. I can't even imagine managing a whole separate collection of TIFFs, like I used to, now that I'm working directly with RAW.
The actual RAW "conversion" (if it can still be called that) and adjustment process, for me, is about the same speed than C1 or PS was. I have iView Pro as well with well over 10,000 images in databases, and it's terrific, but I'm not using it any more.
EE
http://www.essersinchina.com/
I agree, the rotate/straighten tool sucks hard. I've found that it's really hard to move the mouse precisely enough, and the click buttons on each side go up/down by 1 degree! Too much for each step.
I think the thing I love more than anything is not having an intermediate format. Working directly with RAW, and just leaving everything in that format until I'm ready to output, is terrific. I'm not a huge photoshopper, so once an image is sharpened, straightened, and levels adjusted, I'm usually done. So I'm not outputting a TIFF and bouncing into PS much. That might make a big difference in how you think about the value of aperture. I can't even imagine managing a whole separate collection of TIFFs, like I used to, now that I'm working directly with RAW.
The actual RAW "conversion" (if it can still be called that) and adjustment process, for me, is about the same speed than C1 or PS was. I have iView Pro as well with well over 10,000 images in databases, and it's terrific, but I'm not using it any more.
EE
http://www.essersinchina.com/
srl7741
Apr 13, 12:22 PM
As much as I disagree with everything TSA they are not the problem "we" are for allowing them to do what they do everyday. We continue to lower the bar and I don't see it going back up. It's difficult to reverse such a large thing after we have accepted it. Next up Saturday/Sunday sporting events or other places with very large numbers of people.
Sydde
Apr 9, 07:42 PM
Ohio has a lot of blue collars. They will need about a quarter million to file a referendum on government union busting. They are optimistic, the effort is underway (http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700125855/Opponents-of-new-union-law-rally-in-Ohios-capital.html?s_cid=rss-5). I wonder if Thomas Veil will sign this one (with his real name)?
ITR 81
Oct 17, 12:18 PM
so it's kind of a mixture here.
1. more capacity -> blu-ray
2. lower price -> hd-dvd
3. porn industry choses the cheapest format -> hd-dvd
the big thing will be the players. blu-ray players had a bad start (frames were dropped, image quality wasn't that good, delays).
it looks like blu-ray will have a hard fight.
HD DVD is barely any cheaper then Blu-Ray right now.
I mean few bucks isn't going to change my mind.
Also the porn industry more then likely went with VHS because of it's 3 hrs capacity then it just being cheaper of the two. Think how much porn could be crammed onto a blu-ray disc!?
1. more capacity -> blu-ray
2. lower price -> hd-dvd
3. porn industry choses the cheapest format -> hd-dvd
the big thing will be the players. blu-ray players had a bad start (frames were dropped, image quality wasn't that good, delays).
it looks like blu-ray will have a hard fight.
HD DVD is barely any cheaper then Blu-Ray right now.
I mean few bucks isn't going to change my mind.
Also the porn industry more then likely went with VHS because of it's 3 hrs capacity then it just being cheaper of the two. Think how much porn could be crammed onto a blu-ray disc!?
kernkraft
Jul 30, 11:22 AM
I think the Volt is a success in terms of meeting its intended design parameters. However, I think the whole notion of the all-electric car and plug-in hybrids are flawed due to our current infrastructure.
As long as we burn fossil fuels to get the electricity, the electric car is just sweeping the fossil fuel/pollution problem under the rug by putting the "dirty" side of power consumption out of sight (back at the power plant). Also, there's no way our current power generation infrastructure could support even a fraction of the population switching to electric cars. California already has rolling blackouts - if people stopped burning gas and switched to electrics, the problem would get drastically worse.
I think electric cars are a dead end for the present...At least until our entire power grid makes large-scale switches to alternative energy, and there is no timeline for that currently. Also, there is currently no guarantee that practical fuel-cell systems will ever be truly affordable or mass-producable. The current offerings are all extremely expensive, proof-of-concept vehicles with short useful lives.
We'd be better off with diesels or diesel hybrids. People don't want to admit it, but those are currently our best options IMO.
I really wish I didn't sound so cynical, but that's the picture as I understand it.
Very valid points! My only point to add would be that BMW already makes diesel cars that use the company's EfficientDynamics technology to regenerate wasted energy. In the end, what might solve our energy crisis is the combination of alternative energy, frugality on the user end and trying to capture and re-use as much energy and energy-intensive (to make) products as possible. To me, there is no great difference between a hybrid and a BMW diesel that stops in stationary traffic. Of course, in city centres, using a purely electric drive helps to keep the air clean, which is something that diesel engines are not good at.
Well, they should research capacitors then, never wear out, and charge veeeeewy quick. Like EEstor (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EEStor)
Very good point. And not without a bit of irony as Rudolf Diesel patented his engine in the U.S. (608,845), and we don't use it - though that's because of the Oil companies, not the car companies.
I agree we should use the diesel. After the apocalypse, you could make your own fuel from zombie bodies!
Used vegetable oil or quality diesel would be a start...
True on the economies of scale bit - although the batteries are always going to be pricey.
I keep hammering the same point here, but the Volt would see a quite significant fuel economy boost by switching to a diesel engine to charge the batteries and run the motors. Sort it out, US car companies...it's not like we don't sell diesel here.
I heard it that the reason why BMW stopped selling diesel cars in the US was that the engines failed, due to the very poor quality. In Europe, you can get quality fuel, but in the US, diesel is still the fuel of trucks, primarily.
Just one statistics: in continental Europe (not in the UK), new diesel cars have been outselling petrol ones for almost a decade, despite the premium.
That's the great thing about a platform like the Volt, or anything like it: you can easily change whatever gives the electricity. Gas not working right? The American public finally getting their asses out of their collective heads about diesel? Just get one the right size, and hook it up to the generator. It works for trains. Small fusion reactors finally a possibility? Bingo!
If GM hadn't ****ed up when they tried bringing diesel cars to the market, it wouldn't be anywhere near as bad. We still have some old M-B diesels kicking around, and probably a good bunch of them run on SVO by now.
Subaru still sells FWD cars, just not in the US or Europe.
You may easily change the source of electricity (actually, you cannot, it mainly comes from coal and oil in the US, I think), but so far, there is no decent technology available to solve the problem of storing electricity. Batteries suck and the Volt still uses ancient batteries that you would find in all sorts of consumer products. That is a car, running on laptop batteries (or AA's, if you prefer).
Why did you burst my bubble of Subarus awesomeness? :(
Don't forget the dealership markup. Some of the automotive blogs have people complaining that the dealerships are adding a $10k markup to the already expensive vehicle.
You shouldn't have any impression about Subarus. They really have the traction of a train (AWD ones, of course - why would you buy anything else?!), but everything else is just midrange quality at best.
I've had a 1998 Impreza estate several years ago and it was OK. Recently, I've had a 2007 Legacy Outback from work. Nice glass on the top and good traction, but I have no intention of trading a BMW or Mercedes for it the next time. The interior is low quality and Subaru has no understanding of fuel efficiency, it seems. OK, it's a 2.5L engine, automatic and AWD, but still... 25 imperial mpg?!
As long as we burn fossil fuels to get the electricity, the electric car is just sweeping the fossil fuel/pollution problem under the rug by putting the "dirty" side of power consumption out of sight (back at the power plant). Also, there's no way our current power generation infrastructure could support even a fraction of the population switching to electric cars. California already has rolling blackouts - if people stopped burning gas and switched to electrics, the problem would get drastically worse.
I think electric cars are a dead end for the present...At least until our entire power grid makes large-scale switches to alternative energy, and there is no timeline for that currently. Also, there is currently no guarantee that practical fuel-cell systems will ever be truly affordable or mass-producable. The current offerings are all extremely expensive, proof-of-concept vehicles with short useful lives.
We'd be better off with diesels or diesel hybrids. People don't want to admit it, but those are currently our best options IMO.
I really wish I didn't sound so cynical, but that's the picture as I understand it.
Very valid points! My only point to add would be that BMW already makes diesel cars that use the company's EfficientDynamics technology to regenerate wasted energy. In the end, what might solve our energy crisis is the combination of alternative energy, frugality on the user end and trying to capture and re-use as much energy and energy-intensive (to make) products as possible. To me, there is no great difference between a hybrid and a BMW diesel that stops in stationary traffic. Of course, in city centres, using a purely electric drive helps to keep the air clean, which is something that diesel engines are not good at.
Well, they should research capacitors then, never wear out, and charge veeeeewy quick. Like EEstor (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EEStor)
Very good point. And not without a bit of irony as Rudolf Diesel patented his engine in the U.S. (608,845), and we don't use it - though that's because of the Oil companies, not the car companies.
I agree we should use the diesel. After the apocalypse, you could make your own fuel from zombie bodies!
Used vegetable oil or quality diesel would be a start...
True on the economies of scale bit - although the batteries are always going to be pricey.
I keep hammering the same point here, but the Volt would see a quite significant fuel economy boost by switching to a diesel engine to charge the batteries and run the motors. Sort it out, US car companies...it's not like we don't sell diesel here.
I heard it that the reason why BMW stopped selling diesel cars in the US was that the engines failed, due to the very poor quality. In Europe, you can get quality fuel, but in the US, diesel is still the fuel of trucks, primarily.
Just one statistics: in continental Europe (not in the UK), new diesel cars have been outselling petrol ones for almost a decade, despite the premium.
That's the great thing about a platform like the Volt, or anything like it: you can easily change whatever gives the electricity. Gas not working right? The American public finally getting their asses out of their collective heads about diesel? Just get one the right size, and hook it up to the generator. It works for trains. Small fusion reactors finally a possibility? Bingo!
If GM hadn't ****ed up when they tried bringing diesel cars to the market, it wouldn't be anywhere near as bad. We still have some old M-B diesels kicking around, and probably a good bunch of them run on SVO by now.
Subaru still sells FWD cars, just not in the US or Europe.
You may easily change the source of electricity (actually, you cannot, it mainly comes from coal and oil in the US, I think), but so far, there is no decent technology available to solve the problem of storing electricity. Batteries suck and the Volt still uses ancient batteries that you would find in all sorts of consumer products. That is a car, running on laptop batteries (or AA's, if you prefer).
Why did you burst my bubble of Subarus awesomeness? :(
Don't forget the dealership markup. Some of the automotive blogs have people complaining that the dealerships are adding a $10k markup to the already expensive vehicle.
You shouldn't have any impression about Subarus. They really have the traction of a train (AWD ones, of course - why would you buy anything else?!), but everything else is just midrange quality at best.
I've had a 1998 Impreza estate several years ago and it was OK. Recently, I've had a 2007 Legacy Outback from work. Nice glass on the top and good traction, but I have no intention of trading a BMW or Mercedes for it the next time. The interior is low quality and Subaru has no understanding of fuel efficiency, it seems. OK, it's a 2.5L engine, automatic and AWD, but still... 25 imperial mpg?!
