Marx55
Nov 26, 12:45 PM
THIS COULD BE A KILLER GADGET FOR PRESENTATIONS.
1. Make presentation with Keynote or PowerPoint on Mac or PC-Windows.
2. Transfer the NATIVE file to the Tablet.
3. Carry the wireless Tablet with you and use its remore control for wireless presentations.
Even better would be if an iPod Video or iPhone Video form-factor did the task of wireless computer + presentation remote (booting Mac OS X mobile). Something like this for true wireless computerless presentations:
http://www.t3.co.uk/news/247/communications/mobile_phone/evidence_mounts_for_january_iphone
http://www.t3.co.uk/nested_content/gallery_assetlisting_navigation?root=633162&result_page=1
http://www.t3.co.uk/nested_content/gallery_assetlisting_navigation?root=633162&result_page=2
http://www.t3.co.uk/nested_content/gallery_assetlisting_navigation?root=633162&result_page=3
But the Tablet could be a good start point, before shrinking it to an iPod Video/iPhone Video form factor. Or could we have both? Hopefully.
1. Make presentation with Keynote or PowerPoint on Mac or PC-Windows.
2. Transfer the NATIVE file to the Tablet.
3. Carry the wireless Tablet with you and use its remore control for wireless presentations.
Even better would be if an iPod Video or iPhone Video form-factor did the task of wireless computer + presentation remote (booting Mac OS X mobile). Something like this for true wireless computerless presentations:
http://www.t3.co.uk/news/247/communications/mobile_phone/evidence_mounts_for_january_iphone
http://www.t3.co.uk/nested_content/gallery_assetlisting_navigation?root=633162&result_page=1
http://www.t3.co.uk/nested_content/gallery_assetlisting_navigation?root=633162&result_page=2
http://www.t3.co.uk/nested_content/gallery_assetlisting_navigation?root=633162&result_page=3
But the Tablet could be a good start point, before shrinking it to an iPod Video/iPhone Video form factor. Or could we have both? Hopefully.
Thunderhawks
Apr 24, 09:13 PM
Given this. If these "typical consumers, who don't care or really know about specs" are today, looking at their current 1920x1080 screens, or 1920x1200 screens, and they cannot see the individual pixels from their normal, let's say two feet away viewing distance, then what on earth would be the point in increasing costs, and slowing down an iMac by lumbering it with a higher resolution screen?
What is the point, for these consumers, to increase the screen resolution when they can't make out the individual pixels currently?
This is for a development in the future and the cost may not go up.
Apple usually outwaits developments until the cost fall into their range.
BTW: I do find it funny that you want to fault Apple for "gaming" a field that they clearly did not want to be in.
BTW2: The iMac for the masses is a clever space saving design. Their sales success shows it!
The Pro type tower boxes with separate monitor are just big clunky boxes.
They take up desk space or are usually hidden under the desk.
Also, in any good design Form follows Function. Apple follows that principle well and then some.
The secret of excellent design is actually what is not there:-)
What is the point, for these consumers, to increase the screen resolution when they can't make out the individual pixels currently?
This is for a development in the future and the cost may not go up.
Apple usually outwaits developments until the cost fall into their range.
BTW: I do find it funny that you want to fault Apple for "gaming" a field that they clearly did not want to be in.
BTW2: The iMac for the masses is a clever space saving design. Their sales success shows it!
The Pro type tower boxes with separate monitor are just big clunky boxes.
They take up desk space or are usually hidden under the desk.
Also, in any good design Form follows Function. Apple follows that principle well and then some.
The secret of excellent design is actually what is not there:-)
DiveBum
Nov 3, 09:29 AM
:eek: $119.00 for a mount without the software? They must be real proud of that!
Number 41
Mar 28, 12:03 PM
My 3GS is working just fine -- I'm more than content to wait for a real refresh to the iPhone (not some garbage update that keeps the same flawed form factor re: antenna and use of a shattering glass back).
Most people claiming they'll switch won't -- rebuying your Apps for the Android marketplace represents a non-insubstantial hidden cost to switching for many people.
Most people claiming they'll switch won't -- rebuying your Apps for the Android marketplace represents a non-insubstantial hidden cost to switching for many people.
ncl
Apr 11, 04:30 AM
To all the people arguing that the answer is 288 and not 2 and linked to the wikipedia page on the order of operations to prove their point: if you actually bothered to read the page you linked to, you would have seen this:
Some mathematicians hold that multiplication by juxtaposition (omitting the x sign, ex. 2(4+3) ) is a symbol of grouping. No fixed convention exists.
That's probably why Spotlight gives a different answer if you write the expression with or without the "*".
Some people will say 2, others will say 288 and it has nothing to do with their math skills but only with the convention they use.
To give the only right answer to the original question: don't write an expression in such a retarded way :p
Some mathematicians hold that multiplication by juxtaposition (omitting the x sign, ex. 2(4+3) ) is a symbol of grouping. No fixed convention exists.
That's probably why Spotlight gives a different answer if you write the expression with or without the "*".
Some people will say 2, others will say 288 and it has nothing to do with their math skills but only with the convention they use.
To give the only right answer to the original question: don't write an expression in such a retarded way :p
ViviUO
Apr 21, 04:09 PM
Good bye expandability, hello cooling issues!
Seriously, why not just keep the xserve and leave the MP alone? Where are we supposed to stuff our upgrades into such a small form factor? Sounds really stupid.
Seriously, why not just keep the xserve and leave the MP alone? Where are we supposed to stuff our upgrades into such a small form factor? Sounds really stupid.
poe diddley
Aug 7, 08:17 PM
ok im super duper glad they finally released it
and i'm happy about it being quad processor and the quad 3ghz is soooo dreamy
but i have mixed feelings about the case
on one hand i'm glad they stuck with the look of the g5 powermac,
and didnt go to some plastic looking crap (i love the brushed aluminum look)
but i wish they would have made it a little different looking
and i'm happy about it being quad processor and the quad 3ghz is soooo dreamy
but i have mixed feelings about the case
on one hand i'm glad they stuck with the look of the g5 powermac,
and didnt go to some plastic looking crap (i love the brushed aluminum look)
but i wish they would have made it a little different looking
rmwebs
Apr 20, 03:19 AM
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_2 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Mobile/8H7)
Apple is also gunning for the iPad 3 to be released alongside it but I doubt it'll end UO that way.
No, they aren't. Don't post complete garbage. They have no need to release an iPad again this year. How many times have you ever see Apple do a product refresh in the same year? Every single major Apple product runs on a yearly refresh, with a couple of months either side to handle any possible delays.
iPod Classic:
9/2009
9/2008
9/2007
9/2006
10/2005
iPod Touch:
9/2010
9/2009
9/2008
iPod Nano:
9/2010
9/2009
9/2008
9/2007
9/2006
Mac Mini:
6/2010
10/2009 ~ Notable exception due to the 2 year update gap.
3/2009
8/2007
iPad:
3/2011
3/2010
iPhone:
6/2010
6/2009
7/2008 ~ Not a refresh, added a 16GB option to existing line.
2/2008
9/2007
Do you get it now? No iPad refresh until 2012...end of story.
Apple is also gunning for the iPad 3 to be released alongside it but I doubt it'll end UO that way.
No, they aren't. Don't post complete garbage. They have no need to release an iPad again this year. How many times have you ever see Apple do a product refresh in the same year? Every single major Apple product runs on a yearly refresh, with a couple of months either side to handle any possible delays.
iPod Classic:
9/2009
9/2008
9/2007
9/2006
10/2005
iPod Touch:
9/2010
9/2009
9/2008
iPod Nano:
9/2010
9/2009
9/2008
9/2007
9/2006
Mac Mini:
6/2010
10/2009 ~ Notable exception due to the 2 year update gap.
3/2009
8/2007
iPad:
3/2011
3/2010
iPhone:
6/2010
6/2009
7/2008 ~ Not a refresh, added a 16GB option to existing line.
2/2008
9/2007
Do you get it now? No iPad refresh until 2012...end of story.
InsiderTravels
Nov 28, 08:49 AM
i don't think it would appeal to that many people, to have an apple tablet.
i mean, the PC/Win versions aren't great sellers...
I think a lot of you are forgetting about artists and the rest of the creative market. Sure, a programmer or tech geek or business person or writer may have little use for a tablet, but artists are another story. Carrying around a separate, cumbersome USB tablet can become a pain. It's much easier to draw with a pen than it is with a mouse. Whether or not the handwriting recognition is accurate and lightning fast is largely irrelevant, as artists would rarely be using the tablet for that feature. Remember, the majority of creative pros are Mac users, hence a great reason why tablet PCs have yet to take off; there's never been one that was marketed towards and could be used by the creative crowd; many of them wouldn't touch a Windows PC with a ten-foot pole.
i mean, the PC/Win versions aren't great sellers...
I think a lot of you are forgetting about artists and the rest of the creative market. Sure, a programmer or tech geek or business person or writer may have little use for a tablet, but artists are another story. Carrying around a separate, cumbersome USB tablet can become a pain. It's much easier to draw with a pen than it is with a mouse. Whether or not the handwriting recognition is accurate and lightning fast is largely irrelevant, as artists would rarely be using the tablet for that feature. Remember, the majority of creative pros are Mac users, hence a great reason why tablet PCs have yet to take off; there's never been one that was marketed towards and could be used by the creative crowd; many of them wouldn't touch a Windows PC with a ten-foot pole.
Tonsko
Nov 8, 10:26 AM
Just as an aside, something else to keep in mind, a reason I've found that companies like to spend a lot of money on security software (or indeed software in general) is down to internal politics. For instance, if the IT director expouses a theme of free software, and the company ends up with a virus (even one that 'paid for' solution wouldn't pick up), then he will be in the firing line for not being percieved as doing all he possibly could to prevent it. So using expensive, well software is an exercise in risk transferral.
Back OT, I've not installed Sophos on my MBP yet, still waiting for more verdicts from you lot :)
Back OT, I've not installed Sophos on my MBP yet, still waiting for more verdicts from you lot :)
Multimedia
Sep 16, 07:36 PM
Just wanted to add, for everyone reading a lot into shipping dates etc., I ordered mine on Sep 11 and got the notice of delays, then notice it was shpped out today (was planning on cancelling after this news).
Now, it will probably be around the 25th before I get, and I won't open it, but considering I have upgrades (so customization = no return) how hard do you guys think it would be for me to exchange it for an updated one?You're going to have to be aggressive about returning it. If I were you I would try to refuse accepting delivery and call your credit card company and tell them you don't want it so they will force Apple to accept your refusal to receive it.
Now, it will probably be around the 25th before I get, and I won't open it, but considering I have upgrades (so customization = no return) how hard do you guys think it would be for me to exchange it for an updated one?You're going to have to be aggressive about returning it. If I were you I would try to refuse accepting delivery and call your credit card company and tell them you don't want it so they will force Apple to accept your refusal to receive it.
Scottgfx
May 6, 01:43 AM
Isn't ARM a RISC processor? We just switched from RISC to CISC. And now we're going back?
If my understanding of processor architectures are correct, the CISC processors have become a hybrid. There's a core part that is probably more similar to a RISC and a pre-processor that translates the CISC operations to the core. At least this was my understanding of the AMD Thunderbird chips from 10+ years ago. RISC chips moved in a similar and opposite direction, adding more instructions. Kind of counter to the original idea of RISC.
If my understanding of processor architectures are correct, the CISC processors have become a hybrid. There's a core part that is probably more similar to a RISC and a pre-processor that translates the CISC operations to the core. At least this was my understanding of the AMD Thunderbird chips from 10+ years ago. RISC chips moved in a similar and opposite direction, adding more instructions. Kind of counter to the original idea of RISC.
adbe
Apr 5, 01:55 PM
"maintain their good relationship with Apple,"
Really?
Toyota sells cars not electronic/computer/idevices.
What does that have to do with anything? The phrase "don't burn your bridges" comes to mind. For a major corporation to needlessly make an enemy out of another one would be short sighted to the point of folly.
What'ever. Glad I bought a Subaru :)
You're glad you didn't buy a Toyota because they're the kind of company that on receipt of a courteous request thinks, "OK, let's not be douches about this."
Your purchasing logic is inspired. You should probably publish something.
Really?
Toyota sells cars not electronic/computer/idevices.
What does that have to do with anything? The phrase "don't burn your bridges" comes to mind. For a major corporation to needlessly make an enemy out of another one would be short sighted to the point of folly.
What'ever. Glad I bought a Subaru :)
You're glad you didn't buy a Toyota because they're the kind of company that on receipt of a courteous request thinks, "OK, let's not be douches about this."
Your purchasing logic is inspired. You should probably publish something.
blow45
Mar 29, 07:51 PM
A better battery is highly improbable. However if you only look at the dark side of an event you pass up any chance of benefitting from it. Certainly it isn't good to have your nukes melt down but this is also a learning opportunity. That is if people can look at what is happening objectively. If all you see is people getting irradiated then you aren't looking at the bigger picture.
yeah we should all be glad we 'll be getting that good japanese radiation soon, and that Tokyo which isn't the closest place to the nuclear disaster is 1.1 times the alarm limit in radiation. Leave it, your comment is very, very callous in view of what the Japanese people and humanity in general are facing. Btw, were you making the same comments for Chernobyl? That, sure it's bad, but we are going to learn from it so that's good? Let me tell you something, cause you seem young, we can't afford to learn by nuclear disasters, we should have learned already what we needed to have learned (back in the cold war era), because you don't get many chances with radiation, and even one disaster, is one disaster too many. I am sure people born with severely damaged internal organs, or with dysmorphias and teratogenesis will appreciate your "argument".
Well, I'm glad to see that Macrumors and Apple are at least able to focus on the big picture: product availability.
lol, very true, and funny, in a very tragic way of course... while this site is steeped in pc, it's obviously very much lacking in common sensibilities and a sense of shared humanity, if I were (god forbid) one of the thousands of homeless or people being irradiated (I shudder to think btw what pregnant women must be feeling like in Japan...the dread is unfathomable) in Japan, and I came here to read about product availability with not an inkling of the suffering and cost in human life, I would really, really want to slap a few people around after that....
yeah we should all be glad we 'll be getting that good japanese radiation soon, and that Tokyo which isn't the closest place to the nuclear disaster is 1.1 times the alarm limit in radiation. Leave it, your comment is very, very callous in view of what the Japanese people and humanity in general are facing. Btw, were you making the same comments for Chernobyl? That, sure it's bad, but we are going to learn from it so that's good? Let me tell you something, cause you seem young, we can't afford to learn by nuclear disasters, we should have learned already what we needed to have learned (back in the cold war era), because you don't get many chances with radiation, and even one disaster, is one disaster too many. I am sure people born with severely damaged internal organs, or with dysmorphias and teratogenesis will appreciate your "argument".
Well, I'm glad to see that Macrumors and Apple are at least able to focus on the big picture: product availability.
lol, very true, and funny, in a very tragic way of course... while this site is steeped in pc, it's obviously very much lacking in common sensibilities and a sense of shared humanity, if I were (god forbid) one of the thousands of homeless or people being irradiated (I shudder to think btw what pregnant women must be feeling like in Japan...the dread is unfathomable) in Japan, and I came here to read about product availability with not an inkling of the suffering and cost in human life, I would really, really want to slap a few people around after that....
Durendal
May 6, 12:23 AM
This is a non-story, folks. Charlie is well-known as a professional troll who is regularly full of crap.
John Jacob
Jul 23, 11:56 AM
Well, since WWDC has been bumped from the usual June day, we all know something is coming. I kinda am hoping for a 13" MBP. They could introduce the 13" MBP along with bumped up 15" and 17" ones.
I would love that. I really want a MBP to replace my PB12, but the current MBPs are too bulky. What I really want is a 13" MBP of the same general form factor as the MacBooks, but with a dedicated pro graphics card and everything else the MBPs have...
I would love that. I really want a MBP to replace my PB12, but the current MBPs are too bulky. What I really want is a 13" MBP of the same general form factor as the MacBooks, but with a dedicated pro graphics card and everything else the MBPs have...
Multimedia
Aug 7, 06:24 PM
The G5 is almost as fast per clock cycle.
Apple COULD have released quad G5 3ghz instead, but they want us to use Intel.
The whole Intel project is beacuse of no G5 laptop.
Stupid IBM. I do not like X86, the play plattform.
But, I have changed all my PPC macs to Intel now.
Macbook pro, Macbook, macmini and today a Macpro.Congrats on making the shift. I will probably wait for 8 cores. But I am tempted because of the 6 Bays and the additional front ports. Maybe I'll get a refurb in the Fall. Still want a Core 2 MBP more I guess. Really want 8 cores. Might just hold out until Spring so Leopard is inside 8 cores. Love Leopard features. :)
Stupid IBM...
Apple COULD have released quad G5 3ghz instead, but they want us to use Intel.
The whole Intel project is beacuse of no G5 laptop.
Stupid IBM. I do not like X86, the play plattform.
But, I have changed all my PPC macs to Intel now.
Macbook pro, Macbook, macmini and today a Macpro.Congrats on making the shift. I will probably wait for 8 cores. But I am tempted because of the 6 Bays and the additional front ports. Maybe I'll get a refurb in the Fall. Still want a Core 2 MBP more I guess. Really want 8 cores. Might just hold out until Spring so Leopard is inside 8 cores. Love Leopard features. :)
Stupid IBM...
Michaelgtrusa
Apr 18, 03:19 PM
And they are an Apple supplier.
Max on Macs
Jul 30, 01:57 AM
Given that I have 13 months on my contract remaining, I'd say the chances of Apple releasing a cell phone next month are incredibly hot. I wonder what the early cancellation fee is.... Hmmm.
GGJstudios
Dec 28, 03:55 PM
Does this mean I shouldn't bother installing Sophos for my mpb?
So many conflicting opinions.
Read this, then decide for yourself: Mac Virus/Malware Info (http://forums.macrumors.com/showpost.php?p=9400648&postcount=4)
So many conflicting opinions.
Read this, then decide for yourself: Mac Virus/Malware Info (http://forums.macrumors.com/showpost.php?p=9400648&postcount=4)
alent1234
Mar 29, 09:06 AM
It's yet another Dropbox offering that's a long ways behind awesome-integration with other products (Lots of apps sync data between devices via Dropbox). And, if I put a music file into dropbox I can play it, mobile device independent.
Also, why would I only want my music accessible when I have internet? Any road trips from where I live (Utah) generally put me in EDGE territory which won't be consistently fast enough to stream the audio at enough quality, let alone the fact that there are several dead spots along the way. I'll stick to having my music on my iPhone. No buffer, no stutter, no data usage. Oh, yeah. That. Data usage. With carriers bottlenecking you now, you think they'll favor Amazon cloud delivery for people who want to stream their music all day long? They (Amazon) will probably also do some more compression on the files so it'll sound like listening to your music in a tin can.
At first glance, being very pessimistic, I'm not really interested in this product.
you might have missed apple's product release strategy in the last 15 years. release a product with a limited set of features that work well and add on later.
same strategy here. if amazon waits until every possible listening scenario is taken care of they will never release a product. look at the kindle, all it does is let you read books and cheaply. and people love it
Also, why would I only want my music accessible when I have internet? Any road trips from where I live (Utah) generally put me in EDGE territory which won't be consistently fast enough to stream the audio at enough quality, let alone the fact that there are several dead spots along the way. I'll stick to having my music on my iPhone. No buffer, no stutter, no data usage. Oh, yeah. That. Data usage. With carriers bottlenecking you now, you think they'll favor Amazon cloud delivery for people who want to stream their music all day long? They (Amazon) will probably also do some more compression on the files so it'll sound like listening to your music in a tin can.
At first glance, being very pessimistic, I'm not really interested in this product.
you might have missed apple's product release strategy in the last 15 years. release a product with a limited set of features that work well and add on later.
same strategy here. if amazon waits until every possible listening scenario is taken care of they will never release a product. look at the kindle, all it does is let you read books and cheaply. and people love it
twoodcc
Aug 3, 10:32 PM
good news, but it seems that it will be later than we were expecting. September?:confused:
maddonkey
Sep 11, 12:45 PM
Has anybody noticed that the shipping times for all Macbooks have gone up to 5-7 days?
CalBoy
May 3, 03:39 PM
I see no reason why 99, 99.5, and 100 are easier to track than 37.2, 37.5, and 37.7. As you said, we accept body temp to be 98.6 and 37.0 in Celsius. If decimals are difficult to remember, then clearly we should pick the scale that represents normal body temp as an integer, right? ;)
It doesn't matter what normal body temperature is because that's not what people are looking for when they take a temperature; they're looking for what's not normal. If it can be helped, the number one is seeking should be as flat as possible.
There is a distinctive quality about 100 that is special. It represents an additional place value and is a line of demarcation for most people. For a scientist or professional, the numbers seem the same (each with 3 digits ending in the tenths place), but to the lay user they are very different. The average person doesn't know what significant digits are or when rounding is appropriate. It's far more likely that someone will falsely remember "37.2" as "37" than they will "99" as "98.6." Even if they do make an error and think of 98.6 as 99, it is an error on the side of caution (because presumably they will take their child to the doctor or at least call in).
I realize this makes me seem like I put people in low regard, but the fact is that most things designed for common use are meant to be idiot-proof. Redundancies and warnings are hard to miss in such designs, and on a temperature scale, one that makes 100 "dangerous" is very practical and effective. You have to keep in mind that this scale is going to be used by the illiterate, functionally illiterate, the negligent, the careless, the sloppy, and the hurried.
The importance of additional digits finds its way into many facets of life, including advertising and pricing. It essentially the only reason why everything is sold at intervals of "xx.99" instead of a flat price point. Marketers have long determined that if they were to round up to the nearest whole number, it would make the price seem disproportionately larger. The same "trick" is being used by the Fahrenheit scale; the presence of the additional digit makes people more alarmed at the appropriate time.
Perhaps your set of measuring cups is the additional piece of equipment. Indeed you wouldn't need them. For a recipe in SI, the only items you would need are an electronic balance, graduating measuring "cup," and a graduated cylinder. No series of cups or spoons required (although, they do of course come in metric for those so inclined).
Of course any amateur baker has at least a few cups of both wet and dry so they can keep ingredients separated but measured when they need to be added in a precise order. It just isn't practical to bake with 3 measuring devices and a scale (which, let's be real here, would cost 5 times as much as a set of measuring cups).
This also relies on having recipes with written weights as opposed to volumes. It would also be problematic because you'd make people relearn common measurements for the metric beaker because they couldn't have their cups (ie I know 1 egg is half a cup, so it's easy to put half an egg in a recipe-I would have to do milimeter devision to figure this out for a metric recipe even though there's a perfectly good standard device for it).
It might seem that way to you, but the majority of the world uses weight to measure dry ingredients. For them it's just as easy.
Sure when you have a commercial quantity (which is also how companies bake in bulk-by weight), but not when you're making a dozen muffins or cupcakes. The smaller the quantity, the worse off you are with weighing each ingredient in terms of efficiency.
Why would you need alternative names? A recipe would call for "30ml" of any given liquid. There's no need to call it anything else.
So what would you call 500ml of beer at a bar? Would everyone refer to the spoon at the dinner table as "the 30?" The naming convention isn't going to disappear just because measurements are given in metric. Or are you saying that the naming convention should disappear and numbers used exclusively in their stead?
Well, no one would ask for a 237ml vessel because that's an arbitrary number based on a different system of units. But if you wanted, yes, you could measure that amount in a graduated measuring cup (or weigh it on your balance).
In that case, what would I call 1 cup of a drink? Even if it is made flat at 200, 250, or 300ml, what would be the name? I think by and large it would still be called a cup. In that case you aren't really accomplishing much because people are going to refer to it as they will and the metric quantity wouldn't really do anything because it's not something that people usually divide or multiply by 10 very often in daily life.
I suspect people would call it a "quarter liter," much like I would say "quarter gallon."
No, that would be 1/4 of a liter, not 4 liters. I'm assuming that without gallons, the most closely analogous metric quantity would be 4 liters. What would be the marketing term for this? The shorthand name that would allow people to express a quantity without referring to another number?
And no, you wouldn't call 500ml a "pint" because, well, why would you? :confused:
Well I'm assuming that beer would have to be served in metric quantities, and a pint is known the world over as a beer. You can't really expect the name to go out of use just because the quantity has changed by a factor of about 25ml.
...But countries using SI do call 500ml a demi-liter ("demi" meaning "half").
Somehow I don't see that becoming popular pub lingo...
This is the case with Si units as well. 500, 250, 125, 75, etc. Though SI units can also be divided by any number you wish. Want to make 1/5 of the recipe? ...Just divide all the numbers by five.
Except you can't divide the servings people usually take for themselves very easily by 2, 4, 8, or 16. An eighth of 300ml (a hypothetical metric cup), for example, is a decimal. It's not very probable that if someone was to describe how much cream they added to their coffee they'd describe it as "37.5ml." It's more likely that they'll say "1/4 of x" or "2 of y." This is how the standard system was born; people took everyday quantities (often times as random as fists, feet, and gulps) and over time standardized them.
Every standard unit conforms to a value we are likely to see to this day (a man's foot is still about 12 inches, a tablespoon is about one bite, etc). Granted it's not scientific, but it's not meant to be. It's meant to be practical to describe everyday units, much like "lion" is not the full scientific name for panthera leo. One naming scheme makes sense for one application and another makes sense for a very different application. I whole heartedly agree that for scientific, industrial, and official uses metric is the way to go, but it is not the way to go for lay people. People are not scientists. They should use the measuring schemes that are practical for the things in their lives.
Not that OS X Panthera Leo doesn't have a nice ring to it, of course. ;)
No, but it is onerous for kids to learn SI units, which is a mandatory skill in this global world. Like I said, why teach kids two units of measure if one will suffice?
It's onerous to learn how to multiply and divide by 10 + 3 root words? :confused: Besides, so many things in our daily lives have both unit scales. My ruler has inches and cm and mm. Bathroom scales have pounds and kg. Even measuring cups have ml written on them.
You could be right for international commerce where values have to be recalculated just for the US, but like I said, I think those things should be converted. I don't really care if I buy a 25 gram candy bar as opposed to a 1 ounce candy bar or a 350ml can of soda.
Perhaps true, but just because you switch to metric, doesn't mean you need to stop using tablespoons and teaspoons for measurements. It's all an approximation anyway, since there are far more than 2 different spoon sizes, and many of them look like they're pretty much equal in size to a tablespoon.
I'm sorry, but which tablespoons do you use that aren't tablespoons? The measuring spoons most people have at home for baking are very precise and have the fractions clearly marked on them.
Other than that, there's a teaspoon, tablespoon, and serving spoon (which you wouldn't use as a measurement). The sizes are very different for each of those and I don't think anyone who saw them side by side could confuse them.
So if you're cooking, do what everyone else does with their spoons; if you need a tablespoon, grab the big-ish one and estimate. If you needed more precision than that, why wouldn't you use ml? :confused:
Because it's a heck of a lot easier to think, "I need one xspoon of secret ingredient" than it is to think, "I need xml of secret ingredient." You think like a scientist (because you are one). Most people aren't. That's who the teaspoons and tablespoons are for.
It doesn't matter what normal body temperature is because that's not what people are looking for when they take a temperature; they're looking for what's not normal. If it can be helped, the number one is seeking should be as flat as possible.
There is a distinctive quality about 100 that is special. It represents an additional place value and is a line of demarcation for most people. For a scientist or professional, the numbers seem the same (each with 3 digits ending in the tenths place), but to the lay user they are very different. The average person doesn't know what significant digits are or when rounding is appropriate. It's far more likely that someone will falsely remember "37.2" as "37" than they will "99" as "98.6." Even if they do make an error and think of 98.6 as 99, it is an error on the side of caution (because presumably they will take their child to the doctor or at least call in).
I realize this makes me seem like I put people in low regard, but the fact is that most things designed for common use are meant to be idiot-proof. Redundancies and warnings are hard to miss in such designs, and on a temperature scale, one that makes 100 "dangerous" is very practical and effective. You have to keep in mind that this scale is going to be used by the illiterate, functionally illiterate, the negligent, the careless, the sloppy, and the hurried.
The importance of additional digits finds its way into many facets of life, including advertising and pricing. It essentially the only reason why everything is sold at intervals of "xx.99" instead of a flat price point. Marketers have long determined that if they were to round up to the nearest whole number, it would make the price seem disproportionately larger. The same "trick" is being used by the Fahrenheit scale; the presence of the additional digit makes people more alarmed at the appropriate time.
Perhaps your set of measuring cups is the additional piece of equipment. Indeed you wouldn't need them. For a recipe in SI, the only items you would need are an electronic balance, graduating measuring "cup," and a graduated cylinder. No series of cups or spoons required (although, they do of course come in metric for those so inclined).
Of course any amateur baker has at least a few cups of both wet and dry so they can keep ingredients separated but measured when they need to be added in a precise order. It just isn't practical to bake with 3 measuring devices and a scale (which, let's be real here, would cost 5 times as much as a set of measuring cups).
This also relies on having recipes with written weights as opposed to volumes. It would also be problematic because you'd make people relearn common measurements for the metric beaker because they couldn't have their cups (ie I know 1 egg is half a cup, so it's easy to put half an egg in a recipe-I would have to do milimeter devision to figure this out for a metric recipe even though there's a perfectly good standard device for it).
It might seem that way to you, but the majority of the world uses weight to measure dry ingredients. For them it's just as easy.
Sure when you have a commercial quantity (which is also how companies bake in bulk-by weight), but not when you're making a dozen muffins or cupcakes. The smaller the quantity, the worse off you are with weighing each ingredient in terms of efficiency.
Why would you need alternative names? A recipe would call for "30ml" of any given liquid. There's no need to call it anything else.
So what would you call 500ml of beer at a bar? Would everyone refer to the spoon at the dinner table as "the 30?" The naming convention isn't going to disappear just because measurements are given in metric. Or are you saying that the naming convention should disappear and numbers used exclusively in their stead?
Well, no one would ask for a 237ml vessel because that's an arbitrary number based on a different system of units. But if you wanted, yes, you could measure that amount in a graduated measuring cup (or weigh it on your balance).
In that case, what would I call 1 cup of a drink? Even if it is made flat at 200, 250, or 300ml, what would be the name? I think by and large it would still be called a cup. In that case you aren't really accomplishing much because people are going to refer to it as they will and the metric quantity wouldn't really do anything because it's not something that people usually divide or multiply by 10 very often in daily life.
I suspect people would call it a "quarter liter," much like I would say "quarter gallon."
No, that would be 1/4 of a liter, not 4 liters. I'm assuming that without gallons, the most closely analogous metric quantity would be 4 liters. What would be the marketing term for this? The shorthand name that would allow people to express a quantity without referring to another number?
And no, you wouldn't call 500ml a "pint" because, well, why would you? :confused:
Well I'm assuming that beer would have to be served in metric quantities, and a pint is known the world over as a beer. You can't really expect the name to go out of use just because the quantity has changed by a factor of about 25ml.
...But countries using SI do call 500ml a demi-liter ("demi" meaning "half").
Somehow I don't see that becoming popular pub lingo...
This is the case with Si units as well. 500, 250, 125, 75, etc. Though SI units can also be divided by any number you wish. Want to make 1/5 of the recipe? ...Just divide all the numbers by five.
Except you can't divide the servings people usually take for themselves very easily by 2, 4, 8, or 16. An eighth of 300ml (a hypothetical metric cup), for example, is a decimal. It's not very probable that if someone was to describe how much cream they added to their coffee they'd describe it as "37.5ml." It's more likely that they'll say "1/4 of x" or "2 of y." This is how the standard system was born; people took everyday quantities (often times as random as fists, feet, and gulps) and over time standardized them.
Every standard unit conforms to a value we are likely to see to this day (a man's foot is still about 12 inches, a tablespoon is about one bite, etc). Granted it's not scientific, but it's not meant to be. It's meant to be practical to describe everyday units, much like "lion" is not the full scientific name for panthera leo. One naming scheme makes sense for one application and another makes sense for a very different application. I whole heartedly agree that for scientific, industrial, and official uses metric is the way to go, but it is not the way to go for lay people. People are not scientists. They should use the measuring schemes that are practical for the things in their lives.
Not that OS X Panthera Leo doesn't have a nice ring to it, of course. ;)
No, but it is onerous for kids to learn SI units, which is a mandatory skill in this global world. Like I said, why teach kids two units of measure if one will suffice?
It's onerous to learn how to multiply and divide by 10 + 3 root words? :confused: Besides, so many things in our daily lives have both unit scales. My ruler has inches and cm and mm. Bathroom scales have pounds and kg. Even measuring cups have ml written on them.
You could be right for international commerce where values have to be recalculated just for the US, but like I said, I think those things should be converted. I don't really care if I buy a 25 gram candy bar as opposed to a 1 ounce candy bar or a 350ml can of soda.
Perhaps true, but just because you switch to metric, doesn't mean you need to stop using tablespoons and teaspoons for measurements. It's all an approximation anyway, since there are far more than 2 different spoon sizes, and many of them look like they're pretty much equal in size to a tablespoon.
I'm sorry, but which tablespoons do you use that aren't tablespoons? The measuring spoons most people have at home for baking are very precise and have the fractions clearly marked on them.
Other than that, there's a teaspoon, tablespoon, and serving spoon (which you wouldn't use as a measurement). The sizes are very different for each of those and I don't think anyone who saw them side by side could confuse them.
So if you're cooking, do what everyone else does with their spoons; if you need a tablespoon, grab the big-ish one and estimate. If you needed more precision than that, why wouldn't you use ml? :confused:
Because it's a heck of a lot easier to think, "I need one xspoon of secret ingredient" than it is to think, "I need xml of secret ingredient." You think like a scientist (because you are one). Most people aren't. That's who the teaspoons and tablespoons are for.