Don't panic
May 4, 11:48 AM
BTW, DP serves at the discretion of the Wizard.
Jour justin bieber found mar
tour uk, justin bieber S
Justin+ieber+tour+2011+
justin bieber tour uk 2011
justin bieber tour uk 2011
”Justin Bieber UK Tour
Justin+ieber+uk+tour+2011
Justin+ieber+2011+tour+
Tour#39; in 2011 in the UK,
uk tour wall Album justin
Usher will return to the UK in
Justin Bieber / Pixel Tour
justin bieber wallpaper
Justin Bieber Arriving at
every day uk tour justin
uk tour as he Justin+
Justin+ieber+concert+2011
2011 UK Tour#39;Tightrope#39;
DTphonehome
Jul 30, 09:26 PM
Some rumors for the Verizon Chocolate (http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/cellphones/lg-vx8500-chocolate-to-verizon-confirmed-187461.php) suggest an AUGUST 7TH Release Date. That's the same day as the start of WWDC, when Apple's new products will be announced! Just a coincidence?
There's signs all over NYC saying 7/31/06 for the chocolate.
There's signs all over NYC saying 7/31/06 for the chocolate.
wovel
Apr 18, 03:57 PM
From Wikipedia:
Samsung: Net income US$ 8.33 billion (2009)
Apple: Profit US$ 14.01 billion (FY 2010)
Apple's profits are higher but that's because they spend about $8 billion less on R&D than Samsung ;)
Apple's profits are higher because they waste less money on fruitless enedevaours. Sad with all that spend, Samsung still had to copy Apple.
Samsung: Net income US$ 8.33 billion (2009)
Apple: Profit US$ 14.01 billion (FY 2010)
Apple's profits are higher but that's because they spend about $8 billion less on R&D than Samsung ;)
Apple's profits are higher because they waste less money on fruitless enedevaours. Sad with all that spend, Samsung still had to copy Apple.
coder12
Apr 21, 06:50 PM
Very interesting. This is very plausible because of Lenovo has the C20 workstation (which I picked out for myself at my work):
http://news.ecoustics.com/bbs/messages/10381/637217.html
The ThinkStation is 3U rackmountable, with the CD tray vertical for the thinner chassis. Fits full-length, full-height PCIe (video) cards. They called it the "world's smallest dual CPU workstation" so Apple could definitely match it for the Mac Pro.
I'd really like to get a Mac Pro, so this would be perfect. :) The size is nice though honestly I don't really see much need for rackmounting--do companies use these in a server room with a KVM or thin client or something?Image (http://www.lenovo.com/shop/americas/content/img_lib/products/splitter/workstations/features/c20_worlds-smallest.jpg)
We use them in our high school, or at least... we USED to use them... :)
edit: Alternatively, this reminded me that I have a powermac G4 begging to be turned into a mailbox...
http://news.ecoustics.com/bbs/messages/10381/637217.html
The ThinkStation is 3U rackmountable, with the CD tray vertical for the thinner chassis. Fits full-length, full-height PCIe (video) cards. They called it the "world's smallest dual CPU workstation" so Apple could definitely match it for the Mac Pro.
I'd really like to get a Mac Pro, so this would be perfect. :) The size is nice though honestly I don't really see much need for rackmounting--do companies use these in a server room with a KVM or thin client or something?Image (http://www.lenovo.com/shop/americas/content/img_lib/products/splitter/workstations/features/c20_worlds-smallest.jpg)
We use them in our high school, or at least... we USED to use them... :)
edit: Alternatively, this reminded me that I have a powermac G4 begging to be turned into a mailbox...
Rodimus Prime
Apr 10, 10:38 AM
i think we can leave it at 'bad style'
IMHO it proves again that mixing on-the-paper-notation (leaving out the multiplication sign) and computer notation ( '/' instead of the paper notation) simply leads to confusing situation and needs to be avoided
yes the answer is mathematical clear but why write it down that way in the first place ?
I would not call it bad style but pretty clear that people all over the world suck at math.
I can not even remember the last time I used the paper notation over '/' in my work. That paper notation is harder to write and read for me as it can easy be confused with '-' if the dots are missed or poorly put in place.
The correct way to read 48/2(9+2) is (48/2)*(9+3) no other way about it. I would write it 48/2(9+3) because that is clear what it should be and under the rules that is exactly what I was aiming for. If I wanted it to be 48/ ((2*(9+3)) I would write it that way or have the 48 above a longer line and the 2 (9+3) completely below it.
IMHO it proves again that mixing on-the-paper-notation (leaving out the multiplication sign) and computer notation ( '/' instead of the paper notation) simply leads to confusing situation and needs to be avoided
yes the answer is mathematical clear but why write it down that way in the first place ?
I would not call it bad style but pretty clear that people all over the world suck at math.
I can not even remember the last time I used the paper notation over '/' in my work. That paper notation is harder to write and read for me as it can easy be confused with '-' if the dots are missed or poorly put in place.
The correct way to read 48/2(9+2) is (48/2)*(9+3) no other way about it. I would write it 48/2(9+3) because that is clear what it should be and under the rules that is exactly what I was aiming for. If I wanted it to be 48/ ((2*(9+3)) I would write it that way or have the 48 above a longer line and the 2 (9+3) completely below it.
Xian Zhu Xuande
Apr 5, 06:49 PM
That has never been Apples stance ( when ever I read their reasons) its become the "Common wisdom" among many people who are Anti Jailbreaking.
And they argue and argue with nonsense.
First, I'll set aside that I don't care what the 'common wisdom' of people who are anti-jailbreaking is. Second, you failed to actually refute any single point I made in this part of your reply. Third, I wasn't actually talking about unlocking�I was talking about piracy with some other considerations. Apple's chief interest is to protect its platform, and aside from securing revenue, that also means protecting its developers. Unlocking is a point I overlooked, though. It may be in Apple's interest to go out of their way to prevent that as well depending on how they handle it with wireless providers.
Unlocking is legal and many people just can't accept it.
Who cares if it is legal? That's not what this is about.
Why Apple caused this due to control.
I would agree with this statement at face value in the sense that Apple does want to control security of their platform, sales in the App Store, their carrier agreements�but I'll wager you meant it more along the lines of 'schoolyard bully' control, and that would just be ignorant. Whenever Apple (or, for that matter, most any company) does something which upsets some users it is carefully weighed and done only with good reason.
You also point out another Myth created by apple, the "Quality of product" myth. They have to control the product to provide quality. So far I can name 10's to 100's of times Apple has failed to provide such good tight control on the quality of their products, from:
Updates to IOS that crash or disable basic functioning of the device to
Apps in apple's own App store that either violate peoples information and bank accounts to apps that simply do not work and people paid money for them. The Iphone antenna, yes these are just the examples I can quickly post.
I can prove apple is delinquent in its stewardship of "Quality" Apple has a great ability to be teflon company with Steve Jobs getting on stage and exclaiming the problem is never Apple its always something else. Steve should of ran for president............:rolleyes:
Oh, good, I'm glad you've shared your subjective interpretation of this matter to set me straight. Or not. Apple's quality of product far exceeds virtually anything their competition releases, and that includes nearly all of their product categories. If you expect hardware and software to be released completely bug free you're living in an insane dreamland.
Computers by companies like HP, for example, are on occasion released with serious bugs (drive conflict BSoDs out the box, frequent DOAs, issues like broken audio) but nobody actually reports this. It is because nobody really cares. Customers just return the computers or employees of stores send them back to the company or perform the relevant upgrade (as communicated with the company; the later is frequently the case in stores like Best Buy).
As for phones, competition of iOS (especially Android) frequently comes with incomplete or unstable features and it is fleshed out as the user goes along. It is all a part of Google's development cycle (nothing necessarily wrong with this different approach�some prefer it) or the half-assed way in which some third-parties (e.g. Motorola) treat a device (due to having less control over the platform, and less personal interest in adequately testing the devices�something they can get away with because one generic device does not garner anywhere near as much PR or news as a flagship Apple product).
Rage != Wisdom or Knowledge
And they argue and argue with nonsense.
First, I'll set aside that I don't care what the 'common wisdom' of people who are anti-jailbreaking is. Second, you failed to actually refute any single point I made in this part of your reply. Third, I wasn't actually talking about unlocking�I was talking about piracy with some other considerations. Apple's chief interest is to protect its platform, and aside from securing revenue, that also means protecting its developers. Unlocking is a point I overlooked, though. It may be in Apple's interest to go out of their way to prevent that as well depending on how they handle it with wireless providers.
Unlocking is legal and many people just can't accept it.
Who cares if it is legal? That's not what this is about.
Why Apple caused this due to control.
I would agree with this statement at face value in the sense that Apple does want to control security of their platform, sales in the App Store, their carrier agreements�but I'll wager you meant it more along the lines of 'schoolyard bully' control, and that would just be ignorant. Whenever Apple (or, for that matter, most any company) does something which upsets some users it is carefully weighed and done only with good reason.
You also point out another Myth created by apple, the "Quality of product" myth. They have to control the product to provide quality. So far I can name 10's to 100's of times Apple has failed to provide such good tight control on the quality of their products, from:
Updates to IOS that crash or disable basic functioning of the device to
Apps in apple's own App store that either violate peoples information and bank accounts to apps that simply do not work and people paid money for them. The Iphone antenna, yes these are just the examples I can quickly post.
I can prove apple is delinquent in its stewardship of "Quality" Apple has a great ability to be teflon company with Steve Jobs getting on stage and exclaiming the problem is never Apple its always something else. Steve should of ran for president............:rolleyes:
Oh, good, I'm glad you've shared your subjective interpretation of this matter to set me straight. Or not. Apple's quality of product far exceeds virtually anything their competition releases, and that includes nearly all of their product categories. If you expect hardware and software to be released completely bug free you're living in an insane dreamland.
Computers by companies like HP, for example, are on occasion released with serious bugs (drive conflict BSoDs out the box, frequent DOAs, issues like broken audio) but nobody actually reports this. It is because nobody really cares. Customers just return the computers or employees of stores send them back to the company or perform the relevant upgrade (as communicated with the company; the later is frequently the case in stores like Best Buy).
As for phones, competition of iOS (especially Android) frequently comes with incomplete or unstable features and it is fleshed out as the user goes along. It is all a part of Google's development cycle (nothing necessarily wrong with this different approach�some prefer it) or the half-assed way in which some third-parties (e.g. Motorola) treat a device (due to having less control over the platform, and less personal interest in adequately testing the devices�something they can get away with because one generic device does not garner anywhere near as much PR or news as a flagship Apple product).
Rage != Wisdom or Knowledge
RubbishBBspeed
Apr 23, 04:50 PM
ahhh crap, yet more waiting time for next next next iMac (money back into the savings account then). I really do wish Apple would quit the messing with bit by bit updates and just release a genuine industry changing computer again like it did with the original macpro.
islanders
Jul 21, 10:26 PM
Thanks for the links.
I don�t see why a 20% increase in speed is going to rock the boat. Especially if it�s in the MBP. So if it is ready for shipment I don�t see any advantage in waiting for the MBP line to upgrade.
I guess I�ll have to do some research about the battery performance.
Noone knows what Steve Jobs will do, but I think he had been roper-doping long enough with the G3 and G4. What 6 years with the same G4? He needs to come out swinging while Apple still has a strong brand name from the iPod.
I hope to see some changes. The last 5 years have been so slow that it hasn�t been worth keeping up with.
I don�t see why a 20% increase in speed is going to rock the boat. Especially if it�s in the MBP. So if it is ready for shipment I don�t see any advantage in waiting for the MBP line to upgrade.
I guess I�ll have to do some research about the battery performance.
Noone knows what Steve Jobs will do, but I think he had been roper-doping long enough with the G3 and G4. What 6 years with the same G4? He needs to come out swinging while Apple still has a strong brand name from the iPod.
I hope to see some changes. The last 5 years have been so slow that it hasn�t been worth keeping up with.
IntelliUser
Dec 9, 10:33 AM
OK, I've had it on my MBP for about 3 weeks and I've noticed the spinning beach ball a lot more than I remember... no crashes though.
I've just taken it off; or at least tried to. I used AppDelete and it took off everything except the icon on my top bar. When I click on the icon, it says there are updates available... dooooh...
Reinstall it and use the built-in uninstaller. NEVER trust anything but official uninstallers when it comes to antivirus apps.
I've just taken it off; or at least tried to. I used AppDelete and it took off everything except the icon on my top bar. When I click on the icon, it says there are updates available... dooooh...
Reinstall it and use the built-in uninstaller. NEVER trust anything but official uninstallers when it comes to antivirus apps.
tivoboy
May 9, 09:31 AM
I'd be so pissed/happy if it were to become free... 1 year of .Mac and 2 years of MobileMe.
Pissed, I spent $99 for 3 years
Happy, more people will have access to MobileMe's benefits.
If one paid for MM, and it went free, apple would most certainly push this money towards either itunes or whatever addtional premium services a FREE MM would offer, which of course they would
Pissed, I spent $99 for 3 years
Happy, more people will have access to MobileMe's benefits.
If one paid for MM, and it went free, apple would most certainly push this money towards either itunes or whatever addtional premium services a FREE MM would offer, which of course they would
lilo777
Apr 18, 03:14 PM
LG was first (before iPhone) to release smart phone with capacitive screen and UI that looks suspiciously close to iPhone. Here is Prada:
http://www.itechnews.net/wp-content/uploads/2007/01/PRADA-Phone-LG-KE850-1.jpg
If Apple prevails in court. LG would be stupid not to sue Apple (and they would probably get more money considering iPhone volumes).
http://www.itechnews.net/wp-content/uploads/2007/01/PRADA-Phone-LG-KE850-1.jpg
If Apple prevails in court. LG would be stupid not to sue Apple (and they would probably get more money considering iPhone volumes).
hynke
May 6, 06:49 AM
Of course they will move to ARM, everyone will. Google is allready running their data centres on ARM based servers, Windows 8 will run on ARM as well, Apple is investing huge amount of money into their A4, A5 chips. The main problem of computers nowadays is power efficiency and not computing power, because most of the computers allready are overpowerd for what their users usually do with them.
ChickenSwartz
Sep 15, 07:55 PM
Of course MBPs are being updated... I BOUGHT ONE TODAY! :rolleyes:
-Matt
Thanks! When you get it, we will all thank you and invite you over to see our Merom MBP.
-Matt
Thanks! When you get it, we will all thank you and invite you over to see our Merom MBP.
Guitar geek
Aug 4, 12:01 AM
This is great and bad at the same time for me. I'm so happy that they'll finally move to Merom. However, I've been holding off an MBP since mid-April. I was really hoping to get one after WWDC. If it's true that they may launch it in September, I may not be able to get it in time for school, and the ipod rebate may be over.
iliketyla
Mar 29, 03:21 PM
What a stupid statement. Are you aware that Apple is an American company? So is Google, Yahoo, Microsoft, Oracle, Cisco, GE and other world-leading companies.
What's your alternative? Can you even name more than one world-class Chinese company?
*rolls eyes*
While I would tend to agree that there are good American companies and not all of them have shoddy products, you listed a lot of companies that either don't have a physical product, or their products are manufactured overseas.
Apple's computers are assembled overseas, Google's phones are made by foreign countries, I'm not aware of any physical product made by Yahoo, Microsoft is a software company......so on so forth.
What's your alternative? Can you even name more than one world-class Chinese company?
*rolls eyes*
While I would tend to agree that there are good American companies and not all of them have shoddy products, you listed a lot of companies that either don't have a physical product, or their products are manufactured overseas.
Apple's computers are assembled overseas, Google's phones are made by foreign countries, I'm not aware of any physical product made by Yahoo, Microsoft is a software company......so on so forth.
Tilpots
May 7, 10:35 AM
I've heard similar rumors about MobileMe going free. Makes sense if Apple could leverage the new iAd system to generate targeted campaigns, and effectively subsidise the cost of opening the system up to more users.
Free MobileMe as an iAd platform? That sounds about right. Paid MobileMe without the iAds? I think we're getting somewhere now...
Free MobileMe as an iAd platform? That sounds about right. Paid MobileMe without the iAds? I think we're getting somewhere now...
balamw
May 3, 07:12 PM
So what would you call 500ml of beer at a bar?
Somehow I don't see that becoming popular pub lingo...
Growing up in a metric country (French speaking Switzerland) it was a canette, and Wikipedia reveals a veritable plethora of other colloquial terms in French depending on your location.
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verre_�_bi�re
Including: Demi, Pinte, Distingu�, V�ritable, Baron, Mini-chevalier, Chope, S�rieux, Canette, ... (the bold one should look somewhat familiar ;) )
It's just like I said earlier about the pound. In everyday use there's not much difference between a 454 g pound and a 500 g "pound".
B
Somehow I don't see that becoming popular pub lingo...
Growing up in a metric country (French speaking Switzerland) it was a canette, and Wikipedia reveals a veritable plethora of other colloquial terms in French depending on your location.
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verre_�_bi�re
Including: Demi, Pinte, Distingu�, V�ritable, Baron, Mini-chevalier, Chope, S�rieux, Canette, ... (the bold one should look somewhat familiar ;) )
It's just like I said earlier about the pound. In everyday use there's not much difference between a 454 g pound and a 500 g "pound".
B
rpenzinger
Apr 21, 02:48 PM
Not gonna happen
totally gonna happen
totally gonna happen
ozone
Nov 28, 12:41 PM
I didn't get to your comment before I posted mine; sorry about that. You're absolutely right. I could see artists, students, professors, scientists, engineers, mathematicians, and countless other professionals who would be elated to have a Mac-based tablet. In fact, the only things I can see it not being useful for is Word and Excel. Even writers could use it to markup their edits using standard proofreading symbols. Much faster than other methods, I'd think; plus much more environmentally friendly because it would alleviate the need for printing out so many hard copies of everything.
You bet Insider! The tablet was intended to be an electronic notebook - literally. There are many professions that could benefit from it - it depends more on your personal approach to work and what you need to do rather than rigidly grouping users into broad categories.
Most of us do not complain about the tablet form factor or even the handwriting recognition - it's pretty good. What bugs most of us is that we're wedded to Windows and all its problems since there is no alternative platform at the moment.:mad:
Here's hoping we see some kind of tablet in the near or far future from Apple... :D
You bet Insider! The tablet was intended to be an electronic notebook - literally. There are many professions that could benefit from it - it depends more on your personal approach to work and what you need to do rather than rigidly grouping users into broad categories.
Most of us do not complain about the tablet form factor or even the handwriting recognition - it's pretty good. What bugs most of us is that we're wedded to Windows and all its problems since there is no alternative platform at the moment.:mad:
Here's hoping we see some kind of tablet in the near or far future from Apple... :D
iHotu
Aug 7, 05:00 PM
I bet they will still have a nice selection
mrial
Mar 28, 10:11 AM
So your attitude is "if I can't have it, I don't want anyone to have it."?
Whether it comes out or not, you won't be getting one. So why would it matter either way?
He was joking. lighten up.
Whether it comes out or not, you won't be getting one. So why would it matter either way?
He was joking. lighten up.
Rot'nApple
Mar 29, 04:41 PM
It would be something if the brains at Apple could find a way to utilize and harness that high level of radiated water Japan has since trying to cool down the reactor cores and create some kind of supercharged liquid powered battery with a runtime describe in half-life versus 40 hours music and 7 hours video that the iPod Touch currently has... :eek:
Japan get's rid of that juiced water and Apple's iPod Touch gets some high energy liquid juiced batteries. Of course, there's the issue of health... But Ives can redesign it using lead encasement instead of aluminum pronounced, Al - U - Men - Yum...
Besides, by the time your doctor tells you of any health issues, you're deaf anyway form iPod earbud listening and you wouldn't hear the bad news. :rolleyes:
/
/
/
Japan get's rid of that juiced water and Apple's iPod Touch gets some high energy liquid juiced batteries. Of course, there's the issue of health... But Ives can redesign it using lead encasement instead of aluminum pronounced, Al - U - Men - Yum...
Besides, by the time your doctor tells you of any health issues, you're deaf anyway form iPod earbud listening and you wouldn't hear the bad news. :rolleyes:
/
/
/
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.
jlseattle
Apr 5, 04:09 PM
The "i" overlords have spoken! "Take it down" (in an classic star trek superior being voice).
No comments:
Post a Comment