Re: G3's, G4's, Altivec, DVD's, iBooks, and TiBooks

[Andrew Sharp <andy@netfall.com>]

Ethan Benson wrote:
> 
> On Tue, Oct 23, 2001 at 10:22:53PM -0400, Colin Walters wrote:
> > Andrew Sharp <andy@netfall.com> writes:
> >
> > > Remember that these computers *come* with MacOS, which you paid for,
> > > and DVDs play fine with that.
> 
> and 99.9% of all x86 computers *come* with Windows, which you paid
> for, so why should be we bother with anything at all? </sarcasm>

Actually, I don't get the joke, but I'm dense like that sometimes. 
However, I will relate an unrelated story.  I was representing a
company that spent large amounts of money with the best known PC
supplier in this country.  Every computer was immediately wiped of
windows upon delivery and Linux installed.  In a meeting with the
manufacturer, I broached the unthinkable: I asked them to sell us
computers with no operating system installed on the hard drives.  I
explained our situation to them and the answer was, sure, they could
do that, if we signed a letter of intent for $50k/quarter of
business (which we were already doing), and then they would do it
for an additional $50/machine.  I said, well, no, I wanted
$150/machine LESS, because we were no longer buying the Windows
license, and Dell^H^H^H^H unnamed manufacturer would no longer have
to go to the expense of installing the software.  They treated this
concept as a joke.  I responded appropriately.  After, the marketing
veep said, 'Dude, you really reamed him.  Was that necessary?'  I
said 'we still have choices.'

Let's hope we continue to have choices.

> 
> > Andrew, this is not a solution.
> 
> Thank you.

Guys, guys, we're all on the same side here, remember?  The question
was should [someone] buy an iBook2 if maybe it can't play a DVD.  I
proposed this *interim* solution so that person could, with a clear
mind, purchase that desired iBook2 knowing that s/he could watch a
DVD, one day easily with a Linux application, but until then there
is an interim solution that would allow the purchase.  Can I be
allowed back in now?  'Cuz it's cold out here.  Sheesh.  Don't hate
me because I'm beautiful.  Or clever.  Btw, I availed myself of this
solution only once, but now I feel sullied.  A large amount of hair
grew on the back of my hands right after.  I apologize to the list. 
I won't do it again until I do it again.

a