Mackan
Apr 20, 03:49 AM
So, how many more times are various sources gonna reiterate that iPhone 5 is to come out in Fall? :rolleyes:
As many as it takes to make you come here and read and comment the junk. Because it's all what this site is about.
As many as it takes to make you come here and read and comment the junk. Because it's all what this site is about.
chadley_chad
May 6, 08:12 AM
... Arm haven't got a leg to stand on!
Stridder44
May 6, 01:18 AM
No way. Intel is fantastic, their CPUs are nearly unmatched, and while Intel itself can be finicky sometimes, it's not worth the headache of transitioning again. Not unless ARM has some amazing crap up it's sleeve that will de-rail all of Intel's market share. This rumor makes sense on some low end laptops, maybe, but the entire lineup? Hell no. Plus I've gotten used to being able to run Windows in Boot Camp.
It's taken Apple over a decade to get where we are now. Why would they throw all that away? Not to mention that ARM has absolutely nothing that comes even slightly close to even mid-range Intel chips. And even in two years time, I'm very doubtful.
It's taken Apple over a decade to get where we are now. Why would they throw all that away? Not to mention that ARM has absolutely nothing that comes even slightly close to even mid-range Intel chips. And even in two years time, I'm very doubtful.
tmofee
Mar 30, 08:57 AM
US only? pity. i think it's a great idea to offer free bandwidth for the albums you buy on there, it's a shame there's no way of being able to check the previous albums you bought for and add them to the list as well.
personally I have rhapsody and anubis hooked up now. i can stream music to the sonos when i get home and download songs to the rhapsody app. do i OWN these tracks? blah blah, it does the job for me when i want to listen to new stuff I dont already own, or cant be bothered finding in the cupboards :P
personally I have rhapsody and anubis hooked up now. i can stream music to the sonos when i get home and download songs to the rhapsody app. do i OWN these tracks? blah blah, it does the job for me when i want to listen to new stuff I dont already own, or cant be bothered finding in the cupboards :P
tundrabuggy
Apr 18, 03:22 PM
Can only be 1 reason, Apple are worried.
If they felt totally confident in their product then they would not feel any threat from others and need to try something like this on.
Absolutely not True......they MUST sue or they lose rights to the patent. Its the way the system works
If they felt totally confident in their product then they would not feel any threat from others and need to try something like this on.
Absolutely not True......they MUST sue or they lose rights to the patent. Its the way the system works
![world cup 2011 final match winning moments. World Cup Final 2011]](http://www.crickettube.in/wp-content/uploads/mvbthumbs/img_11607_india-vs-sri-lanka-icc-cricket-world-cup-final-2011-winning-moment.jpg "World Cup Final 2011]")
McGiord
Apr 10, 01:20 PM
For god's sake, this is still alive? Look, there is more than one possibility. Now no one should care. Mystery solved. Now get to actual work.
Dunno why this was posted in the first place...
Yes it is, and continually showing us that the right answer is 2.
I care.
I do not work today.
Dunno why this was posted in the first place...
Yes it is, and continually showing us that the right answer is 2.
I care.
I do not work today.
AidenShaw
Mar 29, 02:33 PM
I am stuck in a limbo where I want the phone for everything that it does except the phone part...
Why in limbo? The "phone part" of the Iphone is widely acknowledged to be craptastic.
Why in limbo? The "phone part" of the Iphone is widely acknowledged to be craptastic.
Small White Car
May 4, 02:55 PM
Wasn't there some talk about Lion having a recovery partition? I would wager, if it did, that is how you would reinstall it without burning a disc.
Correct, but people are still reaonably concerned with total drive-failures where you have to pull the whole thing out.
Not as often as you like. You buy one copy of Snow Leopard and it is good for one Mac. Family pack gets you 5.
Nope, there's no restriction.
Look, I'm not talking about what's allowed. I'm talking about what's possible. The post I'm replying to specifically said "abuse" in it. If we're talking about people breaking the rules, the question is: What's going to stop them?
With Snow Leopard the answer is nothing, really.
Correct, but people are still reaonably concerned with total drive-failures where you have to pull the whole thing out.
Not as often as you like. You buy one copy of Snow Leopard and it is good for one Mac. Family pack gets you 5.
Nope, there's no restriction.
Look, I'm not talking about what's allowed. I'm talking about what's possible. The post I'm replying to specifically said "abuse" in it. If we're talking about people breaking the rules, the question is: What's going to stop them?
With Snow Leopard the answer is nothing, really.
TalonFlyer
Dec 2, 04:39 PM
TalonFlyer..
Here is how I grade the Car Kit (1-10):
Mounting: 8
Rotation: 7
Articulation: 3
Hands-Free: 4 (Weak, speaker is facing away from you, VOX'ing problem)
GPS: 6 (Only very slightly better that the built in GPS)
Compatibility: 3 (Can't use iPod Touch)
Bluetooth: 2 (Phone will not pair until docked, can't pair with other devices)
Overall it's a $79.00 retail mount with a questionable hands-free, only a small incremental change in GPS accuracy and a useless bluetooth implementation. I'll give it a generous 5 out of 10 for now.
*************************************************************
Nice review, and thanks. It sounds like you might have gotten a unit that is sub par. The rotation and articulation of the car kit in many of the Youtube videos seems very tight, very solid with strong mounting. Did it just loosen up over that short time or did it start out not so great? Maybe send it back?
I thought I remember reading that the Handsfree Bluetooth is duplex so I'm also not sure where your issue comes from. That said, I may get that as a separate item on the visor of my car if its below quality. I have another car with a BluAnt unit in it and its terrific.
Also, there are now several places where you can order the car kit for much less money. I have an order into BTL for $87 which sounds like a more reasonable price for the unit. I'm sure it will continue to drop.
Thanks again!
I updated my post and yesterday I returned the Car Kit.
This is a slick looking mount with to many functional limitations.
I exchanged the car kit and had the same hands-free issues.
What I noticed after many calls is that there is a GATE circuit (similar to an AGC (Automatic Gain Control) circuit) that is turning off the speaker most likely to reduce background noise. The problem is that this GATING is causing the audio to be choppy making it very difficult to hear your call.
The useless hands-free along with other limitations make it far to expensive to just sit around and charge the phone.
You cannot mount it on you dash due to the off-center swivel making it impossible to rotate it vertical (unless the mount is hanging over the edge a little).
Why the bluetooth does not connect until docked does not make any sense and makes it even less valuable.
Having to remove the case every time is a real pain as well.
Why do you need a different unit for the iPod touch? The connection is the same and if the little pins retracted it would work.
They did a great job getting everyone excited, but then Bernie Madoff did also.
The bottom line, it's not worth it, get something else.
Here is how I grade the Car Kit (1-10):
Mounting: 8
Rotation: 7
Articulation: 3
Hands-Free: 4 (Weak, speaker is facing away from you, VOX'ing problem)
GPS: 6 (Only very slightly better that the built in GPS)
Compatibility: 3 (Can't use iPod Touch)
Bluetooth: 2 (Phone will not pair until docked, can't pair with other devices)
Overall it's a $79.00 retail mount with a questionable hands-free, only a small incremental change in GPS accuracy and a useless bluetooth implementation. I'll give it a generous 5 out of 10 for now.
*************************************************************
Nice review, and thanks. It sounds like you might have gotten a unit that is sub par. The rotation and articulation of the car kit in many of the Youtube videos seems very tight, very solid with strong mounting. Did it just loosen up over that short time or did it start out not so great? Maybe send it back?
I thought I remember reading that the Handsfree Bluetooth is duplex so I'm also not sure where your issue comes from. That said, I may get that as a separate item on the visor of my car if its below quality. I have another car with a BluAnt unit in it and its terrific.
Also, there are now several places where you can order the car kit for much less money. I have an order into BTL for $87 which sounds like a more reasonable price for the unit. I'm sure it will continue to drop.
Thanks again!
I updated my post and yesterday I returned the Car Kit.
This is a slick looking mount with to many functional limitations.
I exchanged the car kit and had the same hands-free issues.
What I noticed after many calls is that there is a GATE circuit (similar to an AGC (Automatic Gain Control) circuit) that is turning off the speaker most likely to reduce background noise. The problem is that this GATING is causing the audio to be choppy making it very difficult to hear your call.
The useless hands-free along with other limitations make it far to expensive to just sit around and charge the phone.
You cannot mount it on you dash due to the off-center swivel making it impossible to rotate it vertical (unless the mount is hanging over the edge a little).
Why the bluetooth does not connect until docked does not make any sense and makes it even less valuable.
Having to remove the case every time is a real pain as well.
Why do you need a different unit for the iPod touch? The connection is the same and if the little pins retracted it would work.
They did a great job getting everyone excited, but then Bernie Madoff did also.
The bottom line, it's not worth it, get something else.
andiwm2003
Apr 25, 10:25 AM
Not sure what everybody is so worried about, I'm sure the phone needs to track some kind of historical information to give an accurate position. As long as accurate positioning information is not sent to Apple, is there really a problem?
yes there is a problem. because it's unencrypted and everyone with access to your phone can read the information. the software tool they published showed my travel of the last 6 month quite accurately.
I don't want someone picking up my phone from my desk at work and find out what trips to what company I did. (it works internationally btw)
also I don't think the IRS or other tax collection agencies need to know when I was where.:D
yes there is a problem. because it's unencrypted and everyone with access to your phone can read the information. the software tool they published showed my travel of the last 6 month quite accurately.
I don't want someone picking up my phone from my desk at work and find out what trips to what company I did. (it works internationally btw)
also I don't think the IRS or other tax collection agencies need to know when I was where.:D
SuperCachetes
May 3, 09:28 PM
Yes, it's a system that has its roots in the past, but the system still works. There's no compelling reason to change it. There's no efficiency to be gained.
I don't buy that for a second. As someone who works in the construction industry and has to deal with fractions of inches and materials that are odd nominal dimensions and even odder actual dimensions, I can tell you that there is a ****-ton of efficiency to be gained by getting away from bricks that are 3-5/8" deep, interior sheetrock walls that are 4-7/8" thick, and ceiling grids that are 15/16" wide.
Can a guy who's been working construction for 30 years add this stuff up in his head? Sure. But all along the way - from the architect, to the contractor, to the fabricator, to the installer - there is a chance for miscalculation because of our goofy system of measurement, and the savings from going to SI would be both in time spent designing and time spent correcting errors in the field.
Yes, there is a cost, both monetary and emotional - but we need to just rip the bandage off, already. "It's what I'm used to" is a tired excuse.
I don't buy that for a second. As someone who works in the construction industry and has to deal with fractions of inches and materials that are odd nominal dimensions and even odder actual dimensions, I can tell you that there is a ****-ton of efficiency to be gained by getting away from bricks that are 3-5/8" deep, interior sheetrock walls that are 4-7/8" thick, and ceiling grids that are 15/16" wide.
Can a guy who's been working construction for 30 years add this stuff up in his head? Sure. But all along the way - from the architect, to the contractor, to the fabricator, to the installer - there is a chance for miscalculation because of our goofy system of measurement, and the savings from going to SI would be both in time spent designing and time spent correcting errors in the field.
Yes, there is a cost, both monetary and emotional - but we need to just rip the bandage off, already. "It's what I'm used to" is a tired excuse.
KnightWRX
May 4, 07:15 PM
Quite true, I'm pretty sure it was. But at least it's possible somehow.
I don't see how Apple could get away with not having a way to make an install backup. The recovery partition is not good enough. It's a fact of life that hard drives die.
Not to mention why would I want to waste space on a recovery partition anyhow ? ;)
I do hope Apple gets a clue from how the different Linux/BSD distributions have been doing it. Just give us something to make our own installation media as a download, not some glorified app installer.
If they do, great, if they don't, I'll buy a physical copy.
I don't see how Apple could get away with not having a way to make an install backup. The recovery partition is not good enough. It's a fact of life that hard drives die.
Not to mention why would I want to waste space on a recovery partition anyhow ? ;)
I do hope Apple gets a clue from how the different Linux/BSD distributions have been doing it. Just give us something to make our own installation media as a download, not some glorified app installer.
If they do, great, if they don't, I'll buy a physical copy.
lucabrasi
Mar 30, 06:04 PM
Will this work on the 2011 mbp's?
I sure hope so, downloading now to try but it's coming rather slowly...
I sure hope so, downloading now to try but it's coming rather slowly...
Don't panic
May 3, 02:09 PM
i'll go with drunken dwarf.
Vegasman
Apr 26, 04:50 PM
And next week there will be a new survey that says the opposite. These reports are getting old. Must be a slow news day.
Unlikely...
Unlikely...
mdlooker
Apr 7, 09:31 AM
Apple seems to have a choking mechanism at every corner. First innovation then price, market saturation and now production! Seems like a chess game going bad or even turning all the houses into hotels on every street. lol
HecubusPro
Sep 16, 12:49 PM
What's the possiblility of the new mbp being available in stores after the announcement? Is one usually required to order new products online or could I skip the wait by driving an hour to the nearest apple store?
Apple doesn't always have the product available in stores as soon as it's announced, despite that they (Steve) often says "available now." Ordering online or waiting for the store might be about the same amount of time. I know my apple store still didn't have the new ipods when I was in there yesterday, but they did have the new nano's.
Apple doesn't always have the product available in stores as soon as it's announced, despite that they (Steve) often says "available now." Ordering online or waiting for the store might be about the same amount of time. I know my apple store still didn't have the new ipods when I was in there yesterday, but they did have the new nano's.
petvas
May 4, 03:01 PM
Great...until you need to do a reinstall. While you could go 10.6 >10.7, going straight to 10.7 is so much better.
Except when your HD becomes toast...
Currently I can create a DVD from the developer preview of Lion. The installation program is provided as a DMG file, so it is relatively easy to create the DVD. Of course an average user wouldn't find the whole thing that easy, so I suppose Apple will provide some other solution. The option to buy the DVD will of course be available.
Except when your HD becomes toast...
Currently I can create a DVD from the developer preview of Lion. The installation program is provided as a DMG file, so it is relatively easy to create the DVD. Of course an average user wouldn't find the whole thing that easy, so I suppose Apple will provide some other solution. The option to buy the DVD will of course be available.
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...
spazzcat
Mar 29, 09:18 AM
how many of those apps sell music and movies for use on portable devices?
islanders
Jul 23, 11:36 PM
You missed my entire point - Apple can't put off updates just because "sales are strong." The "other guys" (Dell, HP, Sony, etc.) upgrade to new technology as soon as they can ramp up production, and Apple won't be, and can't be, "late to the dance" with technology that they all have simultaneous access to. Particularly CPU's. Graphics chips .... well, there they may fudge a bit, especially with 2 brands to select from, but not processor upgrades.
There's no way we'll wait until "November/December," unless Intel fails to deliver Merom, as predicted. If any laptops have Merom sooner, so will Apple.
:cool:
iBorg
I think you have a reluctance to find some common ground, as was suggested in my previous post.
I said November.
You said �September Maybe.�
Which leaves August unlikely, and December pushing it.
However I will stand by my original post, that if I was planning to upgrade to a MBP Merom, I would be prepared to wait until December. As most experts have predicted a switch before the new year.
Otherwise I think everyone understands both schools of thought here, which have already been suggested numerous times in previous post.
Although, I think Apple will hurt themselves more in the long run if they announce an update and can�t meet demand.
:cool:
There's no way we'll wait until "November/December," unless Intel fails to deliver Merom, as predicted. If any laptops have Merom sooner, so will Apple.
:cool:
iBorg
I think you have a reluctance to find some common ground, as was suggested in my previous post.
I said November.
You said �September Maybe.�
Which leaves August unlikely, and December pushing it.
However I will stand by my original post, that if I was planning to upgrade to a MBP Merom, I would be prepared to wait until December. As most experts have predicted a switch before the new year.
Otherwise I think everyone understands both schools of thought here, which have already been suggested numerous times in previous post.
Although, I think Apple will hurt themselves more in the long run if they announce an update and can�t meet demand.
:cool:
milo
Jul 21, 03:26 PM
This may be a dumb question, but why would apple just use the new chips in mbp's and not the mb? Dosn't seem to make sense. As soon as core 2 merom comes out every pc notebook will have it. Price wouldn't be an issue cause merom is same price as yonah, correct?
Because yonah will be cheaper. Yonah prices will drop again when merom ships.
And "every PC notebook" will most certainly NOT have merom. Cheaper PC laptops will still have yonah.
To date we have not seen Apple update any of their Intel products. So it may not be any different. The pressure will be on Apple with new processors coming out all of the time. Steve Jobs keps Apple from doing what you would exspect much of the time.
They speed bumped the MBP before it shipped, didn't they also do a minor update when the 17 shipped?
With the more frequent processor changes/speed upgrades that goes along with switching to Intel, what is Apple going to do with all the "left overs" of old versions of products?
They can sell them at a discount. But there won't be many of these in most cases, since for example the MBP doesn't need any additional changes along with swapping in a merom chip. The imac and mini could take merom just by swapping a chip in a socket (so the user could even do it).
Because yonah will be cheaper. Yonah prices will drop again when merom ships.
And "every PC notebook" will most certainly NOT have merom. Cheaper PC laptops will still have yonah.
To date we have not seen Apple update any of their Intel products. So it may not be any different. The pressure will be on Apple with new processors coming out all of the time. Steve Jobs keps Apple from doing what you would exspect much of the time.
They speed bumped the MBP before it shipped, didn't they also do a minor update when the 17 shipped?
With the more frequent processor changes/speed upgrades that goes along with switching to Intel, what is Apple going to do with all the "left overs" of old versions of products?
They can sell them at a discount. But there won't be many of these in most cases, since for example the MBP doesn't need any additional changes along with swapping in a merom chip. The imac and mini could take merom just by swapping a chip in a socket (so the user could even do it).
Machead III
Sep 16, 06:58 AM
MacBook please.
EricNau
May 3, 09:48 PM
I don't have the time to write an exhaustive response to this magnum opus, but I'm going to leave with a few concluding points:
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.
I believe the discussion of body temperature has reached a senseless level. I disagree with your claim that body temperatures in celsius are more difficult to remember, and I don't believe there's any substatial evidence to support this claim. Regardless, Celsius seems to work just fine for the entire world (...practically), unless you know something about European mothers that I don't.
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).
I see no reason why baking with a scale is impractical. It's not what you're used to, but that doesn't reflect upon the merits of a metric system.
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).
Written weights are more accurate. What's problematic is that there's an additional requirement for measuring volumes of dry goods. Flour must be measured after sifting, brown sugar must be packed, etc. Not only does weighing dry goods eliminate the need to standardization of volume, but it's always going to be more accurate.
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?
As balmaw explained, it doesn't really matter what you call a pint of beer at a bar. Every culture and language has their own name for it.
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.
If you ask for a "cup of water" at a restaurant, will you be given exactly 8oz? I don't think so.
Most cups hold more than a cup. So, in the absence of a measuring cup, there's really no need for such a designation. So, assuming we do away with the customary system, why do you need a word to describe 8oz of water? You would stop thinking in cups and start thinking in quarter liter intervals (which is equally, if not more, convenient).
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?
I believe milk in Germany is bought by the liter, though I'm sure European members here could elaborate on that.
You might find purchasing milk by the liter cumbersome, but it works well for them.
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.
Beer is served in metric quantities all over the world. ...And there are plenty of names for it that aren't "pint." Additionally, I assure you that an American pint of beer is served with less precision than 25ml from bar to bar.
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.
And metric units, too, are used the world over to describe household amounts.
Also, dividing 300ml (though, I find it interesting that you keep choosing to compare metric units to customary units, since this is counter-productive) can easily be rounded to 38 or even 40ml, which is precise enough even for baking.
Though it's entirely a moot point. Metric recipes are normalized to "easy" measurements, just like American recipes are normalized to the nearest cup or 1/2 for items like flour and sugar.
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.
I don't find the customary system practical. To the contrary, I find it convoluted with no consistency.
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.
I've witnessed many students struggle with it. When you grow up using Fahrenheit, feet, miles, inches, cups, teaspoons, etc. you get a sense of what each one means; you can "feel" it. The same can't be said about the metric system for most Americans, and it's extremely difficult to teach yourself what each unit intuitively represents as a high school student, for example.
It's something many of us will never get. Kilometers, Celsius, liters, centimeters, etc. will always "feel" foreign because of the units we were raised with at home. We owe our kids better.
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.
I believe the discussion of body temperature has reached a senseless level. I disagree with your claim that body temperatures in celsius are more difficult to remember, and I don't believe there's any substatial evidence to support this claim. Regardless, Celsius seems to work just fine for the entire world (...practically), unless you know something about European mothers that I don't.
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).
I see no reason why baking with a scale is impractical. It's not what you're used to, but that doesn't reflect upon the merits of a metric system.
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).
Written weights are more accurate. What's problematic is that there's an additional requirement for measuring volumes of dry goods. Flour must be measured after sifting, brown sugar must be packed, etc. Not only does weighing dry goods eliminate the need to standardization of volume, but it's always going to be more accurate.
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?
As balmaw explained, it doesn't really matter what you call a pint of beer at a bar. Every culture and language has their own name for it.
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.
If you ask for a "cup of water" at a restaurant, will you be given exactly 8oz? I don't think so.
Most cups hold more than a cup. So, in the absence of a measuring cup, there's really no need for such a designation. So, assuming we do away with the customary system, why do you need a word to describe 8oz of water? You would stop thinking in cups and start thinking in quarter liter intervals (which is equally, if not more, convenient).
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?
I believe milk in Germany is bought by the liter, though I'm sure European members here could elaborate on that.
You might find purchasing milk by the liter cumbersome, but it works well for them.
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.
Beer is served in metric quantities all over the world. ...And there are plenty of names for it that aren't "pint." Additionally, I assure you that an American pint of beer is served with less precision than 25ml from bar to bar.
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.
And metric units, too, are used the world over to describe household amounts.
Also, dividing 300ml (though, I find it interesting that you keep choosing to compare metric units to customary units, since this is counter-productive) can easily be rounded to 38 or even 40ml, which is precise enough even for baking.
Though it's entirely a moot point. Metric recipes are normalized to "easy" measurements, just like American recipes are normalized to the nearest cup or 1/2 for items like flour and sugar.
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.
I don't find the customary system practical. To the contrary, I find it convoluted with no consistency.
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.
I've witnessed many students struggle with it. When you grow up using Fahrenheit, feet, miles, inches, cups, teaspoons, etc. you get a sense of what each one means; you can "feel" it. The same can't be said about the metric system for most Americans, and it's extremely difficult to teach yourself what each unit intuitively represents as a high school student, for example.
It's something many of us will never get. Kilometers, Celsius, liters, centimeters, etc. will always "feel" foreign because of the units we were raised with at home. We owe our kids better.
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