4 ms·

Kinda funny how the NASA & NSF sites see a lot of Linux usage (because their visitors are geekier) but less Android usage (because they are more upper-class, an

by zeveb 10y ago

Kinda funny how the NASA & NSF sites see a lot of Linux usage (because their visitors are geekier) but less Android usage (because they are more upper-class, and Apple devices are a status signal).

JustSomeNobody 10y ago
Are Apple devices really seen as a status device? Maybe I don't see it because I don't need validation.
- zeveb 10y ago
  > Are Apple devices really seen as a status device? By the sort of person who'd rather pay extra for a Mac than just use Linux, sure. I remember seeing an acquaintance wax eloquent to another acquaintance about how perfectly designed the iPhone is (it's not: it's a plain black box) — it was really just a way of showing to his acquaintance how wise and clever he is to appreciate the emperor's new clothes. > Maybe I don't see it because I don't need validation. Me neither, which is why I haven't bought an Apple computer in this millennium.
  - tim333 10y ago
    iPhone's are quite nicely designed. Nothing's perfect though.
  - Roboprog 10y ago
    In fairness, I have 2 phones. My personal phone is an Android, because I'm cheap. My work phone is an iPhone, and it has MUCH better battery life. Most features might be quite similar, but as far as I know, using [Objective] C on custom hardware is more efficient than pseudo-Java, resulting in less battery usage, and better audio latency for stuff like Garbage Band on my iPad. ... At least until the Android JIT catches up. When that happens, Android code might well become better/faster, due to there being less of it to glean the intent from. But we're not there, yet. And I'm definitely on a tangent now :-) (and, I have all 3 major OSs on various home computers)
- ld00d 10y ago
  >Are Apple devices really seen as a status device? By people that don't understand why people would actually prefer an Apple device over the competition, certainly. It's one of the anti-Apple crowd's favorite narratives. We're all just sheep that buy into Apple's marketing.
  - Spivak 10y ago
    Have you ever seen Apple's marketing? Better question, have you ever had an interaction with Apple where they weren't trying to sell an image to you? I completely believe that among a technical audience that those here who chose Apple products did so because they evaluated the their options and chose the one that best fit their requirements, But if that was really their primary audience their marketing would look very different.
    - ld00d 10y ago
      Have I seen ads? Yeah, but most of the ones I've seen are kind of hokey platitudes about the good they're doing for the world. I don't recall anything saying I'm higher class for having their products. I don't see a lot of ads though. Part of marketing is guessing what kind of products will sell for the margins they like. Somehow, I fit into that audience.

by zeveb 10y ago

Kinda funny how the NASA & NSF sites see a lot of Linux usage (because their visitors are geekier) but less Android usage (because they are more upper-class, and Apple devices are a status signal).

JustSomeNobody 10y ago

Are Apple devices really seen as a status device? Maybe I don't see it because I don't need validation.

zeveb 10y ago
> Are Apple devices really seen as a status device? By the sort of person who'd rather pay extra for a Mac than just use Linux, sure. I remember seeing an acquaintance wax eloquent to another acquaintance about how perfectly designed the iPhone is (it's not: it's a plain black box) — it was really just a way of showing to his acquaintance how wise and clever he is to appreciate the emperor's new clothes. > Maybe I don't see it because I don't need validation. Me neither, which is why I haven't bought an Apple computer in this millennium.
- tim333 10y ago
  iPhone's are quite nicely designed. Nothing's perfect though.
- Roboprog 10y ago
  In fairness, I have 2 phones. My personal phone is an Android, because I'm cheap. My work phone is an iPhone, and it has MUCH better battery life. Most features might be quite similar, but as far as I know, using [Objective] C on custom hardware is more efficient than pseudo-Java, resulting in less battery usage, and better audio latency for stuff like Garbage Band on my iPad. ... At least until the Android JIT catches up. When that happens, Android code might well become better/faster, due to there being less of it to glean the intent from. But we're not there, yet. And I'm definitely on a tangent now :-) (and, I have all 3 major OSs on various home computers)
ld00d 10y ago
>Are Apple devices really seen as a status device? By people that don't understand why people would actually prefer an Apple device over the competition, certainly. It's one of the anti-Apple crowd's favorite narratives. We're all just sheep that buy into Apple's marketing.
- Spivak 10y ago
  Have you ever seen Apple's marketing? Better question, have you ever had an interaction with Apple where they weren't trying to sell an image to you? I completely believe that among a technical audience that those here who chose Apple products did so because they evaluated the their options and chose the one that best fit their requirements, But if that was really their primary audience their marketing would look very different.
  - ld00d 10y ago
    Have I seen ads? Yeah, but most of the ones I've seen are kind of hokey platitudes about the good they're doing for the world. I don't recall anything saying I'm higher class for having their products. I don't see a lot of ads though. Part of marketing is guessing what kind of products will sell for the margins they like. Somehow, I fit into that audience.