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It's what makes HN so great. Even the original Dropbox "Show HN" pitch was agressively cynical about it; "I can do the same thing with a linux box and some scr

It's what makes HN so great. Even the original Dropbox "Show HN" pitch was agressively cynical about it; "I can do the same thing with a linux box and some scripts...", etc.

elliott34 10y ago
Would love to see this post if you have it handy.
- scoppini 10y ago
  https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9224 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9224
  - Anasufovic 10y ago
    #3 is still valid
    - deleted 10y ago
      [deleted]
toxican 10y ago
I'll never understand remarks like that. The people who can put together something with similar functionality to Dropbox are by far in the minority. It's like having access to tons of scrap and be able to weld and dismissing metal bed frames because "I can do the same thing with some welding and scraps". Also the claim that it would eliminate my need for a USB drive was 100% on point.
- ido 10y ago
  "No wireless. Less space than a Nomad. Lame."[0] [0] https://slashdot.org/story/01/10/23/1816257/apple-releases-ipod https://slashdot.org/story/01/10/23/1816257/apple-releases-i...
  - chillydawg 10y ago
    Some great throwback comments in that /. thread. Love it.
  - aarongray 10y ago
    Raise your hand if you have iTunes ... Raise your hand if you have a FireWire port ... Raise your hand if you have both ... Raise your hand if you have $400 to spend on a cute Apple device ... There is Apple's market. Pretty slim, eh? I don't see many sales in the future of iPod.
  - noer 10y ago
    Slightly off topic but: "Plus, you can use it as a portable disk. No "content protection". Yay!" That was one of the best features of the original ipod line. Not only did was it a device to play music with, I could also use it as removable storage.
  - untog 10y ago
    Everyone always digs that out, but the first iPod was kind of lame. I don't think it's unfair for someone to have pointed that out at the time. Especially when it's a hardware product - sure, the line is going to get better but you're not going to get a free upgrade to it.
    - avar 10y ago
      That "someone" is Rob Malda, who ran Slashdot. In a way that comment embodies how the "old guard" on Slashdot was left behind in their predictions of what technology would become pertinent post-90s. On the other hand if you look at iPod sales numbers he was right. Their sales really didn't pick up that much until they released some new models: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ipod_sales_per_quarter.svg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ipod_sales_per_quarter.sv...
    - mturmon 10y ago
      "Not unfair to point out" -- true. But, the linked comment does miss the point. Specifically, it is doing a hardware spec comparison and not thinking about what it means when a large player is entering the market with a more-usable device. And the linked comment (which is indeed an old chestnut) is typical of the spec-by-spec comparisons you still see in the tech press, and here on HN. It's a small reminder to look at the bigger picture.
- throwawaymsft 10y ago
  It's strange how many aren't self-aware enough to realize when they aren't the target market.
  - pbhjpbhj 10y ago
    I always assumed it was more about boasting than lack of self-awareness. Like how people post the same comment over again, I presume just to show they also thought of it.
- Dirlewanger 10y ago
  They are the highly technical types that quite bluntly aren't ever going to be entrepreneurs because that's not how they see the world. They just do everything themselves. Not a bad thing, that's just what it is.
  - tombert 10y ago
    Gah, I'm one of those people. Maybe that's why I don't have any money...
  - RickS 10y ago
    Coming to terms with the fact that I'm one of these people has been a mixed journey. Still working on/figuring out if this can be "unlearned".
steveklabnik 10y ago
It's a staple of online technology discussion, and has been for a very, very, very long time. > No wireless. Less space than a nomad. Lame. https://slashdot.org/story/01/10/23/1816257/apple-releases-ipod https://slashdot.org/story/01/10/23/1816257/apple-releases-i...
- nickpsecurity 10y ago
  I'm not sure if it supports your claim given most of the top comments were pro-Ipod whereas the story summary had the quote you gave. The comments seem to guess at the benefits people would be claiming later on. Interesting looking back at a critical moment in the past anyway, though. :)
maxxxxx 10y ago
Often this is just arrogance but sometimes big leaps get done that way. What if Wozniak hadn't been arrogant enough to think that he in his spare time and alone could build a better desktop computer than anything that's on the market?

It's what makes HN so great. Even the original Dropbox "Show HN" pitch was agressively cynical about it; "I can do the same thing with a linux box and some scripts...", etc.

elliott34 10y ago

Would love to see this post if you have it handy.

scoppini 10y ago
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9224 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9224
- Anasufovic 10y ago
  #3 is still valid
  - deleted 10y ago
    [deleted]

toxican 10y ago

I'll never understand remarks like that. The people who can put together something with similar functionality to Dropbox are by far in the minority. It's like having access to tons of scrap and be able to weld and dismissing metal bed frames because "I can do the same thing with some welding and scraps". Also the claim that it would eliminate my need for a USB drive was 100% on point.

ido 10y ago
"No wireless. Less space than a Nomad. Lame."[0] [0] https://slashdot.org/story/01/10/23/1816257/apple-releases-ipod https://slashdot.org/story/01/10/23/1816257/apple-releases-i...
- chillydawg 10y ago
  Some great throwback comments in that /. thread. Love it.
- aarongray 10y ago
  Raise your hand if you have iTunes ... Raise your hand if you have a FireWire port ... Raise your hand if you have both ... Raise your hand if you have $400 to spend on a cute Apple device ... There is Apple's market. Pretty slim, eh? I don't see many sales in the future of iPod.
- noer 10y ago
  Slightly off topic but: "Plus, you can use it as a portable disk. No "content protection". Yay!" That was one of the best features of the original ipod line. Not only did was it a device to play music with, I could also use it as removable storage.
- untog 10y ago
  Everyone always digs that out, but the first iPod was kind of lame. I don't think it's unfair for someone to have pointed that out at the time. Especially when it's a hardware product - sure, the line is going to get better but you're not going to get a free upgrade to it.
  - avar 10y ago
    That "someone" is Rob Malda, who ran Slashdot. In a way that comment embodies how the "old guard" on Slashdot was left behind in their predictions of what technology would become pertinent post-90s. On the other hand if you look at iPod sales numbers he was right. Their sales really didn't pick up that much until they released some new models: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ipod_sales_per_quarter.svg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ipod_sales_per_quarter.sv...
  - mturmon 10y ago
    "Not unfair to point out" -- true. But, the linked comment does miss the point. Specifically, it is doing a hardware spec comparison and not thinking about what it means when a large player is entering the market with a more-usable device. And the linked comment (which is indeed an old chestnut) is typical of the spec-by-spec comparisons you still see in the tech press, and here on HN. It's a small reminder to look at the bigger picture.
throwawaymsft 10y ago
It's strange how many aren't self-aware enough to realize when they aren't the target market.
- pbhjpbhj 10y ago
  I always assumed it was more about boasting than lack of self-awareness. Like how people post the same comment over again, I presume just to show they also thought of it.
Dirlewanger 10y ago
They are the highly technical types that quite bluntly aren't ever going to be entrepreneurs because that's not how they see the world. They just do everything themselves. Not a bad thing, that's just what it is.
- tombert 10y ago
  Gah, I'm one of those people. Maybe that's why I don't have any money...
- RickS 10y ago
  Coming to terms with the fact that I'm one of these people has been a mixed journey. Still working on/figuring out if this can be "unlearned".

steveklabnik 10y ago

It's a staple of online technology discussion, and has been for a very, very, very long time. > No wireless. Less space than a nomad. Lame. https://slashdot.org/story/01/10/23/1816257/apple-releases-ipod https://slashdot.org/story/01/10/23/1816257/apple-releases-i...

nickpsecurity 10y ago
I'm not sure if it supports your claim given most of the top comments were pro-Ipod whereas the story summary had the quote you gave. The comments seem to guess at the benefits people would be claiming later on. Interesting looking back at a critical moment in the past anyway, though. :)

maxxxxx 10y ago

Often this is just arrogance but sometimes big leaps get done that way. What if Wozniak hadn't been arrogant enough to think that he in his spare time and alone could build a better desktop computer than anything that's on the market?