donbluto
Aug 2, 05:41 AM
I don't feel threatened or harmed, this is not a crusade for me. I would much rather have the consumer council go after Microsoft, don't get me wrong. The point is that the ongoing case against Apple is viewed as a benchmark test for this law, and if the consumer council wins it is expected that they will grab several other international companies by the nuts. Go figure.
Where I think you go wrong is the effects (or lack thereof) you think this will have on iTMS worldwide. There is in fact a potential domino effect here, even though we hardly even count in the big picture. And we don't, I realize that. But what if countries that count a wee bit more than we do follow up on this if Apple lose?
Where I think you go wrong is the effects (or lack thereof) you think this will have on iTMS worldwide. There is in fact a potential domino effect here, even though we hardly even count in the big picture. And we don't, I realize that. But what if countries that count a wee bit more than we do follow up on this if Apple lose?
ciTiger
Apr 25, 01:19 PM
The phone is always to big and the screen is never big enough... LOL
I'd rather have them trim the non screen edges than to increase the screen size... But hey, that's just me... And trim a little on the top and bottom also :)
I'd rather have them trim the non screen edges than to increase the screen size... But hey, that's just me... And trim a little on the top and bottom also :)
paul4339
Mar 28, 06:51 PM
makes no difference if it's an Mac Appstore design award or just Apple design award, they'll just choose the winner from the Appstore.
TimUSCA
Apr 25, 12:08 PM
I seriously doubt Apple is going to change the screen size so slightly because it may require a lot of software re-writes (unless the apps are truly resolution independent).
Perhaps, the screen only appears bigger because the borders will relatively shrink in the next generation????
The resolution would stay the same, so no extra coding would be required. Only the pixel density would change (PPI).
Perhaps, the screen only appears bigger because the borders will relatively shrink in the next generation????
The resolution would stay the same, so no extra coding would be required. Only the pixel density would change (PPI).
more...
Benjy91
Apr 18, 06:43 AM
Ahhhh.... dude... the only Apps that don't really get approved are ones that do things that can cause security risks or just plain trying to steal your information.
Not true, Id say that is in the small minority, believing that is falling in line with the people who believe that simply plugging a PC running Windows into the Internet will result in it being flooded with viruses within seconds.
There are plenty of apps on my iPhone from Cydia that merely add improved functionality, like 'Infinifolder' which lets me have unlimited apps in a folder. iBlacklist, which lets me block numbers without having to get my carrier to do it for me. BiteSMS, which lets me read, reply, look up their profile, or call them from the recieved SMS window, without having to leave my current App.
Not true, Id say that is in the small minority, believing that is falling in line with the people who believe that simply plugging a PC running Windows into the Internet will result in it being flooded with viruses within seconds.
There are plenty of apps on my iPhone from Cydia that merely add improved functionality, like 'Infinifolder' which lets me have unlimited apps in a folder. iBlacklist, which lets me block numbers without having to get my carrier to do it for me. BiteSMS, which lets me read, reply, look up their profile, or call them from the recieved SMS window, without having to leave my current App.
Cleverboy
Jan 13, 10:13 AM
Agreed that it was stupid, and may hurt credibility, but i still love reading gizmodo, and would not wish to see them banned from MW or the next CES. People do stupid things, if they do it again, ban them, but i say let them off the hook for this one.They did not emphatically apologize for poor judgement. Briam Lam himself says that the only thing he didn't approve was doing it during press conferences... but when the error has occurred, you need to apologize for the whole incident, not say, "Sorry, we only wanted to screw around with some people, not others." Vendors PAID MONEY to attend this event. Gizmodo willfully inteferered with press conferences, and hasn't editted the article to include anything resembling a wholesale apology. --Just, "Look at this COOL thing we did! Isn't it hilarious! You can do it too!"
Sorry, they bring anything on themselves to be so childish. I honestly went looking for why people were making more out of this than they should have. I read the CNET article and Brian Lam's casual response.
http://valleywag.com/343531/cnet-editor-proves-theres-no-difference-between-press-and-blogger
BY BRIAN LAM AT 01/10/08 06:04 PM
@OMG! Ponies!: @rafe: Relax. It was a joke. Just because we don't do things the way you do, I don't see why that is stupid. The site has proved its intelligence. Did you see that we got Bill Gates to cop to Vista not being so good today? The point is that if we do things the way you do them at CNet, we're CNet. If you do things the way Giz and Engadget do them, you're actually...Crave. (Which I like, and do not call stupid.) Why is this so emotionally disturbing to you both? Motorola, well that was a mistake, as my explicit orders to my video person were to not interrupt press conferences. But that is for me and Moto to sort out tomorrow.
So... "presentations", fair game, "press conferences"... avoid them... but "whoops" if we did. That's infuriatingly bad.
BAN THEM. My opinion. It would have been different had they owned up, but they're not... which means they're proud of it. No good.
Gizmodo is responsible for this because it vouched for the prankster and obtained a credential for him. Media organizations put their reputations at stake each time they obtain a credential for someone, whether it's to a high school basketball game, a trade show or a political event.Gizmodo WAS the prankster (http://gizmodo.com/343348/confessions-the-meanest-thing-gizmodo-did-at-ces). This wasn't a "rogue" guy. Just read their own description of it.
Confessions: The Meanest Thing Gizmodo Did at CES
CES has no shortage of displays. And when MAKE offered us some TV-B-Gone clickers to bring to the show, we pretty much couldn't help ourselves. We shut off a TV. And then another. And then a wall of TVs. And we just couldn't stop. (And Panasonic, you're so lucky that 150-incher didn't have an active IR port.) It was too much fun, but watching this video, we realize it probably made some people's jobs harder, and I don't agree with that (Especially Motorola). We're sorry. [Thanks to Phil Torrone for the gear, video, editing and mischief by Richard Blakeley]
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how to make animal cell 3d
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how to make animal cell 3d
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Reacent Post
Sorry, they bring anything on themselves to be so childish. I honestly went looking for why people were making more out of this than they should have. I read the CNET article and Brian Lam's casual response.
http://valleywag.com/343531/cnet-editor-proves-theres-no-difference-between-press-and-blogger
BY BRIAN LAM AT 01/10/08 06:04 PM
@OMG! Ponies!: @rafe: Relax. It was a joke. Just because we don't do things the way you do, I don't see why that is stupid. The site has proved its intelligence. Did you see that we got Bill Gates to cop to Vista not being so good today? The point is that if we do things the way you do them at CNet, we're CNet. If you do things the way Giz and Engadget do them, you're actually...Crave. (Which I like, and do not call stupid.) Why is this so emotionally disturbing to you both? Motorola, well that was a mistake, as my explicit orders to my video person were to not interrupt press conferences. But that is for me and Moto to sort out tomorrow.
So... "presentations", fair game, "press conferences"... avoid them... but "whoops" if we did. That's infuriatingly bad.
BAN THEM. My opinion. It would have been different had they owned up, but they're not... which means they're proud of it. No good.
Gizmodo is responsible for this because it vouched for the prankster and obtained a credential for him. Media organizations put their reputations at stake each time they obtain a credential for someone, whether it's to a high school basketball game, a trade show or a political event.Gizmodo WAS the prankster (http://gizmodo.com/343348/confessions-the-meanest-thing-gizmodo-did-at-ces). This wasn't a "rogue" guy. Just read their own description of it.
Confessions: The Meanest Thing Gizmodo Did at CES
CES has no shortage of displays. And when MAKE offered us some TV-B-Gone clickers to bring to the show, we pretty much couldn't help ourselves. We shut off a TV. And then another. And then a wall of TVs. And we just couldn't stop. (And Panasonic, you're so lucky that 150-incher didn't have an active IR port.) It was too much fun, but watching this video, we realize it probably made some people's jobs harder, and I don't agree with that (Especially Motorola). We're sorry. [Thanks to Phil Torrone for the gear, video, editing and mischief by Richard Blakeley]
more...
rdowns
Apr 27, 05:44 PM
Oh no.
talking to a friend at the shared open area locker room.
at some point I said something to the affect, she started really working it and it eventually got hard.
Nice trip to HR.
Subject matter; an expoy based resin.
I can't imagine the accusations that would take place with a unisex bathroom in the united states. Lawyers would take up residence out side of the bathrooms along with a whole new array of tv commercials
Where do you get these things?
There are many unisex bathrooms in NYC. Never heard of a lawsuit.
talking to a friend at the shared open area locker room.
at some point I said something to the affect, she started really working it and it eventually got hard.
Nice trip to HR.
Subject matter; an expoy based resin.
I can't imagine the accusations that would take place with a unisex bathroom in the united states. Lawyers would take up residence out side of the bathrooms along with a whole new array of tv commercials
Where do you get these things?
There are many unisex bathrooms in NYC. Never heard of a lawsuit.
i.mac
May 3, 11:32 PM
The reason why I didn't buy an Ipad yet. I would only browse on Safari and play games. Something that is available on my Macbook Pro.
With regards to this particular ad, should we presume from your comment that you are not an engineer, a doctor, a business person, a teacher, a student, a parent or a child? All these folks love their iPads, and do more with it than browse the Internet or play games...
With regards to this particular ad, should we presume from your comment that you are not an engineer, a doctor, a business person, a teacher, a student, a parent or a child? All these folks love their iPads, and do more with it than browse the Internet or play games...
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psycoswimmer
Nov 23, 04:55 PM
Hmm. Anyone think that there's a chance of a price drop on the Airport Express?
utgerger
Jan 11, 02:56 PM
Since you seem quite confident about what might be announced next Tuesday I wonder if you know anything about a possible iPhone "2.0" - the next generation iPhone with 3G, GPS, 16/32GB, MMS, etc.?
As for the MacBook Pros: Do you know what this facelift might look like? Minor or major facelift?
Thanks ,
Sandrotto (that was my first post on this forum btw :-D )
MWSF won't be about a new iPhone.. its all about its current success, about its deployment into new markets and most importantly, the eminent release of its SDK.. from what I know, major iPhone update will happen sometime down the road.. maybe summer.. :confused:
MacBooks just got updated last november.. internals stay the same.. some cosmetic changes will happen otherwise it will look radically out of the Apple 2008 line..
MacBook Pros will definitely get a facelift.. Aluminum is definitely in along with the new keyboard.. but that's stuff we all know.. i don't have solid details on the pro line but its definitely slimmer with major black infusions.. (iMac)
it will basically be the big brother of MacBook Lite.. :)
ooops.. did i just spill something? something is definitely up in the air..
As for the MacBook Pros: Do you know what this facelift might look like? Minor or major facelift?
Thanks ,
Sandrotto (that was my first post on this forum btw :-D )
MWSF won't be about a new iPhone.. its all about its current success, about its deployment into new markets and most importantly, the eminent release of its SDK.. from what I know, major iPhone update will happen sometime down the road.. maybe summer.. :confused:
MacBooks just got updated last november.. internals stay the same.. some cosmetic changes will happen otherwise it will look radically out of the Apple 2008 line..
MacBook Pros will definitely get a facelift.. Aluminum is definitely in along with the new keyboard.. but that's stuff we all know.. i don't have solid details on the pro line but its definitely slimmer with major black infusions.. (iMac)
it will basically be the big brother of MacBook Lite.. :)
ooops.. did i just spill something? something is definitely up in the air..
more...
citizenzen
Apr 17, 12:49 PM
Does it really matter if somebody were gay?
Sometimes it would if their gayness was a significant part of their story, as it was in Alan Turing's case.
However, the event that will put homosexuality firmly in the annals of history will be the legalization of gay marriage.
Major social changes like that are hard to ignore.
Sometimes it would if their gayness was a significant part of their story, as it was in Alan Turing's case.
However, the event that will put homosexuality firmly in the annals of history will be the legalization of gay marriage.
Major social changes like that are hard to ignore.
dextertangocci
Jan 6, 02:37 AM
Good idea:)
But I'm too impatient, ill stick with MR live:) It will be even better with the photos:cool:
But I'm too impatient, ill stick with MR live:) It will be even better with the photos:cool:
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dsnort
Aug 1, 08:39 PM
The problem is that the license says that the limitations can change at any time, so one doesn't really know what one buys, even if one has read the license - which I'm sure most people has not. I don't believe that the complaint is first and foremost about the DRM (which one may have opinions about exactly how it is implemented and shared but most anyway recognises it as a necessary evil) but rather what is summarised in these two sentences: "it is unreasonable that the agreement the consumer must give consent to is regulated by English law. That iTunes disclaims all liability for possible damage the software may cause and that it may alter the rights to the music". I think most of us agree that it is not reasonable that that which we buy can destroy anything on our computer and that they can e.g. suddenly just allow me to play a song just five times. And even though we all trust and like Apple these sort of licences are getting sillier and sillier (and it is certainlly not just Apple, it is basically the whole industry) and I think it is really good that someone who has the time and knowledge to fight it takes a stand against it, even though I believe shutting down the store may be overkill but I'm sure it won't come to that.
Cheers,
Peter
I understand what you are saying, and empathize with your concern. I just find it bewildering that the focus of so much of this debate is Apples DRM, which is one of the most reasonable out there. This is not a case, so far, of Apple abusing the customer so much as it is of Apple having so many customers. For real DRM abuse stories, check out what Sony did on some of the DVD's they sold. Or Napsters subscription service where you have rights to the music as long as you keep making the payments, every month. Or try to decipher M$'s DRM policy. Or try to sign up for Sony's Connect Store on a Mac.
I personally don't think it will ever come to the point where Apple will pull iTunes from any country, at least, I certainly hope not.
As for the post you quoted, sorry. People who insist that everyone who doesn't agree with them is mentally defective touch a hot button for me. Especially when their reasoning is.....suspect.
Cheers,
Peter
I understand what you are saying, and empathize with your concern. I just find it bewildering that the focus of so much of this debate is Apples DRM, which is one of the most reasonable out there. This is not a case, so far, of Apple abusing the customer so much as it is of Apple having so many customers. For real DRM abuse stories, check out what Sony did on some of the DVD's they sold. Or Napsters subscription service where you have rights to the music as long as you keep making the payments, every month. Or try to decipher M$'s DRM policy. Or try to sign up for Sony's Connect Store on a Mac.
I personally don't think it will ever come to the point where Apple will pull iTunes from any country, at least, I certainly hope not.
As for the post you quoted, sorry. People who insist that everyone who doesn't agree with them is mentally defective touch a hot button for me. Especially when their reasoning is.....suspect.
173080
Oct 7, 08:09 PM
Wonder what the stairway leads to?
Heaven. Oh wait... :D
Heaven. Oh wait... :D
more...
MrMoore
Mar 25, 10:25 AM
Wow! 10 years. I remember installing it on a Power Mac G3. Saying "Cool" and booting back to OS 9 ;)
I though it was sleek looking, but when I need to do real "work", I went back to "classic" OS. It wasn't until 10.2 (Jaguar) that I became full time OS X user and also put Windows in the bin. Haven't look back since. :D
I though it was sleek looking, but when I need to do real "work", I went back to "classic" OS. It wasn't until 10.2 (Jaguar) that I became full time OS X user and also put Windows in the bin. Haven't look back since. :D
thejadedmonkey
Apr 12, 09:05 AM
Agreed. I feel like Wordpad, with the ability to open .doc and .docx files, would suffice.
And have Graphpad, a basic spreadsheet app, with the ability to open .xls and .xlsx for excel. :)
And have Graphpad, a basic spreadsheet app, with the ability to open .xls and .xlsx for excel. :)
more...
Mac-Mariachi
Apr 5, 04:22 PM
Apple I love you, and I love your products. I�ve been pro Apple since 1992
But I wouldn�t download this "app" even if you paid me.
But I wouldn�t download this "app" even if you paid me.
gkarris
Jan 15, 04:14 PM
Happy for my :apple:TV.
I'm glad Apple has decided to return to the sub-note market - great job Apple!
I'm glad Apple has decided to return to the sub-note market - great job Apple!
logandzwon
Mar 17, 08:39 AM
KARMA DOES NOT WORK THAT WAY!!!
Anyway, if you actually care about the morality of your action, (or technically lack of action,) only you can decide if you did the right thing or not. If you sleep soundly at night then it wasn't immoral.
Ethically, your probably going to heat if you tell people about it. Modern-day ethics say stealing form an individual by a corporation is fine. An individual stealing from a corporation is bad.
Eitherway, it will not come out of his paycheck. However, if he is new he might be fired. If he has done it multiple times he might be fired. Realistically, if it wasn't you it would have been someone else though. We all make mistakes, but apparently that isn't the correct job for him.
BTW... I love all the post by people suggesting that to "fix" the issue by going back and lying about what happened.
Anyway, if you actually care about the morality of your action, (or technically lack of action,) only you can decide if you did the right thing or not. If you sleep soundly at night then it wasn't immoral.
Ethically, your probably going to heat if you tell people about it. Modern-day ethics say stealing form an individual by a corporation is fine. An individual stealing from a corporation is bad.
Eitherway, it will not come out of his paycheck. However, if he is new he might be fired. If he has done it multiple times he might be fired. Realistically, if it wasn't you it would have been someone else though. We all make mistakes, but apparently that isn't the correct job for him.
BTW... I love all the post by people suggesting that to "fix" the issue by going back and lying about what happened.
Performa636CD
Apr 13, 09:48 PM
A king size pillow.
http://www.feather-bed.net/wp-content/uploads/feather-pillow-2.jpg
http://www.feather-bed.net/wp-content/uploads/feather-pillow-2.jpg
linux2mac
Mar 25, 10:25 AM
I was there at the beginning - in & out 3 times.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ko4V3G4NqII
OS X you've been the Apple of my eye since the beginning!
:apple:
Thanks for posting. Sadly back then I was in a Windows world working at a Fortune 100 Microsoft shop as a MS trained applications developer. I remember telling my college friend (that was responsible for my Mac conversion) that Macs weren't good for business when he asked me why I didn't use a Mac. Wow, did I ever drink the Windows Kool Aid! I should have switched back in 2000 instead of nine years later (Linux in '07' and Mac in '09').
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ko4V3G4NqII
OS X you've been the Apple of my eye since the beginning!
:apple:
Thanks for posting. Sadly back then I was in a Windows world working at a Fortune 100 Microsoft shop as a MS trained applications developer. I remember telling my college friend (that was responsible for my Mac conversion) that Macs weren't good for business when he asked me why I didn't use a Mac. Wow, did I ever drink the Windows Kool Aid! I should have switched back in 2000 instead of nine years later (Linux in '07' and Mac in '09').
Eidorian
Nov 23, 10:17 PM
so guys,
does anyone think that the discounts will be able to be used in conjunction with educational discounts? if so that'd be great...if not...then i guess you still save an additional 50 bucks? that'd be ok!
tell me what you think about hte question?No
does anyone think that the discounts will be able to be used in conjunction with educational discounts? if so that'd be great...if not...then i guess you still save an additional 50 bucks? that'd be ok!
tell me what you think about hte question?No
AhmedFaisal
Apr 13, 06:28 AM
Don't know what is more ridiculous, the pat down of the little girl or the mother asking for a re-scan. I op out every single time I travel. It is not evident (and the TSA flunkies don't really know) whether a given device is a backscatter scanner or a an active or passive terahertz wave scanner. There is currently no long term evidence that backscatter or active terahertz wave scanners do not have side effects, especially for frequent travelers. Unless they switch all scanners to passive terahertz wave scanners, I will continue to opt out and if they ever make these scans mandatory without the opt out option, I will refuse to fly.
Lord Blackadder
Aug 3, 11:20 AM
While that part is true that we would burn more fuel at power planets one advantage you are forgetting about is the power planets are by far much more efficient at producing power than the internal combustion engine on your car. On top of that it is much easier to capture and clean the pollution the power planet produces over what the cars produce. On top of that we can easily most our power over to other renewable choices.
I agree with you that series hybrids gain efficiency by running the internal combustion engine at a narrow RPM range representing the engine's most efficient speed. It's been done for over a hundred years that way in generators and a series hybrid drivetrain is set up exactly the same way as a generator.
Power plants are usually more efficent per unit of energy than autos, but right now they do not have the capacity to support a big switch to electrics. Also, the notion that power plants are cleaner than cars is debatable - many are, but many are not all that clean.
The critical point is, our power grid needs to become FAR more robust (more, bigger power plants) before we can make a large-scale switch to electrics - and it will only be worthwhile if the power grid becomes significantly more efficient. It can be done, but it will take a long, long time - and probably have to involve a significant new construction program of nuclear power plants.
I heard it that the reason why BMW stopped selling diesel cars in the US was that the engines failed, due to the very poor quality. In Europe, you can get quality fuel, but in the US, diesel is still the fuel of trucks, primarily.
Just one statistics: in continental Europe (not in the UK), new diesel cars have been outselling petrol ones for almost a decade, despite the premium.
The US began transitioning to ultra-low sulphur diesel in and by now the transition is nearly complete. The new fuel standard brings us in line with European diesel. Before the credit crunch recession hit, many car manufacturers were planning to bring Eurpoean-market diesel cars over here in slightly modified form, but those plans were scuppered in the recession. Subaru, for example, has delayed the introduction of their diesel by a year or two.
But I think diesels will start arriving here in the next couple years, and people will buy them in increasing numbers. The USA is 40 years behind in the adoption of diesel passenger cars.
You shouldn't have any impression about Subarus. They really have the traction of a train (AWD ones, of course - why would you buy anything else?!), but everything else is just midrange quality at best.
I've had a 1998 Impreza estate several years ago and it was OK. Recently, I've had a 2007 Legacy Outback from work. Nice glass on the top and good traction, but I have no intention of trading a BMW or Mercedes for it the next time. The interior is low quality and Subaru has no understanding of fuel efficiency, it seems. OK, it's a 2.5L engine, automatic and AWD, but still... 25 imperial mpg?!
It's not really fair to compare a Subaru to a BMW or Merc though, is it? Those German luxury cars are much more expensive and the AWD variants are even more expensive still. A 5-series with AWD will cost 70%-80% more than a roughly equivalent Legacy. They are very different carsm with totally different customers in mind.
I have a 2000 Forester currently. Mechanically they are well-made cars, they have a strong AWD system and I like the ride quality over rough roads, which they handle much better than the Audis I've driven.
Their biggest weaknesses are only average fuel economy (by US standards; I get about 28 mpg combined), and average interior quality, especially in the Impreza and Foresters, though I have seen the latest models and they are much better. The 2.5L four is really a great engine in a lot of ways, but it's just not quite fuel efficient enough, and in my car that problem is exacerbated by the short-ratio gearbox, which is crying for a 6th gear.
Hybrids actually have an equal to worse carbon footprint than regular gasoline engine cars due to the production and disposal process of the batteries. As such, they are not green at all. They are just another one of these ****** feel good deals for hippies with no brains an engineering knowledge.
I disagree. Real hippies don't work and thus can't afford fancy hybrids.
Of the commercially available cars, a well designed diesel, able to operate on biodiesel from waste oil for example has by far the best carbon footprint or an ethanol burner that can work on ethanol fermented from plant waste via cellulose digesting bacteria.
I would prefer if we could get to the point where we either have cars running on ethanol generated from cellulose or keratin digestion or natural gas buring engines.
Unfortunately fuel cells are not that great either because of the palladium used in the batteries that is pretty toxic in production as well.
Cheers,
Ahmed
The problem with biodiesel is that it's far too scarce to adopt widely. Sure, it's great that Joe Hippie can run his 1979 Mercedes 300D wagon on fast food grease, but once everyone starts looking into biodiesel Joe Hippie won't be getting free oil handouts anymore.
Also, biodiesel demand has already started competing with food production and I can tell you right away I'd rather eat than drive.
You're right about fuel cell carbon footprints - but that's the least of their worries now because they still cost a fortune to make and have short useful lives, making them totally unpractical to sell.
So far the biggest problem is not getting internal combustion engines to burn alternative fuels (we've found many alternative fuels) but to produce enough alternative fuel and distribute it widely enough to replace petroleum - without interrupting things like food production or power generation.
I agree with you that series hybrids gain efficiency by running the internal combustion engine at a narrow RPM range representing the engine's most efficient speed. It's been done for over a hundred years that way in generators and a series hybrid drivetrain is set up exactly the same way as a generator.
Power plants are usually more efficent per unit of energy than autos, but right now they do not have the capacity to support a big switch to electrics. Also, the notion that power plants are cleaner than cars is debatable - many are, but many are not all that clean.
The critical point is, our power grid needs to become FAR more robust (more, bigger power plants) before we can make a large-scale switch to electrics - and it will only be worthwhile if the power grid becomes significantly more efficient. It can be done, but it will take a long, long time - and probably have to involve a significant new construction program of nuclear power plants.
I heard it that the reason why BMW stopped selling diesel cars in the US was that the engines failed, due to the very poor quality. In Europe, you can get quality fuel, but in the US, diesel is still the fuel of trucks, primarily.
Just one statistics: in continental Europe (not in the UK), new diesel cars have been outselling petrol ones for almost a decade, despite the premium.
The US began transitioning to ultra-low sulphur diesel in and by now the transition is nearly complete. The new fuel standard brings us in line with European diesel. Before the credit crunch recession hit, many car manufacturers were planning to bring Eurpoean-market diesel cars over here in slightly modified form, but those plans were scuppered in the recession. Subaru, for example, has delayed the introduction of their diesel by a year or two.
But I think diesels will start arriving here in the next couple years, and people will buy them in increasing numbers. The USA is 40 years behind in the adoption of diesel passenger cars.
You shouldn't have any impression about Subarus. They really have the traction of a train (AWD ones, of course - why would you buy anything else?!), but everything else is just midrange quality at best.
I've had a 1998 Impreza estate several years ago and it was OK. Recently, I've had a 2007 Legacy Outback from work. Nice glass on the top and good traction, but I have no intention of trading a BMW or Mercedes for it the next time. The interior is low quality and Subaru has no understanding of fuel efficiency, it seems. OK, it's a 2.5L engine, automatic and AWD, but still... 25 imperial mpg?!
It's not really fair to compare a Subaru to a BMW or Merc though, is it? Those German luxury cars are much more expensive and the AWD variants are even more expensive still. A 5-series with AWD will cost 70%-80% more than a roughly equivalent Legacy. They are very different carsm with totally different customers in mind.
I have a 2000 Forester currently. Mechanically they are well-made cars, they have a strong AWD system and I like the ride quality over rough roads, which they handle much better than the Audis I've driven.
Their biggest weaknesses are only average fuel economy (by US standards; I get about 28 mpg combined), and average interior quality, especially in the Impreza and Foresters, though I have seen the latest models and they are much better. The 2.5L four is really a great engine in a lot of ways, but it's just not quite fuel efficient enough, and in my car that problem is exacerbated by the short-ratio gearbox, which is crying for a 6th gear.
Hybrids actually have an equal to worse carbon footprint than regular gasoline engine cars due to the production and disposal process of the batteries. As such, they are not green at all. They are just another one of these ****** feel good deals for hippies with no brains an engineering knowledge.
I disagree. Real hippies don't work and thus can't afford fancy hybrids.
Of the commercially available cars, a well designed diesel, able to operate on biodiesel from waste oil for example has by far the best carbon footprint or an ethanol burner that can work on ethanol fermented from plant waste via cellulose digesting bacteria.
I would prefer if we could get to the point where we either have cars running on ethanol generated from cellulose or keratin digestion or natural gas buring engines.
Unfortunately fuel cells are not that great either because of the palladium used in the batteries that is pretty toxic in production as well.
Cheers,
Ahmed
The problem with biodiesel is that it's far too scarce to adopt widely. Sure, it's great that Joe Hippie can run his 1979 Mercedes 300D wagon on fast food grease, but once everyone starts looking into biodiesel Joe Hippie won't be getting free oil handouts anymore.
Also, biodiesel demand has already started competing with food production and I can tell you right away I'd rather eat than drive.
You're right about fuel cell carbon footprints - but that's the least of their worries now because they still cost a fortune to make and have short useful lives, making them totally unpractical to sell.
So far the biggest problem is not getting internal combustion engines to burn alternative fuels (we've found many alternative fuels) but to produce enough alternative fuel and distribute it widely enough to replace petroleum - without interrupting things like food production or power generation.
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