----- Original Message -----
From: "Chris" <mythtech(a)mac.com>
To: "Classic Computer" <classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org>
Sent: Monday, May 06, 2002 1:19 PM
Subject: RE: APPLEVISION Monitor
The fact (well,
at least my opinion) is that Apple makes it easy to
remain completely ignorant of most important things about their
computer while still "using" them.
I won't disagree with you.
But Richard spouts out as an expert in all things computer... if he has
half the brains, and computer smarts he trys to claim... then he should
have known far more about the Mac then he appears to if he has "5+ years
of daily use".
I think you've overstated my position. I make no claim to knowledge about
anything DEC, UNISYS, Honeywell-Bull, HP, SUN, and many other big-iron or
high-cost systems, even though I've owned some. My interests and experiences
have been concentrated on microelectronics and microcomputers, which, if you
think about it ( assuming you can do that without spouting off first ) makes
considerable sense when put together with the items about which I do claim to
have some knowledge and experience.
I have friends with the IQ of a potato, who have less than 5+ years of
non daily use of a Mac, and know far more than Richard appears to know.
... and I'm sure that applies to you too, since birds of a feather flock
together ...
I just find it hard to swallow... taken in context with everything else
Richard says.
I just went over as many of Richards emails as I still have on this
machine, and I found that maybe it isn't so much that Richard is lying,
so much as he is twisting the truth. Like for instance, he said he bought
the AppleVision monitor for $3.95 when he got it ("It's only a small risk
at $3.95."), but then just now said he paid $2.95 ("including the
Applevision monitor for $2.95").
Actually, it was $2.95, easily verifiable since the tag's still on it. I
bought an SVGA monitor on the same receipt for $3.95, and a P166 system that I
also described, for $9.95. Though it was "senior discount" day, the items
were tagged so as to exempt them from the discount policy.
Sure, he isn't lying, he just forgot the price by a $1 since last week...
acceptable, understandable, not a problem.
Except that he does that thru almost EVERYTHING he writes (he paid ~$10
for two performa's including tax... but then later the reduced by a buck
monitor was lumped into that same approx $10 price, significantly
reducing the price he is implying he paid... again, it is a rounding
issue, it isn't a lie... it is just implying something that is not quite
true.)
Nope ... go back and read 'em again. I bought the second Performa while I was
out looking for a cable and a mouse. I didn't find the mouse, but I did
happen to run into a second Performa. Mac's are pretty common in the
dumpsters in back of the thrift stores, though they don't allow folks to raid
'em. The typical one, usually without a monitor, and often without a keyboard
or mouse (since they're in a different pile) costs around $5, and sometimes
they're considerably higher. It doesn't matter, though, since they still
mostly end up in the dumpster.
The receipts don't reflect which item was which, however, so it's possible to
confuse whether the $2 item was the computer or the coffee press, or the
replacement lid for the crock-pot. I'm a firm believer in recycling,
doncha-know.
He also tries to spout off as an expert in any topic he is discussing,
but when you go back and look at the facts, he admits that he has no idea
what he is talking about (he claims Mac's have a 250% price premium...
but he hasn't looked at pricing in over 15 years... except he checked
ebay and it says prices are 2.5:1). So what he REALLY said is... he has
NO idea what current prices are, but he is going to pretend he knows, and
he is going to hold Apple responsible for the prices that he will assume
to be true, and he will base as his only source of proof, the used prices
he finds on eBay, and he will ignore the historically higher resale value
of the Mac over the generic PC.
I wouldn't use eBay as a reference to anything other than the absolute TOP
prices one should have to pay.
If you want to go thrift shopping for MacIntosh computers >$10 here in Denver,
bring a van.
So I appologize, Richard isn't lying, he is simply not telling the whole
truth, and is implying far more than he should, and attempts to make
people believe he is an expert on topics by speaking of things as if they
are fact, when in reality he has no real knowledge of the facts, but just
assumes anything he thinks must be correct, and treats it as such.
like a mouse that has only
one button... to avoid confusion
I really wish Apple would cut the crap with that. They freaking introduce
contextual menus with OS 8, but STILL refuse to release a two button
mouse. But then, maybe they are not bundling a multi-button mouse in
order to help 3rd party companies sell them... who knows.
Not to
mention, you stated back when it all started that you haven't
seriously touched a computer by Apple in 15 years except to pull the
power supplies from them.
Ok, that's somewhat of an odd statement in context.
Could it be that he wasn't doing "serious" work on the systems at the
time?
see... that is just what I am talking about. He will claim he hasn't
seriously touched them in years, implying that he never uses them, and
knows little about them. Then later, when it suits his statements, he
will claim that he has 5+ years of daily useage of them. It may be that
neither is false. Maybe 10 years ago, he stopped using the Mac after
having done 5+ years working with them. That would let him have 5 years
of useage under his belt AND not have touched them in years. Or maybe,
like you say, he means serious in the strictest of senses, and he hasn't
used the Mac for "hard core" work in years, but uses them for games every
day.
With the way he twists everything to fit what he wants at a given moment,
you just can't tell.
I do know one thing... if I ever need a someone to argue a case for me...
I think I want Richard on my side... he has the best doublespeak I have
ever seen (read?).
-chris
<http://www.mythtech.net>