Segway PT Sighting Amsterdam!

[SegwayDan]

No, I wasn't there, but I watched a video of the recent Apple Store opening in Amsterdam and I found a Segway PT in the crowd outside the store. Watch it here. It's at :23 from the end on the countdown timer. A young man wearing an orange t-shirt is on an i2 facing away from the camera.

Have you been to the new Apple Store, Florin? I think it opened last Monday, the 5th.

[Civicsman]

Very good eye!

The orange shirt says "Tour Guide", and the guides shown on http://www.amsterdamsegway.com/ wear the same shirts.

With regards to the Apple store opening, I am always amazed at to what lengths fanboys will go to spend money at Apple. Though I am appalled and disgusted at the working conditions that Apple allows to exist at their manufacturing contractor in China (Foxconn), I have to admit that Apple marketing is first rate. Would that some of Apple's capabilities flowed to Segway, instead of Segway talent fleeing to Apple.

[SegwayDan]

Originally Posted by Civicsman

Very good eye!

The orange shirt says "Tour Guide", and the guides shown on http://www.amsterdamsegway.com/ wear the same shirts.

With regards to the Apple store opening, I am always amazed at to what lengths fanboys will go to spend money at Apple. Though I am appalled and disgusted at the working conditions that Apple allows to exist at their manufacturing contractor in China (Foxconn), I have to admit that Apple marketing is first rate. Would that some of Apple's capabilities flowed to Segway, instead of Segway talent fleeing to Apple.

I'm always amazed how some insist on trivializing Apple's real achievements: the most valuable company on the planet with a $500B+ market cap; $100B in cash reserves; 362 retail stores worldwide; all EARNED--NOT merely with marketing, but by producing a line of excellent products which are in universally high demand around the world, and a carefully designed ecosystem of hardware, software, sales, service, retail, etc. all working together smoothly which naturally attracts and KEEPS its customers satisfied for (in my case) over two and a half decades.

I'm not continually thinking of ways to spend money at Apple. I, like millions of others, know how my life has been changed and how it is better because of Apple products and how I've used them in my work and in my life.

It's not "clever marketing", as if I'm some mindless drone or sheep being tricked or led somewhere. It's Apple's real commitment to making, like Steve Jobs said, "The best products on the planet."

As you trivialize this, you declare your other priorities, and you deny yourself at least some of the pleasures and benefits of owning and using Apple products.

[BringOnI2]

Originally Posted by SegwayDan

you deny yourself at least some of the pleasures and benefits of owning and using Apple products.

There's also the pleasures of developing for the Apple platform

[florin]

Sorry Dan, wasn't me.

I'm also not the segway camera guy at 04:35 in this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...=SEQkftiNzK8#!

But still, I'm really happy with the fact that we finally have an Apple Store, too bad it's on the other side of the country, so it will take me 2 hours to get there

[SegwayDan]

I'm happy for you, Florin! What a beautiful store--Apple's largest to date, BTW. Hey, two hours makes it all the more special a trip, what? Cheers!

[SegwayDan]

Originally Posted by BringOnI2

There's also the pleasures of developing for the Apple platform

Nothing worthwhile is easily obtained.

This developer should know that, "That's the biz." when dealing with Apple. I have no sympathy for his sob story, and I also know that Apple has paid out over $4B to its registered developers.

That's a tasty carrot for many, but it's not without Apple's terms which are clearly laid out for anyone to consider.

I'm a registered developer myself, still in my learning stages and still without a published app. But I'm not about to ever resort to whining like this bloke.

And I don't appreciate my thread getting hijacked by y'all.

[florin]

Originally Posted by Bob.Kerns

Actually, I suspect what would happen over time is that there would be a tremendous market for cheap labor to supply the Chinese market, thus pulling up the fortunes in such places as Burundi, Congo, Liberia, Zimbabwe, Eritrea, Somalia, Central African Republic, Niger, Malawi, and even Afghanistan -- where the annual incomes range from $300/yr in Burundi to $900/yr in Afghanistan.

The problem is, between education and infrastructure, they can't really fill that need yet. But with that big a market driving it, I bet people will start to figure out how to connect the dots.

The problem is even bigger! We're having a chinese student, really a smart guy, doing a intership. He explained that where he lives, he would make 400 euro/month, if he wants to earn more, he would have to move to a bigger city.

But there is a problem, he and his girlfriend are both only-child, which means that they will have to take care of their parents, since there is nothing for elderly people arranged in China. They can't bring the parents to europe, since they can't speak the language and they also don't want to move to another city, because they like the home town (social contacts, quiet, etc).

So, although the younger generation can become smart enough for good jobs, the rest of the culture/system prevents them from making something out of their lives.

It's sadly not something we can change/fix easily :-(