iPhone hacked and hijacked at Pwn2Own

Now correct me if I am wrong as I was just told this by a friend, but the free version of AVG actually was saying it was detecting a virus on the first scan just to make people think it was working. Again, I’ve never used AVG so I don’t know, but was just told that AVG did that.

… And it’s pay for play – they only get the “prize” money by turning over the details of the exploit. If an exploit was demo’d for WM or Android or anything else, they would also have to turn over the exploit to get the dough.

91% of RETAIL STORE sales above $1K. You realize how many ThinkPads are floating around in corporate America right now? Don’t skew the facts to make your argument. You are also making everyone’s point when you talk about their profits on computers. They charge too much because people like you keep buying them. Do you brag about how much profit oil companies make? They also have higher total profits because they own the largest music store in the world. They are selling something that costs them next to nothing and making a profit on it. Apple dropped the word “computers” from their name because they are no longer just a computer company.

mangenius never said they were a small company. He said their market share on personal computers is smaller than Microsoft’s. That statement is 100% balls-on accurate. You don’t have to twist the numbers to make that point. If I’m writing a virus to target people, I’m going after the market that gives me a ~90% chance, not a ~10% chance. I’m starting to think that his other statement is true too.

Further to that, their share of the consumer market is largely irrelevant to this topic.

Unless somebody can figure out a way to make money from stealing pre-release graphic design work, there’s really not going to be a lot of effort put into hacking Apple boxes.

99+% of the data that is worth stealing is on Windows, Unix, or Linux/GNU boxes.

Why would somebody spend hours of their life trying to break into a system for mp3s and lolcats?

They are a business, and as a former shareholder I like their pricing model. Dell would charge you the same if they could, so would HP. If they could figure out how to transform themselves into a vertical growth company they would and drop Microsoft tomorrow. Windows is their herion and they can not survive without it. Apple owns 100% of the Macintosh, iPod and iPhone markets. No one dictates their business but them.

Microsoft is paid the same amount for a Win 7 license regardless or computer (for the most part). This is great for Microsoft and they stay profitable. This is bad for HP, Dell, Acer, Asus and every other assembler because the have to fight each other on price. All of these companies would love for you to be a brand loyal customer but since you are not they all have to fight over that $15 to $20 profit they are going to make off of your purchase. You wonder why Dell can’t give great customer service? You just tell your boss that you only need to make $20 a week from now on and you let me know what exactly you are able to accomplish. Good luck.

Who exactly are you arguing with? If I said the sky was blue, would you start complaining about cars having 4 wheels?

He stated the percentage of PC’s running Windows. Your retort was about profits.

I’ll see your licensing argument and raise you with this: you know, AIDS isn’t a virus, it’s a condition caused by the HIV virus, right? So think about that next time you buy an Apple product.

You’re a strange guy, Jarrett.

“There are other exciting things happening in technology, isn’t there?”

Somebody who was just browsing this blog might think that Jarrett is asking a rhetorical question here. They’d be wrong, he really doesn’t know.

That’s what I mean (and BGR is really theo nly site I find easy to comment on at work as the work computers seem to despise engadget’s new site). You would think that Apple was the only tech company in the world when it came to cell phones or computers that deserve respect. Just be nice to hear a positive story about some other tech company other than Apple even once or twice a week.

I agree, it would be great to hear about new and exciting things. It just happens that when something new comes to market their is generally one company behind it. I would love to see some other company transform an industry for once. This is the time for some current company to transform the Television market. Please someone do it before Apple. Because once Apple does it the haters of Apple will double.

Market Caps as of 12:14pm EST

Microsoft $261+ billion
Apple $209+ billion
Google $181+ billion
HP $125+ billion
Dell $29+ billion

Those last two are confusing, Are they not the major contributors to the corporate world? You know, where all that important business is at? It’s sort of like running the governemnt on the taxes paid by the top 1% of wealth. You can do it, for six months. But it takes the other 99% to actually keep it going.

Well it would be confusing to somebody who knows nothing about the computer market.

You see, Dell and HP are bit players in a much larger game that you apparently aren’t even aware of. They assemble computers and provide warranties, which is not a lot of added value to anyone except a moron that knows nothing about computers.

You might want to expand your horizons a bit because the companies selling those netbooks are doing quite well.

My personal go to brand, Asus, has a market cap of $236 B. Their neighbours, Acer, have a market cap of $254 B. They do all of this despite your imaginary hurdle of Windows licenses.

Of course, none of that actually matters if we’re talking about technology.

What does matter is that Asus is able to sell its loyal customers the best of today’s technology at competitive prices. Apple has done quite well for itself in finding a loyal group of customers willing to pay tomorrows prices for yesterdays hardware, but there’s another old saying that is quite apt:

“A fool and his money are soon parted”

Ladies & gentlemen, these other “technology” companies (computer resellers) have their woos in the market share because they don’t produce a “OS” to accompany, or compliment, their product; they only package somebody else’s, ie., Microsoft’s; that’s it in a nutshell.

Not necessarily defending Apple, but until one (or more) of these companies comes up with a OS of their own, then they really won’t amount to any real wealth…kinda like Ford Motor Company vs 7-11.

Another good example of this line of profit/wealth/survival thinking is what’s ongoing in mobile phone arena. Apple, Google, and Microsoft are the real players because they are competing with OS platforms which consumer’s can compare. The rest, handset mfgr’s, are… Again, Apple is shining because they not only produce an OS to compliment a handset; they produce a handset to compliment their OS. Google is working on their stardom with their complimenting handset–Nexus One.

Winners always get down ranked.

“Losers complain about doing their best, winners go home and fuck the prom queen.”

“Second place is no place, you’re off the team!”

The second Karate Kid, funny stuff. (2nd quote)