Posts by Running scared

Schoolteachers can't teach our kids to code, say engineers

Skills not tools.

"My mum has a degree in IT, and she is the first to admit that it's utterly useless now."

I did a straight Computer Science degree back in 1987 - their approach was far from what I expected - even to the point where I was initially dissapointed; I don't recall having a single lesson on any partucular language (although we were expected to deliver our code projects in Pascal in the first year), with all the focus being placed on usage of VDM (Vienna Development Method); without exception, every course about 'how to think'.

I'll confess that my 'skills' in Pascal, 68000 assembly, C and god knows what else I can't even remember the names of are now 'useless', but the thought processes and analytical approach still form part of my everyday repetoire.

A good ICT degree, then as now, is one that arms you with the right tools by teaching you how to think critically and analytically; a course on how to program for the latest smartphone should not be mistaken for the same thing, but one does not proclude the other.

RIM answers Apple iPad with...The BlackPad*

Another opportunity for more red thumbs!

Regardless of which poor sod’s idea it was in the first place, Apple have succeeded in two areas:

The Apple ‘system’ is easy to use – by that I mean, if you have an Apple PC, iPod, iPhone, iPad etc, they generally do ‘just work’ for the average Joe. By a song on the PC, it appears on the iPhone. Take a Photo, it appears on the iMac etc. Admittedly, the average Joe is not a Reg reader, but there are a lot of them around, and the success of Apple in this area does support the view that they are prepared to pay a premium for this.

Obviously the downside to providing this degree of simple automation and consistency is an increased level of centralised control that is the Apple police, but overall the model does work for an increasing share of the PC market.

The second area they have succeeded in is raising the game of the whole ‘smart’ / mobile arena, and now they are moving onto the middle between laptops and PDA’s – whether they will be as successful there remains to be seen, but it’s looking like they have again acted as a catalyst to the market. RIM’s response to the iPad (and I do believe it would not have happened were it not for the iPad) is a good example of this.

I must have owned 20+ PDA’s over the years, with very little evolution between any of them until the iPhone brought about a revolution. Others have caught up, some perhaps surpassed the iPhone, but Apple did put a rocket up the backside of the industry and force it to react – all to the benefit of the consumer.

Apple's iOS 4 beams into unprepared world

@Bassey

Actually, it's not that bad an idea if you think about it. Unlike Desktops & Servers, mobile devices to have a finite amount of power they can draw upon, so it is appropriate to look at a different model on how to implement multi tasking. Whether the current model put forward by Apple is good enough only time will tell, but personally, I am happy for the developers of Apps to be forced into thinking about what the apps really need to do when in the background.

I'm sure most of us, with out variety of different hand held devices have all experienced picking up the mobile only to discover it's burning hot and on 1% battery because of some rogue background app.

Apple kills 'Get a Mac' ad campaign

Fact not fiction...

I remember it even made the papers when some eagle eyed reporter spotted John Hodgson using an iPhone on the subway, headline claiming that they'd caught him out in some way.

That reporter set the benckmark that day against which I shall forever measure stupidity.