The iPhone was not built by asking users what they want. It was built by clever engineers solving a problem. Users don't know what they want or what is possible and there is no way to short-circuit or work around this fact.

I'm definitely not an expert but I wasn't referring to the last nine years, which seems like so small a sample as to be insignificant.

Also, I was under the impression that there was an unexplained increase in the number of cancer incidents in the last several decades. Clearly it's a long-shot but it does seem like it's worth investigating...

I think this is all interesting and good stuff but hopefully most of it is stuff that software companies are already doing these days. At this point if you're not doing continuous integration or looking at ways to automate anything that possibly can be automated, you should get moving.

Calling the posting FUD is being generous. It's complete crap.

There's really no point in expecting even treatment of MS products on /. They could come out with the most revolutionary product in the history of history and someone would submit something lambasting it. The horrible part is that the editors go for it every. single. time.

I agree that statelessness is almost always a desirable trait. However, it's not a trait that is unique to HTML. When you include the back end in this and consider RIA type applications, it becomes even murkier. You're going to be hard pressed to make the argument that gmail exhibits idempotency. At the same time, it's a rather useful tool!

While I think anyone has to be impressed by how extensible the browser and HTML has been and how far it's all been able to go, are we going to at some point face the fact that we're using the browser for something it was never intended for? We want a browser experience that feels like a native app, but we shun things like flash and silverlight (and even java!). Don't we need to eventually concede the possibility that something like Silverlight wouldn't be that bad? If it weren't for the MS tie-in, and it was truly an open standard, wouldn't it make more sense than trying to string together HTML and JavaScript in clever ways to accomplish the same thing?

This is what I keep explaining to people that are under the impression that the dawn of manufacturing coincided with the advent of the 3d printer. There are far better and more reliable methods of making guns at home. Yes, a 3d printer would make them more accessible to the unskilled but really if you can afford to buy a 3d printer capable of printing a lower receiver, you can buy a CNC capable of the same thing. And before someone thinks they're clever, yes you have to own the machine. Otherwise it doesn't matter how the person you bought it from made it; it has to be registered.

Your thinly-veiled implication that I'm not a programmer notwithstanding, history refutes you. The idea that things that are open will inherently get better over time is a logical fallacy. It sounds good, but it simply isn't always true.

I guess I was disputing the implication that it automatically got better by opening it (also not sure I agree with your statement about open vs closed, that has not been my experience).

Personally I wouldn't want my code maintained to levels I've come to expect from open source "standards".

Thank you. I love posts like this. People who seem to barely understand this stuff making ridiculous claims about these comparisons. The only thing better is the whole slashdot community getting fired up saying, see! I knew it! Finally, my world view that Microsoft's evilness has bled over into the performance of their CLR is confirmed.

I'm sure this won't be the popular opinion here but I'll bet money right now that they quickly wipe out jailbreaks on RT. Bear in mind that the *first* jailbreak is not trivial but an incredibly sophisticated break compared to the early iOS breaks. That being said, I agree with everyone that RT should be opened up. Where I work we've already given up on RT (and we're not too thrilled with 8). If MS wants to keep our business, they're going to need to lighten up.

I guess...developing a lot of RT stuff are you? I'm an avid MS-tech developer and I'm not buying an RT device...hopefully the pro will come through. Not to happy about the fan :\