He takes an (1) example of a company with obviously poor QA, and turns it into a critique of the free market. ? Sorry, but to make this argument stick, you'd have to show that ALL (or, at least, most) of the companies selling phones operate under this MO. Additionally, you'd have to show that these same problems wouldn't plague a product line in a regulated market scenario. Good luck.

I certainly agree with you, but I would tend to emphasize the environment of innovation over cold war muscle flexing. We won the race largely due to the developments in computer technology that had already happened -- invention of the integrated circuit being key among them. I think you could make an argument that the IC came as a successor to the tech developed during and after WWII, but (and I'm no historian) I believe Fairchild Semiconductor's work was privately funded.

In other news, the plants I fertilized and watered a little extra yesterday show no sign of extra growth today.

What a great example of what can be achieved with real leadership, and an environment that bolsters creative problem solving and innovation.

I don't think he mentioned railroads, phone lines or electric wires in his post.

Try again.

Why you no like-a the pasta pasta?

lest it would be legal to rob and murder tourists.

There's a difference between civil and criminal law.

New "religionist" theory: the claustrum is the interface of the brain to the soul.

Neither of which is a real addiction.

So, the government becomes the equivalent of a helicopter parent.

You're so full of shit it's coming out of your mouth...

No, you're full of shit. And, to prove it, I'll now provide exactly twice as much evidence as you did to the contrary:


...

Yeah, I remember Windows Phone. Does it still have the little button hole on the back to stick a paper clip in when it locks up every few hours?

Well Microsoft has a pretty good history of offering long term support

What the Zune are you talking about?

I've heard of this, but I was under the impression that it was mostly motivated by power saving -- that it was solely during the hot summer months. If this is, in fact, an effort toward making things more comfortable and more conducive to creativity (and consequently, more sane), more power to them.

I'm an embedded systems engineer for a company in the US, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of a large Japanese company. We enjoy comforts like alternate work schedules, telecommuting, etc. Our Japanese counterparts, however, arrive at work promptly at 8 am, spend much of each day in meetings, and then begin actual work well after noon. They work late into the night (~8:30P or later), have dinner at 10, go to bed and wake up the next day for more of the same. And, they work on Saturday. Additionally, they all wear uniforms -- it's like watching prisoners march to the mess hall when it's time for their collective department lunch break, given at 45 minute intervals.

Not only are they not as productive, their creativity is obviously stifled. Aside from the cultural norm of not wanting to rock the boat or "think outside the box", they are simply unable to innovate and create the same way we are. Indeed, when they need some creative problem solving, they come here to the US for brainstorming sessions. And, the frustrating thing is, I get the impression that they feel their way is superior. Not so. They live to work, while we work to live.