Topic: Hypothetical question...

[WindAndConfusion]

If you could get an iPhone for free, and it was unlocked, and your carrier wasn't AT&T, and it was cracked so it could run homebrew apps, and it had a support contract, and all you had to do was sign a competitive two-year cell phone contract...

...would that be enough incentive to accept the shame of owning an iPhone?

[JacksRag(e)]

No.  It isn't.

Because you'll just be that guy.  And no one likes that guy.  No one.

[gpw12]

free phone with support contract , "competitive" two year contract...yeah, if you're in the market for any kind of smart phone you'd probably have to take the offer seriously.

[Quemaqua]

It depends.  Is it worth it when you add that you'll forever have an image of yourself tonguing Steve Jobs's ass?  If so, go for it.

[Ghandi]

...would that be enough incentive to accept the shame of owning an iPhone?

Yes, as long as you make a point to show your new iPhone off to everyone.

[WindAndConfusion]

It depends.  Is it worth it when you add that you'll forever have an image of yourself tonguing Steve Jobs's ass?  If so, go for it.

Wait, so paying no money for an iPhone is like tonguing Steve Jobs? Is paying no money for a Nokia N810 like being fellated by Kari Kairamo?

Que, based on this outburst and other evidence, I have diagnosed you with Intermittent Explosive Disorder. I am using my Mexican medical license to write you this bottomless prescription for Valium. Now please, open your mouth and swallow as many of these pills as you can before passing out.

Returning to the subject at hand, I find the iPhone attractive because:

• I would make frequent use of the GPS mapping function because I have no sense of direction. Last night, while trying to make my way from my bed to my bathroom in the dark, I spent three hours wandering alongside a freeway, naked save my boxers. If I kept an iPhone in my underwear at all times, I could have avoided this situation.
• Internet radio in my car. Fuck yeah.

However I am cautious because:

• Apple refuses to allow home-brew apps, which I thought was the whole fucking point of the iPhone.
• I would be one of those twats who has an iPhone.

[Ghandi]

However I am cautious because:

• Apple refuses to allow home-brew apps, which I thought was the whole fucking point of the iPhone.

Remember what I told you about thinking?

[Quemaqua]

I would be one of those twats who has an iPhone.

Is what brand of twat you are really that important?

[JacksRag(e)]

Well, to be objective.  Even if Apple isn't quite open to homebrew apps, there will always be a way to get homebrew apps on the phone and there will always be people who are determined to crack the latest firmware, so either way I think you'll be fine. 
Plus, you're already kind of a twat, so this in a way, validates you.  Win win!

[sirean_syan]

Hoob. You do have your shining moments of glory.

[gpw11]

Apple refuses to allow home-brew apps, which I thought was the whole fucking point of the iPhone.

Yeah, what the fuck is up with that anyways?  I'm going to say go for it again, a free phone is a free phone. Sure, you're paying into the contract anyways, but if you think you could use a smart phone at all and the iPhone ends up not doing it for you one  could always ebay the iphone (although with the 3G version coming out you might not get a lot for it) and put towards whatever.

As for the twat thing, just scratch that mother fucker right up and keep it in your pocket as much as possible.  People will realize the difference once they figure out you treat it like the functional piece of machinery it is instead of the holy grail guys with horn rimmed glasses make it out to be.

[WindAndConfusion]

Too late now, turns out I'm not getting an iPhone. I saw all the other shit Apple was trying to pull - for instance, even if I got an unlocked iPhone, I would probably never be able to update its firmware.

Fuck that, I can't even be arsed with Windows Product Activation to get a service pack.

Also, the iPhone was only able to tempt me with the thought of homebrew SNES, Genesis, and GBA emulators. But since Apple has an ongoing jihad against homebrew software, I had to abandon that dream and also the nightmare of owning an iPhone.

[Quemaqua]

There are much better places you could go for that stuff anyway, all without both the stigma and what would most likely be very poor performance.

[WindAndConfusion]

would most likely be very poor performance.

It might surprise you to learn that the iPhone is easily more powerful than the Dreamcast and probably at least as powerful as the original XBox.

Also, let me take this opportunity to reach new levels of tastelessness:

[Quemaqua]

Just because something has power doesn't mean people utilize it properly.

[WindAndConfusion]

The iPhone uses the exact same graphics interface as the Dreamcast (PowerVR).

[Quemaqua]

Just because something has the same graphics interface as something else doesn't mean people utilize it properly.

[WindAndConfusion]

You seem to know a lot about software development, Que. So tell me, what does this code do?

void switch(int *a, int *b)
{  int t=*a; *a=*b; *b=t;  }
void func(int array[], int begin, int end)
{
  if (end > begin + 1)
  {
    int pivot = array[begin], l = begin + 1, r = end;
    while (l < r)
    {
      if (array[l] <= pivot)
        l++;
      else
        switch(&array[l], &array[--r]);
    }
    switch(&array[--l], &array[begin]);
    func(array, begin, l);
    func(array, r, end);
  }
}

[Cobra951]

It's some sort of recursive sorting function which flips 2 elements in array[] around a pivot point each step.  I don't have the VC++ environment installed anywhere, and I don't feel like playing computer right now.  What's the point?

[Quemaqua]

He thinks he's smarter than everyone even though he isn't, and he thinks that posting random code somehow disproves my point, which it doesn't.

[Ghandi]

So tell me, what does this code do?

It kind of makes you look like a tool.

[WindAndConfusion]

It's some sort of recursive sorting function which flips 2 elements in array[] around a pivot point each step.

Not quite. You overlooked the all-important comparison on line 10.

I don't have the VC++ environment installed anywhere, and I don't feel like playing computer right now. 

It's a famous algorithm. I kind of expected you to recognize it.

What's the point?

The point is that Que is trying to make glib comments about a field he's never studied.

[WindAndConfusion]

БЖя◊◊◊◊₪

[Ghandi]

?

No clue what that means.

I was actually going to download the SNES emulator but I read that, while it runs perfectly well, it doesn't work well because of the touch screen. The technology wasn't really made with gaming in mind. So Que seems pretty on point in saying that the emulators don't utilize the technology well. Although I doubt that's what he meant.

[gpw11]

I used to have a few emulators on my old Pocket PC.  I can verify that these things don't work well with touch screens at all. 

[WindAndConfusion]

Because they're unresponsive, or what?

Ah, I suppose it doesn't matter. I've insulted Que, I'm not getting an iPhone, Ghandi isn't playing with his balls, and I finally got to do the 911 thing. I see no reason for this thread to continue.

[Ghandi]

The iPhone and iPod touch can only have 2 simultaneous touch points. It's difficult to play emulators for this reason alone. But playing them on a touch screen is difficult in itself because there is no tactile response.

Also, while I generally keep my ball playing to myself, there is some tactile response going on at the moment.

[Quemaqua]

I used to try emulation on my Pocket PC as well.  It didn't work so well.  There was a surprisingly good Worms clone for it, though, and a pretty decent port of... uh... shit, the name escapes me.  I think it was an old Sega game, sort of arena football with fighting.