@eaglen: I think some satellites can be put in self-protective modes.

The thing is, it's now virtually impossible to buy a decent 2011 HDTV that isn't 3D. Which means anyone buying a new HDTV has to buy into a proprietary perishable technology, and a pay a premium for it, even if they never plan on watching so much as a single Shrek of 3D.

@terabyteboy: oh.. you so nailed me!

Stereotypes like this get increasingly meaningless and unfunny the more Apple becomes (became) mainstream.

@crazypills77: So many people have these phones now, and have some apps, but don't spend a lot of time learning how to get the most from them. That's probably most people. And considering that so much can be done with the basic phone and apps, not everyone geeks their way through them to fully realize their potential.

@3Djesus- Esq. provocateur:

How about someone who buys an iPhone, likes it, uses some features, doesn't use other features, and enjoys trains, quiet times, and movies?

What a find! There are so many things I'd love to ask them, starting with their thoughts on Panasonic's 2011 HDTVs. It's no secret that Panny's 2010 plasmas didn't quite reproduce the deep blacks of the Pioneer Kuros, but has Panasonic finally replicated the Kuro blacks in their 2011 lineup? To have this tribe's take…

@jakemiles: My point actually was about the ad, and the difference between the Xoom ad (small difference between Xoom and iPad), and the original Macintosh ad (big difference between the Macintosh and preexisting PC's).

@Evan Balaila: Nothing is the first anything really.

@noodl3s: I have a star?!

@NanorH: Have you compared the Xoom to the iPad 2 (I agree that's the real competition)? But who knows? I'd be curious to see how the Xoom stacks up to the iPad 2 in the wild.

@robot-shmobot: I realize my comment sounded trollish on the face of it (Mac vs. PC... yada yada). But that's not what I meant. Repeating some of my response above:

@nbergseng: You missed the point. I'm comparing Apple's original 1984 commercial with this one. In the original, Apple was proposing a new paradigm of computing, the equivalent of rebellion in a 1984-like dystopia. For better or worse, Apple was proposing something different.

This would be an effective ad if the Xoom wasn't an iPad wannabe.

Now I'm confused. I too have heard of "internet," and wondered what it was.

Great. Wonderful. Fantastic.

@hspace: exactly!

@markclassic: lol!

It's kind of a leap to go from the real issue (Apple wanting a piece of the action) to censorship (Apple exerting control over 3rd party publishers).