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Islamabad confirms Kasab is Pakistan national - Economy and Politics - livemint.com

6 hours ago - livemint.com - Link

"The Pakistani government on Wednesday confirmed that the lone surviving Mumbai attacker, Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, who was captured by India was a Pakistani national." (Wonder, what were the reasons behind this delay? Pakistan power structure is fractured. It appears that there is a deep fissure between its civil govt and the military. The military has played a prominent and central role in Pakistan and except for brief periods of civilian rule...military leaders have governed the country. The last one was President Musharaff and prior to that was Gen. Zia. and in the 60s and 70s there were other military leaders.) - kamla bhatt via Bookmarklet

Robert Scoble

“If you had $3,000 in your pocket, which would you buy? Canon 5D MKII or Apple 17-inch MacBookPro. Discuss here:”

22 hours ago - Link

Bryce, kartaj, Kenneth Chu and 84 other people liked this

Neither - MiɳiMagɘ is EnderMage

259 more comments

We are arguing about that on the CES bus. Geeks! - Robert Scoble

Canon 5D MKII hands down. - Andrew Hyde

pro for sho - Brad Will

Canon camera. I need a great camera more than a Mac - tsudohnimh

5d Mk II - Scott Loftesness

5D MKII, since I've already got a Mac Pro. ;) - Cory OBrien

Have a Nikon D300 and my old MBP is on the fritz, so this woud be a slam dunk for me - Gregg Gallagher

17 inch MBP because I love it. Then I'd buy a cheap 40D. I get more use out of a laptop than I do a camera. - Michael Yurechko

Apple 17-inch MacBookPro with a matte screen. - Arturo

People who get a good cannon keep them forever, I go through a macbook every few years - Michael Struening

Macbook Pro. Only because I'm a Nikon fan. D300 is definitely my choice of camera ;) - Tamar Weinberg

mac - David Banes via IM

Mac - Jeff Douglass

Would have to be the MacBookPro - Jason Townsend

The Canon. A solid peice of hardware and I'm after a camera - Mo Kargas

5D MKII of course. - jeremy franklin

The Canon. I'd have so much more fun with a zippy camera than a Big Mac. - Mike Neumann

Probably the computer. I'm happy with the first gen 5D I'm about to buy and as awesome as the camera is, the MBP doesn't need another $5K in lenses. - Derrick

Neither, you need at least twice that for glass & equipment to get the "rig" you should want for a Canon MKII - sorry, 3K isn't enough for that toy; and spending 3K on disposable technology (Mac equipment) isn't a wise investment. - Enrique Gutierrez

MBP....i miss my macs! - Brian Bufalo

5D MKII hands down. I can hold onto the memory cards until I get to a desktop :) - Austin

Without question: 5D mark II - Rodney L.

MBP - it's a means of production for me, once i make some extra cash with it I can always buy the 5D ;-) - Warren

which are you going to get more utility from? I'm guessing the Canon. - Peter Warnock

I already have a 5D MKII but I would take another one in a heartbeat, or a couple of nice L glass - Bill Pennington

5D Mark II..... no doubt. - Albert K

Canon, without a doubt. - Brad Butner

Definitely the MacBook Pro...but then again I'm not a photographer. - Charlie Flowers

Neither, I'd use it to buy food for a year. - Will Higgins

Canon - Chacha via IM

Considering I can make quicker cash with my Photography work I would say the Canon 5D MKII and then I would buy the Apple 17 inch MacBook Pro with some of my earnings! - Patrick Greer

Um, food. Yeah, yeah, I know...moving on... - Patrick

5D Mark II. And then throw the remaining towards some new glass. - Andy Hannon

2k into the bank, 1k for computer upgrades and other stuff. - Grant Bierman

5D Mk II everytime ... unless I don't have a Mac at that particular time ... - Stephen Taylor

I would go for the Macbookpro - Troy Malone

5D MKII...already have a MacBookPro and I'm willing to ditch my Nikon gear! - Dan Shust

Canon 5D MKII since I already have the 15" MBP. - Alan Le

I don't need either one--but I think the Canon would have much better resale value--so given the choices: Canon. - Rob Michael

Canon 5D MKII - for sure! - I really want one.... :( - Brad

MBP - not a photographer - Matt Faulkner

A 50D and a fast lens. ;-) - D. Lambert

I've already got the 15" unibody so I'd go for the 5Dmkii - Sparky

If I didn't have a laptop, then I would get the 17" MBP. If I already had a lappy, then get the camera... - William Sellers

Well, I recently moved from a 30D to a 5DMII because it was a huge upgrade for my "system". With a 2 year old Macbook Pro still serving me well for my needs, it's an easy decision. Additionally, I can't see using a 17" notebook over a 15 for portability sake, I'd just as well get an iMac and keep using my Macbook Pro for mobile use. - Ryan

Aren't you in Vegas? I think there are a few other options in front of you.. - JonSupermurray

5D!! - Wil

The camera. I have a new macbook already. - Jim Williams

The 5D is more than a $3k investment. It's $3k upfront but thousands in lenses, flashes and other gear over the years. - Michael Yurechko

Canon 5DMIII... - Greg Kamer

MacBookPro 17-inch. I am a Nikon guy. So, Canon 5D MKII if I had $7K for all the lenses, too. - Chintan Zaveri

The camera! I already have the 15" MBpro. 17" is just too big. - Sherry Main

My 1 yr-old MacBook doesn't thrill me; it sits on the desk unused, and I just couldn't pay more than $200 for a camera, unless I was dreadfully rich. - MiɳiMagɘ is EnderMage

5DMKII - sell some images on istockphoto, and then buy an MSI Wind and install OSX. It is faster than my 15" MBP! - Darren Mak

Definitely the 5D MkII - Christopher Chan

MBP. I just got a brand new camera. - Glen Campbell

$3,000 worth of NOODLZ - Bwana

100 shares of CRM ;D - barl0w

What would I do with a Mac? - drsPIX

5D MkII - want! I already have a Mac, iPhone, 2 PC's and a laptop. <sigh> gadget budget is small right now though. - Jim Bergman

canon 5d. already have a 15 mbp - Kiran Patchigolla

5D MK II You can always get the Mac later. - Yu Yu Din

I'd pay my bills and buy some groceries. - ::Kristen::

Apple 17-inch MacBook Pro. - Chris Luckhardt

What's an Apple 17-inch MacBookPro and why would a person need one? - Michael Krigsman

Mac book pro - Randy

MacBook Pro because I have neither a mac or digital SLR and the Mac does many things where as the canon does one thing well/ - Bryan Lee

Canon 5D MKII - Mansoor

I'll take the MacBook Pro - Rob

MacBookPro...or a Martin 12 http://guitars.musiciansfriend... and use the difference to buy a copy of logic pro for my 15" macbook pro - Armen Chakmakjian

5D MKII - do you want to lug around that 17" beast? - nicholas einstein

I'll go for the MacBook. My heart beats nikon so.... - studio_juan

MBP - already have a nice Canon - but my Mac sits firmly on my desk - shaun mclane

MacBook Pro, but I would need another $1200 for the 8GB of RAM. - Shawn Hickman

5D MKII. Even though I already have one. - Kathleen McGivney

Neither. Maybe 3 coins :). I have a Macbook Pro which I don't use often comparing to my PC. I am not into the consumer electronic stuff, only got a digital cam last year :). - dexin

Canon. Can't believe Apple ditched the matte screen on the 17" - FCP users and photographers don't want a glossy screen - the idea of the 17" is the ability to use it out in the field for photo/video editing. - Peter Clayton

So limiting, Robert! If I could pick whatever I wanted, I'd get one of those sweet Asus multi-touch netbooks coming out - and then use the rest to buy Yahoo! stock. :P - Shawn Farner

MB 13'' and the external cinema display. MBP17 is huge to carry out - Jean-Charles VERDIE

canon - jeff

17" MBP FTW! You should create a poll on SocialToo.com Robert, then we can see graphed results! - Joseph

I'd get the Mac Book Pro because cameras require something to take a picture of. The only photos I have are screenshots of the sweet Purps on my Blood Elf Priest. - Morgan Collins

Craigslist in Cincinnati - 5D for 1200: http://cincinnati.craigslist.o... - D. Lambert

Wow, what a great argument! 82 comments in 17 minutes! - Robert Scoble

MacBook Pro. I really, really, really want a new laptop even though my current MacBook works just fine. - Nation Hahn

Camera. Droooooooooool. - Alix Whitmire ƸӜƷ

Well part of it would have to go towards fixing my car, http://preview.tinyurl.com/9dz.... Then the rest would go towards buying a second camera body to be my main and at least one lens if not two. Then the rest would go towards bills. - mathew, keynote not lame

Robert: Apple products plus awesome SLR cameras...response is a given :) - Mo Kargas

the camera is nice - especially all the HD video. friend of mine in the movie post-production business reckons this sort of Camera will KILL the movie camera business in a few years time. especially at the low-budget movie (<$30 million) of the movie business. RED already making big inroads. much cheaper than an ARRI. - Scot Mcphee

The MK II as I already have the MBP 17 inch...older but it works. - Semipro

Canon 5D is the winner for me. Great digital photography is the gift that keeps on giving.... ;-) - John Uppendahl

Well.... Given that I have 4 PC desktops, 2 PC laptops, and 1 iMac, all of which are operational and regularly used, AND that I suck at photography, I'm going for what's behind door #3: A whopping big HDTV -- which will get hooked up to the living room PC, of course. ;-) - Joanmarie

17" Mac. Already have a camera. . . - Scott Whitney

Nikon D3 - Bill Sanders

Macbook Pro for me. Would be my first Mac. - Jim Bednarz

Nikon D3 - ThePicMan

MacBook Pro. Don't need such a super-duper crazy camera. Not a real photographer. But a very real Mac geek. - Louis Gray

5D for sure! - Daniel Pourasghar

I'd go the MacBook - but I'd also load it up with the full 8gb of RAM I see as an option (and not many people mentioning). Sadly, a nice 17" MBP setup it just over NZ$10k :( - Mark Derricutt

MacBook Pro. Hands down. I'm a computer engineer, not a photographer. - Logan Leger

well since I've already got a Canon 5D Mark II... hmmmm... - Thomas Hawk

I'll buy neither. What I would rather do is try to buy one share of BRK-B if it gets to that price. :) - imabonehead

The 17" Mac Book Pro, I already have a 5D MkII ;-) - Jeff P. Henderson

I'd buy the camera, I have always loved photography and wanted to learn. - Ruth Ferguson

The Canon, all the way man!! - Finding The View

Apple! I don't like the fact of the hd video recorder on the 5D and I want the Sony alpha! - Brandy Lea

Canon. 15" MBP is the largest I'll go. - saeba

I would take the cash and build an ultimate gaming PC !!! :D - ralphsaunders

When you buy an inexpensive camera, you really sacrifice quality, and that lack of quality endures (you want to keep your photos forever, right?). When you buy an inexpensive computer, that's not the case (I don't need a unibody case :) - David

Canon 5D - easy answer! - Susan Beebe

Ouch, this one hurts. I suppose I can't opt for a Nikon equivalent to the Canon? If this is the choice, I'd opt for the MacBook Pro. But if I had 3K, I'd buy myself the Nikon D300 - Karoli

The Canon. A 17" laptop is too big unless you plan to use it as a desktop. - Hartley Spurlock

Mac for sure.I have a first generation Macbook and I need a new one. Kaya Singer - Kaya

I'd pay off my credit card. For all that stuff I, like, already bought. - Jandy Stone

the Macbook pro but only because I need to upgrade my computer. - Anna Lynn M.

the Camera for sure - Tai

5d Mark II - Jauder Ho

None - a super-gaming rig. :) - carrotmadman6

Definitely a Canon 5D. - Maria Colacurcio

5D Mark II - Hands down. - Seagate

I would save it until I had between $8-15K for a CO2 laser cutting machine. I like my macs small, and while full frame sounds nice, I know I'm not nearly hungry enough to go pro in photography, so 40D suits me just fine. - Jason Wehmhoener

That's a tough one because I have been wanting to get my first Mac (have to start somewhere, right?!) but am a hard core Canon fan/user. So if push came to shove, I would have to go with the Canon. - Laura Zickus

Mmm, CO2 lasers. - Mo Kargas

That would be either a trip to another continent or a Fujitsu LifeBook P1630, but it would not be either of the options in the question. I seriously cannot understand $3k for a camera, unless you're going to make that money back in a month or two WITH said camera. - MiɳiMagɘ is EnderMage

Neither, I would invest in the stock market. - Denton Gentry

I'd prefer a D300, however no matter what brand I'd take the camera in a second over the MBP. Save up another $500 and get a Windows Notebook as well. - Kenton

The Canon 5D MKII for sure. Cameras bring me a lot more joy than flashy computers. Though a 17-inch MacBookPro would be nice to edit those new photos on too ;-) - Ian Holton via twhirl

Probably the Mac. I would never carry around a DSLR. Too big. - Rodfather

Neither. The new full frame format with HD Movies (wow! Woopee *rolls eyes*) is crap - only 3.9 FPS?! Who are they kidding?! - Adam

Seeing my Macbook Pro is 5 months old. I would buy neither...but I would buy a MacPro with more RAM. - Ryan

I take a cruise with Lindsay - big ass stateroom. - Tad Goes to 11

Neither, I'd get a Canon Rebel XTi and build a new gaming PC, anything left over would go toward the new home NOC - xero

I would take my lover to Italy :) - Maryam Scoble

The Canon 5D, I find the photographic process calming, a welcome diversion from the ones and zeros. - cornedbeefgents

Awwww :) - Mo Kargas

Nikon D700 - Rod Bauer via twhirl

There's one in every crowd. - Rod Bauer via twhirl

I'd go with the Macbook Pro - Joe Davison

If I had the $3,000, Canon 5D and a larger donation here http://tinyurl.com/daniela Pros: it's more portable, takes better pictures, and connects to my more compact 15" Macbook Pro. Of course, it doesn't work with my Nikon lenses, so... - Lee Dale

Canon 5D MKII only cause I have a Macbook Pro. If I didnt it would be the Macbook. - Bob Maltais

Nah. Patrick's college fund. 5D Mark 2 or the Macbook isn't all that exciting. - Joshua Hayworth

cannon.I kill computers, so not worth spending 3 grand on one. Plus I have a (beat up) macbook pro already. - InPerpetualMotion(Gina k)

Photos shoot at 3.9 fps, video shoots at 30 fps. @AdamGiovane - Jim Bergman

The MacBook of course. - Rob Fahrni

Of course, The MacBook Pro - Rashad

mac - Vishy

5D, but I wish it had XLR audio. - Gus

the new MBP, without a doubt ... my current ones needs a refresh (I'm accepting donations btw) ;-) - Jeffrey Canton

Since I'll be getting the new MBP anyway, I'll take the 5D. BTW, is anyone keeping score? - Brad

I would buy the Canon, but of course, I would need a MacBook Pro in order to edit/view the photos the way they were meant to be viewed. - Robert Peña

Blatant self-promotion, but if Robert used re-searchr.com it would keep score for us... I wrote it to suck down inline multiple choice selections so no ne would even have to leave ff - James Ostheimer

Robert, you're asking the question that's been pondering in my mind from some time (albeit it used to be with the 15" and Cinema display v. 5D/a900/D700 -cannot make my mind-). I want to be able to make a decision before March. I think I'll be going for the Mac, since I might relocate in part of the world where carrying an expensive piece of art around my neck might be more dangerous than here, in JPN. - Paul Papadimitriou

I'd go for a MBP, mine needs an upgrade and I just bought a 50D not long ago which is just fine for me. - Andrew Trinh via Nambu

I need cash! :) - Randy

Some of us are Nikon people. Some of us are not Mac people. I'll just take the 3 Gs. - Eric @ CS Techcast

Nikon D700 + 50mm 1.4 prime lens! - Guillaume Lemoine

More lenses. My camera is fine, and this Thinkpad is a good 'un. - Paula Wirth

Seems like Apple design the 17-inch MacBookPro just can use in 3years.the battery can only use in 1000 times,1time per 1day,3years.But Canon 5D can take more beatuful pics for me,and can stand by me more than 3years.if i really have 3000dollers,i real do this.kick off 17-inch MacbookPro. - jedorstar via twhirl

Lenses, like Paula sez. - Rob Kramer

Buy half and half :) - Michael Forian

Wow, I came late to this convo. Well, for what it's worth at this point, I'd probably get the lappytop, sell my old MBP and then use THAT money to buy a cheaper camera. :D - Jonathan Hardesty

Canon 5D MKII, no doubt. I have a 1.5 year old 15-inch MacBookPro which is still more than OK. Going from Canon 400D to a 5D MKII however would be a major upgrade. - Rutger Blom

Macbook I think. I have a 40D but REALLY want the 5D. Which do you think you could get your hands on first? - Andrew Smith

The 5D. The MacBookPro can wait. - Chris Nixon

5D, I have enough laptops as it is. - Amit Morson

The $2800 MBP becomes a lot more compelling when converted to 2080€. - Brad

I'm a Nikon guy but the 5D MKII has me seriously considering a switch - Bryan Thatcher via twhirl

As I don't like Macs and into my photography the choice out of the two is simple. :-) But I've rather spend the money on say the Nikon D3 and if you gave me an extra grand or 2 then I'd go for the Nikon D3X. ;-) - Kol Tregaskes via twhirl

Without though, the Canon 5D MKII. First up, you don't want to trust another "first gen" Apple product. And with the unimpressive lineup yesterday, maybe the 15" laptops are coming out real soon now, with similar features, and all quirks ironed out - Colin Charles via twhirl

MAC!!! - Orli Yakuel

(Friendfeed needs a poll feature) - Jérôme Flipo

5D over the MAC Pro. - Robert Miller

MacBookPro - just bought myself a nice camera with a fracking big lens! - Joel Hammond-Turner

Canon! - jlt (janet)

Canon. I have a laptop and rarely use it - well not as a laptop. It sits on a desk as a permenant fixture. - Ian May

Canon 5D mk 2 :) - Joe Dawson

Camera, I never liked the 17". It's too heavy for a "portable" - Melissa dela Merced via twhirl

neither, a big ass HDTV :) - Terry O'Fee

17-inch macbookPro is way too big. so I would go for the camera. Problem is I would need to learn how to use it then... - Davide D'Incau

If you have good lenses to take advantage of the MKII (extra $3000 needed here), go for the camera! - Joao Pedro

I would buy a Apple 17-inch macbook of course.! I don't have an apple and I would really like one. I have a camera thats good enough for me. - Larsen aka Qbat

nor this neither that! i will send money to help people in Gaza or at least I'll send 1000 $. - خیزران

canon 5d mk ii based on the videos I've seen - i mean just look at these http://is.gd/cP6x - planetMitch

The Canon, surely. No use for a laptop that big. - Ryan Sholin

5D over here too - Simon Wicks

Macbook Pro 17! - Greg

The camera. Already have three computers but have no camera. - Martha

I am not pro enough to need the 5D, I am actually looking at a D60 or D90. But the 17 Macbook is something I can use :) - Marcus Hamaker

I'd buy the Nikon D700 - David Parmet via twhirl

neither - cash is still king - viki saigal

its the lens, not the body - spring for L glass - jesse wright

MacBookPro - Stewart Rogers

New MacBookPro 17". I would probably get more use out of it than the Canon. But my, oh my, ya'll, the Canon sure is sweet. - Matthew Freeman

I have the glass. I have the Mac, I'd get the 5DMKII - stretta via twhirl

5D - I don't need a macbook. I'm happy with my PC and laptop - they cover my my needs perfectly. - Roberto Bonini

MBP. - Michael Molinar

Donate it to @armano. - Jim Mitchem

given my current status .. I am happy with my Canon XTi so I would go for the MacBook Pro. - Kapil

5D, but that's cuz I've been saving up for one. A new MBP would def. be on the list of future purchases (current computer is 3 years old) - Michael

Canon 5d Mk II, far more useful than the new laptop. More fun. One encourages you to sit around, the other encourages you to go out :-) - Richard Azia

MacBookPro, Canon sux. (OK, relax, just kidding. I'm a Nikon guy. I have no Canon lenses.) - Trevor Carpenter

Canon!! - Ivy via twhirl

I would buy the Mac, get a cheaper camera with the money I have left, and edit and enhance my videos using my Mac. - Shevonne

I'd go the Mac route. I'm looking to buy one anyway and I've already got a camera. Might not be as fancy as the Canon do-dad, but I'll manage. - James Ferguson

Wow 202 comments! How did I miss this thread? :) - AJ Batac

17 inch MCP - johnpiercy

The 17" MBP as my current 12" PB is on it's last legs and needs replacing - need rather than want for me - Sally Church

The Canon. I already have a 17" MacBook Pro. - Carmen

The Canon... even though I already have a 5D and actually need a new laptop - Shawn Duffy via twhirl

Macbookpro - Roger Kondrat

I'd say the MacBook... you can do more with it. - Dejim Juang

EOS 5D - Julien Guyard

Canon, since the MBP that I'd want would actually cost $5823. Not $3000. - Ben Hwang via twhirl

This would be much more enjoyable if there was some kind of poll widget along side comments. - Michael Leggett

The camera..I find apple laptops overpriced for what they offer. - Nick

Would be easier to see at a glance. - Richard Azia

I'd by the largest HD display I could... - Clay Newton

Invest more in my daughter's education. - Abby Martin

Canon 5D MKII. huh.. no: a powerful Linux box - Thierry R. Andriamirado

The MacBookPro, I have a Canon 30d but I do not have a MacBook - Bob

I wouldn't want a 17'' monster of a MacBookPro and therefore would go for the Canon 5D MKII - Donald Townsend

Neither. Both are overpriced. If no other options; I'd go camera. - Wade Dorrell

Canon camera. And then get frog design to buy me the MBP. - Dean

5D, the 17-inch MacBook Pro is very big. Harder to find bags for it and its less portable. - seanb

bank it, put in matress, done need either of those things, we need smarter devices that tell us the likelyhood of use-longevitiy in them, "i'm a camera you bought last year, you used me 9 times, i collect dust, owner- please resist replacing me unless you really really really need to, and the data suggests you don't.." - Dan Rockwell via twhirl

Not enough to buy what I want with the Canon, and I wouldn't be caught dead spending $3000 on a laptop. What a waste! - Paul Puri

Neither. A $3000 laptop is not worth it just because of its branding. - Spencer

ohh.. I can't choose. I want both of them... But if i choose, first canon, second mac... İ have canon 40 d and 15'' mac book pro. And i don't like mac's new screen. It's like mirror... - devletsah

Spencer: as a recent PC to Mac switcher, it's more than brand. Much more. - Ryan

I'd buy a netbook for the other three members of my family and put the remaining $2000 toward bills or savings. :) - steplow = Steve Lowe

5D MkII hands down. I'm happy with my new 13" Macbook - Aaron Brazell

Agree with Aaron, love my 13" Macbook and really want the 5D MKII - Kyle

Definitely the Mac. - John Clifton

Is this thing still going? I can't remember if I replied to this yet, but I say it depends on what will benefit you the most. Robert, you are a photo-maniac. I know that you have a few cameras laying around the house, but I don't know how many Macs you have. You have to remember that a 17" laptop sounds great on paper, but I know that you do a lot of traveling as well, so it might now suite your means. Then again, I would never keep $3,000 dollars in my pocket ;) - Michael Forian

of course the mac - doesn´t matter what the second option is... - Dieter Schwarz

I would buy the Canon 5D MKII but being a Nikonian I would end up buying the MacBook Pro and feel no remorse :) - Carlos Lorenzo

MacBook Pro. I need a laptop really bad. - Nick Humphries

Neither, iTouch + netbook. Save the rest. - Mohomed=genieyclo

The camera. 17-inch laptops are fricking ridiculous. - Andru Edwards

camera and a box of junior mints - Morgan Haley

I'd definitely go for a MB Pro. My Rebel XTi and Panasonic GS180 video cam is doing me just fine. - emon hassan

Forget the Mac, keep your current camera, and buy better lenses. - Michael Krigsman

17 inch laptop is useless in term of mobility so I would go with the Canon - Hadar Weiss

A Sony a900. :) - Jeff Jones

Neither. I'd start with the Bonobo Pro Ubuntu Laptop for under $2000 and use the $1000 to max it out. http://system76.com/product_in... - Internet Strategist

Impressive amount of comments here, this has to be the highest ever now right? - Joe Dawson

I'm sorry, can you repeat the question: did you say a "camera", a "computer" or a "shark with laser beams"? - Micah Wittman

save the money for tougher times. as much as I'd like the Canon, it's going to be just an expensive toy for me. and my three year old Inspiron works just fine for the most things I do on it. - Franci Penov via twhirl

5Dm2 because I already have the new MBP 15" 2.8Ghz. Mostly b/c the cam is more revolutionary than the 17", even though the 17" battery life is enticing. - Thomas Bøhm

Wow, 250 comments - OMG ...FF is really growing ...YEAH !!! - Susan Beebe

Yeah, this week has produced several >100 comment threads in my feed. - xero

Not the 5D, but some body+the best lenses, that actually lasts longer. Laptops are out of date in months and often die within 18, cameras and lenses last a lot longer - Joelle Nebbe

I would buy a Apple 17-inch MacBookPro, only cause I already have a SLR, so I dont need the Canon 5D MKII. - Colide81 (James)

I would not spend it, id rather invest 3000 dollars with 10 shares of google - Kyle Weller

then just buy lenses - you probably already have a computer that can do everything you need - Joelle Nebbe

Exxon-Mobile. Oh wait, what was the question again? - Erik S

Neither- new hardware for the pending Win7 beta drop. :) - Randy Holloway via twhirl

both! - jortai

@Ryan I am a Mac user, have been for a while. It's just my opinion, but $2800 for a piece of hardware in which you can the same or better specs on a PC, is quite a bit of branding. - Spencer

Using the MacBook Pro 17 inch now (love it!)- and I am quite happy with my Canon Powershot G9, so I'll just take the cash and pay down some of my debt--thanks! - Kelly W.

Canon 5D MKII then buy the 15" MacBook Pro later. - John Wang

Paul Buchheit - Paul Buchheit

Overnight success takes a long time

Sunday at 4:31 pm - paulbuchheit.blogspot.com - Link

Henry Precheur, Igor Poltavskiy, Rich Bragg and 180 other people liked this

Thanks Paul... great post. - Brian Roy

36 more comments

Most overnight successes take an Alaskan winter. - Akiva Moskovitz

Great post, Paul. One of the running themes of a lot of the posts yesterday seemed to come from "well, it's been a year: FriendFeed should be in a much different place," but great things take time to do. - Mark Trapp

Scott Berkun wrote a really fine book entitled "the myths of innovaiton" (http://www.amazon.com/Myths-In...). He points out that perhaps the greatest myth of innovation is that the innovation arrives in it's entirety in a single moment in time. Essentially that the innovation was a single flash of insight and execution. The reality is it comes piecemeal over time. - Brian Roy

Nice Paul, there are a whole boatload of startup / project myths I wish we could bust. The "overnight success" is one of the worst. - mikepk

Brain, exactly, and the myth there is the "one idea" that precipitates success drives me crazy too. I wrote a post (and reposted it a few months ago) about this one. http://mikepk.com/2008/07/i-wr... - mikepk

excellent Paul and while I have expressed my thoughts before I just may take you up on the "post your ideas" - Steven Hodson

Amen!! Peeps tend to see "web celebs," for example, once they're up there ... but no one sees the *years* of hard work prior! I like to say I'm an overnight success 10 years in the making!! :) - Mari Smith

Another interesting effect is that the VC cycle is predicated on hyper growth and 2 to 5 year return on investment. That helps push some ideas to failure even though, if given a more natural growth curve, they might have succeeded. - mikepk

+1 Mikepk - VC funding creates a hyper-focus on geometric growth instead of creating a sustainable company... Those two are NOT the same thing. - Brian Roy

Hyper-growth is dangerous because it forces a lot of short term moves, such as hiring the wrong people because you need them _now_. I suspect that better companies come out of busts than booms because they are able to grow at a reasonable pace. - Paul Buchheit

Epitome of why I love, trust, and believe in FriendFeed. Classy, Paul and thank you for sharing with the community. - Mona N.

Tell me about it. I got the arrows in my back to prove it. :-) - Dave Winer

Nice summary, Paul. As I mentioned in a comment on the post, it's clear you understand we care, and that we didn't intend to open the door for those clamoring for you to fail - but it was a natural result. - Louis Gray

"Once we launched, the response was surprisingly positive, except from the people who hated it for a variety of reasons. " - Clare Dibble

Although I have a love-hate affair with FriendFeed and my interest periodically peaks and wanes, Confucius says 'never trust a man who wears a beret the wrong way round'. - Andy C

@Paul - "Yes, technically you're doing my work for me, but it's mutually beneficial because we'll do our best to create a product that you like". Was this supposed to be an indirect response to Dave W asking you to pay him consulting for his ideas? - kartik vaithyanathan

Paul Buchheit +1 - Duncan Riley

So true. People think that from registering a domain to becoming a millonaire takes 1 idea and a couple of months. It took our company 10-years to do something "successful". - Martin Añazco

Been around this block a few times myself Paul. There is a pheneomenon out there around second ventures after the first was a winner. Let's have a talk about this over a beer after the outcome of FF is known. And also, I wouldn't necessarily count on the experience of selling a "product" inside a juggernaut like Google as being the same thing as making something work in the blogosphere or where ever it is FF is supposed to be planted. - Dave Winer

One more thing -- you're a very good writer -- but there's something else that isn't in your post. The odds against all startups are overwhelmingly against them. Ask Ev about Odeo someday. Your post is remarkably like the things he was writing about that product. And like the stuff I was saying after my company's IPO and was starting my second company. Unfortunately this was before blogs, so you'll have to take my word for it. I didn't really consider the possibility of failure. And of course we did fail. - Dave Winer

at least 24 hrs... ;o) - Rob Sellen

Great post Paul. Too many companies (see Webvan and slew of others) thought rapid growth was enough. But good businesses grow slowly, even on the Internet. - AJ Kohn

Nice post and great perspective. Nice position to be able to compare your own gmail experience to your FF experience. - bankwatch

Here's Joel Spolsky talking about the same thing: http://www.joelonsoftware.com/... - Piaw Na

The comments on your blog are awesome, e.g. "Gmail would be a lot better if it allowed registration of usernames < 6 characters wide." Proposed reply, "Oh, you can, but every single one has already been taken" - j1m

I commented in the post, but I saw a comment in FriendFeed that noted how another well-known service had a well-executed marketing introduction, followed by rapid growth, followed by severe technical failures. Not to imply that one growth model is always right and another one is always wrong (plus, that company solved its technical issues). - Ontario Emperor via fftogo

Paul, keep up the good fight to properly manage FF for optimal growth, scalability and integration of features. Rushed products typically fail. However, a healthy burn rate is good too. Release timely updates in response to user demand. There are some important UIX features that should be released soon as users are clamoring for ease of use features and FF could risk losing more users if these basic UI features are not implemented within a reasonable amount of time. Good Luck! :) - Susan Beebe

I commented over at the post. Really nice entry, with great perspective. - Martha

Paul: I've read this post three times and it's a work of art. Thank you and thank you for creating a service that has addicted me for almost a year now. - Robert Scoble

Not to one up Scoble, but it's the service itself that is the work of art. - Jim Jannotti

i appreciate this blended perspective. today i am dealing with the often elusive "balancing" objective, i.e., what is an acceptable pace towards those "goals posts", while honoring the organic nature of the quest! - Gregg

+2 Paul - Varun Mahajan

Paul, FriendFeed just rocks... It's already great today... - Aad 't Hart

Impressed with the loyalty I see many have for Friendfeed. - Scott M Iseman

Nice stuff.... some great comments etc.. thanks to mona for pointing me to it. :o) - Rob Sellen

Paul's piece got reprinted at All Things D. Nice exposure: http://voices.allthingsd.com/2... - Louis Gray

Paul, I think FriendFeed is the best thing that I saw in 2008 on the web. It is still rough and needs to figure out how to best reel in the casual user, but there is so much promise in this service. The core of it is so powerful really and you guys are months if not years ahead of anyone else working in this area right now. Good luck to you and your team! - Thomas Hawk

+1 Thomas! Couldn't agree more... keep up great work FF team!! :) - Susan Beebe

viki saigal

A design and usability blog: Signal vs. Noise (by 37signals)

Monday at 4:03 pm - 37signals.com - Link

Kind of makes sense - esp for the I phone - viki saigal via Bookmarklet

edythe

HOAGIES

Monday at 3:16 pm - threepotatofourshop.com - Link

viki saigal, Victor Ryden and Morton Fox liked this

"According to Wikipedia, the term Hoagies was concentrated in the Philadelphia metropolitan area, Central Jersey, South Jersey, Pittsburgh and Northeast PA - but this endearing term for the sandwich of sandwiches is now known the world over." - edythe via Bookmarklet