Jackass of the Week: John Cox

John Cox:

The Pre’s big screen: 3.1 inches, with 320 × 480 pixels. That compares to the 3.5-inch iPhone screen, also at 320 × 480. Apple touts the 163 pixels per inch of the display; a Palm PR spokeswoman had no details of the Pre’s ppi number.

Mr. Cox, the Pythagorean Theorem is calling, and it wants to know if you’ve heard of it. You haven’t? … It says you should have learned about it in seventh grade, and it’s all rather simple, you could work it all out on a calculator in about 30 seconds or so… No? Nothing? Not ringing a bell? OK, well, the theorem says the answer is about 186 ppi, give or take a pixel per inch or two, and that it weeps for the state of the American education system.

(Alternative basic math solution: (3.5 / 3.1) × 163 = 184 ppi.)

★ Wednesday, 14 January 2009