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Vote for 2002's "Best" Vaporware

ThatKidYouDid writes "Wired.com is holding a vote for this years best vaporware. My vote definitely goes to the oqo, although I'd still snag one if they ever materialized. What do others really wish could have happened by Xmas?"

528 comments

  1. first by mikerubin · · Score: 0, Troll

    post

    --
    I sat down to write a new sig tonight and all I did was make the chair warm.
  2. MS .Net Server by dachang · · Score: 3, Funny

    My vote goes to .net server.

    1. Re:MS .Net Server by Sycraft-fu · · Score: 2

      It's quite real, I assure you. We have a test server running it right now. Not sure what the timeline for the rest of teh beta is, but it is finished and in testing.

    2. Re:MS .Net Server by MeanMF · · Score: 2, Funny

      Wow, I'm typing this message on vaporware.. I've never done that before.

    3. Re:MS .Net Server by TeknoDragon · · Score: 5, Insightful

      RTFM

      "As in previous years, software locked in the pre-release, beta-testing stage is considered vaporware, even if it's widely available. It hasn't shipped until it's shrink-wrapped."

    4. Re:MS .Net Server by AntiNorm · · Score: 2, Funny

      On a related note, my vote goes to an MS server -- any service -- that I would be willing to run without having to worry about security risks.

      --

      I pledge allegiance to the flag...
      of the Corporate States of America...
    5. Re:MS .Net Server by kraksmoka · · Score: 3, Funny
      nah, my favorite is Mono by the good folks at Ximian.

      better to promote free-vaporware than vaporware you're paying for if it's released or not.

      --
      "You never want a serious crisis to go to waste." - Rahm Emanuel
    6. Re:MS .Net Server by 1g$man · · Score: 0, Troll

      What a pathetic karma whore.

    7. Re:MS .Net Server by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      Beta software is considered Vaporware? But I have windows installed right now!

    8. Re:MS .Net Server by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

      RTFM

      "As in previous years, software locked in the pre-release, beta-testing stage is considered vaporware, even if it's widely available. It hasn't shipped until it's shrink-wrapped."


      Describes: enterprise linux kernel pretty well.

    9. Re:MS .Net Server by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      are you retarded?
      name a product, any product, that you will expose to the internet, without having to worry about security risks?
      yes, MS has security issues, but so does OSS.
      EAD.

    10. Re:MS .Net Server by Chexsum · · Score: 1

      Doesnt that mean you are breaking the rules of beta testing?

      When I tested Win2k beta it said I wasnt allowed online and some other things. :\

      --
      Pixels keep you awake!
    11. Re:MS .Net Server by Monokeros · · Score: 1

      Well, what good is beta testing .net SERVER if you can't take it online??

      Although the poster is probably breaking several nondisclosure clauses in his beta testing agreement. Keep up the good work!!!

      --
      The Statue of Liberty is America's lawn jockey.
    12. Re:MS .Net Server by weave · · Score: 2
      beta-testing stage is considered vaporware

      I guess that must include ICQ, which I don't ever has had a release go past "beta" stage.

      Also, emacs, where the 0. just got dropped off the release number after a while, so 21.2 is really 0.21.2

    13. Re:MS .Net Server by MeanMF · · Score: 1

      I'm pretty sure you're allowed online with it. After all, it still has that annoying online activation thing...

      In any case, it's "release candidate 2" and it's rock solid, so I suspect that it'll be shipping before too long.

    14. Re:MS .Net Server by MeanMF · · Score: 1

      Well, what good is beta testing .net SERVER if you can't take it online?? Although the poster is probably breaking several nondisclosure clauses in his beta testing agreement

      I hope not! It's Release Candidate 2 and it's a more or less open test version. It ships with all MSDN and Technet subscriptions as far as I know. I'm testing a couple of my applications with the new version of the COM+ application server, so I think I'm safe from the software police for now. :)

    15. Re:MS .Net Server by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If IBM arn't enterprise vendors, then who the fuck is?

    16. Re:MS .Net Server by vbweenie · · Score: 2, Insightful

      That would be Mono that I'm currently using on my Linux desktop to learn C# with, right?

      Hard to think of that many other vaporware projects that can actually compile themselves. Although I suppose if there were nothing but vapor to compile, a vapor compiler would do just as well as a real one...

      --
      Experience is a hard school, but fools will learn no other.
    17. Re:MS .Net Server by John+Biggabooty · · Score: 1

      How about Microsoft Holodeck?

      --
      That's Bigboo TAY! TAY!
    18. Re:MS .Net Server by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's funny because it's true!

    19. Re:MS .Net Server by Khazunga · · Score: 2
      Interesting??? Moderators are on stronger crack than usual...

      You'll be meta-moderated accordingly

      --
      If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you
  3. Daikatana! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ok, maybe not....

    1. Re:Daikatana! by ripewithdecay · · Score: 1

      We could only wish it was....

  4. My vote goes for... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    HAL. I'd like to install him on a few people's boxes...

  5. While not 2002's.... UO 2... by TibbonZero · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I would have really liked to see UO ship, or at least release the source... instead of basically firing everyone and burning most of the work for no good reason..

    --
    Tibbon
    tibbon.com
  6. I've gotta beat the rush. by Thatmushroom · · Score: 5, Funny

    Duke Nukem: Forever. 'nuff said.

    --
    You zap the moderators with a wand of humor! The moderators resist!
    1. Re:I've gotta beat the rush. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Argh, you beat me to the punch.

      I'll add "Team Fortress 2" as a reply, and hope someone is generous enough to give an AC (forgot my password damnit) some karma. :p

    2. Re:I've gotta beat the rush. by grumpygrodyguy · · Score: 2

      As long as we're talkin' games, how about TFC2?

      --
      The government has a defect: it's potentially democratic. Corporations have no defect: they're pure tyrannies. -Chomsky
    3. Re:I've gotta beat the rush. by mselmeci · · Score: 1

      Don't lose hope... remember, Battlecruiser 3K was 10 years in development and it was still completed. (OK, fine, at the quality of Daikatana, but once patched it is a cool game... download it free from the-underdogs.org)

    4. Re:I've gotta beat the rush. by ubugly2 · · Score: 0

      How many years in a row can it be nominated?

    5. Re:I've gotta beat the rush. by gnarled · · Score: 1

      I remember seeing that available for preorder on Amazon a year ago. Then it mysteriously disappeared. I don't know why they even put it up.

      --
      I'm a firm believer in the philosophy of a ruling class. Especially since I rule. -Randal, Clerks
    6. Re:I've gotta beat the rush. by paganizer · · Score: 1

      Which is......... Task Force Chicken: 2?

      --
      Why, yes, I AM a Pagan Libertarian.
    7. Re:I've gotta beat the rush. by cookd · · Score: 1

      Umm, well, (thinking...)

      Maybe forever?

      --
      Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.
    8. Re:I've gotta beat the rush. by irc.goatse.cx+troll · · Score: 1

      its TF2, not TFC2.
      F2 is the sequel to Team Fortress, the original game that was a quake1 mod.
      The release date for it was 2nd quarter 1998 (one of the messages inn birthday mode)
      TFC was just a kludgy halflife mod that totaly ruined the game for many people. the physics were all wrong, and levels were way too brigh (compare 2fort to 2fort5... 2fort haa hT dark sniper spot, 2fort5 is covered in dark corners like a real fort would be, plenty of paces to hide.

      --
      Pain lasts, kid. Its how you know you're alive. Sometimes I think this growing up thing is just pain management-TheMaxx
    9. Re:I've gotta beat the rush. by muzzmac · · Score: 3, Funny

      In a classic piece of irony the initials most people refer to Duke Nukem Forever (DNF) also stand for Did Not Finish.

      How very.

    10. Re:I've gotta beat the rush. by rtechie · · Score: 1

      I'm just wondering why they haven't just cancelled it. It's now over 5 years in development. And it's not a slavish labor of love like Battlecruiser 3000 was. I doubt that BC3K has made ANY profit for it's creator, it seems impossible that DNF could make up it's undoubtably huge development costs, no matter how big it is.

    11. Re:I've gotta beat the rush. by alcmena · · Score: 2

      How about Master of Orion 3?

  7. Maybe... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    The QT based compile of GUII Lyx?

    1. Re:Maybe... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Bit Brothers hardware....

  8. This one will never get developed: by bobdotorg · · Score: 2, Redundant

    Biggest vaprware: enforcement of the DOJ's MS antitrust settlement.

    --
    __ Someday, but not this morning, I'll finally learn to use the preview button.
    1. Re:This one will never get developed: by Snork+Asaurus · · Score: 2, Funny

      You win.

      --
      Sigs are bad for your health.
    2. Re:This one will never get developed: by jpt.d · · Score: 2

      "Thank you EULA, may I have another."

      Let me guess... animal house :-)

      --
      What we see depends on mainly what we look for. -- John Lubbock Now search for that bug slave!
    3. Re:This one will never get developed: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Biggest clusterfart idiot: bobdotorg

    4. Re:This one will never get developed: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You win.. This is a sad story. The final defeat of the US justice system.

      US has now officialy proven their change from democracy. It is now a free state for the enteprises.

  9. It's not a gadget, but.. by Quazi · · Score: 1
    ..it's still vaporware.

    My vote goes for the movie Tron 2.0.

  10. Doom III by manly_15 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I remember when the GeForce 3 came out, and it was supposed to be THE card to run Doom III. Now it's looking like it won't be even close to powerfull enough. While we all know that Doom III will be out eventually, I would say that it's been delayed enough to be considered vapourware. At least we know from the leaked alpha that the game will ROCK :-)

    1. Re:Doom III by MrHanky · · Score: 2, Informative

      What? Doom III isn't delayed, is it? It's supposed to be out "when it's done". I'd vote, as always, for Daikatana. No, just kidding. That'd be Duke Nukem Forever.

    2. Re:Doom III by tbradshaw · · Score: 3, Informative
      At least we know from the leaked alpha that the game will ROCK :-)

      If you've played the alpha and it rocks, and you're sure that it will rock when it comes out... how exactly is it vaporware?

      I've had the pleasure of seeing the DOOM 3 theater presentation at QuakeCon 2002, and I can assure you that DOOM 3 is no where near vaporware. It's just so advanced that it's taking a slightly longer development cycle than your typical derived engined game.

      I would probably guess that it's more finished than unfinished at this point. (entirely speculation) And Todd Hollenshead did joke with the crowd at QCon that id wasn't in the habit of showing preview versions of the same game year after year at E3.

    3. Re:Doom III by BrookHarty · · Score: 2

      Well, looks like the GF5 (FX) will be out before DOOM3.

    4. Re:Doom III by TeknoDragon · · Score: 2, Insightful

      "If you've played the alpha and it rocks, and you're sure that it will rock when it comes out... how exactly is it vaporware?" ..... again RTFM

      "As in previous years, software locked in the pre-release, beta-testing stage is considered vaporware, even if it's widely available. It hasn't shipped until it's shrink-wrapped."

      if it counts for .NET server... it counts for Doom III

      and with the paragraph preceeding the one I quoted... sounds like Doom III should be in the top ten.

    5. Re:Doom III by the_2nd_coming · · Score: 1

      oh no, Duke Nukum forever will be out realy soon, they have just decided to chnage thier graphics enguine again...they want to use the doom 3 GFX engine....you know, just like they wanted to use the Quake 2, then Ureal, then Q3, now they want Doom 3.

      it is all very logical....and hey, almost 10 years is not that long to wait for a game is it :-)

      --



      I am the Alpha and the Omega-3
    6. Re:Doom III by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0


      Doom III wasn't planned for a 2002 release... saying "it's vapourware because it's not been released when it's not supposed to" is dumb... like you...

    7. Re:Doom III by tbradshaw · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Perhaps you should pay more attention then.

      DOOM isn't locked in a "pre-release, beta-testing state", it's currently under development and has not been pre-released for testing and is not in some kind of limbo state of Q/A. The leak was just that, a leak from a hardware vendor.

      By your expert interpretation of "the manual", every piece of software in development is therefore vaporware until it's shrinked wrapped. That wouldn't be a very useful definition if it makes the word all-inclusive.

      In fact, the DOOM III poster that's up here on my wall has a 2003 release date in big bold letters right at the bottom.

      Perhaps you should tell me to RTFM next, if it actually misses a release date.

    8. Re:Doom III by TeknoDragon · · Score: 2

      my comment was purely based on your interpretation of "vaporware" which sadly contradicted the article

      your argument for the actual release date has merrit, however Doom 3 is still highly anticipated and could be included in the lineup

    9. Re:Doom III by tbradshaw · · Score: 1

      Eh, I could see where you would get that. But I my comment was intented to demonstrate that he had played an "alpha", which meant there has yet to be any "beta", so it couldn't even fit into any definition of vaporware, including the article's. I probably should have utilized some highlighting technique on the word "alpha" to make it more clear.

      I think that it's clear here that vaporware is just a totally loaded word. I think that including Doom 3 the use of "vaporware" has more to do with hype and anticipation of the game and nothing to do with what "vaporware" is supposed to mean.

      Getting specific about a word that's clearly just journalistic slang is probably a worthless cause, but since it's tossed around as an insult I can't see how something like Doom 3 would qualify.

      (And that's not just the fanboy in me talking, honest)

    10. Re:Doom III by TeknoDragon · · Score: 2

      at least you're not as bad as the microsoft fanboys

      doom 3 will be great... I know some people who are going to have some awesome maps ready when it arrives.

    11. Re:Doom III by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      every piece of software in development is therefore vaporware until it's shrinked wrapped

      By George, I think he's got it!

    12. Re:Doom III by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      which meant there has yet to be any "beta", so it couldn't even fit into any definition of vaporware, including the article's.

      Products are generally considered vapor from the time they are announced (whether officially or not) until they are officially released. Whether or not it's in "beta testing" is completely irrelevant.

  11. TF2 by Apreche · · Score: 5, Interesting

    If there is a piece of vaporware to rule them all it is Team Fortress 2. Check out the website http://tf2.sierra.com. The last time the news on the site was updated was Jan 23, 2001!!! The game has been in the works since 1998!! According to all the official websites TF2 is still in developement/coming soon. Neither Sierra nor Valve has reported that the game is dead. Some version of the game was even demo'd once or twice, which means it was SOMETHING.

    TF2, king of vaporware.

    --
    The GeekNights podcast is going strong. Listen!
    1. Re:TF2 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I think duke nukem forever should claim that title. They can fight to find the winner. Match starting 'when its time'

    2. Re:TF2 by 2nd+Post! · · Score: 2

      Alongside Duke Nukem Forever, or Halo!

      Though Halo got release for XBox, it's still missing from the PC or Mac desktop.

    3. Re:TF2 by AKnightCowboy · · Score: 1

      I think TF2 has been in development even longer than that. I remember playing the TF mod on Quake and they had a TF2 page up that never really changed. I suppose the work went into TFC for Half-Life, but still, they wanted to call it TF2. It's a toss up between TF2 and Duke Nukem Forever.

    4. Re:TF2 by Brushfireb · · Score: 1

      This is indeed true. The company that was *supposedly* creating it was really just creating fancy movie trailers and preparing fancy resumes for their next jobs. Not that this matters, but it was never beta, or even alpha, i believe. So, the real vaporware was the concept, not the game itself. At least until after the new counter-strike is out, then (i think) valve may revisit this. Brsuh

    5. Re:TF2 by Osty · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I suppose the work went into TFC for Half-Life, but still, they wanted to call it TF2.

      Doubtful. TFC was initially created as a proof of concept for the Half-Life mod SDK. It was also a pretty close translation of the original TF for Quake (they screwed up a bunch of stuff, like letting the HWGuy walk while shooting, and totally f'ing over canalzon with the should've-been-aborted map cz2). TFC shared almost nothing in common with the ideas that were tossed around for TF2 (two-man gunner teams on fixed-position turrets, requiring a gunner and an ammo-feeder; medics with absolutely no offensive capabilities; a WW2-ish setting, etc).

    6. Re:TF2 by Warin · · Score: 2

      Actually, I believe I read somewhere that CS2 will be based on the TF2 engine. So I would say that TF2 definately has to come out first.

      Too bad Sierra doesnt seem to be in any hurry to let people know whats up.

    7. Re:TF2 by Gudlyf · · Score: 5, Interesting
      I actually did some sound effects work for this back when it was originally slated to be a Quake 2 mod by the TF team (before they all joined on with Valve). You can actually still download the MP3 of the sounds all put together, made to sound like one huge battle.

      Once they got bought out by Valve, I got paid for the work I did and that was the last I saw/heard about the game really. Looking back at it now though, I hope they really don't use my old sounds, as they're quite dated and admitedly amateur.

      At one point, while I was working on the last version of TF released for QuakeWorld (remember that?), Robin of TF had me take a look at a first run of TF2 for Quake2. I actually think I have that still laying around here on an old CD somewhere.

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    8. Re:TF2 by DeathPenguin · · Score: 4, Funny

      Haha, how's this for hype? They have "awards" for TF2 posted already!

    9. Re:TF2 by ZillyMonk · · Score: 1

      My theory is that it was surreptiously sold to EA and released under the title "Battlefield 1942." :)

    10. Re:TF2 by JeffSh · · Score: 1

      The game was demo'd at E3 in 1999, and won those awards...

      it still never got released though. dunno what's up with it.

      Valve must be comfortable living off the spoils of halflife

    11. Re:TF2 by dkhoo · · Score: 2, Interesting

      What are you talking about? TF2 was released ages ago with only a few hiccups in production. IIRC the only the problems they suffered were:

      1. They had to outsource development.

      2. They had to rename the game to Counter-Strike.

      I am only half joking. CS now has nearly all the important features that TF2 was meant to have, along with polish, popularity and panache that it could never have hoped for.

      In addition, the Half-Life engine has undergone tremendous enhancement over the years, to nearly the state that TF2 promised. Voice communication has already been added, and a player can assume a "commander role" if the mod allows (as in Natural Selection). The graphics were also bumped up with higher quality texture maps. There have also been many many other enhancements, great and small. In fact, I think the HL engine is the most heavily upgraded engine of all time.

      As far as I'm concerned, CS *IS* TF2 and Valve gave it out for free. Yay!

    12. Re:TF2 by mitsuhama · · Score: 2, Funny

      CS2? Sigh we don't need a second generation of CS tards.

    13. Re:TF2 by Doktor+Memory · · Score: 2

      At one point, while I was working on the last version of TF released for QuakeWorld (remember that?), Robin of TF had me take a look at a first run of TF2 for Quake2. I actually think I have that still laying around here on an old CD somewhere.

      Huh. That would actually be a really cool thing to see, if you still have it. If you're still in touch with Robin, could you ask him if he'd mind seeing that released? Q2 is so old, and TF2 so delayed, that I can't imagine it would be at risk of digging into their sales, and I'd be shocked if they're actually still using any of the game elements from the Q2 version...

      --

      News for Nerds. Stuff that Matters? Like hell.

    14. Re:TF2 by Brushfireb · · Score: 1

      No, CS2 is backward compatible with all other counter strike versions, so its just using the regular Half Life engine (heavily tweaked). There is no TF2 engine on this planet, it was a fraud. :) Besides, i DOUBT that, becuase CS2 comes out in am month or so.

    15. Re:TF2 by Gudlyf · · Score: 2

      I am still in touch with Robin here and there, but honestly that "demo" I have is barely anything worth looking at for anything but nostalgia's sake. From what I know of the real TF2, it's absolutely nothing like what you'll see. One thing I recall from the Q2 version was that the spy had a teeny, tiny robotic spider that he could throw on the ground and control to infiltrate the enemy base and detonate. You could also look through the spider's eyes while controlling it and use it as a camera. Keep in mind that this work was done, if I recall, a few months after Quake 2 was released. A lot has changed since then.

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    16. Re:TF2 by Doktor+Memory · · Score: 1

      Well yeah, I know that it wouldn't look anything like the real TF2; that's sorta the point -- I'm curious about it in a "what might have been" sort of way.

      --

      News for Nerds. Stuff that Matters? Like hell.

  12. Non-Computer Related Nominations... by dagg · · Score: 5, Insightful
    Three non-computer related nominations...
    • Al Gore re-running for president - everyone thought that was going to come out this year, but it was canceled.
    • Iraq War - how long have we been waiting for this to happen? Maybe it'll come out next year?
    • "Friends" final season - they just announced today there was another season. The cancelling is vaporware.
    --
    Sex - Find It
    1. Re:Non-Computer Related Nominations... by Walt+Dismal · · Score: 1

      In no special order: a good Star trek movie, a believeable Star Wars sequel, and a Cowboy Neal lap dance.

    2. Re:Non-Computer Related Nominations... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      Iraq War - how long have we been waiting for this to happen? Maybe it'll come out next year?

      Yeah, the exact opposite of the blitzkrieg - give your opponent years to prepare for the coming war. Real good strategy. I can tell GW Bush was one of the kids on the "short bus" in school.

      Oh yeah, and don't forget to sell your opponent weapons first then attack them later for still having the weapons you sold them.

    3. Re:Non-Computer Related Nominations... by packeteer · · Score: 2

      I got another vaporware...

      A Lord of the Rings movie that is true to the book... i dont think i will ever see one...

      although i do LIKE the movies you cant say they are true to the book like many want it to be...

      --
      unzip; strip; touch; finger; mount; fsck; more; yes; unmount; sleep
    4. Re:Non-Computer Related Nominations... by Chicane-UK · · Score: 4, Insightful

      No offence, but I am more than prepared to let an Iraq war never come to pass. Its vaporwar (ho ho) that I am prepared to let go!

      --
      "Hey! Unless this is a nude love-in, get the hell off my property!!"
    5. Re:Non-Computer Related Nominations... by 0x0d0a · · Score: 2

      Iraq War - how long have we been waiting for this to happen? Maybe it'll come out next year?

      Only in America. Clinton gets impeached for lying about having sex with a (willing) girl. Dubya doesn't get impeached for starting a war with a country to continue a family feud.

  13. I vote for Parrot by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    2 years in the making and what do they have?
    Time to revive Topaz.
    At this rate we'll never have Perl6.

    1. Re:I vote for Parrot by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Time to revive Topaz.

      So what's the default beautiful Amiga bitmap font got to do with Parrots and dotnets?

    2. Re:I vote for Parrot by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Topaz and Parrot are codenames for two failed/failing attempts at creating Perl6.

  14. The Segway by spike2131 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    While they allegedly exist, I have yet to actually see one on the street.

    And yet Amazon promises to deliver them any month now...

    --
    SpyDock: Scientific Python in a Docker container
    1. Re:The Segway by dancingmad · · Score: 1

      Where the hell are you? I see them all the time at Atlanta's aiport. The security there ride them around, especially at baggage claim.

      --
      "There is no time, sir, at which ties do not matter," Jeeves, (Jeeves and the Impending Doom)
    2. Re:The Segway by Kolgoth · · Score: 1

      I think its mainly Atlanta that has them right now... I went to almost every Downtown Rocks concert from 99x this year, and the cops were riding them all the time - they look totally sweet and very effective!

      --
      "The Samurai who does not fear death becomes invincible."
    3. Re:The Segway by spike2131 · · Score: 1

      Suburban Maryland. None to be seen in the DC Area.... but maybe its because of all the traffic.

      --
      SpyDock: Scientific Python in a Docker container
    4. Re:The Segway by hector13 · · Score: 2, Funny
      Where the hell are you? I see them all the time at Atlanta's aiport.
      Thankfuly in any city other than atlanta.
    5. Re:The Segway by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Maybe it is because everyone who drives anything smaller than an armored car gets shot in the head by some crazy ass nigger snipers!

    6. Re:The Segway by adpowers · · Score: 2

      One of my neighbors works at Amazon.com and got to try one out for a while (he was riding it around the neighborhood, unfortunately, it ran out of batteries right was we approached him). My mom also saw one in Seattle.

    7. Re:The Segway by TalkingToes · · Score: 1

      My Wife and I drove past a Water Meter reader for the City of Seattle 3 weeks ago. She took a picture as we drove past. Her "out the window" shot of a quickly moving Segway. If you are wondering it was in Ballard just north of Market St.

      --
      5'16" is easy math, so why do so many miss it?
    8. Re:The Segway by Schwarzchild · · Score: 2

      >While they allegedly exist, I have yet to >actually see one on the street. I saw one on the street. Must've been a beta model. Thing goes faaasst!

      --

      "sweet dreams are made of this..."

    9. Re:The Segway by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Supposedly, the City of Seattle bought an entire fleet recently for their esteemed meter-readers.

      At least in those little carts, they had some protection from public harassment.

      Now I'm just gonna clothes-line anyone who heads for my car.

    10. Re:The Segway by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Is fleet the right word for a grouping of Segways? They're not that fleet. How about a "charging of segways" or a "transition of segways"?

    11. Re:The Segway by Flounder · · Score: 2

      I live in Suburban Maryland. Considering how people drive in this area, I certainly wouldn't be riding around town on a 17mph target. I have enough problems riding around on my Triumph.

      --

      No boom today. Boom tomorrow. There's always a boom tomorrow. - Cmdr. Susan Ivanova

    12. Re:The Segway by dizzy8578 · · Score: 1

      I damn near ran over one in West Seattle last week. A meter reader crossing the street I think. Orange vest and hard hat crossing a 4 lane 50ft from the cross walk. I hate to think what kinda crunch that vaporware would make...

      diz

      --
      *"Cogito Ergo Liberalis"*
    13. Re:The Segway by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I actually saw Dean Kamen himself on one, in the Mall of New Hampshire, on Chrsitmas Eve 2001. Blew my little mind... :)

    14. Re:The Segway by ebh · · Score: 1

      Go to Walt Disney World. The parking attendants and some vendors use them. They demo it in one of the Epcot exhibits, but I couldn't talk the guy into letting me try it out. :(

      He did have some interesting stories about training the staff. Apparently the things are dead easy to ride, but it takes awhile to learn the tricks that minimize power usage. A skilled rider can go three to five times as long on a charge as an unskilled rider.

    15. Re:The Segway by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You don't see them, you feel them ;)

  15. 3 words by papasui · · Score: 1, Redundant

    Duke Nukem FOREVER, it's like they were psychics or somrthing.

  16. Re:A working Linux distro by Twirlip+of+the+Mists · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I second this nomination.

    I'm sure we're both going to be moderated as trolls or flamebaits or whatever for this, but it's true. Yet another year has gone by with no sign, not even an inkling, of a suitable Linux-based desktop operating system.

    OS X, on the other hand, just keeps getting better, proving that user-friendly yet powerful UNIX is not only possible, but damn profitable.

    --

    I write in my journal
  17. SlashCode That can...... by Chris_Stankowitz · · Score: 3, Funny

    Auto-Mod-Down 1) In Soviet Russia Vaporware....... 2) Beowulf Cluster of Vaporware 3) Idea, Vaporware, ???, Profit 4) AND THIS POST!

    1. Re:SlashCode That can...... by Znonymous+Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      Dont forget...

      All your base...

      --

      Karma: The shiznight, mostly because I am the Drizzle.

    2. Re:SlashCode That can...... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      SlashCode is a Liberal Myth!

  18. DUKE NUKEM FOREVER by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    WID When It's Done WID

    Don't make me laugh. Duke is dead.

    Hail to the cheap console spinoffs, baby!

  19. GNU/Hurd by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    22 years of empty promises... now *that* is a winner!

    1. Re:GNU/Hurd by slaker · · Score: 3, Funny

      Dude, what the hell do you expect when they're using Intercal as their base dev platform?

      Guess I'd better watch out. One of the two surviving Hurd developers might have mod points. :)

      --
      -- I wanna decide who lives and who dies - Crow T. Robot, MST3K
    2. Re:GNU/Hurd by idiotnot · · Score: 0

      No mod points today. But my foes list still works, so you get auto-mod'd from now on.

    3. Re:GNU/Hurd by slaker · · Score: 2

      Hey! I got a foe!

      Let me know how that works out for you.

      --
      -- I wanna decide who lives and who dies - Crow T. Robot, MST3K
    4. Re:GNU/Hurd by mentin · · Score: 2
      Yes, I run The Hurd

      So you have only 1Gb disk?

      --
      MSDOS: 20+ years without remote hole in the default install
    5. Re:GNU/Hurd by Captain+Nitpick · · Score: 1
      Vaporware since 20 years. Not even "Duke Nukem Forever in Development" can beat GNU/Hurd.

      I see your vapor-kernel, and raise you a Moller Skycar. He's been promising it since the 1960's.

      --
      But then again, I could be wrong.
    6. Re:GNU/Hurd by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Oh my god, you really did that. U R teh laem!
      http://slashdot.org/~slaker/freaks
      http://slashdot.org/~idiotnot/foes

      You are a true dirty-open-sores-cheap-software-gnu/hippie.

  20. Portable Vorbis Players by gehrehmee · · Score: 2

    I really want one :)

    --
    "You know, Hobbes, some days even my lucky rocketship underpants don't help" -- Calvin
    1. Re:Portable Vorbis Players by vlad_petric · · Score: 2

      Very simple ... Sharp Zaurus with tkcPlayer

      --

      The Raven

    2. Re:Portable Vorbis Players by Minna+Kirai · · Score: 2

      After the Vorbis guys released the free integer Ogg codec, you no longer need to buy tkcPlayer to get mobile ogginess. The Linux standby XMMS and also Opie Player can play them on a Zaurus (and probably some Ipaqs too).

      Even a higher-end Palm can run Vorbis software too.

    3. Re:Portable Vorbis Players by Alan · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Ok, how about one that's affordable to a normal human and not the cost of a decent PC MB and CPU :)

  21. Thief 3 by haydon4 · · Score: 1

    Yet another one of Ion Storm's projects that seems to be taking an ungodly amount of time to finish.

    1. Re:Thief 3 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Given that they said it would be late 2003 or early 2004 when it's released, it looks like they're right on track.

    2. Re:Thief 3 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Oh wow, T3 still in development. Last week I actually said to someone it looks like it is dead. Well, 2004. Oh well. Can't wait.

      SplinterCell is nice, but no FirstPerson which makes it total crap :(

    3. Re:Thief 3 by marsvin · · Score: 1

      Plus you know that when it's finished, it's going to be good... how could it not be?

  22. It's got to be ... by Snork+Asaurus · · Score: 2

    the idea that the music industry would get with the program and market a huge selection of unrestricted quality digital music files online at a reasonable price. Oops sorry, that's snake oil.

    --
    Sigs are bad for your health.
  23. Auto-mod??? You fuckwit!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Ignoring the blatant and preemptive censorship problem that this presents, the lameness filter doesn't even work, why the hell would auto-mod even be a feasible alternative.

    IN SOVIET RUSSIA, YUO=MORON
    1. Re:Auto-mod??? You fuckwit!! by Chris_Stankowitz · · Score: 2

      Oh yes... and auto mod for people that can't see humor when its right in front of their face.

  24. SNL joke by Flamesplash · · Score: 3, Funny

    News just came today of a new Law and Order series - Law and Order: Special Friends Unit.

    --
    "Not knowing when the dawn will come, I open every door." - Emily Dickinson
  25. Hands down by houseofmore · · Score: 2, Funny

    MS Bob XP

    1. Re:Hands down by thx2001r · · Score: 1

      But... I thought Windows XP was MS Bob 2000!

      --

      -Joe
      If we're all god's children, what's so special about Jesus? - Jimmy Carr

    2. Re:Hands down by houseofmore · · Score: 1

      Sshhh! They're not suppose to know that!

    3. Re:Hands down by thx2001r · · Score: 1

      True, that giant butterfly thing will attack me!

      --

      -Joe
      If we're all god's children, what's so special about Jesus? - Jimmy Carr

  26. The Economy by DAldredge · · Score: 5, Funny

    Recovery of the American Economy.

    1. Re:The Economy by j3ss · · Score: 1

      Exactly, for the longest time I kept hearing things like; "The job market and the economy should both start picking up within a few months." But from what I've seen it hasn't happened.

    2. Re:The Economy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      Prosperity is just around the corner.

      ~~~

    3. Re:The Economy by Lemmy+Caution · · Score: 2
      All the "gains in profits" over the past couple years have come from slashed budgets and layoffs. Which means - less corporate spending, and far less consumer spending. Which leads to more layoffs, and more slashed budgets.

      It was the quarter-to-quarter hunger for a paper-profit (to pump up share prices) that has turned into an engine of recession. Too few businesses are working on long-term productivity. I consider this a further demonstration that shareholder capitalism as we know it is broken.

    4. Re:The Economy by AndroidCat · · Score: 1

      Did he say corner or coroner? (Everything old is old again and again.)

      --
      One line blog. I hear that they're called Twitters now.
  27. Uh...To state the obvious... by jmaslak · · Score: 1, Redundant

    What about .NET Server

    1. Re:Uh...To state the obvious... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Actually, it can not be vaporware, for it was cancelled....

  28. No shit by Woodrow+Stool · · Score: 0, Redundant

    Got a job? No time for Blog!

    Shit, I shoulda been a rappin guy!

  29. WIPO Replacement by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    No one could ever replace WIPO, no one has come close... may teh goatse rest his cum-coated soul.

  30. simple by napoleonin · · Score: 3, Funny

    employment?

  31. Forgive me, but... by Raul654 · · Score: 2

    ...I have a thing against people using acronyms that are not common knowledge. After forgiving my ignorance, can you please tell me exactly what UO is?

    --


    To make laws that man cannot, and will not obey, serves to bring all law into contempt.
    --E.C. Stanton
    1. Re:Forgive me, but... by Tralfamadorian · · Score: 0, Flamebait

      I have a thing a against stupid people. Pardon me for having a "thing" against you, but items on vaporware lists fit into a category of things best described as "if you don't know, you won't care".

      See, one of the key elements of vaporware is that people have to know about its development/planning for a long time. And if I tell you of a product that I have been waiting for, and that hasn't been released, it won't mean the same thing to you because you just heard about it.

  32. My Nomination: AR by core+plexus · · Score: 2

    Augmented Reality. I'm stuck with my imagination until then. Oh, and I still have to type this message on a keyboard.

    1. Re:My Nomination: AR by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      AR....a thousand helpdesk workers screamed out and were suddenly silenced.

  33. UO2== Ultima Online 2 by TibbonZero · · Score: 2

    Sorry about that.. I hate it when others do that... and I really hate it when I do it :)

    UO2 == Ultima Online 2 == Never came out, and never will

    --
    Tibbon
    tibbon.com
  34. 100:1 Compression Baby!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Remember Zeosync made that huge fuss claiming 100:1 compression on random data?

    Many news agencies like Reuters ran with it and as usual Shanon proved them wrong (try www.zeosync.com hehe)

    If only they had read the newsgroup compression FAQ they would have saved time and all that investor money (they had over $10 million at one point I believe).

    Anyhow I thought that was the best vaporware... if only it could have been true ;(

    1. Re:100:1 Compression Baby!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Actually pretty easy. Just a link to a P2P would likely to have the MP3, AVI or warez that you wanted to compress. ;)

    2. Re:100:1 Compression Baby!!! by frozenray · · Score: 4, Funny

      > Remember Zeosync made that huge fuss claiming 100:1 compression on random data?

      I bet that they probably achieved an even better compression ratio than 100:1 on their venture capital.

      --
      "There are already a million monkeys on a million typewriters, and Usenet is NOTHING like Shakespeare." - Blair Houghton
    3. Re:100:1 Compression Baby!!! by andrewski · · Score: 1

      Investor money spent on lavish gifts and inflated salaries for the officers of the company isn't wasted, it's well spent!

      If you are the officers, anyway.

    4. Re:100:1 Compression Baby!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Anyone who believed that...

      Truly random data can't be compressed. Compression means recognizing repeating patterns and replacing them with smaller patterns, but random data isn't supposed to have any.

      For example, encrypting data 'randomizes' it, so never try to compress encrypted data - instead compress first, then encrypt.

      If you have an encryption that compresses well, that means it's an insecure encryption.

    5. Re:100:1 Compression Baby!!! by AndroidCat · · Score: 1
      That's nothing! I can compress any information down to one bit. Really!

      The decompression? We're working on it. And while I'm waiting on my funds from Nigeria, if you'd like to sign up for our vult^w venture capital investment plan, I assure you that your $10 million will be far more carefully bur^w spent than Zeosync.

      --
      One line blog. I hear that they're called Twitters now.
    6. Re:100:1 Compression Baby!!! by zonker · · Score: 0

      more of a hoax than vaporware i suppose...

      however here's another example of vaporware that turned out to be a hoax as well. remember the florida guy who 'invented' the magic modem? the one that would 'revolutionize the telecom industry overnight'? the one that made him incredibly rich, quite famous, then disappears with the pile of money, and is ultimately arrested for drug and assault rifle possesion charges?

      yeah, that was a pretty good story... too bad it was true.

  35. Myst 3. by Trusty+Penfold · · Score: 0


    It's been years since Riven ... where's the continuing story of Atrius, Caroline, the D'Ni, and all the other characters we know and love.

    Are Cyan software still working out how to get Myst 3 onto DVD or something?

    1. Re:Myst 3. by ThatFreakBob · · Score: 1

      Myst 3: Exile came it in 2001 for both PC and Mac.

    2. Re:Myst 3. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Duh, Myst 3: Exile has been out for ages.

    3. Re:Myst 3. by Rebel+Patriot · · Score: 2

      Times like this, I wish there was a "-1, Moron" option.

      --
      Slackware forever. Honestly, what else would you trust when it absolutely positively has to be stable, secure, and easy
    4. Re:Myst 3. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Times like this, I wish there was a "-1, YHBT" option

  36. Games... by Orne · · Score: 3
    I dunno, how about...

    Master of Orion 3, since 2001... no, Nov 2002, December 4th... Maybe January?

    Shadowbane, a MMORPG without all that pesky RPG stuff

    SimCity 4, delayed 'till January. "It's in 3D, trust us", except you can't swivel the camera

    1. Re:Games... by bacontaco · · Score: 1

      SimCity 4 went gold a few days ago! Should be out January 10, IIRC. w00t!

    2. Re:Games... by Testmeat · · Score: 1

      SimCity 4 [ea.com], delayed 'till January. "It's in 3D, trust us", except you can't swivel the camera

      I believe the delay of SimCity 4 was purely business related. I think EA wanted The Sims Online to be their big holiday game.

    3. Re:Games... by Orne · · Score: 2

      I agree with you, Maxis isn't usually one to deliver products late (some would argue that games like Simcity3k should have been tested more). The Simcity series has been in development for quite some time, and I think the Sims series caught them by surprise with its popularity.

      It would make sense to push the better selling series over the Christmas period, with the release of SimsOnline, since that has the potential to lock a lot of customers into a monthly billing revenue cycle.

  37. Soviet Russian Linux Distro? by TibbonZero · · Score: 4, Funny

    Never came out.. but Soviet Russia was mentioned a few too many times...

    --
    Tibbon
    tibbon.com
    1. Re:Soviet Russian Linux Distro? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      In Soviet Russia, Linux distros you.

    2. Re:Soviet Russian Linux Distro? by WetCat · · Score: 1

      altlinux.ru ?
      asplinux.ru ?

    3. Re:Soviet Russian Linux Distro? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Of course, in Soviet Russia, the Linux distribution makes _you_...

    4. Re:Soviet Russian Linux Distro? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Ain't a Soviet Russian distro unless it's distroname .su .

      Imagine a Beowulf cluster of Kremvaxen.

    5. Re:Soviet Russian Linux Distro? by WetCat · · Score: 1

      Okies...
      here is a working .su link...
      ftp://ftp.kiae.su/pub/linux

    6. Re:Soviet Russian Linux Distro? by smithmc · · Score: 1

      In Soviet Russia... LINUX boots YOU!

      --
      Downmodding is the refuge of the weak. Don't downmod, make a better argument!
  38. Re:A working Linux distro by Xzzy · · Score: 2

    > not even an inkling, of a suitable Linux-based
    > desktop operating system. OS X, on the other hand,
    > just keeps getting better,

    I would certainly hope so, since you know, OS X isn't free.

    Not that cost is a surefire gauge of quality, but considering most people who use linux haven't paid for anything more than media (ie, cd's) I'd say overall it's doing pretty darn well in what it's accomplished.

    If OS X had been introduced to the world the same way Linux had been.. would it have as much to brag about?

  39. Vapourware... by TrevorB · · Score: 5, Funny

    The new feature of slashcode to cut down on duplicate stories...

    Post this early, funny. Post this late, redundant... better click submit now...

    1. Re:Vapourware... by wheany · · Score: 1

      It has never been promised (I think), just requested a million times. I don't think there has ever been a comment on the subject one way or the other from the Slashdot janitors.

      Of course because it has been requested so often, according to the Slashdot flowchart (Can't find the link), the feature won't scale...

  40. amen, sir by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    amen, sir,... amen.

  41. Virtual Reality by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Where is the super k00l virtual reality like Lawnmower Man teases us with?

    Other than, of course, the virtual reality 'trips to outer space' and moon landing?

    I wish I could command my own army of fart creatures.

  42. NWN by gearheadsmp · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Neverwinter Nights for Linux is technically vaporware, as it has yet to be released, and isn't going to be released before January 10.

    1. Re:NWN by Osty · · Score: 1

      Technically, NWN for Linux is not vaporware, according to the definition:

      New software that has been announced or marketed but has not been produced.

      "Produced" and "released" are not the same thing. I'm sure there are beta testers inside and out of Bioware that will tell you that the Linux client does exist. It's simply not released yet. Vaporware is a product that has been announced and marketed, but hasn't even been produced/developed (ie, Duke Nukem Forever -- switching engines so many times, it's hard to believe they have anything at all that even remotely resembles a game).
    2. Re:NWN by EMR · · Score: 1

      True, but according to the wired article NWN does fall into their definition of vaporware.. as "it's not shrikwrapped".. but then NWN for linux won't be shrinkwrapped, it'll be "downloadable".
      It's a nice vague gray area:-D

  43. QuarkXPress for Mac OS X by phillymjs · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I actually submitted this one to Wired last week when they originally posted the request for submissions.

    Those fuckwits at Quark have been pissing on their customers for years, and now they're making my life harder because I have to deal with supporting the Classic environment instead of being able to make a clean break to OS X.

    I've heard that this way-overdue version of XPress has been the final straw for many of Quark's customers, and they're finally dropping XPress for Adobe InDesign. Quark's customer-hostility has done more to sell copies of InDesign than anything dreamed up by the folks in Marketing at Adobe.

    ~Philly

    1. Re:QuarkXPress for Mac OS X by GigsVT · · Score: 1

      It appears inevitable that we are going to go with Creo's packages at work, which will cut Quark out of the picture. Lack of OS X support is a sticking point with Quark.

      This also means we will be phasing out Quark's poorly spec'ed DCS 2.0 for PDF/X as our main press-ready format. Too bad Creo only supports Windows servers for their "workflow".

      Of course, our artists are still very resistant to switch to OS X, apparently they are not comfortable with the new font management system. I can't wait until the switch personally, so we can dump all the proprietary backup-to-tape solutions and go with some simple shell scripts in a cron job.

      (I do not speak for my employer, nor Creo)

      --
      I've had enough abrasive sigs. Kittens are cute and fuzzy.
    2. Re:QuarkXPress for Mac OS X by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I think the most audacious and insulting thing was not just being absurdly late on QuarkXPress for OS X, but when they actually released a version of QuarkXPress this January... a non-OS X version! What a waste of effort!

    3. Re:QuarkXPress for Mac OS X by gmhowell · · Score: 1

      Wow. I remember when PageMaker (by Aldus at the time?) was pissing everyone off, so they left for Quark.

      --
      Jesus was all right but his disciples were thick and ordinary. -John Lennon
    4. Re:QuarkXPress for Mac OS X by thx2001r · · Score: 1

      Didn't you know? The folks at Quark decided to alienate their market altogether and have QuarkXPress available for Windows... I'm sure some shitwit will point out the initials...

      Perhaps it will be QuarkX.2Press for Mac instead.

      --

      -Joe
      If we're all god's children, what's so special about Jesus? - Jimmy Carr

    5. Re:QuarkXPress for Mac OS X by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Good God Quark is still alive?

  44. Re:A working Linux distro by houseofmore · · Score: 1

    Ya... that would be why the profitable OS X is being left in the dust by linux. And lets not even talk about the server market.

  45. Re:.Net by Shelled · · Score: 2

    The first .NET post modded redundant? The MS marketing brigade at work again?

  46. Son of Star Wars Missile Program by happyhippy · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Itll disappear in a couple of years when the govt cant get any more PR out of it for TWAT

  47. Mario's Castle by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    Mario's Castle for the Game Cube would really kick ass, made by those prones at Nintendo. There were some supposed "screenshots" of this game released early this year by a dodgy New Zealand game mag called "3D Gamer". The shots looked legit, but who knows. I haven't heard anything about this game since the article.

    The idea is that we would finally get another fantastic Mario game that would rival Mario64, not just more lousy spin-offs. I still believe it would be hard to make a game as pleasing/atmospheric as they did in '96 with the 64. They have some nice girls working at their office too, with hot sexy little feet.

    1. Re:Mario's Castle by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Please, stop trolling about sexy feet and stop using the word "prones"! You give aus/nz jargon a bad name! I've seen you trolling this several times now, and you occasionally say good things too! Cut the trolling...

    2. Re:Mario's Castle by yerricde · · Score: 1

      I still believe it would be hard to make a game as pleasing/atmospheric as they did in '96 with the 64.

      Not even Sunshine?

      --
      Will I retire or break 10K?
  48. Re:A working Linux distro by manly_15 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    In my mind, Mandrake has come close, but who knows how long they will continue to be around.

    I don't think the actual software is the big problem. Most things are not too different from the various Windows OSes. The two main issues for the desktop are:

    1. Command line fear.
    Let's face it. As easy as something like "ifup eth0" is, the idea of typing commands scares users. Sometimes, it can almost be more difficult for newbies to navigate a GUI, especially when you get multiple windows open. It would be really cool if there was a shell that understood straight english and was able to execute commands based on them, ex "connect to the internet", "delete file called xxx", etc.

    2. Documentation
    A lot of the documentation for *nix is very good. However, most newbies wouldn't even think to look on the web, much less in on line help. Sort of like the Mandrake Installer, a desktop OS should have help integrated EVERYWHERE, with the option to turn it off once the user is comfortable with the system.

    Perhaps #2 is why OSX is so great?

  49. Hammer by Rebel+Patriot · · Score: 3, Interesting

    While vaporware is generally thought of as software, what about hardware? I'd say AMD's Hammer not coming out this year was the biggest vaporware of the year.

    --
    Slackware forever. Honestly, what else would you trust when it absolutely positively has to be stable, secure, and easy
    1. Re:Hammer by ZeekWatson · · Score: 1

      Just because something is delayed doesn't make it vaporware. Hammer is almost complete, enough so that actual hardware exists and works.

      Vaporware is something that doesn't _exist_ -- other than marketing colateral. That is a big difference.

    2. Re:Hammer by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      Just because something is delayed doesn't make it vaporware

      HUH?!?

  50. Re:Might I suggest...? by sparrow_hawk · · Score: 2, Informative

    *cough*RedHat8.0*cough*

    Ehrm, sorry about that. Got a nasty cold right now. (/me wipes germ-filled spittle off my face.)

    YMMV, but I think that RedHat 8.0 is really surprisingly usable, though it does take a little bit of tweaking. Unifying the desktops was a brilliant move, Bluecurve is servicable (certainly better than Luna!), and they're working at eliminating the complexity of install and configuration. Now if they would fix that @#$*!!! menu structure (!!Extras!!), reduce the number of separate configuration applets I need to wade through to do darn near *anything*, and reinclude MP3 support. (Licensing schmicensing.)

    For that matter, it would be nice if they'd include xine or mplayer (preferably with QT and WMA support), RealPlayer, and Flash for those who gotta get their Flash game fix. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know -- it ain't OSS. While we're wishing, maybe RedHat could fund open-source alternatives?

    Still, it's the largest step in the right direction I've seen a distro take. It isn't there yet, but it's closer. Don't knock it. :)

  51. Never Winter Nights for linux ... by phoxix · · Score: 2, Insightful
    Sorry mates

    But my vote goes for NWN on linux.

    They stated that they'd have linux support ASAP. But with the recent events I wonder if they even knew what they were talking about. My gut feeling is that they stated linux support just to generate PR.

    I don't mean to sound ungrateful, nor do I want to sound 'mean' in anyway. But this has become one of those I'll believe it when I see it sort things

    Sunny Dubey

    1. Re:Never Winter Nights for linux ... by TerryMathews · · Score: 1

      At least the NWN team is working at it. Most gaming companies don't give a damn about Linux and never even offer a port.

      --
      -- Terry
    2. Re:Never Winter Nights for linux ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Amen. I've played through the original campaign on a friend's computer, and I've messed around with the development tools on his computer as well.

      I won't buy the game until it has the Linux support I was promised. From out of the box to real soon now we have come, indeed.

      I mean, they're not even giving decent news of progress. Of course, there's people who insist "I'd rather have the Linux port out sooner than have news of progress!", but come on - it doesn't take that long to write a few paragraphs about the status of the port every week.

      Oh well, hopefully other companies will come along that I can give my money to. Linux gaming can be a reality - Quake 3 proved that. It'll just take developers willing to go the distance.

  52. Flying Cars? by TibbonZero · · Score: 5, Funny

    I'm still holding my breath on flying cars...

    --
    Tibbon
    tibbon.com
    1. Re:Flying Cars? by gtshafted · · Score: 1, Interesting

      What ever did happen to Mollar flying car? I remember seeing it on Beyond 2000 about 10 years ago when it was still on Fox, when they were "so close".

    2. Re:Flying Cars? by istartedi · · Score: 5, Funny

      Want a flying car? Move to Texas or Oklahoma. Wait for Spring.

      --
      For all intensive purposes, "whom" is no longer a word. That begs the question, "who cares"?
    3. Re:Flying Cars? by .com+b4+.storm · · Score: 1

      Oblig. Simpsons reference

      Bart: I could sure use that flying motorcycle now..
      Frink: You had your chance! Glayven!

      --
      "Wow, you're like some kind of superhero able to ward off happiness and success at every turn."
      -- Ryan Stiles
    4. Re:Flying Cars? by GrimSean · · Score: 1
      I'm still holding my breath on flying cars...

      You and Randal seem to be thinking about the same thing...

      --
      I don't need to be made to look evil. I can do that on my own. - Christopher Walken
  53. Vaporware ... by SuperDuG · · Score: 4, Funny
    ... a RMS approved completely free operating system with nothing but GNU tools/kernel/etc.

    ... an actual gaming system based on linux.

    ... a crash proof secure windows distro.

    ... peace on earth

    so many to choose from ... so so many. I know HURD will never reach full developement (no one will dump linux to do something new), 3D in linux sucks hence why there are no games for linux, crash proof windows that is secure (MS always promises and always fails horribly, and well peace on earth and good will towards men (not so long as we got a war mongers running america ...)

    --
    Ignore the "p2p is theft" trolls, they're just uninformed
    1. Re:Vaporware ... by (startx) · · Score: 4, Informative

      ... an actual gaming system based on linux

      Did you try the Gentoo 1.4rc1 live cd? It booted, loaded the nvidia driver, and started the ut2003 demo for me with zero trouble.

    2. Re:Vaporware ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And you're so sure you know everything there is to know about the situation with Saddam? You know for a fact that everything you've heard so far from the President et al (not to mention the news) is 100% accurate?

      I really advise reading up on history, as it has a habit of repeating itself. For example:

      "Naturally the common people don't want war... but after all it is the leaders of a country who determine policy, and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along... All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger."

      Hermann Goering said that in 1936 at the Nuremberg trials. Spot the similarities between what you, President Bush, and others who support him having been saying and it should be fairly clear.

      I'm not against war being an option in this particular situation, but I am firmly against the way certain people are allowing this spike in patriotism affect their common sense. There is far more to this conflict than what you see on CNN or hear from Mr. Bush.

    3. Re:Vaporware ... by btellier · · Score: 1, Offtopic

      Saddam admits that he gives $20,000 (or some such amount) to the families of Palestinean suicide bombers. He brutally tortures political rivals and dissenters. He violated the UN treaty. What more do you want? This is all UN information, and unless you're one of those Roswell people we have to trust the UN, if not our own government.

    4. Re:Vaporware ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Nah, I'm not that bad :P

      I'm just aware of the fact that we, the public, are constantly fed false or inaccurate information by our government for a number of (often valid) reasons. The fact that the information is false is only revealed many years later. For example, during WWII, a joint department between the US and Britain was formed to help sway the American public's opinion in favor of joining the effort against Hitler's regime. Nazi propaganda films were edited by this department to make the Nazis seem far worse than they really were (and they were pretty bad as it was) and then shown to the public. Times change, human nature doesn't. The ways of swaying public opinion haven't changed much over the past few centuries since they, well, work. And since they work, you can bet your aston martin that the political leaders of our day are using them too.

    5. Re:Vaporware ... by zerocool^ · · Score: 2

      Unless you have a raid controller on your motherboard.

      Oh, and it looks like a sweaty set of nuts under links.

      Oh, and it's not a linux gaming platform, cause, you know, it's a windows game, ported to linux.

      Jesus. Stop bitching about "no games for linux" and buy a gaming machine and put windows on it. Get over your need to run linux. Clue-by-four: If you're opposed to running windows cause it's not free (speech), if you're running linux to get around that, most games ported to linux aren't free either. You think they're going to GPL the NWN linux port?

      --
      sig?
  54. Best Vaporware by netwalkr · · Score: 1

    Duke Nukem Forever... It will be forever before it ships.

  55. Re:A working Linux distro by Knife_Edge · · Score: 2

    OS X as unix on the desktop may be nice, but has anyone here ever used OS X Server as a server? I think it is really crummy, especially if you are trying to provide services (like authentication, remote home directories, etc) to OS X clients. Most of the Apple proprietary server stuff hardly works at all. Difficult to configure and also poorly documented, in addition to being expensive.

    Check out the forums on the Apple website if you don't believe me. Loads of people saying things along the lines of, "I just bought a XServe for my school lab, and it is not working for an unexplained reason." The solution Apple often uses is to deny that the problem even exists.

    Totally offtopic.

  56. No contest... by gregwbrooks · · Score: 3, Redundant
    Best vaporware of the past year? Economic recovery.

    --


    "It was a summer's tale: Just a boy, his Linux, and a head full of dreams..."
    1. Re:No contest... by DAldredge · · Score: 1

      You mean a 6.50 USD per hour job doesn't have the same effect on the economy as a high paying tech job? But the unemployment rate is still so low...

  57. needs? by squarefish · · Score: 5, Funny

    What do others really wish could have happened by Xmas?

    this being /. and all, I was thinking sex would be the #1 answer and might say I'm surprised it's not here.

    --
    Creationists are a lot like zombies. Slow, but powerful and numerous. And they all want to eat our brains.
    1. Re:needs? by Timmeh · · Score: 5, Interesting
      I wonder how well the geek-virgin stereotype holds up to the myth, or if it just gets thrown around because we like to poke fun at ourselves. I'd like to see this slashdot poll:

      Are you a virgin?

      • Yes
      • No
      • I'm keeping my virginty for Cowboy Neal you insensitve cold!
    2. Re:needs? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Sex seems like a good choice... but then I start thinking about it being vaporware-- yikes!

    3. Re:needs? by kliment · · Score: 1

      About half the geeks I know are not virgins, myself included. I don't think that this stereotype holds too well anymore. Actually, I don't think any of the geek stereotypes hold too well anymore

    4. Re:needs? by sharkey · · Score: 2

      I'm keeping my virginty for Cowboy Neal you insensitve cold!

      Shouldn't that be: "I'm keeping my virginty until CowboyNeal loses his you insensitve clod!"

      When have you met a sensitive cold?

      --

      --
      "Outlook not so good." That magic 8-ball knows everything! I'll ask about Exchange Server next.
    5. Re:needs? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I dont know specifically if the geek-virgin relation has much truth to it, but studies do show that well-educated people tend to have a later sexual debut than others.

    6. Re:needs? by sameerd · · Score: 1
      I think one of the options in this poll should be.
      • I deny myself sex to preserve the purity of essence of my bodily fluids.
    7. Re:needs? by Spankophile · · Score: 2

      > Actually, I don't think any of the geek
      > stereotypes hold too well anymore

      That's more to do with the fact that "definition" of geek is so dilluted now. Anyone who knows how to get on the internet is considered a "geek." Anyone who can find a MapHack utility for Warcraft is elite, hell, if you can install your new Graphics card, you must be a geek or a nerd!!

      User-centric design has destroyed the empire of geekdom!!

    8. Re:needs? by gnovos · · Score: 2

      yes, but better and more sex in the longrun.

      --
      "Your superior intellect is no match for our puny weapons!"
    9. Re:needs? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Does sex with yourself count?

    10. Re:needs? by dipipanone · · Score: 1

      yes, but better and more sex in the longrun.

      Which particular study does this finding come from, and how did they measure the improvement in quality?

      This wouldn't have been wishful thinking on your part by any chance, would it?

    11. Re:needs? by dipipanone · · Score: 1

      About half the geeks I know are not virgins, myself included. I don't think that this stereotype holds too well anymore.

      Here's a clue: the fact that only half of the geeks you know aren't virgins shows that the stereotype still fits perfectly.

      Unless you happen to be no older than 13, that is.

    12. Re:needs? by squarefish · · Score: 1

      NO, I was considering that I should have mentioned that in the first place after my original post. I suppose sex with yourself, or a non-living object would be more like 'vaporware' and still does not prevent one from being a virgin. although virginity was not my original thought either, many have commented that all geeks are not necessarily virgins anymore. But c'mon, anyone can get laid once!

      before you mod me down, please note that I'm half drunk on a sunday afternoon and just got home from my girlfriend's place where we didn't have sex!!!

      --
      Creationists are a lot like zombies. Slow, but powerful and numerous. And they all want to eat our brains.
    13. Re:needs? by apweiler · · Score: 1

      And this for people who drink jolt (or various other kinds of) cola and eat junk food? Come on...

      (and if you're referring to spiritual purity - coca cola, McDo's etc. are all popular and all evil international empires, one might argue)

      But for those geeks who eat only organically grown health food, this might be an option. I think I saw *one* around here sometime...

      (BTW, I'm somewhere in the middle. I eat very little take-out fast food, as much quality stuff including organic as possible but not enough, and far too much sweets etc.)

    14. Re:needs? by kliment · · Score: 1

      true, true. Sadly true geeks are no longer aknowledged as anything other than "IT professionals" that in many (by far not all) cases know much less about the field than most geeks from a few years ago. Typical "i can burn my own illegal cd copies I'l so l33t" kids still exist and boast about their skill, blissfully unaware of the fact that everyone and their mother can now do that too, without considering it anything special. Maybe we geeks should just move on to new heights instead of being annoyed by the mainstream reaching our level. The stereotypes will die out, new ones will be created.

  58. My vote is for the Solotrek XFV by www.sorehands.com · · Score: 1

    My vote is for the Solotrek XFV. I would have loved one. Who would not have loved a working version for their daily commute.

    1. Re:My vote is for the Solotrek XFV by Eschatus · · Score: 1

      Hear that.

      Check out the upcoming movie "Agent Cody Banks" preview on the Qtime site. Think that's one in one of the flying scenes(!).

  59. The most vapourous of the vapourware... by Wheaty18 · · Score: 1

    The crown has to go to either Team Fortress 2 or Duke Nukem Forever. TF2 was being developed as far back as 1998! As for Duke Nukem Forever... hell, I remember when they were using the Quake 2 engine!

  60. Team Fortress 2 by glrotate · · Score: 2

    Oh never mind, HL Blue Shift was satisfying.

  61. Re:A working Linux distro by ftobin · · Score: 2

    OS X, on the other hand, just keeps getting better, proving that user-friendly yet powerful UNIX is not only possible, but damn profitable.

    However, you can't use it like unix; it and its applications are certainly not unix-like. So it really doensn't matter what's underneath. I use unix because it acts like unix, which is defined by five things in my book:

    1. the powerful shell
    2. everything is a file (Plan9 is even better)
    3. everything in simple text files
    4. the terminal
    5. the fork/exec model
  62. the matrix reloaded? by jefdiesel · · Score: 3, Insightful

    sure i know the vampire queen's pilot was smoked out after a big week in the sun, but this movie was due out a while ago..
    wasn't it?

    --

    I hate spyware and spies
    1. Re:the matrix reloaded? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      nope

    2. Re:the matrix reloaded? by pandemonia · · Score: 1

      No, the movie is due in May 2003. Matrix Revolutions is due in October.

      --
      -mz
  63. Biggest vapor ware, surely it is by GravySkin · · Score: 0

    Linux as a user friendly OS that conquers the desktop and brings MicroSoft to its knees. I've been hearing about that for the last two years.

    --
    "never met a Microsoft zealot"
  64. Digial film by Chazmati · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Silicon Film Technologies should be on there, hands down. They won in 2000 or so. You'd think after two more years they'd find a way to make this work.

    It's vapor, but it could be the road to digital for people with high-quality 35mm SLR cameras. Everyone wants to go digital for the convenience, the instant feedback on the shot, the uh, privacy of not going through a photo lab, etc. There must be over a million people with SLR's of higher optical quality than most of today's point-and-shoot digitals.

    In fact, I can't imagine why this hasn't flown. I don't think anyone else has beaten them to the punch, and it seems technically feasible. Maybe they can't get the sensor thin enough to close the camera back?

  65. Right here at home! Are you listening? by teamhasnoi · · Score: 2
    Slashdot's Radio section! No update since June 29th!

    Awhile back I posted (the /. search? Does that box DO anything?) a good use for it - review new music and bands (RIAA free!?) and links to free mp3 downloads.

    Perhaps we can teach a old dead dog new tricks...I sure would like to hear what other /.ers are listening to.

  66. Biggest vaporware by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Is the job at the end of your university degree!

  67. GNU/Hurd by KAMiKAZOW · · Score: 3, Redundant

    Vaporware since 20 years. Not even "Duke Nukem Forever in Development" can beat GNU/Hurd.

  68. Gotta be Duke Nukem Forever by hoser · · Score: 5, Funny

    Yeah, it's made the list before, but it deserves to be on there again. We've been waiting for this game since:

    - Clinton was president.
    - The Spice Girls were popular.
    - Princess Diana was alive.
    - Tony Soprano was a twinkle in David Chase's eye.
    - Yahoo was a good search engine.
    - The X-Files was on, and it was worth watching.

    It's been a long, long time since Duke Nukem Forever was announced. 3DRealms should get an award for most vapourous software ever.

    --


    hoser: Slashdot reader since 1987.
    1. Re:Gotta be Duke Nukem Forever by (startx) · · Score: 2

      hell yeah, when Duke nukem forever was announced (aka shortly after duke nukem 3d came out) 3D realms had yet to produce a game that ran in windows instead of DOS

    2. Re:Gotta be Duke Nukem Forever by Jubii · · Score: 1
      It's been a long, long time since Duke Nukem Forever was announced

      Ohhhh.... Duke Nukem Forever! I get it!!
      --

      I planned on inserting something witty here but never got around to it.
    3. Re:Gotta be Duke Nukem Forever by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If you are going to go that far, you might as well nominate Prey... wasn't DOOM II still a hot item when Prey was first announced?

  69. Re:A working Linux distro by Shelled · · Score: 2
    Slashdot posters have provided many examples of corporate acceptance of Gnome and KDE, ranging from governments to universities to Canadian national banks. Walmart is shipping systems pre-loaded. Sun adopted a Linux desktop as its standard. Is 'no sign, no inkling' a personal judgement?

    I'm sure we're both going to be moderated as trolls or flamebaits or whatever for this, but it's true.

    Not to worry, from what I've seen you've never posted a single positive comment on Linux and it hasn't hurt your Karma yet.

  70. Next TAOCP volume from Knuth? by dpt · · Score: 2

    Since he turned 64 this year (he termed it getting a "bit" older :) he'd better get it published soon!

    1. Re:Next TAOCP volume from Knuth? by bedessen · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Knuth is a guy who likes to plan ahead. On his web site he states that Volume 4 (of The Art Of Computer Programming) will be ready in 2007, and Vol. 5 will be published in 2009. He then goes on to describe how he plans to rewrite Vols. 1-3 after he finishes 5. Finally after that, "God willing" he says, he plans to write Vol. 6 (context-free languages) and Vol. 7 (Compiler Techniques.) We're talking probably 10-20 years into the future here, certainly what I'd call long-term planning.

  71. Re:Might I suggest...? by Chazmati · · Score: 3, Informative

    Ditto here! RH 8.0 is nice, and you hit the nail on the head:

    Extras? (slaps forehead) So THAT'S where gftp, abiword, tux racer etc. went. What were they thinking? Half of the menu items removed and duplicated under "Extras"?

    And although I can't knock them for the .mp3 support, I thought 'Psyche' was surprisingly weak on video tools. Why not include Kino, dvgrab, gscanbus, avifile, mjpegtools, mplayer, etc?

  72. Re:A working Linux distro by MeanMF · · Score: 1

    OS X, on the other hand, just keeps getting better, proving that user-friendly yet powerful UNIX is not only possible, but damn profitable

    Apple's net profit margin over the last couple of years has been hovering around 1%. That's $65,000,000 of profit on $5,740,000,000 of sales over the last year. It does, however, beat the $1.50 that Red Hat spends for every dollar they make.

  73. How about.... by KAMiKAZOW · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Osama Bin Laden?

  74. The Death of FreeBSD by tomRakewell · · Score: 1

    Some guy has been claiming that FreeBSD is dying for years. Apparantly, Kreskin is giving out bad advice!

  75. Girlfriend 1.0 by Alethes · · Score: 5, Funny

    Lots of guys are still waiting for this.

    1. Re:Girlfriend 1.0 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0


      I've given up on this one and instead I'm using Sim-Girlfriend...

    2. Re:Girlfriend 1.0 by Bios_Hakr · · Score: 5, Funny

      I'm still trying to come up with a good reason to replace Wife 1.0. All the newer models look so much cooler.

      --
      I'd rather you do it wrong, than for me to have to do it at all.
    3. Re:Girlfriend 1.0 by SimplexO · · Score: 1

      You think Girlfriend 1.0 is vaporware? Try Wife 2.0!!! That's been promised, but is said to be out AT LEAST 2 years after Girlfriend 1.0.

    4. Re:Girlfriend 1.0 by dubl-u · · Score: 1

      I'm still trying to come up with a good reason to replace Wife 1.0. All the newer models look so much cooler.

      Sorry, the newer models want more RAM than you can provide.

    5. Re:Girlfriend 1.0 by richie2000 · · Score: 2

      It's out, but it's a really expensive upgrade / TC-mod to GirlFriend.

      --
      Money for nothing, pix for free
    6. Re:Girlfriend 1.0 by tetro · · Score: 1

      Girlfriend 0.5 Master Beta has been selling like hot cakes to dorks, nerds, and geeks worldwide. Why is there such a need to upgrade. Girlfriend 1.0 costs mucho money and needs constant attention and tweaking.

      --
      .smell my feet.
    7. Re:Girlfriend 1.0 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You know that every copy of Wife is an upgrade copy of Girlfriend, right? You can't upgrade a pirated copy of Girlfriend to Wife. Pirated Girlfriends are usually installed alongside a copy of Wife that is still in use!

    8. Re:Girlfriend 1.0 by ZeLonewolf · · Score: 5, Funny

      I'm still trying to come up with a good reason to replace Wife 1.0. All the newer models look so much cooler.

      > Sorry, the newer models want more RAM than you can provide.

      You have it all wrong...

      The newer models want more cache than you can provide... :::sigh:::

      --
      "If at first you don't succeed, lower your standards."
    9. Re:Girlfriend 1.0 by afay · · Score: 2

      Just make sure you don't get the one from Microsoft. I hear it's bloated.

      --
      Best slashdot comment
    10. Re:Girlfriend 1.0 by Reziac · · Score: 2

      And just wait til Wife 1.1 gets forcibly upgraded to Divorce 2.0, and breaks all your financial applications!!

      --
      ~REZ~ #43301. Who'd fake being me anyway?
  76. Re:A working Linux distro by painkillr · · Score: 1

    The poster was not making arguments about which was more popular. The poster was making a comment on the quality of linux distro's vs. Mac OS X.

  77. you know... by InsaneCreator · · Score: 1

    ... that OQO thingie looks a lot like a lage-screen iPod.

    They also have similar specs; except the CPU... and Kodak is rumored to be shipping small OLED displays to Apple... Maybe that's why it's still vaporware. Coud a Crusoe execute PPC instructions with proper code morphing software?
    (Yes, it's just a stupid idea. No, I have nothing to back it up with. :)

    1. Re:you know... by oaklybonn · · Score: 1

      The iPod is ARM based. (Actually has several ARMs in it..)

    2. Re:you know... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm not sure how your question relates to the rest of your post, but no, the crusoe couldn't run ppc software with the proper code-morphing software (atleast not well). The reason is that the crusoe hardware was designed specifically to emulate the x86. The biggest problem that I can think of off the top of my head is that the crusoe likely doesn't have enough registers to map the ppc's 32 general purpose registers to.

    3. Re:you know... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Any LEGs? Thank you, thank you, I'll be here all night!

  78. Re:A working Linux distro by spoonist · · Score: 2

    Dude, I'm a diehard UNIX fan and it's quite easy to use OS X like a UNIX box. The biggest thing to do is to go here and swipe all their packages (esp bash (powerful shell)).

    I've done some development on OS X (porting apps from other UNIX platforms to X) and it's very, very easy and very, very UNIX like. Everything I saw was a file. Almost everything I saw were simple text files. There are most definitely fork and exec on OS X. There is a terminal app (although I miss xterm-type three button mouse cut and paste).

    The largest hurdle is the damned netinfo database. All the /etc files are there, but they're not used... that SUCKS... but oh well, in my book OS X is worth the adjustment I had to made to deal with netinfo.

  79. My vote is for Moxi... by burnsy · · Score: 1

    The company debuted its Media Center product at CES 2002, then promptly ran out of money and got sold two months later.

  80. Re:NWN Linux by TeknoDragon · · Score: 1, Interesting

    helll yeah

  81. The New Amiga! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Yes! The amiga HAS to be it. the last decade worth of "but wait till you see what's coming!" is only a small taste of what's to come. I say give it a vaporware award right now, and maybe, just maybe, it'll spur the world into going "ok maybe it's not happening after all", and we can get onto looking forward to something different for a change.

    1. Re:The New Amiga! by danamania · · Score: 2

      Yes! The amiga HAS to be it. the last decade worth of "but wait till you see what's coming!" is only a small taste of what's to come.

      But you can get the AmigaOne now!

      alright... you can order the AmigaOne now!

      ...ok ok so you can place an order for the motherboard of an Amiga One now!

      Still gotta wait another 6 months for the OS. Hrm. that does sound suspiciously like "wait till next year..." again.

      a grrl & her server

    2. Re:The New Amiga! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      um you would be well learned to get your facts right before you go spout off about any "problems" with the amiga and being released, it's a case of "you get what you wait for" and the waiting has been a long time coming but the amiga has been back already for 2 months.

      so you can buy an AMIGA ONE right now for 300ukp which is a PPC half the cost of a mac and you can run AmigaOS on it or linux that is your choice.

      Amiga is back FOR THE FUTURE!

    3. Re:The New Amiga! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      > so you can buy an AMIGA ONE right now for 300ukp
      > which is a PPC half the cost of a mac and you can run
      > AmigaOS on it or linux that is your choice.

      You're one of the brainwashed masses. Tell me, what do you expect to do with your 600Mhz G3 'amiga' that's a motherboard only costing UKP360 before tax (not 300), compared with a mac double the price (a g3 iMac 600) which comes not only with a motherboard, but cache, ram, hard drive, optical drive, monitor, case, power supply, keyboard and mouse, which can run OS9, Mac OS X and linux? Hell, a dual-867 G4 system is UKP1350 where a single CPU G4 Amiga One system is UKP1399. Macs are already freakishly expensive, but at least they have an operating system.

      Remember that AmigaOS 4 doesn't exist yet. Thats right, in typical amiga fashion, you're all getting hyped over a product which DOES NOT EXIST. It is as the OP said, always 'wait till next year'.

    4. Re:The New Amiga! by cheekymonkey_68 · · Score: 1

      Make that the last 2 decades of "but wait till you see what's coming!".

      I'm still waiting for my Amiga surfboard.

      now that really was vapourware

  82. would that be by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    the plain vanilla gasoline engine flying car, or the cheap safe nuclear powered flying cars?

    1. Re:would that be by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They power flying cars with vanilla gasoline? Damn, first Vanilla Coke and now this!

  83. MOO3 by IanA · · Score: 2

    Master of Orion 3 being pushed back to past Christmas was a pretty big disappointment.

    1. Re:MOO3 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I thought it was orginally due out in Dec 2001 :p then dec 2002 maybe will get it by Dec 2003

  84. Re:A working Linux distro by ftobin · · Score: 2

    That's good to hear. I didn't mean to imply that OS X lacked everything unixy, just that it didn't have enough for my tastes.

    BTW, by 'everything is a file' I mean the idea that the interface to most system things are files. E.g., /dev/sound, network connections, etc. Plan 9 goes even further, having things like the network connection being locatable on the filesystem (/net/tcp/483/in or the like).

  85. Re:A working Linux distro by Jedi+Alec · · Score: 1

    Being a total linux n00b, i still managed to get Mandrake 9.0 running quite easily. Aside from the disk partitioning, which will likely remain one of the scarier aspects(***Attention, you will lose all data on this disk***), i was able to pretty much do everything i wanted through the gui. In the end i had a desktop, a working cable internet connection, sound and video up and running, the whole shebang.

    It was the moment I wanted to add something to the actual OS that things went topsy turvy. Installing nvidia drivers? Keep dreaming, you'll spend half a week reading text files before you know how to do it. Check out some irc client? Better be prepared for some serious compiling, and if you're really, really lucky, you'll get one rpm, which needs to be ran from the command, because if you doubleclick it, nothing happens at all.

    Praise goes to Mozilla in this case, since their installation was as easy as the one under Windows.

    --

    People replying to my sig annoy me. That's why I change it all the time.
  86. Cross Platform Page Widening! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    All the slashdot trolls are sleeping on the job!

    1. Re:Cross Platform Page Widening! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I will always be possible, thanks to Slashdot's use of tables for formatting.

  87. Vaporware by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The capture of bin Laden

  88. how about CMDTACO....... by the_2nd_coming · · Score: 1

    Version 2.0

    huh...I would say that is some seriouse Vapor ware :-)

    --



    I am the Alpha and the Omega-3
  89. Re:A working Linux distro by aussersterne · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I am about to speak for all those of us who use a multimedia Linux desktop now for years, complete with audio, 3D acceleration, DVD, streaming video, full MS Office interoperability and KDE ease-of-use that even our Windows-ing friends comment on with envy...

    You're absolutely wrong about Linux. Maybe you're even simple.

    I'm very tired of the so-and-so's on Slashdot who keep posting that Linux is unusable without even giving any major distribution a real try. Linux on the desktop rules, I wouldn't use anything else. No, it's not exactly like Windows. In fact, it's better-- faster workflow, more intuitive desktop, better icons and themes, nicer applications, the ability to run Windows applications (under VMWare or Win4Lin) more stably than under Windows... But of course there's no arguing that it's different.

    Still, if you can't be bothered to figure out your way around the differences and appreciate the wealth of features and applications that are already there for Linux and that have been putting Windows to shame already for years, it isn't the fault of Linux or the Linux community, it's the fault of you and nobody else. Some have said they don't have the time to figure out the features of Linux. Fine, they don't get to use them. But that doesn't mean they aren't there or that they aren't as usable as those of Windows or Mac OS! Sit a Windows guy down in front of a Mac OS X machine and watch what happens: he's as confused as hell. But nobody is storming around claiming that OS X is bad for the desktop because such claims aren't fashionable.

    Justification: I am writing this right now from a multimedia tablet PC running Red Hat Linux and KDE3 with Light.v3 style and the iKons theme. Yes, the touchscreen works wonderfully! Yes, I have handwriting recognition via xscribble! Yes, I'm using all external USB peripherals, including a DVD player which is right now playing "Lola Rennt"! Yes, onboard audio and onboard 3D acceleration work properly! Yes, it makes my friends green with envy!

    --
    STOP . AMERICA . NOW
  90. My vote: non zealous Linux users. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Insightful

    That is all.

    1. Re:My vote: non zealous Linux users. by Seehund · · Score: 2

      AFAIK, nobody has announced a release date for such a thing.

      Seeing your joke about zealous Linux users being modded as "Flamebait" just makes the joke even better. ;)

      --
      Help savingAmigaOS and a free PowerPC market
  91. Foveon X3 almost qualified. by befletch · · Score: 1

    I almost bought a digital camera near the beginning of this year, and then Foveon announced "immediate availability" of their X3 sensor (Feb 11 press release). I was going to nominate them just now, but checking their site I see they announced on Nov 17 that the Sigma SD9 is actually available for purchase.

    Still I had to check that Froogle had some listings for this thing before I let off the trigger finger. Now I just wish they'd put out some consumer-level cameras with the thing, like they claimed should have been available soon.

    --
    If you say, "now I'll be modded down because of X", I'll happily oblige.
  92. Hmmm by jonman_d · · Score: 2

    Easy - FREEDOM!

    1. Re:Hmmm by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      MOD THIS UP.

    2. Re:Hmmm by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why, it's true. This post is something called "free speech", maybe you've heard of it? It's the thing the US is about to abolish now that they have canned most other freedoms.

  93. Re:A working Linux distro by MsGeek · · Score: 2

    *Cough* XChat comes with Mandrake 9 *Cough*

    --
    Knowledge is power. Knowledge shared is power multiplied.
  94. Re:A working Linux distro by Hrothgar+The+Great · · Score: 1

    The poster was not making arguments about which was more popular. The poster was making a comment on the quality of linux distro's vs. Mac OS X.

    Right. And the guy you responded to was asking, "If it's so much better, then why are fewer people using it?" See how he's making that connection, there?

  95. ...And this year's top vaporware is... by titzandkunt · · Score: 1

    The solo project I've been working on for the last eight months!

    Fer god's sake, nobody tell my employers!

    T&K

    --
    Political language ... is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable...
  96. Voodoo5 6000 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    3dfx has really gone down the tubes lately. Even thier website is down.

  97. Bitboys Glaze 3D by SparkyTWP · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Remember this thing? They were supposed to release this over 2 to 3 years ago.

  98. Cheap, large, flat-panel display technologies by Animats · · Score: 5, Insightful
    We keep hearing about technologies for making low-cost, large flat panel displays. But either they don't work, or they don't stay cheap if made large. There's been talk for years about "printing transistors", "organic light emitting diodes", "E-Ink", and similar concepts. So far, none of these technologies have progressed beyond the prototype or tiny screen level.

    Since the market for this technology would be huge (all TV sets, for starters) if it worked and was cheaper than CRTs, it's the premiere vaporware technology. Nothing else actually promoted as Real Soon Now has similar volume potential.

    1. Re:Cheap, large, flat-panel display technologies by really? · · Score: 1

      17" 1280x1024 @ 49000 Japanese yen - you do the math for currenncy of your choice - is not bad at all. (Decent quality Mitsubishi.)

      --

      "Consistency is contrary to nature, contrary to life. The only completely consistent people are the dead." A. Huxley
    2. Re:Cheap, large, flat-panel display technologies by js7a · · Score: 2
      So far, none of these technologies have progressed beyond the prototype or tiny screen level.

      Outpost.com has a 15.1" 1024x768 TFT for $230 after rebate; 17" for $550, 19" for $900, 20" for $2000.

      Okay, I see what you mean. Sheesh; from 19 to 20 inch diagonal is eleven hundred bucks?!?

    3. Re:Cheap, large, flat-panel display technologies by richie2000 · · Score: 2

      A friend of mine has one of these babies. 20" Dell flat screen @ 1600x1200 for under $850 USD.

      --
      Money for nothing, pix for free
    4. Re:Cheap, large, flat-panel display technologies by weave · · Score: 1
      You may hate me, but at work I have a 2000FP *and* a 1900FP attached in a dual monitor config to a geforce4 ti4200.

      I can tell you right now that the 1900FP is a far better LCD monitor. Only downside is 1280x1024 res. But contrast ratio is better, image looks better, and it doesn't have that huge case wrapped around the screen like the 2000FP. It's just sexier!

      Then again, to be fair, the 2000FP does have s-video and composite inputs.

    5. Re:Cheap, large, flat-panel display technologies by richie2000 · · Score: 2
      I hate you.

      Only downside is 1280x1024 res

      I'd really like the 1600x1200 since that's what I'm used to (19" ViewSonic GS790) today.

      --
      Money for nothing, pix for free
    6. Re:Cheap, large, flat-panel display technologies by martinbogo · · Score: 1


      OEL matrix pixel displays are now found in :

      Casio watches,
      Sony, Clarion, Kenwood, Pioneer full-color LCD stereo systems for cars.

      It's not vaporware. If it wasn't low cost you wouldn't find it in a $200-400 car stereo. What they haven't done yet is create a mass manufacturing roll-2-roll technique for OEL displays in time for this year.

      However, good 'ol Sharp and Toshiba -do- have upcoming OEL displays in the SVGA, UXGA ranges for laptops next year. Unfortunately just as expensive as TFT/Active Matrix at first, but that's the cost of first adoption. What will be worth it is the lower power consumption of the OEL screen.

      Hopefully they have figured out how to make a long-lived blue emitter. I'd hate to have a screen slowly go PINK.

      --
      "Don't worry about the problems you have in mathematics, I assure you mine are much greater." - Einstein c.1919
    7. Re:Cheap, large, flat-panel display technologies by 0x0d0a · · Score: 2

      It isn't really vaporware -- no one's promised it. Slashdot likes taking research articles, trumpeting them, and then including a little blurb from the editor about how much he'd like one.

  99. Vaporware-like by Devil's+BSD · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The all-time best vaporware, IMHO, is fusion power. In 1950, the experts were saying that we would have self-sustained, controlled fusion reactions on Earth within 50 years. 50 years later, the new deadline is 2050. Curious, isn't it?

    --
    I'm the Devil the Windows users warned you about.
    1. Re:Vaporware-like by weave · · Score: 2

      Another claim in the 50s wrt power was nuclear power. The big slogan back then was "too cheap to meter." As in, it would make electricity so cheap that it'd not be cost effective to meter it, you'd just pay a flat rate for all you could use.

    2. Re:Vaporware-like by Reziac · · Score: 2

      Bah, fusion power is much too newfangled. Perpetual motion machines have been in the offing for a couple thousand years!!

      --
      ~REZ~ #43301. Who'd fake being me anyway?
  100. My vote goes to... by redhairedneo · · Score: 0, Troll

    Lindows.





    Oh wait...

  101. War With Iraq by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    OK, so it's not technological enough for Wired, but there would be plenty of cool fight scenes with smart bombs and computerized tanks. 21st century warfare is very technological. I'm very sad to see a war with Iraq has no materialized yet. I feel like America is just continually acting like the kid that keeps pushing the other and threatening a fight waiting for someone else to come along and break it up so both sides can save face. It's not going to happen baby so let's gets some guys over there and start kicking ass. What are you waiting for, springtime? It's 100 degrees over there in the winter, it doesn't matter when you invade. Also, another thing I am thinking is vaporware is ever finding Osama Bin Laden. Please someone kill this evil fucker. I hope the CIA will finally hunt him down and kill him like the evil dog he is. I want him captured and dragged naked through the streets of New York City behind the President's limo so people can take turns hitting him with bottles and garbage. Then he should be lynched in a public execution in Times Square on New Years Eve.

  102. ICQ and AIM meld (aka unified messaging format) by Gudlyf · · Score: 5, Insightful

    How long has it been sice AOL bought out ICQ, yet we still have both ICQ #'s and AOL login names, and still a seperate messenger for each? How long will it be before these two finally become one, never mind having a single, unified messaging format that we can all use without having to either install one special client to handle all the different servers (i.e., Everybuddy, Trillian, etc.), or run seperate clients for each? ANd I'm not talking about something like Jabber.

    --
    Trolls lurk everywhere. Mod them down.
    1. Re:ICQ and AIM meld (aka unified messaging format) by EMR · · Score: 1

      well, actually this has happened..
      But ONLY if you use the latest "official" winblows version of AIM.. and only from AIM to ICQ..
      But who uses that anymore... GAIM Baby!!!
      Can't wait until the GAIM guys add that feature in..

    2. Re:ICQ and AIM meld (aka unified messaging format) by jpt.d · · Score: 4, Insightful

      ICQ Qualifies:

      It has been in beta since before 98.

      --
      What we see depends on mainly what we look for. -- John Lubbock Now search for that bug slave!
    3. Re:ICQ and AIM meld (aka unified messaging format) by Jerf · · Score: 2

      ANd I'm not talking about something like Jabber.

      Despite your protest, that is the answer. The IETF has formed the XMPP working group, where XMPP stands for "Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol", which should become the interoperability standard for instant messaging services; it's certainly the closest thing we've got. And XMPP is basically Jabber with a spit-polish.

      So, yes, you are talking about XMPP ne* Jabber.

      (*: should have an accent on it)

  103. Shadowbane by mark_space2001 · · Score: 2

    I have to second a vote for Shadowbane, "The MMOG without all that pesky RPG stuff" lol. This game has been waiting for release "next month" since like December of 2000. Pure vapor!

  104. biggest vaporware by Priyadi · · Score: 0, Troll

    slashdot that doesn't post too much dupes

  105. Re:A working Linux distro by painkillr · · Score: 1

    Careful with that argument. MS would blow all competitors away based on that criteria if determining quality was tied into popularity.

    Anyway, the reason why more people run linux is b/c x86 is cheaper than mac. But that has nothing to do with discussions about which distro is better for the desktop.

  106. Verizon DSL by RumpRoast · · Score: 1
    In my area.
    We are continually expanding our network, and would like to notify you when DSL becomes available in your area. Please fill out the form below, and we will contact you when DSL becomes available.
    4 Years I've been getting this message.
    --

    My Ass hurts.
  107. How about ... by vlad_petric · · Score: 2

    KDE 3.1 ?

    --

    The Raven

    1. Re:How about ... by twener · · Score: 1

      No, only failed 2 months. Why not Ximian Gnome 2?

  108. the apocolypse? by Senator_B · · Score: 0

    I swear, theres this guy standing right outside my house, right now. Every year he tells me this is it , and then nothing. Really though, this has to be the ultimate vaporware, people have been saying that this is "right around the corner" for about 5000 years.

    1. Re:the apocolypse? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Be patient, Bush still has another 2 years in office, and he's trying very hard to bring it about.

  109. Re:MS by slickwillie · · Score: 5, Funny

    How about the DOJ "punishment" in the MS antitrust case?

  110. Other games: Horizons and expecially Soveriegn by Gudlyf · · Score: 2

    I've been waiting around for Horizons for quite some time. At least the beta is seeing some light of day recently. But it sure doesn't beat the long awaited Sovereign that I believe was announced sometime after Everquest was launched...Everquest!

    --
    Trolls lurk everywhere. Mod them down.
  111. Two Words: Sprint ION by AtariDatacenter · · Score: 2

    The Integrated On-demand Network that is supposed to magically deliver high speed video, voice, data, and even to the home. Didn't really take off. (Not a full-fledged product, alpha, really.) Crashed hard. The only thing I'm uncertain on are the dates. Was this 2001 or 2002?

  112. GeForceFX by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    nVidia GeForceFX (aka NV30).

  113. My whish-list... by iie1195 · · Score: 1

    - LinDVD
    - PowerDVD for Linux
    - Duke Nukem Forever

  114. Last Year's Vaporware: Materialized by fo0bar · · Score: 5, Funny

    It should be noted that out of the 10 items listed by Wired for the 2001 Vaporware list, the following have materialized:

    * 3G wireless networks (Although not what we were promised. I have a 3G phone from sprint, but cannot do things like video on demand)
    * Photoshop for OS X
    * Warcraft III
    * Duke Nukem Forever

    Err, wait, never mind on the last one.

    1. Re:Last Year's Vaporware: Materialized by 0x0d0a · · Score: 2

      3G wireless networks (Although not what we were promised. I have a 3G phone from sprint, but cannot do things like video on demand)

      I demand not to have to carry a cell *and* not to watch video on ridiculously tiny screens...and *I* got it!

  115. Oldest vaporware ever: by di0s · · Score: 0, Redundant

    A secure version Windows!

    Sorry,had to say it. I feel better now.

    1. Re:Oldest vaporware ever: by di0s · · Score: 1

      Almost forgot...
      The second oldest "vaporware" would have to be the "killer app". I've heard that phrase uttered a least a few thousand times in the past 10 years and have yet to see a "killer app".

    2. Re:Oldest vaporware ever: by WetCat · · Score: 1

      Killer app?! Murderer app!
      it's ... (You know what!)

    3. Re:Oldest vaporware ever: by jejones · · Score: 2

      Well, if all the beta testers die, no wonder!

  116. Duh by RoC+MasterMind · · Score: 1

    How about American freedom?

    1. Re:Duh by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's not vaporware,
      it's just been deactivited
      due to unpaid rental fees.

  117. Re:A working Linux distro by Twirlip+of+the+Mists · · Score: 2

    I didn't mean to imply that OS X lacked everything unixy, just that it didn't have enough for my tastes.

    But it has everything that you mentioned on your list.

    1. Use whatever shell you like. Sh, csh, tcsh and bash are included, and anything else can be compiled from sources if you like.

    2. Find whatever you like under /dev. If you don't want to use /dev, use IOKit.

    3. Configurations are stored either in old-style text files (like /etc/hosts and /etc/hostconfig) or in plist files (which are XML).

    4. Yes, there's a terminal.

    5. Yes, the fork/exec model is used for launching processes.

    So what's your bitch about OS X again?

    --

    I write in my journal
  118. HostGUI by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    http://www.hostgui.com/

    If it actually comes out in the next ten days, it'll only be about a year behind schedule. But lets get real... it ain't comin'...

  119. Re:A working Linux distro by SomeGuyFromCA · · Score: 1

    And with Redhat 7.3...

    --
    if the answer isn't violence, neither is your silence / freedom of expression doesn't make it alright
  120. Re:A working Linux distro by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    someone should mod this dude up... he speaks the truth!

  121. oqo is real by cd_Csc · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I met with the oqo guys at the last Pocket PC Summit (in Hollywood at the end of October). They let me play with their device and it was pretty neat. After some small talk, they let on that the reason we haven't seen these in the consumer market yet is because that isn't their business plan. Their business plan is to get bought up by some large company (Microsoft and Intel were mentioned as potential canditates) and retire. Unfortunately, they forgot to check first on whether or not corresponded with the strategy of any potential buyer. So sadly it appears that while these devices are *real*, we won't be seeing them on store shelves.

    1. Re:oqo is real by Warin · · Score: 2

      Didnt read closely did you? A product can exist and still be Vapour. If you cant go down to your local electronics store and BUY one, then it's vapour. Doesnt matter if they have protoypes, even if they work like a hot damn and could be off the line next week. Unless they ARE off the line next week, it's still vapour.

      On a side note, these guys must be insane. If you have a good product, go for it. Then the big boys will buy you up because you have a viable and consumer attractive product. Sounds like more of the typical .com thinking to believe that just because it might be cool and sell, that someone is going to buy them for gobs of cash.

    2. Re:oqo is real by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      ahh yes

      1) announce product
      2) do nothing
      3) (do i even have to say it)?

    3. Re:oqo is real by cd_Csc · · Score: 2

      I never said it wasn't vaporware... just that they *are* real.

      While I agree that they really blew it on the business side of things, the problem is that it costs a good deal of money to manufacture these things - especially as a new company with low quantities. So they'd still need to find a serious invester to get these things on store shelves. My guess is that they quickly got turned down by a bunch of investors and switched to the "please buy our company" approach.

    4. Re:oqo is real by thx2001r · · Score: 1

      And, of course the problem is one of their potential buyers (M$) is up and pushing another iteration of it, that is the "Slate" form factor of Tablet PC is basically a larger version of the oqo,... Another small company bites the dust :(

      http://www.fic.com.tw/product/mobile/tabletpc/cl os e_view.html

      --

      -Joe
      If we're all god's children, what's so special about Jesus? - Jimmy Carr

  122. Re:A working Linux distro by Twirlip+of+the+Mists · · Score: 2

    All the /etc files are there, but they're not used... that SUCKS...

    That hasn't been true since 10.1, and it wasn't even true then. For example, host name lookups are handled by lookupd. In 10.1 and earlier, lookupd was configured to ignore /etc/hosts by default, but could very easily be changed. In 10.2 and later, lookupd uses /etc/hosts by default. That's just one example.

    --

    I write in my journal
  123. Red Square Linux? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Membership in Politburo has it's privileges, komrade. I must go now, for surely they are watching.

  124. Flying cars. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    They promised us flying cars! Where is my flying car?

    1. Re:Flying cars. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's called an helicopter, you dumb fuck!

  125. Duh. by NoMoreNicksLeft · · Score: 2

    It was renamed to the ClearChannel section. They must have forgotten to remove 'Radio" from the list, is all.

  126. A good Star Trek movie. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Maybe the Voyager movie coming out in 2004 will be good.

  127. Rap "music" that doesn't suck. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Remember, crap consists of 3/4 rap.

  128. "Imminent Terrorist Attack" by Jafafa+Hots · · Score: 2

    that's my vote.

    --
    This space available.
  129. While we're on non-software vapourware..... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Harry Potter 5: Order of the Phoenix. I'll admit it. I'm hooked on the series. After reading the other four, I'm anxiously awaiting this 5th book. Not to mention that i'm tired of hearing "when will it ship?" in all the book forums.

  130. Re:A working Linux distro by Twirlip+of+the+Mists · · Score: 2

    Yes, I have all of those features on my computer, too, and I didn't have to spend dozens or hundreds of hours making it all work.

    You are the typical Linux elitist. You have managed to cobble together a computer that is almost as good as a Windows PC. Congratulations, here's your cookie.

    Let me give you just one example of how your computer is not the hot shit that you think it is: you said, "Yes, I have handwriting recognition via xscribble!" Great. My computer also has handwriting recognition, via Ink. Let's see how they compare.

    To get xscribble working on your computer, you first had to be aware that it exists. Don't laugh; we're talking about Linux for average folks here. Then you had to find it-- Google makes this easy in this case, but that's still an extra step, and one that would be far from obvious to a novice user. I spent three or four minutes popping around the xscribble home page looking for a link that said "click here to install," with no luck, so obviously finding the software takes more than three or four minutes. If you're lucky enough to find a compatible binary package, there's still the problem of installing it: depending on which sub-flavor of Linux you have, this could be anything from running command-line RPM to a half-finished graphical tool to god knows what. Maybe it includes a kernel module that requires you to manually update modules.conf or some such. And that's if you're lucky enough to find a binary for it. Building from sources is another circle of hell altogether.

    You know how I got Ink working on my computer? I plugged in my tablet. That's it. That's the beginning and ending of it, the alpha and the omega.

    Before you go bragging about how your little hobby "rules," you might want to spend a moment reflecting on the facts of the situation.

    --

    I write in my journal
  131. Ted Nelson's Xanadu. by Blaede · · Score: 2, Informative

    37 years and running.

  132. do shutup by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    and give the man some stiches so he can sew his asshole back into shape.

    He could get an infection!

  133. preorder by asv108 · · Score: 2

    When half-life came out, I preordered TF2 for its "scheduled" release date of November 22 1998. I received an e-mail from EB.com 2 months later notifying me that TF2 was removed.

  134. Re:Might I suggest...? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    And although I can't knock them for the .mp3 support, I thought 'Psyche' was surprisingly weak on video tools. Why not include Kino, dvgrab, gscanbus, avifile, mjpegtools, mplayer, etc?

    "MPEG" licensing includes the video, in addition to the audio.

    Also, despite what everyone may want, Redhat are pushing the *corporate* desktop, not the *personal* desktop. They want to install on the corporate network, you get your Office Apps, you get connection to the intranet, you get your database. You do NOT sit and listen to mp3's, watch porno avi's, and download w4r3z. That's what Mandrake is for.

  135. The war on terror by ozric99 · · Score: 1

    Come on, people. Remind me when exactly was this thing going to start?

    1. Re:The war on terror by micahmicahmicah · · Score: 1

      War on Terror?

      If you read 1984...

      What a great idea for a country with a failing economy. Mention the word "war" and drum up a false anticipated economic boom.

      I'm an american, I pay my taxes. I don't vote, because I have never seen a candidate I agree with.

      But - even though I hate this sometimes - the US is a major superpower, and I have yet to see a country stand up to the US ( successfully ) in a very long time.

      I'll end this rant just as it began - a half thought from an American. While some Americans may hate the way I neglect some of my rights and hold fast to others. I do believe that is part of my "freedom" as an american citizen which so many faithful soldiers have given their lives for.

  136. Not according to 3D Realms... by antdude · · Score: 2

    Link: "It's funny that our news piece a few days ago said "We're still here" when some game magazines think we're be dead. That's what it appears we are to Computer Gaming World. They have a monthly section in their magazine called "Pipeline" where they talk about their "educated guesses" on game release dates. As everyone knows (or should know) by now, the release date for Duke Nukem Forever is "When it's done".

    Last month we were labeled "Never", and now we're labeled "RIP" by the article's author Rich Laporte. Be curious to see what Rich has to say when DNF is released (When it's done, of course). [Wink]"

    --
    Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
    1. Re:Not according to 3D Realms... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This little gem from the forums made me laugh:

      Yes, we'll drag him out of his retirement home, point our wrinkly fingers at him and *cough* laugh and *cough* *choke* laugh until our pacemakers burst.

  137. Clearly... by buckhead_buddy · · Score: 1

    My co-worker sitting across from me is a vector for some horrible communicable nastiness.

    As I've started to succumb to this unease, I've found a Vicks Menthol Inhaler to be the best vaporware around.

  138. *ahhem* Black Cat Linux *ahhem* by AnonymousCowheard · · Score: 1

    Black Cat Linux is a variation of RedHat Linux tailored to Russia users. Made in China? I recommend using Black Cat Linux to non-Russians if you want to fine-tune your Russian Language speaking abilities.

    Black Cat Linux merged with ASP-Linux in March of 2001. Many of you are probably wondering how I know so much...I yahoo'd it (*cries*) and I wanna be a karma whore too (*sobs*).

    --

    But I'm sure you already Gnu that.
  139. The .Net "Revolution" by Drakker · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Yes, .Net is coming! Is it a revolution? Not at all, we're going back to the good old mainframes.

    Beside, 99% of their architecture isnt even ready.

    1. Re:The .Net "Revolution" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Back to the mainframes? What are you talking about?

    2. Re:The .Net "Revolution" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why the hell is this moderated Interesting?

    3. Re:The .Net "Revolution" by Iamthefallen · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Interesting? hardly, it is however getting a wee bit annoying that people are seen as insightful just cause they whine about .Net.
      If you don't like .Net on techincal merit, fine. If you don't like it cause MS made it, fine. But quit whining about it just because you don't understand it and you're too lazy to pick up some books.

      .Net has been compared to most modern languages/runtimes/architectures/strategies in a ".Net is just xxx with yyy!" way, sorry, it is nothing like those.
      Yes it is similar to J2EE, not Java, J2EE, but not many other things, so please stop the comparisons if you don't know what you're talking about.

      99% of their architecture isn't ready, pray tell what that refers to?

      --
      Wax-Museum Fire Results In Hundreds Of New Danny DeVito Statues
    4. Re:The .Net "Revolution" by Drakker · · Score: 1

      Face it, most of .Net benefits are not here yet. Microsoft keeps pushing back the release date of their .Net server software. Delays, delays, delays.

      This so called "revolution" is not here yet, and will probably turn out to be just vapor.

      I'll write it plain and simple: I'm not claiming that .Net is vapor, I'm claiming that the "revolution" is vapor.

      In the next few years, we will probably have a bunch of .Net enabled software, but no way to get real benefits out of them.

  140. Browser Wars by Fritzed · · Score: 1

    Where is this Netscape based AOL I keep hearing about? I mean, you'd think they could pull it off, they have a great browser thanks to all of their free labor (Mozilla). Oh, and before a bunch of people reply and say something about how AOL is stupid or some such thing. I know that already. But something needs to cut into IE. Fritz

    --
    Spooooon!!!!!
    1. Re:Browser Wars by thx2001r · · Score: 1

      I thought that was supposed to happen with AOL 9.0...

      That is, assuming AOL can afford to put out 9.0 It seems as though the company is moving toward the toilet. I've heard that their subscriber numbers are highly padded because of all the free trial memberships.

      --

      -Joe
      If we're all god's children, what's so special about Jesus? - Jimmy Carr

  141. FreeBSD 5.0 by jasonditz · · Score: 2

    I know we've got a Release Candidate, but I was really eager to do the upgrade thing.

  142. Re:A working Linux distro by aussersterne · · Score: 2

    Yes, and if Linux had shipped with my tablet PC instead of Windows, such things as xscribble would have been installed by default, without needing my intervention, just as you've described.

    So what you've just argued is that Linux isn't usable because it doesn't have Microsoft's monopoly. Now there's a political statement...

    --
    STOP . AMERICA . NOW
  143. Re:That's right... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    So THAT'S what the Goatse.cx web site is all about! I think they need a new logo though -- RMS's anus might be offensive to some.

  144. KRESKIN IS BLEEDING A RIVER OF RED INK by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Uh oh! Time to revoke his Psychicology Degree!

  145. Re:A working Linux distro by Twirlip+of+the+Mists · · Score: 2

    So what you've just argued is that Linux isn't usable because it doesn't have Microsoft's monopoly.

    HUH? I'm arguing that Linux isn't usable because it's a pain in the ass to set up and use. Shifting that burden from the end user to the OEM wouldn't make Linux any better. It'd still be a pain in the ass.

    In order for Linux to be on par with either Mac OS or Windows, a huge amount of work is going to have to go into things like software installation, a unified framework for managing and controlling daemons and other non-interactive software services, how to manage shared libraries and other components, drivers and modules, and so on. These are the things that make Linux a pain in the ass.

    Putting a pretty UI and some poorly designed "wizards" on top of Linux as it stands today is like spray-painting a turd.

    --

    I write in my journal
  146. You can have both by Chazmati · · Score: 2

    Uh, no. Here they say "The preferred choice of independent professionals, enthusiasts, and students worldwide." (emphasis mine) Note they still have a 'personal' version. It's bad business to ignore a demographic, and how hard would it be to include some packages and add options under the "Multimedia" section of the installer? Isn't this sort of thing the reason why they developed RPM? So you can add/remove what you want from an installation? But I gripe too much, they did an awesome job.

    The Red Hat Speaks on 8.0 and Multimedia page specifically mentions only mp3 audio. Even if MPEG-1 video is banned, they could still include kino and libdv.

    That last link is a good one, though, they mention where to get Acrobat Reader, RealPlayer, Macromedia Flash, xine...

    1. Re:You can have both by sparrow_hawk · · Score: 2, Informative

      Huh. Didn't know that. Wish they would include a prominent link to that Multimedia page on their initial "do you want to register?" web page.

      Their "revamped" RPM manager makes me grouchy too, since it can only see those packages that the installation program installed, and not anything I add later. Grr... At least there's always the command-line.

  147. Slashdot by absurdhero · · Score: 1

    KarmaWhore 2.0 is vaporware

  148. I nominate Duke Nukem Forever by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    DNF has been in development since early 1996, right after Duke Nukem 3D came out. They have gone through like 4 engine changes... lol There were some 1999 screenshots and a 2000 E3 video promoting it, but it's not even in beta yet. It probably won't be out for at least another year, maybe more, if it ever comes out. By the time they come close to finishing it, the engine will be so obsolete that they'll decide to go back and overhaul it again (for the 5th time) and you'll have to wait another 2 years. LOL. It will be a decade in the making, if it ever gets released, if 3drealms doesn't go bankrupt first (which isn't likely since them made so much money on Max Payne).

  149. PC Halo! by s0rbix · · Score: 2, Informative

    Halo for PC.. ive been waiting since it first came out for xbox. I want! I want!

    1. Re:PC Halo! by foo12 · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Halo on PC is not vaporware in comparisson to Halo on the Mac: Mac users have been hearing "Real soon now" from Bungie since 2000, before the Microsoft buyout.

  150. Just because Sprint calls it 3G... by wilson_c · · Score: 4, Insightful

    ...doesn't mean it is.

    The reason your Sprint "3G" phone can't handle 3G features like video is that it isn't 3G. Sprint is using interim technology that the rest of the world refers to a "2.5G" - it offers some of the features of 3G while still building on a second generation base. Since 3G has been hyped so much, Sprint just decided to piggyback their inferior technology by calling it 3G.

    1. Re:Just because Sprint calls it 3G... by fo0bar · · Score: 1

      Ahh, makes sense... are all of the other "3G-ish, camera-attached" providers today (verizon, t-mobile, etc) in the same boat?

    2. Re:Just because Sprint calls it 3G... by PhyrePhox · · Score: 0

      Actually, Sprint's "Vision" services are 3G. Other domestic carriers are using "2.5" GSM-based systems. I get high speed access through it as a modem on my iBook. We aren't (yet) getting the full bandwidth (some deployment hangups), but we probably aren't watching movies because there are no movie players for the #*@!ing phones...

  151. Feet... by AnonymousCowheard · · Score: 1
    Please, stop trolling about sexy feet and stop using the word "prones"! You give aus/nz jargon a bad name! I've seen you trolling this several times now, and you occasionally say good things too! Cut the trolling...

    Give him a shrubbery and maybe he'll stop it...It IT IT IT IT!

    --

    But I'm sure you already Gnu that.
  152. LiNTFS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Or NTFS for Linux that all of us are so eager to get the hands on. Promised by November, never delivered.

  153. Dell handheld by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Boy, was that a lot of fuss with zero results.

    1. Re:Dell handheld by smart.id · · Score: 1

      Zero results eh? You're not exactly Mr. Current Affairs, are you?

      Dell Axim

      --
      blog & fiction: jd87
  154. Bochs 2.0 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    'nuff said.

  155. Re:A working Linux distro by Gareman · · Score: 1

    Let's not forget the obvious problems with Linux on the desktop, the reason my Thinkpad isn't reformatted with Linux and remains with XP: 1. HARDWARE SUPPORT. It's thought the first quarter of 03 there will be support for my D-LINK wireless network card (vaporware, prehaps?). 2. APPLICATION SUPPORT. It's a Windows world, and all the emulators on the planet, Outlook clones, and copycat OSS projects aren't going to get me the full functionality in software that I get with Windows. Honestly though, when that NIC driver comes out, Red Hat will rule my desktop.

  156. Re:A working Linux distro by aussersterne · · Score: 2

    Sorry, but you're just wrong. It's not a pain in the ass. Maybe it's a pain in the ass for you, but certainly you're not suggesting that you should be held up as the sole benchmark for normalcy in the world? Or are you?! I spent less than an hour getting everything up and running on my Tablet PC when I got it. Of course, this is because I use Linux all the time, so I know all of the little tweaks that I want to make and software that I want to grab and where they can be found. But that's my point!

    To suggest that this is somehow *different* from Windows is disingenuous. Last time I installed Windows 2000 on a friend's desktop, we came up on first boot to a 16 color desktop and no ethernet. D'oh! How is this so much more user-friendly or brilliant than Linux? We had to know how to get to the control panel and instruct Windows to install a driver for the ethernet card from a driver CD. We then had to go to Web site for his 3D accelerator manufacturer and download the drivers. Of course, they were zipped, so we had to go to www.shareware.com and find an unzipper. Then, it conflicted with the incorrect driver Windows had chosen to install for the graphics hardware, so we had to uninstall that first. Blah, blah, blah.

    God knows I can do these things faster by far on Linux. There are a whole bunch of people out there complaining about how hard Linux is to use and configure... but their basis for comparison is a different system -- Windows -- with which they are obviously much more familiar, and which more than likely came pre-installed on their PC with drivers loaded, etc., as you yourself already admitted. Hardly a fair basis for comparison, is it?

    So I'll suggest again that you're implicitly arguing that either a) Linux will never be usable until it comes pre-installed, or b) Linux will never be usable until it is an exact Windows clone. That's certainly a point of view that some people have around here... but I certainly hope it doesn't happen because I personally find Linux easier to use as it is now, period.

    And no, I'm not some kind of ueber-geek with a pimple problem who spends hours a day tweaking configuration files. You seem to suggest that I've made a "hobby" out of Linux and spend lots of hours banging my head against system libraries or installing software. I can't tell you the last time I had to do any of that stuff. I write books. I use a word processor. I take photos. That's what I do. I have to earn a living, I don't have time to fsck with my computer all day!

    And anyway, I have apt-rpm installed -- that's usually my first thing -- just like Windows users head straight for WinZip to install their software. There's no difference! And once apt-rpm is installed, if I want some software, all I have to do is type:

    apt-get install xmms ...and away we go. You see? No trouble. No hassle. Works great. And it's much faster than having to click, click, click through a thousand Wizards and registration screens like one does in Windows! Maybe it doesn't seem intuitive to you, a Windows user, but then the Windows add/remove software system with its broken registry keys seems very odd and complicated to me, a Linux user. See?

    --
    STOP . AMERICA . NOW
  157. Thrustmaster Cougar by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Lots of links on thrustmaster's site about how to program it, and lots of "sneak previews" but no product. It was supposed to ship last December, then pushed to March, now, I am still stuck playing with my same old reliable joystick (yeah, you can insert joke about that here).

  158. Icecast 2 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Or at least any documentation for it!

    I've been wanting to stream OGG for some time now and have never been able to figure Icecast 2 out.

    At least no can can tell me to RTFM 'cos there isn't one! Ha!

  159. AIM+ 3.0 by Chitinid · · Score: 1

    AIM+ makes AIM tolerable...I wish they would release 3.0 though. I wonder who the idiots who harassed the authors were. Better not be AOL!!

  160. Sony by mr.+sleepy · · Score: 1

    PS2 Online. Though operational, it sucks _hard_. But one can hope! :D

  161. The project I'm doing for work... by Sean+Clifford · · Score: 2

    The project I'm doing for work...

  162. Linux PDA by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    What ever happened to agenda VR3? I used to have one back in the day...good thingi put it on ebay :D

  163. YOU ARE SO FIRED! by YOU+ARE+SO+FIRED! · · Score: 0, Troll

    I agree with this post, but I'm still going to need you to pack up your belongings. Fritz will escort you out.

  164. Re:Digital film by jayrtfm · · Score: 2

    I was about to say it died this year, but when I went to check, it looks like they have changed the concept a bit, adding an external piece at the bottom of the camera.

    The original concept had only a "roll" that had to be removed to transfer the images. The CCD (or cmos?) did not cover the full frame and the quality of the posted tiffs were crap.

    With the new Full Frame chips from Kodak etc, chances are SF won't be able to compeat

  165. Re:A working Linux distro by Twirlip+of+the+Mists · · Score: 2

    So wait a minute. You're saying that your experience installing Windows 2000-- on a no-name box built at the discount mall, no doubt-- was unpleasant, but that the exact same process to install Linux is somehow acceptable? Talk about your double standards.

    So I'll suggest again that you're implicitly arguing...

    Suggest all you like. I'm being quite explicit, if you'll notice. I'm not mincing words here. Linux sucks as a single-user operating system.

    And anyway, I have apt-rpm installed...

    So once again, it comes down to having to have special knowledge to make the system work. Great endorsement, friend.

    Maybe it doesn't seem intuitive to you, a Windows user...

    Did you miss the part where I talked about OS X? I haven't used Windows for the better part of a year, and before that I only used it occasionally. Windows is definitely not my thing, nor is it my basis for comparison. Since Windows is not UNIX in any sense of the term, it's not productive to think about what's wrong with Linux in terms of what's right with Windows. That's like talking about what's wrong with your car in terms of what's right with my umbrella. Instead, it makes sense to compare a successful single-user UNIX system, Mac OS X, to an unsuccessful single-user UNIX, Linux.

    Oh, and as for installing software? I don't really care much for your "simple" method. I just drag the icon from the disk image to my Applications folder. No dependencies, no incompatibilities. Doesn't get any simpler than that.

    --

    I write in my journal
  166. SimCity 4 & Duke Nukem Forever by wackybrit · · Score: 1

    Luckily SimCity 4 is out in January, but since it's late it's still vaporware for 2002 ;-) And Duke Nukem Forever has been due for, what?, 900 years now?

  167. Slashcode spell checker by Webmoth · · Score: 2

    The slashcode spell checker and redundant article blocker.

    --
    Give me my freedom, and I'll take care of my own security, thank you.
  168. Counter-Strike Condition Zero by jeramybsmith · · Score: 2

    Not to mention the aforementioned Team Fortress 2: Brothers in Arms

    --
    Never overestimate the end user. -jeramy b. smith
  169. Re:A working Linux distro by aussersterne · · Score: 2

    No, "friend", you're the one who suggested that the process in Windows was fine, but the process in Linux was not. I'm suggesting that it's the same process and that Linux is at least as viable as Windows as a desktop operating system, and that furthermore, I prefer it.

    You're the one who (obviously) is decalring his/her own experiences to be the only ones of import. You think it, therefore naturally it must be true for everyone. Well, that's crap, plain and simple. I won't mince words either. I find Linux easy to use. It makes sense. It has detailed logging. It's well-documented, even down to the dusty depths.

    And I find Windows much easier to use than Mac OS X. I bought a Beige G3 to play with OS X. It's supposed to be a "supported" system according to Apple. Well... OS 9 worked. But under 10.1, SCSI doesn't work, video is unaccelerated, ethernet disappears all the time without warning and the CD-ROM drive (the Apple CD-ROM drive) tends to hang the system.

    No wonder you're on my enemies list; you simply discount any experiences or opinions other than your own as nonsense, all the while patronizingly referring to people as "friends" and putting ther feelings in "scare quotes".

    This is my last post in this thread. I'll summarize.

    1. Linux is not more difficult to use or install than Windows; it is merely different.

    2. I prefer Linux to Windows.

    3. All of my devices and software work under Linux. They work well. The Linux desktop works well. My friends who have tried it like it very much.

    4. I do not spend hours and hours banging away at system libraries.

    5. I find Windows confusing.

    6. I find Mac OS X unstable (yes, on Apple hardware) and somewhat limiting.

    7. I am perfectly willing to admit that others feel that Mac OS and Windows are easier to use that Linux. You, however, are not willing to admit that some people like myself might legitimately find Linux to be a perfectly viable desktop system.

    Oh well. Long live Linux. And maybe Apple will fix Mac OS X.

    --
    STOP . AMERICA . NOW
  170. How about... by SensitiveMale · · Score: 2

    that secure version of Windows that microsoft took a whole month securing?

  171. Re:A working Linux distro by Jedi+Alec · · Score: 1

    Sorry. Make that a *decent* irc client...

    --

    People replying to my sig annoy me. That's why I change it all the time.
  172. Re:A working Linux distro by Twirlip+of+the+Mists · · Score: 2

    1. Linux is not more difficult to use or install than Windows; it is merely different.

    This is demonstrably untrue. Try the mom test and you'll see what I mean.

    2. I prefer Linux to Windows.

    I don't see where that really matters in context of this discussion. I'm being objective, while you're being subjective.

    3. All of my devices and software work under Linux. They work well.

    Only after a still-undisclosed number of hours spent making everything work just so.

    The Linux desktop works well. My friends who have tried it like it very much.

    As above, I don't see where that's relevant. Unless your friends are about 2,000 people chosen at random, of course.

    4. I do not spend hours and hours banging away at system libraries.

    I doubt that very much. If you've never had to resolve a shared library dependency, then you're either very lucky or you just haven't used your system that much.

    5. I find Windows confusing.

    I find you confusing. These things you're saying, they just make no sense. But since we're talking about Linux, I find Linux to be inconsistent, incomplete, unpolished, unprofessional, undocumented, and downright frustrating. And that's on a good day. On a bad day I find it to be uninstalled.

    6. I find Mac OS X unstable (yes, on Apple hardware) and somewhat limiting.

    Since you've already admitted that you find Windows confusing, it's not terribly surprising that you can't wrap your head around the much simpler Mac OS X. Earlier versions of the OS had some fairly serious problems. These have been largely eradicated since version 10.1. I own four Macs running OS X; the one I'm using now I bought in August, and it's been up continuously without a single interruption since. I rebooted it once to move it, and once for each kernel update. Your experience is definitely not typical.

    7. I am perfectly willing to admit that others feel that Mac OS and Windows are easier to use that Linux. You, however, are not willing to admit that some people like myself might legitimately find Linux to be a perfectly viable desktop system.

    I am more than happy to admit that people like yourself find Linux to be viable. I'm just arguing that you're wrong.

    Maybe that's the source of your confusion. This is not a matter of opinion; it's pure objective fact. Mac OS X is far easier to use than Linux. Linux is so hard to use, in fact, that they literally can't give it away.

    --

    I write in my journal
  173. Halo for PC/Mac by MagnusDredd · · Score: 1

    The folks at Bungie promised that the sell-out to Microsoft would in no way affect the shipping of Halo for the Macintosh and Windows platforms. It seems like another year will pass without it materializing. Apparently money is just more important than a once-loyal fan base.

    Apparently Halo 2 for X-Box is now in serious development. I doubt there will even be a promise to port it to Mac/PC that can later be broken.

  174. Re:A working Linux distro by houseofmore · · Score: 1

    Fair enough. Lots of people drive Fords as well.

    However, the fact that a heavly marketed and professionaly developed operating system can't stand up against a aguably amature, free operating system say a lot in favour of Linux, and little for Apple.

  175. stupid soviet russia joke by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    back in soviet russia, linux codes you!

    har har har.

  176. MOO3 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Masters of Orion III is my pick for vaporware of 2002

  177. Re:MS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I would wote for this one.

  178. Prey by kannibal_klown · · Score: 1

    Anyone remember "Prey". It was supposed to be "THE Quake killer." And yet, I remember hearing about development in like 2000. Duke Nuken Forever may be taking forever, but Prey has been in the works even longer.

  179. Re:A working Linux distro by aussersterne · · Score: 1

    Only after a still-undisclosed number of hours spent making everything work just so.

    I told you, less than an hour.

    I am more than happy to admit that people like yourself find Linux to be viable. I'm just arguing that you're wrong.

    Right, only "people like [my]self" find it to be viable -- only the lunatics and axe-murderers, right? And of course, their opinions are totally invalid and uncalled for!

    God, what a jackass!

    This is not a matter of opinion; it's pure objective fact. Mac OS X is far easier to use than Linux.

    Right, and it's also pure objective fact that green is a better color than blue and that right is a better direction than left. Personal preference has no place in the world! It's for the hippies!

    Okay, now I'm done with this thread. It is pointless to talk sense with someone who feels that sense is only for the elitists.

    --
    STOP . AMERICA . NOW
  180. All time winner would have to be.... by xanatos+the+surly · · Score: 1

    ZeoSync, the compression algorithm that just kept giving. http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/archive/23591 .html

  181. Does anyone remember by madsenj37 · · Score: 1

    the Indrema video game system that was gonna be a pvr, dvd player and video game sytem for about 300 bucks while being driven by linux?

    --
    Choosing the lesser of two evils is a choice for evil.
    1. Re:Does anyone remember by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      yes, i do.

  182. Re:A working Linux distro by Theom · · Score: 1

    Try the mom test and you'll see what I mean.

    You mean get some mom that hasn't ever used a computer or get one that has used a windows computer before?

    Only after a still-undisclosed number of hours spent making everything work just so.

    You see, just like windows!

    I find Linux to be inconsistent, incomplete, unpolished, unprofessional, undocumented, and downright frustrating

    You will answer this: I don't see where that really matters in context of this discussion. [..] you're being subjective.

    Linux is as easy as Windows, because: This is not a matter of opinion; it's pure objective fact.

    --

    mp3: l33t term for empty.
  183. Re:A working Linux distro by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If OS X had been introduced to the world the same way Linux had been.. would it have as much to brag about?

    Who cares? It wasn't, and as a result it kicks arse. Nothing more need to be said.

  184. Star Control 3 by Inoshiro · · Score: 2

    Pushed back again. Star Control 2 required a 486 DX 4 100. Need I say more about the wait between versions?

    The funniest part is that the strategy guide for it shipping to EBs across Canada and the US. Then they pushed back the release date a month again. I expect they'll be recalled soon, even though they're the closest that anyone can get to actually playing the game.

    --
    --
    Internet Explorer (n): Another bug -- that is, a feature that can't be turned off -- in Windows.
  185. Wait, Master of Orion 3. by Inoshiro · · Score: 2

    Not Star Control 3 :)

    --
    --
    Internet Explorer (n): Another bug -- that is, a feature that can't be turned off -- in Windows.
  186. My vote: kindly Muslims. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Yeah, like that will ever happen.

  187. Silicon Film by Zog+The+Undeniable · · Score: 1

    Amazingly, this is still rumbling on after about 5 years in development, despite its original developers going bust. The idea is that you put a CCD and associated memory/circuitry in a standard 35mm camera to make it digital. Nice idea, but the prototypes they've shown so far have had crap resolution and capacity compared to modern digicams. Besides, the camera manufacturers wouldn't like it - they would much rather see you buy a whole new kit.

    --
    When I am king, you will be first against the wall.
  188. GeForceFX and DirectX 9.0 are strong candidates by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Really strong hype, yet no see, and even less touchie...

  189. Iraq by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Don't know about you, but I for one have not been "waiting for it to happen".

    It will happen, though. There's too many oil interests at stake. Besides, the US has already asked friendly countries in Europe to help rebuild the place after bombings. So, it follows the familiar pattern: the US destroys, the others build it up.

    As for the time, it is due on late January or early February. For example Germany was asked to provide enhanced security for the US military bases there at that time.

    Here's interesting reading.

  190. vaporware by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    My vote: a concentrated effort on the part of the American public to bring to justice the voter fraud that occurred in the 2000 election.

  191. No wonder Americans are fat by DABANSHEE · · Score: 2

    Millions of people arround the world spend their entire working days walking on their feet, it's not that hard once you get used to it.

    But in the US workers use machines just to get arround airports, no wonder they are fat. Gez they spend all day at work utilising tools to avoid burning energy & instead buy exercise machines off TV shooping channels because they get fat.

    You'd think they'd realise if they don't use the Sedgeway machine (& walk instead), then they don't need the exercise machine.

  192. Re:A working Linux distro by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    haha how can you even say that:
    Linux is as easy as Windows, because: This is not a matter of opinion; it's pure objective fact.

    Thats complete BS from a linux zealot, i love linux as much as anyone else, but tahts jsut biased crap. Linux takes way more knowledge to get set up and proficent with. Outta 20,000 random people, 90% of em with find they way around installing and setting up osx/ windows. I personally have helped tons and tons of people with linux problems and thats why i dont see it as a viable desktop platform. Its just oo unstandardizer and unpolished, thats all theres to it

  193. Re:Drunk by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    piss up a tree you effing asshole !!!!!!

  194. Flying Cars? Think SkyCar by (mandos) · · Score: 1

    This one DID happen this year. Check out the news link. That was done in October and they are currently testing it. The plan is to go into production soon. In small quantities it will cost about a half million dollars apiece, but once production ramps up, they should be between $50,000 and $100,000 a piece. Currently estimated to get about 28 mpg, 900 miles per tank with a cruise speed of 300 mph. It's about the size of a Suburan and gets better milage with the same fuel. =) Check here for details.

    Michael Scanlon

  195. Re:A working Linux distro by Theom · · Score: 1

    Thats complete BS from a Windows zealot, i love Windows as much as anyone else, but tahts jsut biased crap. Windows takes way more knowledge to get set up and proficent with. Outta 20,000 random people, 90% of em with find they way around installing and setting up BSD/ Linux. I personally have helped tons and tons of people with Windows problems and thats why i dont see it as a viable desktop platform. Its just oo unstandardizer and unpolished, thats all theres to it

    --

    mp3: l33t term for empty.
  196. Just in under the wire ... DirectX 9.0 by telstar · · Score: 2
  197. Wired's nominations have mostly come out by karevoll · · Score: 1

    I did what most of /.-users doesn't: read the article.

    Looking over past winners for the VaporWare, we see things like "Windows 2000", "Mac OS X", "Black & White", etc, etc.

    All these have been released, so my guess is that Wired's VaporWare awards is all but authorative?

  198. Brittany Spears Nude. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Never Happened. Although I got heaps of emails saying it would

  199. Iraq's Declaration on Weapons of Mass Destruction by Chatz · · Score: 1

    As much as I hate to support the US war effort, and wonder if we will ever know if the declaration was factual, if the US and UK are to be believed then a true declaration must be considered vaporware.

    --
    There is folly and foolishness on the one side, and daring and calculation on the other. - Admiral Pellew, Hornblower
  200. take drugs - 1000+ years of r&d by DrSkwid · · Score: 2

    don't need to stinkin' imagination

    --
    There are places where the networks are not touching,and there are places where they are-Boeing's Lori Gunter
  201. How about stable M$ Windoze? by tequila26er · · Score: 1

    M$ has constantly been claiming that whatever the newest version of Windoze is will be reliable and stable. I personally have yet to see a reliable or stable M$ product.

    1. Re:How about stable M$ Windoze? by fuali · · Score: 1
      That's probably because:
      • You know so little that YOU actually break it.
      • Your narrow sited hatred makes YOU break it so YOU can jump up and down like a monkey and go, "See, see! It sucks."
      • The pirated copy YOU have is corrupt.
      • ...or YOU have not used 2000 or XP Windows.
      Dude, harp on the stability and reliability of windows is Soooo 1995. If your gonna harp on anything, harp on security...

      ...oh wait. They have that pretty much fixed, too. With faster patches to the public then any other platform. (BIND or SSH anyone?)
    2. Re:How about stable M$ Windoze? by Squidgee · · Score: 1
      Stability, right.

      If you use Windoze for more than just webbrowsing and wordprocessing, it will crash.

      Faster patches? My ass. Mozilla took what, 44 hours to patch the SSL problems? MS still..hasn't...?

  202. In Soviet Russia . . . by kraksmoka · · Score: 1

    . . . vaporware performs critical task . . . . shows about progress of soviet state . . . is just like silicon valley vorkers paradise . . .

    --
    "You never want a serious crisis to go to waste." - Rahm Emanuel
  203. Vaportware 2002: by jrivar59 · · Score: 1

    Nude pics of Ellen Feiss.

  204. AMD by blankmange · · Score: 2
    Athlon XP2800+ with the 333 FSB.... Paper launches and the exceptionally long ramp ups... what is up with that? I sat and waited while 2400+ chips were trickled into the market (and was lucky to snag one)....

    nVidia NV30 -- while not quite vaporware, 'officially' releasing it in 12/02, while stating that no one would actually get their hands on one until February 2003 should net at least an honorable mention.

    --
    ...we are from the government - we are here to help...
  205. my thesis? by 23 · · Score: 1

    um, I would really have liked to see my phd thesis materialize by this christmas. But it will be done real soon. honestly. promise.

    vaporware, I guess.

  206. If You're Going To Celebrate It, Say It Right! by rinkjustice · · Score: 1

    What do others really wish could have happened by Xmas?

    I don't call St. Patricks Day St.X, so please have some respect for the Son of God and Christians around the world who worship Him and call this holiday by it's rightful name... Christmas!

    Please and thank you.

    1. Re:If You're Going To Celebrate It, Say It Right! by timothy · · Score: 1

      "So the next time you see the X used in Christmas instead of Christ, instead of being upset and feeling like it is an effort to take Christ out of Christmas, be reminded of early Christians trying to worship their Savior and later by people trying to speed up the process of making more copies of the scriptures."

      That's a quote from this webpage: http://www.of-worth.com/ea/Christmas.htm

      I found it with this google search:
      http://www.google.com/search?q=xmas%20abb reviation %20respect&sourceid=mozilla-search&start=0&start=0 &ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8

      and the other top choices are intersting as well; in summary, "X" for Christ is an ancient tradition which need imply no disrespect. It doesn't mean that people don't use "Xmas" flippantly nowadays, but that has little to do with how many letters they use to spell it.

      timothy

      --
      jrnl: http://tinyurl.com/c2l8yr / foes: http://tinyurl.com/ckjno5
    2. Re:If You're Going To Celebrate It, Say It Right! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There are many, many people inthis world who don't believe he was the son of God, or their saviour. I think most other religions DO indeed consider him a great teacher, however.
      PLEASE don't force Christian beliefs down non-Christians' throats.

    3. Re:If You're Going To Celebrate It, Say It Right! by rinkjustice · · Score: 1

      I appreciate that nugget of information, and I feel a little better about it. However, I will personally continue to spell it in long form (if you will) and share what you have taught me with others.

      Thanks Timothy

    4. Re:If You're Going To Celebrate It, Say It Right! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Hey you know what, lets be really american and call it the holidays.

      Dude..you must be soooo much fun at party's..:)

  207. HAHAHAHA OH DAMN by Tokerat · · Score: 2


    Mod parent up + Funny. Please. It's 6:40AM and I haven't slept in 2 days, and that still made me laugh.

    --
    CAn'T CompreHend SARcaSm?
  208. Re:A working Linux distro by paganizer · · Score: 1

    "Linux is as easy as Windows, because: This is not a matter of opinion; it's pure objective fact.
    "

    Oh, that is SOOOOOOOO funny.
    I'm a MCSE. Before that I was a HP-Unix SysAdmin. I currently run Win2k, Mandrake 8, Win98se. I know of what I speak.

    Hand your typical Moron a Win2k install CD and a relatively non-freaky PC, and within 6 hours you will have someone playing solitaire. Hand the same user's twin a current Linux Distro and 6 hours later they will be staring in total uncomprehension at the screen. or calling me.

    That being said, Linux Rocks if you have the capability & inclination to learn something difficult.

    --
    Why, yes, I AM a Pagan Libertarian.
  209. To look like progress by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    They created the GNU/Linux name.

  210. Re:A working Linux distro by Theom · · Score: 1

    A typical moron has instaled/used windows. We need someone who hasn't. Mandrakes instalation is as self explaining as that of w2k, the diference beeing that in mandrake you can do anything with the mouse. Now tell me again, wich is easier, if you haven't already learned all the quirks of windows?

    --

    mp3: l33t term for empty.
  211. Freeloader for GameCube by dailynail · · Score: 1

    Apparently it lets you play US and Jap games on a PAL Cube but has between delayed about a hundred times. I don't think it will ever appear...

    --
    The Daily Nail. "Whatever it is, it's a bloody disgrace!"
  212. Diablo II v1.10 by Jugalator · · Score: 2

    My vote goes for the 1.10 patch for Diablo II.

    I guess it's because Diablo II is old, but... That patch is still showing many signs of vaporness. :-)

    For an entire year, Blizzard Entertainment had *one* programmer on it. So sure, it took some time. A few months ago they doubled the size of the development team (they used words like these in an official statement). So they added another guy.

    They recently said that they *hoped* to get it out before the next issue of the Blizzard Insider, their newsletter. The problem now is that the Blizzard Insider is released at irregular times -- from every 1 months to every 4 months. And it was only a hope...

    I recently mailed them about the matter and actually got a non-automated reply. Among others, it said (and I quote):
    "There is no date for the patch, of course." (emphasis added)

    Oh well. :-)

    --
    Beware: In C++, your friends can see your privates!
  213. Spam? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Isn't this an e-mail grabber? They'll even be able to sell your name, e-mail address and production you're interested in...

  214. Give up, buddy... by NineNine · · Score: 1

    You got *spanked* in this argument. Just stop posting. You've probably already set the records for # of non-modded posts against a series of 5's. You're wrong. Incredibly wrong. And obviously, lots and lots of people feel the same way.

  215. Linux stampede, MS death by NineNine · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I nominate the stampede of users rushing away from Windows to some flavor of Linux. Every other article here is something like, "Company x is installing Linux on xxx,xxx boxes!! Linux is winning! So, how much longer do you think Microsoft will be around?" Yet somehow, this hasn't even begun to happen.

  216. This is the one! by grondu · · Score: 1

    The MS Office 97 "paperclip" for Linux and BSD.

    --

    I'm the urban spaceman babe, but here comes the twist... I don't exist

  217. OpenBeOS's new name by stevejsmith · · Score: 1

    This is a no-brainer. OpenBeOS's new name! It's been over a month since the vote has closed, how long does it take to log in to the MySQL server and do a query to see how many votes each got? I mean, come on!

  218. How about Project Xanadu? by jejones · · Score: 2
    I took a peek at the project's web page. As far as actual product, there appears to be:
    • A Windows only reader for "CosmicBook"
    • A demo for "ZigZag" in bootable floppy form--the link to the supposed Java version leads only to a page reading

      OOOOOOH YEAH BABBBBBBY!

      Site is underway as we are GO GO GO GO GO with our sponsor. We will be bringing you the big time content with eye popping, mouth drooling, ear candy delights of wonderful visuals.

      along with a link to teen porn (as Dave Barry would say, I am not making this up)

    There is yet another version of Xanadu code under development; the web page says there will be a presentation given on it at a conference in August 2001, which says something about how up to date the Project Xanadu site is.

    Ted Nelson is quite correct about the drawbacks of the web as it stands, but I fear that the 42-year-old Xanadu has become a victim of worse is better.
  219. the diablo 2 patch by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This is the patch that has been promised since September of 2001. Of course, it wasn't until a few months ago that we found out that there was only a single programmer working on it. I guess Blizzard really *did* dump all of their programmers into Warcraft3 and World of Warcraft.

  220. The "L" in IBM AIX 5L by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This is more approbate to talk about here than via Wired, but I feel the "L" in AIX 5L. While AIX 5 has been out for over a year, the "L technology" or "source code compatible Linux personality" still does not seem to be "complette." Several API's and conventions that Linux programmers and administrators have gotten used to expecting from a GNU/Linux distribution. Some issues include:

    - Pluggable Authentication Modules (PAM), the header files are not provided and getting the code that uses this API to work correctly on AIX still involves replacing the IBM provided binaries for login, ftpd, xdm, xlock, etc.

    - Reading from /dev/random and /dev/urandom, while third-party work-around are available, an programmer targetting AIX can't count on those work-arounds being available and the user-space work-arounds tend to have more of a performance hit than creating the same functionality as a kernel driver.

    - ipchains/iptables, the APIs for controlling host based firewalling are still not provided

    - kernel modules, while most kernel modules are covered by the GPL and there would be license problems with using them with a closed kernel, even if you wrote your own kernel module or got permission to use an existing Linux kernel module such as file system or usb driver, AIX 5L does not provide a method to do so

    - GCC extended syntax compatiblity, there are some optimizations that GCC does on X86 that it does not do for PPC or AIX. The best way to get around this is to use IBM's own C or C++ compiler for AIX. But, it quickly becomes clear that IBM has put no effort into getting their own compiler to support GCC extentions/keywords additions to the C language.

    - Examples of improvement in source code compatiblity. IBM has yet to announce a list of Free Software/Open Source projects that failed to work on AIX 4 but now work on AIX 5 or have additional features/functionality due to their improved compatiblity between AIX 4 and AIX 5. To make matters worse, I have run into programs that compile and run fine even on CygWin which do not work correctly on AIX 5L but the reverse has not occured. It seem pritty sad when IBM markets something as part of the "version" of their OS but it provides less functionality than a simple DLL adds to Windows.

    So, for these reasons and others, I would like to elect the "L" in the IBM AIX 5L for vaperware of the year.

  221. IN SOVIET RUSSIA by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Vaporware mod down Slashcode!

  222. you're a total dipshit by Ender+Ryan · · Score: 2
    Everything you described in your previous post already exists, like the other guy said, all that's lacking is it being shipped on PCs.

    Arguing with you is like arguing with a fuckin' wall, no good can come of it.

    --
    Sticking feathers up your butt does not make you a chicken - Tyler Durden
  223. Ballistic Missile Defense by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I think this program was conceived a few years before Duke Nukem Forever, even.

    Convincing the North Koreans to put homing beacons in their ICBMs will probably be easier than deploying a working system anyhow.

    1. Re:Ballistic Missile Defense by base3 · · Score: 2

      What's the problem? Enemy missiles will be much easier to shoot down provided they are transmitting their GPS coordinates in realtime. The fact that that "test" wasn't a scandal that drove the resignations of everyone from the President down to those working on the "test" assures me that Americans as a group are either terribly apathetic, horridly stupid, or both.

      --
      One CPU cycle wasted on digital restrictions management is ONE TOO MANY.
  224. Vaporware: Sane Job Market by spanky555 · · Score: 1

    That's my vote.

  225. I don't understand why everyone mods these... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    as funny.

    'Cause they ain't.

  226. RTFTS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    To whomever modded the above comment as redundant, RTFTS (time stamp).

  227. How about an exclusive XBox game? lol. by Viewsonic · · Score: 2

    I'd love to see that. Hahahahahahahaa oh I slay me.

  228. GNU/Hurd! by porky_pig_jr · · Score: 2

    GNU/Hurd. Has been promised to us for eons.

  229. City of Heroes by sirshannon · · Score: 1

    in 2001, I was eagerly waiting for the beta to start for city of heroes (http://www.cityofheroes.com), a super hero MMPRPG. A year later and they haven't even posted another mpeg to keep me salivating.

  230. OQO by Spunk · · Score: 2

    What is oqo? I followed the link but the site is too flash-heavy for my weak little PC to handle. Could someone explain it?

  231. My vote to .net ! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    .net server, .net platform, studio.net, biztalk.net, exchange.net,.... stuff.net, blurb.net ...

    Most of them .net pre/suf-fix products from MS are nothing but vaporware, but the few that have realy "appeared" are just "vaporspecs" because they are under-featured and only good for demo, labs and show-rooms compared to existing solutions !

    For instance, look at .net platform, who cares ? MS adicts preffer to stay on regular technologies (Win32) and others preffer to go the Java reality facts way : Java is ready for primetime, .net platform is not.

    Then, let's look after .net server, i mean, regular user should stay on 2000 because it is much more stable other will look after linux, because it has a better TCO and security mechanism.

    MS, will always me laugh ... let's do some other .net stuffs ... plzzzzz ... make me laugh ! :o)

    ZRT

  232. Santa clause by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I think santa clause is the biggest vaporware, all time.

  233. Re:MS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It did 'ship', it just stank

  234. Elite 4 by Gleng · · Score: 1

    They said it would be out around the end of 2002, but there's still zero evidence of it...maybe next year, eh?

    --
    "Proudly Posting Without Reading The Article"
  235. Microsoft clustering has my vote by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Unlikely though. Maybe a version of LookOut which doesn't lose my work?

    Equally unlikely!

  236. The G5 by PowerBooker · · Score: 1

    What the hheck happened to the G5? We've been waiting since '00 for a new-gen processor... and still all we have is the promise of a new "Altivec-aware" IBM chip. Give us the Hammer, give us anything... but WTF happened top the heralded G5?

  237. Moller Skycar by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    http://www.moller.com/skycar/

  238. and how old are you by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    13 year old virgins are common

  239. where are by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    where are our bloody rocketpacks?

  240. Awful definition by 0x0d0a · · Score: 2

    That's a *really* awful definition, when I think about it.

    I mean, I can see saying that a demo on stage doesn't count (Apple's put out plenty of programs "built" in Director to get people excited) but beta software in your hands means that there's code there.

  241. Not vaporware by 0x0d0a · · Score: 2

    Vaporware traditionally refers to when you have a bunch of promises from a company but no software. You can grab CVS from Ximian -- they've got plenty of code in it.

    1. Re:Not vaporware by kraksmoka · · Score: 2
      not trying to be original here, but . . . .. . . .. . .

      RTFM

      "As in previous years, software locked in the pre-release, beta-testing stage is considered vaporware, even if it's widely available. It hasn't shipped until it's shrink-wrapped."

      mono isn't a full release yet, even 1.0 includes vapor ware (forms feature). all the good wishes to mono and ximian.

      --
      "You never want a serious crisis to go to waste." - Rahm Emanuel
  242. 3G is such a stupid name by 0x0d0a · · Score: 2

    And the tradition of using "generation" in names is getting more popular.

    Apple *could* have called their processors the 730 and 740 (or whatever, names could be wrong here), but instead it's the Generation 3 and Generation 4 PowerPC.

    Sprint should just call their phones, which *obviously* come *after* 3G (in Japan at least) "4G". This is technically correct, would piss off their competitors, and prevent other people from benefitting from the hype.

  243. Doomed to Failure by 0x0d0a · · Score: 2

    1) Produce prohibitively expensive technology.
    2) Have complete and utter lack of a plan to make money on this.

    Surprise, no one *else* wants to buy you and try to make money off your product *either*.

    I'm going to be quite surprised if the Tablet PC takes off either. Oh, I doubt it'll be a complete flop, but the overwhelming majority of people are better off with a keyboard. Maybe if it had better battery life and was sold as an e-book reader as well...

    1. Re:Doomed to Failure by Ozymandias_KoK · · Score: 1

      Tablet PCs DO come in the "turn the notebook screen around" type model, which does give you keyboard and the rest. Those types certainly strike me as the most flexible, as opposed to the flat "tablet only" type.

  244. You mean on the desktop by 0x0d0a · · Score: 2

    The migration on the server is already happening.

  245. Re:A working Linux distro by 0x0d0a · · Score: 2

    Anyway, the reason why more people run linux is b/c x86 is cheaper than mac.

    Which is not something that one can ignore. The reason Apple can do OS X at all is because they make huge quantities of money off hardware. And to use Apple software, one must purchase Apple hardware.

  246. Way, *way* oversimplified by 0x0d0a · · Score: 2

    They want to install on the corporate network, you get your Office Apps, you get connection to the intranet, you get your database. You do NOT sit and listen to mp3's, watch porno avi's, and download w4r3z. That's what Mandrake is for.

    No, that's what Mandrake *aspires* to be. And RH certainly does not ignore the desktop. RH simply has more deals with large-machine and server vendors than Mandrake. Neither distro ignores the desktop user.

  247. Nah by 0x0d0a · · Score: 2

    While I like Linux more than OS X, OS X is quite capable of keeping a UNIX guy happy.

    1. the powerful shell

    I don't think much of csh either, but BSD uses it. You going to call BSD not UNIXy enough? If you want, you can plop zsh or bash or whatever on your machine.

    2. everything is a file (Plan9 is even better)

    I though OS X had /dev, though I could be wrong.

    everything in simple text files

    Netinfo isn't used for *everything*...

    4 the terminal

    I'm sure there's a fullscreen terminal app.

    5. the fork/exec model

    OS X definitely has this. It wouldn't run many UNIX programs without it...:-)

    The big advantage OS X has over Linux is maturity. Apple's had tons and tons of people working on OS X full time for longer than there were tons and tons of people working on Linux full time.

  248. Grimoire by Greg+W. · · Score: 2

    Best Vaporware of 1997... 1998... 1999... 2000... 2001... 2002...: Grimoire! (Site requires Javascript.)

  249. How's this? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    "If you bash the US at least do it correctly you fucking half wit!"

    Keep packing away the burgers, fat man.

  250. Fly a virtual Solotrek then by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Get the X-Plane demo and fly your virtual Solotrek around the world (or on Mars even).

  251. Super Nintendo CD drive by YAN3D · · Score: 1

    'Nuff said

  252. OS/2 v5 by cyberdog6 · · Score: 1

    looks like the OS/2 folks will continue to travel at 1/4 impulse.

    no WARP for you!

    --
    Evil is the money of all root....
  253. Re:The Segway - MGM Studios by PsychoElf · · Score: 1

    When I went to MGM Studios in November, all the parking lot people were riding them around. Looked kinda funny watching all the Segways zoom around everywhere.

  254. Re:A working Linux distro by tHiNk411 · · Score: 1

    BitchX comes with SuSE.

  255. Ardour. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    A Linux audio sequencing program that's been in development for 2 years without a single release!

  256. OS X drivers for my Voodoo 5 card... by douglasq · · Score: 1

    It's now a paperweight.

    Heavy sigh... :-(

    --
    "Form should follow function...unless it's just plain ugly."
  257. Gotta toot my own horn, here... by phillymjs · · Score: 2

    When the request for nominations went out, I posted my nomination, QuarkXPress for OS X, in the previous /. discussion, and also submitted it to Wired.

    Lo and behold, not only is it #7 on the list, but they quoted me in the article!

    To quote Bart Simpson, "There's only one thing to do at a moment like this: strut!"
    <cues up "Stayin' Alive">

    ~Philly

  258. Elite IV? by Bobas · · Score: 1

    Damn, I wish it were released at all. Braben's vaporware :(

  259. Last Post! by alpg · · Score: 1

    Hacker's Guide To Cooking:
    2 pkg. cream cheese (the mushy white stuff in silver wrappings that doesn't
    really come from Philadelphia after all; anyway, about 16 oz.)
    1 tsp. vanilla extract (which is more alcohol than vanilla and pretty
    strong so this part you *GOTTA* measure)
    1/4 cup sugar (but honey works fine too)
    8 oz. Cool Whip (the fluffy stuff devoid of nutritional value that you
    can squirt all over your friends and lick off...)
    "Blend all together until creamy with no lumps." This is where you get to
    join(1) all the raw data in a big buffer and then filter it through
    merge(1m) with the -thick option, I mean, it starts out ultra lumpy
    and icky looking and you have to work hard to mix it. Try an electric
    beater if you have a cat(1) that can climb wall(1s) to lick it off
    the ceiling(3m).
    "Pour into a graham cracker crust..." Aha, the BUGS section at last. You
    just happened to have a GCC sitting around under /etc/food, right?
    If not, don't panic(8), merely crumble a rand(3m) handful of innocent
    GCs into a suitable tempfile and mix in some melted butter.
    "...and refrigerate for an hour." Leave the recipe's stdout in a fridge
    for 3.6E6 milliseconds while you work on cleaning up stderr, and
    by time out your cheesecake will be ready for stdin.

    - this post brought to you by the Automated Last Post Generator...