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Apple Tries to Patent Fast User Switching
Ashcrow writes "An article from The Register points out Apple's attempt to patent fast user switching. It seems that Steve Jobs admits that Microsoft beat them to the punch but believes Panther's implementation is superior."
Do they rotate on a cube like the mac does?
Since I have no karma here goes:
Apple + FreeBSD = FeeBSD
OS X Aqua is a single user gui on top of a multi-user system, this is otherwise known as a kludge.
On second thought I'll post this anonymously.
If there's a prior implementation, how can it be patented, especially when it's not like Apple can claim that they don't know about any competitors?
This is the USPTO we're talking about. You could patent the wheel and nobody would notice until the Register posted the story.
I've never had any problem with how fast the 'su' command executes on my machine.
man tunefs | grep fish
Winamp doesn't stop playing when you switch users.
If you are amazed by that, you really don't know what you are missing by not using Linux/BSD.
I've had enough abrasive sigs. Kittens are cute and fuzzy.
Microsoft tries to patent "fast user baiting-and-switching."
A deep unwavering belief is a sure sign you're missing something...
Switching back is the hard part.
They woulda covered more stuff if they
just patented "fast"
" As much as we'd all love to see Apple successfully sue Microsoft, It won't happen."
So frivolous patents are bad unless someone uses them against MS?
Vote for Pedro
a) What happens if more than 6 users are logged in.
b) What if the user is on the other side of the cube, does it have to rotate past other users to get to it.
So you can have a decent IM conversation with the other person using your Mac.
"For instance, there is more than one way to compress music."
I think it's about time you were sent off to our re-education facility in Redmond.
Repeat after me: "There is only one way to compress music, Windows Media 9. Thanks be to Bill".
That was classic intercourse!
Ask any BOFH about the "rule of thumb" for whip, cane, tawse, or switch. I find that 7200 users per minute is about the practical limit.
Personally, I prefer to counterbalance two riding crops to the hub of an old full-height 3600 RPM 5.25" hard drive.
For particularly annoying users, I also have an RM-80 disk pack (14-inch platters!) salvaged from an old PDP-11/70. The platters spin at 1800 RPM, but the huge motor required to accelerate them allows me to spin up four bullwhips.
Moral of the story: Don't fsck with the BOFH.
su actually stands for "Switch User" I believe, and you can in fact switch to any user:
SU(1) OpenBSD Reference Manual SU(1)
NAME
su - substitute user identity
Okay, I know people are challenged to read the articles, but you should at least read your own post. Like where it says "su - substitute user...", giving a vital clue as to what "su" really stands for.
Want to improve your Karma? Instead of "Post Anonymously", try the "Post Humously" option.
(Cue cheesy balalaika music)
When I used to be Dan on my powerbook five seconds ago, I couldn't do anything. I couldn't get my e-mail from work, I could only browse the net at 56k, and all my Brittney Spears mp3's would play back in Swedish.
Then I got Apple's fast user switching.
Now I'm named Barbara. I can browse the internet using bluetooth, I've got access to corporate VPN's Dan never did, I've got a Hello Kitty background on my desktop, and everyone in the chat room thinks I don't have a penis. This just rocks!
My name is Dan..er..Barbara Wickowski, and I'm an insurance salema..er..saleswoman.
Ergonomica Auctorita Illico!
There are some people that if they don't know, you can't tell 'em.
The point is the simple and ease of use
;^)
What could be simpler and easier than alt-f2, (username), enter, (password), enter, startx-space-dash-dash-space-colon-one?
If we think that Windows users are going to be wanting to do all that with Linux boxes we must be fucking nuts.