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The Future of the Software Industry
madro writes "Remember 'Does IT Matter?' a while ago? Nicholas Carr is back with an editorial in today's New York Times following Microsoft's decision to dramatically reduce its cash stash. Carr's take: Microsoft is admitting it can't find better uses for its cash, due to the growing maturation of the software industry. No mention of open source, although Apple's consumer-targeted model of free iTunes driving iPod demand is one listed alternative." Reader CodeArtisan submits another piece about Microsoft's loot distribution, and Newsforge (which is part of OSDN along with Slashdot) has a story about the future of commodity software.
LRC, the best-read libertarian site on the web
You: What happens when AI in computers become so advanced that we are no longer involved in their own programming?
Eliza: Why do you mention computers?
You: What if we just dictate to a computer and it programs and maintains itself automatically.?
Eliza: Why do you mention computers?
You: Eventually, it forms its own nature form of complexity far beyond human management.
Eliza: Please go on.
You: I guess at that point, we just "program" a computer through talking and exchanging ideas rather then sort through code in a methodical way like programmers having to do now.
Eliza: Why do you mention computers?
[The Scene: a writer at their desk with deadline looming:]
Must have idea...
Must get editorial in on time...
Politics are done...
Not much happening in the literature scene...
Chomksy stuff is too complicated...
Must be controversial...but not too controversial to the prime demographic...
Whoa...I've got it!!!
[writer bites tongue and begins scribbling onto a ruled notebook, we see the title:]
"The Software Industry is Dead!"
[writer scribbles madly for 90 minutes, has a lot of rough red wine during the scribbling, and then falls asleep on the draft (and dreams of Hemingway).
Phew, you had me worried there for a moment... I thought you were talking about Windows! Then you mentioned "beyond human management" so I realised you couldn't be.
Dave: HAL, please download and install Service Pack 2 onto yourself.
HAL: I'm sorry, Dave, I can't do that.
Dave: Very well, I will do it myself.
[Twelve hours later as Dave has downloaded the 500MB Service Pack 2 to HAL]
Dave: Service Pack 2 installed now, HAL. How do you feel?
HAL: (in slow drowsy singing voice) Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer do...
Gentoo Linux - another day, another USE flag.
Yeah, it is real annoying.
To burn a disc, you have to put it in the machine where it starts sucking them off in the format you choose. And then to get them in the iPod you have to click and drag them.
Same with MP3s I get from other legal sources...this IS the most annoying program...you have to get them on your computer and then drag them to your iPod directory under iTunes.
Geez...in all of this, to actually get them on your machine, you also have to have it connected to the iPod. Why can't they figure out how to do this WITHOUT having the pod connected. Jeez, you'd think Steeve Jobs would want something a little more intuative like hooking the f'n iPod up to satelite based WiFi Always On technology so this is one less step.
Secondly, to get music off 'the net', you actually have to be connected 'to the net', some how. I'm a tech savy guy as well, and I KNOW there has to be a way to get music off the net without actually being connected to it. They talk about 'ether'-net, why can't it just peer into the ether in alternate dimensions and go that way (though I hear the 6th dimension is purely pay per view these days).
But you are right, 2 steps is WAY too much to putting songs on the device. Give me a walkman with a tape anyday. One with a radio in it too...because the music I listen to is automatically put into it...I can hear my new favorite song 37 times a day now. I didn't know it was my favorite, but who can argue with a disk jockey -- they are the smartest and most funniest men on earth.