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Apple's Bonjour Available for Windows

inblosam writes "Apple's Bonjour ('also known as zero-configuration networking, enables automatic discovery of computers, devices, and services on IP networks') is now available for Windows! A Bonjour icon shows up in Internet Explorer to enable Bonjour browsing, along with the Bonjour Printer Wizard. Developers can download the Bonjour SDK. The benefits would appear to be for Apple customers (more Bonjouring with more networks) and to gain Apple switchers by enticing Windows customers."

550 comments

  1. Um.. okay by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Explain to me again, what's the difference between Bonjour and Rendezvous?

    1. Re:Um.. okay by tkokesh · · Score: 5, Informative

      The name. Apple got sued by Tibco about the Rendezvous trademark, so they changed the name to "Bonjour".

      --

      A pride of lions.
      A gaggle of geese.
      A murder of crows.
      A vista of bugs.
    2. Re:Um.. okay by Draconix · · Score: 2, Informative

      The difference is (hopefully) they won't face a lawsuit for using the name "Bonjour."

      --
      By reading this you acknowledge that you have read it.
    3. Re:Um.. okay by dojobi · · Score: 1

      Same thing - just renamed because of a trademark dispute (from memory)

    4. Re:Um.. okay by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

      I find it interesting that totally generic french words can be held as being relatively strong trademarks in the US.

      Granted, the Rendezvous complain had a certain basis, but it's funny to me that anyone would call their technology "Good Day" (litteral translation of Bonjour) (or "Meeting" for that matter) and expect to have a strong mark.

      What is it with French being hip? I though the statue of Liberty was destined for the scrapyard and that everything french was suspicious.

    5. Re:Um.. okay by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      "Bonjour" is what you say to another person when you meet them, or as the French say, "rendesvous."

      Hope that clears things up.

    6. Re:Um.. okay by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      "totally generic french words can be held as being relatively strong trademarks in the US."

      It has nothing to do with them being French -- consider the trademark on "Windows", for instance.

      French is hip?

    7. Re:Um.. okay by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

      In the US, the trademark is "Microsoft Windows". That's why Microsoft was forced to sue Lindows/Linspire outside of the US, because it couldn't enforce a plain "Windows" trademark in the US.

    8. Re:Um.. okay by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They should have used the proper french term anyway "Auh-heee, Auh-heee"

    9. Re:Um.. okay by shutdown+-p+now · · Score: 1

      Well, if 'Apple' and 'Windows' are trademarks, why 'Good Day' should be any better off?

    10. Re:Um.. okay by ExKoopaTroopa · · Score: 1

      well in France they use English words in marketing to make things sound hip so it all squares out

      --
      Don't Tell Me What I Can't Do!
    11. Re:Um.. okay by mattspammail · · Score: 3, Interesting

      HELLO (Picasa share client)

      I wonder if Apple's French language Bonjour download would be called Hello. I hope Google doesn't sue over this one.

      Oh wait. Never mind. That might be perceived as evil.

      --
      Now accepting PayPal donations!
    12. Re:Um.. okay by EvilAlien · · Score: 2, Funny

      While they were picking lame French names for stuff, they missed the obvious. I won't switch to a closed hardware platform and great OS for a "Rendezvous" or "Bonjour", but I'd consider it for a "Voulez-vous coucher avec moi?".

      --
      perl -e 'print $i=pack(c5, (41*2), sqrt(7056), (unpack(c,H)-2), oct(115), 10)'
    13. Re:Um.. okay by dolmen.fr · · Score: 2, Interesting

      [...] it's funny to me that anyone would call their technology "Good Day" (litteral translation of Bonjour) (or "Meeting" for that matter) and expect to have a strong mark.

      In french we say "c'est simple comme bonjour!", which means everyone can do it, understand it.
      Have a look to the Apple page in french (http://www.apple.com/fr/macosx/features/bonjour/) : "le réseau, simple comme Bonjour".

    14. Re:Um.. okay by vicparedes · · Score: 1

      "Bonjour" is what you say when you're in a Rendezvous.

    15. Re:Um.. okay by snorklewacker · · Score: 1

      > I find it interesting that totally generic french words can be held as being relatively strong trademarks in the US.

      Windows. Hello. Tiger. Apple. Virgin.

      Ain't nothing special about French.

      --
      I am no longer wasting my time with slashdot
    16. Re:Um.. okay by vandon · · Score: 1, Interesting

      Bonjour sounds a lot like UPnP. I thought we were all told to disable the UPnP service because hackers could find our machines and do bad things to them.
      Why is Bonjour good and UPnP bad?

    17. Re:Um.. okay by Golias · · Score: 4, Funny

      but I'd consider it for a "Voulez-vous coucher avec moi?".

      Isn't it a little early in the morning to be breaking out the Patty LaVelle?

      Now I'm going to have the goddamn "Hey sistah, soul sistah..." riff stuck in my head until at least lunchtime.

      --

      Information wants to be anthropomorphized.

    18. Re:Um.. okay by Kplusplus · · Score: 2, Informative

      Bonjour services are advertised on the local network segment, or if you have Mac OS X Tiger server, no more than 1 hop from the local network segment. So the likelihood of hackers find your machine by these means is tiny. And if you have a hacker on your local network aching to get at your printers then you have more problems than Bonjour can solve.

      --
      -"I'm one of those Mac people that will break a bottle on the bar and hold it to your throat for bad-mouthing my system"
    19. Re:Um.. okay by 2names · · Score: 1
      There is only one way to get that song out of your head...

      You Must Dance.

      *ducks*

      --
      "I'm just here to regulate funkiness."
    20. Re:Um.. okay by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You spelled "Strut" wrong. ;)

    21. Re:Um.. okay by jocknerd · · Score: 3, Informative
      Why is Bonjour good and UPnP bad?


      Because Bonjour is Apple and UPnP is Microsoft. Therefore, one works right and one doesn't.
    22. Re:Um.. okay by shotfeel · · Score: 4, Funny

      It has nothing to do with them being French -- consider the trademark on "Windows", for instance.

      Word!

    23. Re:Um.. okay by shotfeel · · Score: 1

      "Bonjour" is what you say when you're in a Rendezvous.

      I though it was, "Let's get nekked!"

    24. Re:Um.. okay by PsychoKiller · · Score: 2, Funny

      Now I'm going to have the goddamn "Hey sistah, soul sistah..." riff stuck in my head until at least lunchtime.

      I've found that if I get a song stuck in my head, I think about the A-Team theme song, and it gets rid of the old song just like that.

      Now all I need to do it figure out how to get the damn A-Team theme song out of my head.

    25. Re:Um.. okay by Harbinjer · · Score: 1

      There's another. To quote the famouse Carl from ATHF: "with a bullet."

    26. Re:Um.. okay by tim1724 · · Score: 1
      I find it interesting that totally generic french words can be held as being relatively strong trademarks in the US.

      It's not just French words. Totally generic English words can have strong trademark protection in the US as well.

      Windows, Outlook, Links, Halo, Entourage.. it looks like Word, Office, and Project aren't on the list .. I don't think they're any more generic, most likely they just didn't get them registered in time.

      --
      -- Tim Buchheim
    27. Re:Um.. okay by tfoss · · Score: 1
      I find it interesting that totally generic french words can be held as being relatively strong trademarks in the US.

      Yeah, it's not like totally generic english words can be held as relatively strong trademarks in the US. *cough*WindowsExcelConvectionFreelancerNatural*cou gh*DevelopFinderGadgetPagesSafariSpotlightSwitcher TigerYum


      -Ted

      --
      -=-=- Quantum physics - the dreams stuff are made of.
    28. Re:Um.. okay by piznut · · Score: 1

      Ok..off the original topic..

      Maybe Im wierd. In fact, I am sure that I am wierd but anytime I get a song in my head that I dont want in there I just need to hum or listen to Talking Head's 'Psycho Killer'.

      It's preferable to most of the songs that get stuck in my head, and for some reason it fades faster than say a Spice Girls song.

    29. Re:Um.. okay by Golias · · Score: 1

      In fact, I am sure that I am wierd but anytime I get a song in my head that I dont want in there I just need to hum or listen to Talking Head's 'Psycho Killer'.

      I go with Particle Man by They Might Be Giants. It can take over anything.

      --

      Information wants to be anthropomorphized.

    30. Re:Um.. okay by Golias · · Score: 1

      Now all I need to do it figure out how to get the damn A-Team theme song out of my head.

      GodDAMNit!

      I'm sailing away setanopencourseforthevirginsea...

      --

      Information wants to be anthropomorphized.

    31. Re:Um.. okay by FredFnord · · Score: 1

      Especially since I can't actually remember most of the words.

      Particle man hates particle board!

      Yeah.

      -fred

      --
      Sign #11 of Slashdot overdose: You see the phrase 'moderate Republican' and you wonder if that would be a +1 or a -1.
  2. Bonjour? by 1nhuman · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I've been using 2 networked Mac's at home for 2 years now (powerbook, ibook, wlan, ethernet), but never seen this Bonjour stuff. Always connect directly to my samba server etc. Oh wait maybe my Airport talks bonjour?

    --
    The glass is half-full. With poison. And there are cracks in the glass. The dirty, dirty glass.
    1. Re:Bonjour? by torpor · · Score: 5, Insightful

      the fact you can't see it and don't know much about it means that its doing its job.

      zeroconf (the IEEE name for bonjour, which is just an implementation of the standard, Apple-extended...) means zero configuration. the user doesn't need to know how to connect to a device, she just uses it.

      this is one of those technology's which, if used properly, won't get much notice. its not supposed to.

      --
      ; -- the corruption of government starts with its secrets. a truly free people keep no secrets. --
    2. Re:Bonjour? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

      Why the hell would they change the excellent name "Rendezvous" to the crappy "Bonjour".

      Maybe regressing to "ZeroConf" would have been the best bet.

    3. Re:Bonjour? by phalse+phace · · Score: 2, Informative

      Here's your answer.

    4. Re:Bonjour? by Angostura · · Score: 1

      It's the new name for Rendevouz

    5. Re:Bonjour? by Motherfucking+Shit · · Score: 2, Insightful
      Why the hell would they change the excellent name "Rendezvous" to the crappy "Bonjour".
      Same reason that the excellent name "Lindows" was changed to the crappy "Linspire." We are a litigious society.

      Bon soir (hey, it's night for me),
      --
      "BSD: Free as in speech. Linux: Free as in beer. Windows 10: Free as in herpes." --Man On Pink Corner in #52607549.
    6. Re:Bonjour? by quigonn · · Score: 1

      It's spelled "Rendezvous".

      --
      A monkey is doing the real work for me.
    7. Re:Bonjour? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

      It's spelled "Rendezvous".

      No. It used to be spelled "Rendezvous". Now it's spelled "Bonjour".

    8. Re:Bonjour? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

      men ?
      We are talking about Apple.. and qui plus est, Apple's Bonjour..
      What do you mean men ?

    9. Re:Bonjour? by Phil06 · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Because Apple, like MS, understands that 'folks' recognize and appreciate words for software products better than acronyms and abbreviations. Linux types pride themselves on naming software with cryptic more-clever-than-you acronyms. This needlessly turns off 'folks' from migrating to Linux. Windows: Media Player Apple: iTunes Linux: XMMS

      --
      "...and yet, I blame society" Duke - Repo Man
    10. Re:Bonjour? by torpor · · Score: 1

      in my head, all users are women, and all developers are men.

      stupid isn't it, but i've met, like, one female developer, ever.

      --
      ; -- the corruption of government starts with its secrets. a truly free people keep no secrets. --
    11. Re:Bonjour? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      meet another one (warning: she codes actionscrpt).

    12. Re:Bonjour? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

      Andrew Kuchling wrote a very nice overview of the Zeroconf technology.
      Complete with a pure Python module implementation and some example programs.

    13. Re:Bonjour? by Junior+J.+Junior+III · · Score: 1

      They used to call it Rendezvous.

      --
      You see? You see? Your stupid minds! Stupid! Stupid!
    14. Re:Bonjour? by tbone1 · · Score: 4, Funny
      No. It used to be spelled "Rendezvous". Now it's spelled "Bonjour".

      But it's pronounced "Throatwarbler Mangrove".

      --

      The Independent: Reverend Spooner Arrested in Friar Tuck Incident - ISIHAC, Historical Headlines
    15. Re:Bonjour? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "stupid isn't it"

      Yeah, stupid and sexist. Just because you're saying she instead of he doesn't make it right. Use the singular "they". "they just plug it in".

    16. Re:Bonjour? by Kehvarl · · Score: 1

      actually, the use of "they" as a singular is inaccurate. one should use "you", "he/she","he or she", or establish a common reference term. In this case the individual established the common reference term "she" for all users.

    17. Re:Bonjour? by Ender_Wiggin · · Score: 1

      The Rendezvous/Bonjour/Zeroconf allows you to connect to other computers without having to give them each IP addresses or setup DHCP. All your computers get their own domain name, like G4.local, kitchen.local, etc. You just connect by smb://kitchen.local or afp://G4.local

    18. Re:Bonjour? by Zork+the+Almighty · · Score: 1

      In my head, all the users are me, and all the developers are me. Of course, in my case that may actually be true!

      --

      In Soviet America the banks rob you!
    19. Re:Bonjour? by good+soldier+svejk · · Score: 1

      IIRC, in linguistics they call this the he/she conundrum. My memory (college was a long time ago) is that experiments have shown that it is easier to derive number than sex from context. Hence english speakng people tend to use "they" as a sex ambiguous singular pronoun. At one point (18th century?) the British Parliament passed a law against it.

      --
      It is cowardly, and a betrayal of whatever it means to be a Jew, to act as a white man

      -James Baldwin
  3. Bonjour? No point by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    The americans will rename this to Freedom Discoverer anyway.

    1. Re:Bonjour? No point by ceeam · · Score: 2, Funny

      Americans? I knew it all the way - Apple is a _Martian_ company.

    2. Re:Bonjour? No point by Alex · · Score: 5, Funny

      The americans will rename this to Freedom Discoverer anyway.

      And GWB will call it Discovererer

      Alex

    3. Re:Bonjour? No point by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Flamebait

      John Kerry called it Bonjour, then Freedom Discoverer, then he said he never called it Freedom Discoverer, and he now calls it Freedom Discoverer.

    4. Re:Bonjour? No point by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      And GWB will call it Discovererer

      But only as a last resort, or to be more precise, "the newcular option."

    5. Re:Bonjour? No point by jonbeckett73 · · Score: 1

      Don't you mean "Discovererizer" ?

      --
      Jonathan Beckett http://www.pluggedout.com
    6. Re:Bonjour? No point by hcob$ · · Score: 1

      Since the AMERICANS named it Bonjour in the first place, why would we change it?

      --
      Cliff Claven
      K.E.G. Party Chairman
      Founding Leader of: Koncerned for Egalitarin Governance
    7. Re:Bonjour? No point by rca66 · · Score: 4, Funny
      And GWB will call it Discovererer

      No, no, he will of course call it "Bonjour" - and he will point out the interesting fact, that the french have no word for "Bonjour".

    8. Re:Bonjour? No point by Taladar · · Score: 1

      I bet "French Fries" weren't named by the French either.

    9. Re:Bonjour? No point by Destoo · · Score: 1

      I've realised last week that Jack Bauer in 24 also says Newk'yoular.

      Maybe it's just us who are lagging behind?

      --
      Nouvelles de jeux et technologies en français. TC
    10. Re:Bonjour? No point by dirty · · Score: 0

      My history professor newcular too, I just want to throw a shoe at him every time he does it.

      --

      -matt
    11. Re:Bonjour? No point by JudgeFurious · · Score: 0

      Then Michael Moore will make a movie about GWB featuring him calling it "Discovererer" and it will of course be made on a Mac.

      --
      Appended to the end of comments you post. 120 chars.
    12. Re:Bonjour? No point by Quiet_Desperation · · Score: 1

      Actually, that's not a bad idea. Bonjour gives you the freedom to network without having to wrestle an operating system to the ground and forcing it to say uncle.

    13. Re:Bonjour? No point by nametaken · · Score: 5, Funny


      The americans will rename this to Freedom Discoverer anyway.

      And GWB will call it Discovererer


      And Al Gore will claim to have invented it.

      And Kerry will claim to have supported its creation, then retract.

      And FoxNews will tell the world that Bonjour is an attack on our freedom created by the Democrats.

      And CNN will claim that Clinton wrote it while he was getting head. ...can we stop the lame political jokes now and just call it a day?

    14. Re:Bonjour? No point by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      > I bet "French Fries" weren't named by the French either.

      They're from Belgium.

    15. Re:Bonjour? No point by geoffspear · · Score: 1

      They weren't named "french fries" by the Belgians, either, any more than the Chinese named something "noodles" in Marco Polo's time.

      --
      Don't blame me; I'm never given mod points.
    16. Re:Bonjour? No point by superyooser · · Score: 1

      It doesn't matter what it's called, because Apple will soon surrender.

    17. Re:Bonjour? No point by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I think it must be Jupiter. this being Io tech

    18. Re:Bonjour? No point by spectre_240sx · · Score: 1

      Honestly, who throws a shoe?

    19. Re:Bonjour? No point by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why are the "conservative" comebacks never as funny as the originals?

    20. Re:Bonjour? No point by John+Pliskin · · Score: 1

      I thought he threw all of his Freedom Discoverer away?

      $

    21. Re:Bonjour? No point by Koiu+Lpoi · · Score: 1

      No.

    22. Re:Bonjour? No point by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No, I'm pretty sure they'll keep "Bonjour" and just insist on a butchered, ignorant pronunciation of the word.

    23. Re:Bonjour? No point by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "...can we stop the lame political jokes now and just call it a day?"

      Almost. You've only forgotten to blame Canada. Up here we have to have everything labled in French and English, so some government git will have the sorry job of fitting Apple's Bonjour to that regulation.

    24. Re:Bonjour? No point by mbadolato · · Score: 1

      any more than the Chinese named something "noodles" in Marco Polo's time

      Yes but to be fair, they were too busy searching for him in the water, with their eyes closed, to have the time to think up the name "noodles"...

    25. Re:Bonjour? No point by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Umm... hate to break it to yous guys.
      But newcular is a fairly common pronunciation among professionals in the field. I'm grateful for the spelling, though... I've been wondering how to make the tshirt.

      One of the best Simpsons quotes is when Homer is considered an expert engineer, and corrects a reporter that "It's pronounced 'New-cular.'"

    26. Re:Bonjour? No point by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The "conservative" comebacks are always exactly as funny as the originals- that is, they aren't funny at all.

    27. Re:Bonjour? No point by Anonym1ty · · Score: 1
      I bet "French Fries" weren't named by the French either.

      But "American Cheese" was named by Americans.

    28. Re:Bonjour? No point by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      us who are lagging behind?

      No, us are smarter than they!

    29. Re:Bonjour? No point by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The reporter was actually a college teacher.

    30. Re:Bonjour? No point by spearway · · Score: 1

      Actually you have a point. French as in French Fries comes from the old English word to Trench (cut) and has nothing to do with France.

      The liberty Fries only exist because of some legistator wanted to show his knowledge to the world -:)

    31. Re:Bonjour? No point by FredFnord · · Score: 1
      Up here we have to have everything labled in French and English, so some government git will have the sorry job of fitting Apple's Bonjour to that regulation.
      Well, for the English, it's already done for you: Bonjour

      For the French, may I humbly suggest the name Yo!

      -fred
      --
      Sign #11 of Slashdot overdose: You see the phrase 'moderate Republican' and you wonder if that would be a +1 or a -1.
  4. UPnP by PhrostyMcByte · · Score: 1

    It's well and good that Apple wants to give us Windows developers something to play with, but this sounds a lot like UPnP. Anyone familiar with both care to comment on the differences?

    1. Re:UPnP by jcr · · Score: 5, Funny

      Sure: Bonjour works. Any more questions?

      --
      The only title of honor that a tyrant can grant is "Enemy of the State."
    2. Re:UPnP by wargolem · · Score: 5, Informative

      Here's a good comparison of UPnP and Zeroconf. Zeroconf is the base of Apple's Bonjour.

    3. Re:UPnP by TheRaven64 · · Score: 5, Informative
      Bonjour, a.k.a. Rendezvous a.k.a. ZeroConf is much more light-weight than UPnP. It is also more low-level - defining the mechanism, rather than a complex set of profiles. ZeroConf is purely service discovery - it is used for advertising the existence of other, existing, protocols, rather than for actually performing any communication directly. As such, it is very easy to add ZeroConf to an existing server or peer-to-peer protocol - you just advertise the port people connect to and the protocol they should use, rather than having to modify any existing networking code.

      Note that I am far more familiar with ZeroConf than with UPnP, so I may have miss-characterised UPnP in this post.

      --
      I am TheRaven on Soylent News
    4. Re:UPnP by quigonn · · Score: 5, Informative

      Actually, zeroconf is more than service discovery.

      zeroconf consists of:
      - automatic allocation of IP address without DHCP
      - name resolving without a central DNS server
      - service discovery without a central directory service

      --
      A monkey is doing the real work for me.
    5. Re:UPnP by bullitB · · Score: 2, Funny

      Yes, perhaps "Au Revoir for UPnP" would have been a better name for this release.

    6. Re:UPnP by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      - automatic allocation of IP address without DHCP

      What's wrong with DHCP?

      - name resolving without a central DNS server

      What's wrong with a central DNS server?

    7. Re:UPnP by prefect42 · · Score: 5, Interesting

      I throw 20 people and their laptops into a room. With zeroconf they all automatically notice each other, sort out what IPs they're each going to use, offer their printers to each other (as defined by policy), and magically become a network of machines.

      In dumb speak, it just works. DHCP is much better for an organised network, this is much better for an ad-hoc one.

      --

      jh

    8. Re:UPnP by quigonn · · Score: 1

      What's wrong with DHCP?

      Nothing, but the scope of zeroconf is to plug together two or more computers, and file sharing and network services between them "just work" without doing any configuration work.

      What's wrong with a central DNS server?

      Nothing, but again, zeroconf is supposed to work in environments where there is no infrastructure but a few network cables and probably a switch, and you still need a mechanism to do name resolving (and also because mDNS [the variation of DNS used in zeroconf, basically DNS over multicast IP] is used as decentralized directory service for announcing and retrieving available services in the local network).

      --
      A monkey is doing the real work for me.
    9. Re:UPnP by Boomer3000 · · Score: 1

      Yes, but if instead of people we take 1.000.000 monkeys, will Shakespeare's opus be rewritten faster, using Bonjour's networking capabilities?

    10. Re:UPnP by NutscrapeSucks · · Score: 1

      In terms of functionality it is more similar to NetBIOS-over-TCP/IP (NBT) than UPNP.

      Think of how the "network neighborhood" works via broadcasts on a local workgroup subnet.

      --
      Whenever I hear the word 'Innovation', I reach for my pistol.
    11. Re:UPnP by dolmen.fr · · Score: 1

      Adieu UPnP would be better. Au revoir means it will come back (Revoir is "to see again").

    12. Re:UPnP by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      At least until one of them wants to get out of the local subnet and onto the Internet...

      Isn't zeroconf IP allocation the standard 'pick a random IP from some special subnet' routine? it just works for disconnected networks.

    13. Re:UPnP by DrPizza · · Score: 5, Informative

      "What's wrong with DHCP?"

      It needs a DHCP server.

      This is why MS invented APIPA (automatic private ip addressing), in the 169.254.0.0/16 range, which made its debut with Windows 98. If a network adaptor is set to DHCP but no DHCP server responds, it picks an IP in that range. This allows ad hoc local networks to form.

      ZeroConf takes APIPA and adds to it multicast DNS (again, because ad hoc networks don't have DNS servers that they can publish names to). Any machine on the local network can listen to the mDNS requests and respond accordingly; it uses specially formed DNS names to publish services (in a manner broadly equivalent to, but IIRC incompatible with, SRV records).

      UPnP uses a different mechanism for service discovery (it uses multicast HTTP instead of multicast DNS). It also goes a step further and allows devices to publish known, standardized interfaces.

      ZeroConf lets iTunes search for other local iTunes and share media libraries. IIRC only iTunes knows how to talk to these other iTunes instances, because there's no ZeroConf standard "media library" facility.

      UPnP lets *media players* search for other local *media players*. These media players are, as long as they conform to the right interface, mutually compatible; it doesn't matter if a "Media Library" is a SAN or a program like Winamp or WMP or some putative networked iPod or hifi system; it just conforms to a standard "Media Library" interface and can stream files accordingly. Likewise the "Media Renderer"; I can control a Media Renderer without caring about its exact nature (it might be a hifi or a PC or something else entirely).

      UPnP works well, and can do everything ZeroConf does and then some; it's probably most widely used for Internet Gateway Devices; you get your nice cheap combined cable modem/router box from Linksys, and Windows can see and recognize the device, allowing it to report on connection status, provide a "built-in" link to the device's management web page, and so on and so forth.

    14. Re:UPnP by romanval · · Score: 1

      then you get a router that serves DHCP and assigns IP's to everybody. .. except DHCP isn't going to tell my laptop that there's an shared printer on the network.

    15. Re:UPnP by badriram · · Score: 2, Informative

      So to sum up, Bonjour and UPnp are very similar in nature. Both solve the same problems.

      Bonjour is light weight, uses smaller packets, and does not define any device types
      UPnP uses XML and http, so it is more complex. It defines device types.

      Bonjour was created and supported by apple around 2001.
      UPnP has been around longer since 1999.

      Personally it looks like Apple copied UPnP to create Bonjour.

    16. Re:UPnP by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      In ad-hoc networks you may not have access to a
      DHCP or DNS server.

    17. Re:UPnP by wchanley · · Score: 3, Insightful
      Oh, please.

      Rendezvous/Bonjour makes TCP/IP as automatic as AppleTalk was; that's what they "copied," if anything. Mac users were used to automatic service discovery, printer sharing and so on, without worrying about whether or not TCP/IP was manually configured, using DHCP, and so on... (and on...)

      Bonjour does for TCP/IP what AppleTalk did for Mac networking years ago.

    18. Re:UPnP by WindBourne · · Score: 1

      The future belongs to a network with a large number of devices. Your phone, your frig, your tv, etc. It would be difficult to try and manage these. Instead, it would be better to allow these devices to manage themselves.

      --
      I prefer the "u" in honour as it seems to be missing these days.
    19. Re:UPnP by shotfeel · · Score: 1

      And one of the big differences that may be important for many here (from above link), is that Zeroconf is, " a patent-free (unlike UPnP) and completely open specification".

    20. Re:UPnP by shotfeel · · Score: 1

      Bonjour is light weight, uses smaller packets, and does not define any device types

      You also forgot that its a patent free, open specification. UPnP is not.

    21. Re:UPnP by As+Seen+On+TV · · Score: 1

      To be just the tiniest smidge more clear: "Zeroconf" is a specification. Bonjour (née Rendezvous) is an implementation.

    22. Re:UPnP by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Nor will DHCP allow me to access Chad's Laptop by going to chads-laptop.local.

      DHCP and Bonjour are really orthogonal services. They intersect at IP address allocation, but that's where the commonalities end.

    23. Re:UPnP by jcr · · Score: 1

      Bonjour works on small disconnected networks. Put it into a large managed network and you have a major disaster.

      I use it on a very large, managed network every day. What problems have you experienced with it?

      -jcr

      --
      The only title of honor that a tyrant can grant is "Enemy of the State."
    24. Re:UPnP by Arctic+Fox · · Score: 1

      ZeroConf lets iTunes search for other local iTunes and share media libraries. IIRC only iTunes knows how to talk to these other iTunes instances, because there's no ZeroConf standard "media library" facility. Not to pick nits, this was a very informative post, but Limewire for Mac OS X also knows / shares iTunes libraries.

    25. Re:UPnP by badriram · · Score: 1

      That is true... which does help apple's case

    26. Re:UPnP by JawzX · · Score: 1

      Maybe i'm using the wrong routers (Belkin mostly) maybe i'm using the wrong OS (XP Home sp2 mostly) but i have yet to find a UPnP system that works as advertised. Sure Windows finds the "residential gateway device" but if I try to get status from it the "residental gateway" process hangs and has to be killed. When a Win XP hachine is used with ICS i can get status from it, and even control connections, but if i use 2k or Me or 98 as the ICS machine it shows up, but again hangs. UPnP, at least in this application and with these device is useless as far as i've found.

    27. Re:UPnP by Gumber · · Score: 1

      Then there is the fact that UPnP is disabled under XP2 for security reasons.

    28. Re:UPnP by DrPizza · · Score: 1

      Works perfectly when I've tried it with Linksys devices.

    29. Re:UPnP by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No, they copied themselves. Stuart Cheshire, the man behind Zeroconf, designed it with the explicit purpose of recreating the AppleTalk user experience on IP networks. Most if not all of the Zeroconf protocol has a direct analog in AppleTalk.

      AppleTalk is old. Been around for nearly two decades now.

      (It's also worth noting that Cheshire worked on Zeroconf for some time before he was hired by Apple. Zeroconf has been in the works significantly longer than 2001.)

  5. Re:Rendevouz? by Sirch · · Score: 1

    In short, yes, it was.

  6. Re:Is this a first? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    iTunes, Quicktime?

  7. Well... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    N o .

  8. Re:Is this a first? by ioErr · · Score: 2, Informative

    The first time? No. QuickTime, for one.

  9. Re:Is this a first? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Are you forgetting about Quicktime and iTunes and Rendezvous (yes i know rendezvous and bonjour are the same thing) and Airport Admin utility etc.... ?

  10. Re:Rendevouz? by wargolem · · Score: 2, Informative

    Yes, Bonjour is Rendezvous renamed. Here's some info on that.

  11. Re:Is this a first? by cassidyc · · Score: 2, Informative

    itunes.
    quicktime.

  12. Bonjour is kinda cool... by __aambat2633 · · Score: 2, Informative

    For exempel... When you got a OSX server up and running. And you got another OSX machine in the network. Just open Server Admin. The machine find the server just when you open the program.

    Or when you are sitting in a network, open itunes. suddenly all the peoples that share there music with itunes pops up in the playlist. So you can play there songs...

  13. RAMpage by apache+guevara · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Great! More apple apps on Windows along the lines of quicktime and itunes. Longhorn is coming along in bytes and pieces (if we take Gates' word for it).

    Am gonna put my last pennies to good use by buying shares of RAM manufactures. Mark my words, with all the ppl rushing to upgrade, there's explosive growth there!

    1. Re:RAMpage by __aahlyu4518 · · Score: 1, Funny

      By encouriging everybody here to buy RAM manufacturers shares, you just have to pay a lot more for those now... ORRRR... you are very clever and bought these shares before posting ;-)

    2. Re:RAMpage by TheRaven64 · · Score: 1
      Or, he's working on the assumption that people have learned from the iPod release that Slashdot is 100% wrong at predicting technology trends, and he is hoping to pick up some RAM share cheaply after the small dip resulting from his comment.

      I think my brain hurts.

      --
      I am TheRaven on Soylent News
    3. Re:RAMpage by Jesus_666 · · Score: 1, Funny

      Or, he's working on the assumption that people have learned from the iPod release that Slashdot is 100% wrong at predicting technology trends, and he is hoping to pick up some RAM share cheaply after the small dip resulting from his comment. I think my brain hurts.

      Maybe he has just bought some pharma stocks and wants to drive up aspirin sales...

      --
      USE HOT GRITS WITH STATUE OF NATALIE PORTMAN (NAKED AND PETRIFIED)
  14. Re:Is this a first? by gusilu · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Yes, I was forgetting about them :)

    But what I meant was that this seems to be different since it is something that is apparently more tightly tied in to how the OS work, IMHO.

    --
    Don't try to fix me. I'm not broken.
  15. Re:Is this a first? by michaeldot · · Score: 4, Interesting
    Is this the first time Apple releases software that works on Windows?

    QuickTime...
    iTunes...

    Now the question is wether we'll eventually see Mac OS X for x86...........

    Rumor is that Apple does indeed do internal builds on x86, in case some day they have to switch processor architectures like they almost did before IBM took up the PowerPC slack.

    But since Apple is primarily a "whole box" company, it's unlikely they'd use it for anything other than a x86-based computer of their own design, not a normal PC.

    Though it'd be nice to think some day they'd license clone makers again... An "HP Mac" would be an interesting concept.

  16. Say.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful


    Say that I'm a windows user, used to (or obliged to use) ie and windows explorer..

    Say that I'm already in a network, since I`m downloading Bonjour and browsing this trashy website..

    Say that at some point there is another PC in the network that I need to find..

    Say that the other computer is also a windows PC, as 90% of all PC`s are..

    Then what is the point?

    1. Re:Say.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Interesting

      There are many printers now that work with this technology. It's actually pretty good stuff. I am surprised that this was not already in Windows. Apple usually isn't the type to just release free software for a platform other than theirs, unless of course something is in it for them. Possibly wider ZeroConf adoption in devices? Possible another pc compatible device that apple wants to release, but requires this?

    2. Re:Say.. by dabigpaybackski · · Score: 1

      The point is to woo away PC users from the PC platform to the Mac. Ergonomic, well-engineered Apple software is the bait.

      --
      "OH SHIT, THERE'S A HORSE IN THE HOSPITAL!"
    3. Re:Say.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Exactly how is this supposed to make me dump all my software and switch to Apple?

    4. Re:Say.. by uncommonlygood · · Score: 1

      You don't need a DHCP server to configure your IP addresses, or to configure them manually.

      You don't need a DNS server to configure hostnames (i.e. you can go and get "bob'slaptop" rather that using an IP address like 192.168.1.47, that is inconvenient and could change to another address at any moment when bob moves between wireless hotspots).

      You can share more services than just printers and files, like your iTunes playlist or anything that anyone cares to program.

      When a new computer is added they don't have to be set up with an IP address / you don't have to worry about reconfiguring your DHCP server. (Obviously there's security implications, so depending on who you are you might need some reconfiguring, that is unavoidable for security).

      Linkage:
      http://images.apple.com/macosx/pdf/MacOSX_Bonjour_ TB.pdf
      http://www.zeroconf.org/

    5. Re:Say.. by kanweg · · Score: 1

      Well, you don't need to dump it. Apple is happy if you add a Mac mini, as a result of which you'll learn to love da bomb, eh, the Mac. And you'll find you'll buy software for that, because you'll find it is more of a joy to work with the thingie.

      Bert

    6. Re:Say.. by sh00z · · Score: 1

      The site says that a Mac needs to be running Tiger in order for it to share a printer with Windows machines. I am not an early adopter, so Tiger is at least six months out for me. What about the reverse? Will an XP machine with SP2 and Bonjour be able to share a printer with Panther-loaded Macs?

    7. Re:Say.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well if my powerbook can pick up PCs which don't have bonjour then I assume you'll still have the benefits of bonjour even if the windows network makes it redundant at the time.

    8. Re:Say.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Actually, printer sharing works under Panther and iirc Jaguar too. I've used to have my W2k box printing through my G4. I only switched b/c I picked up a nice QMS/Minolta network laser printer ;)

    9. Re:Say.. by Sometimes_Rational · · Score: 2, Informative

      Look at the O'Reilly article referred to by wargolem above, comparing Bonjour with UPnP. Reading between the lines, it's pretty clear that one reason Apple developed Bonjour is to avoid the risk of being locked out by Microsoft somewhere down the line. For this to work, Bonjour will have to be nearly universally adopted, so of course it has to be free. Add to that the fact that Bonjour is easy to develop for and is not patented (unlike Microsoft's monolithic standard), and the prospects look good that Bonjour will be widely adopted.

      --
      Warning: The intelligence of this post may be larger than it appears.
    10. Re:Say.. by menace3society · · Score: 2, Funny
      Say that there's this really important file on a computer that needs to be sent to your boss

      Say that the computer is turned off, but plugged and ready to boot.

      Say that you're dead, as most of the people who have ever lived are.

      Then what's the point

    11. Re:Say.. by Kenja · · Score: 1
      "You don't need a DHCP server to configure your IP addresses, or to configure them manually."

      How do you download Bonjour without an IP address? This is a chicken or the egg thing. If you dont have it, your need to do the stuff it does to get it.

      --

      "Have you ever thought about just turning off the TV, sitting down with your kids, and hitting them?"
    12. Re:Say.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      > The point is to woo away PC users [using]
      > well-engineered Apple software is the bait.

      If that was the goal, they they failed miserably.

      As soon as I loaded Bonjour on my PC, damned near 20%-30% of the cpu cycles started getting sucked up by all those fscking services and responders.

      What a load of crap. Zero Conf. had better be a whole hell of a lot more light weight that this overweight pig.

      Humm... maybe I don't really want to buy Apple hardware based on this experience... I've hard they have problems with quality control.

      Bonjour has now been officially uninstalled. I wait for the Microsoft implementation and if that sucks too, then I'll just chaulk it up to another failed protocol spec.

    13. Re:Say.. by shotfeel · · Score: 1

      Possible another pc compatible device that apple wants to release, but requires this?

      After reading that I had to go check, but it looks like AirPort Express and AirTunes already work for a Windows PC. Maybe a future iPod model fits into the works.

  17. Only if you have iTunes 4.6 or earlier, though. by CdBee · · Score: 1

    In iTunes 4.7 Apple restricted this feature. You can only play music from 3 other playlists every 24 hours. This was in response to pressure from RIAA as university networs were becoming a smorgasbord of free-to-listen music through iTunes sharing.

    --
    I have been a user for about 10 years. This ends Feb 2014. The site's been ruined. I'm off. Dice, FU
    1. Re:Only if you have iTunes 4.6 or earlier, though. by __aambat2633 · · Score: 1

      Really, to bad. I used this feature in earlier iTunes every day when i studdied at "Blekinge Institute Of Technology", there wasn't a massive distrubition of music through iTunes because we were't so many Mac users...
      But it was a very easy thing to use then you got a laptop sitting somewere in the campus with a laptop and no external harddive with you.

    2. Re:Only if you have iTunes 4.6 or earlier, though. by TiggsPanther · · Score: 1
      ...as university networs were becoming a smorgasbord of free-to-listen music through iTunes sharing.

      As opposed to through people (sometimes intentionally, often not) leaving the shared directory containing their MP3 collection world-readable.

      --
      Tiggs
      "120 chars should be enough for everyone..."
    3. Re:Only if you have iTunes 4.6 or earlier, though. by mattjb0010 · · Score: 1

      In iTunes 4.7 Apple restricted this feature. You can only play music from 3 other playlists every 24 hours. This was in response to pressure from RIAA as university networs were becoming a smorgasbord of free-to-listen music through iTunes sharing.

      Actually it limits the number of received connections to 5 per day, rather than restricting the number of playlists you can connect to. But a similar effect, nonetheless.

  18. Re:Is this a first? by CdBee · · Score: 1

    Appleworks Office suite is offered for Windows as well - Schools with mac and windows labs used it on both to guarantee cross-compatibility

    (Appleworks was based on the cross-platform Claris Office which was bought up by Apple)

    --
    I have been a user for about 10 years. This ends Feb 2014. The site's been ruined. I'm off. Dice, FU
  19. No Panthers by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "The Bonjour Printer Wizard will only discover printers being shared by the Mac OS X "Printer Sharing" feature when the Macintosh is running Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger or later."

    1. Re:No Panthers by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So.. get Tiger, and all the windows machines can share the printer or... hook the printer up to the airport. What an option that is.

  20. Uh oh... by dysprosia · · Score: 4, Funny

    What happens in the evenings?!

    1. Re:Uh oh... by Motherfucking+Shit · · Score: 5, Funny
      What happens in the evenings?!
      No worries, launchd has it all figured out. At 6pm localtime, bonjourd is automatically kill -9'd by bonsoird.
      --
      "BSD: Free as in speech. Linux: Free as in beer. Windows 10: Free as in herpes." --Man On Pink Corner in #52607549.
    2. Re:Uh oh... by gosand · · Score: 1
      What happens in the evenings?!

      That is kind of irrelevant. I have this installed, and it only works for about 3 hours during the day.

      --

      My beliefs do not require that you agree with them.

    3. Re:Uh oh... by dmd · · Score: 1

      You just totally made my day.

    4. Re:Uh oh... by SpacetimeComputing · · Score: 1

      > At 6pm localtime, bonjourd is automatically kill -9'd by bonsoird.

      Not on Windows it isn't. On Windows XP, bonjourd is automatically hacked and "We-apologize-for-the-inconvenience-but-bonjourd-h as-encountered-a-problem-and-needs-to-close-now-le t's-get-back-to-MSHQ-before-this-fake-smile-cracks -my-face". (Sorry for the cheesiness, but that's what I imagine the developer was thinking when he wrote that...) On Windows before XP... just don't ask.

      --
      :wq
    5. Re:Uh oh... by FredFnord · · Score: 1

      Hah! That's what, say, cron would do.

      launchd sends an Apple Event at 5:59, that says:
      "Au revoir, Bonjour!"

      And, after a little negotiation between it and Bonjour, Bonjour quits voluntarily. None of this messy process murder.

      And then, of course, at 5:59:59, launchd sends an Apple Event to Bonsoir:
      "Bonjour, Bonsoir!"

      --
      Sign #11 of Slashdot overdose: You see the phrase 'moderate Republican' and you wonder if that would be a +1 or a -1.
  21. Okay by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    And what about Linux?

    Or is it just assumed "Zero configuration" and "linux" are inherently incompatible concepts

    1. Re:Okay by Reverant · · Score: 5, Informative

      There is a Posix-compatible version of Zeroconf for Linux. Just download it from Apple's CVS (You will need an ADC account). Under bash: export CVS_RSH=ssh export CVSROOT=:ext:apsl@anoncvs.opensource.apple.com:/cv s/apsl cvs co mDNSResponder Then use your ADC ID and ADC password as a password, like this: my_adc_email@host.com:my_adc_password I've been using Zeroconf on my Linux laptop with no problems whatsoever, eg. Safari sees my laptop as a web server (I run Apache for site demos) and there is no need to manually enter the server's IP. Unfortunately, there is no Printer Wizard bundled. Duh.

    2. Re:Okay by TheRaven64 · · Score: 4, Informative

      Apple already released their ZeroConf stack for POSIX-like systems under an open source license.

      --
      I am TheRaven on Soylent News
    3. Re:Okay by Sique · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Check Google for "KDE 3.4" and "zeroconf" to answer that.

      --
      .sig: Sique *sigh*
    4. Re:Okay by natrius · · Score: 3, Informative

      Apple already released their ZeroConf stack for POSIX-like systems under an open source license.

      Except it's under Apple's APSL, which isn't DFSG free. KDE uses it anyway, but I assume Debian strips it out before packaging it. Avahi is a GPL'd implementation of zeroconf, and AFAIK Gnome is waiting for it to mature before integrating it. The web page has a progress update added today.

    5. Re:Okay by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yeah...so???

    6. Re:Okay by fdobbie · · Score: 3, Informative

      Actually, the client library portion has been re-licensed under the terms of the BSD license, largely to allow it to be used by software which is licensed under the terms of the GNU GPL.

      The mDNSResponder daemon remains under the terms of the APSL, which is not only OSI-approved but also accepted by RMS himself as being a valid Free Software license. The only problem he noted with it was that it is GPL-incompatible - but since the client library for Bonjour is GPL-compatible that shouldn't be a problem.

      To be honest, I'd be surprised if the APSL is not DFSG free. On what grounds is it not?

    7. Re:Okay by pldms · · Score: 1

      Except it's under Apple's APSL, which isn't DFSG free.

      That seems strange, since the FSF say APSL v2 is a free licence. Is the debian judgement about v1, perhaps? Just curious.

      --
      Slashdot looked deep within my soul and assigned
      me a number based on the order in which I joined
    8. Re:Okay by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Zeroconf network configuration is already in just about every Linux distribution. KDE 3.4 adds Zeroconf support for everything else.

      Open Konqueror and type:

      zeroconf:/

      in the Location text box.

    9. Re:Okay by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

      To be honest, I'd be surprised if the APSL is not DFSG free. On what grounds is it not?

      The original license was worded poorly. It's original literal effect was that if anyone anywhere ever used apple over a patent infringement case, everyone world-wide would lose the right to use APSL software. The original was not approved by anybody, and was lambasted as a "timebomb" waiting to go off when some lawyer-happy American gets himself a cheesy patent. v2 "fixed" this, changing the clause to specifically the user of the APSL-licensed software losing the right to use the software if they sue Apple.

      While patent reciprocity clauses are generally accepted by OSI, Debian-legal takes a somewhat dim view of licenses that don't restrict reciprocity to the licensed application (ie, FooCorp licenses whizbang allowing you to use and distribute whizbang and its patents, as long as if you add feature Bar to whizbang, you allow FooCorp and anyone else with the software to use any patents related to Bar) but the APSL doesn't read that way. If you have patents on raising chickens, use this software, and Apple decides to go into the farm business... well, maybe the software won't be as important to you as your chicken patent.

    10. Re:Okay by DecayCell · · Score: 1

      Wait a second, what about Howl?
      I thought it was the current *NIX implementation...

    11. Re:Okay by cortana · · Score: 3, Informative

      From http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/apsl.html:

      "The Apple Public Source License (APSL) version 2.0 qualifies as a free software license. Apple's lawyers worked with the FSF to produce a license that would qualify. ... The FSF now considers the APSL to be a free software license with two major practical problems, reminiscent of the NPL:

      * It is not a true copyleft, because it allows linking with other
      files which may be entirely proprietary.
      * It is incompatible with the GPL."

      Debian-legal has reviewed the APSL 2.0, in http://lists.debian.org/debian-legal/2003/08/msg00 527.html. It seems that the reason it is incompatible with the GPL, is also the reason it can not be considered DFSG-Free: it requires users of its software to distribute the source code available under certain circumstances.

    12. Re:Okay by mattyrobinson69 · · Score: 2, Insightful

      afaik its zeroconf support is available (or in development) as part of kde (as a kio-slave). its unfortunate that KIO-Slaves aren't more low level so more apps can use them (the tk[??], GTK[vmware] and non-kde specific QT apps [opera] that i use). ah well.

    13. Re:Okay by mattyrobinson69 · · Score: 1

      debian are more anal about what is a free license than the fsf. if you want a list of very free licences - see debian's list, free licences see fsf's list.

    14. Re:Okay by FauxPasIII · · Score: 1
      --
      25% Funny, 25% Insightful, 25% Informative, 25% Troll
    15. Re:Okay by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Heya,

      some kde-programs already use it. In the location-bar of konqueror you an type

      zeroconf:/

      to look for zeroconf-services.

      There is

      daap:/

      for browsing itunes-share ...

      Some games of kde also make their pesence available using zeroconf like kbattleship, ... I believe.

      Michel

    16. Re:Okay by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's OK, Debian seems to incompatible with actually releasing a "stable" distro anyway. Perhaps they should worry less about philosophy and more about debugging?

    17. Re:Okay by wasabii · · Score: 1

      Howl was recently purged from Debian main and Ubuntu for not being DFSG compliant.

      Some patent clause. Google for it.

    18. Re:Okay by oxnyx · · Score: 1

      Sounds about right to me. When has Linux ever gone in for just install me and I'll magically figure your system out and work without editing or rebuilding?

      --
      Life is like untied shoe laces; it always tripping you up and getting in your way.
    19. Re:Okay by Dr.+Smeegee · · Score: 1

      Can't get that dog to compile under cygwin. Poop. Dog.

    20. Re:Okay by The+New+Andy · · Score: 2, Funny

      Linux really puts the zero in zeroconf.

    21. Re:Okay by pyros · · Score: 1

      FedoraCore3 already includes the mDNSresponder. And the source code to Rendezvous was a free download last time I checked. That should be all you need. There's even a HOWTO for making your MP3 drive on your linux box an iTunes shared library, just google for it.

    22. Re:Okay by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      The following would be a little less typing (all one command):

      cvs_RSH=ssh cvs -d :ext:apsl@anoncvs.opensource.apple.com:/cvs/apsl co mDNSResponder

    23. Re:Okay by shish · · Score: 1
      its unfortunate that KIO-Slaves aren't more low level

      Lower level than the kernel?

      (I've not tried it myself, but it looks like it could be a great thing -- I wish they'd get some official kernel support though; I find it hard to trust third party modules)

      --
      I mod down anyone who says "I will be modded down for this", regardless of the rest of their comment
    24. Re:Okay by mattyrobinson69 · · Score: 1

      we may be getting fuse support in the 2.6.12 kernel (woo!). i forgot about that.

      thanks for reminding me.

      anyway, i did try it once using sshfs with fuse and it was very easy to use and didn't give me any problems but i decided to wait for it to be in vanilla. if you use gentoo, i believe there's an ebuild for a kernel with fuse, although i may be wrong (im using debian now).

  22. WTF? An "MSIE" plug-in? by WIAKywbfatw · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Apple does know that there are other browsers on Windows platforms other than MSIE, right?

    I'm sure it probably works fine with Opera, Firefox, etc, but why talk about "the Internet Explorer plugin"?

    And if by some chance it doesn't work with non-Microsoft browsers then what the hell is Apple thinking about? Surely further tying users to Microsoft and Microsoft's way of thinking is contrary to Apple's long-term goals?

    --

    "Accept that some days you are the pigeon, and some days you are the statue." - David Brent, Wernham Hogg
    1. Re:WTF? An "MSIE" plug-in? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The released Bonjour-kit is mainly some APIs and one could expect the folk behind other browsers to get the picture and use the APIs.
      Fat chanse MS would do that with IE so Apple better doing that themself...

    2. Re:WTF? An "MSIE" plug-in? by xiando · · Score: 4, Interesting

      I agree that all browsers available should be supported generally, but the issue here is: zero-configuration networking, enables automatic discovery of computers, devices, and services on IP networks. These things are Operating System issues, the only reason they call it Internet Explorer plugin is probably that it is the file-manager. Opera and Mozilla are not file managers, thus they do not need a plugin to browse available printers etc on the LAN, and they will not work unless the underlying operating system has configured the network etc. :-)

    3. Re:WTF? An "MSIE" plug-in? by NeuroManson · · Score: 1

      More appropriately, why doesn't Apple make Safari available for the PC? I mean hey, Netscape managed to keep solvent, despite the fact that they have heavy competition from Microsoft, so why not Apple?

      But then again, I wish Apple would just go ahead and build an OSX* for x86 systems, and give the consumer market a *real* choice. Currently there's a "choice" between Linux (which, regardless of how simplified they make the installation, still requires learning a new OS from scratch) or Windows (hole ridden spyware laden bloatware that is slightly easier to learn from scratch).

      However, OSX* runs straight out of the box and is easily learned from the start. Windows is *technically* harder to learn from scratch, always has been, and probably always will be.

      --
      Just because you can mod me down, doesn't mean you're right. Shoes for industry!
    4. Re:WTF? An "MSIE" plug-in? by jdwest · · Score: 1

      But then again, I wish Apple would just go ahead and build an OSX* for x86 systems, and give the consumer market a *real* choice.
      Apparently, you are not the only one ...
      --

      Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet ...
    5. Re:WTF? An "MSIE" plug-in? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "But then again, I wish Apple would just go ahead and build an OSX* for x86 systems"

      Please fuck off and die putz.

      Apple has no reason to support your piece of crap x86 box.

    6. Re:WTF? An "MSIE" plug-in? by Chucker23N · · Score: 2, Informative

      The plug-in they are talking about adds a sidebar to IE that communicates with the Bonjour backend to discover FTP and HTTP servers. This needs to be implemented per-browser, of course.

      Hopefully, they will add a Firefox plug-in soon.

    7. Re:WTF? An "MSIE" plug-in? by DarkSarin · · Score: 3, Interesting

      As near as I can tell, having considered this myself, there are essentially two major reasons not to make an x86 version of OSX (OSx86?).

      First is that of hardware support. OSX supports a fairly narrow array of hardware--most of it designed for OSX specifically. Driver translation, although not impossible, would take some effort and money. This problem, although not a show stopper (since Apple could, if they wanted to, make it happen), is a significant hurdle. It isn't that there aren't lots of drivers for OSX, but that those drivers would need to be rewritten for a new OS on a new platform. Costly and annoying. Also confusing for those who are purchasing a new bit of hardware.

      The second reason is more important, and probably is the show stopper. From what I can tell (and I'm sure others will chime in), Apple makes a good portion of their money from hardware sales--not software. Arguably (though not necessarily) selling OSx86 (I like the nomenclature) would reduce sales of their hardware beyond the point of increased revenue from selling the software (remember that there would be increased development costs). The question is two-fold: would there be a significant reduction in sales of hardware? and, how many peices of software need to be sold in order to make up for one lost sale of a new iMac? If you can answer those questions, then you know whether or not this is a show-stopper. I would guess that it is. The folks at Apple are not stupid (regardless of what some folks will tell you). I am sure that more than one bean counter has run the figures and KNOWS what the costs would be. What they don't know, and probably can't know, is how many people who would NEVER buy a Mac (hardware) would LOVE to have OSx86 (or OSx86-64). I suspect that it would offset sales, but they obviously don't agree.

      There is a third reason--Steve Jobs may not want to position themselves to compete directly with MS. It isn't exactly the most healthy way to do business.

      A fourth reason also has to do with Jobs--he may just not like the idea, and frankly, that would be enough.

      I think that just about covers the argument. That said, I would buy OSx86-64, if only to confuse people!

      --
      "We don't know what we are doing, but we are doing it very carefully,..." Wherry, R.J. Personnel Psychology (1995)
    8. Re:WTF? An "MSIE" plug-in? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      To use it with 3rd party browsers you need to install the browser first, hence not _ZERO_ configuration networking anymore, whereas IE usually comes with windows.

    9. Re:WTF? An "MSIE" plug-in? by wsapplegate · · Score: 2, Insightful

      > Opera and Mozilla are not file managers, thus they do not need a plugin to browse available printers etc on the LAN

      But, wouldn't they benefit from a plugin for something like this (from TFWebsite) ?

      "Safari, Apple's turbo-charged web browser, uses Bonjour to find any web addresses on your local network - for printer, router or webcam setup and administration, for instance."

      If that is what I think it is, it seems very cool, no more remembering that the CUPS control panel is on http;//172.18.124.49:681/ for instance...

      --
      Xenu brings order!
    10. Re:WTF? An "MSIE" plug-in? by unother · · Score: 1

      It always had this feature--in Safari 1.x, look in the preferences for "Enable Rendezvous" on the bookmark bar and menu.

      Yeah, I know, I didn't realise it was there until last night, myself; not till this whole Bonjour thing made me excited for the Windoze boxen I have... :)

    11. Re:WTF? An "MSIE" plug-in? by unother · · Score: 1

      Well, seems to me that it's not "zero" configuration if you have to install Bonjour to begin with. :)

      I would imagine they will be licensing the installer to be included with many a cross-platform device, however...

    12. Re:WTF? An "MSIE" plug-in? by mattyrobinson69 · · Score: 1

      Apparently apple keeps their code portable so a quick recompile for x86 will do, as a quick emergency backup plan.

      Its only a rumour though and with apple growing (iirc), they wouldn't resort to this unless they had to (they make money from hardware too, plus good device drivers for a small ammount of hardware is one of the things that keeps OSX stable).

    13. Re:WTF? An "MSIE" plug-in? by MrMickS · · Score: 0
      The only insightful thing about the parent is that is proves that Slashdot mods could be replaced by bots that mod up anything that disses MS and mentions a piece of open sores software.

      Apple have released a Bonjour SDK and a user tool that shows the potential of it. They have obviously chosen IE because a) it comes as part of Windows and so they can be sure that everyone has it and b) that the vast majority of people using Windows use IE as their browser.

      --
      You may think me a tired, old, cynic. I'd have to disagree about the tired bit.
    14. Re:WTF? An "MSIE" plug-in? by GIL_Dude · · Score: 1

      That's pretty funny. IE the file manager... 7 years and still some people think "Internet Explorer" and "Windows Explorer" are the same thing. They're NOT and there is a shell extension API for Windows Explorer that is probably much better suited for this code to use (so that it could plug itself into "My Computer" and/or "My Network Places" in Windows Explorer. Internet Explorer add-ins (spyware or just plain crap ((most IE add-ins anyway are crap))) are another animal altogether...

    15. Re:WTF? An "MSIE" plug-in? by drdink · · Score: 1

      Simple. Most users use Microsoft Internet Explorer. Development for IE is pretty stagnant compared to Mozilla, Firefox, and friends. So, Apple shot for the majority by providing a MSIE plugin and can safely assume that somebody will use the provided SDK to make a plugin for Mozilla and Firefox without Apple having to do it themselves. Business is about maximizing result from minimal investment.

      --
      Beware, Nugget is watching... See?
    16. Re:WTF? An "MSIE" plug-in? by babbage · · Score: 2, Interesting
      I agree that all browsers available should be supported generally, but the issue here is: zero-configuration networking, enables automatic discovery of computers, devices, and services on IP networks. These things are Operating System issues, the only reason they call it Internet Explorer plugin is probably that it is the file-manager. Opera and Mozilla are not file managers, thus they do not need a plugin to browse available printers etc on the LAN, and they will not work unless the underlying operating system has configured the network etc. :-)

      Well, it's sort of an OS issue, and it's sort of an application issue.

      The support for automatic resource discovery should be provided by the operating system, yes, but applications need to integrate this in appropriate ways. Web browsers, for example, need to actually ask for that information, and need to provide an interface for accessing it.

      It doesn't really have anything to do with IE's file managing capabilities. With the new version of Bonjour for Windows, Apple has provided a plugin that allows IE users to browse local Rendezvous^W Bonjour HTTP resources from directly in the browser, via both a toolbar icon and a menu option, both of which open up an Explorer Bar panel on the left side of the browser window -- similar to the standard history / media / folders / etc views -- that shows a list of current Rendezvous^H^H^H Bonjour advertised URLs. While the OS, by way of the Bonjour subsystem, is providing the mechanism for finding these resources, the plugin for IE is a separate component that exploits that subsystem from within IE. You need both halves to do anything useful with this.

      And boy is this ever useful. At my job, I'm already using the mod_rendezvous_apple^W mod_bonjour Apache module to advertise a list of URLs for things useful to all the staff here -- the phone book, the intranet search engine, the bug tracker, the documentation wiki, etc -- so that all the users of Bonjour capable browsers automatically get a shared bookmark list. So far, this has only been useful for the people using OSX and Safari or Camino, but now it'll be useful to the people using IE on Windows. This would be great, were it not for the fact that we've managed to migrate almost all the Windows users over to Firefox by now. What would be really useful would be for Apple to bundle a Firefox plugin, or for Mozdev or someone to provide one that takes advantage of the Bonjour for Windows [and Linux!] API. If that became available, then everyone would be able to benefit from these automatically advertised resources.

      The next step might be to come up with a CUPS/Bonjour bridge, so that the Windows users can automatically discover the CUPS printers in the same way that the OSX and Linux users can. I assume it should be possible...

    17. Re:WTF? An "MSIE" plug-in? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      A fifth reason- there are NO applications for OS X on X86. Do you really see Adobe porting Photoshop?

    18. Re:WTF? An "MSIE" plug-in? by LetterJ · · Score: 1

      "Apple does know that there are other browsers on Windows platforms other than MSIE, right?"

      Yes, they do. Hence the SDK. It's pretty likely that there will be plugins for the rest shortly via the SDK.

      See, when you're putting out a tool for a new platform, you tend to focus on the biggest target and work from there. The alternative is to hold on to things until absolutely everyone can possibly be covered, which results in NO ONE getting it for Windows at all.

    19. Re:WTF? An "MSIE" plug-in? by DarkSarin · · Score: 1

      A few years ago, yes.

      Now? Perhaps not. But with Macrodobia (my favorite possibility) in the works, I suspect that they might dance differently. The truth of the matter is that if enough developers said they wanted it, it would get ported.

      --
      "We don't know what we are doing, but we are doing it very carefully,..." Wherry, R.J. Personnel Psychology (1995)
    20. Re:WTF? An "MSIE" plug-in? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      > It doesn't really have anything to do with IE's file managing capabilities.

      IE has no file managing capabilities beyond "save as". It simply embeds the explorer shell control in the OLE frame ... badly at that, since it rearranges the menus instead of merging them.

    21. Re:WTF? An "MSIE" plug-in? by Skuld-Chan · · Score: 1

      The arguement for making OSX on x86 however is a question:

      Who's making more money? Microsoft or Apple? Microsoft of course, and they don't make any hardware.

    22. Re:WTF? An "MSIE" plug-in? by jruschme · · Score: 1

      The purpose of the plugin appears to be to allow browsing of advertised http servers.

      OTOH, the name resolution is available to all applications on the host, so one can, for instance, use Firefox to browse a site hosted on a MacOS X system provided you know the advertised name of the system. I have no problems seeing the servers on my Linux box (exported using Howl).

      I expect it won't be long before someone writes a Firefox XPI which uses Bonjour to allow the same functionality as the IE plugin.

      >>

    23. Re:WTF? An "MSIE" plug-in? by poot_rootbeer · · Score: 1

      why talk about "the Internet Explorer plugin"?

      Keep in mind that "Windows Explorer", the GUI for browsing local and network filesystems, uses some of the same APIs as "Internet Explorer", the web browser integrated into Windows...

    24. Re:WTF? An "MSIE" plug-in? by jocknerd · · Score: 1

      There's one more reason why we won't see OS X on an x86 platform. Applications. If there are two separate versions of OS X, that would require Adobe to make two separate versions of Photoshop just for OS X. Eventually they would decide enough is enough and choose a platform. My guess is they would choose the x86 platform and not the PPC.

      There will always be only one version of OS X. It may run on x86 one day but thats only if Apple's hardware is running x86.

    25. Re:WTF? An "MSIE" plug-in? by BeerCat · · Score: 1

      It is possible that they would only have to develop one version, provided the Cocoa frameworks are fully ported to x86, but then compile twice (once for PPC, and once for x86). Or even, compile three times (one for G4, one optimised for G5 and one for x86). Because the photoshop.app can contain multiple versions, as fas as the user is concerned, "Photoshop for OS X" would work on OS X, whatever platform it is on.

      Until there is true hardware abstraction at the application layer (and hence the one code set will run anywhere), the "multiple version within a .app" approach is at least platform agnostic for the user.

      --
      "She's furniture with a pulse"
    26. Re:WTF? An "MSIE" plug-in? by jreilly · · Score: 1

      Well, Apple also has a module for Apache that hooks into Bonjour to announce itself. Safari can then use Bonjour to see all local webservers. This give IE the same capability

      --

      Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose
    27. Re:WTF? An "MSIE" plug-in? by DarkSarin · · Score: 1

      I don't know if they can do it sanely, but that would be awesome!

      --
      "We don't know what we are doing, but we are doing it very carefully,..." Wherry, R.J. Personnel Psychology (1995)
    28. Re:WTF? An "MSIE" plug-in? by BeerCat · · Score: 1

      It should be possible. Metrowerks CodeWarrior, for example, allowed MacOS and Windows binaries to be created from the same source. I'm sure there are other cross-platform compliers.

      Looking at the AppleWorks6.app (control click to see the package contents), there is a folder called "Contents". Inside that are folders called Mac OS and MacOSClassic. This allows it to run as OS X native and also from MacOS 9. AFAIK, the same principle can be used to include any binary.

      --
      "She's furniture with a pulse"
    29. Re:WTF? An "MSIE" plug-in? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Fair enough. But let's look at how Microsoft makes it's money, in regards to operating systems.

      The vast majority of Microsoft's operating system money comes from PC makers. I think Microsoft sold something like one million Windows XP upgrades. Everyone else just went out and bought a new PC. In fact, part of Microsoft's "slow down" comes from the fact that people aren't going out an buying new PCs. So Microsoft makes more money off hardware than they do off software.

      So for Apple to do the same thing, they would have to convince a bunch of PC makers to sell Mac OS X-86. Now I do agree that PC makers would love this because it would give them leverage against Microsoft. As in:

      PC Maker: "Hey, Microsoft, give us a break on your Windows licensing or we'll start selling Mac OS X-86."
      Microsoft: "Okay."

      *poof* There go the resellers for Mac OS X.

      I mean, if you're not convinced of this, look at history! NextSTEP? Rescued from complete obscurity by Apple. Solaris for Intel? Well, Sun was going to drop it a few years back. It still hasn't done a whole lot to displace Windows on servers. BeOS? Hell, they couldn't give it away--and they tried!

      And, somehow, Apple is going to buck this trend? Four words: I Don't Think So.

    30. Re:WTF? An "MSIE" plug-in? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This can certainly be done. However, there's a massive QA hit.

      So Adobe would have to test Photoshop on various Macs running Mac OS X, various PCs running OS X for Intel, and various PCs running Windows.

      When Apple went to PowerPC, developers didn't have all that difficult a time. Conversely, QA went nuts having to test on both 68K and PowerPC.

    31. Re:WTF? An "MSIE" plug-in? by NeuroManson · · Score: 1

      "There is a third reason--Steve Jobs may not want to position themselves to compete directly with MS. It isn't exactly the most healthy way to do business."

      Honestly I don't agree with that. Apple has a completely hardware dependant market for their OS, so it's a guaranteed sale no matter what for their existing OS. Having OSX* available for the PC only stands to risk their having a further market.

      Considering too, that OSX* is largely Unixish in structure, there's an ample amount of drivers available in *nix (both open source, and OEM coded), then there's only what, a chance of 10% devices not actually supported? Chances are, more PC hardware will actually function under OSX* than there is that would run under a G*/PPC* system.

      --
      Just because you can mod me down, doesn't mean you're right. Shoes for industry!
    32. Re:WTF? An "MSIE" plug-in? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      yeah because microsoft didn't have *anything* to do with blurring the distinction between the browser and filemanager. get over yourself.

  23. KDE has it too by m50d · · Score: 5, Informative

    KDE added support with 3.4, for example the public file server advertises itself over zeroconf (same protocol, different name). So this is starting to look like a good technology for those in a heterogenous environment

    --
    I am trolling
    1. Re:KDE has it too by Refrag · · Score: 0, Troll

      But what has KDE given back to Apple after taking their code?

      --
      I have a website. It's about Macs.
    2. Re:KDE has it too by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Your understanding of FOSS is flawed. There is no requirement to give anything back except through making code changes public. And all KDE code is.

    3. Re:KDE has it too by Refrag · · Score: 1

      It was a joke aimed towards all of the KDEers that whine about Apple not giving back to the KHTML team. Even though they do.

      --
      I have a website. It's about Macs.
    4. Re:KDE has it too by m50d · · Score: 1

      They didn't use their code, they implemented the protocol independently. But to answer your question, they make their whole cvs (now subversion) repository public, with all the changelogs, comments, logs, patches etc. readily available, which is all they are asking Apple to do.

      --
      I am trolling
    5. Re:KDE has it too by Refrag · · Score: 1

      And who was responsible for the protocol? Apple. I'm really just joking around here. I'm happy that KDE has implemented it. If I ever switch from Mac to Linux (as I did from Windows to Macintosh), I'll probably go with KDE instead of Gnome as my default window manager.

      --
      I have a website. It's about Macs.
    6. Re:KDE has it too by m50d · · Score: 1

      When you implement a protocol, you have no obligation to the makers. Even if they want to, they can't stop you. When you use someone else's engine you are only able to do so because they've licensed it so you can. The two cases are completely different. I'm grateful to apple for publishing the spec to make it easier, just as I'm grateful to adobe for publishing the pdf spec - but it's wrong to compare this to apple using khtml code.

      --
      I am trolling
    7. Re:KDE has it too by BlueLightning · · Score: 1

      all of the KDEers that whine about Apple not giving back to the KHTML team

      All that was said (by one person in a blog, I might add) was, people should stop trumpeting how great Apple is for supporting KHTML development, when they really aren't doing that very well at all.

  24. Xgrid on Windows?!? by lurch_mojoff · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Does this mean that Xgrid may also hit the Windows side of the moon?

    I don't have too much knowledge of the nuts and bolts of Xgrid, but ZeroConf networking seems to me the first step to porting it on Windows. After all, it is not too much different than distributed number crunching projects (e.g. SETI@Home), or is it?

    1. Re:Xgrid on Windows?!? by robbieduncan · · Score: 2, Informative

      The problem with this would be that the XGrid agents would need to be cross-platform. As you can see on Apple's intro page (http://developer.apple.com/hardware/hpc/xgrid_int ro.html) the controller creates these agents. At the moment XCode (which I assume is used to create the agents, or atleast gcc + the SDKs that get installed with XCode) is not able to compile for x86. I don't see Apple changing this any time soon.

    2. Re:Xgrid on Windows?!? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It doesn't create the agents, it simply talks to them. Others have already implemented semi-working agents on Linux, so supporting this on Windows is a simple matter of programming :).

      See this:
      http://unu.novajo.ca/simple/archives/000026.html

    3. Re:Xgrid on Windows?!? by kelzer · · Score: 1

      The problem with this would be that the XGrid agents would need to be cross-platform.

      A mature cross platform version of this type of technology, which has similar discovery and grid-computing capabilities, is called Jini. Once again, Sun proves its marketing prowess.

      --

      ---------------------------------------------
      SERENITY NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  25. HP? No. IBM or Sony? Yes... by WIAKywbfatw · · Score: 2, Interesting

    An "HP Mac" might have been an interesting concept, say, 6 years ago, but today it wouldn't get me expecting anything but a "me too" product.

    Now, an "IBM Mac" or a "Sony Mac" just might because IBM (despite the proposed sale of the PC division) and Sony have at least shown an ability to innovate desktop and notebook design, whereas HP, Dell and the rest of the field have barely contributed anything significant in a long time, if at all.

    --

    "Accept that some days you are the pigeon, and some days you are the statue." - David Brent, Wernham Hogg
    1. Re:HP? No. IBM or Sony? Yes... by mrchaotica · · Score: 2, Interesting

      A "Sony Mac" would be too consumer-oriented and cut into Apple Mac sales, I would think. "IBM Mac" business desktops and PPC Thinkpads, on the other hand, would be wonderful.

      The other thing they could do for an IBM version would be to re-skin OS X to be more OpenStep-like again, so that it would be more "industrial" and less friendly-looking -- that would help differentiate the products.

      --

      "[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz

    2. Re:HP? No. IBM or Sony? Yes... by WIAKywbfatw · · Score: 1

      Well, we're really into hypotheticals here but my point wasn't what would be good for Apple's own sales but more about which non-Apple computer manufacturers would we see something different (something other than "me too" stuff) from.

      Of course, as long as Steve Jobs is at the helm, Apple is extremely unlikely to license its OS again: one of the first things that Jobs did when he returned to the company was to shut down the authorised clones, not least of all because they were cutting into Apple's profits and diluting its brand.

      It's fairly clear that Jobs's vision of Apple is that it's best off creating products the emphasise the Apple brand as a strong plus point, so brand dilution via clones is probably the last thing on his mind.

      --

      "Accept that some days you are the pigeon, and some days you are the statue." - David Brent, Wernham Hogg
  26. prepare for an international incident, soon. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "Condi? Condi!!! Those damn French have invaded my computer! Look, they're saying hi right here..."

  27. Re:Is this a first? by TheRaven64 · · Score: 2, Interesting
    Though it'd be nice to think some day they'd license clone makers again... An "HP Mac" would be an interesting concept.

    An IBM Mac would make more sense. IBM already make more-or-less Mac compatible hardware (i.e. hardware that can run OS X inside Mac-On-Linux - similar to VMWare - but not boot it natively). They also target a very different market to Apple - IBM focus on the corporate desktop and the scientific / engineering workstation, while Apple focus on the consumer and the creative / artistic workstation market. Allowing IBM to be a second-source of OS X hardware would be a huge benefit to Apple, without cutting much into their profits - particularly if IBM were selling OS X Server hardware, where Apple would be making several hundred dollars of profit on each IBM sale.

    --
    I am TheRaven on Soylent News
  28. Re:Is this a first? by FidelCatsro · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Apple wont be doing that ,The clone macs caused apple alot of problems mostly related to the fact that it cut proffits by brobdignagian ammounts.
    Quite simply , apple makes a hell of alot more off of hardware and support(not so sure about support though) than they do off of software so it would not be in their best intrests.

    --
    The only things certain in war are Propaganda and Death. You can never be sure which is which though
  29. Linux! by xiando · · Score: 4, Informative

    It made me very happy to find that Linux has support for it and that even better support is under way. http://dot.kde.org/1114696139/

    1. Re:Linux! by jimmyharris · · Score: 2, Informative

      It's included by default in Fedora Core 4 (currently at test 2 release).

    2. Re:Linux! by the_womble · · Score: 1

      As this is an open standard AND Apple has released the source to their implementation (bottom of the page the "Bonjour" link goes to) it should be supported by just about everything soon.

    3. Re:Linux! by tka · · Score: 1

      I know nothing about zeroconf but here it goes..

      Shouldn't this be implenmented on a lower lever than desktop environment?

    4. Re:Linux! by shish · · Score: 1

      On the contrary; it seems like an app-based thing -- the low level network setup seems to be handled fine by DHCP, it's the stuff like automatically detecting shared files and games where it gets useful. The only thing I see where "lower than DE" would be a good idea is things like shared hardware, but I'd assume that a single standalone app could take care of that.

      --
      I mod down anyone who says "I will be modded down for this", regardless of the rest of their comment
    5. Re:Linux! by Yaztromo · · Score: 1

      FYI, the directions provided in the link you referenced work just fine for FC3 as well.

      Yaz.

  30. Nice MacOS X advert... by troon · · Score: 4, Insightful

    From TFA:

    Now anyone using a Windows PC can take advantage of the effortlessness of Bonjour for free. The Bonjour Setup Wizard makes setting up a printer under Windows as easy as Mac OS X (we can't make it as beautiful, unfortunately).

    Cool.

    --
    Ydco co ,df C erb-y go. a Ekrpat t.fxrapev
    1. Re:Nice MacOS X advert... by Jugalator · · Score: 2, Insightful

      It's good to see them acknowledging that their app design on Windows sucks. They're often trying to give them an Aqua-style GUI (see also QuickTime, iTunes) and failing miserably when it's not... well, an OS using Aqua.

      I'd rather have them use standard Windows design guidelines. At least the XP UI is skinnable with visual styles, so if they stick to the native UI, they'd deliver skinnable apps that are uniform with the others instead of forcing on their own crap on us.

      Heck, then even those of the Windows users that wished to give it an Aqua look could. And others could give it another look, if they're really into these things and care for it.

      --
      Beware: In C++, your friends can see your privates!
    2. Re:Nice MacOS X advert... by xtracto · · Score: 1

      (we can't make it as beautiful, unfortunately).

      Sure they can! Imagine an Apple OSX shell front end for the PC that completely replaces the Explorer as a shell (of course, from Apple themselves). I know there are already skins that do the same, but it would really be awesome if Apple could come out with a product like that! Actually a friend just made all the hassle to make his Windowze desktop look like the OSX, why? because it looks nicer, and he can not afford a Mac.

      --
      Ubuntu is an African word meaning 'I can't configure Debian'
    3. Re:Nice MacOS X advert... by CountBrass · · Score: 1

      Re " their app design on Windows sucks" you've heard the expression: "you can't make a silk purse out of a sows ear"?

      --
      Bad analogies are like waxing a monkey with a rainbow.
    4. Re:Nice MacOS X advert... by CapnGib · · Score: 2, Insightful

      its called branding. they want you to
      1) be able to identify "apple" apps at a glance
      2) become familiar with and appreciate their design, so as to entice you to try other apple products (ipod, os)

      --
      Beauty is truly in the eye of the tiger
    5. Re:Nice MacOS X advert... by Tim+Browse · · Score: 1

      Have you heard the expression "Bad workmen blame their tools"?

    6. Re:Nice MacOS X advert... by ConceptJunkie · · Score: 1

      Re " their app design on Windows sucks" you've heard the expression: "you can't make a silk purse out of a sows ear"?

      Everyone's app design on Windows sucks, including Microsoft. With every release WMP gets uglier and uglier and the XP interface, Luna or whatever it's called, is hideous, as well as wasting more screen real estate on chrome. Of course, MS apps have always treated the screen as a place to put lots of useless pretty things (or ugly things, if you ask me) and do everything they can to minimize the space for actual content. Firefox and Thunderbird are a couple of the very few new Windows apps that don't hurt to look at.

      With the advent of better graphics, this UI uglification has gone through the roof. Apple's stuff on Windows is equally bad. The old UI standards were good. Why did everyone abandon them? Usability? Hardly, apps are harder to use now that it's hard to tell what's a control and what's just chrome. Artistic merit? Pht. Most of these apps look like they were done by art school dropouts or mental patients.

      So what's the reason? Why are modern GUI apps increasingly ugly and harder to use? What happened to all the HCI experts? They aren't designing cell phones, that's for sure.

      --
      You are in a maze of twisty little passages, all alike.
    7. Re:Nice MacOS X advert... by troon · · Score: 0

      ItGoesWithTheCommentTitleSoItIsActuallyErFiveWords .

      --
      Ydco co ,df C erb-y go. a Ekrpat t.fxrapev
    8. Re:Nice MacOS X advert... by Tim+Browse · · Score: 3, Interesting
      With the advent of better graphics, this UI uglification has gone through the roof. Apple's stuff on Windows is equally bad. The old UI standards were good. Why did everyone abandon them? Usability? Hardly, apps are harder to use now that it's hard to tell what's a control and what's just chrome.

      The thing about Apple's UI that annoys me (well, apart from the whole chrome thing, which is just a bit nasty because it's inconsistent) is the way they bark at Windows developers like they're small children when they port their apps to Mac OS and don't conform to every Mac OS UI convention...but when Apple port their apps to Windows? Well, screw the standard UI furniture and behaviour! We're Apple!

      Case in point: focus behaviour. Windows and Mac OS deal with focus switching differently. In Mac OS, you click on a window that does not have focus, it switches focus to it, and that's it. It doesn't matter where you click, a Mac window will eat the click. Whereas in Windows, all controls are 'live' even if the window does not have focus. So if you click on a button in a window that does not have focus, the button receives the click (as well as the window receiving focus).

      Now, you can argue about which is best all you like, but the important thing is: Windows does it one way, Mac OS does it the other, and users on both platforms are used to that.

      Until iTunes for Windows comes along, and it uses the Mac OS focus model. I've only started using iTunes again for a week recently, and I've already lost count of the number of times I've had to double/triple/quadruple click because the first click was eaten etc, and then my intentions were misunderstood by iTunes, and it's let me rename a track instead of playing it as I want to, etc.

      It's either ignorance or sheer arrogance, and either way it's annoying. Don't screw with platform standards, just because you think you're so great that you can. iTunes is the only app I run on Windows that behaves like this. Great. Just great.

      And don't get me started on why the fsck it uses Aqua scroll bars on Windows. What the hell were they thinking?

      Answers like "it's branding" don't wash. To most people, that argument plays in their heads like this: "We don't give a fsck about the users."

    9. Re:Nice MacOS X advert... by kayak334 · · Score: 1

      I agree with a lot of what you said... however I think I'm confused on one point:

      Whereas in Windows, all controls are 'live' even if the window does not have focus. So if you click on a button in a window that does not have focus, the button receives the click (as well as the window receiving focus)

      I just tested this. I have Excel open next to and behind this web browser, and the browser has focus. I positioned my mouse over the Excel window and on the "File" menu option and clicked. The menu did not drop down, but rather, the click was "eaten" and the window was given focus. Only after clicking AGAIN did the file menu drop down.

      Maybe I'm just confused?

    10. Re:Nice MacOS X advert... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      When you use a Windows version of an Apple product you are using a second-tier platform. Apple couldn't give 2 shits less about Windows or even Linux users. They are out to make OS X the #1 OS, not to help idiotic OS's like Windows and Linux get better.

    11. Re:Nice MacOS X advert... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Because it fits the Apple agenda, of modding up anything that says "Apple rules/is cool, etc", here on slahdot.

    12. Re:Nice MacOS X advert... by greed · · Score: 1
      Windows does it one way, Mac OS does it the other, and users on both platforms are used to that.

      And now we're getting apps as part of OS X which are working the Windows way, which is really, really, really annoying.

      It's one thing to not have something happen when you expect it to.

      It's much, much worse to have something happen when you DON'T expect it to. Especially if you were trying to bring the app to the foreground so you could see what was selected so that you decide what to do next.

      Near as I can tell, it's the stupid "metallic" apps that use the app-gets-focus-click, but I'm not sure. It's few enough apps that I haven't figured out the common thread yet, but it sure is annoying to have a few apps Work Different.

      (Of course, X11 gets really confusing on OS X, so I just try to click somewhere safe with X11 windows.)

    13. Re:Nice MacOS X advert... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Never, ever, ever going to happen. A huge part of Apple's strategy is extraordinarily stringent brand recognition and everything that goes into that. It's brilliant (and standard, BTW) marketing for a niche, cult brand, and it will never change, so get used to it.

      If you spend any time with Apple products (software especially), you will realize this pretty quickly. Although, even though it was the bane of Apple's existence at the time, I used to love Kaleidoscope.

    14. Re:Nice MacOS X advert... by Tim+Browse · · Score: 1

      You're only confused in that you chose an MS Office app to check standard behaviour :-).

      MS Office apps always seem to do their own thing wrt UI - I don't know why, I don't like it, but there it is. I can understand your confusion. I seem to remember they don't even use standard menus, ffs.

      Try the standard file explorer in Windows to see 'normal' behaviour. Or MSIE, etc.

      Out of Office, I only really use Word, and to be fair, I've only just noticed that it eats clicks. I guess iTunes bugs me because it's basically a Window full of clickable widgets, and none of them respond to the first click. Word is a window full of text, and I generally alt-tab to it and start typing.

      Excel is, of course, even worse than Word for standard behaviour - just try copy and paste, for a start. Or try to view two spreadsheets on two different monitors. And so on.

      I didn't say the Office group were any better (in fact, Office are notorious for not using standard controls/dialogs), just that Apple's non-conformance bugs me, especially when they bang on about how good they are at user interface.

      Now I think about it, it is because iTunes is full of things I should be able to click on, but can't. And many of them are things I will click/double click on once, and then go back to another app. I think that's why it's (so) annoying.

      To be fair to iTunes, it does some good stuff, but I have two problems:

      [1] It's slow.
      [2] It has non-standard UI.

      [1] has been fixed by accident because I got a new PC. I've been providing iTunes 'feedback' to Apple in the hope that they'll fix [2] soon. I can but hope - the first iTunes for Windows didn't respond to double clicks on the title bar, and now it does. You never know, they might fix all this stuff eventually. :)

      Goddamn it. I just moved my mouse over and double-clicked a track in iTunes to listen to some music, and it started renaming the track (and didn't play it, of course). Arrgghhh!

    15. Re:Nice MacOS X advert... by Tim+Browse · · Score: 1

      That's exactly it. For the record, I don't mind the Mac OS focus model (and I understand the rationale behind it). It's just that I mostly use Windows, so I'm used to it.

      If I used a Mac most of the time, I'd adjust, and the Windows model would eventually annoy me, because it's different.

      I'm ok with this happening on different platforms - but like you, when it happens within the same desktop, I find it pretty annoying. And (as a Mac user) you get the worst deal, because as you say, you're expecting no action, and you get a (possibly destructive) action.

    16. Re:Nice MacOS X advert... by Tim+Browse · · Score: 1
      just try copy and paste

      Sorry, I meant cut and paste.

    17. Re:Nice MacOS X advert... by quantum+bit · · Score: 1

      I would suggest using tweak UI and trying out the focus-follows-mouse model (aka X-mouse) to see if it solves your iTunes problem. However, since you're also using MS Office products that would likely cause as many problems as it fixes.

      MS Office + Xmouse = headache. They have an unfortunate tendancy to shove themselves to the top of the window stack whenever they get focus. Which means that with focus-follows-mouse, as soon as you mouse over even the smallest part of an Office app's window, it jumps in front of everything else. Argh!

    18. Re:Nice MacOS X advert... by Tim+Browse · · Score: 1

      And the best way to show people what they can do is to make a substandard app, of course.

    19. Re:Nice MacOS X advert... by Tim+Browse · · Score: 1

      Thanks, but I don't like focus-follows-mouse either :-).

      I have a habit of knocking the mouse out of the way when the pointer is over where I want to type, and that's not very compatible with focus-follows-mouse...

    20. Re:Nice MacOS X advert... by eallison · · Score: 2, Informative

      Actually, in Tiger anyway, it looks like a Carbon/Cocoa thing. Every Cocoa app acts in the way that you describe as standard Windows behavior - a click on an out-of-focus widget will bring focus and activate the widget. iTunes is really the exception on OS X as well. (along with MS Office) It's probably because it is a Carbon app. My guess is the classic Mac OS worked this way, and something in the drawing model for Carbon apps is held over from that.

    21. Re:Nice MacOS X advert... by quantum+bit · · Score: 1

      Thanks, but I don't like focus-follows-mouse either :-).

      Ah, well, to each his own :). I'm so used to it that I curse at stock windows machines when I start typing and all the text goes into the last clicked-on window...

      I have to agree about the nonstandard widget thing, though. MS Office, Quicktime, anything Java based, and all Sony programs are on my "I'd really like to whack the designer upside the head" list.

      There's a reason OSes provide common control libraries. It's to make things easier for users, not so you can write your own just to be "cool".

    22. Re:Nice MacOS X advert... by ConceptJunkie · · Score: 1

      You're only confused in that you chose an MS Office app to check standard behaviour :-).

      It's not just Office and Apple ports. This is implemented inconsistently in Windows apps of all types. Microsoft started lost a lot of consistency when Windows 95 came out, but at least they were trying. Nowadays, they don't even try. They used to have standards. I thought they were pretty good, too. I guess GUI technology has become too advanced* to be consistent.

      It would be different if these non-standard apps implemented something that was really cool or a neat idea, but almost always it's borne from just plain laziness or ignorance or the widespread, but grotesquely mistaken idea that curves and specular highlights magically confer advanced usability.

      * Actually, it's just like the Web... anyone who can browse Teach Yourself HTML in 21 Days or has a hot copy of Photoshop suddenly thinks he or she is an interface expert.
      This wouldn't be so bad, except these people keep getting hired, often by big companies, like Microsoft, Symantec and, yes, even Apple. The Internet bubble may have burst, but there's still a lot of fallout of the massive democratization of computer software in the 90's. A bunch of amatuers came along in the mid 90's and made everything look like crap and the big boys quickly abandoned 30 years of research to imitate them.

      --
      You are in a maze of twisty little passages, all alike.
    23. Re:Nice MacOS X advert... by ConceptJunkie · · Score: 1

      There's a reason OSes provide common control libraries. It's to make things easier for users, not so you can write your own just to be "cool".

      That's what XWindows is for. ;-) Nowadays, X looks subdued compared to the Windows world. When did software start being required to look like the Strip in Las Vegas?

      Office is the best... they somehow managed to be different than every other Windows app and still generally feel way out of date. Or at least Access 2000 does, which I've had the displeasure of using. It looks and feels like crappy 16-bit software from the Dark Ages. Excel is better, but you couldn't pay me to use Word.

      --
      You are in a maze of twisty little passages, all alike.
    24. Re:Nice MacOS X advert... by nycbicyclist · · Score: 0

      I haven't used XP or itunes in months, but I remember thinking that itunes was the best mp3player/organizer I could find. I thought Microsoft's WMP was just horrible from a usability standpoint, with menu options splattered all over the place, hiding behind inconsistent buttons, some at the top, some at the bottom, etc. I suppose I just got used to the clicking behavior you're talking about, because I don't even remember it.

    25. Re:Nice MacOS X advert... by Zone-MR · · Score: 1

      Or try to view two spreadsheets on two different monitors.

      I just tried this. I opened excel twice, loaded a seperate spreadsheet into each instance, and moved one to the other monitor. Worked no problem.

      If you load two spreadsheets into the SAME Excel instance, you can't do it - because both spreadsheets become child windows in the container (MDI) window.

      The only inconsistent thing about Office is that child MDI windows get their own taskbar buttons, making you think that they are seperate top-level windows. If the rest of Windows worked like this, it would be a lot better in fact - open documents don't become "hidden" easilly. However since the rest of Windows doesn't work this way, it gets confusing.

    26. Re:Nice MacOS X advert... by radish · · Score: 1

      The Bonjour Setup Wizard makes setting up a printer under Windows as easy as Mac OS X

      Having spent the last 2 weeks trying (and failing) to setup my printer on my girlfriend's iBook, that's a slightly sore point right now :(

      Yes Canon should provide network compatible drivers, no Apple should not advertise they are compatible with Windows printing when several major manufacturers' devices simply don't work. *GRRRR* End result is I either buy a new printer of the GF has to go back to Windows to print. Oh well.

      --

      ---- Den ene knappen er powerknapp, den andre er Bender voice knapp "Bite My Shiny Metal Ass"

    27. Re:Nice MacOS X advert... by As+Seen+On+TV · · Score: 1

      I think the point you're missing here is that Apple is more about doing things well than conforming to a standard.

      When doing something well means conforming to a standard -- like adopting standard key commands for copy and paste, or putting the Quit menu item in the same place every time --then it's good to conform to standards.

      But when the standard itself sucks, break it.

      A foolish consistency, Emerson once said, is the hobgoblin of little minds. It's good to be consistent, as long as you're not being foolishly consistent.

      (By the way, you repeatedly misspelled "fuck." We're grown-ups here. You can say what you mean.)

    28. Re:Nice MacOS X advert... by Tim+Browse · · Score: 1

      I think the point you're missing is that by assuming that it can break the standard for its mp3 player application, Apple consistently makes it harder for me (and anyone else used to the normal Windows application behaviour) to use it.

      If that's what doing something well means, then I'd rather they stuck to the standard.

    29. Re:Nice MacOS X advert... by As+Seen+On+TV · · Score: 1

      I think the point you're missing is that just because something is different doesn't mean it's hard. It can be different and better. We think iTunes is different and better.

      You're free to disagree, but it's dumb to criticize iTunes solely on the basis that it's different.

    30. Re:Nice MacOS X advert... by rthille · · Score: 1

      It's a little more complicated than that in Cocoa. Controls (and possibly every NSView subclass [not sure, it's been awhile]) has an 'acceptsFirstMouseDown' or something like that property, which determines whether it will perform it's action on the 'click to activate the window/first-click' or not.

      --
      Awesome furniture, accessories and cabinetry in Santa Rosa, CA: http://humanity-home.com/
    31. Re:Nice MacOS X advert... by Tim+Browse · · Score: 1
      I think the point you're missing is that just because something is different doesn't mean it's hard. It can be different and better.

      No, but if it's hard, then it's hard. If you flout a UI convention, that makes it harder for most people to use. Apple mention this quite a lot in their UI/HCI guidelines documentation the last time I read it.

      And how does it make it better anyway? It just means that when I click on play/pause/next track buttons in iTunes, or I double click a tune to play it, or I click on a playlist to see it, etc, it doesn't work.

      We think iTunes is different and better.

      "We"?

      Ok, now you're scaring me. How many of you are in your head? Are you the Mac collective?

      it's dumb to criticize iTunes solely on the basis that it's different.

      I'm not criticising iTunes because it's different. I'm criticising it because it's annoying. The main reason it's annoying happens to be that it's different.

      You seem to think that my finding fault with iTunes means I hate it, or think it's all terrible. I don't. I just wish it would act nice when it's in my home.

    32. Re:Nice MacOS X advert... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Now, you can argue about which is best all you like, but the important thing is: Windows does it one way, Mac OS does it the other, and users on both platforms are used to that.

      This argument only goes so far. If something is *really bad*, then even if people are used to it, that doesn't mean they want it. To take the most extreme case, Windows 95 tends to crash a lot. When I had to use Windows 95, I got used to it crashing a lot. This does not mean that if I had to use Quicktime for Windows 95 (or any other app) that I would *want* it to crash a lot. Better is often better, even if it's not what you're used to.

      As an interaction designer, I've seen this in all sorts of things (user interfaces, not crashing). If you design something that's truly better, then people will use it, and like it. One person famously put it "In order to improve it, we have to change it".

      And if you don't want something that's *at all* different from what you're using now, then don't switch to iTunes or whatever. That's the easiest solution.

      But whenever you have some idea like click-through which is both better, and foreign to your target audience, you have to choose which you think is more important. Apple, for their entire history, has chosen what they think is right, even if it's completely foreign to everybody. Remember when Macs were new? They had to literally teach everybody what a mouse was and how to use it. I'm very glad they stuck to their convictions.

      Shaw said "The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man." Apple is being unreasonable here, but in a good way. When they've been unreasonable in the past (I'm sure everybody here can name a dozen things that Apple did first), many (if not most) of the things they did became ubiquitous.

      I, for one, applaud them for trying to move the world in the right direction. I've used Macs, Unix, and Windows about equally during the past 10 years, and click-through has always been one of those things that makes the Macs (prior to OS X) nicer.

      (Though I'm not going to try to defend Aqua scrollbars on Windows...)

    33. Re:Nice MacOS X advert... by eallison · · Score: 1

      But it's interesting that seemingly every cocoa app on my system has that behavior, including the new QuickTime player app. My point was mainly that this is not a uniform OS X behavior - that actually iTunes is more the anomaly on the Mac side as well.

    34. Re:Nice MacOS X advert... by As+Seen+On+TV · · Score: 1

      I'm criticising it because it's annoying.

      Sorry, but feature requests consisting solely of the phrase "It's annoying" tend to get rejected pretty quick. And the developers tend to laugh really hard as they reject them.

    35. Re:Nice MacOS X advert... by Tim+Browse · · Score: 1

      Wow, I can see the adverts now...

      "Our software annoys you? Like we give a fuck!"

    36. Re:Nice MacOS X advert... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      we're gonna put a lot of effort, time and money into offering some of our apps to windows users
      and then we're gonna have a f***ing aqua-scrollbar to tell them actuelly don't give a sh**

      what have you been smoking?
      off course it's branding, it's not because you ruled it out as an answer it obviously is the only right one.

    37. Re:Nice MacOS X advert... by Mornelithe · · Score: 2, Interesting

      A foolish consistency, Emerson once said, is the hobgoblin of little minds.

      Consistency in the look and feel of GUI elements is not foolish. It makes it easier for the user to know what will happen when he does something within the interface. It's much more difficult to memorize different scenarios for every application.

      That's one of the problems with Windows. All applications do things slightly differently. Apple pushes 3rd party developers hard to comply with their standards, and the system is better for it.

      Going on and arbitrarily breaking conventions for Windows just adds to the problem. Of course, Windows sucks pretty heavily in this regard anyway, so it probably doesn't make much of a difference, but it's still hypocritical. You can wail all you want about how the Windows standards "sucks" (which is debatable at best in this case), but in this case, breaking the standards just makes things worse than following the standards you don't like in the first place.

      Then again, I don't expect you to listen to any of these arguments, as you seem to be the quintessential Apple fan-boy. Have you ever provided any evidence that you actually work for or are in any way associated with Apple? I've seen you take credit for many design decisions and developments at Apple, and I've seen several people debunking your claims that you're actually an Apple developer of some sort. Do you have any evidence that you speak authoritatively about Apple's internal policies, or do you just refer to Apple as "we" to get more karma?

      --

      I've come for the woman, and your head.

    38. Re:Nice MacOS X advert... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      mod parent down troll

    39. Re:Nice MacOS X advert... by Mornelithe · · Score: 1

      How am I a troll, exactly?

      --

      I've come for the woman, and your head.

    40. Re:Nice MacOS X advert... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Sure, when the standard sucks, break it.

      But please, by all means, tell us what sucks about a control activating when the user clicks on it.

      When a user clicks, they have an expectation in their head: "I gave an order to iTunes, iTunes should carry that order out". Instead, the user is subjected to a somewhat obtuse and irrelevant model of "focussed" and "unfocussed".

      I know you try hard to be Apple's poster boy, but the simple fact is that Apple is wrong in this case. Don't be sad, it happens. Just don't try to slip your way out with "do everything the Right(tm) way" handwaving.

    41. Re:Nice MacOS X advert... by BollocksToThis · · Score: 1

      AC is exactly right:

      Sure, when the standard sucks, break it.

      But please, by all means, tell us what sucks about a control activating when the user clicks on it.

      When a user clicks, they have an expectation in their head: "I gave an order to iTunes, iTunes should carry that order out". Instead, the user is subjected to a somewhat obtuse and irrelevant model of "focussed" and "unfocussed".

      I know you try hard to be Apple's poster boy, but the simple fact is that Apple is wrong in this case. Don't be sad, it happens. Just don't try to slip your way out with "do everything the Right(tm) way" handwaving.

      --
      This sig is part of your complete breakfast.
    42. Re:Nice MacOS X advert... by earthbound+kid · · Score: 1

      The problem is that if you make a new Carbon app, it defaults to "click to raise" in the IDE, but if you make a new Cocoa app, it defaults to "click-through: OK." I really wish Apple would clean this up, and make everything "click to raise" by default. Only a few things (like the play/pause button in iTunes) should be click-through. Everything else should be click to raise, because of Fitt's Law.

    43. Re:Nice MacOS X advert... by porcupine8 · · Score: 1
      So... You're griping at Apple for not following a UI "standard" that's so very standard that even MS's own applications don't follow it?

      Bad... Apple... Or something.

      --
      Warning: Apple/Nintendo fangirl. Likes her electronics cute & cuddly. May be rabid.
    44. Re:Nice MacOS X advert... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I agree with porcupine8 here. UI on Windows is so inconsistent that I can't (and don't) see iTunes's behavior being troublesome. Especially since I use Windows mostly for Office apps and other software that is even worse when it comes to UI behavior (GIS software and such).

      I'd rather have iTunes be consistent in behavior *across platforms* (i.e., between my Windows machines and my Macs). I might change my mind if Windows and Windows apps were much more consistent across the board, like the OS and apps usually are on the Mac side.

      Obviously not everyone agrees, but Apple had to make a choice, and I say it chose right.

    45. Re:Nice MacOS X advert... by Trillan · · Score: 1

      Actually, the Mac does not behave the way you describe. Applications can pick between click-to-focus and click-to-act. In System 7, this was a flag in the resource fork, but I'm not sure how it is done in Mac OS X. Applications are supposed to disable their controls visually if they use click-to-focus. A quick survey of my hard drive showed most applications seem to be using click-to-act, although there were a few exceptions -- mostly, but not entirely, applications ported from Mac OS 9.

      So, basically, iTunes does it wrong on both platforms. Assuming I understood you correctly that iTunes on Windows uses click-to-focus. The PC is upstairs where it is hot, so I'm not going to go check. :)

  31. Switch by De+Lemming · · Score: 3, Funny

    Au revoir?

    1. Re:Switch by Quae · · Score: 0

      à Bientot

  32. The printer wizard is very interesting for HPusers by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    ..since all networked HP printers built in the last few years have Bonjour support built in to the JetDirect software.

  33. Re:Is this a first? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    A home brew nano ITX mac would be even more interesting, I wouldnt touch an HP with a barge pole in a condom.

  34. BSD/Linux? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I see increasing amount of open source project popular to BSD and Linux, yet very few Apple projects being ported to BSD or Linux.

    1. Re:BSD/Linux? by Chucker23N · · Score: 4, Informative

      The source code of Bonjour has been available since August 2002, including implementations for BSD and Linux.

      http://developer.apple.com/darwin/projects/bonjo ur /
      Bonjour Source Code
      The Mac OS X mDNSResponder source code is available from the Darwin CVS repository. This package includes platform specific code for implementing Bonjour on Mac OS X, Windows, Windows CE, Linux and VxWorks, and also includes helper applications for browsing and advertising services. Hardware device manufacturers are encouraged to embed the Darwin open source mDNSResponder code directly into their products.

    2. Re:BSD/Linux? by cbv · · Score: 1

      mDNSResponder has been part of FreeBSD Ports since March 03, 2004.

      GNUstep has had (inofficial) support of Rendezvous (as it was known back then) since quite some time before the above mentioned date.

  35. When hell freezes over by el_womble · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Like most Apple technologies, Bonjour/Rendezvous kicks ass on Mac OS X because of its ubiquity on the platform. You get the odd suprise, like high end laser printers supporting it, but the only time I've ever really seen it supported and used effectivly is between two macs. IMHO, the only reason the technology is even remotely effective is that you get the 'it just works' user experience 'out of the box'. The problem with this current distribution plan seems to be that if you can download and install the software, you probably don't need it as ZeroConf is only a bonus if you don't understand networking. To be truely effective it needs to be available as standard on the platform. It would be great if it appeared in SP3.

    --
    Scared of flying, pointy things snce 1979!
    1. Re:When hell freezes over by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The only time I have ever seen it supported and used effectively is setting up my G5 and my HP DesignJet 800 ps plotter which works seamlessly, over my Wireless Network. If you have ever tried to set the IP address manually on the HP using the lcd panel, you quickly appreciate just how good ZeroConfig is.

      I don't care it it is Ubiquitous, I just care that its found in all my stuff.

      mark horner, riba

    2. Re:When hell freezes over by nordicfrost · · Score: 1

      That is bullshit of course. It works really nice with anything that supports it, not just Macs. We have a couple of zeroconf Linux servers at work, works like a charm with them. Others here report that they work just fine with TiVOs.

      I get my Mac elitist asshole kick by watching IS support drones struggle to set up printers at work. In windows it takes (for them) 3 minutes pr. machine and some 20 odd mouseclicks and a lot typing and searching .For me it's option - space, tpe "Pri" choose Printer Tools, and pick the printer from the Rendevouz^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H Bonjour list. Done in less than 10 seconds. It could be done faster, but after I started doing this, all the names on the printers have disappeared so I have to browse after MAC-address. wonder why.... My standard printer shows up automatically, however, so it's not a problem.

      Also, I get that "oh shit! My job security would be shot if everyone could do this!" look everytime I do stuff like this.

  36. Great by t_allardyce · · Score: 0, Redundant

    "The Bonjour Printer Wizard will only discover printers being shared by the Mac OS X "Printer Sharing" feature when the Macintosh is running Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger or later."

    Can you name me more than 3 people on this planet that have a Mac based printer server? And whats with the IE plug-in? why would anyone even write an IE plug-in??

    --
    This comment does not represent the views or opinions of the user.
    1. Re:Great by WasterDave · · Score: 1

      I do but, and here's the fun part, the discovery protocol is the cups internal protocol and not zeroconf/rendezvous/bonjour at all.

      Do I, as a mac fanatic, have any use for zeroconf/rendezvous/bonjour at all? Nah. It has to be said, I don't really get it.

      Dave

      --
      I write a blog now, you should be afraid.
    2. Re:Great by Dot.Com.CEO · · Score: 1
      It works with cupsd print servers as well when advertised network-wide, bonjour is zeroconf.

      I have a cups print server that advertises itself on the network and is available to all, it is visible on macs through bonjour and now it will be visible on the same way (I think) through Windows.

      Also, Mac Server is really nice, shame that the xserve is that expensive (for our needs anyhow).

      --
      Mother is the best bet and don't let Satan draw you too fast.
    3. Re:Great by Quae · · Score: 1
      "it is visible on macs through bonjour and now it will be visible on the same way (I think) through Windows."

      Since when were macs and Windows compatible with each other? Wndows programs don't work on macs and macs programs don't work on Windows.

    4. Re:Great by inertia187 · · Score: 0

      Since when were macs and Windows compatible with each other? Wndows programs don't work on macs and macs programs don't work on Windows.

      Yeah, you're right. They must be a bunch of idiots or something. I mean, Windows HTML and Mac HTML is so different and all.

      --
      A programmer is a machine for converting coffee into code.
    5. Re:Great by Dot.Com.CEO · · Score: 1

      Erm, what? Ever heard of networking protocols?

      --
      Mother is the best bet and don't let Satan draw you too fast.
  37. Hardware quality control by DigiShaman · · Score: 1

    I think the control of hardware has to do with both profit and quality control. If MAC OSX was installed with any off-the-shelf hardware, I would expect to see more memory dumps/crashes at a rate unheard of before in the history of Apple.

    I think Apple wants stability and reliability to be synonymous with its branding. Thus, the anal QC over hardware and software.

    For the record, I'm not a Mac user and nor have I ever been. But...I have been thinking about testing the waters soon.

    --
    Life is not for the lazy.
  38. that wasn't a troll, this is.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    brilliant answer! oh, i get it, someone knows how to push the right windows buttons but doesn't want to admit he's all about 'good practice' and that his MSCE barber shop diploma isn't worth the used asswipe it's printed on. go shine your $50 shoes and pick the lint of your outlet store jacket.

  39. psychological warfare? by MonoSynth · · Score: 1

    Isn't this some kinda psychological warfare where Apple releases apps to fill the missing functionality of Windows, only to make Windows XP look outdated and to promote Tiger? What will be their next step? Some neat windowmanagement tricks like Exposé ported to Windows?

    1. Re:psychological warfare? by kid+zeus · · Score: 2, Insightful

      A) Apple wants Bonjour to be a widely used standard that will be supported by the majority of hardware manufacturers. For this reason, it's in their best interest for as many Windows users as possible to adopt it. B) It's in Apple's interests to make it insanely easy for people to add Macs to their existing Windows networks. If you can do it in a zeroconf manner, you've just eliminated a hell of a lot of arguments against buying a Mac to put in your Win network. Good for sales, good for mindshare. C) Adding Exposé would only serve to give one OS X's very best usability features to their competitor and would lessen the reason for anyone to buy Tiger.

    2. Re:psychological warfare? by roadrunnerro · · Score: 1

      Actually there is Exposé for Windows - it's called Konspose...

    3. Re:psychological warfare? by dantheman82 · · Score: 1

      Of course, it's clones exist (like Konfabulator) and I liked...approximately 1 widget. It turned out to be a huge waste of memory to run just so I could get a floatable ToDo list. Please would someone actually mention why Expose is actually useful? No marketing hype, I've skim the Apple PR site...

      I'll try to install, but a plug-in to IE is disappointing. Maybe an Explorer plug-in/add-in, but I don't use IE anymore frankly, so that plug-in will be really useful...

      --
      This sig donated to Pater. Long live /.
    4. Re:psychological warfare? by Jesus_666 · · Score: 1

      Easy window switching? With Exposé I just press F9, see all currently open windows and select the one I want to work with. Much superior to stuff like Alt-tabbing through a list of the applications, which might or might not give you the exact window you were looking for.
      And if you want to find some window the currently focused app has opened you just press F10 and select it. Very easy and very useful (as some apps, like the GIMP, have the bad habit of opening dialog windows behind all other windows).

      I don't see what Konfabulator has to do with this - maybe you were confusing Exposé with Dashboard?

      --
      USE HOT GRITS WITH STATUE OF NATALIE PORTMAN (NAKED AND PETRIFIED)
    5. Re:psychological warfare? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Just using my work XP box with 6 or 7 folder windows, a cross development tool and about 4 DOS windows. I'm trying to fix a command line util for the development system by looking for the correct exe version. Finally I find it and now to copy this one to my BIN folder... Where is the @#$%##$@# window. I've got my PowerBook sitting right next to the PC and know that you just hit F9 there and problem solved. On XP it's shuffle windows around and keep clicking. Till you you have used it a while it's hard to appreciate (like multiple desktops) but I keep hitting F9 on the PC hoping....

    6. Re:psychological warfare? by chez69 · · Score: 1

      I just keep alt tabbing to get to the window I want. Really, I'm serious, why is expose so much better?

      --
      PHP is the solution of choice for relaying mysql errors to web users.
    7. Re:psychological warfare? by kc8apf · · Score: 1

      Ever had 10 Word documents open and Alt-Tabbed to Word? It brings all 10 documents to the front. With expose, you can see every window and select the one you want to come forward rather than all of them.

      --
      kc8apf
    8. Re:psychological warfare? by chez69 · · Score: 1

      I can alt-tab through all my open word docs on windows. This is with office xp.

      i'm still waiting on why expose is so great.

      --
      PHP is the solution of choice for relaying mysql errors to web users.
    9. Re:psychological warfare? by chez69 · · Score: 1

      I ment that I can alt tab to the open document that I want without bringing all of them forward.

      still waiting....

      --
      PHP is the solution of choice for relaying mysql errors to web users.
    10. Re:psychological warfare? by MentosPimp · · Score: 1

      If you cared, you'd try it out yourself.

      Even though "Alt-Tab" is availble on Mac, Expose allows a visual alternative. It isnt that hard to think of an example when this would be more beneficial than an alt tab.
      Here:

      You have 20 some windows open, including 10 photos just downloaded from your camera in someRandomPhotoViewerApp. You've been doing some other work (email, web, whatever) since you were
      last working/viewing a particular photo (let's say of your pet, which you are going to clean up and add to a website, or whatever) so that window isnt the "last previous application" and hence, not just one Alt-Tab away.

      You could alt tab, and see the 10 files names, which are just random number strings. If you are lucky, you choose the photo that you want on the first try, but likely not.

      Or, with focus on someRandomPhotoViewerApp you can do the Expose function that tiles all the windows for that application. You can easily see the photo you want and click on it. Done.

      Some people will praise Expose to the high-heavens, and it can be a useful tool. But like everything, may not be for everyone. For me, I have Expose set up to fire when mousing to the corners of my screen. I dont alt-tab anymore.
      Expose will be slighty more useful with the Dashboard thingy.

    11. Re:psychological warfare? by hawaiian717 · · Score: 1
      Exposé is faster, in my opinion. While you have to keep pressing Alt-Tab until the window you want comes up, I press F9, click the window I want, and I'm done.

      Mac OS X does offer Alt-Tab functionality between applications (but not individual windows) via Command-Tab.

      --
      End of Line.
    12. Re:psychological warfare? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well,

      After the psychological torture that Apple's POS quicktime client for Windows unleashed on me, I am not ready to tackle putting one more byte of Apple's crappy software on my Windows machine I can tell you that!

    13. Re:psychological warfare? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Huh. With the taskbar, I just click the window I want.

      Some people believe the purpose of a keyboard shortcut is to enable access from the keyboard. Funny that, eh?

    14. Re:psychological warfare? by hawaiian717 · · Score: 1
      With the taskbar, I just click the window I want.

      Except that it's not consistent. I don't have Windows running at the moment to give you an example, but some programs only show one taskbar entry, while others show one for each program. Also, this only works if you know the name of the window, where as Exposé lets you pick your window based on what it looks like.

      The Dock at least is more consistent -- each program gets one dock icon, and each program window shows up in a submenu if you right-click or left-click-and-hold.

      --
      End of Line.
    15. Re:psychological warfare? by kid+zeus · · Score: 1

      Well, it sounds like no matter what answer you get your response will be 'still waiting'.

      I have one of the Expose features mated to my middle mouse button. With a click I have all windows miniaturized but in a way I can watch them live. I can see changes in a terminal or an IRC window while I have Quicktime or VLC still playing a movie in a watchable manner.

      I can also switch to one of twenty open windows just by visual cue, which is a hell of a lot faster than constantly alt-tabbing through twenty windows to find just the one you want.

      Finally, I can combine the Desktop feature of Expose with the All Windows to drag and drop files between those twenty open windows in the blink of an eye. Once again, far more easily and faster than you could using alt-tab.

  40. Programs and ease of use by puregen1us · · Score: 5, Informative

    ZeroConf is the official name, Apples used to use Rendezvous, now it's Bonjour.

    You won't have seen it advertised explicitly, it simply sits and works.

    It is used for sharing in the iApps:
    iTunes
    iPhoto
    chatting in iChat
    Finding servers to use in the Server Admin tools,
    Transmit (the Panic FTP client) supports it,
    It is used to find file shares on the network, using AFP

    Anywhere networking just happens, without having to do anything more than simply turn it on chances are Bonjour is behind it.

    Alex

    1. Re:Programs and ease of use by fdobbie · · Score: 1

      ZeroConf is not any "official name" of any sort.

    2. Re:Programs and ease of use by pvera · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I just noticed Fugu also takes advantage of it. It will show you a list of all Macs in your subnet that have remote logins thru SSH enabled.

      --
      Pedro
      ----
      The Insomniac Coder
    3. Re:Programs and ease of use by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Sort of...

      Bonjour is used for advertising and auto-discovery of services in the iApps. It is also used for auto-configuring a network. Sharing actually all happens the same way (various protocols over IP) whether Bonjour is present or not.

      As for your last comment, on a Mac network, AppleTalk used to be the gold standard for auto-configured networks. In fact, most Mac printing is still done over AppleTalk b/c it is widely supported and in some ways superior to IP printing. Networking can "just happen..." without Bonjour.

  41. Bye, bye! by BigYawn · · Score: 4, Funny

    Bonjour has invoked an illegal operation and will be shutdown. Windows needs to be rebooted.
    Au revoir!

    1. Re:Bye, bye! by Refrag · · Score: 1

      Man, Windows still can't handle an application crashing? What a POS!

      --
      I have a website. It's about Macs.
    2. Re:Bye, bye! by Geoffreyerffoeg · · Score: 1

      Sacré bleu!

  42. Yes.... by racecarj · · Score: 1, Funny

    Yes.... but will it allow me to play Microsoft Freecell with others over Bonjour?

  43. Re:"After installing Bonjour, you must restart..." by RupW · · Score: 4, Informative

    Why, in this day and age, is it necessary to 'restart' the whole friggin machine?

    It's necessary when you're trying to change a file that's currently in memory. But the windows installer framework, for several years now, gives you the chance to shut down applications using locked files so you don't have to reboot. You can refuse and you'll have to reboot.

    In this case I can't imagine it needs a reboot; it's probably hooking something into IE or explorer, or maybe installing a device driver or service - they're probably skimping on testing by only supporting service start-up on reboot, it's cleaner environment to work from. Even if they're hooking something deep into the IP stack they could easily restart all networking on the machine.

    Is there a multi-user version of windows yet? Why do I have to log out as 'user' before I can log on as 'administrator'?

    Yes, Windows XP lets you switch between users and separate desktops unless it's attached to a domain. But you can only be one user at once, and remote-desktopping in (XP Pro only) kicks off the console user.

    You can always use "runas /user:administrator".

  44. Re:Is this a first? by soyle · · Score: 2, Informative
    Is this the first time Apple releases software that works on Windows?
    Far from it. Back when there was a company called Claris (basically Apple's application software division), there was a lot of Windows applications, including Claris Works (now AppleWorks) and Claris Organizer (now Palm Desktop). In recent years there's been the whole QuickTime architecture, not to mention everything iPod-related.
    Now the question is wether we'll eventually see Mac OS X for x86
    Well, there's always Darwin, but not the other all-important bits and bops. Although... Google a bit for Project Star Trek - to boldly go where no OS has gone before...
  45. What about Windows for PowerPC by Fossilet · · Score: 0

    Now the question is wether we'll eventually see Mac OS X for x86...........

    1. Re:What about Windows for PowerPC by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      If by eventually, you mean never. Take a deep breath and let it go.

    2. Re:What about Windows for PowerPC by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Windows for PowerPC? You mean XBox 360?

  46. Jumping Networks by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Guess it will only work for the local network. Routers and switches will not forward adverts to other networks ... :(

    1. Re:Jumping Networks by Zaiff+Urgulbunger · · Score: 1

      I don't know much about networking, but I think you can get around this by setting up static routes. Obviously, that means it isn't going to work out on the int0rweb, but it should work on a private network.

    2. Re:Jumping Networks by ischorr · · Score: 2, Informative

      - Switches, seeing them as regular ethernet multicasts, will forward them just fine, though switches (as in, a multi-port ethernet bridge) will never forward ANY traffic to "other networks"
      - Routers, assuming they have the capability and are configured to do so, *can* forward the zeroconf packets to "other networks". Though you're right in that they typically won't by default, and some routers have no ability to forward them.

  47. FC3 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    Fedora Core 3 includes an mDNS responder, look for guides for installing itunes daap and using it to advertise to itunes

  48. Re:Is this a first? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "Now the question is wether we'll eventually see Mac OS X for x86..........."

    STFU dunce.

  49. Great... by clamx · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Just tried Bonjour on Windows, and it automatically detected our two network printers : one's an HP LaserJet 3030 (with a network box) and the other is a Lexmark C510N. I'm really glad I can at last uninstall all the crap that comes with the drivers to make them work... And I won't have to define network ports that crash or fail to detect network names again! Nobody will come ever again to tell me "the printer doesn't work"... I'll switch all our computers to Bonjour as soon as I can. Thanks Apple.

    1. Re:Great... by MemoryDragon · · Score: 1

      Does the printer sharing finally work without airport? Tried it a while ago and basically the docs said, if you want to have printer sharing enabled, you need airport up and running, which is totally idiotic, given the fact, that most of the time I dont even have wlan on the clients.

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

      I think that means that you can't use the standard mac printer sharing. The airport printer sharing probably works over lpr or ipp. Most hardware print servers like the ones in his printers probably speak those protocols.

    3. Re:Great... by NutscrapeSucks · · Score: 1

      Actually, you should thank (or curse) HP.

      It is be possible to do this out-of-the-box with Windows networking, and some print servers do, but for whatever reason HP won't support it. (Probably because they are pushing that jetdirect stuff which is a bear on small networks.)

      --
      Whenever I hear the word 'Innovation', I reach for my pistol.
    4. Re:Great... by geniusj · · Score: 1

      And btw, as it says on the page, if a mac is sharing the printer, it has to be running 10.4 Tiger. So I'm guessing that they added/fixed this in 10.4.

    5. Re:Great... by MemoryDragon · · Score: 1

      Yes they did... tried it a few minutes ago... the printer finally is recognized by zeroconf, the main problem now is, that the Canon drivers are not network aware and thus refuse to print, not matter which protocol you access them (Canon pixima iP4000)

    6. Re:Great... by quantum+bit · · Score: 1

      Meh? I've always been able to connect to JetDirect stuff using the "Standard TCP/IP Print Server" port in Windows 2000+. No extra jetdirect crap required.

      Most JD boxes also support the lpr/lpd protocol, so you can always print using that.

    7. Re:Great... by NutscrapeSucks · · Score: 1

      Sure, but you can't browse for the printer on Windows without the JD software.

      --
      Whenever I hear the word 'Innovation', I reach for my pistol.
  50. TiVo support by timbloom · · Score: 5, Informative

    On my Mac, I can can browse bonjour sites on my local network in Safari. What is really cool is that my TiVo shows up. If you have the latest TiVo software (the version that added support for TiVoToGo) You can actually browse and download the .tivo files without using TiVo Desktop. If you are already doing this by http://ip/ you may like that bonjour makes it so you don't need to know the IP address, you just bookmark the *.local address. I assume that this also works with bonjour for windows. It's very useful.

    1. Re:TiVo support by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      OK... HOW? I need details man, DETAILS!

    2. Re:TiVo support by rsborg · · Score: 1
      If you are already doing this by http://ip/ you may like that bonjour makes it so you don't need to know the IP address, you just bookmark the *.local address. I assume that this also works with bonjour for windows. It's very useful.

      Just confirmed that it works in bonjour for windows as well. As an aside, I noticed that it caused all sorts of error messages when I installed and didn't immediately reboot... some path wasn't provided and I consistently got an error message. After reboot all was fine, but why activate your service on install if it really requires a reboot?

      Otherwise this thing kicks ass.

      --
      Make sure everyone's vote counts: Verified Voting
    3. Re:TiVo support by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm puzzled, when I try this I am able to connect, but I only get a standard index.html telling me about all the wonderful things I can do with my networked tivo (if I use windows that is).

      I just used http://ip/ which translated into the .local address.

  51. Maybe an Apple home network device? by Morky · · Score: 1

    If Apple were going to release a set-top box as part of a home entertainment package that needed to network with PCs, maybe this would be part of the installation.

  52. Comment by tooth · · Score: 2, Informative
  53. Problems with Bonjour: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    I've run into a few bugs with Bonjour:

    I keep getting IM coupons for French Roast Coffee.

    When I play German music on iTunes, all the Bonjour connections surrender and vanish.

    QuickTime unexpectedly opens a connection and begins playing Jerry Lewis films.

    iTunes insists that I listen to European Jazz Internet Radio at least once a day.

    And Bonjour works best only in trendy art café hot-spots while the end user smokes clove cigarettes.

    I'm sure Apple will correct these issues when they update OS X 'Tiger'
    to
    OS X 'La petite femme'.

  54. UPnP has patents and Bonjour does not... by Your+Average+Joe · · Score: 2, Informative

    Looks like Bonjour is patent free. In todays sue happy corporate battle ground it looks like the clear winner is the one that is quick to market and has less overhead.

    I predict Bonjour will win, even though Bill Gates will throw a fit.

    I also predict that a new security update will make bonjour not work or crash. We really want the Old Microsoft back, from the days of DR-DOS, WordPerfect and Lotus 123.

    --
    Your Average Joe
    1. Re:UPnP has patents and Bonjour does not... by fdobbie · · Score: 4, Informative

      The APSL gives you an automatic royalty-free license to any Apple patents which might cover any of the code, too.

  55. Re:Is this a first? by sydsavage · · Score: 1

    Would TrueType count?

  56. Re:Is this a first? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    quality put down!.. I havent laughed like that in a while!... mod parent up +5 belly laugh

  57. What is Apple thinking? by lheal · · Score: 1, Funny

    Obviously, they want you to use IE.

    That way, when your machine gets bogged down by using all of its disk space for IE cache, all its bandwidth to send malware spam, and all its processor power on "security" features, you'll be forced to upgrade to Linux.

    Oh, wait ... let me rethink this one.

    --
    Raise your children as if you were teaching them to raise your grandchildren, because you are.
  58. Your jargon is so last week. by argent · · Score: 1

    Of course what you meant to say was "Bonjour halo effect". Psychological warfare is so last century, anyway, these days it's all about "market engineering".

  59. Why don't they work on somthing useful... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    They should concentrate on makeing their software more compatable with AD. I just spent the greater part of last week configuring an xserve to play nicely on a Windows network. PITA - you have to jump through hoops (Kerberos setup using command tools) for single sign on, Windows clients on xserve shares, etc. Next time I am buying another Windows 2000 server! I can have that running in hours, not days.

    1. Re:Why don't they work on somthing useful... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There's no reason to conclude it's the Mac's fault. Microsoft's AD and Kerberos implementations are well documented as having deficiencies that make them deviant from the Kerberos and LDAP (of which AD is simply a degenerate implementation of) standards.

      You wouldn't have had the problem if: A.) Microsoft properly implemented AD and Kerberos, or B.) you didn't use Microsoft products.

    2. Re:Why don't they work on somthing useful... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm always amazed at the people who blame the product they are using when it takes an inordinate amount of time to do something. It OBVIOUSLY a problem with the xserve, not the USER, huh? Maybe you are more familiar with a win2k server, but that doesn't mean the xserve was difficult.

      user error.

  60. ObSimpsons by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I'll give it a try, but only after they have a "Cheese Eatin' Surrender Monkeys" option...

  61. Innovative by rev_karol · · Score: 5, Informative

    This is some of the coolest use of the technology: SubEthaEdit lets a group of people work on a document at the same time using Bonjour. This is the way networking should work. If the boys there get their act together and create a Windows (and Linux) version, this app could be used everywhere!

    1. Re:Innovative by trans_err · · Score: 2, Insightful

      This program is almost enough to switch alone. The few mac fanboys in the CS department here use SubEtha to code collaboratively all the time-- really neat to watch.

  62. There is a story behind Clarus too by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It's a well known fact that Apple, since its inception, has been a haven for "free thinkers" and "progressive thought," heralded by none other than famous acid-tripping Steve Jobs and his hippy buddies from California. It was on one of the famous beach parties, notorious for getting out of hand, that Clarus was born.

    It was a balmy night in August 1983 that Jobs held yet another beach party, this one with a special theme: who could come up with a mascot for the Mac development team? Of course, the Apple II team was there and tensions, as always, were high. That didn't deter the Mac team from bringing their "pet," Clara, a cow they'd been raising on the Apple campus since birth.

    Clara was birthed by the Mac team when they'd held a party on the Apple campus and had hired a bull-breeder as entertainment. All night long, the bull-breeder studded Hercules, his prize bull, with an assortment of cows. As the festivities continued throughout the night, a strange moaning was coming from one of the trailers. One of the cows he'd brought with him was, unbeknownst to the bull-breeder, pregnant! The Mac development team, being the resourceful hackers they were, helped give birth to the calf, the mother losing its life in the process. The bull-breeder was so taken by the Mac dev team's efforts he let them keep the cow, which they named Clara.

    Now, at the August 1983 beach party, the Mac team lobbied for Jobs to adopt Clara as the development mascot of the Macintosh. The Apple II team, spurned and bitter because of dwindling sales and neglect at the hand of Jobs, had brought their own mascot-- Cletus, a vicious Rotweiler they'd bought from a ruddy-faced street man in the ghetto of Cupertino for $25. Cletus was a frothing, flea-and-mange ridden terror that barked at the least provocation. The Apple II team fed it raw goat meat and corrupted 5.25 floppies to make it mean. They also kicked it and made sure its chain was too tight at all time. Here at the party was their chance for revenge at Jobs and his favorite Mac development team.

    As the night wore on, both the Apple II and Mac teams got drunker and drunker before Jobs called for a company vote on the mascot. What met the company's faces was something none of them could have imagined, however.

    In their drunken, stoned stupor, the embittered Apple II team had snuck into Clara's trailer and cut the rear end of off Clara! Drugging her with ether to staunch her cries, they had used an electric chainsaw, cut her back legs and rectum cleanly off, and taken them to the bonfire to cook and eat. They'd even fed some to the drunk Mac dev team! After they'd done this, they forced Cletus into the gaping hole in Clara's rear end. Gnawing away at his first real meal in months, Cletus lodged himself in Clara's colon and couldn't break free. So when the Mac dev team opened Clara's trailer and led their pet down the ramp, they were met with a bloody, gut-strewn mess and a weird, unnatural animal call of "moof!"

    The entire company was sickened by this and soon the sand was dotted with puddles of vomit. Cries of "moof, moof!" filled the air as the joined dog-cow trundled terribly along the beach, seizuring with each step, vomiting an icky mass of hair and blood, with a glazed look in its cow eyes. With a final shudder, the dog-cow fell and died, and the partygoers surrounded the putrid mess of bovine/canine flesh. Of course, it didn't take long for the Mac dev team to discover the Apple II team's treachery and a bloody brawl ensued over the death of Clara. By the end of the night, the cow, the dog, and the Apple II team were simple piles of broken, bloody bones.

    In light of the events that night, Jobs had no other choice to commemorate the tragic events that had unfurled and therefore made Apple's development mascot the dog-cow, "Clarus," a merging of the two animals names-- Cletus and Clara.

    And that, for those who didn't know, is the origin of Clarus the dog-cow. Every time you click on a Mac OS Easter-egg that utters "moof," you can look back to the terrible events that August, 1983 night at the Apple beach party that brought you the Clarus, the Apple dog-cow.

  63. bonjour by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    bonjour bonjour bonjour...

    you know when you say a word so many times that it starts to lose its meaning?

  64. Re:Is this a first? by As+Seen+On+MTV · · Score: 5, Funny
    We will never allow OS X to run on commodity hardware. I know because over lunch yesterday in Cupertino, SJ and I had a long chat about this very issue.

    After the meal, over a delightful little bottle of 1992 Pinot Grigiot, he leaned over and said to me in a conspiratorial tone, "Hermann, for that is your true name, why do you insist on stalking me, you pompous delusional fuckwit? We're not having lunch; rather you have just prostrated yourself on the ground in front of me in an attempt to slather on my boots. As an intern in accounts receivable, you have no more right to use the royal "we" than a cockroach. Begone filth".

    Jobs has a way of being tangential, elusive, not saying what he really means. I recall, back when we founded Apple in my garage in 1976, etc etc ...

  65. Been There, Tried it by Kichigai+Mentat · · Score: 1
    I actually just discovered this last night. I'm working on finding a solution to my printer-sharing woes (Windows Networking on the Family XP box is royally b0rked) and I figured I would give Bonjour (formerly Rendezvous) a spin.

    As best as I can figure, Bonjour for Windows only seems to be a client. I can't tell if it has the ability to share printers yet. Anyone got info on this?

    As far as this being a marketing ploy on Apple's part, let's face it, it's just as much a marketing ploy for Apple, as it was for Microsoft to start making Internet Explorer and Office for Macs. It's nothing new, just Apple's attempt to spread their technology. Everyone does it, even the FOSS guys (gVIM for Windows, MPlayer binaries for OS X and Windows, FireFox for every imaginable platform).

    --
    Rawr
  66. Auto-assignment of IP addresses? by Slashcrap · · Score: 0

    That would be like when a Windows box decides it can't get an IP from a DHCP server and gives itself an APIPA address (169.254.x.x) right?

    Great. Because I've always found that feature MASSIVELY FUCKING USEFUL.

    1. Re:Auto-assignment of IP addresses? by slide-rule · · Score: 1

      For ad-hoc networks, that's part of the point. Sure, all of /. will have an old dusty 386 running dhcp/bind for all the systems in their little batcave making zeroconf a zero-value-add. If your systems are configured to *need* DHCP, BIND, etc., then it's partly your headache to workaround or disable the failover to zeroconf, IMO.

      OTOH, assuming my mom and dad got separate systems and just barely knew enough to plug cat5 between them, the fact that both systems will decide to use 169.254.x.y (and all decide their domain is ".local") and w/ the assumption they're running an mDNS responder of some variety, both systems can "find" each other without me twiddling around in two separate networking wizards, setting up a host file, and/or whatever else. Ideally, they have no idea how complicated it *might* be. (Granted, all the magic that truly benefits the end-user happens at the application level, such as in IE, some printer wizard, a multiplayer game, what-have-you.)

  67. It Just works? by ccozan · · Score: 1

    "Zeroconf is designed to bring the "It Just Works" Apple swagger to IP networks."

    I sense a great force disturbance around Seattle,WA.

  68. Re:The Switch Marketing Myth by MemoryDragon · · Score: 1

    What are you talking about... apple sales have reached an all time high

  69. Nice Start... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Getting Apple tools ported over to windows is a nice start. Now let's see OSX so I can dump windows but not all of my hardware.

    1. Re:Nice Start... by ajs318 · · Score: 1

      Try this and either this or this: it's not quite the real thing, but it's as near as you're going to get for the time being. And you will certainly get to "dump Windows but not all of your hardware".

      --
      Je fume. Tu fumes. Nous fûmes!
  70. "Wardriving for Dummies"? by Zemplar · · Score: 0

    Will this lead to a new book in the famous "Dummies" series titled Wardriving for Dummies?

  71. Re:"After installing Bonjour, you must restart..." by Senor_Programmer · · Score: 1

    Thanks.

    My computer experience progressed as...
    PDP8 & 11
    HP MX series & TRS-80
    MS-DOS & big CDC iron
    SunOS & NT
    Linux & NT-2000
    with a smattering of other unix flavors mixed in over the years

    but i've only used the 'windows' stuff for running tax prep software :-)

    So I can runas from the command line? Looks like it. Will give it a try next time 2000 is running.

  72. sure it is by brutusbuck · · Score: 1

    It's the official name of the IETF working group that came up with the Dynamic Configuration of IPv4 Link-Local Addresses draft. www.zeroconf.org

    1. Re:sure it is by fdobbie · · Score: 1

      Indeed it is. However, the interesting bits of Bonjour are Multicast DNS and DNS Service Discovery, neither of which are the products of the IETF WG (which has been disbanded, I think).

      Zeroconf.org is owned by Stuart Cheshire, not the IETF.

  73. IETF standard by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Troller, Zeroconf is an IETF standard - http://www.zeroconf.org/.

    1. Re:IETF standard by Refrag · · Score: 0

      That Apple developed.

      --
      I have a website. It's about Macs.
  74. Howl by pridkett · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Seems to me that this technology has been available on Windows, Linux, FreeBSD for quite some time now in the form of Howl. It's an opensource library that supports Rendezvous/Zero Conf. I've used it for a while now to do all sorts of fun stuff. In fact, the responder portion of it even runs on the WRT54G boxes.

    The only difference here is that this is the blessed client by Apple.

    --
    My Slashdot account is old enough to drink...
    1. Re:Howl by NineNine · · Score: 2, Insightful

      The only difference here is that this is the blessed client by Apple.

      Actually, the more important difference is that Apple is spending some money to let people know that this product exists. How many people have heard of "Howl" before your post? 5?

    2. Re:Howl by MasonMcD · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Seems to me that this technology has been available on Windows, Linux, FreeBSD for quite some time now in the form of Howl. It's an opensource library that supports Rendezvous/Zero Conf. I've used it for a while now to do all sorts of fun stuff. In fact, the responder portion of it even runs on the WRT54G boxes.

      The only difference here is that this is the blessed client by Apple.


      Well, to be accurate, if Howl is based on the opensource library for Zero Conf, that, too is blessed by Apple, as they - in the form of Stuart Cheshire - were the ones to come up with it.

      http://www.answers.com/topic/zeroconf

      http://www.vmeng.com/mc/archives/2002-August/00003 6.html

      You think router and DNS box makers would come up with Zero Conf by themselves?

    3. Re:Howl by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Not only that, it's been available as "technology previews" directly from Apple itself. My XP machines at work and at home have been running the gen-you-wine versions of "Rendezvous" for almost a year now. It works great -- I have mDNSResponder set up on my Linux box and can ssh to said machine with ssh linux.local (what an amazingly creative naming scheme, eh?)

    4. Re:Howl by mbbac · · Score: 1

      It was also available for Windows from Apple under the name of Rendevous for a while as well.

      --

      mbbac

    5. Re:Howl by Kelson · · Score: 1

      Yeah, I was wondering about that too. Several months ago I pointed Howl/mDNSResponder (built into Fedora Core) at Netatalk so that I could easily connect to my Linux desktop from my PowerBook.

      I remember noticing at the time that Howl was also available for Windows.

      Though now that I look at it more closely, I'm reminded that Howl doesn't have a double-clickable installer...and I don't see any actual *applications* on there.

  75. How is this going to cause someone to switch? by east+coast · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I really don't get how someone thinks this will get people to convert to apple. OK, so you port some really great app or function of the apple to windows. Why do I want to leave windows? The function is already on my native OS. It's only after I realize that something is so great isn't available for windows that I would want to switch. apple doesn't have enough market exposure to cause a serious exodus from windows.

    --
    Dedicated Cthulhu Cultist since 4523 BC.
    1. Re:How is this going to cause someone to switch? by omega9 · · Score: 2, Insightful

      This is only very indirectly about "switch". There's nothing specific to Bonjour that will cause anyone to cross over to Mac, but it's a service that makes network interopperation between all machines potentially easier and better, and "all machines" includes Macs.

      Besides: Microsoft invents some services and keeps it to themselves and theyr're called selfish a$$holes. Mac comes up with a new service, release it to new platforms, and you give them a different, but equal amount of flack. Go figure.

      --
      I'm against picketing, but I don't know how to show it.
    2. Re:How is this going to cause someone to switch? by east+coast · · Score: 1

      Microsoft invents some services and keeps it to themselves and theyr're called selfish a$$holes. Mac comes up with a new service, release it to new platforms, and you give them a different, but equal amount of flack. Go figure.

      When did I ever call MS selfish assholes? Please, don't lump me in with the "open source will save the planet" crowd of slashdot. That's fairly insulting from all aspects.

      --
      Dedicated Cthulhu Cultist since 4523 BC.
    3. Re:How is this going to cause someone to switch? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You lumped yourself in when you posted here. If you don't want to be associated with the crowd don't stand next to them.

    4. Re:How is this going to cause someone to switch? by east+coast · · Score: 1

      If you don't want to be associated with the crowd don't stand next to them.

      A very enlightened saying from an AC. God forbid that someone be in a forum and have an opinion that differs from the majority. And all along I thought that many thoughts on the same subject brought some truth to light.

      --
      Dedicated Cthulhu Cultist since 4523 BC.
  76. obligatory Only Fools and Horses quote by ajs318 · · Score: 1

    Does this mean Del Boy can finally say Bonjour to all that poncing about with IP addresses?

    --
    Je fume. Tu fumes. Nous fûmes!
    1. Re:obligatory Only Fools and Horses quote by ledow · · Score: 1

      Don't be a plonker, Rodney already does all that for him with his computer qualifications and his GCE's.

      "Got ya, ya martian git."

  77. Re:Close to useless... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    if you would have RTFA you would see that you must have Tiger (10.4) or better.

  78. Re:Is this a first? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    *A* HP (Haitch Pee), not *AN* HP ('aitch Pee), please.

    You can only drop the "H" in "Haitch" when it is neither the first letter in an abbreviation nor emphasised. So, HTML is Haitch-tee-em-el, but PHP is Pee-'aitch-pee.

  79. Bring back "Yellow Box"! by unother · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Seems to me Apple needs to update the Cocoa frameworks for operations on the modern NT variants (2000/XP).

    Seems to me they may already me doing that, what with QT7 being a Cocoa app (and I wouldn't be surprised to find iTunes is not far behind).

    Seems to me we may see Apple pushing back into the cross-platform application development arena very soon, as a hook to customers to move off Carbon on the OS X platform...

    ???

  80. A waste ... by buchanmilne · · Score: 1

    when what they could really be doing is adding tsig-gss support to it (and while they're at it, bind), so that they can actually inter-operate with AD's DNS (and not create their own little world).

  81. Mobile printing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This could be very useful for mobile laptop users. Many times, I have had access to a conference network for Internet but no way to print, and no way to find out if there actually _is_ a printer. Bonjour could fix this.

  82. How is this better than Windows server detection? by godless+dave · · Score: 1

    I have a small mixed home network, and Windows 2000 has no trouble finding the shared directory on my Mac (OS X), but OS X is very bad at finding my Windows shares. It used to work sporadically, and after the last OS X upgrade doesn't work at all. In this (one, singular) respect Windows networking seems to work better than OS X.

    --
    "If it's real, then it gets more interesting the closer you examine it. If it's not real, just the opposite is true." -
  83. Question? by spectrokid · · Score: 1

    Is this only for SOHO networks or is there a use in a massive AD deployment?
    Is this like old MS NETBEUI unroutable, or does it survive beyond the first router?

    --

    10 ?"Hello World" life was simple then

    1. Re:Question? by wootest · · Score: 1

      It's not designed to survive beyond the first router because it's meant to facilitate easier (or non-existant) setup of local networks, and a competent fallback in case infrastructure such as DHCP servers go out.

    2. Re:Question? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Anyway AD already uses dynamic DNS entries to publish information about services available on every node managed by the AD, so Bonjour is somewhat irrelevant in such a setup.

    3. Re:Question? by wootest · · Score: 1

      If you have everything set up correctly, most of Bonjour is irrelevant. Not everyone has everything set up correctly, not everyone has everything set up correctly all the time, and not everyone uses AD.

    4. Re:Question? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Oh, yes, that must be why I have to configure a DHCP helper address in all my routers so that all my windoze desktops can get an IP address. ...jackass

  84. Been there, tried that... by timbck2 · · Score: 1
    But then again, I wish Apple would just go ahead and build an OSX* for x86 systems, and give the consumer market a *real* choice.


    This has already been done; it was called "NeXTStep for Intel Processors". It was essentially a flop, in large part because of lack of device drivers for the myriad of x86 hardware out there.
    --
    Absurdity: A statement or belief manifestly inconsistent with one's own opinion. -- Ambrose Bierce
  85. Why not UPnP? by iso · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Can somebody explain to me what ZeroConf has got over UPnP? There is a lot of industry momentum around UPnP already (most routers ship with it for instance), it's an open standard, and there are open-source implementations of it as well. Is ZeroConf a result of Apple not-invented-here, or does it do something fundamentally different than UPnP?

    1. Re:Why not UPnP? by 99BottlesOfBeerInMyF · · Score: 3, Informative

      Can somebody explain to me what ZeroConf has got over UPnP?

      UPnP is patent encumbered. It does not do auto discovery over a network. UPnP works like a piece of crap. On my mac I have a usb printer plugged into another machine or hub. Within seconds of turning it on it is available to every mac on my network with no configuration. I have to manually add it to each windows machine. I can automatically see other users running ichat, itunes, etc. and connect to the services they offer, just by being on the same subnet. Taking a mac to a conference became an amazing thing a few years ago. Imagine being able to chat with everyone else there, automatically, with no configuration or trading of info. imagine being able to listen to a steam from their mp3 player. imagine being able to collaboratively edit a document with no configuration. I do all these things redularly. It it so much more useful than UPnP that the comparison is ludicrous.

    2. Re:Why not UPnP? by mpaque · · Score: 2, Informative

      If you like, think of Bonjour/ZeroConf as finishing UPnP and making it play well with current Internet Engineering Task Force standards.

      UPnP can be made to do similar things on it's own, if you write enough wrapper code...

  86. Single-word comments by FunWithHeadlines · · Score: 1, Insightful
    "How the hell is the single-word comment "cool" insightful?"

    Why not? Sometimes the right word is just what you need to jog your thinking process in a new (insightful) way. Sometimes just writing a single number can give you insight into life, the universe, and everything:

    42

  87. There is a java version JmDNS by pUNX.h · · Score: 1, Insightful

    There has been a Java version for a while now?
    jmdns.sourceforge.net/

    Why is a windows version a big deal?

  88. Maybe Xgrid is Next by theManInTheYellowHat · · Score: 1

    A version of Xgrid for win32 and linux would be awesome.

    1. Re:Maybe Xgrid is Next by hawaiian717 · · Score: 1
      Well, here's an Xgrid Agent for Unix platforms: http://unu.novajo.ca/simple/archives/000026.html

      I've tested it on Gentoo Linux (in fact, I was the person who submitted the bug report to have the ~x86 keyword added to it's Portage ebuild, it was previously just ~ppc), and while the agent runs and is seen by the Mac OS X Client (the machine submitting the job to the Xgrid), I wasn't able to work out the problem of Linux x86 versus Mac OS X Mach-O binaries -- the script on the webpage didn't work for me.

      --
      End of Line.
  89. Re:Is this a first? by Quiet_Desperation · · Score: 1

    An "HP Mac" would be an interesting concept.

    I dunno... HP "anything" has ceased to be an interesting concept under any circumstances.

    Yes, I'm still bitter about them gutting the RPN calculator group.

  90. I think I have it installed then... by gina-milano · · Score: 0
    automatic allocation of IP address without DHCP

    It works really well too. 127.0.0.1 is always assigned to my Ethernet card without fail and there is no DHCP server on my network.

  91. Re:Frist!!!!!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I don't have an account.

    What more confession do you want.

    I had sex with a chick who has a bf (that is my friend) while I have a GF.

    I fell like a piece of shit about it.

    I've been asking god to help me all day.

  92. Re:Close to useless... by MemoryDragon · · Score: 1

    Saw it already thanks, guess it is time to try Zeroconf again.

  93. tiger network only? by gqgreg · · Score: 1

    I haven't upgraded to Tiger yet on my macs, and Bonjour appears to still be known as Rendezvous. Does this mean I can't get my windows machines onto the mac network until a Tiger upgrade? My PC isn't seeing any Bonjour printers after installing Bonjour client.

    --
    Powerbook G4/1.5GHz 12", Toshiba Satellite 1135-S1554
  94. Re:Is this a first? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    iTunes for windows = SLOW BLOATED GUI
    Quicktime for windows = SLOW BLOATED GUI + crashey
    maybe this WILL be a first...

  95. Re:Is this a first? by EddWo · · Score: 1

    I don't honestly believe that any more. Sure they make a lot on iPods, but surely they make more money selling Tiger for $129 and iLife for $79 than selling a Mac mini with both included for $499.
    I can't imagine theres a lot of margins on a $291 PC.

    Apples major selling point is now its software, the operating systems, and professional creative software. It's the OS people are after, not the hardware.

    --
    "Taligent is still pure vapor. Maybe they'll be the last who jumps up on Openstep... "
  96. I thought the "Windows" trademark was revoked? by circusboy · · Score: 5, Interesting

    not so much that French is hip, but "something-you're-not" is

    my brother tells me the story of when bicycling through belgium, he came across a guy customizing a hod-rod car. on the side were painted the words "sweet girl." when asked, the belgian responded that he wanted something that looked/sounded exotic. A U.S. equivalent might be "cherchez le femme" (or "churchy lafemme" for you Pogo fans...)

    I think that it just has to be in a different language. it promotes the need for some one to ask you what it is. makes you feel smart (though possibly only relative to the person asking... (think bad lawyers and latin.)) I suppose it helps that in the U.S. certain languages/accents have come to be hung with certain stereotypes. BBC style British accent=intelligent, French accent=sexy (or stuck-up (or both, for that matter)), Italian=short tempered gangster/lothario. But in all of these cases the primary thing that the accent or the foreign word implies is simply the sense of the exotic.

    In the rest of the world, French was/is frequently considered the international language. though with the advent of airtravel, and by necessity international air-traffic control, that has been moving to english for some time. (most computer languages also have their basis in english (keywords and syntax rules for instance.) I find it fairly interesting that ruby, (developed, as far as I know) primarily in Japan, still uses english for the major keywords.)

    Finding a name that is not "sue-able" or offensive is a tricky thing. Exxon spent a lot of time and money looking for a new name when Esso was broken up and managed to find that the XX was uncommon or non-existent in all known languages. The fact that Exxon itself eventually became something of an epithet is unrelated, (but pleasantly ironic.)

    Rendezvous, at least, had come into relatively common english parlance.

    --
    -- it's ridiculous how many people misspell ridiculous... (damn, damn, damn...)
    1. Re:I thought the "Windows" trademark was revoked? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ...certain languages/accents have come to be hung with certain stereotypes. BBC style British accent=intelligent, French accent=...

      I thought British = Nazi. That or the devil. Either way, evil.

    2. Re:I thought the "Windows" trademark was revoked? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I see your point. Same thing happens here in Singapore. Over here Bonjour is the brand of a certain bakery, and it does have the foreign/exotic/unfamiliar effect to the local culture. It gets so unfamiliar to a point that most people don't know how to pronouce it, and it ends up being know as "bon-jaw".

      Rendezvous or Bonjour, I find the service handy. That's what we all really care about, isn't that right?

    3. Re:I thought the "Windows" trademark was revoked? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Look, I can do it too.... Mexican=Kossak, Latvian=CoffeeCup. All you have to do is clear your mind, open your mouth and let the crap flow...

  97. Not new by hwestiii · · Score: 2, Interesting

    This isn't exactly new. There was an SDK available for Windows more than a year ago when it was still called Rendezvous.

  98. Re:Is this a first? by grub · · Score: 0

    Thanks for my first Friday laugh!

    --
    Trolling is a art,
  99. Re:Is this a first? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    And Appleworks. . and oh yeah, the Macintosh operating system that was shamelessly copied.

  100. Bonjour is not what makes SEE cool by dangermouse · · Score: 2, Informative

    SEE uses Bonjour to discover documents on the local network, but that's all Bonjour does for it or any other program. That's nice, but all the stuff that really makes SEE cool-- the shared buffer, user highlighting, etc-- has nothing to do with Bonjour

    1. Re:Bonjour is not what makes SEE cool by babbage · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Moreover, they've written several times that SubEthaEdit leverages several OSX technologies, including both Bonjour and Cocoa, as well as makes (unorthodox?) use of open protcols like BEEP. From the sound of it, getting SEE to work without this toolkit would be very hard to do.

      I'm a little more interested in support for the SEE protocol in an editor like Vim or Emacs. If they can add it, then it'll instantly be available to people using any platform at all, even if SEE never gets ported to anything else. From what I can tell, this is a lot more likely, but so far I haven't heard of anyone working on hacking up these editors to support SEE style collaborative editing. Oh well...

    2. Re:Bonjour is not what makes SEE cool by person · · Score: 1
      This might be what you're looking for: using screen to share console apps.
      http://apple.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=112126&c id=9512111

      FullyIonized wrote:

      And one of the most underutilized features of screen is multi-user sessions. I have used this to do XP-style programming with a colleague who was working 900 miles away

      The way I did it:
      Start up screen with a temporary screenrc file that contains:
      multiuser on
      addacl other_username
      detach

      Note that I have the screen session detach. Type "screen -ls" to get the screen session name (for the other person), then type "screen -r" to reattach. The other person ssh'd into my machine and typed "screen -x session_name". It is possible to script all of this to make it easier.

      We then talked over the phone (headphones highly recommended) while we could simultaneously edit in a vi session. It was hilarious because we'd start yelling at each other "No,no, let ME type." Still, these sessions are always among my most productive programming sessions because we catch each others mistakes and program the parts of the program that we have expertise in.
    3. Re:Bonjour is not what makes SEE cool by babbage · · Score: 2, Informative

      This might be what you're looking for: using screen to share console apps.

      [....]

      Note that I have the screen session detach. Type "screen -ls" to get the screen session name (for the other person), then type "screen -r" to reattach. The other person ssh'd into my machine and typed "screen -x session_name". It is possible to script all of this to make it easier.

      We then talked over the phone (headphones highly recommended) while we could simultaneously edit in a vi session. It was hilarious because we'd start yelling at each other "No,no, let ME type." Still, these sessions are always among my most productive programming sessions because we catch each others mistakes and program the parts of the program that we have expertise in.

      No, it isn't. This is a crude, crude simulation of what SEE allows people to do cleanly, painlessly, and transparently. As noted in one of the URLs I linked to previously, screen is not equivalent to what SubEthaEdit is doing, because unlike pretty much every other editor ever, SubEthaEdit supports multiple concurrent insertion points.

      Yes, you can use screen to share a Vim or Emacs session among multiple people, but they're all still going to have to haggle over who gets to type at any one time. With SEE, on the other hand, everyone can work independently, in the same or in different regions of the same file, and everyone is always looking at the current, collaboratively written version of the same document. To keep things from getting confusing, all the edits I make will have a white background, and all the edits you make will have a pale green background, and all the edits that another person makes will have a sky blue background, and so on and so forth. And this is independent of syntax highlighting, so you also get nicely multicolored text over these multicolored backgrounds.

      This is, in short, light years ahead of anything that you could cobble together with Emacs or Vi in a screen session.

      By way of comparison, consider VNC. You can share a VNC session such that the console user and one or more observers are sharing the mouse pointer and keyboard input, but you still only get one mouse cursor and one flow of keyboard input, so if I pull left and you pull right, the competition for the cursor cancels out and the pointer ends up somewhere in the middle. With the SEE protocol, by contrast, it's as if every participant gets their own mouse and keyboard, so I can open & work in windows in one corner of the screen, and you can do similar work in another, and if we want, we can work on each other's regions of the screen. (And yes, this would require a bit of cooperation to avoid chaos, but maybe the cursors would be visible on all shared displays, with flags by each cursor to highlight who is working where, so that you could understand at a glance what's going on.)

      Spend 30 seconds collaborating with SEE, and you'll realize what a cruel joke of a collaboration method screen-shared Vi/Emacs is...

  101. Re:How is this better than Windows server detectio by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I usually find it to be the other way around.. also the mac osx client seems to see shares that you cannot (not supossed to see) on windows with a vpn into a windows enterprise network that shall remain nameless.

  102. Obligatory Simpsons Quote by lbmouse · · Score: 1

    "Bonjourrr", ya cheese-eating surrender monkeys. ~ G.K. Willy

  103. Re:Is this a first? by WinterSolstice · · Score: 1

    Ok, I'm sorry but that is funny. Creating a spoof ID and posting as that poor guy, just to make fun of him is a lot of work. Not nice either.

    Funny, though.

    -WS

    --
    An operating system should be like a light switch... simple, effective, easy to use, and designed for everyone.
  104. Re:"After installing Bonjour, you must restart..." by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Bonjour hooks into the TCP/IP stack -- how else do you think "ping your-stupid-macs-name.local" returns something worthwhile?

  105. Swiftiam of you to notice by crovira · · Score: 1

    Apple has been spared the fate of PC manufacturers (reduction to comodity box assemblers,) and, Linux-like, nearly gives away the software. (Must piss off Microsoft no end. :-)

    Apple has defied the tide, makes a decent buck and is out innovating the Microsoft and the box assemblers.

    The market forces that permitted Microsoft to decimate the sources of hardware innovation by switching production to smaller and smaller assemblers while forcing component makers to use fewer and fewer chassis are the very same ones that have also put a limit on Microsoft's ability to respond to ANY innnovation.

    They have reached their limit to growth. Their success in the x86 market has in fact limited them to the x86 market. If they hadn't been so successful at it, they wouldn't be in this pickle.

    Apple will adapt because it can, as the revenue streams of iTunes and iPod prove.

    Microsoft was always parasitic and its 'hosts', the supply chain of huge chassis manufacturers and of mom-n-pop box assemblers, are now weakened to the point that they can't respond to ANY threat.

    Microsoft will make a fascinating business case to study in the next century.

    --
    MSBPodcast.com The opinions expressed here are my own. If you don't like 'em... Think up your own stuff.
  106. Obligatory Snopes reference by BurntHombre · · Score: 2, Informative
    1. Re:Obligatory Snopes reference by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Snopes needs Snopesing in this case.

      "he did receive a call from Alastair Campbell, Blair's director of communications and strategy. "I can tell you that the prime minister never heard George Bush say that"

      So, Alastair Campbell, Blair's spinmeister, protector of the Special Relationship, claims that Blair didn't say that, and Shirley Williams claims that he did. This isn't something that needs "debunking" by Snopes, this is one person's word against another, and Snopes are not in a position to judge the truth or falsehood of Shirely Williams' claim. In any case, Alastair Campbell is a known liar whereas Shirely Williams has an unimpeachable political reputation - so I know who I believe. That, and it's also just the kind of thing Bush is likely to have said. Just because people like pointing it out doesn't mean that he isn't a moron.

    2. Re:Obligatory Snopes reference by rca66 · · Score: 1

      I knew this reference - but who cares about truth or lies if a joke can be made??

    3. Re:Obligatory Snopes reference by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      gwb is still a moronic wack-job, and we should all be afraid ... very afraid

    4. Re:Obligatory Snopes reference by Black+Perl · · Score: 1

      Actually the fact that entrepreneur is a French word makes the joke witty and funnier, IMHO. Of course, you could argue that it was accidental wit.

      Do the French have a phrase for double entendre?

      --
      bp
    5. Re:Obligatory Snopes reference by vague+disclaimer · · Score: 1

      Probably worth pointing out that relying, as Snopes does, on Alistair Campbell for a rebuttal of a story involving Blair is like relying on a Philip Morris spokesman to give even-handed information about tobacco and lung cancer. I'd believe Shirley Williams way before I'd believe Campbell.

  107. who cares? by rsw · · Score: 0

    Setting up a network takes slightly more brain power than that generated by a petri dish full of E. coli.

    -rsw

    1. Re:who cares? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      We could manually mount drives to if we wanted, but why would we want to?

    2. Re:who cares? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I am a petri dish full of E.coli, you insensitive clod!

  108. Old News by bleaknik · · Score: 0

    Fellow slashdotters. You've been deceived again.
    I've been using Bonjour/Rendezvous since about July/August of last year.

    But then again... repeated articles, stale news, or advertisements... on slashdot? never...

    --
    Deja Vu
    n. 1. The sensation that you've read this very article before.
  109. Re:How is this better than Windows server detectio by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    that's interesting, my experience is the total opposite. My (now) tiger osx machine can always find the shares on my xp pro box, but xp doesn't like finding the osx share.

  110. Bonjour? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Am I the only person terrified at the thought of a comprehensive automatic network configurator that is (at least by name) French? I mean - I've been through De Gaulle airport. The thought of deploying that kind of design expertise on my network makes me somewhat apprehensive.

  111. Finally by cyfer2000 · · Score: 1

    When next group member arrive, I don't need to type the ip and port numbers of the printers behind our jetdirect server. No matter the new guy will use Windows, Mac or Linux.

    --
    There is a spark in every single flame bait point.
  112. clicked the link, download the installer and... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    ...rebooted

    Loaded up VLC (watching the latest episode of CSI download via bittorrent).

    What'da know... I can get a clean playback... skips, pixlization, lost audio, etc.

    uninstalled Bonjour and life is good again.

    Jesus fscking christ, Apple. If you're going to release Windows software, at least make sure it's ready for prime time.

  113. Download Broken? by FU_Fish · · Score: 1

    Is anyone else getting in a weird loop of web pages when they try to download? When I click the download link, it takes me to the OSX information page. I can't seem to get the actual download.

    1. Re:Download Broken? by ekmo · · Score: 1

      To download the software, go to this page and click on the "Get Bonjour for Windows" link in "Bonjour for Windows" box on the right side.

      --

      | Ceci n'est pas une pipe.
  114. Homeland Security by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    What this means is that my PC with this service installed can be hijacked by someone with proper knowledge of UPnP.

    All they have to do is plug in a UPnP device with IP and routing capabilites on my very large network, give me an IP address on their logical network, and route me through their device.

    Then they can do with my traffic whatever they want.

    This usually happens when a UPnP WIFI AP is plugged into a LAN port by an n00b, and the DHCP server is configured and turned on.

    Right? This is what this service is used for?

    Or did I misunderstand?

  115. Re:Is this a first? by allanc · · Score: 1

    So are these rules you just made up just now?

    In standard US English speech, pronounciation of the letter 'H' is never aspirated. So HTML is 'aitch-tee-em-el' and HP is 'aitch-pee', and 'An HP' is correct.

  116. Re:Is this a first? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Nope, they make very little money off of Tiger (and probably more but not much off of iLife). The software development costs eat most of those fees.

    And it isn't $291. Apple goes the route of shipping a computer and including the software free. A Mac Mini with no OS and no software, if you somehow got ahold of such a thing, would be $499.

  117. Re:Is this a first? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Is this the first time Apple releases software that works on Windows?

    QuickTime...
    iTunes...


    Maybe you didn't read his question, he said WORKS on Windows, not runs on Windows.

    I wouldn't define "runs & functions like shit" to be "working."

  118. Re:The Switch Marketing Myth by allanc · · Score: 1

    Exhibit A
    Yeah, they weren't at an all-time high in 2004, although they were on an upswing in terms of raw numbers sold.

    Exhibit B
    But come 2005, their unit sales were up 43%. So, taking a 3500KMac as the 2004 number, that means the 2005 number is around 5000KMac, which beats the 1996 spike.

    So, apparently the ad campaign is working better than you think.

  119. Re:runs & functions like shit by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    That phrase and Windows are synonymous.

  120. Close enough for SAC by Thud457 · · Score: 1
    Would Redmond be wiped out if Seattle were hit with a nuke?

    Then they're the same place.

    --

    the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

    1. Re:Close enough for SAC by grammar+fascist · · Score: 1

      Would Redmond be wiped out if Seattle were hit with a nuke?

      Then they're the same place.


      Would France be wiped out if California were scheduled for demolition by Vogons?

      Then they're the same place.

      --
      I got my Linux laptop at System76.
    2. Re:Close enough for SAC by SIGALRM · · Score: 1
      Would Redmond be wiped out if Seattle were hit with a nuke? Then they're the same place.
      Really? Well I live in Seattle, work in Redmond, and it usually takes about ONE HOUR to travel between "the same place".
      --
      Sigs cause cancer.
    3. Re:Close enough for SAC by Gumber · · Score: 1

      Really? Well I live in Seattle, work in Redmond, and it usually takes about ONE HOUR to travel between "the same place".

      On the other hand, nuclear blasts don't really get held up by the crummy traffic on 520

  121. rendezvous protocol supported by trillian by matt+me · · Score: 1

    multi-messenger client for windows trillian has supported the mac rendezvous protocol since version 3 - which automatically detects other local machines, and allows you to send them instant messages over your LAN. yes, instant messages, not seconds of delay (MSN).

    1. Re:rendezvous protocol supported by trillian by vulcanrob · · Score: 1

      I think the ad-hoc messaging is something that could really take off, especially in a university or other big wireless/wired systems. Now we just need a decent open source rendezvous/bonjour instant messenger for win and linux. I don't see anyone working on this...

  122. Re:Close to useless... by MemoryDragon · · Score: 1

    Tried it, and indeed they fixed it... zerconf now recognizes the shared printers, does not help with non network aware (Canon) drivers however, but that is not Apples fault.

  123. Switch! by kuzb · · Score: 2, Funny

    [..]and to gain Apple switchers by enticing Windows customers."

    I too am an Apple switcher. I power down every Mac I come across.

    --
    BeauHD. Worst editor since kdawson.
    1. Re:Switch! by demmer · · Score: 0

      funny

  124. Re:"After installing Bonjour, you must restart..." by RupW · · Score: 1
    Bonjour hooks into the TCP/IP stack -- how else do you think "ping your-stupid-macs-name.local" returns something worthwhile?

    Does all name resolution go through TCP/IP? I'd be surprised. Can't you use WINS over Netbios, or is that just versions past?

    In any case, I stand by what I said:
    Even if they're hooking something deep into the IP stack they could easily restart all networking on the machine.
    Think about when you're upgrading network drivers on Windows: it just stops the driver, replaces it and restarts it. No reboot required. You haven't needed to reboot for that sort of thing since Windows 2000.
  125. Re:Is this a first? by geoffspear · · Score: 1

    Do you honestly think Apple sells itself copies of Tiger and iLife at retail to install them on its machines?

    --
    Don't blame me; I'm never given mod points.
  126. and more! by circusboy · · Score: 2

    or hamburger by the germans
    or frankfurturs by the germans...
    anybody got any more?

    btw, anyone else see "better of dead" with john cusack?

    "frawnch fries, frawnch toast... "etc. imdb doesn't have that quote... I kept waiting for her to serve the "frawnch tickler"

    --
    -- it's ridiculous how many people misspell ridiculous... (damn, damn, damn...)
  127. Reason why Apple will not do that by SuperKendall · · Score: 1

    Although you might like to see a skinnable iTunes on WIndows, they are not providing it free just for fun - they are providing it free to further advertise Apple, and to stick a candle of GUI flame into a otherwise blackened pit of dispair.

    Ok, perhaps that last part is a little strong ( :-) ) but it is there to give people a sense of what using Apple apps is like and to provide motivation for switchers.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
  128. Between Apple and Google improving Windows... by SuperKendall · · Score: 1

    With both Apple and Google adding so many enhancements to Windows, is there really a point to Microsoft even completing Longhorn development anymore?

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
    1. Re:Between Apple and Google improving Windows... by bananahead · · Score: 1
      You have pointed out the demon on Microsoft's shoulders, and you have asked the very question that they will not ask themselves.

      Google represents the possibility of life on a computer without an operating system. They have the capability to reduce the hardware in front of you to nothing more than a keyboard, monitor and storage of your stuff. A thin-client world is the death of Microsoft. Microsoft is massing resources on this front as we speak to somehow thwart the Google attack. Some feel they are bringing knives to a gunfight, but I digress.

      Apple represents an attack on the thick-client front by offering an alternative. Microsoft has rarely had to fight the 'viable alternative' battle, and Apple is poised to bring this battle on hard.

      This two-front battle, combined with low moral and huge sustaining engineering requirements, puts Microsoft in a weak spot.

      Stay tuned...

      --
      A most overlooked advantage to owning a computer is if they foul up there's no law against wacking them around a bit.
    2. Re:Between Apple and Google improving Windows... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ahhh ha ha ha

      Microsoft... completing... Longhorn...

      ha ha ha ha...

      ahh... (wipes tear from eye)

  129. Re:"After installing Bonjour, you must restart..." by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    That would be hooking into the sockets API, then, not the TCP/IP stack, and looking at my debug output in DevStudio since installing Bonjour I see it's using DLL injection to get its work done - nasty, but a long way from kernel-level work.

    My assumption is it reboots so that all the applications on the machine get the new DLL, otherwise you would see some apps give Bonjour lookups and some give regular DNS lookups. It probably isn't strictly necessary given a decent ReadMe.

  130. Re:"After installing Bonjour, you must restart..." by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Confirmed by the fact that the standard Windows build of NSLOOKUP *will not* return addresses in the local. domain, but programs like PING will. This is because NSLOOKUP has its own DNS code whereas PING uses the sockets API.

  131. Re:Is this a first? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    No, those aren't made up rules. He's using proper grammar. Do you think it's proper to say "an house is not an home"? Of course not. The usage is based on the syllabant sound of the word, not on the convoluted example you site of phonectically spelling out each letter and basing it on that. When the word begins with a vowel sound (it's an honor have a house) you should use "an." Otherwise, use "a" with the syllabant sound.
    This is the sort of thing that really grates on the ears of true GrammarNazis.

  132. Re:OK by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    No, you're both wrong. The QJT uses the MPLE version of the EKTCL. FHD said that not only was IOR recognized as a viable JRTA but it even qualified as a TJRJA! I think that's pretty MRANB, myself.

    *hiding the fact that whole conversion went over his head*

  133. Ignorant mods by Noah+Adler · · Score: 1

    Mod this funny, not troll. I suppose it all depends on knowledge of the reference though.

    1. Re:Ignorant mods by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      mod this as funny also:

      "In other news, the country of France has announced it will develop its own version of the technology, to be called >"

  134. Seeing how it works and tinkering with it by lullabud · · Score: 1

    There are a lot of apps that use Rendezvous (Bonjour) and it's nice to see exactly what's going on. There are a lot more things using it than you might know. Gaim uses it to chat with iChat users, most modern printers use it, sshd, ftpd, httpd servers and clients use it, etc. etc. etc.. If you'd like to see what information is being exchanged, check out Rendezvous Browser. It's lists all the Rendezvous services that are being advertised on the network.

    After you've dug into that you might want to check out Rendezvous Proxy which lets you create custom Rendezvous beacons, advertising services for servers which don't have native Rendezvous support and servers which aren't in your LAN (Rendezvous messages stay within subnets). The tutorial even shows how to make slashdot appear in your Rendezvous bookmarks. :)

  135. Woohoo! Virus writers rejoice! by Waruwaru · · Score: 1

    Finally, an SDK to help you getting your "app" to the other 10% of the market!

  136. I think that you are trying to be funny.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    but for the none-techies, 127.0.0.1 never goes to the ethernet (unless you have a screwy system). It is a Loopback.

  137. Just a theory, mind you. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Tinfoil hat: Off
    Okay, when you read the news, you should have asked the typical questions: Why does Apple release Bonjour for Windows? What's in it for Apple? Why help your main competitor's users? There has got to be some profit in it for Apple.

    Now, you asked why Apple talked about MSIE plugin. Simple.
    1. Apple helps people network their computer and make people use MSIE.
    2. Those people's computer will become heavily infested with worms and infected with viruses, bogging down every system performance and preventing people to do real work or have fun.
    3. Look, here is a computer that is much more secure and just works. They switch.
    4. Apple: marketshare is up, profit is up, mindshare is up.
    Microsoft: marketshare is down, reputation is down.
    All is good.

    OK, so it's not your standard 3 steps to profit, but at least there is no ??? step. That answers your question and explains "what's in it for Apple?"

    Tinfoil hat: On

  138. IPv6 Experience... by lullabud · · Score: 1

    I use this Bonjour stuff a lot at work where I test gateways and routers. Because it's instantaneous it's very convenient when switching frequently between three or four networks, and I even installed it on my windows boxen because it's more reliable than netbios for accessing shares by hostname. Usually I just use it for things like smb://computername.local/sharename. The share mounts, I use it. I never really paid attention to what was going on underneath. Yesterday though, I had just reloaded a system and I wanted to put my home folder back before logging in with my own user. I created the account, enabled sshd, then ssh'd in by using "ssh username@computername.local". When ssh asked me if I wanted to accept the fingerprint I noticed that I had connected to the remote machine via it's IPv6 address. I thought this was interesting since I may have been using IPv6 all this time and not really known it since I wasn't paying attention to the protocol. Pretty cool that it really does just work, even when you don't know that it's secretly using IPv6.

  139. Re:The printer wizard is very interesting for HPus by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I've never used Bonjour (or a Mac since about 1993) but I don't see what problem there is in connecting to network printers on Windows. Every OS is "different" but none of them seem very "hard to do". Once the HP printer is on the LAN, at your PC just create a local printer and specify "\printserver\printername" as the port. mmmmm OK I do have a Samba print server.

  140. Re:Is this a first? by allanc · · Score: 1

    Okay, go reread his post and mine. We're talking about acronyms which are pronounced spelled out ('HP' being the specific acronym with which he took issue, as well as 'HTML' and 'PHP' as examples of his crazy made up rule). I understand the difference between 'a' and 'an', I'm just saying that 'an' is always the correct one before 'H' pronounced as a letter. So, it's always 'An HP' because nobody pronounces HP as 'haitch pee'.

    This is not a grammatical disagreement, this is a pronuciation disagreement.

  141. Re:Is this a first? by As+Seen+On+TV · · Score: 1, Informative

    Man, even I found this hilarious. Good job. :-D

  142. Princess Bride, anyone? by shotfeel · · Score: 1

    Anyone suddenly have Princess Bride flashbacks?

    "But you know that. And I know that you know that I know that.... so therefor the poison must be in this cup!"

  143. Re:Woohoo! Virus writers rejoice! by riversky · · Score: 1

    That's exactly what I thought. A path for viruses to infect all Mac's they can find...

  144. Re:The printer wizard is very interesting for HPus by nofud · · Score: 1

    ..since all networked HP printers built in the last few years have Bonjour support built in to the JetDirect software.

    Tell that to the I.S. team at the place I'm working...

    A 100 HP printers of the same model on my subnet, ALL WITH THE SAME "BONJOUR" NAME!

    It kind of defeats the purpose...

    --
    -- p a n a p i c - panoramas des alpes: Mont-Blanc, Mont-Rose, Cervin, etc...
  145. Re:That's what we all really care about... by circusboy · · Score: 1

    I like to think so...

    --
    -- it's ridiculous how many people misspell ridiculous... (damn, damn, damn...)
  146. XCode will cross compile by rhinoX · · Score: 1

    XCode will work with any GCC-based cross compiler with little trouble. It can cross-compile for X86, the problem is using the system libraries (and thus, Cocoa).

    Look at the XGrid "client" for linux. This could be ported to windows, and as long as you ship the proper bins to the proper clients you could use XGRid on windows, though totally unblessed.

    --
    The copper bosses killed you, Joe. 'I never died', said he.
  147. Collaborative text editing thingy? by kid-noodle · · Score: 1

    I can't for the life of me recall the name of the thing right now, but does this mean that really rather neat collaborative text editor somebody put together for Apple, will be replicateable/portable to Windows?

    --
    fortune -o
    1. Re:Collaborative text editing thingy? by nordicfrost · · Score: 1

      SubEthaEdit Site here! Absolutely incredible tool, useful as you would never think usefulness could be.

      I don't think they want to launch a Windows version at all. "We love developing Macintosh applications with Cocoa and are determined to improve SubEthaEdit on that platform. We currently have neither resources nor experience to port our products to other platforms." So there you are.

  148. Apple Bonjour? by Trogre · · Score: 1

    Funny, that's exactly what I said when I discovered Linux :

    Bonjour, Apple!

    --
    "Nine times out of ten, starting a fire is not the best way to solve the problem." - my wife
    1. Re:Apple Bonjour? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Hello, Apple!

    2. Re:Apple Bonjour? by Trogre · · Score: 1

      Aw, crap! Goes to show my terrible command of the French language. I was thinking Bon Jour literally as in "Good Day" in the English sense as to mean goodbye.

      So anyway I said:
      Au Revoir, Apple

      But it's not quite as funny now...

      --
      "Nine times out of ten, starting a fire is not the best way to solve the problem." - my wife
  149. And, uh... by gotr00t · · Score: 1

    How is that ZERO CONFIGURATION? I guess the grandparent was right.

  150. Local file server? by simpsone · · Score: 1

    Would it be possible for this to allow a machine to act as a file server? If it makes iTunes libraries availiable, could it also make a networked drive or folder availiable?

  151. Opera's a file browser too by DABANSHEE · · Score: 1

    Just stick "file://localhost/" in Opera's address bar & one ends up with a rudimentary equilivent of Window Explorer's 'My Computer'

    I assume one could do similar with Firefox too.

  152. Wrong. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "what with QT7 being a Cocoa app [...]"

    I hate to be snitty about this, but I you're way off.

    I have an app that uses QuickTime. It is a Cocoa app. Cocoa and QuickTime are not mutually exclusive.

    QuickTime is a set of APIs that sits on top of QuickDraw (Get it? QuickTime / QuickDraw) to support time-related images (ie, movies). Apple essentially ported hunks of QuickDraw (and some other stuff) to Windows in order to do QuickTime for Windows--supposedly this is all that remains of the fabled "Star Trek" project to port Mac OS to Intel.

    Now that QuickDraw has been deprecated, QuickTime has been switched to use Core Video APIs. I would assume that it is Core Video which will be ported to Windows.

    Whether an app to display movies is written in Carbon or Cocoa is immaterial.

    "Apple pushing back into the cross-platform application development arena very soon, as a hook to customers to move off Carbon on the OS X platform"

    Believe it or not, Apple doesn't have a problem with Carbon. At one of the old WWDCs--1997 I think--Apple made it's pitch to get everybody to convert their apps to NextSTEP. The developer community pretty much told Apple where they could stuff it. The general consensus was that if Apple insists we rewrite our applications in some weird language, we'll drop Apple. That's how Carbon came about.

    What Apple would like developers to stop doing is to stop using QuickDraw (among other older APIs) and switch to Core Graphics. But Apple has no problem with Carbon APIs.

    As for the "cross-platform" capabilities, I'm convinced that Apple isn't all that interested in that, either. How about Apple-specific technologies, such as AppleEvents, Spotlight, Accessibility, Sync Services, etc.? How would a "cross-platform" Cocoa support operating-system-specific technology?

    Apple would far rather that Mac OS X developers support their latest technologies, thus adding more value to Mac OS X, than be able to conveniently port their applications to Windows.

  153. Re:Frist!!!!!!! by xjerky · · Score: 1

    Gingrich!!!!!!

    Wait....wtf are you talking about?

    --
    A sentence you'll never see on an Internet discussion board: "You know what? You're right."
  154. who gives a shit by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ditto

  155. Re:"After installing Bonjour, you must restart..." by Senor_Programmer · · Score: 1

    Had I any mod points I'd give you an 'interesting'

    Su Senor saving karma for more of those -1 dings :-)

  156. why do printers confuse people? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    i put a network printer on my network, give it a name (for example one is called LEVIATHON) and then you just have to say on your machine... Add TCP Printer and then tell it LEVIATHON and then print a page to it.... simple.... why the need for all this discovery service crap? are people that stupid?

  157. Re:Is this a first? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    OK, someone really needs to lose their crush on ASOTV.

    "Informative"?? Jesus. "Human finds joke funny".

    No offense ASOTV, a large number of your posts are worthy of the moderations they get, but this is just modpoint-fellatio.

  158. You're an idiot. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You must be one of those people who goes fishing with sticks of dynamite. Let me clue you in to the concept of 'using the right tool for the job':

    The point of Bonjour is to make it easy to create small, ad-hoc networks (like what people would set up in their homes) without needing to dick around with network settings. It's more or less an improved and updated version of AppleTalk networking. Give two machines unique Bonjour names (which they'll already automatically have, if they're Macs), connect them with an ethernet cable, and start sharing files.

    And for the record, OS X can authenticate directly to Active Directory and take advantage of a lot of what it offers, in addition to having the benefits Bonjour offers w/r/t to the devices on the local subnet. I've got a G4 running Tiger at my office, and it plays rather nicely with the Windows 2003 Server that's running the show-- it bound to AD and joined the domain without even needing a reboot. I just logged out of the local admin account and logged back in with my AD credentials. At the same time, the Bonjour component of iChat sees and talks to the machines of my Windows-using cohorts who use the ZeroConf messaging in Trillian.

    Try to know WTF you're talking about next time.

  159. uPNP and Bonjour by Sleepy · · Score: 1

    I don't recall what the uPNP charter is, but it doesn't seem to support as much "zero configuration" as Bonjour does.

    For example does uPNP function as peer-to-peer DNS?

    Before you question the value of this, know that 99% of home network users have to run around th check local IP addresses, even for their router (which is ideally positioned to say, create a local DNS record of 'router' with 192.168.1.1!)

    Some of us will run internal DNS because we know how. Some of us know how to configure internal DNS, but cant be bothered for a small network.

    There are probably other differences -- I hope there would be -- but maybe not. I'll know at the end of this thread. :)

  160. Re:Is this a first? by FredFnord · · Score: 1

    Ahh. I'd wondered what the opposite of 'mod point sodomy' was. Now I know.

    -fred

    --
    Sign #11 of Slashdot overdose: You see the phrase 'moderate Republican' and you wonder if that would be a +1 or a -1.
  161. Wow by FredFnord · · Score: 1

    You're a sick'un, aren't you?

    Mind like that, you could probably get a job in Hollywood. Or, with the current administration, in Washington DC.

    No, that was not a compliment.

    -fred

    --
    Sign #11 of Slashdot overdose: You see the phrase 'moderate Republican' and you wonder if that would be a +1 or a -1.
  162. Now every time I use my printer I'll think of... by FredFnord · · Score: 1

    ...this.

    -fred

    --
    Sign #11 of Slashdot overdose: You see the phrase 'moderate Republican' and you wonder if that would be a +1 or a -1.
  163. Re:Is this a first? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    fellatio isn't the opposite of sodomy... fellatio falls under the original definition of sodomy.

  164. UPnP vs Bonjour/Rendezvous/zeroConf by Steve+Witham · · Score: 1
    Bonjour lets computers find devices on a local net using DNS protocol, over broadcast UDP packets, which is VERY simple. Bonjour is a small, decentralized extension to an existing protocol that buys some very useful functionality.

    UPnP not only tracks where devices are but has sub-protocols for using various devices. One popular device is a router, and UPnP has a protocol for telling the router to map an outside port to a port on an inside machine, which can be bad. But if you want to do it (like for BitTorrent), it is so difficult that only obsessed evil hackers have been able to figure out how. Bonjour doesn't get involved with this.

    UPnP uses SOAP, which is procedure calls and returns formatted in XML over HTTP over TCP, which is VERY COMPLICATED. Just to find out where your router is (e.g., 192.168.1.1), both you and the router have to talk to a central server. UPnP is a whole family of new, centralized protocols, and the only thing people use it for so far is something security experts say is risky.

    For a sense of the mindsets, look at the explanation of bonjour on Apple's page
    http://developer.apple.com/networking/bonjour

    Then compare the description on the UPnP organization's site:
    http://upnp.org/

    It's not just the methods but the goals that are different. Like, er, apples and oranges.

    --Steve

  165. UIUC by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    is this the mentospimp that went to U of I?

    1. Re:UIUC by MentosPimp · · Score: 1

      Indeed it is Sir Coward.

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

      thats crazy. it is I, Steve, your old drunken next door neighbor at forbes. shoot me an email with your contact info and I'll call you. guido31415@hotmail.com (named after tony's cat)

  166. Your .SIG by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I'm one of those Windows users who will yank that broken bottle out of your hands and shove it up your ass if you wave it in my face. Watch it, buster!