When it comes to student "hacks," two done by California Institute of Technology (CalTech) students have become awesome legends.
The first--and perhaps most famous--was one time a bunch of CalTech students managed to bamboozle an entire placard cheering section at the Rose Bowl so when the placard patterns were displayed during the football game, it spelled out "CALTECH"! Done before computers were widely available, that must have taken a huge amount of planning to pull off.
The other one was one time some students managed to take over the electric scoreboard at the Rose Bowl and showed the score CalTech 38, MIT 21 (or something like that). I'd like to know how CalTech managed to pull off that stunt.
Personally, I view the new Celeron CPU's with this: yawn.
The best way to speed up computers nowadays is NOT by getting a faster CPU. More effective solutions include adding more system RAM (so your system uses the virtual memory on your hard drive a LOT less) and switching to 7200 RPM hard drive.
In fact, I've played with an Abit AB-ZM6 motherboard running a Celeron "A" 500 MHz CPU with 192 MB of PC-66 SDRAM and a 7200 RPM IBM Deskstar 10.2 GB ATA-66 hard drive and it runs Windows 2000 Professional and Microsoft Office 2000 Professional quite well with no appearent speed problems!
I personally believe that the reason why Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson is NOT issuing a judgement today is simple: he may have come to his senses and realize it appears that the Department of Justice's Antitrust Division under Assistant Attorney General Joel Klein is NOT wanting any form of settlement.
Remember, Microsoft last Friday made a major offer that should have been the basis for accelerated settlement talks. Yet, Klein and his team at DoJ have thumbed their noses at the offer without even bothering to do a written response back to Microsoft. Given the fact that Judge Jackson wants this case settled and so does his arbitrator (Judge Posner in Chicago, IL) wants the same, the two judges may have just caught onto the fact that much of this case is a political sham by the DoJ as a favor to big donors who are Microsoft competitors. (I'd like to know just how much Sun, Oracle, Novell, Caldera, and Real Networks have paid to Democratic National Committee coffers laterly at fundraisers where Bill Clinton and Al Gore were present.)
In my opinion, a large portion of this case smacks of extortion and political favoritism as some competitors in the software industry are using their influence in the Clinton Administration to use the DoJ to extort concessions from Microsoft.
Two things people forget:
1. The Sherman and Clayton Antitrust Acts were designed to protect _consumers_, not business competitors. I mean, has Microsoft harmed consumers? Has there been a backlash from a vast majority of consumers because they feel they got ripped off? No. Where has the backlash come from? Mostly a small, but very vocal group of Linux users (and that's till a small number of Linux users in general--note that Linus Torvalds is not at the head of this campaign).
2. Both Judges Jackson and Posner are _Reagan-era_ appointees. They are not as anti-business as you think. Judge Jackson could have issued his judgement TODAY; since he didn't, this indicates Jackson has some concerns about just what the heck is going on on the DoJ side.
P.S. You can moderate me down to troll or flamebait status, but given the history of the DoJ in the last seven years intimidating people who criticize the Clinton Administration....
What I find ironic about your statement is that while a most Linux users rant on and on about Microsoft software, many of them actually have lots of praise for Microsoft keyboards and mouse pointers.
You'd be surprised how many people use the MS Natural Elite keyboard; it's shape--while it does get some getting used to--is surprisingly comfortable and going back to a normal keyboard results in a cramped feeling. By the way, the "Windows keys" are actually useful for many of the "themes" in KDE and Gnome GUI desktops. And of course, the current Microsoft Intellimouse and Intellimouse Explorer are very popular, mostly because of the shape that fits your right hand very well (it should be noted that Linux programmers know how to take full advantage of the Intellimouse Explorer's features).
The "Windows" keys on the bottom row of keys on most modern keyboards aren't what I technically call "hot keys." Now, what this company wants with its one key access to certain web sites and certain AOL-specific functions is definitely a hot key. In a way, the Internet keyboards function in a similar manner.
I still like the MS Natural Elite keyboard because after using the keyboard for a few months, using another keyboard is very uncomfortable and feels cramped.
(BTW, what I find ironic about the the Linux crowd is that while they have a dislike for Microsoft software, they do admire Microsoft mouse pointers and keyboards.)
Personally, I _hate_ the concept of a computer keyboard with pre-programmed hot keys. All that does is direct traffic to certain sites instead of other sites. I've seen it on my stepfather's e-Machines 466 MHz Celeron machine and it smacks of advertising overkill.
I'd rather get a keyboard that emphasizes comfort--like the Microsoft Natural Elite keyboard (no hot keys around!).
Indeed. As of January of this year, all the new TSR gaming modules, DRAGON magazine, DUNGEON magazine, novels based on the Dragonlance and Forgotten Realms worlds, and so on have the WoTC logo instead of the old TSR logo. You'll notice the change immediately on the cover of the new Dragonlance novel DRAGONS OF A FALLEN SUN that just came out last week.
At the rate things are going, we may end up seeing the Hasbro label replacing the WoTC label, too!:-(
I think what is happening is that 3Com is reorganizing themselves to be ready when broadband Internet access becomes very common.
In fact, leveraging the well-known US Robotics brand, don't be surprised that a few years from now when you sign up for cable or ADSL broadband access, the ISP will provide you with a US Robotics-branded modem, either an external model that connects through an 10/100BaseT Ethernet NIC or USB port or an internal model that you install on the PCI port.
You're all doing a major disservice by thinking that Steven Spielberg is incapable of directing a movie based on the ideas of Stanley Kubrick.
People forget that Spielberg is a MAJOR admirer of Kubrick's work, and in fact were friends for many years. Also, Spielberg has done movies like A COLOR PURPLE, SCHLINDLER'S LIST, and SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, all of which show very strong maturity in dealing with adult characters.
Spielberg is not an Irving Thalberg Award and two-time Best Director Oscar winner for nothing.
In short, I don't have to worry, because Spielberg has proven he CAN take on difficult projects.
The reason is simple: both the commercial UNIX variants and the "freeware" FreeBSD and Linux variants have extended the life of UNIX far beyond it was possible in the past.
The UNIX of 2000 can do multiprocessing, multithreading, SMP support, powerful networking, and even massively parallel processing via Beowulf clusters. And engineers are already pushing UNIX so it supports 64-bit processors like the Compaq (neé Digital) Alpha and the upcoming Intel Itanium CPU's.
In short, I just don't see any replacements for UNIX in the near future. The technology in Windows 2000 may be a major competitor, but it won't be a UNIX replacement.
I think streaming.RA or.RAM Real files is not in the good idea department.
Having played around with RealPlayer 7.0 beta for Windows 98, that program has way too many things running in the background in addition to streaming Real files. No thanks!
Say what you want about Microsoft, but at least they got it right with Windows Media Player 6.4: it doesn't have things like channel selectors or advertisements running in the background streaming.ASX files. Also, by default.ASX files sound FAR better than.RA files on V.90 analog modem connections.
In fact, it's actually far easier to get programming information on the.ASX file format than the Real.RA or.RAM format. Because of this, it will end up being quite a bit easier for someone to write a Linux client program that can stream.ASX files, and even possibly create.ASX files in a Linux-based streaming media server.
If I were Microsoft right now, I'd make the.ASX file format specifications fully available, because this could put a kibosh on Real Networks.
I think the general consensus is that MISSION TO MARS is a horrible movie.
Problem is, one Richard C. Hoagland (of MONUMENT OF MARS infamy) put a spin on the movie that Director Brian de Palma is trying to prove that NASA covered up a lot of information about Mars they don't want us to know (and other gobbleybook bulls***). Methinks that radio talk show host Art Bell should permanently disassociate himself from Hoagland and save us the need to take painkillers and antiacids when trying to buy Hoagland's "washing machine spin cycle" spin on this whole subject.:-P
In fact, several companies have expressed strong interest in taking the Inductrack idea to reality. Some include studying the idea for a magnetic rail track built up the side of a mountain to launch a rocket (the rocket when it leaves the track will be travelling 400 mph just when the main engine ignites), a method that drastically reduces the amount of rocket propellant needed to get a satellite into orbit. The reason is simple: rockets burn a large fraction of their propellents just getting to the speed of sound, and the Inductrack launcher elmininates this problem.
Wouldn't it be strangely ironic that the first practical passenger train application of maglev comes in the USA of all things? Imagine a maglev train using Inductrack that can go from Chicago to Minneapolis-St. Paul in under 100 minutes.
I think EVERYBODY is missing the point here about XBox.
Given that XBox is more or less a variant of a standard x86-compatible desktop PC, there's one thing the hardware could become: a flat-out superb Linux gaming box.
It appears that an XBox machine could in theory run a slight-modified variant of most commercial Linux distributions as easily as the modified Windows Microsoft plans for this machine. So, instead of running DirectX, we'll use OpenGL to access the registers on the new nVidia chipset.
I have this sneaky feeling that as part of the settlement deal on the US v. Microsoft case, Microsoft will provide the specifications necessary to run gaming applications written completely in Linux on XBox.
BTW, for those who still think x86 PC's can't compete with console machines in terms of graphics quality for games, has anyone bothered to see Quake III Arena, Unreal Tournament, Team Fortress, Flight Simulator 2000, and others at 1600x1200 32-bit color using a graphics card that has the nVidia GeForce 256 chip? It is just flat-out STUNNING to look at, especially on a 19" or larger monitor.
The question in regards to Internet access outside of North America should be asked in this term--can even middle-class people in foreign countries even AFFORD to have Internet access?
We in the USA and Canada are very lucky, because for calling people 12 miles (20 kilometers) or less away, we are not billed by the minute. (Note: the distance may depend on your local telephone provider). Because local calls aren't billed beyond your normal monthly phone bill, this encourages rapid development of computer connections over standard telephone lines, and of course this has resulted in VERY rapid development of Internet access that costs for unlimited usage anywhere from US$21.95 per month all the way down to free! Also, in the USA we can in many parts of the country get broadband ADSL and cable modem access for between $40 and $50 per month unlimited usage.
Most of the world have state monopolies running their telephone systems (the PTT model), and they charge even by the minute for local calls. Because of the "always on" necessity of accessing the World Wide Web, this means that even if your POP is very close you still pay the equivalent of two to four US cents per minute, and when you multiply that by several hours, no wonder why Europe and Japan haven't taken to the Internet like North American users have.
What I find interesting is that Europeans and Japanese are essentially using short time access to the Internet to primarily exchange text messages via cellular phones, essentially reducing the Internet to its pre-World Wide Web stage. Even the advent of "G3" cellular phones with its 384 Kbps bidirectional access in the next few years is not going to improve things in Europe and Japan as they are still forced to pay per minute charges for air time.
Hopefully, with Europe and Japan now warming up to the idea of flat-rate local telephone calls, this may spur development of the Internet to US levels.
So finally Intel has gotten the Pentium IIIE CPU to run at 1,000 MHz.
There are a few problems, though. First, FINDING a 1,000 MHz PIIIE CPU is going to be just about impossible. Secondly, when it comes to pure FPU performance, the Athlon 1,000 MHz is still better because the PIIIE is still heavily based on the original P6 core from the Pentium Pro some five years ago!
Now that motherboards that use the VIA Apollo KX133 chipset is now becoming available, there's no incentive to use the PIIIE instead. In fact, if you have a graphics card that uses the nVidia GeForce 256 chipset and also run the latest Detonator 3.76 driver, the Athlon in many tests will run rings around the PIIIE 1,000 MHz.
I think the Athlon's advantage will increase even more when the second-generation Athlon (code named Thunderbird) with its CPU-speed L2 cache becomes available in a few months. I think a 1,000 MHz 2nd gen Athlon may perform as much as 20 to 25 percent faster than a PIIIE 1,000 MHz, mostly because the 2/5 L2 cache speed restriction will be gone.
According to ps2.ign.com, there are three types of video connectors available for PlayStation2: composite video (RCA jack), S-video, and component video. I expect Sony to release an accessory that will allow connection to a variable-frequency VGA monitor fairly soon.
Sony has a near-hammerlock on the US market for console videogames. Given that Sony has been hyping PlayStation2 since May 1999 and the fact that Sony did manage to sell 1 million PS2's in Japan on its first day of sale, imagine what the pent-up demand will be for the North American version when that comes out this fall (most likely 9/9/2000).
I am absolutely serious about my prediction. Sony won't need to do much in the way of PR for PlayStation2, because all the videogame magazines and videogame news web sites will hype PS2 like crazy anyway.
Remember, Sega sold 500,000 Dreamcast units in the first week of sales alone, not a mean feat considering how much smaller market share they have versus Sony. (Of course, it helped that when Dreamcast shipped in the USA they already had several "kill app" titles shipping: Sonic Adventure, Soul Calibur, NFL2K, and Power Stone.)
I will not be surprised that Sony will have five million PS2's in the USA for sale on the North American release date, if only from the inertia of the huge number of PSX owners who want to get the latest and greatest.
Given the penchant for Americans to do things at the "stroke of midnight" in terms of sales of new items, I can guarantee that the same Electronics Boutique that was mobbed with people waiting for the Dreamcast on 9/9/1999 will be repeated on 9/9/2000, only writ four times as large, as I mentioned in my original message.
Remember, Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA), the division of Sony that head USA operations for PlayStation, is based in Foster City, CA. This means that I expect many Sony upper-management people--including Ken Kutaragi (sp?), who heads SCEA--to be there at the unveiling party at Electronics Boutique I mentioned originally in force. Sony may want to seriously consider blocking off the corner of Stevens Creek Boulevard and San Tomas Expressway to create a block party atmosphere for the unveiling.
It's either that or use the wide-open convention space at the Santa Clara or San Jose Convention Centers.
Funny you should mention Linux in regards to PlayStation 2. That's because the developer's machine for PS2 games RUNS on Linux--Sony admitted this when they unveiled the PS2 hardware last September.
You may want to check out www.gamespot.com and ps2.ign.com probably by Tuesday/Wednesday time frame for detailed reviews on hardware and some of the launch titles.
From what I saw on ps2.ign.com, it appears that the Japanese were extremely eager to get their hands on the PlayStation 2. Mostly because Sony has been hyping it since May 1999.
However, the long lines for the Japanese launch of the PlayStation 2 may be totally nothing versus the North American launch, most likely pencilled in for September 9, 2000, the fifth anniversary of the US launch of the original PlayStation (and the first anniversary of the launch of Dreamcast). Can you imagine lines similar to the lines before Star Wars Episode I was released in front of the majority of the Babbages, Electonics Boutique, FAO Shwarz, KayBee Toys and Toys'R Us stores in the USA? Sony may have to manufacture around five million PlayStation 2 machines just to meet the demand for pre-orders and the first few days of sales here!
I remember the Dreamcast launch last year on 9/9/1999 at the Electronics Boutique in San Jose, CA next to the Barnes & Noble bookstore--it was an absolute riot scene out there. Now writ that larger by a factor of four and that will be the scene before the release of the PlayStation 2 in North America (shudder). If I were Sony I would seriously consider renting out either the San Jose Convention Center or Santa Clara Convention Center on the launch date for a big show unveiling the machine and allow the retailers to sell PlayStation 2 consoles and software there just to prevent riot scenes in the retail stores (at least in the San Francisco Bay Area), especially since 9/9/2000 falls on a Saturday.
What I find interesting about all these arguments about faster and faster CPU's is that you CAN right now make your system go quite a bit faster without having to resort to getting a new CPU.
There are three things you can do:
1. Increase the main memory size to the maximum the budget allows. Just going from 64 to 128 MB produces HUGE benefits, because you use your hard drive a lot less as "virtual memory," which speeds up things as much as 50% or more.
2. Get yourself a 7200 rpm hard drive. Higher spindle speeds usually mean faster data reads and writes on the hard drive regardless of whether you're using IDE or SCSI interface.
3. Get yourself a graphics card (if your system has an AGP graphics port) that uses the Matrox G400 or nVidia Riva TNT2/GeForce 256 chipsets. These faster chipsets makes a big difference in many games.
People are usually surprised how much "snappier" their computers get when they following the suggestions listed above.
Given the fact that Sony released the original PlayStation in the US market on September 9, 1995, my guess is that Sony is aiming for a September 9, 2000 release date.
This will be extremely auspicious because it's also the one-year anniversary of the US release of Dreamcast.
I personally think that porting over Microsoft Office to Linux is not such a good idea.
There's a good reason for this: most of Office 2000's functionality is total ridiculous overkill for the vast majority of home computer users out there. Unless you have extremely formatted and specialized files and have to exchange them in HTML/XML format in an office LAN environment, most people won't use most of the functionality of Office 2000.
A better choice would be for Microsoft to write a "from scratch" version of Microsoft Works 2000 designed specifically for the KDE interface. Having used MS Works 2000, it's actually a surprisingly good program for home users and has lots of very good features to simplify things like generating reports, formatting documents and the much-dreaded printing of envelopes and labels.
I think Microsoft might actually enjoy success with a Linux version of Works 2000, since must users don't want a program that is overloaded to the tilt with every conceivable bell and whistle in terms of features.
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When it comes to student "hacks," two done by California Institute of Technology (CalTech) students have become awesome legends.
The first--and perhaps most famous--was one time a bunch of CalTech students managed to bamboozle an entire placard cheering section at the Rose Bowl so when the placard patterns were displayed during the football game, it spelled out "CALTECH"! Done before computers were widely available, that must have taken a huge amount of planning to pull off.
The other one was one time some students managed to take over the electric scoreboard at the Rose Bowl and showed the score CalTech 38, MIT 21 (or something like that). I'd like to know how CalTech managed to pull off that stunt.
Tak,
Personally, I view the new Celeron CPU's with this: yawn.
The best way to speed up computers nowadays is NOT by getting a faster CPU. More effective solutions include adding more system RAM (so your system uses the virtual memory on your hard drive a LOT less) and switching to 7200 RPM hard drive.
In fact, I've played with an Abit AB-ZM6 motherboard running a Celeron "A" 500 MHz CPU with 192 MB of PC-66 SDRAM and a 7200 RPM IBM Deskstar 10.2 GB ATA-66 hard drive and it runs Windows 2000 Professional and Microsoft Office 2000 Professional quite well with no appearent speed problems!
Folks,
I personally believe that the reason why Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson is NOT issuing a judgement today is simple: he may have come to his senses and realize it appears that the Department of Justice's Antitrust Division under Assistant Attorney General Joel Klein is NOT wanting any form of settlement.
Remember, Microsoft last Friday made a major offer that should have been the basis for accelerated settlement talks. Yet, Klein and his team at DoJ have thumbed their noses at the offer without even bothering to do a written response back to Microsoft. Given the fact that Judge Jackson wants this case settled and so does his arbitrator (Judge Posner in Chicago, IL) wants the same, the two judges may have just caught onto the fact that much of this case is a political sham by the DoJ as a favor to big donors who are Microsoft competitors. (I'd like to know just how much Sun, Oracle, Novell, Caldera, and Real Networks have paid to Democratic National Committee coffers laterly at fundraisers where Bill Clinton and Al Gore were present.)
In my opinion, a large portion of this case smacks of extortion and political favoritism as some competitors in the software industry are using their influence in the Clinton Administration to use the DoJ to extort concessions from Microsoft.
Two things people forget:
1. The Sherman and Clayton Antitrust Acts were designed to protect _consumers_, not business competitors. I mean, has Microsoft harmed consumers? Has there been a backlash from a vast majority of consumers because they feel they got ripped off? No. Where has the backlash come from? Mostly a small, but very vocal group of Linux users (and that's till a small number of Linux users in general--note that Linus Torvalds is not at the head of this campaign).
2. Both Judges Jackson and Posner are _Reagan-era_ appointees. They are not as anti-business as you think. Judge Jackson could have issued his judgement TODAY; since he didn't, this indicates Jackson has some concerns about just what the heck is going on on the DoJ side.
P.S. You can moderate me down to troll or flamebait status, but given the history of the DoJ in the last seven years intimidating people who criticize the Clinton Administration....
What I find ironic about your statement is that while a most Linux users rant on and on about Microsoft software, many of them actually have lots of praise for Microsoft keyboards and mouse pointers.
You'd be surprised how many people use the MS Natural Elite keyboard; it's shape--while it does get some getting used to--is surprisingly comfortable and going back to a normal keyboard results in a cramped feeling. By the way, the "Windows keys" are actually useful for many of the "themes" in KDE and Gnome GUI desktops. And of course, the current Microsoft Intellimouse and Intellimouse Explorer are very popular, mostly because of the shape that fits your right hand very well (it should be noted that Linux programmers know how to take full advantage of the Intellimouse Explorer's features).
The "Windows" keys on the bottom row of keys on most modern keyboards aren't what I technically call "hot keys." Now, what this company wants with its one key access to certain web sites and certain AOL-specific functions is definitely a hot key. In a way, the Internet keyboards function in a similar manner.
I still like the MS Natural Elite keyboard because after using the keyboard for a few months, using another keyboard is very uncomfortable and feels cramped.
(BTW, what I find ironic about the the Linux crowd is that while they have a dislike for Microsoft software, they do admire Microsoft mouse pointers and keyboards.)
Personally, I _hate_ the concept of a computer keyboard with pre-programmed hot keys. All that does is direct traffic to certain sites instead of other sites. I've seen it on my stepfather's e-Machines 466 MHz Celeron machine and it smacks of advertising overkill.
I'd rather get a keyboard that emphasizes comfort--like the Microsoft Natural Elite keyboard (no hot keys around!).
Indeed. As of January of this year, all the new TSR gaming modules, DRAGON magazine, DUNGEON magazine, novels based on the Dragonlance and Forgotten Realms worlds, and so on have the WoTC logo instead of the old TSR logo. You'll notice the change immediately on the cover of the new Dragonlance novel DRAGONS OF A FALLEN SUN that just came out last week.
:-(
At the rate things are going, we may end up seeing the Hasbro label replacing the WoTC label, too!
Folks,
I think what is happening is that 3Com is reorganizing themselves to be ready when broadband Internet access becomes very common.
In fact, leveraging the well-known US Robotics brand, don't be surprised that a few years from now when you sign up for cable or ADSL broadband access, the ISP will provide you with a US Robotics-branded modem, either an external model that connects through an 10/100BaseT Ethernet NIC or USB port or an internal model that you install on the PCI port.
Folks,
You're all doing a major disservice by thinking that Steven Spielberg is incapable of directing a movie based on the ideas of Stanley Kubrick.
People forget that Spielberg is a MAJOR admirer of Kubrick's work, and in fact were friends for many years. Also, Spielberg has done movies like A COLOR PURPLE, SCHLINDLER'S LIST, and SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, all of which show very strong maturity in dealing with adult characters.
Spielberg is not an Irving Thalberg Award and two-time Best Director Oscar winner for nothing.
In short, I don't have to worry, because Spielberg has proven he CAN take on difficult projects.
I don't think UNIX will die anytime soon!
The reason is simple: both the commercial UNIX variants and the "freeware" FreeBSD and Linux variants have extended the life of UNIX far beyond it was possible in the past.
The UNIX of 2000 can do multiprocessing, multithreading, SMP support, powerful networking, and even massively parallel processing via Beowulf clusters. And engineers are already pushing UNIX so it supports 64-bit processors like the Compaq (neé Digital) Alpha and the upcoming Intel Itanium CPU's.
In short, I just don't see any replacements for UNIX in the near future. The technology in Windows 2000 may be a major competitor, but it won't be a UNIX replacement.
Folks,
.RA or .RAM Real files is not in the good idea department.
.ASX files. Also, by default .ASX files sound FAR better than .RA files on V.90 analog modem connections.
.ASX file format than the Real .RA or .RAM format. Because of this, it will end up being quite a bit easier for someone to write a Linux client program that can stream .ASX files, and even possibly create .ASX files in a Linux-based streaming media server.
.ASX file format specifications fully available, because this could put a kibosh on Real Networks.
I think streaming
Having played around with RealPlayer 7.0 beta for Windows 98, that program has way too many things running in the background in addition to streaming Real files. No thanks!
Say what you want about Microsoft, but at least they got it right with Windows Media Player 6.4: it doesn't have things like channel selectors or advertisements running in the background streaming
In fact, it's actually far easier to get programming information on the
If I were Microsoft right now, I'd make the
Folks,
:-P
I think the general consensus is that MISSION TO MARS is a horrible movie.
Problem is, one Richard C. Hoagland (of MONUMENT OF MARS infamy) put a spin on the movie that Director Brian de Palma is trying to prove that NASA covered up a lot of information about Mars they don't want us to know (and other gobbleybook bulls***). Methinks that radio talk show host Art Bell should permanently disassociate himself from Hoagland and save us the need to take painkillers and antiacids when trying to buy Hoagland's "washing machine spin cycle" spin on this whole subject.
In fact, several companies have expressed strong interest in taking the Inductrack idea to reality. Some include studying the idea for a magnetic rail track built up the side of a mountain to launch a rocket (the rocket when it leaves the track will be travelling 400 mph just when the main engine ignites), a method that drastically reduces the amount of rocket propellant needed to get a satellite into orbit. The reason is simple: rockets burn a large fraction of their propellents just getting to the speed of sound, and the Inductrack launcher elmininates this problem.
Wouldn't it be strangely ironic that the first practical passenger train application of maglev comes in the USA of all things? Imagine a maglev train using Inductrack that can go from Chicago to Minneapolis-St. Paul in under 100 minutes.
Folks,
I think EVERYBODY is missing the point here about XBox.
Given that XBox is more or less a variant of a standard x86-compatible desktop PC, there's one thing the hardware could become: a flat-out superb Linux gaming box.
It appears that an XBox machine could in theory run a slight-modified variant of most commercial Linux distributions as easily as the modified Windows Microsoft plans for this machine. So, instead of running DirectX, we'll use OpenGL to access the registers on the new nVidia chipset.
I have this sneaky feeling that as part of the settlement deal on the US v. Microsoft case, Microsoft will provide the specifications necessary to run gaming applications written completely in Linux on XBox.
BTW, for those who still think x86 PC's can't compete with console machines in terms of graphics quality for games, has anyone bothered to see Quake III Arena, Unreal Tournament, Team Fortress, Flight Simulator 2000, and others at 1600x1200 32-bit color using a graphics card that has the nVidia GeForce 256 chip? It is just flat-out STUNNING to look at, especially on a 19" or larger monitor.
Folks,
The question in regards to Internet access outside of North America should be asked in this term--can even middle-class people in foreign countries even AFFORD to have Internet access?
We in the USA and Canada are very lucky, because for calling people 12 miles (20 kilometers) or less away, we are not billed by the minute. (Note: the distance may depend on your local telephone provider). Because local calls aren't billed beyond your normal monthly phone bill, this encourages rapid development of computer connections over standard telephone lines, and of course this has resulted in VERY rapid development of Internet access that costs for unlimited usage anywhere from US$21.95 per month all the way down to free! Also, in the USA we can in many parts of the country get broadband ADSL and cable modem access for between $40 and $50 per month unlimited usage.
Most of the world have state monopolies running their telephone systems (the PTT model), and they charge even by the minute for local calls. Because of the "always on" necessity of accessing the World Wide Web, this means that even if your POP is very close you still pay the equivalent of two to four US cents per minute, and when you multiply that by several hours, no wonder why Europe and Japan haven't taken to the Internet like North American users have.
What I find interesting is that Europeans and Japanese are essentially using short time access to the Internet to primarily exchange text messages via cellular phones, essentially reducing the Internet to its pre-World Wide Web stage. Even the advent of "G3" cellular phones with its 384 Kbps bidirectional access in the next few years is not going to improve things in Europe and Japan as they are still forced to pay per minute charges for air time.
Hopefully, with Europe and Japan now warming up to the idea of flat-rate local telephone calls, this may spur development of the Internet to US levels.
So finally Intel has gotten the Pentium IIIE CPU to run at 1,000 MHz.
There are a few problems, though. First, FINDING a 1,000 MHz PIIIE CPU is going to be just about impossible. Secondly, when it comes to pure FPU performance, the Athlon 1,000 MHz is still better because the PIIIE is still heavily based on the original P6 core from the Pentium Pro some five years ago!
Now that motherboards that use the VIA Apollo KX133 chipset is now becoming available, there's no incentive to use the PIIIE instead. In fact, if you have a graphics card that uses the nVidia GeForce 256 chipset and also run the latest Detonator 3.76 driver, the Athlon in many tests will run rings around the PIIIE 1,000 MHz.
I think the Athlon's advantage will increase even more when the second-generation Athlon (code named Thunderbird) with its CPU-speed L2 cache becomes available in a few months. I think a 1,000 MHz 2nd gen Athlon may perform as much as 20 to 25 percent faster than a PIIIE 1,000 MHz, mostly because the 2/5 L2 cache speed restriction will be gone.
According to ps2.ign.com, there are three types of video connectors available for PlayStation2: composite video (RCA jack), S-video, and component video. I expect Sony to release an accessory that will allow connection to a variable-frequency VGA monitor fairly soon.
Think about it.
Sony has a near-hammerlock on the US market for console videogames. Given that Sony has been hyping PlayStation2 since May 1999 and the fact that Sony did manage to sell 1 million PS2's in Japan on its first day of sale, imagine what the pent-up demand will be for the North American version when that comes out this fall (most likely 9/9/2000).
I am absolutely serious about my prediction. Sony won't need to do much in the way of PR for PlayStation2, because all the videogame magazines and videogame news web sites will hype PS2 like crazy anyway.
Remember, Sega sold 500,000 Dreamcast units in the first week of sales alone, not a mean feat considering how much smaller market share they have versus Sony. (Of course, it helped that when Dreamcast shipped in the USA they already had several "kill app" titles shipping: Sonic Adventure, Soul Calibur, NFL2K, and Power Stone.)
I will not be surprised that Sony will have five million PS2's in the USA for sale on the North American release date, if only from the inertia of the huge number of PSX owners who want to get the latest and greatest.
Given the penchant for Americans to do things at the "stroke of midnight" in terms of sales of new items, I can guarantee that the same Electronics Boutique that was mobbed with people waiting for the Dreamcast on 9/9/1999 will be repeated on 9/9/2000, only writ four times as large, as I mentioned in my original message.
Remember, Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA), the division of Sony that head USA operations for PlayStation, is based in Foster City, CA. This means that I expect many Sony upper-management people--including Ken Kutaragi (sp?), who heads SCEA--to be there at the unveiling party at Electronics Boutique I mentioned originally in force. Sony may want to seriously consider blocking off the corner of Stevens Creek Boulevard and San Tomas Expressway to create a block party atmosphere for the unveiling.
It's either that or use the wide-open convention space at the Santa Clara or San Jose Convention Centers.
Funny you should mention Linux in regards to PlayStation 2. That's because the developer's machine for PS2 games RUNS on Linux--Sony admitted this when they unveiled the PS2 hardware last September.
You may want to check out www.gamespot.com and ps2.ign.com probably by Tuesday/Wednesday time frame for detailed reviews on hardware and some of the launch titles.
From what I saw on ps2.ign.com, it appears that the Japanese were extremely eager to get their hands on the PlayStation 2. Mostly because Sony has been hyping it since May 1999.
However, the long lines for the Japanese launch of the PlayStation 2 may be totally nothing versus the North American launch, most likely pencilled in for September 9, 2000, the fifth anniversary of the US launch of the original PlayStation (and the first anniversary of the launch of Dreamcast). Can you imagine lines similar to the lines before Star Wars Episode I was released in front of the majority of the Babbages, Electonics Boutique, FAO Shwarz, KayBee Toys and Toys'R Us stores in the USA? Sony may have to manufacture around five million PlayStation 2 machines just to meet the demand for pre-orders and the first few days of sales here!
I remember the Dreamcast launch last year on 9/9/1999 at the Electronics Boutique in San Jose, CA next to the Barnes & Noble bookstore--it was an absolute riot scene out there. Now writ that larger by a factor of four and that will be the scene before the release of the PlayStation 2 in North America (shudder). If I were Sony I would seriously consider renting out either the San Jose Convention Center or Santa Clara Convention Center on the launch date for a big show unveiling the machine and allow the retailers to sell PlayStation 2 consoles and software there just to prevent riot scenes in the retail stores (at least in the San Francisco Bay Area), especially since 9/9/2000 falls on a Saturday.
What I find interesting about all these arguments about faster and faster CPU's is that you CAN right now make your system go quite a bit faster without having to resort to getting a new CPU.
There are three things you can do:
1. Increase the main memory size to the maximum the budget allows. Just going from 64 to 128 MB produces HUGE benefits, because you use your hard drive a lot less as "virtual memory," which speeds up things as much as 50% or more.
2. Get yourself a 7200 rpm hard drive. Higher spindle speeds usually mean faster data reads and writes on the hard drive regardless of whether you're using IDE or SCSI interface.
3. Get yourself a graphics card (if your system has an AGP graphics port) that uses the Matrox G400 or nVidia Riva TNT2/GeForce 256 chipsets. These faster chipsets makes a big difference in many games.
People are usually surprised how much "snappier" their computers get when they following the suggestions listed above.
Given the fact that Sony released the original PlayStation in the US market on September 9, 1995, my guess is that Sony is aiming for a September 9, 2000 release date.
This will be extremely auspicious because it's also the one-year anniversary of the US release of Dreamcast.
Folks,
I personally think that porting over Microsoft Office to Linux is not such a good idea.
There's a good reason for this: most of Office 2000's functionality is total ridiculous overkill for the vast majority of home computer users out there. Unless you have extremely formatted and specialized files and have to exchange them in HTML/XML format in an office LAN environment, most people won't use most of the functionality of Office 2000.
A better choice would be for Microsoft to write a "from scratch" version of Microsoft Works 2000 designed specifically for the KDE interface. Having used MS Works 2000, it's actually a surprisingly good program for home users and has lots of very good features to simplify things like generating reports, formatting documents and the much-dreaded printing of envelopes and labels.
I think Microsoft might actually enjoy success with a Linux version of Works 2000, since must users don't want a program that is overloaded to the tilt with every conceivable bell and whistle in terms of features.