Ever notice that whenever some great disaster happens in the U.S. that is exacerbated by lack of government response, it almost never effects - and is usually good for - the Bush Administration and their supporters?
Reading Slashdot at comment level 3 and up leaves you wondering "WTF" sometimes when the last comment you see is about the artistic merit of the Sopranos ending, and the next comment you see has someone talking about why the Ringwraiths weren't brought out early in the Lord of the Rings.
Seriously, total non-sequitur. It's like playing memetic telephone.
For Windows, I'm talking about the GIMP for graphics editing, and OpenOffice for Word Processing.
I did have problems with NeoOffice on the Mac platform - if it works for you, go with it, but i had some problems with some very basic stuff. As for the GIMP, it works, but you have to go through the X11 rigamarole that I did, and I'm not a big fan of Apple's implementation of X11.
It's a typo - and you're about the 12th person to notice it.
Look, when you type up a 14,000 word article, you're going to make a mistake somewhere in there. NeoOffice. OpenOffice. Similar programs. Similar names. Exact same function. Any surprise I got them a little mixed up at the end? I've already sent a correction - it'll get changed soon.
Sorry to be snippy, but I've been breaking my back on this article and 90% of the criticisms are from people who haven't even read the damn thing (not you, but... people...)
"Why didn't you try Fink and MacPorts?"
"I spent 2000 words on Fink and MacPorts, and both get their own page." "Why do you complain about Microsoft Office not being free for Mac when it costs the exact same amount for Windows?"
"Because the Windows platform has OpenOffice for free and the Mac platform doesn't." "Why didn't you just use NeoOffice/Abiword?"
"I tested both and neither were stable."
I do use MS Word on Windows at work - and yes, my work paid for it before I even got hired on. Files get sent back and forth and tracking changes are required. If I wanted to do simple word processing, I can just download OpenOffice on any computer though.
At home, I use OpenOffice on my Windows partition, where I don't have to pay a dime.
NeoOffice is in the article - I tried it, yes. It had trouble with simple things like italics.
From the article:
"I downloaded and installed NeoOffice. When it started up, it opened and prompted me to download the latest patches from the NeoOffice website.
Using NeoOffice, I found one major flaw right off the bat. For some reason, I couldn't get italicized text to work properly. Something this basic being implemented incorrectly gave me the shivers when I thought about the more hardcore word processing tasks that I use on a daily basis."
I have never had a problem with a lack of freeware for the Mac. There are a couple pieces of shareware I have paid for because I like the software and want to support the developer, but that was never a matter of functionality. The only other piece of software I have paid for is Apple Remote Desktop, and that could be replaced by VNC, ssh, and shell scripting if necessary. He mentions that he can't find any DVD shrinking software. He must have not looked very hard, as I know Mac the Ripper is just one of many free programs that do just that.
Last I checked, MacTheRipper was RIPPING software, and not SHRINKING software. Which means if you put in a 9 GB DVD, you'll get a 9GB image file which you can't burn to a 4.5 GB DVD-R. If it's new functionality added in a recent version, I might have missed it.
Yes, you do have to pay for MS Office and Photoshop, but no shit. You have to pay for these on Windows as well. He states that the free options like Abiword lack all the features necessary, but that's going to be true of any Office or PS knockoff.
AbiWord/NeoOffice doesn't lack features.
AbiWord wasn't stable. You can even see the corrupted textures in a screenshot I provide. Neither was NeoOffice, which (IIRC) couldn't even get italics working - there's a picture there of the text I typed rendered reversed and upside down - and no, not on purpose.
OpenOffice.org on X11 was stable. But this did lack features. Those features are 1) The Ability To Print. 2) The Ability To Copy/Paste from other applications. Those are BIG features - and they both work on the Windows and Linux versions of the same software.
If I can use OpenOffice on Windows with all the functionality I need, and I can use OpenOffice OR AbiWord on Linux with all the functionality I need, I don't need to buy MS Office for Windows. In fact, I use OpenOffice on my home PC's Windows partition, and I've been able to use the Windows version of GIMP in professional situations.
The fact that I couldn't really do that on a Mac platform says alot.
He complains about the Mac Mini lacking a more powerful graphics card and more RAM, but he fails to point out that it's a $600 entry level machine.
I complain about Apple selling a system with 512 MB RAM when it knows that it's just not enough to do the heavy lifting the OS provides. A $600 computer might be underpowered on the Windows/Intel side, but at least the system OEM integrator is not the same guy who designs the OS.
Furthermore, I'm not complaining about the MacMini lacking a more powerful graphics card. I complain about the MacMini having a graphics card that takes away from the system ram when the RAM is already tapped out, and I complain that throughout Mac's entire product line, there's no option for robust graphics cards, and if you want one, the only way you can do so is by getting the MacPro - because that's the only Mac with the type of expandability once seen in the "PowerMac" line - since discontinued.
I've swapped out the battery on a third generation iPod.
I will agree with you that it's no more difficult but the truth is when I swapped out the battery, I was left with an iPod that had a deformed case. There seemed to be no way around that, and I didn't want the same thing to happen to the MacMini.
Yes - I agree totally. If you don't care that your parts aren't replaceable, and you've got more money than time, the Mac is the perfect choice - and I say so in the conclusion.
* NeoOffice is the Mac port of OpenOffice, it does not require X11 to run. It works well, IMHO.
That is a typo, and it is being corrected. The line: "While AbiWord and NeoOffice are both available through X11," should be "While AbiWord and NeoOffice are both available, and OpenOffice is available through X11,"
* There are plenty of free open source apps, just like in Linux and Windows: Handbrake and MacTheRipper for DVD ripping, etc.
The issue is not that there is no freeware, in fact, I used Handbrake and Transmission and Colloquy in the article. However, DVD Ripping, BitTorrenting, and IRC chatting are all secondary compared to WordProcessing and Graphics Editing - and NeoOffice/AbiWord/OpenOffice(X11)/GIMP all had significant problems with either stability or ease of use. BitTorrent is nice to have, but word processing is mission critical. That's the lack of quality freeware I was talking about.
* The model between the Mini and MacPro is the iMac
I don't know what you're referring to here. I say that there is no consumer-priced model from Apple that has easily accessed components, like the former PowerMac stand-alone tower line. To get to upgradability of that nature, you need to go all the way to the MacPro - is that what you mean?
I did find mountains of free, open source software. It's just that the free software that I did find for the most common tasks - word processing and graphics editing, were buggy and too unstable to be used - even compared to their counterparts on other OSes. There is some good quality freeware out there, like Transmission and Colloquy, and I mention them - but BitTorrent and IRC aren't what I need to get my work done.
Considering this comment was made less than 10 minutes after the article got posted to Slashdot and the article is 14,000 words long, I want to congratulate you on your speed-reading abilities.
If it's a lack of RAM that's slowing things down, then I'm just as likely to be able to chuck more memory into a Mac or a PC. If it's the hard drive, then again, I can put a whizzier one in regardless of whether it's a Mac or a PC.
As the guy who wrote the evaluation, I have to disagree here. Apple no longer makes an affordable "PowerMac" line where you can add new components. You can upgrade the RAM on a MacMini, but it is extremely difficult and risks damaging the case, you can upgrade the RAM and hard drive on a MacBook, but that's about it for upgrades. In order to get any decent expandability, you really need to go with the MacPro line, which is overkill for most people's computing needs and wallets. That's what that line is about.
Here's the thing: The Brits actually have good TV, because it's publically funded. It used to mean that the BBC produced series that were cheap - look at the production values of a classic Dr. Who episode compared to a classic Star Trek episode of the same time frame, but as the private networks in the U.S. have found that they can make more money by producing nothing but super-cheap TV shows and cancelling anything that doesn't get a hell of an audience immediately, now it is the British, who care about providing good value for the tax revenue rather than stuffing pockets, that produces superior television shows.
I mean, I saw the BBC Casanova miniseries, and can you imagine an American show going that far, production wise, for a three-episode mini series?
Additionally, all the good news channels - CBC, BBC, CNN International - aren't available in America on any of the different ways to get television here. HDNet has Dan Rather, but I don't have an HDTV and even if I did I don't have a local provider for it either.
So when you hear people complain about there being nothing good on TV which to record - yeah, I can see that. I don't know when I last turned on the television here but I don't think it even has the rabbit ears hooked up!
I concur - and have more to add. Ultimately, the college education you get starts to level out. Sure, Harvard might open some doors the first year out of college, but the 5th year out of college, everyone's going to be looking at the past five years. Is academic reputation important? Absolutely. But you know what's more important? Being in an environment where you can A) Bring your skills to the table, B) Be comfortable, C) Try out many new things without feeling threatened.
While avoiding Stanford for DMCA reasons may ultimately be a trivial reason, it does show that Stanford puts it's own interests above the education and well being of it's students. Do you really think that this place will have good academic counciling, will encourage you to study what you find interest in, etc.?
Dude, joking is fine and all, but just keep it to a minimum. It's not just James Doohan's ashes lost in New Mexico, it's also the ashes of John B. Marques, a 24 year old man from Austin, Texas, who died in December 2004. He was my close friend. There are also 198 other people - people with families and loved ones.
Slashdot Mirror
Ever notice that whenever some great disaster happens in the U.S. that is exacerbated by lack of government response, it almost never effects - and is usually good for - the Bush Administration and their supporters?
Reading Slashdot at comment level 3 and up leaves you wondering "WTF" sometimes when the last comment you see is about the artistic merit of the Sopranos ending, and the next comment you see has someone talking about why the Ringwraiths weren't brought out early in the Lord of the Rings.
Seriously, total non-sequitur. It's like playing memetic telephone.
Here are some links to stories we did:
Smurf:
For Windows, I'm talking about the GIMP for graphics editing, and OpenOffice for Word Processing.
I did have problems with NeoOffice on the Mac platform - if it works for you, go with it, but i had some problems with some very basic stuff. As for the GIMP, it works, but you have to go through the X11 rigamarole that I did, and I'm not a big fan of Apple's implementation of X11.
It's a typo - and you're about the 12th person to notice it.
Look, when you type up a 14,000 word article, you're going to make a mistake somewhere in there. NeoOffice. OpenOffice. Similar programs. Similar names. Exact same function. Any surprise I got them a little mixed up at the end? I've already sent a correction - it'll get changed soon.
Sorry to be snippy, but I've been breaking my back on this article and 90% of the criticisms are from people who haven't even read the damn thing (not you, but... people...)
"Why didn't you try Fink and MacPorts?"
"I spent 2000 words on Fink and MacPorts, and both get their own page."
"Why do you complain about Microsoft Office not being free for Mac when it costs the exact same amount for Windows?"
"Because the Windows platform has OpenOffice for free and the Mac platform doesn't."
"Why didn't you just use NeoOffice/Abiword?"
"I tested both and neither were stable."
I do use MS Word on Windows at work - and yes, my work paid for it before I even got hired on. Files get sent back and forth and tracking changes are required. If I wanted to do simple word processing, I can just download OpenOffice on any computer though.
At home, I use OpenOffice on my Windows partition, where I don't have to pay a dime.
NeoOffice is in the article - I tried it, yes. It had trouble with simple things like italics.
From the article:
"I downloaded and installed NeoOffice. When it started up, it opened and prompted me to download the latest patches from the NeoOffice website.
Using NeoOffice, I found one major flaw right off the bat. For some reason, I couldn't get italicized text to work properly. Something this basic being implemented incorrectly gave me the shivers when I thought about the more hardcore word processing tasks that I use on a daily basis."
Back in 2001, I could buy a PowerMac for $1600 in 2001 money. The lowest-end MacPro costs $2400, I believe.
Really getting tired of people commenting without reading the damn article.
MacPorts is on Page 11. Fink is on Page 12. I spend (rough guess) about 1000 words on them each.
Malleus:
I have never had a problem with a lack of freeware for the Mac. There are a couple pieces of shareware I have paid for because I like the software and want to support the developer, but that was never a matter of functionality. The only other piece of software I have paid for is Apple Remote Desktop, and that could be replaced by VNC, ssh, and shell scripting if necessary. He mentions that he can't find any DVD shrinking software. He must have not looked very hard, as I know Mac the Ripper is just one of many free programs that do just that.
Last I checked, MacTheRipper was RIPPING software, and not SHRINKING software. Which means if you put in a 9 GB DVD, you'll get a 9GB image file which you can't burn to a 4.5 GB DVD-R. If it's new functionality added in a recent version, I might have missed it.
Yes, you do have to pay for MS Office and Photoshop, but no shit. You have to pay for these on Windows as well. He states that the free options like Abiword lack all the features necessary, but that's going to be true of any Office or PS knockoff.
AbiWord/NeoOffice doesn't lack features.
AbiWord wasn't stable. You can even see the corrupted textures in a screenshot I provide. Neither was NeoOffice, which (IIRC) couldn't even get italics working - there's a picture there of the text I typed rendered reversed and upside down - and no, not on purpose.
OpenOffice.org on X11 was stable. But this did lack features. Those features are 1) The Ability To Print. 2) The Ability To Copy/Paste from other applications. Those are BIG features - and they both work on the Windows and Linux versions of the same software.
If I can use OpenOffice on Windows with all the functionality I need, and I can use OpenOffice OR AbiWord on Linux with all the functionality I need, I don't need to buy MS Office for Windows. In fact, I use OpenOffice on my home PC's Windows partition, and I've been able to use the Windows version of GIMP in professional situations.
The fact that I couldn't really do that on a Mac platform says alot.
He complains about the Mac Mini lacking a more powerful graphics card and more RAM, but he fails to point out that it's a $600 entry level machine.
I complain about Apple selling a system with 512 MB RAM when it knows that it's just not enough to do the heavy lifting the OS provides. A $600 computer might be underpowered on the Windows/Intel side, but at least the system OEM integrator is not the same guy who designs the OS.
Furthermore, I'm not complaining about the MacMini lacking a more powerful graphics card. I complain about the MacMini having a graphics card that takes away from the system ram when the RAM is already tapped out, and I complain that throughout Mac's entire product line, there's no option for robust graphics cards, and if you want one, the only way you can do so is by getting the MacPro - because that's the only Mac with the type of expandability once seen in the "PowerMac" line - since discontinued.
I've swapped out the battery on a third generation iPod.
I will agree with you that it's no more difficult but the truth is when I swapped out the battery, I was left with an iPod that had a deformed case. There seemed to be no way around that, and I didn't want the same thing to happen to the MacMini.
Indeed!
Yes - I agree totally. If you don't care that your parts aren't replaceable, and you've got more money than time, the Mac is the perfect choice - and I say so in the conclusion.
As I mention elsewhere:
* NeoOffice is the Mac port of OpenOffice, it does not require X11 to run. It works well, IMHO.
That is a typo, and it is being corrected. The line: "While AbiWord and NeoOffice are both available through X11," should be "While AbiWord and NeoOffice are both available, and OpenOffice is available through X11,"
* There are plenty of free open source apps, just like in Linux and Windows: Handbrake and MacTheRipper for DVD ripping, etc.
The issue is not that there is no freeware, in fact, I used Handbrake and Transmission and Colloquy in the article. However, DVD Ripping, BitTorrenting, and IRC chatting are all secondary compared to WordProcessing and Graphics Editing - and NeoOffice/AbiWord/OpenOffice(X11)/GIMP all had significant problems with either stability or ease of use. BitTorrent is nice to have, but word processing is mission critical. That's the lack of quality freeware I was talking about.
* The model between the Mini and MacPro is the iMac
I don't know what you're referring to here. I say that there is no consumer-priced model from Apple that has easily accessed components, like the former PowerMac stand-alone tower line. To get to upgradability of that nature, you need to go all the way to the MacPro - is that what you mean?
I did find mountains of free, open source software. It's just that the free software that I did find for the most common tasks - word processing and graphics editing, were buggy and too unstable to be used - even compared to their counterparts on other OSes. There is some good quality freeware out there, like Transmission and Colloquy, and I mention them - but BitTorrent and IRC aren't what I need to get my work done.
That's a typo. I'll have it corrected.
SecretRabbit: Not sure he's heard of MacPorts:... nor Fink... nor version tracker.
SecretRabbit, not only have I heard of MacPorts and Fink, but each one of them gets a seperate page in a 13 page, 14,000 word article.
Considering this comment was made less than 10 minutes after the article got posted to Slashdot and the article is 14,000 words long, I want to congratulate you on your speed-reading abilities.
-- Brian Boyko
-- The Writer of That Article.
That's a typo. Should be "OpenOffice."
I'll have it corrected.
LizardKing:
If it's a lack of RAM that's slowing things down, then I'm just as likely to be able to chuck more memory into a Mac or a PC. If it's the hard drive, then again, I can put a whizzier one in regardless of whether it's a Mac or a PC.
As the guy who wrote the evaluation, I have to disagree here. Apple no longer makes an affordable "PowerMac" line where you can add new components. You can upgrade the RAM on a MacMini, but it is extremely difficult and risks damaging the case, you can upgrade the RAM and hard drive on a MacBook, but that's about it for upgrades. In order to get any decent expandability, you really need to go with the MacPro line, which is overkill for most people's computing needs and wallets. That's what that line is about.
You're British, aren't you?
Here's the thing: The Brits actually have good TV, because it's publically funded. It used to mean that the BBC produced series that were cheap - look at the production values of a classic Dr. Who episode compared to a classic Star Trek episode of the same time frame, but as the private networks in the U.S. have found that they can make more money by producing nothing but super-cheap TV shows and cancelling anything that doesn't get a hell of an audience immediately, now it is the British, who care about providing good value for the tax revenue rather than stuffing pockets, that produces superior television shows.
I mean, I saw the BBC Casanova miniseries, and can you imagine an American show going that far, production wise, for a three-episode mini series?
Additionally, all the good news channels - CBC, BBC, CNN International - aren't available in America on any of the different ways to get television here. HDNet has Dan Rather, but I don't have an HDTV and even if I did I don't have a local provider for it either.
So when you hear people complain about there being nothing good on TV which to record - yeah, I can see that. I don't know when I last turned on the television here but I don't think it even has the rabbit ears hooked up!
I concur - and have more to add. Ultimately, the college education you get starts to level out. Sure, Harvard might open some doors the first year out of college, but the 5th year out of college, everyone's going to be looking at the past five years. Is academic reputation important? Absolutely. But you know what's more important? Being in an environment where you can A) Bring your skills to the table, B) Be comfortable, C) Try out many new things without feeling threatened.
While avoiding Stanford for DMCA reasons may ultimately be a trivial reason, it does show that Stanford puts it's own interests above the education and well being of it's students. Do you really think that this place will have good academic counciling, will encourage you to study what you find interest in, etc.?
What about those of us, say, who work as professional bloggers - who can't live without a public e-mail address?
Well, technically, I think he wanted to be launched by catapult... but this was the next best thing.
Dude, joking is fine and all, but just keep it to a minimum. It's not just James Doohan's ashes lost in New Mexico, it's also the ashes of John B. Marques, a 24 year old man from Austin, Texas, who died in December 2004. He was my close friend. There are also 198 other people - people with families and loved ones.
The difference is, attending your house isn't mandatory.
School is a place where children are forced to go in order to be treated like children. This is supposed to teach them to be functioning adults how?