And to the degree that Windows is harder to maintain and support than Linux (which it probably is), the additional jobs it might create relative to Linux are unproductive: they cost money, but they don't produce any extra value or output. If you have the money to employ people in unproductive jobs, you might as well spend that money on having them do something productively.
And, of course, the $471m that you would save on licensing costs when going with Linux over Windows would be a nice chunk of money for tax breaks or other programs to help the economy.
Oh. I don't disagree with you there. But we are talking about the armed forces, known for spending $600 on a "hexagonal locking device" (aka. standard nut) and $1000 on toilet seats. Spending money wisely is not something they do.
I disagree. The only reason many other organizations are still using Microsoft software is for compatibility with outside entities. But the Army is large and powerful enough that they can pick their desktop software. Something like OpenOffice running on Gnome or KDE is the ideal environment for them: robust, easy to use, powerful, and cheap.
Look, I'm as big a *nix bigot as the geek next to me, but for the average consumer *nix just isn't ready for the desktop yet. OpenOffice still has problems, bugs, compatability issues and lacking features that MS Office has. It also runs slow even on the fastest machines. Gnome & KDE are great as well but still aren't ready for prime time. (Sorry guys.. but compare them to the polished look and feature set of OS X and Windows. They just aren't there yet.)
No, the $471m will not create lots of outside jobs, the $471m will go to Microsoft investors. The outside jobs needed to install and maintain Windows will cost the tax payer additional hundreds of millions of dollars a year.
Hmm.. You're right. I miscalculated. The Army will blow another $471M (and probably a lot more).
and the day after a new service pack comes out it could be a completely different story. as i said. microsoft can make it VERY difficult to run java on a wondows box if they wished.
now imagine they put MUST HAVE security & stability patches into that service pack. are you going to not install it just so you can have java but run the risk of having your system hacked? what about a large corporation?
now sun must figure out what is wrong and update their jre to work around whatever microsoft fixes. then microsoft makes more "fixes" and "oops, java doesn't work again."
do you think after a while people would just give up on installing java over and over?
ok. i agree with you in part. but M$ can also make it hard to install java and hard to make it compatable with their browser and OS. can you say "hidden APIs" anyone? and just when sun figures it out there will be an update/patch that will change things around again.
Actually, you're wrong. Think about all the support people who will be needed for all those machines. There's going to be a lot of IT people needed in the Army now to install and support all those systems. Either military personnel or outside contractors.
*nix is great if you need computer systems that are secure, work and are cost effective. But while it's a very good server OS it probably wouldn't meet the Army's needs very well on the desktop.
Windows* boxes are wonderful if you want to spend a lot of money on software, hardware, people to maintain those systems, maintain their security and get half the work done in twice the time. Hopefully the Army won't be using it for servers, or anything else important. I'd hate to have to reboot my tank in the middle of a battlefield.
The money won't be used to create jobs at Microsoft directly but it sure will create a lot of them indirectly.
Personally I'm a little disappointed with where my tax dollars just went.
Anybody who buys a computer based on benchmarks or hype gets what they deserve.
Buy a computer based on what it can do and how it meets your needs.
Sheeh people.. It's marketing hype. Please don't tell me this is a new concept to you. If it is, I have a few bridges and plots of swampland on the moon to sell you. I have the deeds right here. Please email me for further details.
interesting article.. what does it tell me. that the only thing SCO seems to be good at in the past decade is suing people for money. hmmm. how about actually turning out a product and earning some money with that?
BUT.. If Micro$oft keep$ paying licen$ing fee$ and $uch to $C0 they might have enough ca$h in their pocket$ to drag out the court ca$e a while yet. The trick i$ to keep feeding money to $C0 under the table and not get caught doing it.
$C0 i$ definately looking (or more like hopeing) for a buyout by IBM. I hope IBM doe$n't bite and let'$ a $illy company die a $low, painful death.
One que$tion I have i$ thi$.. Would you ever put "I worked at $C0" on your re$ume after this embara$$ment? Ok, maybe the upper-exec$ might walk off with enough money to live on the re$t of their live$, but what about the re$t of the folk?:-(
actually i remember reading a cache page (on geocaching.com) where the cache was moved by the person that found it and the new coordinates posted in their log entry. the notes requested that you post you were hunting the cache 24 hrs in advance to warn others. i guess it would slow down people seeking the cache to 1 a day or so. i believe it was only moved a short distance every time. was an interesting idea. i didn't hunt down the cache as it wasn't in an area i was visiting any time soon.
simple.. you close down the old cache and open up a new one. i've done it. geocaching.com allows you to archive a cache so people can still look at what it was, where it was, who found it, etc.
there is even a "roaming" cache type where one person who finds it moves it to a new location and posts the new coordinates.
trivial? apparently you've never tried then. people have the misconception that a GPS will lead you to any spot on the planet exactly down to 1mm. completely untrue. most commerical (even expensive) GPS units are good for several feet under the BEST conditions. add in things like bad weather (even a simple cloudy day) and the foliage/tree tops above you and the signal is far worse. my garmin vista, one of the better units, gets me within 20' of some well hidden caches and i'm happy. searching that 20' radius is now up to the cacher and half the fun.
aren't public parks for the public's use? shouldn't we dictate how they are used? if people want to hide and seek caches on land supported by public funds then it should be allowed or the park should find other sources of funding. simple.
as for paths and trash. i can see the point about moving a cache after a year or so. also placing a cache near an existing path (and many are) isn't a bad idea. "geotrashers" (which i never heard of before the article) should be sent to an island with hidden coordinates and never heard from again. many geocaches, including myself, are far more likely to pick up the trash that your regular park goers leave behind ("CACHE IN, TRASH OUT!" is the motto).
actually. i know exactly what my security digits are and i did use the correct digits. worked every other time i have purchased something online. the problem lied in apple's servers.
Tried to sign up for the service, it asked for the "security number" at the end of my credit card number. Everything was correct but it kept telling me that the security number was invalid (it's hard to mistype 3 digits... come on).
I gave up and from the reviews I won't bother again. I also can't say I feel very safe with Apple keeping my credit card numbers in their servers indefinately.
Does anyone happen to know if the transaction is even encrypted? What's to stop someone from snooping my account and ordering themself a ton of songs under my name?
I think I'll get my music the old fashioned way, go buy a CD in a store.
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And to the degree that Windows is harder to maintain and support than Linux (which it probably is), the additional jobs it might create relative to Linux are unproductive: they cost money, but they don't produce any extra value or output. If you have the money to employ people in unproductive jobs, you might as well spend that money on having them do something productively.
And, of course, the $471m that you would save on licensing costs when going with Linux over Windows would be a nice chunk of money for tax breaks or other programs to help the economy.
Oh. I don't disagree with you there. But we are talking about the armed forces, known for spending $600 on a "hexagonal locking device" (aka. standard nut) and $1000 on toilet seats. Spending money wisely is not something they do.
I disagree. The only reason many other organizations are still using Microsoft software is for compatibility with outside entities. But the Army is large and powerful enough that they can pick their desktop software. Something like OpenOffice running on Gnome or KDE is the ideal environment for them: robust, easy to use, powerful, and cheap.
Look, I'm as big a *nix bigot as the geek next to me, but for the average consumer *nix just isn't ready for the desktop yet. OpenOffice still has problems, bugs, compatability issues and lacking features that MS Office has. It also runs slow even on the fastest machines. Gnome & KDE are great as well but still aren't ready for prime time. (Sorry guys.. but compare them to the polished look and feature set of OS X and Windows. They just aren't there yet.)
No, the $471m will not create lots of outside jobs, the $471m will go to Microsoft investors. The outside jobs needed to install and maintain Windows will cost the tax payer additional hundreds of millions of dollars a year.
Hmm.. You're right. I miscalculated. The Army will blow another $471M (and probably a lot more).
yes. but the article is about the army. not ibm.
hmm.. companies have been complaining for years that microsoft doesn't suppily them with needed information about APIs.
resellers have been complaining for years about requirements of their contracts with microsoft.
consumers have been complaining for years about security and stability issues.
businesses have been complaining for years about never-ending upgrades and rising licensing costs.
people are still using MS and bill still looks like a wolf in a golden fleece.
yes. for now.
and the day after a new service pack comes out it could be a completely different story. as i said. microsoft can make it VERY difficult to run java on a wondows box if they wished.
now imagine they put MUST HAVE security & stability patches into that service pack. are you going to not install it just so you can have java but run the risk of having your system hacked? what about a large corporation?
now sun must figure out what is wrong and update their jre to work around whatever microsoft fixes. then microsoft makes more "fixes" and "oops, java doesn't work again."
do you think after a while people would just give up on installing java over and over?
ok. i agree with you in part. but M$ can also make it hard to install java and hard to make it compatable with their browser and OS. can you say "hidden APIs" anyone? and just when sun figures it out there will be an update/patch that will change things around again.
Actually, you're wrong. Think about all the support people who will be needed for all those machines. There's going to be a lot of IT people needed in the Army now to install and support all those systems. Either military personnel or outside contractors.
*nix is great if you need computer systems that are secure, work and are cost effective. But while it's a very good server OS it probably wouldn't meet the Army's needs very well on the desktop.
Windows* boxes are wonderful if you want to spend a lot of money on software, hardware, people to maintain those systems, maintain their security and get half the work done in twice the time. Hopefully the Army won't be using it for servers, or anything else important. I'd hate to have to reboot my tank in the middle of a battlefield.
The money won't be used to create jobs at Microsoft directly but it sure will create a lot of them indirectly.
Personally I'm a little disappointed with where my tax dollars just went.
is that a beowulf cluster in your pocket or are you happy to see me?
Anybody who buys a computer based on benchmarks or hype gets what they deserve.
Buy a computer based on what it can do and how it meets your needs.
Sheeh people.. It's marketing hype. Please don't tell me this is a new concept to you. If it is, I have a few bridges and plots of swampland on the moon to sell you. I have the deeds right here. Please email me for further details.
Apparently someone got sacked over last week's "leak".
Looking for a new job as a Web Publishing Manager? Apply at Apple Today!
they'd rather sell you their closed source buggy software at over-inflated prices. did you expect "industry leaders" to suggest otherwise?
interesting article.. what does it tell me. that the only thing SCO seems to be good at in the past decade is suing people for money. hmmm. how about actually turning out a product and earning some money with that?
actually i was thinking they should create a lawsuit section. i'm sure it'll be pretty busy.
well..
the point i was trying to make, which you obviously didn't get because you're just an AC, was that it's all about the money $$$
maybe this explanation will help you. i may be a dork but at least i'm not $tupid.
smooches!
BUT.. If Micro$oft keep$ paying licen$ing fee$ and $uch to $C0 they might have enough ca$h in their pocket$ to drag out the court ca$e a while yet. The trick i$ to keep feeding money to $C0 under the table and not get caught doing it.
:-(
$C0 i$ definately looking (or more like hopeing) for a buyout by IBM. I hope IBM doe$n't bite and let'$ a $illy company die a $low, painful death.
One que$tion I have i$ thi$.. Would you ever put "I worked at $C0" on your re$ume after this embara$$ment? Ok, maybe the upper-exec$ might walk off with enough money to live on the re$t of their live$, but what about the re$t of the folk?
does anyone know who their supplier is? this must be good stuff!
actually i remember reading a cache page (on geocaching.com) where the cache was moved by the person that found it and the new coordinates posted in their log entry. the notes requested that you post you were hunting the cache 24 hrs in advance to warn others. i guess it would slow down people seeking the cache to 1 a day or so. i believe it was only moved a short distance every time. was an interesting idea. i didn't hunt down the cache as it wasn't in an area i was visiting any time soon.
no baloons needed and no extra hiking involved.
simple.. you close down the old cache and open up a new one. i've done it. geocaching.com allows you to archive a cache so people can still look at what it was, where it was, who found it, etc.
there is even a "roaming" cache type where one person who finds it moves it to a new location and posts the new coordinates.
i'd worry more about ballons people release for weddings, parties, graduations, events, etc. than i would about ballons in SEALED boxes.
i haven't seen too many birds open up an ammo box lately.
ballons = bad? is that because the chipmunks suck the helium out of them and get squeaky voices? ;-)
trivial? apparently you've never tried then. people have the misconception that a GPS will lead you to any spot on the planet exactly down to 1mm. completely untrue. most commerical (even expensive) GPS units are good for several feet under the BEST conditions. add in things like bad weather (even a simple cloudy day) and the foliage/tree tops above you and the signal is far worse. my garmin vista, one of the better units, gets me within 20' of some well hidden caches and i'm happy. searching that 20' radius is now up to the cacher and half the fun.
aren't public parks for the public's use? shouldn't we dictate how they are used? if people want to hide and seek caches on land supported by public funds then it should be allowed or the park should find other sources of funding. simple.
as for paths and trash. i can see the point about moving a cache after a year or so. also placing a cache near an existing path (and many are) isn't a bad idea. "geotrashers" (which i never heard of before the article) should be sent to an island with hidden coordinates and never heard from again. many geocaches, including myself, are far more likely to pick up the trash that your regular park goers leave behind ("CACHE IN, TRASH OUT!" is the motto).
geocaching is not a crime!
-js
Interesting. I'll have to look into this, never heard of it before.
It happened to be my AmEx Blue card that was rejected at Apple..
Thanks!
True. But in a store I at least have an option of paying cash. :-D
I know it's a new service and Apple is having first-week jitters. I was simply posting my experience.
actually. i know exactly what my security digits are and i did use the correct digits. worked every other time i have purchased something online. the problem lied in apple's servers.
Tried to sign up for the service, it asked for the "security number" at the end of my credit card number. Everything was correct but it kept telling me that the security number was invalid (it's hard to mistype 3 digits... come on).
I gave up and from the reviews I won't bother again. I also can't say I feel very safe with Apple keeping my credit card numbers in their servers indefinately.
Does anyone happen to know if the transaction is even encrypted? What's to stop someone from snooping my account and ordering themself a ton of songs under my name?
I think I'll get my music the old fashioned way, go buy a CD in a store.
cooling isn't the issue.. the systems are kept very cool.. but thanks for the suggestion.