It was meant to be funny -- you weren't nearly as specific with Mac OS X or Linux. So, I fed back a synopsis, with a comment. Vista sure sounds like a "work in progress" from your complaints.
As to Linux; if you know WHY you want it, go for it. Otherwise, stay with the product you have. I would imagine that the "fit and finish" of Vista (or XP) is superior to the free product. The only rational reason for selecting the OS that costs much more is if it offers much more.
Personally? Don't have Vista, and, since my laptop has "only" 512M I am very unlikely to get it. My applications work on any of the "major" OSs, making it a no-brainer to choose the cheapest one that works (evolution, openoffice.org, vi, octave, perl, pspp, Spreadsheet::WriteExcel, tcl/tk). Just started using Perl Spreadsheet::WriteExcel a week ago, so its still early days for that one.
An Operating System (Vista) that prefers 2GB or more memory; whose file copy feature sucks; and that doesn't restore wifi after sleep isn't really as bad as people think, after the first service pack was released.
I wonder what it was like BEFORE the first service pack?
All depends on EULA compliance and your jurisdiction.
*If* the EULA is found binding, you will be on the hook for the audit at your expense. Those expenses would include the court costs. Read the Microsoft EULA, ok?
Basically, it isn't worth (typically) trying. Say "Uncle" and get on with it. Or do what Ball did, and say "fuck you" -- but note that even Ball paid! THEN went to F/OSS.
And how do you know that there isn't a vulnerability?
I'll let you in on a "secret". JBIG2 is a standard bi-level compression technique, that has been standardized. It uses statistical prediction, which makes for some interesting math. A standard reference implementation is available that works, and offers "reasonable" performance.
Almost every developer that is charged with JBIG2 implementation is going to use the reference implementation.
It is, of course, possible to generate other implementations. I wrote an alternate encoder that performed an order of magnitude more quickly for a client. But, it requires a great deal of analysis and skill to do so (no, I never touched decoding -- that was a hardware function. JBIG2 was used to transmit maps to a printer, which used a hardware decoder).
Anyone using an implementation based on the reference is probably at risk of an exploit (if that was the original source). So, you cannot state that using a non-Adobe product makes you safe (unless a source review is possible, and I suspect that the skill needed for defect detection in the JBIG2 decoder is probably beyond most C programmers as well).
But, the critical (and, unfortunately, "normal") problem of having service DLLs linked into core OS constructs certainly broadens the attack surface. Normal behavior (that is, incomplete de-installation) of system level components (because there is no reasonable way to determine the consequence of complete removal) simply exaggerates the issue.
I assume that your "alternative" also links into the shell constructs of Windows, exposing a similar attack surface.
Sure, let's pit Apple App Store against package manager.
What do you need with app store? A signon. Note that no help is given as to aquiring the signon.
But, I'll let you in on the "secret". You need to install iTunes, and give your credit details on-line. Fill in the details on app store and then start buying applications.
Package Manager? You launch it, and it asks for a password. No credit details needed, or second computer, etc. Categorized list with search comes up.
Since App Store needed iTunes on another computer to create an account, and no guidance to that is given, I would imagine the Package Manager would win.
"If we were to make all media free it would in effect kill the fish, in this case big media, and if we were to do that then there would be:
No Star Wars, No Star Trek, No Family Guy, No Indiana Jones, No DailyShow, No SNL (pick the year you like), No Office, No Office Space... you get the point..."
Not true! Star Trek, Family Guy, DailyShow, SNL, Office are all TV shows, that have to make money on the FIRST airing. There was never a guarantee that any of these shows would go into syndication, DVD or video sales.
And, if money is made on that first showing, there is incentive to continue producing them. Even if not another soo is made on those shows. Many of these shows are available "for free" (Star Trek and DailyShow, at least), from the content producers themselves.
Gates (and Allen) developed MBASIC, and DISK BASIC. DISK BASIC used the "FAT" system to control free space.
CP/M did NOT use the same scheme. Instead, CP/M built up free space maps by scanning the directory. It also did not use a linked list. Personally, I thought FAT was weak then, and still is....
But the "industry" adopted it. It was allowed; we had a (at least) minimal common system for file systems. Enhanced to support directories and sub-directories.
Then, Microsoft designed a long filename system on top of it, that was back-compatible with the old method. THAT was patented. And, no, it wasn't even the "obvious" solution -- that would have been a mapping file.
What does this mean? It means that the long filename code SHOULD be ripped out. 8.3, baby! You want longname mapping? Linux has UMSDOS on top of FAT -- same result, no patent violation. Or, just use short names. Or, build a program that reindexes MS FAT longnames into UMSDOS (for read compatibility). Just don't write that format. It can be argued (I would try) that ANY longnames in MS FAT format that were found on a FAT filesystem then MUST have come from an MS patent licensee (because our proposed system wouldn't generate the MS FAT longname format). So, there are solutions. Maybe UMSDOS is too "crufty" to be resurrected, but it strikes me that something like posixovl.fuse could be used (with modifications).
Microsoft was creative with the MS FAT longname solution. Either deal with it, or get the patent overturned.
"They all presented much the same points, the main ones being that the Pirate Bay site didn't hold any copyright films or music -- it merely acted as a search engine -- and that no copyrighted content passed through it anyway. The prosecution had failed to produce any uploaders or downloaders, and had not shown their actions were illegal where they happened to live."
which, of course, has been TPBs stance all along. Consistent, and simple. Why would TPB attack copyright law? T
"I find it pretty absurd that a company should be "stuck" with the contract rates it offers."
Slow down, cowboy! If you engage me, and then decide to stiff me on a contract, I WILL SUE YOU. And I will win. It doesn't matter how long it takes, or even how much it costs me -- it's just business.
As soon as you announce "You won't be paid", I put down my tools, and walk. Again, it doesn't matter how much I may need the work.
Why? What other leverage do I have? And, trust me, companies understand. If I didn't stick to my guns, I am afraid that others would start to take advantage of me. This is my protection, ok?
About the only way I would take less is if mandated by a bankruptcy court.
In fact, Adobe Reader is really not the issue -- the issue is that the OS doesn't impose MAC (mandatory access controls). MACs should control exactly which resources an application can use, and this can be as restrictive as desired.
Of course, it is difficult to come up with the necessary rules, and to "retrain" the user base, which is why (for example) SELinux MAC was phased in gradually on Fedora.
It took Fedora quite a few releases to fully implement MAC - Fedora Core 2 introduced SELinux (with strict policy as default), Fedora Core 5 was the first version to use modular policies, but was not running in strict mode, Fedora Core 6 introduced the Policy Editor, Fedora 7 a GUI admin tool, Fedora 8 a GUI Policy Creation tool and user lock-down (and, some Adobe plugins would no longer run), and Fedora 9 and 10 offer fine-tuning.
"When SELinux was initially introduced in Fedora Core, it enforced the NSA strict policy. For testing purposes, this effectively exposed hundreds of problems in the strict policy. In addition, it demonstrated that applying a single strict policy to the many environments of Fedora users was not feasible. To manage a single strict policy for anything other than default installation would require local expertise.
At this point, the SELinux developers reviewed their choices, and decided to try a different strategy. They decided to create a targeted policy that locks down specific daemons, especially those vulnerable to attack or which could devastate a system if broken or compromised. The rest of the system runs exactly as it would under standard Linux DAC security."
So, it took version 2 through 8 (or 9, arguably) for Fedora to introduce MAC to a largely technical community. This was done over 4 years.
It will take much longer than 4 years to get equivalent security provisions in Windows, given the user base. Given the convenience of "plug-in" architectures, it is very difficult to tell if a program is actually misbehaving! MAC is really the only way that I am aware that behavior can be monitored. For example, code can be introduced as a plug-in (or, via exploit), but that code isn't dangerous until it tries doing something bad. The definition of "bad" is what is in question -- it could mean sending email, or sending LOTS of email, or modifying files it didn't create. If none of THAT is happening, it may simply have been an automatic installation of some "fun cursors" desired by the user.
As to running iTunes on Wine -- that was simply to sign up for the Apple Store. The iPhone was NEVER connected to that computer. After the account was created, the details were typed into the iPhone, using the normal method (or so I assume). Anyway, once that was done, my wife could purchase applications (and music).
Of course, simply pointing the iPhone to our music collection didn't work. Which I thought was odd. We needed iTunes to import the music/media into the iPhone, and the "magic sauce" no longer worked (Amarok didn't work -- which used to support iPods, as well as my Creative Zen).
My wife never ran the iPhone on an unsupported OS! The plan was to buy a platform to support it -- because of the DRM!
But, due to BAD Apple software, it bit us in the backside.
*If* the DRM had been left alone (and, in my opinion, its not even needed here), Amarok, or another program would have worked, and we wouldn't be having this discussion.
We *tried* to accomodate the DRM. The *right* way. According to *manufactures directions*. And it screwed us out of some nice Christmas photos.
Fresh iPhone, take some photos. Because you can. Now, go to an "alien" Windows XP(tm) computer. Load iTunes(tm). I'll wait. Plug in the iPhone. When it asks you to sync, (automatic/manual), say "manual" (because you don't want to publish those photos). When it offers to update your iPhone, say "Yes, please" -- and make sure you read the dialogs!
After it completes, check your iPhone, check your computer. Where are the pictures?
I *NEVER* used the device with Linux. Nor did my wife.
The ONLY reason that Linux is not supported is the DRM -- Amarok would have worked, otherwise.
iTunes DESTROYED the contents of the device, without warning. Because it was the FIRST sync, and my wife set it to "manual", not wanting the computer to become the devices home computer. Per Apples instructions, I might add.
I'm with the "drop the phone, its defective" crowd, but my wife actually LIKES the phone.
As to the incorrect case -- the case was for an "iPhone". The Apple store recommended third party cases (again, the fucking "Genius Bar"). NEVER WAS IT MENTIONED THAT AN iPhone CASE WOULDN'T BE COMPATIBLE WITH THE iPhone 3G. Does that make sense to you now?
And, yes, a purchase of a Mac Mini was in our future -- when we had time to migrate to it! The phone itself was purchased "over the counter" from Rogers, and with the addition of a SIM card, became a phone. After all, the phone has 16 fucking Gigabytes of memory, which should tide it over for a month or two, until we can make suitable arrangements. WE WERE WILLING TO WAIT, BUT APPLE TOLD US WE *HAD* TO DO IT. Fucking "Genius Bar".
If it were NOT for "DRM", third party apps could sync iPhone, and they WOULD have been available on Linux (or Solaris, but my money would be on Linux first). The iPhone firmware is useless without an iPhone, so there really isn't any reason to protect it with anything other than copyright. Apple could have encouraged (well, at least not be actively HOSTILE), and even assisted in testing these platforms -- after all, these ARE iPhone sales!
And, in the end, its a case study for how much DRM can hurt. My wife likes the iPhone, but she doesn't trust Apple anymore... Now, any recommendation is given with some serious reservations.
I bought my wife an iPhone. First Apple product I've purchased in a LONG time. Makes for a lovely phone -- but we can't access the "Apple Store" and also can't put media onto the device. We use Solaris and Linux.
I get iTunes running under Wine, and sign up for the Apple Store. This allows my wife to buy from the Apple Store. Yeah!
Now, my wife wants a case for the device. She purchases a case; all seems good for a couple of days. But... the phone begins to behave "oddly". It turns the screen off, but leaves calls connected, and other (more minor) ailments.
We book an appointment to the Apple "Genius Bar". We are told we MUST attach the iPhone to a computer at least once; that the problem is the "old software". Ok, we explain that we have no computer capable. Answer: well, then use someone elses.. "Will you do it?". Answer: no.
My wife works as a librarian -- she has a circulation desk computer with Windows XP. Downloads and installs iTunes, plugs in the iPhone, and is asked "Do you want to sync automatically or manually?". That's really it! She chose "manual", because she didn't want to put all of her personal photos on that computer. Bad mistake... "Are you sure you want to upgrade?" "Yes" --- and BOOM! All the data is GONE. Just... vaporized... She calls Apple Support "Oh, yes, that would happen; there is nothing that can be done".
Miserable, miserable, miserable... Complete data destruction without even a "are you sure" dialog. And it's all iTunes fault. Why do we use it? DRM. The Apple iPhone databases CANNOT be updated without anything else. We have a perfectly servicable application (Amarok) that we use for playback, but it no longer works to load music. Gotta use that iTunes shitware. Even a self-booting DOS or Linux disk for updating, *or* a failsafe firmware updater...
And, as a final added insult -- the Genius Bar was wrong. The problem was that the iPhone 3G requires specific cases, and the case being used was wrong (it was an iPhone case). Go figure. I'm still buying a "Mac Mini" as an accessory to the iPhone, but still -- this is what DRM does. Locks out people who could possibly do a better job of it.
Actually, it's not too difficult to get going. DTS encode is a "no-no" for now; the format is closed. But, AC3 will work fine (certainly on my surround receiver). I generally use the mainboard sound hardware.
Of course, DVD (etc) material will play back with "DTS, THX, etc." -- simply route the audio directly to the surround unit, and let it take care of the decode.
So, the problem comes down to: CD audio and other pure audio sources - these are mastered 2.0. Easy to encode to digital AC3, and pass through to the surround unit.
DVD, which has 5.1 audio -- simply pass the digital audio DIRECTLY to the surround unit, and let it take care of things. (this is what "DTS passthrough" refers to). Further, DTS is *not* a DVD standard (AC3 is). You also want to pass AC3 through to the surround unit as well.
Local playback (2 channel, with headphones), or 5.1 attached local speakers (analog). Here, alsa can use ffmpeg to decode AC3 and DTS.
THX (the name by itself) is a logo certification program -- it is not a format. You won't have to worry about that.
There is very little "7.1" material (maybe on some DVDs), AC3/DTS passthrough will deal with naturally. The name "THX format", or the -EX or -ES formats refer to the additional channels. With passthrough, if the surround receiver can handle it, you get the extra effect. But, again, its not common.
And that's really all you need for a media playback unit. There is even an alsa option that will take 5.1 material, and encode to 2.0 headphones to give the illusion of surround. The "vdownmix" alsa plugin does this (although how good it is can, of course, be argued).
So, I googled "RA3 disk" and the top hits are "doesn't work", "won't install", "install doing nothing"... Digging down a bit further, the suggestion is to "update the drive firmware". And I discover that this magic "RA3" costs 30 pounds...
I guess you WOULD have the same level of success installing this into a Linux box.:) After all, it doesn't do anything on a Windows box, either.
"We need some revenue. Come up with a new OS plan..."
"We'll use the model that worked last time... Customers actually liked Windows 98SE, so we dropped Windows ME on them. Everyone hated it, and when we released XP, it was a relief!"
"Do it again."
"Ok, we need a forward looking name - hey! Let's use Vista! Sounds good, and everyone will hate it. Then, we give the next one a boring name, because we expect it to be around a long time. Never know if fashions change..."
"How about XP+?"
"Naw, can't be related to XP in any way... How about 5?"
"That's it! But make it 7. Windows 7! Everyone knows 7's the charm. And, it'll go over in the boardrooms too."
MPEG-4 is a "group effort". Patent holders include Apple, Philips, Mitsubishi, Samsung, Sharp, France Telecom, and SUN, in the US and other countries.
As to the 75% iPod figure -- only if you remove cell phones with mp3 capability from consideration... I would say that it's arguable that someone like Nokia may be the #1 leader in portable media players.
Just sayin' -- careful with your backing examples. The world IS larger than Apple.
Apple means polish, and, in the eyes of MANY, Steve Jobs embodies the qualities needed to keep that polish shiny. Apple IS "teh shiny". Now, I have had issues with Apple in the (distant) past, but I just bought my wife (turning in Geek badge now) an iPhone, and will be getting a "Mac Mini" soon to run teh shiny iTunes on.
The value of the TV is diminished. It doesn't matter WHAT that TV is currently being used for. Even if it is used as a doorstop.
Unless, of course, you are mandating a certain amount of TV watching...
Now, in compensation for that, the US government is using some of the proceeds of the bandwidth auction to compensate. Again, if you take the compensation, you are free to do whatever you want with it. Again, use it as a doorstop, alongside the previously mentioned TV.
Are you telling me I am not allowed to hack that box? It has an MPEG to standard TV converter, and a scaler in it. It must have some digital smarts as well. Sounds fun to me!
Unless, of course, you are mandating that I am not allowed to destroy my own property...
Hell, I have three TV sets with analog-only tuners (at over $2000 for the three sets when purchased). But, my jurisdiction is not phasing out analog TV until 2011. (Which bodes well for US viewers along the Canadian border who don't have a converter yet...) But, since Canada hasn't had an auction yet, we don't have a coupon program either. If we DO have a coupon program, I WILL sign up (if I am allowed). It really has nothing to do with how much I have; it is a reduction of the value of my property, which the government can do by fiat. It is only reasonable to be compensated. (and, personally, I would rather have cash).
Because I pay a fee on blank CD media that goes to the record labels. If I buy from iTunes, I pay once, and then I pay AGAIN for the CD (Canadian blank media levy), which then gives me the use of the media... There is no provision to receive the fee back again if I burn "iTunes stuff".
Some may want to pay twice for stuff, but I don't.
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It was meant to be funny -- you weren't nearly as specific with Mac OS X or Linux. So, I fed back a synopsis, with a comment. Vista sure sounds like a "work in progress" from your complaints.
As to Linux; if you know WHY you want it, go for it. Otherwise, stay with the product you have. I would imagine that the "fit and finish" of Vista (or XP) is superior to the free product. The only rational reason for selecting the OS that costs much more is if it offers much more.
Personally? Don't have Vista, and, since my laptop has "only" 512M I am very unlikely to get it. My applications work on any of the "major" OSs, making it a no-brainer to choose the cheapest one that works (evolution, openoffice.org, vi, octave, perl, pspp, Spreadsheet::WriteExcel, tcl/tk). Just started using Perl Spreadsheet::WriteExcel a week ago, so its still early days for that one.
So, here I make a joke. "last.fm" uses the country TLD of Micronesia, which is, of course, not one of the countries in the summary...
It's a play on "international".
Nobody else has brought this up, and I get modded "Redundant"?
Thanks, mod.
Will residents of Micronesia have to pay as well?
So what you said was:
An Operating System (Vista) that prefers 2GB or more memory; whose file copy feature sucks; and that doesn't restore wifi after sleep isn't really as bad as people think, after the first service pack was released.
I wonder what it was like BEFORE the first service pack?
All depends on EULA compliance and your jurisdiction.
*If* the EULA is found binding, you will be on the hook for the audit at your expense. Those expenses would include the court costs. Read the Microsoft EULA, ok?
Basically, it isn't worth (typically) trying. Say "Uncle" and get on with it. Or do what Ball did, and say "fuck you" -- but note that even Ball paid! THEN went to F/OSS.
http://news.cnet.com/2008-1082_3-5065859.html
Ball settled for 65,000, and 35,000 in legal fees. Most companies just settle.
SPARC is proprietary? IEEE P1754 would be the relevant standard. The Intel "x86" is NOT a standard, although it may be considered commodity.
At least SUN tried -- its too bad it was rejected.
And how do you know that there isn't a vulnerability?
I'll let you in on a "secret". JBIG2 is a standard bi-level compression technique, that has been standardized. It uses statistical prediction, which makes for some interesting math. A standard reference implementation is available that works, and offers "reasonable" performance.
Almost every developer that is charged with JBIG2 implementation is going to use the reference implementation.
It is, of course, possible to generate other implementations. I wrote an alternate encoder that performed an order of magnitude more quickly for a client. But, it requires a great deal of analysis and skill to do so (no, I never touched decoding -- that was a hardware function. JBIG2 was used to transmit maps to a printer, which used a hardware decoder).
Anyone using an implementation based on the reference is probably at risk of an exploit (if that was the original source). So, you cannot state that using a non-Adobe product makes you safe (unless a source review is possible, and I suspect that the skill needed for defect detection in the JBIG2 decoder is probably beyond most C programmers as well).
But, the critical (and, unfortunately, "normal") problem of having service DLLs linked into core OS constructs certainly broadens the attack surface. Normal behavior (that is, incomplete de-installation) of system level components (because there is no reasonable way to determine the consequence of complete removal) simply exaggerates the issue.
I assume that your "alternative" also links into the shell constructs of Windows, exposing a similar attack surface.
You are probably not safe, either.
Sure, let's pit Apple App Store against package manager.
What do you need with app store? A signon. Note that no help is given as to aquiring the signon.
But, I'll let you in on the "secret". You need to install iTunes, and give your credit details on-line. Fill in the details on app store and then start buying applications.
Package Manager? You launch it, and it asks for a password. No credit details needed, or second computer, etc. Categorized list with search comes up.
Since App Store needed iTunes on another computer to create an account, and no guidance to that is given, I would imagine the Package Manager would win.
"If we were to make all media free it would in effect kill the fish, in this case big media, and if we were to do that then there would be:
No Star Wars, No Star Trek, No Family Guy, No Indiana Jones, No DailyShow, No SNL (pick the year you like), No Office, No Office Space... you get the point..."
Not true! Star Trek, Family Guy, DailyShow, SNL, Office are all TV shows, that have to make money on the FIRST airing. There was never a guarantee that any of these shows would go into syndication, DVD or video sales.
And, if money is made on that first showing, there is incentive to continue producing them. Even if not another soo is made on those shows. Many of these shows are available "for free" (Star Trek and DailyShow, at least), from the content producers themselves.
Gates (and Allen) developed MBASIC, and DISK BASIC. DISK BASIC used the "FAT" system to control free space.
CP/M did NOT use the same scheme. Instead, CP/M built up free space maps by scanning the directory. It also did not use a linked list. Personally, I thought FAT was weak then, and still is....
But the "industry" adopted it. It was allowed; we had a (at least) minimal common system for file systems. Enhanced to support directories and sub-directories.
Then, Microsoft designed a long filename system on top of it, that was back-compatible with the old method. THAT was patented. And, no, it wasn't even the "obvious" solution -- that would have been a mapping file.
What does this mean? It means that the long filename code SHOULD be ripped out. 8.3, baby! You want longname mapping? Linux has UMSDOS on top of FAT -- same result, no patent violation. Or, just use short names. Or, build a program that reindexes MS FAT longnames into UMSDOS (for read compatibility). Just don't write that format. It can be argued (I would try) that ANY longnames in MS FAT format that were found on a FAT filesystem then MUST have come from an MS patent licensee (because our proposed system wouldn't generate the MS FAT longname format). So, there are solutions. Maybe UMSDOS is too "crufty" to be resurrected, but it strikes me that something like posixovl.fuse could be used (with modifications).
Microsoft was creative with the MS FAT longname solution. Either deal with it, or get the patent overturned.
From TFA:
"They all presented much the same points, the main ones being that the Pirate Bay site didn't hold any copyright films or music -- it merely acted as a search engine -- and that no copyrighted content passed through it anyway. The prosecution had failed to produce any uploaders or downloaders, and had not shown their actions were illegal where they happened to live."
which, of course, has been TPBs stance all along. Consistent, and simple. Why would TPB attack copyright law? T
"I find it pretty absurd that a company should be "stuck" with the contract rates it offers."
Slow down, cowboy! If you engage me, and then decide to stiff me on a contract, I WILL SUE YOU. And I will win. It doesn't matter how long it takes, or even how much it costs me -- it's just business.
As soon as you announce "You won't be paid", I put down my tools, and walk. Again, it doesn't matter how much I may need the work.
Why? What other leverage do I have? And, trust me, companies understand. If I didn't stick to my guns, I am afraid that others would start to take advantage of me. This is my protection, ok?
About the only way I would take less is if mandated by a bankruptcy court.
Multiplan was a Microsoft product.
In fact, Adobe Reader is really not the issue -- the issue is that the OS doesn't impose MAC (mandatory access controls). MACs should control exactly which resources an application can use, and this can be as restrictive as desired.
Of course, it is difficult to come up with the necessary rules, and to "retrain" the user base, which is why (for example) SELinux MAC was phased in gradually on Fedora.
It took Fedora quite a few releases to fully implement MAC - Fedora Core 2 introduced SELinux (with strict policy as default), Fedora Core 5 was the first version to use modular policies, but was not running in strict mode, Fedora Core 6 introduced the Policy Editor, Fedora 7 a GUI admin tool, Fedora 8 a GUI Policy Creation tool and user lock-down (and, some Adobe plugins would no longer run), and Fedora 9 and 10 offer fine-tuning.
"When SELinux was initially introduced in Fedora Core, it enforced the NSA strict policy. For testing purposes, this effectively exposed hundreds of problems in the strict policy. In addition, it demonstrated that applying a single strict policy to the many environments of Fedora users was not feasible. To manage a single strict policy for anything other than default installation would require local expertise.
At this point, the SELinux developers reviewed their choices, and decided to try a different strategy. They decided to create a targeted policy that locks down specific daemons, especially those vulnerable to attack or which could devastate a system if broken or compromised. The rest of the system runs exactly as it would under standard Linux DAC security."
So, it took version 2 through 8 (or 9, arguably) for Fedora to introduce MAC to a largely technical community. This was done over 4 years.
It will take much longer than 4 years to get equivalent security provisions in Windows, given the user base. Given the convenience of "plug-in" architectures, it is very difficult to tell if a program is actually misbehaving! MAC is really the only way that I am aware that behavior can be monitored. For example, code can be introduced as a plug-in (or, via exploit), but that code isn't dangerous until it tries doing something bad. The definition of "bad" is what is in question -- it could mean sending email, or sending LOTS of email, or modifying files it didn't create. If none of THAT is happening, it may simply have been an automatic installation of some "fun cursors" desired by the user.
As to running iTunes on Wine -- that was simply to sign up for the Apple Store. The iPhone was NEVER connected to that computer. After the account was created, the details were typed into the iPhone, using the normal method (or so I assume). Anyway, once that was done, my wife could purchase applications (and music).
Of course, simply pointing the iPhone to our music collection didn't work. Which I thought was odd. We needed iTunes to import the music/media into the iPhone, and the "magic sauce" no longer worked (Amarok didn't work -- which used to support iPods, as well as my Creative Zen).
My wife never ran the iPhone on an unsupported OS! The plan was to buy a platform to support it -- because of the DRM!
But, due to BAD Apple software, it bit us in the backside.
*If* the DRM had been left alone (and, in my opinion, its not even needed here), Amarok, or another program would have worked, and we wouldn't be having this discussion.
We *tried* to accomodate the DRM. The *right* way. According to *manufactures directions*. And it screwed us out of some nice Christmas photos.
Try it -
Fresh iPhone, take some photos. Because you can.
Now, go to an "alien" Windows XP(tm) computer. Load iTunes(tm). I'll wait.
Plug in the iPhone.
When it asks you to sync, (automatic/manual), say "manual" (because you don't want to publish those photos).
When it offers to update your iPhone, say "Yes, please" -- and make sure you read the dialogs!
After it completes, check your iPhone, check your computer. Where are the pictures?
Read the post --
I *NEVER* used the device with Linux. Nor did my wife.
The ONLY reason that Linux is not supported is the DRM -- Amarok would have worked, otherwise.
iTunes DESTROYED the contents of the device, without warning. Because it was the FIRST sync, and my wife set it to "manual", not wanting the computer to become the devices home computer. Per Apples instructions, I might add.
I'm with the "drop the phone, its defective" crowd, but my wife actually LIKES the phone.
As to the incorrect case -- the case was for an "iPhone". The Apple store recommended third party cases (again, the fucking "Genius Bar"). NEVER WAS IT MENTIONED THAT AN iPhone CASE WOULDN'T BE COMPATIBLE WITH THE iPhone 3G. Does that make sense to you now?
And, yes, a purchase of a Mac Mini was in our future -- when we had time to migrate to it! The phone itself was purchased "over the counter" from Rogers, and with the addition of a SIM card, became a phone. After all, the phone has 16 fucking Gigabytes of memory, which should tide it over for a month or two, until we can make suitable arrangements. WE WERE WILLING TO WAIT, BUT APPLE TOLD US WE *HAD* TO DO IT. Fucking "Genius Bar".
If it were NOT for "DRM", third party apps could sync iPhone, and they WOULD have been available on Linux (or Solaris, but my money would be on Linux first). The iPhone firmware is useless without an iPhone, so there really isn't any reason to protect it with anything other than copyright. Apple could have encouraged (well, at least not be actively HOSTILE), and even assisted in testing these platforms -- after all, these ARE iPhone sales!
And, in the end, its a case study for how much DRM can hurt. My wife likes the iPhone, but she doesn't trust Apple anymore... Now, any recommendation is given with some serious reservations.
True Apple Story -
I bought my wife an iPhone. First Apple product I've purchased in a LONG time. Makes for a lovely phone -- but we can't access the "Apple Store" and also can't put media onto the device. We use Solaris and Linux.
I get iTunes running under Wine, and sign up for the Apple Store. This allows my wife to buy from the Apple Store. Yeah!
Now, my wife wants a case for the device. She purchases a case; all seems good for a couple of days. But... the phone begins to behave "oddly". It turns the screen off, but leaves calls connected, and other (more minor) ailments.
We book an appointment to the Apple "Genius Bar". We are told we MUST attach the iPhone to a computer at least once; that the problem is the "old software". Ok, we explain that we have no computer capable. Answer: well, then use someone elses.. "Will you do it?". Answer: no.
My wife works as a librarian -- she has a circulation desk computer with Windows XP. Downloads and installs iTunes, plugs in the iPhone, and is asked "Do you want to sync automatically or manually?". That's really it! She chose "manual", because she didn't want to put all of her personal photos on that computer. Bad mistake... "Are you sure you want to upgrade?" "Yes" --- and BOOM! All the data is GONE. Just... vaporized... She calls Apple Support "Oh, yes, that would happen; there is nothing that can be done".
Miserable, miserable, miserable... Complete data destruction without even a "are you sure" dialog. And it's all iTunes fault. Why do we use it? DRM. The Apple iPhone databases CANNOT be updated without anything else. We have a perfectly servicable application (Amarok) that we use for playback, but it no longer works to load music. Gotta use that iTunes shitware. Even a self-booting DOS or Linux disk for updating, *or* a failsafe firmware updater...
And, as a final added insult -- the Genius Bar was wrong. The problem was that the iPhone 3G requires specific cases, and the case being used was wrong (it was an iPhone case). Go figure. I'm still buying a "Mac Mini" as an accessory to the iPhone, but still -- this is what DRM does. Locks out people who could possibly do a better job of it.
Actually, it's not too difficult to get going. DTS encode is a "no-no" for now; the format is closed. But, AC3 will work fine (certainly on my surround receiver). I generally use the mainboard sound hardware.
http://www.johannes-bauer.com/dolby/
Of course, DVD (etc) material will play back with "DTS, THX, etc." -- simply route the audio directly to the surround unit, and let it take care of the decode.
So, the problem comes down to: CD audio and other pure audio sources - these are mastered 2.0. Easy to encode to digital AC3, and pass through to the surround unit.
DVD, which has 5.1 audio -- simply pass the digital audio DIRECTLY to the surround unit, and let it take care of things. (this is what "DTS passthrough" refers to). Further, DTS is *not* a DVD standard (AC3 is). You also want to pass AC3 through to the surround unit as well.
Local playback (2 channel, with headphones), or 5.1 attached local speakers (analog). Here, alsa can use ffmpeg to decode AC3 and DTS.
THX (the name by itself) is a logo certification program -- it is not a format. You won't have to worry about that.
There is very little "7.1" material (maybe on some DVDs), AC3/DTS passthrough will deal with naturally. The name "THX format", or the -EX or -ES formats refer to the additional channels. With passthrough, if the surround receiver can handle it, you get the extra effect. But, again, its not common.
And that's really all you need for a media playback unit. There is even an alsa option that will take 5.1 material, and encode to 2.0 headphones to give the illusion of surround. The "vdownmix" alsa plugin does this (although how good it is can, of course, be argued).
The rest is probably just marketing...
So, I googled "RA3 disk" and the top hits are "doesn't work", "won't install", "install doing nothing"... Digging down a bit further, the suggestion is to "update the drive firmware". And I discover that this magic "RA3" costs 30 pounds...
I guess you WOULD have the same level of success installing this into a Linux box. :)
After all, it doesn't do anything on a Windows box, either.
"We need some revenue. Come up with a new OS plan..."
"We'll use the model that worked last time... Customers actually liked Windows 98SE, so we dropped Windows ME on them. Everyone hated it, and when we released XP, it was a relief!"
"Do it again."
"Ok, we need a forward looking name - hey! Let's use Vista! Sounds good, and everyone will hate it. Then, we give the next one a boring name, because we expect it to be around a long time. Never know if fashions change..."
"How about XP+?"
"Naw, can't be related to XP in any way... How about 5?"
"That's it! But make it 7. Windows 7! Everyone knows 7's the charm. And, it'll go over in the boardrooms too."
Webkit comes from KHTML.
MPEG-4 is a "group effort". Patent holders include Apple, Philips, Mitsubishi, Samsung, Sharp, France Telecom, and SUN, in the US and other countries.
As to the 75% iPod figure -- only if you remove cell phones with mp3 capability from consideration... I would say that it's arguable that someone like Nokia may be the #1 leader in portable media players.
Just sayin' -- careful with your backing examples. The world IS larger than Apple.
Apple means polish, and, in the eyes of MANY, Steve Jobs embodies the qualities needed to keep that polish shiny. Apple IS "teh shiny". Now, I have had issues with Apple in the (distant) past, but I just bought my wife (turning in Geek badge now) an iPhone, and will be getting a "Mac Mini" soon to run teh shiny iTunes on.
The value of the TV is diminished. It doesn't matter WHAT that TV is currently being used for. Even if it is used as a doorstop.
Unless, of course, you are mandating a certain amount of TV watching...
Now, in compensation for that, the US government is using some of the proceeds of the bandwidth auction to compensate. Again, if you take the compensation, you are free to do whatever you want with it. Again, use it as a doorstop, alongside the previously mentioned TV.
Are you telling me I am not allowed to hack that box? It has an MPEG to standard TV converter, and a scaler in it. It must have some digital smarts as well. Sounds fun to me!
Unless, of course, you are mandating that I am not allowed to destroy my own property...
Hell, I have three TV sets with analog-only tuners (at over $2000 for the three sets when purchased). But, my jurisdiction is not phasing out analog TV until 2011. (Which bodes well for US viewers along the Canadian border who don't have a converter yet...) But, since Canada hasn't had an auction yet, we don't have a coupon program either. If we DO have a coupon program, I WILL sign up (if I am allowed). It really has nothing to do with how much I have; it is a reduction of the value of my property, which the government can do by fiat. It is only reasonable to be compensated. (and, personally, I would rather have cash).
Because I pay a fee on blank CD media that goes to the record labels. If I buy from iTunes, I pay once, and then I pay AGAIN for the CD (Canadian blank media levy), which then gives me the use of the media... There is no provision to receive the fee back again if I burn "iTunes stuff".
Some may want to pay twice for stuff, but I don't.