Donation made. Now who else will kick in a couple of bucks for someone doing a good thing?
Hollywood Bridge problems
on
Review: EyeTV
·
· Score: 1
I use one of these also and have had problems with it 'disconnecting' from the mac. I saw it as an input voltage problem and have taken steps to make sure it had good power. ie: different circuit in house, ups, etc. It is pretty reliable now but I'm still trying to get it to work better. I'm looking at swapping the power supply for a higher quality model and also would like to test it with a 'continuous duty' ups to see if that helps.
Have you come up with anything to make these things work better?
I just went out last weekend to look at buying a cd. My local independent store was selling titles for $19.98 (us). I didn't buy a disk. After work on Monday, I found the same title used for $8.50 (us) in a new/used store. I still think I payed to much since it was used, but the disk was in great shape and iTunes had no problems ripping it to mp3s.
I maintain a ms cluster which is a high availablity cluster. It runs exchange and works well. In looking for computational clusters, I found Top 500 cluster list. Most of the machinces are none intel based and can't run a ms cluster.
The microsoft site lists the cluster toolkit as a tech preview. It look to me that MS have found a new source of revenue and is now trying to get people to use it.
What if the next outlook virus grabbed the database and emailed it to all your friends and business associates with your email address attached? Plus since it would include your unique media player id, it could easily be proven which computer the list came from.
Where did I blame Apple? I thought I made it clear that I blame Microsoft for the lack of more people taking the purchace of a new Mac seriously...
SO, what's the REAL problem with APPLE?
When you can get an iMac for $799, an iBook for $1199, and then have to pay $550 for MS Office X who wants to buy it? When you can get at least the basic MS Office bundled with almost all x86 brand name hardware for almost nothing!
This is where I thought you were blaming Apple. I think that more than microsoft, Apple can be blamed for not advertising more the advantages of the mac over a wintel solution. I agree that a mac can appear more expensive that a wintel box initially. But as microsoft likes say against linux boxes, the total cost of ownership over time, can easily make the mac less expensive.
OK, well, I think most of the open source community has been trying to do that for well over 5 years now. You suddenly have a way to make that happen that hasn't been tried?
Not new, but tried and true. One person at a time. Show people how new box that spent $X.xx on still can't do things better than your linux / mac machince. ie:Wow you spent $199 to upgrade to office xp? I didn't have to and I can do this. Don't accept ms office documents if at all possible. Let people know there is a choice. By the way, the best time to let people know there is a choice is when they have just upgraded, bought the "dummies" book on the upgrade and are trying to relearn what they used to know.
Wintel boxes often do better in games. However, most people agree that the G4 has better floating point than Intel chips. That plus the fact that 2 1Ghz G4 chips have been shown to outperform 2.2Ghz Intel P4 chips in several applications. I think the mac has plenty of "brute force".
But I agree, if I want to play games, I'd buy a pc.
Please define "faster". If you define "faster" as clock speed of the CPU, then Apple does not offer a "faster" computer than the Intel P4 platform. If you define "faster" as an ability to do a specific task or type of work, then please let us know from which viewpoint you are making your statement from.
This is being typed from a 867Mhz G4. It replaced my Windows based computer. I find it to be as fast or faster than windows for what I do. However, the reason I prefer my Mac is that I no longer fight my computer to get work done. I spend less time at the computer and get more work done. This is my definition of "faster", what is yours?
By the way, my G4 was $2500 not $5000.
Re:Not Overpriced Hardware, it's STILL Microsoft's
on
Cringely: OS X on Intel
·
· Score: 2, Insightful
You say that the public perception is that you need MS Office to make a computer useful. Then maybe this is what we should change. Don't accept MS Office files from friends and co-workers when another more standard format is possible. My mac doesn't have MS Office on it and I have no problems. Now this won't work for everyone, but it does for me. My office suite is Appleworks which I purchased as it did not come with my g4 tower. To me $80 for an office suite was fair and has provided all the capability I require. I agree that MS Office is better than Appleworks. For the difference in price, I don't need that capability.
Also, why is it Apple's fault that Microsoft doesn't cut them a great deal to bundle Office v X with new machines?
Now I haven't done this myself so I can't speak on the performance. XDarwin appears to let you run XWindow alongside aqua and separate of aqua in fullscreen mode. Have you looked into options like this and is there any speed benefit?
Please keep in mind who this software is targeted to. It appears to be for scientists and researchers. These folks really do not need to be able to build a beowulf cluster from the ground up. They also often have access to macs. This provides a good solution to a problem. Whether or not it is better or worse than solution 'x' is not as critical if it helps people get the job done with the equipment on hand.
Right before Christmas I purchased a G4 867Mhz with the 22" Cinema display. It was not cheap and it is not for everyone. However, this computer is one of the best things I have ever purchased. It is very easy to discount the value of items that you have not studied. I doubt that there are many people who would decide on a "sweet 17" flat panel LCD" if they could have the Apple Cinema Display. Statistics will show generally whatever you would like them to show. (Look up the word biased.) So there is little reason to get into a benchmark war over which system is better. If the computer will run the software you require at an acceptable speed. Why would you consider the computer to be less than good?
Megahertz does matter. It is not the ultimate reference of CPU performance. Much less system performance. If you care to research, the G4 will outperform P4 systems at certain tasks.
For me... The G4 I purchased has increased my productivity over the Windows based system I used before. That alone has justified my purchase for me. It does not mean that everyone should buy such a system. It also does not mean that the system has no value just because something similar is available for less.
By the way, why would I want a floppy on a modern mac? It doesn't have an 8" floppy either and I don't worry about that.
Re:Apple started the PDA
on
Apple PDA?
·
· Score: 1
When was the last time you used a Newton? I am currently using a MessagePad 120 with OS 2.0 and the handwriting recognition works fine.
Donation made. Now who else will kick in a couple of bucks for someone doing a good thing?
I use one of these also and have had problems with it 'disconnecting' from the mac. I saw it as an input voltage problem and have taken steps to make sure it had good power. ie: different circuit in house, ups, etc. It is pretty reliable now but I'm still trying to get it to work better. I'm looking at swapping the power supply for a higher quality model and also would like to test it with a 'continuous duty' ups to see if that helps.
Have you come up with anything to make these things work better?
I just went out last weekend to look at buying a cd. My local independent store was selling titles for $19.98 (us). I didn't buy a disk. After work on Monday, I found the same title used for $8.50 (us) in a new/used store. I still think I payed to much since it was used, but the disk was in great shape and iTunes had no problems ripping it to mp3s.
I guess the RIAA will go after used stores next.
I maintain a ms cluster which is a high availablity cluster. It runs exchange and works well. In looking for computational clusters, I found Top 500 cluster list. Most of the machinces are none intel based and can't run a ms cluster.
Alliance Supercluster Ranked as the World's Most Powerful Intel-based NT Cluster is a press release showing that a NT based cluster broke into the top 500 list in 207th place.
The microsoft site lists the cluster toolkit as a tech preview. It look to me that MS have found a new source of revenue and is now trying to get people to use it.
What if the next outlook virus grabbed the database and emailed it to all your friends and business associates with your email address attached? Plus since it would include your unique media player id, it could easily be proven which computer the list came from.
Just something to think about.
This is where I thought you were blaming Apple. I think that more than microsoft, Apple can be blamed for not advertising more the advantages of the mac over a wintel solution. I agree that a mac can appear more expensive that a wintel box initially. But as microsoft likes say against linux boxes, the total cost of ownership over time, can easily make the mac less expensive.
OK, well, I think most of the open source community has been trying to do that for well over 5 years now. You suddenly have a way to make that happen that hasn't been tried?
Not new, but tried and true. One person at a time. Show people how new box that spent $X.xx on still can't do things better than your linux / mac machince. ie:Wow you spent $199 to upgrade to office xp? I didn't have to and I can do this. Don't accept ms office documents if at all possible. Let people know there is a choice. By the way, the best time to let people know there is a choice is when they have just upgraded, bought the "dummies" book on the upgrade and are trying to relearn what they used to know.
Wintel boxes often do better in games. However, most people agree that the G4 has better floating point than Intel chips. That plus the fact that 2 1Ghz G4 chips have been shown to outperform 2.2Ghz Intel P4 chips in several applications. I think the mac has plenty of "brute force".
But I agree, if I want to play games, I'd buy a pc.
Please define "faster". If you define "faster" as clock speed of the CPU, then Apple does not offer a "faster" computer than the Intel P4 platform. If you define "faster" as an ability to do a specific task or type of work, then please let us know from which viewpoint you are making your statement from.
This is being typed from a 867Mhz G4. It replaced my Windows based computer. I find it to be as fast or faster than windows for what I do. However, the reason I prefer my Mac is that I no longer fight my computer to get work done. I spend less time at the computer and get more work done. This is my definition of "faster", what is yours?
By the way, my G4 was $2500 not $5000.
You say that the public perception is that you need MS Office to make a computer useful. Then maybe this is what we should change. Don't accept MS Office files from friends and co-workers when another more standard format is possible. My mac doesn't have MS Office on it and I have no problems. Now this won't work for everyone, but it does for me. My office suite is Appleworks which I purchased as it did not come with my g4 tower. To me $80 for an office suite was fair and has provided all the capability I require. I agree that MS Office is better than Appleworks. For the difference in price, I don't need that capability.
Also, why is it Apple's fault that Microsoft doesn't cut them a great deal to bundle Office v X with new machines?
Now I haven't done this myself so I can't speak on the performance. XDarwin appears to let you run XWindow alongside aqua and separate of aqua in fullscreen mode. Have you looked into options like this and is there any speed benefit?
Please keep in mind who this software is targeted to. It appears to be for scientists and researchers. These folks really do not need to be able to build a beowulf cluster from the ground up. They also often have access to macs. This provides a good solution to a problem. Whether or not it is better or worse than solution 'x' is not as critical if it helps people get the job done with the equipment on hand.
Right before Christmas I purchased a G4 867Mhz with the 22" Cinema display. It was not cheap and it is not for everyone. However, this computer is one of the best things I have ever purchased. It is very easy to discount the value of items that you have not studied. I doubt that there are many people who would decide on a "sweet 17" flat panel LCD" if they could have the Apple Cinema Display. Statistics will show generally whatever you would like them to show. (Look up the word biased.) So there is little reason to get into a benchmark war over which system is better. If the computer will run the software you require at an acceptable speed. Why would you consider the computer to be less than good?
Megahertz does matter. It is not the ultimate reference of CPU performance. Much less system performance. If you care to research, the G4 will outperform P4 systems at certain tasks.
For me... The G4 I purchased has increased my productivity over the Windows based system I used before. That alone has justified my purchase for me. It does not mean that everyone should buy such a system. It also does not mean that the system has no value just because something similar is available for less.
By the way, why would I want a floppy on a modern mac? It doesn't have an 8" floppy either and I don't worry about that.
When was the last time you used a Newton? I am currently using a MessagePad 120 with OS 2.0 and the handwriting recognition works fine.