I agree that the average person doesn't care about a browser "with a soul."
However, I think that it's more because they take the path of least resistance -- look at all the crapware that gets downloaded and installed onto the average PC. It doesn't look like they're afraid of downloading and installing to me...
This really isn't that funny. A lot of us use this site for daily information on worms, viruses, and other various attacks. Right now, I can't get that information -- and that sucks.
Having a bunch of looky-loos banging on the site doesn't do anyone any good. Sometimes I think the Slashdot crew enjoys causing this havoc -- otherwise they'd do something about it.
I get pissed off at people that stop traffic to look at accidents. Do you?
This is so true -- it's like the two kids saying "did too", "did not!".
Except in this case, I doubt that either kid will quit playing the game (Apple can't because of the RIAA, Hymn developers won't because they're fighting for "a cause".)
The best we can hope for is that Slashdot and other tech news sources will get to the point where this ceases to be news...
A family member is currently a project manager for a new software product being created in India. As such, I have some insights into the situation -- and I don't think the current offshoring craze will last too long.
The basic problem is because there is approximately a 12 hour time difference between the US and India. This makes business communications quite slow. For example, at 6 AM in the US, it's 6 PM in India.
What happens is that the normal project related problems pop up during the day -- and if you need input from "the other side" then you have to wait up to 8 hours. Or make your best guess and verify it with "the other side" at a later time.
As developers, we all know this happens a lot during product development. What used to take a few minutes with a call or a quick meeting can take a day or more. This dramatically slows down the development cycle.
Of course, management is excited about the fact that the labor cost is about a third as expensive. They are now starting to realize that this benefit is offset by the cost of lost revenue (products that are late can't be sold!)
So long term, I don't see offshore development being used for new product development. It's likely that it will continue to be useful for product maintenance and support since they have a lesser need for constant communication.
So how long will it be before spammers start inserting bogus DSPAM ID strings in an attempt to break the system?
I understand the need for the ID, and have no qualms about it being used to identify my usage, but it does seem like a potential point of attack for "the other side."
MSFT won't do anything until they feel some pressure from the market.
The idea of a Google branded browser based on Gecko would work. Especially if the Google desktop tools work best with this browser.
Getting Google to rank pages based on standards compliance would work (XHTML/CSS2+ design = higher page rank = more sites wanting compliance = less sites holding onto IE6 only designs.)
A Windows version of Safari might work. If an iTunes install put it on the system (like it does now with QuickTime) then people might use it -- hard to say if that would provide any market pressure though.
If something doesn't come along to shake up Microsoft (and it's got to be big, like the Internet in 1995) then things will not change in Redmond. At this point in time, Google is the only thing big and successful enough to rattle their cage.
As someone who's done a lot of UI design work I can pretty much say that this idea isn't going to work.
The reason is that graphic artists aren't "scratching an itch" like the software developers who work on OSS. A lot of the wonderful tools that are created have a direct benefit to the people who created them in the first place.
For a graphic artist, there's no real benefit (other than maybe building their portfolio.) And since they typically live off of hourly billings for their work, there's no financial incentives to do these types of projects -- an hour spent working on OSS, is an hour that you won't be billing a client.
I never thought I'd say this, but I have found a replacement for my HP 16c -- it's called PCalc and it has an excellent programmer's mode & full RPN support.
I have one of these keyboards -- the feel is awesome and it lets me type VERY quickly with few errors. The only downside is the noise. I sometimes have to mute audio iChat while typing because the clackity-clack makes conversation impossible.
I had a problem with the keyboard about a month after the purchase -- it had a "5" and an "a" key that would sometimes double-up or not fire. Like Adam says in his review, this isn't uncommon at the beginning of the product's life. And the customer service at Matias didn't ask any questions and provided an RMA quickly.
In fact, using the Apple Pro keyboard while it's out for an exchange, is really hard now. It feels INCREDIBLY soft.
So, in spite of some problem keys, I highly recommend this product.
And to those cheap bastards who are saying: "$100 WTF?" -- ask yourself these questions: "How much time in a year do you spend at this keyboard? Is it worth a quarter a day to have a nice input device?" A comfy chair and keyboard are essential to my work environment.
-ch
And let's not forget Pixelpalooza...
on
Mac Contest Roundup
·
· Score: 4, Informative
We're running Pixelpalooza at the Iconfactory. It's the longest running (and first?) on-line design contest for the Mac desktop -- starting in 1997.
The final submissions are being posted now and we're going to start public voting next week (April 6th.)
The newly release Reference Library is very well organized and makes finding things much easier. Good job, Apple! It's been a long time coming!
There's still a problem, though. Much of the "state of the art" documentation is actually happening on the Mac OS X and Cocoa mailing lists. It's good to have reference materials, but if you're looking for information on the latest & greatest addition to the OS, go search the archives.
You'll find that you can get answers directly from the developers before the reference materials are formalized and made public. As an example, in the months following last year's WWDC, there was a ton of information on the lists about the new Cocoa Bindings. As a developer who wants to stay on the leading edge of Mac OS X product development, this is invaluable.
Also, the guy that is running the mailing list archive, is looking for donations. If you are a developer who uses these archives, PLEASE DONATE.
Most geeks won't understand the popularity...
on
iPod Mini Ships
·
· Score: 5, Interesting
My wife and I headed to the local Apple Store on Saturday to check out the iPod minis. It wasn't my idea.
When we got to the store, we had to wait to try one out. I noticed that all the people in front of use were women.
After about 5 minutes, my wife looks at me with the "I WANT THIS" look. At no point did she ask how much hard drive space it had. Later, when filling it with music she likes, she said "look it's only half full" (and she's no dummy when it comes to computers, she's a system architect.)
On Monday, I learned that the wives of two colleagues had also gotten iPod minis over the weekend.
To me, it's clear that the fairer sex will drive the sales of this product. It took me by surprise, but I'd bet Apple's market research showed this trend.
And the really interesting part: after getting the iPod mini home and playing around with it, I want one too!
But then I realized that they'll probably sell a lot of them at the $250 price point just because of size & color. Runners & fashion junkies will be all over them.
And they can move "down market" with the product. I don't see Apple increasing the size of the hard drives in this product too much -- if they do it starts to bump into the capacities of the existing iPod product line.
Rather, I see the price dropping with each successive update cycle. If they start out with a low price, there's no place to go in 9 months.
It's nice to see some modern imaging models being implemented in X.
But it seems to me that this will just lead to a more fragmented user environment. X has always had the problem of "applications behaving differently." So now, some are going to support the imaging model, and others won't.
From a user's point-of-view, that sucks.
If you want a killer desktop environment, work on the user interface. Not the imaging model.
Their new season is sucking in the prime 18-49 demographic. And the networks want to implement technologies that make it more difficult for these young people to watch their shows (Tivo, taping, etc.)
These folks are scared. They're content distribution monopoly is getting taken over by the Internet.
Slashdot and other independent content mechanisms are the the future. Not flags on broadcast signals.
From the article: I look forward to an even better digital music experience as the licensing hitches are resolved.
And that's the beauty of the Apple solution: all of the licensing hitches have already been worked out. Consumers want predictability, and iTunes is the only one that provides it now.
1. It only happens for serial numbers that show up in public places. 2. We have an automated mechanism for users to get a new serial number. It takes about a minute -- much quicker than looking one up on a pirate site. 3. Not likely. 4. The dissatisfied pirates bitch to other pirates. I can live with that. Also, when someone complains in an open forum, we explain that the problem is a result of using pirated codes. It works as an incentive to purchase rather than pirate.
We're not stupid enough to make these anomalies anything that could cause permanent harm. It's a visual thing, not something that messes with the operating environment.
Slashdot Mirror
I agree that the average person doesn't care about a browser "with a soul."
However, I think that it's more because they take the path of least resistance -- look at all the crapware that gets downloaded and installed onto the average PC. It doesn't look like they're afraid of downloading and installing to me...
-ch
This really isn't that funny. A lot of us use this site for daily information on worms, viruses, and other various attacks. Right now, I can't get that information -- and that sucks.
Having a bunch of looky-loos banging on the site doesn't do anyone any good. Sometimes I think the Slashdot crew enjoys causing this havoc -- otherwise they'd do something about it.
I get pissed off at people that stop traffic to look at accidents. Do you?
-ch
This is so true -- it's like the two kids saying "did too", "did not!".
Except in this case, I doubt that either kid will quit playing the game (Apple can't because of the RIAA, Hymn developers won't because they're fighting for "a cause".)
The best we can hope for is that Slashdot and other tech news sources will get to the point where this ceases to be news...
-ch
A family member is currently a project manager for a new software product being created in India. As such, I have some insights into the situation -- and I don't think the current offshoring craze will last too long.
The basic problem is because there is approximately a 12 hour time difference between the US and India. This makes business communications quite slow. For example, at 6 AM in the US, it's 6 PM in India.
What happens is that the normal project related problems pop up during the day -- and if you need input from "the other side" then you have to wait up to 8 hours. Or make your best guess and verify it with "the other side" at a later time.
As developers, we all know this happens a lot during product development. What used to take a few minutes with a call or a quick meeting can take a day or more. This dramatically slows down the development cycle.
Of course, management is excited about the fact that the labor cost is about a third as expensive. They are now starting to realize that this benefit is offset by the cost of lost revenue (products that are late can't be sold!)
So long term, I don't see offshore development being used for new product development. It's likely that it will continue to be useful for product maintenance and support since they have a lesser need for constant communication.
-ch
Did anyone else notice that the lower processor on this diagram doesn't appear to be turned on?
Come on, Apple. I want purple and red water coming out of both processors!
-ch
So how long will it be before spammers start inserting bogus DSPAM ID strings in an attempt to break the system?
I understand the need for the ID, and have no qualms about it being used to identify my usage, but it does seem like a potential point of attack for "the other side."
-ch
MSFT won't do anything until they feel some pressure from the market.
The idea of a Google branded browser based on Gecko would work. Especially if the Google desktop tools work best with this browser.
Getting Google to rank pages based on standards compliance would work (XHTML/CSS2+ design = higher page rank = more sites wanting compliance = less sites holding onto IE6 only designs.)
A Windows version of Safari might work. If an iTunes install put it on the system (like it does now with QuickTime) then people might use it -- hard to say if that would provide any market pressure though.
If something doesn't come along to shake up Microsoft (and it's got to be big, like the Internet in 1995) then things will not change in Redmond. At this point in time, Google is the only thing big and successful enough to rattle their cage.
-ch
As someone who's done a lot of UI design work I can pretty much say that this idea isn't going to work.
The reason is that graphic artists aren't "scratching an itch" like the software developers who work on OSS. A lot of the wonderful tools that are created have a direct benefit to the people who created them in the first place.
For a graphic artist, there's no real benefit (other than maybe building their portfolio.) And since they typically live off of hourly billings for their work, there's no financial incentives to do these types of projects -- an hour spent working on OSS, is an hour that you won't be billing a client.
-ch
That's a lot of lawyer-ese for describing a translucent window -- something that you understand immediately when you see it.
:-)
Can you imagine the description for the Exposé patent application?
It will be interesting to see if/how this affects the work Microsoft is doing on Aero in Longhorn (assuming the patent is even granted.)
-ch
I never thought I'd say this, but I have found a replacement for my HP 16c -- it's called PCalc and it has an excellent programmer's mode & full RPN support.
Another reason to love Mac OS X...
-ch
I'm sure that this guy is somehow responsible. If you've ever had to read Hungarian notation, I'm sure you'll agree.
:-)
More info here
-ch
I have one of these keyboards -- the feel is awesome and it lets me type VERY quickly with few errors. The only downside is the noise. I sometimes have to mute audio iChat while typing because the clackity-clack makes conversation impossible.
I had a problem with the keyboard about a month after the purchase -- it had a "5" and an "a" key that would sometimes double-up or not fire. Like Adam says in his review, this isn't uncommon at the beginning of the product's life. And the customer service at Matias didn't ask any questions and provided an RMA quickly.
In fact, using the Apple Pro keyboard while it's out for an exchange, is really hard now. It feels INCREDIBLY soft.
So, in spite of some problem keys, I highly recommend this product.
And to those cheap bastards who are saying: "$100 WTF?" -- ask yourself these questions: "How much time in a year do you spend at this keyboard? Is it worth a quarter a day to have a nice input device?" A comfy chair and keyboard are essential to my work environment.
-ch
We're running Pixelpalooza at the Iconfactory. It's the longest running (and first?) on-line design contest for the Mac desktop -- starting in 1997.
The final submissions are being posted now and we're going to start public voting next week (April 6th.)
-ch
The newly release Reference Library is very well organized and makes finding things much easier. Good job, Apple! It's been a long time coming!
There's still a problem, though. Much of the "state of the art" documentation is actually happening on the Mac OS X and Cocoa mailing lists. It's good to have reference materials, but if you're looking for information on the latest & greatest addition to the OS, go search the archives.
You'll find that you can get answers directly from the developers before the reference materials are formalized and made public. As an example, in the months following last year's WWDC, there was a ton of information on the lists about the new Cocoa Bindings. As a developer who wants to stay on the leading edge of Mac OS X product development, this is invaluable.
Also, the guy that is running the mailing list archive, is looking for donations. If you are a developer who uses these archives, PLEASE DONATE.
-ch
Arrggh!!
My wife and I headed to the local Apple Store on Saturday to check out the iPod minis. It wasn't my idea.
When we got to the store, we had to wait to try one out. I noticed that all the people in front of use were women.
After about 5 minutes, my wife looks at me with the "I WANT THIS" look. At no point did she ask how much hard drive space it had. Later, when filling it with music she likes, she said "look it's only half full" (and she's no dummy when it comes to computers, she's a system architect.)
On Monday, I learned that the wives of two colleagues had also gotten iPod minis over the weekend.
To me, it's clear that the fairer sex will drive the sales of this product. It took me by surprise, but I'd bet Apple's market research showed this trend.
And the really interesting part: after getting the iPod mini home and playing around with it, I want one too!
-ch
My prediction is that this will happen.
Initially I thought the price was too high, too.
But then I realized that they'll probably sell a lot of them at the $250 price point just because of size & color. Runners & fashion junkies will be all over them.
And they can move "down market" with the product. I don't see Apple increasing the size of the hard drives in this product too much -- if they do it starts to bump into the capacities of the existing iPod product line.
Rather, I see the price dropping with each successive update cycle. If they start out with a low price, there's no place to go in 9 months.
-ch
You can trademark it if there's no space in the name.
It's nice to see some modern imaging models being implemented in X.
But it seems to me that this will just lead to a more fragmented user environment. X has always had the problem of "applications behaving differently." So now, some are going to support the imaging model, and others won't.
From a user's point-of-view, that sucks.
If you want a killer desktop environment, work on the user interface. Not the imaging model.
Spot the AOL and Winamp connection. It's interesting that AOL Time Warner couldn't come up with an invention using their own property.
Their new season is sucking in the prime 18-49 demographic. And the networks want to implement technologies that make it more difficult for these young people to watch their shows (Tivo, taping, etc.)
These folks are scared. They're content distribution monopoly is getting taken over by the Internet.
Slashdot and other independent content mechanisms are the the future. Not flags on broadcast signals.
From the article: I look forward to an even better digital music experience as the licensing hitches are resolved.
And that's the beauty of the Apple solution: all of the licensing hitches have already been worked out. Consumers want predictability, and iTunes is the only one that provides it now.
1. It only happens for serial numbers that show up in public places.
2. We have an automated mechanism for users to get a new serial number. It takes about a minute -- much quicker than looking one up on a pirate site.
3. Not likely.
4. The dissatisfied pirates bitch to other pirates. I can live with that. Also, when someone complains in an open forum, we explain that the problem is a result of using pirated codes. It works as an incentive to purchase rather than pirate.
We're not stupid enough to make these anomalies anything that could cause permanent harm. It's a visual thing, not something that messes with the operating environment.