Well, I have one AGP slot, I'm running win2k for software compatability reasons, I don't even have 64meg of ram on my card, let alone 128meg and I run graphic intensive applications.
Guess that rules me out.
One the other hand, my Linux server has a whopping 2meg of ram on it's video card - yes - I'll add that to the 512meg already there to make an amazing difference in performance !
Where I live, we have these exclusive cinemas called "Cinema Prive" where you get to sit on really cushy seats, with built in speakers, tons of leg room and arm-rest space + you can drink alchohol if you want.
It costs twice the price of a normal movie ticket, but my god, it feels like it's your own private movie house - you can totally immerse yourself in a movie without being disturbed because there's also a volume control for the built in seat speakers.
No jokes !
But I do agree that sometimes a normal movie house can be a cruddy experience - so I usually wait till the movie has been on circuit for a few weeks and take a morning off work (making sure it's not a school holiday) - best way to see a good movie !
I also reckon that DVD's should be released at the same time as the movie goes on circuit, or at least a week later.
He's told me that he's frequently downloaded 600 meg+ files only to find one or more of these:-
* there's a logo on screen all through the movie * the sound is of really poor quality or mono * the movie looks like it was recorded in the movie house (shakey-cam) * it's a really bad DVD rip by some lamer * the codec quality is set so low, everythings blurry
Now, personally, I don't download movies, as I've said, however, I do own a few DVD movies or rent them and watch them on my PC - in Linux, using mplayer, with sound through my hi-fi and it rocks.
Well, if you want to see a really shoddy quality movie on a small computer monitor with more than likely bad quality sound and some stupid warez logo covering part of the screen, your screwing yourself.
I'd rather wait 4 months and pay my money to see it the way it is intended ! - BIG SCREEN, dolby surround sound, comfy chair, popcorn etc.
We develop for whatever the two main browsers are at the time and attempt to 'gracefully degrade' content for older browsers.
At present, rendering must be accurate for ie4+ and netscape6+ (mozilla) - earlier browsers, so long as they more or less work - tough - we don't have the time or money to make um look pretty.
If your worth your weight as a Web Designer, you designs should work with all the latest browsers on all platforms and at least be viewable on older browsers. (with the exception of Netscape 4x, which we all know sucks so badly it should be relegated to the 'worst software ever released/do not support this crap' category)
Oh yeah - all web designs should also work with Lynx, because we really love those geeky people who feel the need to surf in text and cry foul whenever they see something approaching a decent graphical interface...
If you look at the cold hard facts, it matters not one bit whether wine exists or not.
Linux does not have any kind of dominance on the desktop - in fact, it's probably used on less than 0.1% of desktops worldwide.
I very much dought if the following is the case:-
<b>Game Developer:-<b> "Ohhh - look - Wine for Linux can run our games ! - Thank God, now we don't have to make a native Linux port for about 0.001% of our total market !"
Yep - still use the damn slow, buggy, outdated piece of old crappy hardware.
I've always hated them, since they were 'the latest thing' after the 'floppy' (which were worse)
There's still clients out there who give you stuff on stiffy disk, there's still workstations that require booting from a stiffy disk every now and then.
Considering that win32 runs on around 90% of the worlds desktops with MacOS taking up most of the rest of the share, you could argue that Linux on the Desktop has never really taken a breath.
Sure, it's made leaps and bounds in terms of usability, but if less than 1% of computer users worldwide actually use it, it can hardly be considered a success.
The biggest problem facing Linux on the Desktop is a catch-22 situation. Developers and computer enthusiasts want choice, however, the more choice that is given, the more confusing it becomes for your average computer user. Many of the developers probably don't even care whether Linux becomes a popular desktop environment - they are doing it for fun.
Lets face it, win32 basically has two desktops at any one time - the last version and the latest. Both are 95% compatible with each other regarding applictions.
Linux has too many and too many distibutions to run them with. This is great for your computer enthusiast who loves to tinker, but for joe-user, it's one big mass of confusion.
Continuous disagreements as to which distribution or which desktop manager is the best/fastest/easiest etc. hardly helps matters, nor does win32 bashing.
To put things in perspective, many of the people I know developing things such as security applications for Linux, don't actually use it on the desktop. These are not joe-users, they are people very comfortable with kernel manipulation, firewalls, networking etc. who are working in a commercial environment. They use both win32 and Linux on a daily basis.
Linux on the Desktop hasn't even got of the ground yet. I for one, don't really care. I have win2k that works perfectly for me on the desktop and Linux that works perfectly for all my server needs.
There are many many other people who feel the same way, and sure, many others that are on some 'religous mission' to rid the world of microsoft -;]
Well, if that's the case, start where Linux is already a success - the server market, then, as Rasterman mentions, embedded applications - before it's too late to take a market share...
A media war will eventually ensue that will make al else before it look tame by comparison.
The average priveleged person, having got used to getting media for free, yet still remaining anonymous, will rebel against the marketing establishment.
Declining sales will force many to forgo thier luxuries, however, marketing force will prevail, leading priviledged mankind into a self-serving environment so selfish as to surpass all that has gone before.
This will eventually lead to a war against those that have and those that have not.
It means nothing in the countries they are mentioning !
Crypto ? - hello ! There are just a few problems a teeny bit bigger than crypto restrictions in at least South Africa (as mentioned in the article)
God - if South Africa could actually get themselves together to even really consider cyptography as being a useful asset, it would be a feat akin to bulding pyramids !
Freedoms ?
Don't even attempt to akin your american freedoms to those such as South Africa - we are way more free than you 'currently running scared' yanks !
I could have sworn Bilbo gave it to him, at the same time he gave him the mithril chainmail?
Hmmm, I think your right about that - altho, Pippin, Merry, Sam & Bilbo got 'kitted out' with stuff that Tom Bombadil took from the barrow wight 'mound?' after rescuing them.
The lotr purists will most likely tear thier hair out reading this - Geeks !:)
Tom Bombadil - how can they leave that out the damn movie ?
The Barrow wights (spelling ?) - hello ! - this is where Frodo gets his freaking sword from - how they could of skipped out this, I just don't know !
Those are the two most glaring omissions from the film, there's plenty others as well, but not quite so 'show stopping'
Don't get me wrong, I think the movie was pretty much as good as a commercial release is going to get - pity about the casting of Elrond tho - the baddie from the Matrix - WTF ?
This has been brought up a few times lately, the issue of 'usability'
Is windows really easier to use than Linux ?
1. Installing Windows - Most average joe users buy a computer with windows installed and configured for them. Ask them to do it themselves and they'd have to get help to install and configure everything. They wouldn't even know where to start. What if the BIOS doesn't have boot from CDROM as the first default entry - you expect them to figure that out. Making a boot disk ? - yeah right.
2. Windows programs - most people save all thier documents to the same folder - they are clueless when it comes to creating new folders. So they have to wade though tons of documents all sitting in the same folder. Forget about 'copy and paste' - this is something seemingly alien to most average computer users.
3. Windows security - the default install of any windows system is insecure. Do you expect average joe user to secure the system themselves ? Heck, they share entire drives with plain text passwords. Ask them to secure there systems and they'll look at you with a blank expression - "hey, I lock my office when I go home"
4. Windows stability - eventually, on even the most up-to-date windows OS with the latest hardware, windows will fatally crash. Whether that's due to hardware failure, user stupidity, or a security breach is neither here nor there. An average joe faced with the "blue screen of death" upon bootup will be clueless on how to fix it.
5. Windows Drivers - sure, 9 times out of 10, you have no problems installing drivers on windows. But when you do, my god, even the most adept sysadmin will battle for hours to get some hardware installed. Maybe they are not battling with typing 'cryptic commands' into a terminal, but instead, they are battling with a cryptic GUI that refuses to co-operate.
I know this is somewhat off-topic, but it is relevant.
To think that Windows is vastly more user-friendly than Linux is just missing the point.
Every single average user I've worked with has had at least 3 problems a week with Windows that they are totally powerless to fix.
You can bring any average joe user to a correctly configured Linux system and have them up and using it in 30 minutes.
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Well, I have one AGP slot, I'm running win2k for software compatability reasons, I don't even have 64meg of ram on my card, let alone 128meg and I run graphic intensive applications.
Guess that rules me out.
One the other hand, my Linux server has a whopping 2meg of ram on it's video card - yes - I'll add that to the 512meg already there to make an amazing difference in performance !
Where I live, we have these exclusive cinemas called "Cinema Prive" where you get to sit on really cushy seats, with built in speakers, tons of leg room and arm-rest space + you can drink alchohol if you want.
It costs twice the price of a normal movie ticket, but my god, it feels like it's your own private movie house - you can totally immerse yourself in a movie without being disturbed because there's also a volume control for the built in seat speakers.
No jokes !
But I do agree that sometimes a normal movie house can be a cruddy experience - so I usually wait till the movie has been on circuit for a few weeks and take a morning off work (making sure it's not a school holiday) - best way to see a good movie !
I also reckon that DVD's should be released at the same time as the movie goes on circuit, or at least a week later.
no - I never download movies, but my friend does.
:-
He's told me that he's frequently downloaded 600 meg+ files only to find one or more of these
* there's a logo on screen all through the movie
* the sound is of really poor quality or mono
* the movie looks like it was recorded in the movie house (shakey-cam)
* it's a really bad DVD rip by some lamer
* the codec quality is set so low, everythings blurry
Now, personally, I don't download movies, as I've said, however, I do own a few DVD movies or rent them and watch them on my PC - in Linux, using mplayer, with sound through my hi-fi and it rocks.
So yes, I have watched a lot of movies on my PC.
Erm - what girders might those be then ?
I'm struggling to find any girders on that poster...
And TTT was written a ways before the WTC was built...
Well, if you want to see a really shoddy quality movie on a small computer monitor with more than likely bad quality sound and some stupid warez logo covering part of the screen, your screwing yourself.
I'd rather wait 4 months and pay my money to see it the way it is intended ! - BIG SCREEN, dolby surround sound, comfy chair, popcorn etc.
Is the "Real-Time Testing of Internet Filtering in China" actually working ?
I'm struggling to find a site that's blocked and some of the URL's I've entered you'd expect to be blocked.
www.tibet.com - now there's one that's "Reported as accessible in China"
I think this test is seriously flawed...
You can't help wonder what the hell the point of Netscape releasing a new browser is any more ?
Nobody gets excited, nobody really cares that much either, because we all know it's simply marketing talking and not innovation.
Mozilla is the true competitor to iexplore !
I'm wondering whether China will use Linux for restrictive purposes - i.e. The Great Firewall of China ?
;)
Perhaps they've found that Microsoft products are just too insecure for this purpose ?
We develop for whatever the two main browsers are at the time and attempt to 'gracefully degrade' content for older browsers.
At present, rendering must be accurate for ie4+ and netscape6+ (mozilla) - earlier browsers, so long as they more or less work - tough - we don't have the time or money to make um look pretty.
If your worth your weight as a Web Designer, you designs should work with all the latest browsers on all platforms and at least be viewable on older browsers. (with the exception of Netscape 4x, which we all know sucks so badly it should be relegated to the 'worst software ever released/do not support this crap' category)
Oh yeah - all web designs should also work with Lynx, because we really love those geeky people who feel the need to surf in text and cry foul whenever they see something approaching a decent graphical interface...
You suck.
Simply buy pirated versions.
So you went out and got the first one disk version or whatever.
Yikes - a few months later, there's a new version with far more 'bang for your bucks', so what's a person to do ?
GET THE PIRATE VERSION !
Yep - you've been ripped, so rip them back.
Where's my 514 page marketing research BiBLE on this - aha ...
HERE it is - It reads "Pop-Up Ads, or 'Micro-sites' are a sure method of gaining user interest."
They must be working.?
It says here - "Internet users prefer to be made aware of products in the most irritating way possible"
and that...
Users wish to be treated as intelligent individuals with the will to choose between the products you want them to choose from.
Well, we'll just have to take over thier damn operating systems if they don't listen !
Heck - I reckon that we should pass a law allowing unauthorised access to anyones computer if you can get the law on your side...
Pop-up ads anyone ?
If you look at the cold hard facts, it matters not one bit whether wine exists or not.
:-
Linux does not have any kind of dominance on the desktop - in fact, it's probably used on less than 0.1% of desktops worldwide.
I very much dought if the following is the case
<b>Game Developer:-<b> "Ohhh - look - Wine for Linux can run our games ! - Thank God, now we don't have to make a native Linux port for about 0.001% of our total market !"
Yep - still use the damn slow, buggy, outdated piece of old crappy hardware.
I've always hated them, since they were 'the latest thing' after the 'floppy' (which were worse)
There's still clients out there who give you stuff on stiffy disk, there's still workstations that require booting from a stiffy disk every now and then.
Sucks, don't it ?
Ok, so what we have here is a combination of windows style icons on the desktop and a modified KDE looking 'start bar'
Is it supposed to 'win over windows users' ?
Somehow, I very much dought it's going to succeed.
Joe-User: "cool, so what's this nice cheap desktop thingy do ? - can I play games ?"
Sales-guy: "Sure you can - loads of them ?"
Joe-User: "So I can play Warcraft III on it ?"
Sales-guy: "Er, not sure, have to find out about that..."
Joe-User: "So will my copy of Office 2000 work with it ?"
Sales-guy: "Er, not sure, have to find out about that..."
Ad infinitum...
Considering that win32 runs on around 90% of the worlds desktops with MacOS taking up most of the rest of the share, you could argue that Linux on the Desktop has never really taken a breath.
;]
Sure, it's made leaps and bounds in terms of usability, but if less than 1% of computer users worldwide actually use it, it can hardly be considered a success.
The biggest problem facing Linux on the Desktop is a catch-22 situation.
Developers and computer enthusiasts want choice, however, the more choice that is given, the more confusing it becomes for your average computer user. Many of the developers probably don't even care whether Linux becomes a popular desktop environment - they are doing it for fun.
Lets face it, win32 basically has two desktops at any one time - the last version and the latest. Both are 95% compatible with each other regarding applictions.
Linux has too many and too many distibutions to run them with. This is great for your computer enthusiast who loves to tinker, but for joe-user, it's one big mass of confusion.
Continuous disagreements as to which distribution or which desktop manager is the best/fastest/easiest etc. hardly helps matters, nor does win32 bashing.
To put things in perspective, many of the people I know developing things such as security applications for Linux, don't actually use it on the desktop. These are not joe-users, they are people very comfortable with kernel manipulation, firewalls, networking etc. who are working in a commercial environment. They use both win32 and Linux on a daily basis.
Linux on the Desktop hasn't even got of the ground yet. I for one, don't really care. I have win2k that works perfectly for me on the desktop and Linux that works perfectly for all my server needs.
There are many many other people who feel the same way, and sure, many others that are on some 'religous mission' to rid the world of microsoft -
Well, if that's the case, start where Linux is already a success - the server market, then, as Rasterman mentions, embedded applications - before it's too late to take a market share...
A media war will eventually ensue that will make al else before it look tame by comparison.
The average priveleged person, having got used to getting media for free, yet still remaining anonymous, will rebel against the marketing establishment.
Declining sales will force many to forgo thier luxuries, however, marketing force will prevail, leading priviledged mankind into a self-serving environment so selfish as to surpass all that has gone before.
This will eventually lead to a war against those that have and those that have not.
It means nothing in the countries they are mentioning !
Crypto ? - hello !
There are just a few problems a teeny bit bigger than crypto restrictions in at least South Africa (as mentioned in the article)
God - if South Africa could actually get themselves together to even really consider cyptography as being a useful asset, it would be a feat akin to bulding pyramids !
Freedoms ?
Don't even attempt to akin your american freedoms to those such as South Africa - we are way more free than you 'currently running scared' yanks !
First I've heard of this ?
So computer Crypto restrictions are being taken seriously in a country with a major Aids Problem ?
Get a grip please !
Max the penguin,
it's popular today,
it stands against Bill
in a most unusual way.
My server is purring,
like a tamed wild beast,
my desktop is owned
by a number at least.
The natives are restless
in 'expression land'
comfort and freedom still
have thier demands.
FAt cAt, fAT CAt haVe You anY time,
The World is sTaRving and I Am NoT
Sam and Bilbo ? - erp... it's been a long day... too much coffee ...
Hmmm, I think your right about that - altho, Pippin, Merry, Sam & Bilbo got 'kitted out' with stuff that Tom Bombadil took from the barrow wight 'mound?' after rescuing them.
The lotr purists will most likely tear thier hair out reading this - Geeks ! :)
Tom Bombadil - how can they leave that out the damn movie ?
The Barrow wights (spelling ?) - hello ! - this is where Frodo gets his freaking sword from - how they could of skipped out this, I just don't know !
Those are the two most glaring omissions from the film, there's plenty others as well, but not quite so 'show stopping'
Don't get me wrong, I think the movie was pretty much as good as a commercial release is going to get - pity about the casting of Elrond tho - the baddie from the Matrix - WTF ?
This has been brought up a few times lately, the issue of 'usability'
Is windows really easier to use than Linux ?
1. Installing Windows - Most average joe users buy a computer with windows installed and configured for them.
Ask them to do it themselves and they'd have to get help to install and configure everything. They wouldn't even know where to start.
What if the BIOS doesn't have boot from CDROM as the first default entry - you expect them to figure that out. Making a boot disk ? - yeah right.
2. Windows programs - most people save all thier documents to the same folder - they are clueless when it comes to creating new folders. So they have to wade though tons of documents all sitting in the same folder.
Forget about 'copy and paste' - this is something seemingly alien to most average computer users.
3. Windows security - the default install of any windows system is insecure. Do you expect average joe user to secure the system themselves ?
Heck, they share entire drives with plain text passwords. Ask them to secure there systems and they'll look at you with a blank expression - "hey, I lock my office when I go home"
4. Windows stability - eventually, on even the most up-to-date windows OS with the latest hardware, windows will fatally crash. Whether that's due to hardware failure, user stupidity, or a security breach is neither here nor there.
An average joe faced with the "blue screen of death" upon bootup will be clueless on how to fix it.
5. Windows Drivers - sure, 9 times out of 10, you have no problems installing drivers on windows. But when you do, my god, even the most adept sysadmin will battle for hours to get some hardware installed. Maybe they are not battling with typing 'cryptic commands' into a terminal, but instead, they are battling with a cryptic GUI that refuses to co-operate.
I know this is somewhat off-topic, but it is relevant.
To think that Windows is vastly more user-friendly than Linux is just missing the point.
Every single average user I've worked with has had at least 3 problems a week with Windows that they are totally powerless to fix.
You can bring any average joe user to a correctly configured Linux system and have them up and using it in 30 minutes.