For a bunch of techies on Slashdot it's hard to understand. It's like a car mechanic saying, "How could you not know your valves needed adjusting by how the engine was running? Now your motor is destroyed" and the customer's answer is "What's a valve?" I bet the auto mechanic web forums are full of people laughing at the "dumb" end users of expensive, ruined machines.
There are a whole combination of technical details to know with file sharing - Windows shares, file system permissions, why you shouldn't run applications as admin by default, IP, port address translation (if you have a typical NATing home router). Even if you think you understand the software, how can you be sure you're 100% safe when you install software that's DESIGNED to open up your computer to the world?
Also for internal Enterprise apps. Where I work, I can think of 3 important internal apps that do not work 100% with IE7 or IE8. The company won't roll out IE7 or IE8 because it's cheaper just to stay with IE6 than it is to modify or replace those apps. Windows Vista or 7 is the same story - nobody wants to spend money just to keep up with Microsoft's release schedule.
It's popular to hate Microsoft but in all honesty MS Word is excellent software. It really always has been. The price is a bargain. If you're a professional writer nothing else even comes close to the sophisticated features it offers. I also find the new "ribbon" to be a huge improvement over the nested tree navigation of the old Word. Microsoft found an innovative way to navigate and it works.
At home I have and use Open Office and it's just fine for simple documents and spreadsheets. There is no need to spend the money for Office for simple tasks with OO.O works fine.
The thing to complain about Word is the exclusion of other formats to maintain their monopoly (this is being fixed) and their attempt to force their convoluted XML format on the world over all other formats.
Well, as we are all aware, nobody cares how hard the admin's job is. The Enterprise is BB's target market and they're dug in deep. Just the ability to sync with Exchange calendars, contacts and email is 99% of why Blackberry exists - because BES is great if you're a user. If you're an admin, your job is to support the business and the business wants Exchange sync. Sorry BES admins.
Blackberry has continued to innovate, their phones are really very easy to use. But the Business will gladly quit paying for BES server and the people to run it the instant something better comes along.
I installed it and used it on my Windows & Ubuntu machines and really liked Opera. It's clean and fast, and I love the sync option. For some reason I have trouble committing to it. I also liked the speed of Chrome and, God help me, IE8. I know they're great browsers but I guess I'm just happy with Firefox.
All Google needs to do is provide the online marketplace and publish an API. Then developers can write apps to interface with it - netbooks with WiFi, PDAs or Phones, laptops, Android devices, even iPhone. Then tablet computers and whatever comes next.
While Amazon and Sony are busy paying to maintain their hardware support teams, Google can sell books without worrying about any of that. The marketplace will come up with the devices. I could envision a simple eInk device that only reads the open formats like ePub and non-DRM PDF. One of these priced at $149 plus a Google book store would cut Kindle off at the knees.
Only thought is how they can do this without DRM. If they use DRM then they're just another shill for the publishers. But I don't see how the publishers would allow Google to sell books without DRM while forcing it upon Amazon and Sony.
I was surprised to find that my Blackberry 8820 also syncs with iTunes. In fact, if you want to sync music on your Blackberry it requires iTunes, via the Blackberry Desktop software. I was also surprised to find that the Blackberry is a reasonably good media player.
I don't see why Apple would care too much if Palm did the same thing. More users of iTunes means more potential music buyers.
Maybe. If you can support yourself writing, you're way ahead of most writers. I doubt the publishing industry will be brought down by pirates though.
(2) sue people.
Let your publisher do this.
(3) invent some magic spell?
There isn't a magic spell, but there's a magic formula. Some percentage of people will always pirate. Some greater number of people are also buying the book. Keep cashing your checks and realize that some people are going to steal your book, and there's not a damn thing you can do about it.
It must suck to see your work traded freely. I would be angry too. I first started noticing digital piracy of games back in the 8-bit computer days. It's fascinating to see that virtually no progress has been made in stopping it since then.
If you lose your Costco membership you still get to keep all of the goods you had previously purchased.
Part of the Kindle's service is that Amazon keeps your books on file for immediately download, whenever you want them. I wonder what their service agreement says about shutting you off from it.
On the other hand, a company has the right to refuse service to anybody.
On the third hand, if your ebooks are already on the Kindle they cannot be removed by Amazon. So they're removing the privilege of buying more from them. Oh no!
Recent studies have shown that people waste approximately 20% of their time in the office just screwing around.
They should allocate 5% of that 20% to people sneaking around, turning off other people's computer when they aren't looking in order to save on power.
Then you can allocate another 5% to turning the computer back on and waiting for it to boot, once an employee returns from the bathroom and discovers his computer has been shut down by a co-worker.
That still leaves 10% screwing around time - with no productivity lost and enormous power savings!
Agreed. Don't listen to the nay-sayers, you can do anything you put your mind to. Difficult != Impossible.
Read books, join communities, and get working on open source projects. In a couple years you'll be marketable. Start-ups are always looking for people who work cheap and hard.
I have hired many people off the street who had no paid experience. Some of them have gone on to surpass me by a mile.
Since paper voting -- given enough effort -- can also always be corrupted, we may as well go with the new, efficient tech. Where before people had to collude, hide, counterfeit or use some other elaborate scheme to throw an election, now all they have to do is:
Even Vista boots pretty quickly, at least to the login prompt. The excruciating delay comes from loading all of the apps - virus checker, printer/scanner tools, laptop vendor "helpful tools" that don't seem to do anything, etc. It's ridiculous.
I think it's a case of too little too late. They didn't open it up until they saw the headlight of the train that was the iPhone and Google coming out of the tunnel.
If you're an upstart with funding for 1, maybe 2 platforms which do you choose? You choose the hot ones.
Personally I've been drooling for an eBook reader for a couple of years. The price-point and DRM is keeping me out though.
I would LOVE to have so many books at my disposal with me at all times. I'd read a lot more, especially since the books are much cheaper and easier to get.
But at around $400 the local library is a still a lot more attractive.
The publishing industry needs to wake up innovate before Amazon and Sony become the new iTunes of print publishing and come steal their lunch money.
QA isn't designed to catch anything except flaws in the design and some out-of-bounds stuff the testers dream up.
I'm sure there's somebody somewhere going through the source code looking for problems but the only thing with enough money for that is a government.
I work for a Very Large Telecom and we put a lot of stress on our systems all the time, either MS or Redhat or Solaris or whatever. We end up finding a lot of flaws that could be exploited, and we report them. Eventually they end up as patches somewhere down the line. I would estimate that 99% of flaws in Enterprise software are discovered by customers.
Xbox 3 Basic Xbox 3 Home Xbox 3 Media Center Xbox 3 Premium Xbox 3 Business Xbox 3 Ultimate Xbox 3 Ultimate - Halo Edition Xbox 3 Ultimate XTreme Turbo Black
Slashdot Mirror
Her problem was running GLaDOS for an OS. She shoulda stuck with Linux.
Because I was just reading about Symbian being cancelled.
For a bunch of techies on Slashdot it's hard to understand. It's like a car mechanic saying, "How could you not know your valves needed adjusting by how the engine was running? Now your motor is destroyed" and the customer's answer is "What's a valve?" I bet the auto mechanic web forums are full of people laughing at the "dumb" end users of expensive, ruined machines.
There are a whole combination of technical details to know with file sharing - Windows shares, file system permissions, why you shouldn't run applications as admin by default, IP, port address translation (if you have a typical NATing home router). Even if you think you understand the software, how can you be sure you're 100% safe when you install software that's DESIGNED to open up your computer to the world?
Also for internal Enterprise apps. Where I work, I can think of 3 important internal apps that do not work 100% with IE7 or IE8. The company won't roll out IE7 or IE8 because it's cheaper just to stay with IE6 than it is to modify or replace those apps. Windows Vista or 7 is the same story - nobody wants to spend money just to keep up with Microsoft's release schedule.
It's popular to hate Microsoft but in all honesty MS Word is excellent software. It really always has been. The price is a bargain. If you're a professional writer nothing else even comes close to the sophisticated features it offers. I also find the new "ribbon" to be a huge improvement over the nested tree navigation of the old Word. Microsoft found an innovative way to navigate and it works.
At home I have and use Open Office and it's just fine for simple documents and spreadsheets. There is no need to spend the money for Office for simple tasks with OO.O works fine.
The thing to complain about Word is the exclusion of other formats to maintain their monopoly (this is being fixed) and their attempt to force their convoluted XML format on the world over all other formats.
Remember there's still Postgresql.
Well, as we are all aware, nobody cares how hard the admin's job is. The Enterprise is BB's target market and they're dug in deep. Just the ability to sync with Exchange calendars, contacts and email is 99% of why Blackberry exists - because BES is great if you're a user. If you're an admin, your job is to support the business and the business wants Exchange sync. Sorry BES admins.
Blackberry has continued to innovate, their phones are really very easy to use. But the Business will gladly quit paying for BES server and the people to run it the instant something better comes along.
I installed it and used it on my Windows & Ubuntu machines and really liked Opera. It's clean and fast, and I love the sync option. For some reason I have trouble committing to it. I also liked the speed of Chrome and, God help me, IE8. I know they're great browsers but I guess I'm just happy with Firefox.
All Google needs to do is provide the online marketplace and publish an API. Then developers can write apps to interface with it - netbooks with WiFi, PDAs or Phones, laptops, Android devices, even iPhone. Then tablet computers and whatever comes next.
While Amazon and Sony are busy paying to maintain their hardware support teams, Google can sell books without worrying about any of that. The marketplace will come up with the devices. I could envision a simple eInk device that only reads the open formats like ePub and non-DRM PDF. One of these priced at $149 plus a Google book store would cut Kindle off at the knees.
Only thought is how they can do this without DRM. If they use DRM then they're just another shill for the publishers. But I don't see how the publishers would allow Google to sell books without DRM while forcing it upon Amazon and Sony.
I was surprised to find that my Blackberry 8820 also syncs with iTunes. In fact, if you want to sync music on your Blackberry it requires iTunes, via the Blackberry Desktop software. I was also surprised to find that the Blackberry is a reasonably good media player.
I don't see why Apple would care too much if Palm did the same thing. More users of iTunes means more potential music buyers.
I got to watch a live webcast come to a screeching halt, live and in person.
(1) get another job.
Maybe. If you can support yourself writing, you're way ahead of most writers. I doubt the publishing industry will be brought down by pirates though.
(2) sue people.
Let your publisher do this.
(3) invent some magic spell?
There isn't a magic spell, but there's a magic formula. Some percentage of people will always pirate. Some greater number of people are also buying the book. Keep cashing your checks and realize that some people are going to steal your book, and there's not a damn thing you can do about it.
It must suck to see your work traded freely. I would be angry too. I first started noticing digital piracy of games back in the 8-bit computer days. It's fascinating to see that virtually no progress has been made in stopping it since then.
The fungus took my baby!
Ford Exec: "We need a new campaign for the Fiesta. Something HIP. Something the KIDS will take notice of."
Ad Guy #1: "My kids are always TWATTERING on their PHONES!"
Ad Guy #2: "Yeah, and they're into MyFace!"
Ford Exec: "You're onto something! Let's do it!"
Ad Guy #1: "What if it doesn't work?"
Ad Guy #2: "We'll rename it the iFiesta and hire Ashton Kutcher to shill for us."
If you lose your Costco membership you still get to keep all of the goods you had previously purchased.
Part of the Kindle's service is that Amazon keeps your books on file for immediately download, whenever you want them. I wonder what their service agreement says about shutting you off from it.
On the other hand, a company has the right to refuse service to anybody.
On the third hand, if your ebooks are already on the Kindle they cannot be removed by Amazon. So they're removing the privilege of buying more from them. Oh no!
Recent studies have shown that people waste approximately 20% of their time in the office just screwing around.
They should allocate 5% of that 20% to people sneaking around, turning off other people's computer when they aren't looking in order to save on power.
Then you can allocate another 5% to turning the computer back on and waiting for it to boot, once an employee returns from the bathroom and discovers his computer has been shut down by a co-worker.
That still leaves 10% screwing around time - with no productivity lost and enormous power savings!
Shut up and give me your wallet.
Agreed. Don't listen to the nay-sayers, you can do anything you put your mind to. Difficult != Impossible.
Read books, join communities, and get working on open source projects. In a couple years you'll be marketable. Start-ups are always looking for people who work cheap and hard.
I have hired many people off the street who had no paid experience. Some of them have gone on to surpass me by a mile.
Since paper voting -- given enough effort -- can also always be corrupted, we may as well go with the new, efficient tech. Where before people had to collude, hide, counterfeit or use some other elaborate scheme to throw an election, now all they have to do is:
DELETE * FROM VOTES WHERE CANDIDATE = 'OPPONENT';
Think of all the man-hours being saved.
Even Vista boots pretty quickly, at least to the login prompt. The excruciating delay comes from loading all of the apps - virus checker, printer/scanner tools, laptop vendor "helpful tools" that don't seem to do anything, etc. It's ridiculous.
I think it's a case of too little too late. They didn't open it up until they saw the headlight of the train that was the iPhone and Google coming out of the tunnel.
If you're an upstart with funding for 1, maybe 2 platforms which do you choose? You choose the hot ones.
I'm with you my brother. Email me on my Yahoo! account.
Personally I've been drooling for an eBook reader for a couple of years. The price-point and DRM is keeping me out though.
I would LOVE to have so many books at my disposal with me at all times. I'd read a lot more, especially since the books are much cheaper and easier to get.
But at around $400 the local library is a still a lot more attractive.
The publishing industry needs to wake up innovate before Amazon and Sony become the new iTunes of print publishing and come steal their lunch money.
QA isn't designed to catch anything except flaws in the design and some out-of-bounds stuff the testers dream up.
I'm sure there's somebody somewhere going through the source code looking for problems but the only thing with enough money for that is a government.
I work for a Very Large Telecom and we put a lot of stress on our systems all the time, either MS or Redhat or Solaris or whatever. We end up finding a lot of flaws that could be exploited, and we report them. Eventually they end up as patches somewhere down the line. I would estimate that 99% of flaws in Enterprise software are discovered by customers.
I believe it will be:
Xbox 3 Basic
Xbox 3 Home
Xbox 3 Media Center
Xbox 3 Premium
Xbox 3 Business
Xbox 3 Ultimate
Xbox 3 Ultimate - Halo Edition
Xbox 3 Ultimate XTreme Turbo Black
The will all do exactly the same thing.