Ok, I'll bite. These prices are actually in Sterling, from MicroDirect in Manchester (I don't work there, I just like to buy stuff from them). Cop this:
PC Chips Aladdin motherboard, with 32MB TNT2 VGA, Sound, 10/100 NIC and 56K modem on board: £46
Intel Celeron 633: £30
128MB PC133 RAM: £8
Mitsumi 1.44MB FDD: £8
15GB Maxtor HDD: £52
Delta 52x CD-ROM: £21
15" Hyundai monitor: £76
Midi tower case: £19
PS2 Keyboard: £4.50
Genius PS2 Mouse: £3
CPU Fan: £3
Which comes to a grand total of £270.50. A quick check on Oanda.com for yesterday's exchange rate reveals this to be $386.68.
I would have like to have had the chance to participate in this discussion, but I was asleep:(
If there is anyone still reading, let me ask you this. Do you watch TV? If so, is there anything that you like to watch religiously? Enterprise? Coronation Street? Friends back before it Jumped the Shark? And did you ever go out and forget to tape it, then ring your mom or your mate, ask them to tape it? Well unless they can break into your house, say goodbye to that.
Because DRM will also apply to TV. Programs will be copy protected. So you will be able to tape a first-run episode of The Sopranos, but only if you don't watch it at the same time, and you will only be able to watch it once. Or that old Friends episode, that's been on loads of times, so you will be able to tape it and watch it however many times you want, but don't expect to be able to lend it to your girlfriend's dad so he can watch it too.
This is not stuff that will affect geeks only. We need to be telling people about this, people outside of the napsterriffic MP3 downloaders.
Here's an idea. Find out your TD/MP/Congressman/Tribal leader's favourite programme. I'm sure that this sort of person regularly has to get someone to tape the News to see if theyre on it, or Bull Island to see if they're on that. Then tell them that they will not be able to do that within 3 years.
I woke up the other morning with what seemed like the best idea ever. See, we have a spare room that has an old bed in it. We were going to throw the bed out and get a desk, make it into a proper little office.
But then I thought: what if I spread fibreglass resin all over the base of the bed. Raise it up on a couple of bedside lockers, cut out some gaps in the side where you would sit and Voila! You then have a bedroom that you've turned into an office, but still looks like a bedroom!
I went into our local Compustore and was peering at a Compaq T-Bird 900, and the salesdroid said "why don't you look at this one. It has an intel P3-700, so it's much better"
Other choice quotes from the same conversation:
"Yes, the Athlon is about level with a Pentium 2, so the Pentium 3 is much faster"
"and Packard Bell have a way better reputation than Compaq..."
I live in Ireland too, and there are 3 options: Modem, ISDN, Leased Line. That is it. I have about 60 users, and the max that the company can afford is 128K ISDN shared between the lot. At that we pay about £600 per month, between line rental and call charges (and it is set up for bandwidth on demand, so it disconnects itself when not in use, only connects at 64K when under light use, etc).
That was one of the very few really rofl-type funny statements I've ever read on slashdot. "World class sportscar". Hey, you made me laugh so hard I snorted!
How do marketing depts get it SO WRONG
on
Transmeta Webpad
·
· Score: 1
This is TOO EXPENSIVE for the home user. Most home users are barely willing to fork out for a $500 eMachine! So, why not aim something similar at corporate users?
How about this: a webpad type case, but more like a laptop inside. So you can run WHATEVER YOU WANT. Linux, Windows, goddamn Freedos for all I care. With a DVD, and speakers, and a big hard drive and plenty of ram. Now, you also have a docking station on your desk, with a keyboard and mouse. The pad drops vertically into the docking station, and viola! A desktop computer ala Gateway Profile type deal, except you can pick it up and bring it to your meeting.
I know that if these babies were out there, everyone in the company would have one. Right now.
Irish legend also holds that Saint Brendan discovered America well before Columbus or the Vikings did. And just to prove it, Tim Severin built a leather currach identical to the one described by Saint Brendan, left from Co. Kerry in 1976, and landed on Newfoundland in June 1977. For the full story see here.
Come in dressed like a compete fool.
Ooooh, I like this idea. If the code says "blue business suit", rent one of those heinous powder-blue tuxes for a few days. With the frilly shirt too.
Try pale grey car-dealer-style nylon check suits, or turn your jacket inside out, like the Fresh Prince... Heh this could be fun!
Irish. We are all made learn it in school, the whole way through. With (heh) varying degrees of success. "Mar" means because, "milis" means sweet, "do n'anam" means of your name, "agus" is and. And that, my friends, is the best I can manage from 13 years of learning Irish.
Slashdot Mirror
except, of course, that they have stopped making them...
Which comes to a grand total of £270.50. A quick check on Oanda.com for yesterday's exchange rate reveals this to be $386.68.
Sub $400 enough for ya?
I would have like to have had the chance to participate in this discussion, but I was asleep :(
If there is anyone still reading, let me ask you this. Do you watch TV? If so, is there anything that you like to watch religiously? Enterprise? Coronation Street? Friends back before it Jumped the Shark? And did you ever go out and forget to tape it, then ring your mom or your mate, ask them to tape it? Well unless they can break into your house, say goodbye to that.
Because DRM will also apply to TV. Programs will be copy protected. So you will be able to tape a first-run episode of The Sopranos, but only if you don't watch it at the same time, and you will only be able to watch it once. Or that old Friends episode, that's been on loads of times, so you will be able to tape it and watch it however many times you want, but don't expect to be able to lend it to your girlfriend's dad so he can watch it too.
This is not stuff that will affect geeks only. We need to be telling people about this, people outside of the napsterriffic MP3 downloaders.
Here's an idea. Find out your TD/MP/Congressman/Tribal leader's favourite programme. I'm sure that this sort of person regularly has to get someone to tape the News to see if theyre on it, or Bull Island to see if they're on that. Then tell them that they will not be able to do that within 3 years.
Then see how long this shit lasts...
Glooves. I need glooves for my masterrrr. Gloooovessss...
I woke up the other morning with what seemed like the best idea ever. See, we have a spare room that has an old bed in it. We were going to throw the bed out and get a desk, make it into a proper little office.
But then I thought: what if I spread fibreglass resin all over the base of the bed. Raise it up on a couple of bedside lockers, cut out some gaps in the side where you would sit and Voila! You then have a bedroom that you've turned into an office, but still looks like a bedroom!
I went into our local Compustore and was peering at a Compaq T-Bird 900, and the salesdroid said "why don't you look at this one. It has an intel P3-700, so it's much better"
Other choice quotes from the same conversation:
-------------
Hi Richard, I feel your pain also.
I live in Ireland too, and there are 3 options: Modem, ISDN, Leased Line. That is it. I have about 60 users, and the max that the company can afford is 128K ISDN shared between the lot. At that we pay about £600 per month, between line rental and call charges (and it is set up for bandwidth on demand, so it disconnects itself when not in use, only connects at 64K when under light use, etc).
At home, of course, it's back to 56K. It sucks.
They's probably using the Geriatric Spice to see what their opponent's next move is too!
It would be even scarier if there was a true story based on the movie that was based on the tv series that was based on the movie...
hee hee hee *wipes tears from eyes*
That was one of the very few really rofl-type funny statements I've ever read on slashdot. "World class sportscar". Hey, you made me laugh so hard I snorted!
This is TOO EXPENSIVE for the home user. Most home users are barely willing to fork out for a $500 eMachine! So, why not aim something similar at corporate users?
How about this: a webpad type case, but more like a laptop inside. So you can run WHATEVER YOU WANT. Linux, Windows, goddamn Freedos for all I care. With a DVD, and speakers, and a big hard drive and plenty of ram. Now, you also have a docking station on your desk, with a keyboard and mouse. The pad drops vertically into the docking station, and viola! A desktop computer ala Gateway Profile type deal, except you can pick it up and bring it to your meeting.
I know that if these babies were out there, everyone in the company would have one. Right now.
Irish legend also holds that Saint Brendan discovered America well before Columbus or the Vikings did. And just to prove it, Tim Severin built a leather currach identical to the one described by Saint Brendan, left from Co. Kerry in 1976, and landed on Newfoundland in June 1977. For the full story see here.
If you say "Click setup.exe", It ain't gonna do squat, because they will need to double click :-P
No, they might over-inflate
POW!!!!
Well, according to Jonathan's Space Report, there is already an Imax camera loaded onto Atlantis for a July launch!
Robert Patrick is the bastard son of Ted McGinley
Mmmmmm... Japanese laptops...
Mmmmmmmmmmmm......
What makes you think it's 5 AM? It's nearly lunchtime...
Come in dressed like a compete fool. Ooooh, I like this idea. If the code says "blue business suit", rent one of those heinous powder-blue tuxes for a few days. With the frilly shirt too. Try pale grey car-dealer-style nylon check suits, or turn your jacket inside out, like the Fresh Prince... Heh this could be fun!
*giggle**snort* "prostethic"? That's patethic!
Hee hee. Peer2peer pressure:
"Ever used Neurapster? Go on, all the kids our age are using it. And it's totally legal now..."
Grammar Nazi? Are you feeling alright? Surely you meant "hear" instead of "here"?
Dear Lord, Grammar Nazi getting his homonyms mixed up! What in the world is happening?
Irish. We are all made learn it in school, the whole way through. With (heh) varying degrees of success. "Mar" means because, "milis" means sweet, "do n'anam" means of your name, "agus" is and. And that, my friends, is the best I can manage from 13 years of learning Irish.
I don't %*^*ing believe it! I just posted the same message! Bollox!