Like the Internet, Embeded Devices is the next major shift in the industry.
Sure, some people would say that statement is crap, but then they said the same thing about the Internet. Companies are trying to make educated guesses on where everything is going. Right now, the embedded market is wide open and full of opportunity--and if it pans out, companies can win big. Of course, it could all get flushed down the tubes like NCs;-) But remember that consumer devices/embeded devices are all the rage outside the US--especially in Japan.
Why fight MS on the PC if the PC is going to be a marginal market at best? That's what these companies are thinking.
I for one, agree. I don't think MS is stupid (i.e. they won't let it catch them off guard like the Internet did), but it will be a good market full of great opportunities. If you are just starting out and looking for a technology wave to jumpstart your career, my advice (which makes me in no way responsible for your life or your own stupidity) is to get cracking on the Palm SDK and churn out some apps. Proving you have skills will get you in early. This is from someone who successfull got on the Internet Gravy Train:-)
The balance of power in our nation is leaning disturbingly far in the direction of the faceless corporation, and we must do something to stop this threat. In my vision of the future, wars are fought, not by two countries governments, but by two corporations, struggling for power.
Alright Jon, you can come out now! Why hide behind an almost anonymous username when such rhetoric clearly identifies you as the, one an only, JonKatz! I mean, if it isn't bad enough that you mention corporatism or Corporate Republic 20 times in every article you write, now you are trolling as "real people" who agree with you! Shame!
In order to simulate new weapons configurations, it takes an awful lot of computing power. Just try to imagine all the factors that have to be tracked and taken into account in order to produce an accurrate and thorough simulation. Simulated tests have a lot of advantages, obvious (no radiation) and non-obvious (costs).
You've been reading YRO too much. Trust me. The government has a lot better uses to put its supercomputers to than breaking our SSH and PGP keys--like big guns and bombs for laying waste to the known world!
If managing programmers is compared to herding cats, and cats (due to their independence and "you can go to hell" atttitude) are the most accurate description of programmers, how the hell is a union ever going to work?
Additionally, most programmers I know care very deeply about how their skills are perceived (myself included). Most of us like to think we are the top 25% of programmers (myself included)--although it isn't possible for 75% of programmers to be the top 25%:-) That being said, why would programmers want to unionize, to protect, in many posters' words, the lazy and the inept?
No, it won't happen. There will not be an effective programmers union.
BUT, I strongly believe there will be a network support/IT tech union. Those poor schlobs have it rough. Being on call and never getting paid (or whether they get paid or not is a point of debate with the employer), working long hours over outtages, not being able to take vacations. Those people will probably unionize. Especially with MCSE certification programs churning out so many, their jobs are probably in jeopardy. Whenever they start to get paid decent money for decent training, they could get fired for some fresh MCSE who is willing to be paid anything.
Not that I am implying this is trivial, but what is to stop those trying to circumvent copy protection from writing the watermark equivalent of a virus scanner? For watermarking to work, there would have to be a pattern that is recongnizable by the control software, no? Even if it gets incredibly sophisticated (i.e. subtle shifts of bits at certain points), if a program can recognize it, it means another would also be able to.
So, as long as we have the software to use (i.e. play with and study) and we have the music, can't we just reverse engineer what the watermark is? At that point, it could be removed or added, as the need dictates.
Of course, I could be completely clueless on this. So please chime in and correct me if you know more on this issue;-)
I see that C90 and C99 are used in the LSB (or drawn from). What about ISO C++?
(please note at this time, if you are going to post a "C rocks! We don't need no stinkin' C--!" please don't. I could care less what you think about the C/C++ holy wars raged by various loonies)
C++ is heavily used in the industry, and especially in Windows shops. If Linux industries want to steal that developer-share from Windows, they need to hammer out what C++ libs and standards compliance will be considered a part of "standards compliance" linux.
Is the absence of C++ standards due to gcc not having a ISO C++ compliant release? I know that 3.0 is in the works and that Red Hat ships a snapshot of GCC in an attempt to get better libstdc++. Is this lack of a viable free option the reason for no C++ standardization?
I'm sure you already figured this out, but just in case and for others out there...
(I own a 5000)
Tip #1 Never place your laptop on a bed, on cushy upholstery, soft carpet, comforter, etc. for long periods of time or operation
If you want to fry your laptop, your couch, or your own leg (i.e. under a comforter), that's the fastest way. From what I can gather, the laptop is designed to radiate heat downward. When you place it on an insulator like a carpet, a bed, or a comforter, it gets hot REALLY fast.
Yes, it is a laptop. But I wouldn't recommend curling up with it on a cold night with your favorite quilt--unless your heat is out.
Tip #2 Fan == "Danger Will Robinson!"
Shortly after owning my laptop, I noticed that the little fan in the back would come on and turn off. One day, the area under the Enter key was super hot--I could feel it through my keyboard. I ejected my modem and ethernet cards and I couldn't hold them they were so hot! I grew worried (I really love this laptop) and so I called support thinking my fan was busted. The info I go was shocking.
The standard operating temperature for the processor is 150F. The fan kicks on only if the processor is starting to operate out of the spec'd range of "standard". If your processor starts getting up around 180F, the fan kicks on to cool it off.
Those numbers are based on memory, but they feel right (i.e. by how hot my cards get ).
Now, I don't care how many assurance that Dell tech gave me--180F is not a Good Thing[tm]. When I hear my fan kick on, I usually give my laptop a quick look-over to make sure I can't do anything to help it cool down. Proping the back end up on a book *might* help.
Needless to say, if your fan is on for a long time, you might want to check on your laptop. OTOH, maybe your just cracking distribited.net blocks;-)
(disclaimer: I am in no way responsible for anything stupid or reasonable you do with your own laptop; take or ignore this advice at your own risk)
All that being said, I really dig my 5000. I loaded it up with a crap load of memory and a big HDD--it is a great development tool on the Commuter rail. I just always make sure to score a table in the middle of the double-decker cars. My right leg is getting scorched (kidding).
I was thinking more in terms of having a little mini-PC with filesystems and everything. Something with all the abilities of my laptop, but maybe with not as much "punch" or resources. Then I could finish my Java projects with Xemacs and test my perl against my PDApache;-)
$500 for 320x320 and MP3 playing built in. Man, that is mighty sweet!
I'm still going to resist. If they are this good now, I can't be more than a year from having a PDA I can actually code on. Then I'll just need a teeny little keyboard that I type on with pins to go with it;-)
I used one of their clauses in my contract that I use with my clients--I am a contractor. No one has complained and no one has had a problem with it. If they have questions, I just explain it and that is usually it.
Additionally, I just cross out and initialize the IP section when I sign contracts. If it gets sent back to me, I try to provide them with a better clause (such as one of these).
They are working, just maybe not on the stuff you care about.
Evolution sees regular updates and snapshots. But that is a beta channel on Red Carpet, so maybe that isn't a fair comparison.
But if they are focusing more on Evolution, that's very good. Evolution is kind of like Gnumeric--it's a test bed. Unlike Gnumeric, which is nice and cool, Evolution is everyday-useful. People need it. People like it. People use it every day. And so, it serves as a better test bed for fleshing out Bonobo.
Some people might pu-sha that notion, but Bonobo is extremely important. It will provide the component and compound document model needed to give GNOME the next leap forward. Then GNOME can go from being a nice shell (which is all it is right now) to a fully intergrated desktop.
I'm a GNOME user, so I'm not dissing GNOME unnecessarily. I think GNOME has the right idea (except for the C instead of C++ part--grin). Right now, however, integration in GNOME isn't very slick. And slick is important. DnD that was actually useful as opposed to functional would be a huge step forward. Note that Nautilus is heavily Bonobo dependent as well.
Additionally, if Evolution becomes a full Outlook replacement (i.e. it can do everything Outlook does and can be used with Exchange servers just like a normal Outlook client), I think Ximian might have their killer app that puts them on the map permanently. Did you see the latest figures on how much of MS's revenue is from Office? It's something like 30% or more. Not that Ximian will suddenly get that kind of money, but the money shows how important Office-like apps are.
Now if only AbiWord would take off, I'd be damn happy!
Utek, a business development company that finds, acquires, develops, and finances university technology for its customers, issues the following warning in its prospectus: "Our management has limited experience operating a business, has had no experience in managing and operating a business development company, and has little or no experience in corporate finance and corporate mergers."
That just sums it all up, doesn't? Raise your hand if you worked for a company like that.:-)
I noticed that while Red Hat was valued highly, Red Hat used its funding to purchase companies like Cygnus and C2Net. Escpecially with the purchase of Cygnus, you appear to be consildating the infrastructure that makes linux viable commercially. One could conjecture that you are trying to provide developer tools and resources, both as a product and as a way to build into Linux (as in the motto "it is the developers/ISVs stupid!"). Red Hat is currently valued much lower than it was at the top of the hype, but one could argue that these (and other) strategic acquisitions give Red Hat an edge over the competition or the chance at surviving the tech stock maelstrom.
Q: How do you see these acquisitions as helping Red Hat and its position in the market?
By "patterns", surely you don't mean Design Patterns?
I've yet to find any OO programer (C, C++, Java, whatever) who doesn't dig patterns. It's like adding a whole level of abstraction and abbreviation to your conversations. When you say "factory method" the other guy instantly knows what you are getting at.
witness Real Audio's continued existance as evidence that just Microsoft monopolistic power isn't necessarily enough
I think you need to take a look at Windows Media Player. It is quickly outstripping RA. And it is included with Windows. You can get free updates for it simply and painlessly with Win98.
Will RA be around in a year? Maybe. Probably not doing as well, I'd wager. Has WinMP killed their market? Yep.
Now what is the cause? Well, there it gets complicated. The bundling is a big part. It really is killing them. The other part, however, is total irony--Microsoft is trying to use more open standards. They release the specs for their codecs, and then drive the codec via WMP platform bundling. The MS ASF format is much better than RA's format--better compression, better quality. A good thing.
So is MS innovating or destroying? A little of both. And that is why they are sooo damn effective. Anyone who says MS doesn't innovate is a fool. But anyone who thinks they get there on technical merit is equally a fool.
The REAL issue in all of this is: do Microsoft applicactions get an unfair advantage by being created by the company that makes AND ships the OS? I think the answer is clear: yes.
Could RA get bundled with the default installation of Windows 98--I doubt it. And there is the difference. Yes, RA let down their guard and got upstaged. But how do they compete with the Juggernaut that is "comes with Windows 98 Free!" ? Support the format? No--that will only kill them. The real competition is minshare--and MS has the lock on that, because it is their platform. Yes, I use Linux. But I also realize that Windows is pretty much the only game in town for 95% of computer users.
The haves and have-nots will become even more sharply divided in the years to come. Technology is quickly becoming a requirement for work experience. But how many lower income area schools can afford technology, let a lone instructors skilled in teaching that technology?
I have had this idea for a while, but it is taking me longer to implement it.
Enter a non-profit/profit company combo. It teaches, instructs, and mentors young under-privileged children in IT skills (specifically programming). It then turns around and seeks business support from the community: i.e. a local business has the company build their website for a cut rate, and the company uses the local kids exclusively for the project. Kids then get work experience and knowledge. The key focus being training the kids and getting them work experience--not necessarily profit. It wouldn't be the latest greatest way to make millions.
Perhaps I am idealistic AND stupid, but this seems like an effective way to reverse the tide a little bit. Local programmers could volunteer time for instruction, whereas someone would have to work full-time for the company to take care of project management.
He's been a crusader. Crusaders need causes. But more than causes, they need enemies. He's lectured on why the GPL is better. Many have just written it off as his monomania.
But now Microsoft has basically said he's evil. Which I'm sure, deep down in his heart, he has been waiting for.:-)
OK, my apologies on the vitrol. You seemed to be falling into the basic thread of "beat Red Hat". I jumped the gun.
HOWEVER, perhaps you are looking in the wrong place.
Disc 2:/preview/RPMS/kernel-2.4.0.*
It is all right there. I found it by reading the README:-)
Now perhaps it wasn't in the installer. But then Red Hat makes a commercial distribution, and they have all sorts of users installing Red Hat. Perhaps they were afraid of people installing a kernel that doesn't support everything. I tried it on mine, and the snapshot (pre1, I think) doesn't do Symbios based SCSI cards (my Fireport 40 didn't work).
With GnoRPM, you have an easy way to install it. Granted, installing kernels isn't for the faint of heart, but then neither is 2.4-pre!
Pardon my first post if it was a bit negative, but as you can see, the kernel is right there, right on the CD. And it is documented in the README and features list. That's how I found it. Reading your post about a lack of 2.4 along with all the other Red Hat bashing in this article seemed to indicate that you were just bashing with no knowledge. Maybe you just were misinformed.
Red Hat is making arbitrary decisions regarding what beta/development features to include in their distributions, and what to leave out.
You have got to be kidding me. You are taking issue with what features they choose to include and exclude? That is the WHOLE POINT of distributions! They have features. They differ in what they offer. The distributions have been that way for 3 years now. What, can't a company decide what features their OWN product has to offer? Remember, those RPMs don't compile themselves.
Red Hat has always been progressive. I just wish they were a little more attentive to the needs of their customers.
What the heck are you talking about? Have you even used RedHat 7.0? 7.0 has USB support. Who else has USB support? RH7 has X4. Who else (before 7) has X4? It has improved security packages and more manageable setups for servers and workstations--things users have been demanding. So how exactly are they ignoring customers?
As for the other things they should have included: they HAVE 2.4 kernel RPMS. I ask again, have you even looked at RH7? I installed the RPMS and gave them a whirl. So what distrib are you using? ReiserFS is not in the distrib, but can easily be added to RedHat.
I'd like to give you the benefit of the doubt, but you appear to have no idea what you are talking about. Have you even used the distribution? If not, why do you feel the need to make a whole lot of noise when you don't have your facts straight?
I am soooo sick and tired of all the baseless Red Hat bashing that takes place on Slashdot. It is not Slashdot (the website) itself, but the hoards of people who want their 15 seconds of fame for having "gave it to the man" in a post. Slashdot is supposed to be a place where we discuss things and offer something of value. Just spouting stuff at random does no one any good.
Because I use Linux and I have yet to find a way to get Mozilla nightlies to use Java. And I need the Java support along with all the plugins and such.
That being said, I have both Mozilla installed and N6. When I hit a page that needs java, I crank up N6. But I use Mozilla for everything else. As soon as Mozilla gets all the plugins and Java I will be able to remove both N4 and N6. I know N6 is supposed to suck, suck, suck, but I have found it to be pretty good. Mozilla Nightlies are buggy too. Using N6 is like using a milestone build instead of a nightly. It just has the advantage of Java support and a few extras that are from AOL/Netscape.
Nobody cares. Go home. 1984 didn't/isn't going to happen, not in our schools or anywhere else. They're too busy signing contracts to put Nike and
Pepsi adverts in the schools to actually be dangerous.
While Jon might be wrong about the "scary scenario", there is a frightening trend. What you just described is just as frightening: the Brave New World Scenario. While not the scary totalitarians of 1984, the masters of "A Brave New World" are just as frightening--if not more.
I think Aldous Huxley was more on the mark than Orwell when he wrote ABNW. Just as much intolerance, but hidden beneath social patterns and machinery that makes it all seem sooo natural.
Cultural Valium, Soma, whatever it is--that which keeps us from seeing the reality of who and what we are is still a danger. I recommend everyone read both 1984 and A Brave New World.
If you vote for either of these guys, you are just plain nuts.
The president cannot enact tax legislation--only the legislature can do that.
Eliminate income tax. You have to be kidding me. You really do. I mean, I was dubious about Bush's plan, but that is just insane. Do you have any concept of what would happen? How many seniors (that's your grandma and grandpa) would be on the street, dying because they don't have ANY money now to try and buy drugs. Who care about Drug Plans if you don't have ANY money? What about underprivileged groups and populations? I guess it is their fault they are poor? Oh no, I get it--it's because they pay sooo much in income tax!
I hate my tax rate. It is very high. But in an country that has built so much infrastructure (or cruft, whatever), you can't just eliminate it.
If you think you can, I am shocked at your naivety. The fact that these canidates are popular with this crowd only further proves my theories on geek crowds: they are different just because they want to be different.
Flame away, I really don't care. These canidates are so shocking in their plans that I am stunned that so many of you are behind them. I hate the leading canidates and only half agree with my favorite. But these people are just bad for this country.
(And I thought I had Libertarian leanings. Thank you, Slashdot, for curing me of that illusion.)
Slashdot Mirror
Sure, some people would say that statement is crap, but then they said the same thing about the Internet. Companies are trying to make educated guesses on where everything is going. Right now, the embedded market is wide open and full of opportunity--and if it pans out, companies can win big. Of course, it could all get flushed down the tubes like NCs ;-) But remember that consumer devices/embeded devices are all the rage outside the US--especially in Japan.
Why fight MS on the PC if the PC is going to be a marginal market at best? That's what these companies are thinking.
I for one, agree. I don't think MS is stupid (i.e. they won't let it catch them off guard like the Internet did), but it will be a good market full of great opportunities. If you are just starting out and looking for a technology wave to jumpstart your career, my advice (which makes me in no way responsible for your life or your own stupidity) is to get cracking on the Palm SDK and churn out some apps. Proving you have skills will get you in early. This is from someone who successfull got on the Internet Gravy Train :-)
Alright Jon, you can come out now! Why hide behind an almost anonymous username when such rhetoric clearly identifies you as the, one an only, JonKatz! I mean, if it isn't bad enough that you mention corporatism or Corporate Republic 20 times in every article you write, now you are trolling as "real people" who agree with you! Shame!
:-)
In order to simulate new weapons configurations, it takes an awful lot of computing power. Just try to imagine all the factors that have to be tracked and taken into account in order to produce an accurrate and thorough simulation. Simulated tests have a lot of advantages, obvious (no radiation) and non-obvious (costs).
You've been reading YRO too much. Trust me. The government has a lot better uses to put its supercomputers to than breaking our SSH and PGP keys--like big guns and bombs for laying waste to the known world!
Excellent! I will begin porting my enterprise servers and components to the PS2 pronto!
So did they nerf all the other characters abilities, or did they make her better--or does she still suck?
Additionally, most programmers I know care very deeply about how their skills are perceived (myself included). Most of us like to think we are the top 25% of programmers (myself included)--although it isn't possible for 75% of programmers to be the top 25% :-) That being said, why would programmers want to unionize, to protect, in many posters' words, the lazy and the inept?
No, it won't happen. There will not be an effective programmers union.
BUT, I strongly believe there will be a network support/IT tech union. Those poor schlobs have it rough. Being on call and never getting paid (or whether they get paid or not is a point of debate with the employer), working long hours over outtages, not being able to take vacations. Those people will probably unionize. Especially with MCSE certification programs churning out so many, their jobs are probably in jeopardy. Whenever they start to get paid decent money for decent training, they could get fired for some fresh MCSE who is willing to be paid anything.
So, as long as we have the software to use (i.e. play with and study) and we have the music, can't we just reverse engineer what the watermark is? At that point, it could be removed or added, as the need dictates.
Of course, I could be completely clueless on this. So please chime in and correct me if you know more on this issue ;-)
(please note at this time, if you are going to post a "C rocks! We don't need no stinkin' C--!" please don't. I could care less what you think about the C/C++ holy wars raged by various loonies)
C++ is heavily used in the industry, and especially in Windows shops. If Linux industries want to steal that developer-share from Windows, they need to hammer out what C++ libs and standards compliance will be considered a part of "standards compliance" linux.
Is the absence of C++ standards due to gcc not having a ISO C++ compliant release? I know that 3.0 is in the works and that Red Hat ships a snapshot of GCC in an attempt to get better libstdc++. Is this lack of a viable free option the reason for no C++ standardization?
(I own a 5000)
Tip #1 Never place your laptop on a bed, on cushy upholstery, soft carpet, comforter, etc. for long periods of time or operation
If you want to fry your laptop, your couch, or your own leg (i.e. under a comforter), that's the fastest way. From what I can gather, the laptop is designed to radiate heat downward. When you place it on an insulator like a carpet, a bed, or a comforter, it gets hot REALLY fast.
Yes, it is a laptop. But I wouldn't recommend curling up with it on a cold night with your favorite quilt--unless your heat is out.
Tip #2 Fan == "Danger Will Robinson!"
Shortly after owning my laptop, I noticed that the little fan in the back would come on and turn off. One day, the area under the Enter key was super hot--I could feel it through my keyboard. I ejected my modem and ethernet cards and I couldn't hold them they were so hot! I grew worried (I really love this laptop) and so I called support thinking my fan was busted. The info I go was shocking.
The standard operating temperature for the processor is 150F. The fan kicks on only if the processor is starting to operate out of the spec'd range of "standard". If your processor starts getting up around 180F, the fan kicks on to cool it off.
Those numbers are based on memory, but they feel right (i.e. by how hot my cards get ).
Now, I don't care how many assurance that Dell tech gave me--180F is not a Good Thing[tm]. When I hear my fan kick on, I usually give my laptop a quick look-over to make sure I can't do anything to help it cool down. Proping the back end up on a book *might* help.
Needless to say, if your fan is on for a long time, you might want to check on your laptop. OTOH, maybe your just cracking distribited.net blocks ;-)
(disclaimer: I am in no way responsible for anything stupid or reasonable you do with your own laptop; take or ignore this advice at your own risk)
All that being said, I really dig my 5000. I loaded it up with a crap load of memory and a big HDD--it is a great development tool on the Commuter rail. I just always make sure to score a table in the middle of the double-decker cars. My right leg is getting scorched (kidding).
Silly, I know, but a man can dream :-)
I'm still going to resist. If they are this good now, I can't be more than a year from having a PDA I can actually code on. Then I'll just need a teeny little keyboard that I type on with pins to go with it ;-)
I used one of their clauses in my contract that I use with my clients--I am a contractor. No one has complained and no one has had a problem with it. If they have questions, I just explain it and that is usually it.
Additionally, I just cross out and initialize the IP section when I sign contracts. If it gets sent back to me, I try to provide them with a better clause (such as one of these).
Evolution sees regular updates and snapshots. But that is a beta channel on Red Carpet, so maybe that isn't a fair comparison.
But if they are focusing more on Evolution, that's very good. Evolution is kind of like Gnumeric--it's a test bed. Unlike Gnumeric, which is nice and cool, Evolution is everyday-useful. People need it. People like it. People use it every day. And so, it serves as a better test bed for fleshing out Bonobo.
Some people might pu-sha that notion, but Bonobo is extremely important. It will provide the component and compound document model needed to give GNOME the next leap forward. Then GNOME can go from being a nice shell (which is all it is right now) to a fully intergrated desktop.
I'm a GNOME user, so I'm not dissing GNOME unnecessarily. I think GNOME has the right idea (except for the C instead of C++ part--grin). Right now, however, integration in GNOME isn't very slick. And slick is important. DnD that was actually useful as opposed to functional would be a huge step forward. Note that Nautilus is heavily Bonobo dependent as well.
Additionally, if Evolution becomes a full Outlook replacement (i.e. it can do everything Outlook does and can be used with Exchange servers just like a normal Outlook client), I think Ximian might have their killer app that puts them on the map permanently. Did you see the latest figures on how much of MS's revenue is from Office? It's something like 30% or more. Not that Ximian will suddenly get that kind of money, but the money shows how important Office-like apps are.
Now if only AbiWord would take off, I'd be damn happy!
That just sums it all up, doesn't? Raise your hand if you worked for a company like that. :-)
Q: How do you see these acquisitions as helping Red Hat and its position in the market?
I've yet to find any OO programer (C, C++, Java, whatever) who doesn't dig patterns. It's like adding a whole level of abstraction and abbreviation to your conversations. When you say "factory method" the other guy instantly knows what you are getting at.
But then perhaps you meant something else?
Wow. What a simple explaination. Who would have guessed that panic and allegations were not needed in this case?
I think you need to take a look at Windows Media Player. It is quickly outstripping RA. And it is included with Windows. You can get free updates for it simply and painlessly with Win98.
Will RA be around in a year? Maybe. Probably not doing as well, I'd wager. Has WinMP killed their market? Yep.
Now what is the cause? Well, there it gets complicated. The bundling is a big part. It really is killing them. The other part, however, is total irony--Microsoft is trying to use more open standards. They release the specs for their codecs, and then drive the codec via WMP platform bundling. The MS ASF format is much better than RA's format--better compression, better quality. A good thing.
So is MS innovating or destroying? A little of both. And that is why they are sooo damn effective. Anyone who says MS doesn't innovate is a fool. But anyone who thinks they get there on technical merit is equally a fool.
The REAL issue in all of this is: do Microsoft applicactions get an unfair advantage by being created by the company that makes AND ships the OS? I think the answer is clear: yes.
Could RA get bundled with the default installation of Windows 98--I doubt it. And there is the difference. Yes, RA let down their guard and got upstaged. But how do they compete with the Juggernaut that is "comes with Windows 98 Free!" ? Support the format? No--that will only kill them. The real competition is minshare--and MS has the lock on that, because it is their platform. Yes, I use Linux. But I also realize that Windows is pretty much the only game in town for 95% of computer users.
I have had this idea for a while, but it is taking me longer to implement it.
Enter a non-profit/profit company combo. It teaches, instructs, and mentors young under-privileged children in IT skills (specifically programming). It then turns around and seeks business support from the community: i.e. a local business has the company build their website for a cut rate, and the company uses the local kids exclusively for the project. Kids then get work experience and knowledge. The key focus being training the kids and getting them work experience--not necessarily profit. It wouldn't be the latest greatest way to make millions.
Perhaps I am idealistic AND stupid, but this seems like an effective way to reverse the tide a little bit. Local programmers could volunteer time for instruction, whereas someone would have to work full-time for the company to take care of project management.
But now Microsoft has basically said he's evil. Which I'm sure, deep down in his heart, he has been waiting for. :-)
HOWEVER, perhaps you are looking in the wrong place.
Disc 2:/preview/RPMS/kernel-2.4.0.*
It is all right there. I found it by reading the README :-)
Now perhaps it wasn't in the installer. But then Red Hat makes a commercial distribution, and they have all sorts of users installing Red Hat. Perhaps they were afraid of people installing a kernel that doesn't support everything. I tried it on mine, and the snapshot (pre1, I think) doesn't do Symbios based SCSI cards (my Fireport 40 didn't work).
With GnoRPM, you have an easy way to install it. Granted, installing kernels isn't for the faint of heart, but then neither is 2.4-pre!
Pardon my first post if it was a bit negative, but as you can see, the kernel is right there, right on the CD. And it is documented in the README and features list. That's how I found it. Reading your post about a lack of 2.4 along with all the other Red Hat bashing in this article seemed to indicate that you were just bashing with no knowledge. Maybe you just were misinformed.
Perhaps you don't read READMEs :-)
You have got to be kidding me. You are taking issue with what features they choose to include and exclude? That is the WHOLE POINT of distributions! They have features. They differ in what they offer. The distributions have been that way for 3 years now. What, can't a company decide what features their OWN product has to offer? Remember, those RPMs don't compile themselves.
What the heck are you talking about? Have you even used RedHat 7.0? 7.0 has USB support. Who else has USB support? RH7 has X4. Who else (before 7) has X4? It has improved security packages and more manageable setups for servers and workstations--things users have been demanding. So how exactly are they ignoring customers?
As for the other things they should have included: they HAVE 2.4 kernel RPMS. I ask again, have you even looked at RH7? I installed the RPMS and gave them a whirl. So what distrib are you using? ReiserFS is not in the distrib, but can easily be added to RedHat.
I'd like to give you the benefit of the doubt, but you appear to have no idea what you are talking about. Have you even used the distribution? If not, why do you feel the need to make a whole lot of noise when you don't have your facts straight?
I am soooo sick and tired of all the baseless Red Hat bashing that takes place on Slashdot. It is not Slashdot (the website) itself, but the hoards of people who want their 15 seconds of fame for having "gave it to the man" in a post. Slashdot is supposed to be a place where we discuss things and offer something of value. Just spouting stuff at random does no one any good.
Plus you end up looking silly.
"How can this be!?!" you cry.
Because I use Linux and I have yet to find a way to get Mozilla nightlies to use Java. And I need the Java support along with all the plugins and such.
That being said, I have both Mozilla installed and N6. When I hit a page that needs java, I crank up N6. But I use Mozilla for everything else. As soon as Mozilla gets all the plugins and Java I will be able to remove both N4 and N6. I know N6 is supposed to suck, suck, suck, but I have found it to be pretty good. Mozilla Nightlies are buggy too. Using N6 is like using a milestone build instead of a nightly. It just has the advantage of Java support and a few extras that are from AOL/Netscape.
While Jon might be wrong about the "scary scenario", there is a frightening trend. What you just described is just as frightening: the Brave New World Scenario. While not the scary totalitarians of 1984, the masters of "A Brave New World" are just as frightening--if not more.
I think Aldous Huxley was more on the mark than Orwell when he wrote ABNW. Just as much intolerance, but hidden beneath social patterns and machinery that makes it all seem sooo natural.
Cultural Valium, Soma, whatever it is--that which keeps us from seeing the reality of who and what we are is still a danger. I recommend everyone read both 1984 and A Brave New World.
If you vote for either of these guys, you are just plain nuts.
The president cannot enact tax legislation--only the legislature can do that.
Eliminate income tax. You have to be kidding me. You really do. I mean, I was dubious about Bush's plan, but that is just insane. Do you have any concept of what would happen? How many seniors (that's your grandma and grandpa) would be on the street, dying because they don't have ANY money now to try and buy drugs. Who care about Drug Plans if you don't have ANY money? What about underprivileged groups and populations? I guess it is their fault they are poor? Oh no, I get it--it's because they pay sooo much in income tax!
I hate my tax rate. It is very high. But in an country that has built so much infrastructure (or cruft, whatever), you can't just eliminate it.
If you think you can, I am shocked at your naivety. The fact that these canidates are popular with this crowd only further proves my theories on geek crowds: they are different just because they want to be different.
Flame away, I really don't care. These canidates are so shocking in their plans that I am stunned that so many of you are behind them. I hate the leading canidates and only half agree with my favorite. But these people are just bad for this country.
(And I thought I had Libertarian leanings. Thank you, Slashdot, for curing me of that illusion.)