If you're so concerned about security, either A) don't use public terminals at all or B) set up a proxy email account that you use ONLY while you're away. Use forwarding from your normal account to deliver mail, and turn it off when you return home. It's not totally secure, but if someone gets your password they will only get a few emails instead of your entire archive.
From what I've seen, there's a huge variety of internet-cafe machines out there. You can't count on being able to read data, much less execute a program, from a USB keychain or CD.
I'm 30 years old, and I've been using Microsoft operating systems for most of my life, since MS-DOS 3.x. A decade ago, I used to say things like "I won't even touch an Apple computer unless it's "touching" with a hammer as hard as I can". I hated macs and continued to do so, vehemently, up until about four years ago when I needed to get a mac to run proprietary graphics software. Less than six months ago, I shutdown my trusty PC rig that I mad maintained for a good five or six years, and put it to rest in my closet. I haven't looked back.
The simple fact is that Microsoft really f***** up with Vista. I won't be using it because it's garbage. If the next version of Windows is good, sure, I'll consider coming back over. But for now? No way.
This story isn't unique to me --- several of my friends who also grew up as PC nerds have also "switched" and have been singing ever since. I'm not a fan boy, but it's just absurd how awful Vista is. MS needs to wake up and hire some professional UI, design, and experience engineers to come in there and clean house. If they already have some, then the red tape is preventing them from doing good work. EIther way, the result is poor craftsmanship.
actually this isn't the toothpaste i was talking about, even though the name is identical. the stuff she bought was
this. come on, tell me this isn't ridiculous. i even tried it, and my teeth still felt dirty after using it, like i had just brushed using only water. she also wanted to spend $18,000 on a "quantum" healing device. and a $15,000 "quantum" water purifier. ad inf.
My last girlfriend was VERY into all of that kind of stuff, and I had the same attitude as you for as long as possible. However, there did come a point where those irrational, new age beliefs began to affect our relationship in a bad way. i.e., She started to use those things as justifications for behavior like doing whatever she wanted, like sleeping with other people, doing drugs, spending money recklessly on things like quantum toothpaste or other snake oil things. Astrology and new age stuff is used by a lot of people as a crutch for understanding the world in a childish way, very much like any other religion. But at least Christianity etc at least come with some kind of universal moral code of ethics for behavior! I think astrology and other mystic arts are interesting and can be good if they're used in a healthy productive way, but beware of people who immerse themselves in it to avoid dealing with reality!
... how much demand there is for an open platform, for service providers and applications. I already have an AT&T account, but the closed nature of the iPhone is what made me decide not to buy it as a replacement for my blackberry.
In my estimation, Jobs really blew it by not opening up the hardware with a public, free-as-in-beer API. Maybe there's a larger strategy at work where they will release it later, after it's been hacked, so they can adjust the technology to suit their business needs: fair enough, I guess. However, just like the PSP, I'll be waiting until there's enough of an underground community supporting third party apps AND open service provisions before I submit my hard earned money.
I saw an interview with Steve Jobs a few weeks ago where he said that a phone shouldn't be like a computer, where you can install applications as you like, because of the fragility of the platform and OS: you wouldn't want your phone to lock up like a computer does when you install something that's broken. How many "casual" users are going to do this? Very few.
As much as I respect him for what he's done for society and its relationship with computers, this seems like an extremely out of touch perspective.
Sorry, Mr. Jobs. It's a computer. Start treating it like one before you make another colossal mistake!
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i like the idea of putting up raytraced art, but it can be tough to find tasteful CG art. i've always been a fan of giles tran.
PLEASE do not put up any fractals or 3d plots. it's a disservice to CS.
If you're so concerned about security, either A) don't use public terminals at all or B) set up a proxy email account that you use ONLY while you're away. Use forwarding from your normal account to deliver mail, and turn it off when you return home. It's not totally secure, but if someone gets your password they will only get a few emails instead of your entire archive.
From what I've seen, there's a huge variety of internet-cafe machines out there. You can't count on being able to read data, much less execute a program, from a USB keychain or CD.
I'm 30 years old, and I've been using Microsoft operating systems for most of my life, since MS-DOS 3.x. A decade ago, I used to say things like "I won't even touch an Apple computer unless it's "touching" with a hammer as hard as I can". I hated macs and continued to do so, vehemently, up until about four years ago when I needed to get a mac to run proprietary graphics software. Less than six months ago, I shutdown my trusty PC rig that I mad maintained for a good five or six years, and put it to rest in my closet. I haven't looked back.
The simple fact is that Microsoft really f***** up with Vista. I won't be using it because it's garbage. If the next version of Windows is good, sure, I'll consider coming back over. But for now? No way.
This story isn't unique to me --- several of my friends who also grew up as PC nerds have also "switched" and have been singing ever since. I'm not a fan boy, but it's just absurd how awful Vista is. MS needs to wake up and hire some professional UI, design, and experience engineers to come in there and clean house. If they already have some, then the red tape is preventing them from doing good work. EIther way, the result is poor craftsmanship.
actually this isn't the toothpaste i was talking about, even though the name is identical. the stuff she bought was this. come on, tell me this isn't ridiculous. i even tried it, and my teeth still felt dirty after using it, like i had just brushed using only water. she also wanted to spend $18,000 on a "quantum" healing device. and a $15,000 "quantum" water purifier. ad inf.
My last girlfriend was VERY into all of that kind of stuff, and I had the same attitude as you for as long as possible. However, there did come a point where those irrational, new age beliefs began to affect our relationship in a bad way. i.e., She started to use those things as justifications for behavior like doing whatever she wanted, like sleeping with other people, doing drugs, spending money recklessly on things like quantum toothpaste or other snake oil things. Astrology and new age stuff is used by a lot of people as a crutch for understanding the world in a childish way, very much like any other religion. But at least Christianity etc at least come with some kind of universal moral code of ethics for behavior! I think astrology and other mystic arts are interesting and can be good if they're used in a healthy productive way, but beware of people who immerse themselves in it to avoid dealing with reality!
I did some mart art work awhile ago, based on Daubechies' scaling functions. Check it out: The Strangers Series.
What about people who don't own cars, and/or live in the city --- where walking, biking, or public transit is the preferred method of transit?
YES! MARS.EXE was indeed tight. I used to load that up regularly and fly around. I always wished someone had made a video game out of that landscape.
... how much demand there is for an open platform, for service providers and applications. I already have an AT&T account, but the closed nature of the iPhone is what made me decide not to buy it as a replacement for my blackberry.
In my estimation, Jobs really blew it by not opening up the hardware with a public, free-as-in-beer API. Maybe there's a larger strategy at work where they will release it later, after it's been hacked, so they can adjust the technology to suit their business needs: fair enough, I guess. However, just like the PSP, I'll be waiting until there's enough of an underground community supporting third party apps AND open service provisions before I submit my hard earned money.
I saw an interview with Steve Jobs a few weeks ago where he said that a phone shouldn't be like a computer, where you can install applications as you like, because of the fragility of the platform and OS: you wouldn't want your phone to lock up like a computer does when you install something that's broken. How many "casual" users are going to do this? Very few.
As much as I respect him for what he's done for society and its relationship with computers, this seems like an extremely out of touch perspective.
Sorry, Mr. Jobs. It's a computer. Start treating it like one before you make another colossal mistake!