Here's my anecdotal report--I've found that real-life Ethernet speeds are lower than theoretical maximums, but there's an even larger difference between real-life and theoretical maximum wireless network speeds. Wireless is fine if you are sharing an internet connection or small files, but if I need to transfer large files, I either use an external drive, or plug both machines into the twisted-pair.
I prefer wired networks for most business installations because I've encountered applications that, when faced with a momentary drop (a second or two) in the wireless connection (which will happen occasionally), hang up. I know a lot of people use wireless because it's easy to set up, but if you have a desktop machine that has a semi-permanent home, I think wired is more reliable and, in some applications, noticeably faster.
Suffice it to say that I've never made regular use of a VPN over the wireless part of a network.
If they are only charging $20 per month for data, I'm sure you won't be able to tether your laptop on that rate plan (or, if you do tether it, they will start charging per KB--this is what Cingular has done in the past)... I wonder if they are still applying (very noticeable) compression to picture files on the Cingular/AT&T side of the network--they used to do this, too.
The truth is, it needs a really powerful battery. I can run my iPod nano battery down halfway in one day of off-and-on use, if I'm switching songs a lot (which turns on the backlight, draining the battery). My Motorola cell phone battery will last through two or three days of normal use. Imagine putting them both in one device, and without a really good battery, it will need to be charged at least once a day.
One of the things I look forward to is that the iPhone will have a battery display like the iPod (which appears to go down in about 10% increments) as opposed to my Motorola's battery display, which has only three bars. (If you go into the menu on the Motorola, and go to the battery information, it will display either 2/6, 4/6, or 6/6, depending on the status of the three bars. WTF? Why not use 1/3, 2/3, and 3/3 if your battery display is that imprecise? Awful design that gives the false impression of precision...)
I am currently studying for the bar exam (at the end of July). There is a one-day-long multiple-choice component in most states (including mine), a standardized national test. Every state that I know of also has at least a one-day-long essay component that is graded by an actual human, and many states also have a one-day-long performance test. So admission to the bar is not governed by just a multiple choice test.
"...any company that makes even the smallest error..."
Umm, ever hear of Microsoft? They may be one of the world's most hated companies, but their customers haven't turned on them in droves. A handful have switched to OS X or Linux, but for the most part people still use MS products.
Gee, I'm sorry if the above was "flamebait," but Slashdot really needs to stop accepting Rolland Piquepaille's submissions, as his only mission in life appears to be spamming Slashdot with story submissions. Really, if someone else submitted the same story, why would one or more Slashdot editors consistently choose Rolland's submission over someone else's?
I remember buying a Kid Rock CD back in 1998 (no comments from the peanut gallery, please) and listening to it in my car (with a mediocre stereo) as well as my better-sounding home stereo. I remember thinking to myself that the album sounded as if it were edited to sound good on a crappy radio.
If it's a real fax machine on the other end, and there's someone near it, they'll probably hit the "hang up" button, so you may have to redial. Not that I've done this before or anything.
"Smart" keyfobs for modern cars which include the keyless remote in the same module as the key tend to run in the $100-200 range. Adding keyless ignition capability to a $200 module doesn't make the fob part cost any more...
I am in favor of these types of systems for two reasons--one, it's convenient to be able to enter, start, and drive the car without taking your keys out of your pocket, and two, there are no keys dangling from the dash or steering column in prime position to gouge or mangle your knee should you ever be in a crash.
...used to be a good radio station that played stuff that you didn't hear on mainstream radio. That said, I hate that stupid anti-right-click Javascript code, and think that its use is the last refuge of scoundrels. I often use the right click context menu to go back or forward, and the stupid Javascript code impedes efficient navigation of a website.
If someone wants to copy your photos, HTML source code, or whatever, that won't stop them.
Panic! Shock! Terror! Cancel your Google accounts and your.Mac subscriptions NOW! Don't you know they'll be obsolete in ten years? While you're at it, throw away your cell phone, PDA, computer, printer, and clothes, because they'll be obsolete in ten years too.
I've read about that. Proper repair of a BGA chip requires special equipment. A backyard repair requires only a candle, blowtorch, or heat gun. There are some backyard repairs I'm comfortable with because I think they should provide dependable results, but this isn't one of them. I might do it on my own non-critical machine, but when a client comes to me with a borked iBook, I advise replacement of the logic board.
I recently saw an iBook G3 lose its video for the second time. The first time, it was covered under Apple's silent recall or whatever you want to call it. Now that the "updated, improved, and fixed" logic board has broken (in the same manner), there is no warranty (silent or otherwise) left.
The video chip is a ball-grid-array chip and requires special equipment to properly reseat. The chip in the linked article is one that could be reseated by a hobbyist--I'm not sure if that one is specific to iBook G4s, or if other chips (besides the video chip) frequently become unseated.
I wonder how delicate these things are? In Germany, if you damage a piece of guardrail (Armco), you are required to pay to replace it--and if you don't report it, the penalties are stiff. Seems fair enough, but I'm not sure law enforcement in the US has the manpower or the backbone to enforce such a system.
I'll believe it when I see it. Also, I hope it has a keyboard mounted to it. I like the size and weight, but want an ultraportable with a keyboard--I don't "do" tablets.
I figured Apple would be the first to market with a flash-based laptop.
Also, a 1.8" drive? Couldn't they fit more storage capacity in a 2.5" drive (the size that most notebooks use? I'm sure it would come at a much higher price than $549, but some people would buy it.
Slashdot Mirror
Roland Piquepaille needs to be banned from Slashdot and CNet. His license to have an online presence should be revoked.
Here's my anecdotal report--I've found that real-life Ethernet speeds are lower than theoretical maximums, but there's an even larger difference between real-life and theoretical maximum wireless network speeds. Wireless is fine if you are sharing an internet connection or small files, but if I need to transfer large files, I either use an external drive, or plug both machines into the twisted-pair.
I prefer wired networks for most business installations because I've encountered applications that, when faced with a momentary drop (a second or two) in the wireless connection (which will happen occasionally), hang up. I know a lot of people use wireless because it's easy to set up, but if you have a desktop machine that has a semi-permanent home, I think wired is more reliable and, in some applications, noticeably faster.
Suffice it to say that I've never made regular use of a VPN over the wireless part of a network.
If they are only charging $20 per month for data, I'm sure you won't be able to tether your laptop on that rate plan (or, if you do tether it, they will start charging per KB--this is what Cingular has done in the past)... I wonder if they are still applying (very noticeable) compression to picture files on the Cingular/AT&T side of the network--they used to do this, too.
Maybe the fifth gen will actually let you make and receive phone calls!
The truth is, it needs a really powerful battery. I can run my iPod nano battery down halfway in one day of off-and-on use, if I'm switching songs a lot (which turns on the backlight, draining the battery). My Motorola cell phone battery will last through two or three days of normal use. Imagine putting them both in one device, and without a really good battery, it will need to be charged at least once a day.
One of the things I look forward to is that the iPhone will have a battery display like the iPod (which appears to go down in about 10% increments) as opposed to my Motorola's battery display, which has only three bars. (If you go into the menu on the Motorola, and go to the battery information, it will display either 2/6, 4/6, or 6/6, depending on the status of the three bars. WTF? Why not use 1/3, 2/3, and 3/3 if your battery display is that imprecise? Awful design that gives the false impression of precision...)
I am currently studying for the bar exam (at the end of July). There is a one-day-long multiple-choice component in most states (including mine), a standardized national test. Every state that I know of also has at least a one-day-long essay component that is graded by an actual human, and many states also have a one-day-long performance test. So admission to the bar is not governed by just a multiple choice test.
"...any company that makes even the smallest error..."
Umm, ever hear of Microsoft? They may be one of the world's most hated companies, but their customers haven't turned on them in droves. A handful have switched to OS X or Linux, but for the most part people still use MS products.
You and me both. Slashdot is dying. Digg is not a viable alternative, as it seems to be populated by the mentally handicapped.
Gee, I'm sorry if the above was "flamebait," but Slashdot really needs to stop accepting Rolland Piquepaille's submissions, as his only mission in life appears to be spamming Slashdot with story submissions. Really, if someone else submitted the same story, why would one or more Slashdot editors consistently choose Rolland's submission over someone else's?
I remember buying a Kid Rock CD back in 1998 (no comments from the peanut gallery, please) and listening to it in my car (with a mediocre stereo) as well as my better-sounding home stereo. I remember thinking to myself that the album sounded as if it were edited to sound good on a crappy radio.
See subject. Can we please revoke Rolland from Slashdot?
I'm surprised they released it. National security and all.
Please tag the article "boycottroland." How do you get a user banned from Slashdot?
If it's a real fax machine on the other end, and there's someone near it, they'll probably hit the "hang up" button, so you may have to redial. Not that I've done this before or anything.
"Smart" keyfobs for modern cars which include the keyless remote in the same module as the key tend to run in the $100-200 range. Adding keyless ignition capability to a $200 module doesn't make the fob part cost any more...
I am in favor of these types of systems for two reasons--one, it's convenient to be able to enter, start, and drive the car without taking your keys out of your pocket, and two, there are no keys dangling from the dash or steering column in prime position to gouge or mangle your knee should you ever be in a crash.
I thought the title read, "Gates and Jobs to share a cage."
Censorial bastards! They deserve the same karmic fate as XM--a two-day outage. How will the world cope with a two-day Google outage?
Despite the power struggles, Slashdot and Wikipedia are steal pretty cool websites. You can still content from them and put it up on your own blog.
...used to be a good radio station that played stuff that you didn't hear on mainstream radio. That said, I hate that stupid anti-right-click Javascript code, and think that its use is the last refuge of scoundrels. I often use the right click context menu to go back or forward, and the stupid Javascript code impedes efficient navigation of a website.
If someone wants to copy your photos, HTML source code, or whatever, that won't stop them.
Panic! Shock! Terror! Cancel your Google accounts and your .Mac subscriptions NOW! Don't you know they'll be obsolete in ten years? While you're at it, throw away your cell phone, PDA, computer, printer, and clothes, because they'll be obsolete in ten years too.
I've read about that. Proper repair of a BGA chip requires special equipment. A backyard repair requires only a candle, blowtorch, or heat gun. There are some backyard repairs I'm comfortable with because I think they should provide dependable results, but this isn't one of them. I might do it on my own non-critical machine, but when a client comes to me with a borked iBook, I advise replacement of the logic board.
I recently saw an iBook G3 lose its video for the second time. The first time, it was covered under Apple's silent recall or whatever you want to call it. Now that the "updated, improved, and fixed" logic board has broken (in the same manner), there is no warranty (silent or otherwise) left.
The video chip is a ball-grid-array chip and requires special equipment to properly reseat. The chip in the linked article is one that could be reseated by a hobbyist--I'm not sure if that one is specific to iBook G4s, or if other chips (besides the video chip) frequently become unseated.
I wonder how delicate these things are? In Germany, if you damage a piece of guardrail (Armco), you are required to pay to replace it--and if you don't report it, the penalties are stiff. Seems fair enough, but I'm not sure law enforcement in the US has the manpower or the backbone to enforce such a system.
I'll believe it when I see it. Also, I hope it has a keyboard mounted to it. I like the size and weight, but want an ultraportable with a keyboard--I don't "do" tablets.
I figured Apple would be the first to market with a flash-based laptop.
Also, a 1.8" drive? Couldn't they fit more storage capacity in a 2.5" drive (the size that most notebooks use? I'm sure it would come at a much higher price than $549, but some people would buy it.