My main problem with this article is with Seamus Blackley opening up his mouth.
I'll be honest - the Xbox has some cool ideas to it - I like the hard drive, I like the speed, and the graphics look nice. That Mr. Blackley can be proud of.
On the other hand, can somebody please tell me what game Mr. Blackley has made that was actually fun? Trespasser? (Lord, God, protect us.)
Mr. Blackley is a very good technical person and programmer - when it comes to things like physics, or making complex systems work, he's somebody to talk to.
The problem is he obviously does not know jack shit about what makes a fun game - him spouting off about how Miyamato is maintaining gaming stereotypes is the stupidest thing I've ever seen.
Miyamato has spent almost 20 years making games that are fun - always different, usually surprising and innovative. What, we're going to critique Miyazaki because he makes Spirited Away instead of "Animated Blood, Gore and Guts II"?
Miyamato has the freedom to make whatever games he likes - and I know this sounds fanboyish, but I like them. I have yet to play one that I didn't enjoy, that didn't give me hours of fun and wild-eyed enjoyment, sometimes fast and frantic (Starfox), sometimes thoughtful (Mario Brothers Sunshine), sometimes just beautiful (Pikmin and Zelda: The Wind Waker), and sometimes epic (Zelda: The Ocarina of Time).
I like a good violent romp as much as the next gamer - but when I want to play a game that does more than push my adrenaline button, you always come home to Miyamato. And I honestly thing that Mr. Blackley is a little bit jealous of that - because when the time comes, Blackley will be a footnote of gaming history, and Miyamato will be an entire book in itself.
As I seem to recall (and people from New York feel free to correct me on this), one of the things that Rudy Guiliani [sic] did was have the police start ticketing people who jaywalked.
The result? Overall reduction in crime - since if you were going to be caught for the little things, odds are you were going to be caught for doing a big thing (selling drugs, etc). And it made the police highly visible - and the one thing I remembered from my old criminal law classes (before I ditched law) - the likelyhood of getting caught for a crime is a far greater deterance than the punishment of a crime.
I have to agree - if we have a system that busted people for crimes - regardless of the "level" (no, I'm not suggesting death penalties for jaywalking, calm down, or a police state - just if a crime is obviously committed, like a bike theft **cough**like I went through once**cough**), go after it. Odds are, it would do more good in the long run by nipping these "small time" crooks in the bud before they ever become "big time".
I sell things on Ebay as well (usually old games that I'm done with) - and I don't do COD. Paypal - sure. Checks and money orders, but I wait until they clear before they ship.
I know we should be more trusting of people, but I've become convinced that 20% of the population is made of Assholes that can be trusted only as far as they can be shot.
Still, I have to admire his spirit tracking the guy down - if nothing else, that's one less asshole to worry about. Only 1 billion to go!
My only argument against that is the same one for Mac games: time.
I honestly believe that Loki fell, not because Linux geeks "don't want to buy software", but "don't want to buy 6-12 month old games". There's a huge difference. I have both a Win98 PC, a PowerMac, a PowerBook, and all 4 consoles (GC, Xbox, PS2, GBA).
Now, if I already have Max Payne for the PC, what's going to make me want to buy Max Payne for the Xbox - 6 months later? Or the Mac version - another 6 months after that?
Games are more of a "gimme now" effect - usually the first version of a game released for any console does the best. (Odds are, I'm willing to bet that the Xbox version of Dead to Rights will sell better than the PS2/GC versions, only because it preceeded the other two by 6 months or so).
So I'm afraid I can't accept your argument that Loki fell because "Slashdotters don't want to pay" - I've noticed that most Linux folks don't mind paying for things if they need to. So $50 for a game now, or $50 a year later for the same game that might or might not run on your favorite flavor of Linux (if you get it running at all - that was my biggest problem with Loki games - I could never get the Linux versions to run anyway because I'm not "elite" enough.
But that's just my opinion - there's a kernel of truth to your comment, but I think there are more factors than you were willing to look at.
While I think you're being a little harsh, I have agree with you on another level.
It seems to me that a lot of the new "Internet audio" companies that are endorsed by the major music industries have been overgoing a very slow and very painful evolution.
Phase 1: We've got music - but you can only listen via Windows and Internet Explorer, and you must be connected to the Internet for it to work.
Me: Fuck that - I'm an OS X geek.
Phase 2: All right, now we've got music you can download - but it only works on the original machine you bought it at, and you have to be connected to the Internet to make it work - and you have to be using Windows and Internet Explorer.
Me: Fuck that - have a Powerbook I like to put my music on, and I'm not always connected to the Internet.
Phase 3: How about this - you still need Windows and Internet Explorer, but we'll let you burn CD's - but you can't rip them to MP3.
Me: Fuck that - I've got an iPod, and I want to carry my music with me.
Next phase will probably be: All right, you can have portable music but only if you use a WMA file for it. And you have to pay a monthly subscription.
Me: Look, how about you offer each song I want for $1 to $2 each (depending on newness of the song, length, etc) at 64-320 bits MP3 encryption, and keep a record of what I've bought so I can downoad it whenever I want.
Them: But...you might let others listen to it! Oh, well, - I guess that online music sales don't work. We tried.
Used to be I would never own a console. Not gonna happen, not gonna do it - my PC is faster, better, has a hard drive -
Then I played Final Fantasy VII, and got hooked into consoles. Now, I prefer them. Why? True plug in play.
Buy/Rent game. Insert into PS2/GameCube/Xbox/Gameboy Advance. Turn on. Play.
That's it. Granted, there are some games that don't "console" real well - I'm still not sold on FPS games on the console (though the developers who make their games keyboard/mouse compatible get kudos in my book), and games like Starcraft are just not happening (though there are some wonderful turn based strategy games), but overall, my console gets a bigger workout than my PC does for games these days.
What would make it better? Well, I wouldn't mind if Sony would make the PS3 with a built in hard drive (goodbye, memory cards!) and keep the USB (for keyboard/mouse FPS, online games, and when they start making Command and Conquer style PS2 games that I like), and include a VGA output by default (or a real adapter rather than a third party hack). Then I could just plug it into a monitor, and the only computers I'd really need would be my PowerMac and my Linux Server in the corner.
I think the main benefit to this surgury would be for those who have either been in accidents (fire, etc - one case comes to mind of a man who had to have 60% of his face removed because of a fungal infection), or those with certain birth defects at birth.
But there would have to be some caution here. I think the last thing we want is something out of "The Man With Two Brains" - somebody kills Antonio Banderas, and next thing you know his face has been transplanted.
Makes you wonder if cremations for famous people will become more popular. Hm.
Just about - there is a Mac client, but only for OS 9. Guys like me who "switched" from Linux/Windows when OS X came out are pretty much left out in the cold. (The OS 9 Liquid Audio client doesn't even run under Classic!)
Good lord - why can't they just let me download a friggin' MP3 file when I purchase music? How am I suppose to get some good old Tori Amos ear lovin' otherwise? (Well, other than the CD's I bought and turned into MP3, but still - I'd like to save those plastic trees;) ).
Their Liquid Audio player for Mac does not run under OS X, nor does it even run under Classic!
Now, I know that Apple is obviously the Big Evil One to Hollywood because they allow *gasp* MP3's by default with iTunes, but come on, people.
I want to see a song I like. I want to pay $1 or $2 for said song. I want to either put song on a music CD (they can mail me the CD, I don't mind), or put the song right on my iPod.
This should not be difficult. But it is - because the music company is so concerned with *their* wants rather than *my* wants.
"We believe we have certain rights as a corporation to use this information,"
Well, then I have no problem telling Verizon to GET THE FUCK OFF MY PHONE. Then again, I don't have to deal with Verizon, because I think they're a bunch of tools, so I don't do business with them.
Of course, you've got Joe Sixpack who doesn't know why his telemarketing calls are about to increase - oh, well.
Question: Is Transformers considered Anime? If not, why not? What exactly qualifies a cartoon as Anime?
Ah, the magic question. There have been debates about this between anime fans for some time.
Some would argue that only animated films from Japan would be considered anime, other's would say that it's the style - the large, expressive eyes.
I've talked to some who consider some shows to be anime - like branding The Matrix and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon to be "live-action" anime.
Personally, I define "anime" as being related to the style - again, the large, expressive eyes, usually made in Japan but not always, often (but not always) dealing with subjects suitable for the 12 and older group.
Just my $0.02. And yes, I agree - The Matrix is live-action anime with plenty of Judeo-Christianity imagry.
This is proof that Apple still has a ways to go. If their changes were that radical, nobody would wait for "...next time I buy a computer.." and would actually do it NOW.
Ah, yes. Of course. Everybody has a spare $1000-$2000 laying about for no other reason to buy a computer NOW.
And as far as the dating girl comment - wild guess. You don't date much, right? (No, I'm not trying to be mean, it just seems like the most nonsensical explanation I've ever seen.)
Re:Next Up in the Obvious Category...
on
Design Patterns
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· Score: 3, Insightful
Considering that the book uses pieces that are over 7 years old in a world where technology changes every few months, this review was useful to me - it told me that the information was still useful, valid, and actually might help my programming skills.
So no, I don't believe it was obvious at all - considering that I hadn't even heard of the book until today. (Yes, let the flames commence - I must be a bad, awful programmer because I haven't read some book.)
Good point on the obsolecence - I'm not that big into "replace my phone every year", but that could be an interesting point.
Then again, who knows - Nintendo has been known to come out with new Gameboy models every so often, so it probably wouldn't be that hard to come up with new phone factors around that idea.
But it all depends on if its economically feasable. Last I checked, Nintendo doesn't seem to do anything without a good chance it will make money. (Yes, they are innovative and take risks - but you notice that very little that they invest in is so far out there it won't give them back money *now*.)
Good news - but I want better
on
Sega + Nokia = True
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· Score: 5, Insightful
The phone itself looks good for games with the D-pad, and I'm assuming you use the number pad for the button controls. This will probably be good for games like Super Monkey Ball and the like.
But...I still want something more.
I personally wouldn't mind a Gameboy Advance phone (with a backlight, damn it). This would be great for games like Pokemon, or a multiplayer version of Final Fantasy Tactics, Advance Wars, or other cool games - or even more staple style, like Hearts/Chess/Checkers, etc. Add a Gamespy/Battlenet style "find an opponent" feature, and you can have conviencience and online gaming - and if they get voice *and* data to work, you can talk to your opponent while you play.
Granted, I'm not a big fan of "online games for online gaming sake" (I hate most MMRPG's), but this would a) drive up them minutes for the phone company, and b) could actually be kind of fun depending on how they did it.
Real doesn't have to use GNU - and while I prefer GNU in most cases, they can do a simple "business vs personal" licensing system. People who want access to the client - go ahead, knock yourself out, code away. If you want access to the stuff that *makes* the RealPlayer files, the code might be out there - but if you're a business, be prepared to pay.
Now, I'm a business developing stuff. Do I go Quicktime/MS Media, where I can't see the code and it costs $$$, or go Real where I can see the code, and it's being improved (hopefully, granted) by all the Open Source fans out there who want to give it more powers.
Or Real can simply give away the code, and charge service for maintenance, adding new features, extra special versions for corporations, etc, etc, etc. There are companies now (Snort, Red Hat, etc) that use Open Source in that way and seem to be doing financially well.
Open Source doesn't have to mean suicide - if you're smart and wise about it.
My point is not that you can't dual boot Mac/Linux machines - Yellow Dog Linux running on a separate boot from OS X is a great example.
My query is if the author wants to build a Linux compatible PPC desktop (relatively easy), or build an OS X compatible laptop (relatively hard, and probably more expensive).
Is "do I want this to be Mac compatible, or Linux/someotherOS compatible".
The latter answer is the easier one - the former is harder, since you would have to find "official" Apple parts to make sure the OS talked nice to all the pieces.
While I have a lot of respect for Porche (though I'd never drive one of their cars - I'm just a "back and forth, no need to make up for my small penis size" car guy), I haven't seen much on this laptop compared to the Apple Titanium to make me give up my OS X slim box o' wonder.
The Porche box does not come with 802.11 b and Firewire installed, and is a pound heavier than the Apple Titanium. (Note I'm not putting in the whole "Runs OS X or Not argument.)
So while you can give props to Porche for "innovating" (what, hadn't you heard - innovation means "rip off what the other guy did only make it crappy), I don't see myself giving up my Unix command shell for this.
Look at the Web Comic phenemonon. Most of them stink - some person who thinks they can draw (and maybe they can) putting up a web site and expecting the world to flock to it.
But the true successes are spready by friends. "Hey, I saw this site called Sluggy Freelance, here's the link if you like it." "Hey, this Megatokyo guy can draw - whines too much, but I still like the artwork." "Real Life is pretty funny - he's got a grip on good humor. Etc, etc, etc.
Word of mouth works just as powerfully over the Internet as it does in meatspace - and that's what the RIAA truly fears. Right now, word of mouth only leads to one direction - into the RIAA. On the Internet, word of mouth leads to the entire world.
And don't you think that eventually, they'll be peer review sites and such on the Internet - something like the Keenspace of the web comic world? Artists who would link to other artists they liked? Working together to get sound booths to burn CD's, and distribute them? How long could Best Buy and Media Play hold out on *not* carrying these new artists CD's if one or two of them became incredibly popular?
I'm not saying the Internet is any kind of paradise for music distribution - but the potential to break out of the current oligarchy is a powerful enough incentive to at least try.
Of course, that's just my opinion. I could be wrong.
Oh, wait - that is incredible. You're ability to split a hair right down the center is truly incredible;).
Seriously - I was giving an example, and granted, not an exact one - find, KDE, Gnome, whatever - the point is that it would still be a great way to teach programming classes, while still have a benefit to the rest of the nation/world.
My assumption would be that this would make a great CS graduation project - and I'm being serious here. "Class, we're going to put dialect XYZ into the Linux code base. Now, how do we do this?"
Practical, teaches a good lesson, and helps make the system better.
Slashdot Mirror
My main problem with this article is with Seamus Blackley opening up his mouth.
I'll be honest - the Xbox has some cool ideas to it - I like the hard drive, I like the speed, and the graphics look nice. That Mr. Blackley can be proud of.
On the other hand, can somebody please tell me what game Mr. Blackley has made that was actually fun? Trespasser? (Lord, God, protect us.)
Mr. Blackley is a very good technical person and programmer - when it comes to things like physics, or making complex systems work, he's somebody to talk to.
The problem is he obviously does not know jack shit about what makes a fun game - him spouting off about how Miyamato is maintaining gaming stereotypes is the stupidest thing I've ever seen.
Miyamato has spent almost 20 years making games that are fun - always different, usually surprising and innovative. What, we're going to critique Miyazaki because he makes Spirited Away instead of "Animated Blood, Gore and Guts II"?
Miyamato has the freedom to make whatever games he likes - and I know this sounds fanboyish, but I like them. I have yet to play one that I didn't enjoy, that didn't give me hours of fun and wild-eyed enjoyment, sometimes fast and frantic (Starfox), sometimes thoughtful (Mario Brothers Sunshine), sometimes just beautiful (Pikmin and Zelda: The Wind Waker), and sometimes epic (Zelda: The Ocarina of Time).
I like a good violent romp as much as the next gamer - but when I want to play a game that does more than push my adrenaline button, you always come home to Miyamato. And I honestly thing that Mr. Blackley is a little bit jealous of that - because when the time comes, Blackley will be a footnote of gaming history, and Miyamato will be an entire book in itself.
Of course, I could be wrong.
As I seem to recall (and people from New York feel free to correct me on this), one of the things that Rudy Guiliani [sic] did was have the police start ticketing people who jaywalked.
The result? Overall reduction in crime - since if you were going to be caught for the little things, odds are you were going to be caught for doing a big thing (selling drugs, etc). And it made the police highly visible - and the one thing I remembered from my old criminal law classes (before I ditched law) - the likelyhood of getting caught for a crime is a far greater deterance than the punishment of a crime.
I have to agree - if we have a system that busted people for crimes - regardless of the "level" (no, I'm not suggesting death penalties for jaywalking, calm down, or a police state - just if a crime is obviously committed, like a bike theft **cough**like I went through once**cough**), go after it. Odds are, it would do more good in the long run by nipping these "small time" crooks in the bud before they ever become "big time".
I sell things on Ebay as well (usually old games that I'm done with) - and I don't do COD. Paypal - sure. Checks and money orders, but I wait until they clear before they ship.
I know we should be more trusting of people, but I've become convinced that 20% of the population is made of Assholes that can be trusted only as far as they can be shot.
Still, I have to admire his spirit tracking the guy down - if nothing else, that's one less asshole to worry about. Only 1 billion to go!
My only argument against that is the same one for Mac games: time.
I honestly believe that Loki fell, not because Linux geeks "don't want to buy software", but "don't want to buy 6-12 month old games". There's a huge difference. I have both a Win98 PC, a PowerMac, a PowerBook, and all 4 consoles (GC, Xbox, PS2, GBA).
Now, if I already have Max Payne for the PC, what's going to make me want to buy Max Payne for the Xbox - 6 months later? Or the Mac version - another 6 months after that?
Games are more of a "gimme now" effect - usually the first version of a game released for any console does the best. (Odds are, I'm willing to bet that the Xbox version of Dead to Rights will sell better than the PS2/GC versions, only because it preceeded the other two by 6 months or so).
So I'm afraid I can't accept your argument that Loki fell because "Slashdotters don't want to pay" - I've noticed that most Linux folks don't mind paying for things if they need to. So $50 for a game now, or $50 a year later for the same game that might or might not run on your favorite flavor of Linux (if you get it running at all - that was my biggest problem with Loki games - I could never get the Linux versions to run anyway because I'm not "elite" enough.
But that's just my opinion - there's a kernel of truth to your comment, but I think there are more factors than you were willing to look at.
While I think you're being a little harsh, I have agree with you on another level.
It seems to me that a lot of the new "Internet audio" companies that are endorsed by the major music industries have been overgoing a very slow and very painful evolution.
Phase 1: We've got music - but you can only listen via Windows and Internet Explorer, and you must be connected to the Internet for it to work.
Me: Fuck that - I'm an OS X geek.
Phase 2: All right, now we've got music you can download - but it only works on the original machine you bought it at, and you have to be connected to the Internet to make it work - and you have to be using Windows and Internet Explorer.
Me: Fuck that - have a Powerbook I like to put my music on, and I'm not always connected to the Internet.
Phase 3: How about this - you still need Windows and Internet Explorer, but we'll let you burn CD's - but you can't rip them to MP3.
Me: Fuck that - I've got an iPod, and I want to carry my music with me.
Next phase will probably be: All right, you can have portable music but only if you use a WMA file for it. And you have to pay a monthly subscription.
Me: Look, how about you offer each song I want for $1 to $2 each (depending on newness of the song, length, etc) at 64-320 bits MP3 encryption, and keep a record of what I've bought so I can downoad it whenever I want.
Them: But...you might let others listen to it! Oh, well, - I guess that online music sales don't work. We tried.
Me: Arrrrgggghhhh!
Wait - you mean having an Intel processor will make my 56K modem surf the Internet at lightning speeds?
Damn - good bye, PowerMac!
(For the humor impaired: This is a joke. I have DSL. Thank you for playing.)
Used to be I would never own a console. Not gonna happen, not gonna do it - my PC is faster, better, has a hard drive -
Then I played Final Fantasy VII, and got hooked into consoles. Now, I prefer them. Why? True plug in play.
Buy/Rent game.
Insert into PS2/GameCube/Xbox/Gameboy Advance.
Turn on.
Play.
That's it. Granted, there are some games that don't "console" real well - I'm still not sold on FPS games on the console (though the developers who make their games keyboard/mouse compatible get kudos in my book), and games like Starcraft are just not happening (though there are some wonderful turn based strategy games), but overall, my console gets a bigger workout than my PC does for games these days.
What would make it better? Well, I wouldn't mind if Sony would make the PS3 with a built in hard drive (goodbye, memory cards!) and keep the USB (for keyboard/mouse FPS, online games, and when they start making Command and Conquer style PS2 games that I like), and include a VGA output by default (or a real adapter rather than a third party hack). Then I could just plug it into a monitor, and the only computers I'd really need would be my PowerMac and my Linux Server in the corner.
I would agree.
I think the main benefit to this surgury would be for those who have either been in accidents (fire, etc - one case comes to mind of a man who had to have 60% of his face removed because of a fungal infection), or those with certain birth defects at birth.
But there would have to be some caution here. I think the last thing we want is something out of "The Man With Two Brains" - somebody kills Antonio Banderas, and next thing you know his face has been transplanted.
Makes you wonder if cremations for famous people will become more popular. Hm.
Inside a dark room, the man who calls himself Linux Torvalds awakes.
Linus: What...what has happened to me?
Stands up, groggily making his way to the mirror - but what looks back at him isn't his face, it's...Steve Balmer!
Linus: Nooooooo!
Meanwhile, thousands of miles away at Linuxworld....
Hacker (in crowd): Hey, is it just me, but did Linus gain like 300 pounds?
Hacker2: Totally. The guy needs to go back on his mac n' cheese diet.
On the stage, a man who's face looks like Linus's is jumping about the stage, clapping his hands.
Steve: Developers, developers, developers....!
Just about - there is a Mac client, but only for OS 9. Guys like me who "switched" from Linux/Windows when OS X came out are pretty much left out in the cold. (The OS 9 Liquid Audio client doesn't even run under Classic!)
;) ).
Good lord - why can't they just let me download a friggin' MP3 file when I purchase music? How am I suppose to get some good old Tori Amos ear lovin' otherwise? (Well, other than the CD's I bought and turned into MP3, but still - I'd like to save those plastic trees
Their Liquid Audio player for Mac does not run under OS X, nor does it even run under Classic!
Now, I know that Apple is obviously the Big Evil One to Hollywood because they allow *gasp* MP3's by default with iTunes, but come on, people.
I want to see a song I like.
I want to pay $1 or $2 for said song.
I want to either put song on a music CD (they can mail me the CD, I don't mind), or put the song right on my iPod.
This should not be difficult. But it is - because the music company is so concerned with *their* wants rather than *my* wants.
And I'm even willing to pay for it. Go figure.
Well, then I have no problem telling Verizon to GET THE FUCK OFF MY PHONE. Then again, I don't have to deal with Verizon, because I think they're a bunch of tools, so I don't do business with them.
Of course, you've got Joe Sixpack who doesn't know why his telemarketing calls are about to increase - oh, well.
Now, if the article was about *China* or North Korea that would have made sense.
But Japan the most closed society? I mean, come on! Isn't the national mascot an Italian Plumber?
Ah, the magic question. There have been debates about this between anime fans for some time.
Some would argue that only animated films from Japan would be considered anime, other's would say that it's the style - the large, expressive eyes.
I've talked to some who consider some shows to be anime - like branding The Matrix and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon to be "live-action" anime.
Personally, I define "anime" as being related to the style - again, the large, expressive eyes, usually made in Japan but not always, often (but not always) dealing with subjects suitable for the 12 and older group.
Just my $0.02. And yes, I agree - The Matrix is live-action anime with plenty of Judeo-Christianity imagry.
Ah, yes. Of course. Everybody has a spare $1000-$2000 laying about for no other reason to buy a computer NOW.
And as far as the dating girl comment - wild guess. You don't date much, right? (No, I'm not trying to be mean, it just seems like the most nonsensical explanation I've ever seen.)
Considering that the book uses pieces that are over 7 years old in a world where technology changes every few months, this review was useful to me - it told me that the information was still useful, valid, and actually might help my programming skills.
So no, I don't believe it was obvious at all - considering that I hadn't even heard of the book until today. (Yes, let the flames commence - I must be a bad, awful programmer because I haven't read some book.)
Good point on the obsolecence - I'm not that big into "replace my phone every year", but that could be an interesting point.
Then again, who knows - Nintendo has been known to come out with new Gameboy models every so often, so it probably wouldn't be that hard to come up with new phone factors around that idea.
But it all depends on if its economically feasable. Last I checked, Nintendo doesn't seem to do anything without a good chance it will make money. (Yes, they are innovative and take risks - but you notice that very little that they invest in is so far out there it won't give them back money *now*.)
The phone itself looks good for games with the D-pad, and I'm assuming you use the number pad for the button controls. This will probably be good for games like Super Monkey Ball and the like.
But...I still want something more.
I personally wouldn't mind a Gameboy Advance phone (with a backlight, damn it). This would be great for games like Pokemon, or a multiplayer version of Final Fantasy Tactics, Advance Wars, or other cool games - or even more staple style, like Hearts/Chess/Checkers, etc. Add a Gamespy/Battlenet style "find an opponent" feature, and you can have conviencience and online gaming - and if they get voice *and* data to work, you can talk to your opponent while you play.
Granted, I'm not a big fan of "online games for online gaming sake" (I hate most MMRPG's), but this would a) drive up them minutes for the phone company, and b) could actually be kind of fun depending on how they did it.
Real doesn't have to use GNU - and while I prefer GNU in most cases, they can do a simple "business vs personal" licensing system. People who want access to the client - go ahead, knock yourself out, code away. If you want access to the stuff that *makes* the RealPlayer files, the code might be out there - but if you're a business, be prepared to pay.
Now, I'm a business developing stuff. Do I go Quicktime/MS Media, where I can't see the code and it costs $$$, or go Real where I can see the code, and it's being improved (hopefully, granted) by all the Open Source fans out there who want to give it more powers.
Or Real can simply give away the code, and charge service for maintenance, adding new features, extra special versions for corporations, etc, etc, etc. There are companies now (Snort, Red Hat, etc) that use Open Source in that way and seem to be doing financially well.
Open Source doesn't have to mean suicide - if you're smart and wise about it.
My point is not that you can't dual boot Mac/Linux machines - Yellow Dog Linux running on a separate boot from OS X is a great example.
My query is if the author wants to build a Linux compatible PPC desktop (relatively easy), or build an OS X compatible laptop (relatively hard, and probably more expensive).
My apologies for not making that clear.
Is "do I want this to be Mac compatible, or Linux/someotherOS compatible".
The latter answer is the easier one - the former is harder, since you would have to find "official" Apple parts to make sure the OS talked nice to all the pieces.
Either way, the idea is an interesting one.
While I have a lot of respect for Porche (though I'd never drive one of their cars - I'm just a "back and forth, no need to make up for my small penis size" car guy), I haven't seen much on this laptop compared to the Apple Titanium to make me give up my OS X slim box o' wonder.
The Porche box does not come with 802.11 b and Firewire installed, and is a pound heavier than the Apple Titanium. (Note I'm not putting in the whole "Runs OS X or Not argument.)
So while you can give props to Porche for "innovating" (what, hadn't you heard - innovation means "rip off what the other guy did only make it crappy), I don't see myself giving up my Unix command shell for this.
Just my opinion, of course. I could be wrong.
Porche Laptop:
Word of Mouth works over the Internet as well.
Look at the Web Comic phenemonon. Most of them stink - some person who thinks they can draw (and maybe they can) putting up a web site and expecting the world to flock to it.
But the true successes are spready by friends. "Hey, I saw this site called Sluggy Freelance, here's the link if you like it." "Hey, this Megatokyo guy can draw - whines too much, but I still like the artwork." "Real Life is pretty funny - he's got a grip on good humor. Etc, etc, etc.
Word of mouth works just as powerfully over the Internet as it does in meatspace - and that's what the RIAA truly fears. Right now, word of mouth only leads to one direction - into the RIAA. On the Internet, word of mouth leads to the entire world.
And don't you think that eventually, they'll be peer review sites and such on the Internet - something like the Keenspace of the web comic world? Artists who would link to other artists they liked? Working together to get sound booths to burn CD's, and distribute them? How long could Best Buy and Media Play hold out on *not* carrying these new artists CD's if one or two of them became incredibly popular?
I'm not saying the Internet is any kind of paradise for music distribution - but the potential to break out of the current oligarchy is a powerful enough incentive to at least try.
Of course, that's just my opinion. I could be wrong.
Oh, wait - that is incredible. You're ability to split a hair right down the center is truly incredible ;).
Seriously - I was giving an example, and granted, not an exact one - find, KDE, Gnome, whatever - the point is that it would still be a great way to teach programming classes, while still have a benefit to the rest of the nation/world.
My assumption would be that this would make a great CS graduation project - and I'm being serious here. "Class, we're going to put dialect XYZ into the Linux code base. Now, how do we do this?"
Practical, teaches a good lesson, and helps make the system better.