You're blind. Do you know about the butter shortage in Japan? The shortage is a result of a decreased number of cows in Japan, which is a result of decreased availability of feed. It does effect the world. Did you know that for the first time ever, the United States had to start importing wheat this last February? Google it. Did you know that Costco (which never runs out of anything) is now having to ration rice? Please, educate yourself. Ethanol has been a disaster, and Congress is full of idiots trying to save face. Actually, wheat futures have just risen again, so if you think the cost of food is still fine, just give it a few months.
Umm, actually the GP's analogy is much more accurate because MS isn't revoking the licenses that already exist on computers that are now licensed. Therefore, you can still use the files until the computer dies or until the car breaks down, which is what the GP's analogy indicates. Your analogy would indicate that no music could be accessed come September, and that's simply wrong.
Unfortunately, this isn't likely to change anything. Worse yet, it will serve to keep people tied to their Windows operating systems. It's almost as if that's what MS had in mind all along...
Information in China is not free because people in China are not free.
Which is why I'm surprised so many leaders on the left are pushing so hard for socialist programs. They don't seem to realize where that route takes us.
I would have recommended Linux in your situation. Your stepdad would definitely have noticed a difference, but it would have been cheaper and he obviously noticed a difference in Vista anyway. I'm assuming you're the "geek" of the family to whom people go when buying new computers, etc, so I'm surprised you listened to a salesman trying to get you to buy more than you needed when you should have been smart enough to realize that 2G is sufficient for casual web browsing.
It's very true (IMO) that Vista adds no important benefits over its predecessor, but seriously... over 2G for web browsing? 2G is all I have on my Windows dev machine and we use that for a lot more than web browsing. No problem.
When OSS people use the word "free", they are referring to freedom, not price. Actually, I doubt this is true (most of the time). There are some who are "true to the movement" who have freedom as a top priority, but I'll wager that most people who use OSS do so because it's free (beer) and/or they just like the software Just my observation; could be wrong.
I wish domain name prices were much higher. Currently they're ridiculously low, and it only invites squatters. Most legit companies will only have a handful of domain names anyway.
When will stupid people realize the Quad has nothing whatsoever to do with games. Period! You're an idiot if you think a Quad will be awesome for your gaming rig, not because it's insanely more expensive, but you'll also get worse performance than if you got a real gamer's card (which is what the GeForce series is for.. duh.) The Quad is made for accuracy; for high-end professional 3d work which needs to render a scene as accurate as possible (as opposed to as fast as possible which is what gaming cards strive for).
Honestly, people... But I also blame Nvidia. Their marketing department could probably do a much better job educating people about their products.
There are decent enough reasons to hate Apple. The arbitrary lock-in of the OS is a good place to start. The hypocrisy of wanting to strip DRM from the media they sell while keeping DRM on their own OS is another. I think that you either misunderstand the nature of the Mac OS X "lock-in" or perhaps you didn't mean to use such a strong word as "hate" to describe it. The fact is that Mac OS X runs on many configurations of x86-based hardware not sold by Apple, but their support costs would sky-rocket if people got the impression that they could buy it and that it would "just work" on anything they've got--it won't.
Therefore, it is "protected" more or less by a single kernel module which prevents Joe Shmoe from installing it on his unsupported hardware and blaming Apple when nothing works. The solution would be easy if Mac OS X was like Linux, mostly supported by the community where nobody gets the blame because there are no serious expectations, but it's different for companies trying to turn a profit... note how well Microsoft has been doing lately in making sure their OS is compatible with everything.
In short, it's fine if you to dislike Apple for not trying to support every hardware configuration under the sun, it's just bitterness/childish (IMHO) to hate them for keeping their support costs down. Personally, I think Mac OS X will definitely come to commodity hardware eventually, but in the meantime just build your hackintosh and enjoy Mac OS X. It's illegal? Well, if Apple were seriously deserving of hate, perhaps they should use their legal team to sue some of us.
Is there a good reason that apple doesn't simply have a parking space for the CEO? Considering his salary is $1, you would think he would get such perks, but I guess not.
They don't let your app run in the background after you switch to another.
Yeah, that sucks. I was hoping to run SETI on my phone. Thankfully Android will let me continue the search for ET while I'm on the go, even while talking with Aunt Gracie in Connecticut. You can't do that with the iPhone. Apple sucks!
I don't want to come off as supporting patent trolls, but I read the article and this is an honest question. You say that iTunes came about in 2001, but this was before the iTunes Music Store which seems to be the issue. Furthermore, does the fact that ZapMedia apparently applied for the patents as early as 1999 mean that patent protection covers since the applications date? If so (although I believe the patent(s) themselves are bogus), it seems they might have a case in our messed-up system. But I don't really know anything about patents, so whatever.
The point is, Stratagus was made after Warcraft II. Of course it's going to be better. If it wasn't better, than that would have been a big problem. Again, the point is that if Blizzard was to redo Warcraft II, they themselves could also improve the product, and it has nothing to do with Linux. The fact that you're trying to show Linux superiority through Stratagus is the real straw man, since it has nothing to do with Linux. But... nice try.
You keep saying "Linux community" and "Linux technology," but then you bring up examples that have nothing to do with Linux. I think you mean "open source community" and "free software methods."
Furthermore, your conclusion ("Linux technology must be flat out BETTER than anything a Windowsd technology can produce.") based on Stratagus is really bad, since WC2 from which it is based is old software. That's like saying that old software is not as good as newer software. What a shock! I'm sure if Blizzard redid WC2 nowadays, they could do a better job. Oh wait, they did. It's called Warcraft 3... which doesn't run (natively) on Linux?
regarding the Wii; It's taking a while for the various companies to figure the quirks of the new control scheme. However, some are getting there. Drop a few dollars and rent Resident Evil or Metroid for the Wii for a weekend. I've seen it happen with a half dozen people now where they bitch about the controls for a hour and then everything clicks and away they go. Seconded. The control of Metroid Prime 3 is really excellent. In my experience, it's not completely intuitive (has a few quirks you must learn... probably only because it is so different from the gamepad-style controller), but after that it feels very natural. Contrary to what the GP implied, the controller certainly isn't a stumbling block to the gameplay, and it certainly isn't the only factor of difficulty in the game.
Otherwise, I agree the mouse is good and the gamepad sucks for FPS, but the Wii Remote isn't just a gimick; It's fun, and it does work well.
If the ability to run DirectX 9 under Wine was not enough to move gamers to Linux, this is. Things can only go downhill for Microsoft now.
Not to rain on your parade, but a single benchmark showing Ubuntu besting Windows in nvidia driver performance is not likely to move any gamers to Linux, let alone mark any downward slide for Microsoft which already isn't taking place. Seeing as how this isn't even a graphics card for gamers (it would run games very poorly indeed), it will take a lot more than this to move either casual or hardcore gamers to Linux.
You're ignorant (no offense) if you think the quality of Chinese rip-offs comes close to the real products. I've spent the last two years in Asia, in a country where such fake products are plentiful. I bought a "Sony" discman for part of my stay there. It wasn't so bad since I could just take it to some local, hole-in-the-wall electronics shack and they could fix whatever electronic components had failed while I waited (which occurred fairly regularly), but there is no way any product like that would be put-up with by most Americans, with or without access to a cheap electronic repair outlet.
I won't argue with you whether or not real, brand-name electronics have been reduced in quality over the past years (I think they have), but in no way do they approach the shoddy quality (both interior and exterior) of the fake stuff, believe me.
I agree. I'm not sure what they mean by loss of control, but this move makes me happy. I'm not especially a fan of Java in general, but it supports what I've been saying all along. One just had to look at the number of developers and the cool stuff being designed for the iPhone/touch months ago to know that it would just take off when Apple finally got around to creating an official avenue for 3rd party apps. Developers (including me) want to develop for the iPhone because it's such a cool platform (oh yeah, plus the market is there). Good move, Apple. Good move, Sun. This will be fun.
In all seriousness, if it was a Windows exploit that had been known for months, there should have also been a fix I would think. So is the Pentagon not installing their security updates or what? This is ridiculous.
Slashdot Mirror
You're blind. Do you know about the butter shortage in Japan? The shortage is a result of a decreased number of cows in Japan, which is a result of decreased availability of feed. It does effect the world. Did you know that for the first time ever, the United States had to start importing wheat this last February? Google it. Did you know that Costco (which never runs out of anything) is now having to ration rice? Please, educate yourself. Ethanol has been a disaster, and Congress is full of idiots trying to save face. Actually, wheat futures have just risen again, so if you think the cost of food is still fine, just give it a few months.
Umm, actually the GP's analogy is much more accurate because MS isn't revoking the licenses that already exist on computers that are now licensed. Therefore, you can still use the files until the computer dies or until the car breaks down, which is what the GP's analogy indicates. Your analogy would indicate that no music could be accessed come September, and that's simply wrong.
Unfortunately, this isn't likely to change anything. Worse yet, it will serve to keep people tied to their Windows operating systems. It's almost as if that's what MS had in mind all along...
Huh? Common sense? What are you doing here? Can't you see we're busy bashing Microsoft now?
It does effect you if you use the same internet as the rest of us. Compromised Windows machines slow down the internet.
Wow. Who knew?
Information in China is not free because people in China are not free.
Which is why I'm surprised so many leaders on the left are pushing so hard for socialist programs. They don't seem to realize where that route takes us.I would have recommended Linux in your situation. Your stepdad would definitely have noticed a difference, but it would have been cheaper and he obviously noticed a difference in Vista anyway. I'm assuming you're the "geek" of the family to whom people go when buying new computers, etc, so I'm surprised you listened to a salesman trying to get you to buy more than you needed when you should have been smart enough to realize that 2G is sufficient for casual web browsing.
It's very true (IMO) that Vista adds no important benefits over its predecessor, but seriously... over 2G for web browsing? 2G is all I have on my Windows dev machine and we use that for a lot more than web browsing. No problem.
Actually, I doubt this is true (most of the time). There are some who are "true to the movement" who have freedom as a top priority, but I'll wager that most people who use OSS do so because it's free (beer) and/or they just like the software Just my observation; could be wrong.
I wish domain name prices were much higher. Currently they're ridiculously low, and it only invites squatters. Most legit companies will only have a handful of domain names anyway.
I'm not sure I would consider "MacBook Air First To Be Compromised In Hacking Contest" an effective commercial.
When will stupid people realize the Quad has nothing whatsoever to do with games. Period! You're an idiot if you think a Quad will be awesome for your gaming rig, not because it's insanely more expensive, but you'll also get worse performance than if you got a real gamer's card (which is what the GeForce series is for.. duh.) The Quad is made for accuracy; for high-end professional 3d work which needs to render a scene as accurate as possible (as opposed to as fast as possible which is what gaming cards strive for).
Honestly, people... But I also blame Nvidia. Their marketing department could probably do a much better job educating people about their products.
Therefore, it is "protected" more or less by a single kernel module which prevents Joe Shmoe from installing it on his unsupported hardware and blaming Apple when nothing works. The solution would be easy if Mac OS X was like Linux, mostly supported by the community where nobody gets the blame because there are no serious expectations, but it's different for companies trying to turn a profit... note how well Microsoft has been doing lately in making sure their OS is compatible with everything.
In short, it's fine if you to dislike Apple for not trying to support every hardware configuration under the sun, it's just bitterness/childish (IMHO) to hate them for keeping their support costs down. Personally, I think Mac OS X will definitely come to commodity hardware eventually, but in the meantime just build your hackintosh and enjoy Mac OS X. It's illegal? Well, if Apple were seriously deserving of hate, perhaps they should use their legal team to sue some of us.
Yeah, that sucks. I was hoping to run SETI on my phone. Thankfully Android will let me continue the search for ET while I'm on the go, even while talking with Aunt Gracie in Connecticut. You can't do that with the iPhone. Apple sucks!
I don't want to come off as supporting patent trolls, but I read the article and this is an honest question. You say that iTunes came about in 2001, but this was before the iTunes Music Store which seems to be the issue. Furthermore, does the fact that ZapMedia apparently applied for the patents as early as 1999 mean that patent protection covers since the applications date? If so (although I believe the patent(s) themselves are bogus), it seems they might have a case in our messed-up system. But I don't really know anything about patents, so whatever.
The point is, Stratagus was made after Warcraft II. Of course it's going to be better. If it wasn't better, than that would have been a big problem. Again, the point is that if Blizzard was to redo Warcraft II, they themselves could also improve the product, and it has nothing to do with Linux. The fact that you're trying to show Linux superiority through Stratagus is the real straw man, since it has nothing to do with Linux. But... nice try.
You keep saying "Linux community" and "Linux technology," but then you bring up examples that have nothing to do with Linux. I think you mean "open source community" and "free software methods."
Furthermore, your conclusion ("Linux technology must be flat out BETTER than anything a Windowsd technology can produce.") based on Stratagus is really bad, since WC2 from which it is based is old software. That's like saying that old software is not as good as newer software. What a shock! I'm sure if Blizzard redid WC2 nowadays, they could do a better job. Oh wait, they did. It's called Warcraft 3... which doesn't run (natively) on Linux?
The price needs to drop a lot for me to consider one above the tried-and-true magnetic hard drive.
Otherwise, I agree the mouse is good and the gamepad sucks for FPS, but the Wii Remote isn't just a gimick; It's fun, and it does work well.
If the ability to run DirectX 9 under Wine was not enough to move gamers to Linux, this is. Things can only go downhill for Microsoft now.
Not to rain on your parade, but a single benchmark showing Ubuntu besting Windows in nvidia driver performance is not likely to move any gamers to Linux, let alone mark any downward slide for Microsoft which already isn't taking place. Seeing as how this isn't even a graphics card for gamers (it would run games very poorly indeed), it will take a lot more than this to move either casual or hardcore gamers to Linux.You're ignorant (no offense) if you think the quality of Chinese rip-offs comes close to the real products. I've spent the last two years in Asia, in a country where such fake products are plentiful. I bought a "Sony" discman for part of my stay there. It wasn't so bad since I could just take it to some local, hole-in-the-wall electronics shack and they could fix whatever electronic components had failed while I waited (which occurred fairly regularly), but there is no way any product like that would be put-up with by most Americans, with or without access to a cheap electronic repair outlet. I won't argue with you whether or not real, brand-name electronics have been reduced in quality over the past years (I think they have), but in no way do they approach the shoddy quality (both interior and exterior) of the fake stuff, believe me.
I agree. I'm not sure what they mean by loss of control, but this move makes me happy. I'm not especially a fan of Java in general, but it supports what I've been saying all along. One just had to look at the number of developers and the cool stuff being designed for the iPhone/touch months ago to know that it would just take off when Apple finally got around to creating an official avenue for 3rd party apps. Developers (including me) want to develop for the iPhone because it's such a cool platform (oh yeah, plus the market is there). Good move, Apple. Good move, Sun. This will be fun.
In all seriousness, if it was a Windows exploit that had been known for months, there should have also been a fix I would think. So is the Pentagon not installing their security updates or what? This is ridiculous.