Lucky you, we're pretty hot here in the Southern hemisphere. Summer is coming!
This works even for those super-techs running shoes with "air systems" stuff? I aways imagined those were just a marketing scheme...:-D
You always imagined right.;>)
But this don't invalidate my reasoning, being it is easy to copy (or reverse engineer) does not make a design different from a recipe. Just think in a chip design in the place of a shoe, for instance.
But seriously...
Designs and recipes are two different conceptual categories.
A design is what something is. A blueprint, if you want. The difficulty in deconstructing it is irrelevant. It may be very easy (a shoe), or very difficuly (a chip), but when you've reverse engineered it, you're done. That's all that there is.
On the other side, a recipe is a way to make something. A process. An algorithm. It may be very easy (my secret barbecue sauce), or very difficult (some weird biochemical process), but the point is you can only guess. An educated guess, hopefully, but a guess all the same. You can never be sure, you compare the results, and guess a little more.
So, you can have a recipe that's easy to guess, and a design that's impossible to deconstruct, but they're still very different things.
You can see how a shoe is made just by looking at it? Wow, incredible.
Incredible to you, maybe, but about shoes I happen to know a little. A cousin of mine makes shoes (and very fancy ones, may I add) for a living, and take my word for it, making shoes is not rocket science.
He, and just ONE artisan who works for him deconstruct and knock off a competitor's model, with some improvements, in one lazy afternoon. Of course, his competitors do the same with HIS designs. The winner? The buying public, I guess.
I'm confused, why a recipe of beer is different from a shoe design?
You surely are, because you're talking about two wholly different levels of abstraction. The shoe's design is the product. It's an integral part of it, and you cannot look at the product without seeing the design. On the other hand, a recipe is a way to make a product. It's not part of the product, and you cannot extract the recipe from the product. Of course, you can guess, and the better your knowledge of the problem domain, the better your guess will be. But still just a guess.
I simply cannot believe that Microsoft *ever* asked itself how users might interface with such a device and it's obsequious pandering to the music industry in an effort to out-compete Apple in this space rather than putting the effort into making a better product to the iPod
Have you considered the possibility of MSFT having a secret agreement with the music industry, in which MSFT will somehow pay them in order to not extend the deal with Apple when it expires in the near future? This Zune abortion doesn't make sense otherwise.
OSS doesn't suffer from the lack of leadership or other, supposed 'Cathedral' qualities. In fact, it's the superior leadership, based on merit and ideals, that turns OSS into the nightmare of anything cathedral - such as MS. In OSS much more than anywhere else, the best floats on top.
This is so true... And it bears repeating a hundred times, because the moronic press somehow fails to grasp the obvious.
It seems to me that the most important development in all of legal history - codification of the law - has been eroded into non-existence. Essentially, we are right back were we started with "the law" being whatever the various authority figures say it is at any particular moment.
You know, you're absolutely right. I'd never realized it.
Actually, the irony is that in some third world countries the middle class can live even better than in the United States.
And working a lot less, I'd add.
Throw in a drastically reduced cost of living
You nail it in the head. Comparing living standards in dollars is essentially meaningless. Even in the USA, the same dollar gets you a lot farther in the Midwest than in NY, so imagine the distortions introduced by foreign exchange rates. When taxes for your three bedroom condo in a fancy suburb of the capital are U$S 11 a month, or you get full first-tier medical coverage for a family of four for U$S 200, your middle class salary buys you a pretty decent life, even if it's not very impressive in dollars.
The MS software they had would not spontaneously explode, they would have at least until the end of support for XP/2003
It's true that the last Windows I've used was Win98, but unless they put a really radical innovation in XP, I'd guess it will not explode even then. This meme about the end of support implying the death of the software baffles me.
I don't know why this comes up every time OLPC is linked: "Third world countries don't need laptops, they need food."
Maybe because "somebody" is scared stiff at the thought of a few million Linux laptops being given away. I wonder who could it be?
Not everyone in the "third world" is starving by the side of the road.
I happen to live in one of the countries that purportedly placed an order. And, just in case someone is wondering, not a part of the ruling elite, not even rich, but middle class. We have a HUGE middle class. We don't live in a hut. We have electricity. And running water. And way better food than I found in the States. And cable TV. And broadband. And computers. And yes, a rugged, simple, unexpensive laptop would be incredibly useful, and not just for children. If the OLPC were willing to sell them for, say, $200 I'd buy three or four. They seem bespoken for my business.
It's incredible to me that people keep saying that, and I wonder if it's the same people.
Yes, they are. And the astroturfing is going to get a lot worse.
His past. Have you noticed that he's sounding more and more delusional and megalomaniacal every year? I guess being always surronded by yes men and lackeys does that to you, but for us spectators is kind of weird to see it happening in real time.
I'm expectig the persian cat and the monocle anytime soon.
I think you understand the situation exactly backwards. Lets see...
As long as the DRM is not intrusive, will consumers really care? Most people don't care if Microsoft checks to make sure their music file or movie is legal before it plays as long as they don't see it.
Yes, they'll care. Because most music and movies of most people are illegal copies. If you believe Slashdotters who say they only rip their paid for CDs and DVDs, I have a bridge to sell.
As soon as the DRM causes false positives, erodes performance or become otherwise intrusive, people will go nuts.
The problem with DRM isn't false positives, but true positives. People will run away from anything that prevent them using their not-really-legal copies, just like we buy no-name chinese DVD players with no zone enforcement and Divx.
If done right, DRM could be here to stay. The problem is, none of the players have a clue how to do it right.
DRM is impossible to do right. The nearer some corporation is to perfect control, the faster people will leave the product. Perfect DRM is self-defeating. It's not here, and certainly will not stay.
I realize that some costs can be driven down on a per-unit basis with high volume, but even that can't eliminate shipping, customer support and other things that happen on a per-customer basis. Even if you personally only need shipping, the average customer needs a certain amount of marketing and after-market support, which is still part of the average cost.
Well, let's put it this way: if the OLPC is willing to sell me 1K laptops at $100 every month, I'm buying them. I can sell that number with almost no overhead at $200/220. No sweat. And no marketing, just a web site. And no support, just a FAQ. At that price, nobody expects hand-holding. These babies will sell themselves. I'm guessing earning about $30 net each, before taxes. Of course in your country things may be different.
Think about how much higher the per-unit costs will be for marketing and distribution if they sell them one at a time.
Let me guess...Near zero?
Put a web site, process credit cards, and I will gladly pay for shipping, and even throw a fiver for the tip. And, if it's not enough and you want to make some extra change sell them for $200. At that price point, who cares?
I live in Argentina and I haven't heard a thing about the government buying any OLPCs.
Ditto. So my question is, does anybody have any insight about the real motives for the weird distribution scheme? The one million minimum order? And from governments?
Because if it is economy of scale it just doesn't make sense. I'd bet that if they sold them for say, $250, they'd be selling one million every month. I myself would buy four on the spot. They are made-for-order for the business we're in. And, since the cost is about $130, they could give one away for each one sold.
So, why aren't they doing the obvious thing? Any thoughts?
I am long term Java skeptic. Yet would appreciate any hints on why people would want Java - especially under Linux.
Azureus.
Cheers,
CC
Re:Rumsfeld was not the architect of the Iraq war
on
Rumsfeld Stepping Down
·
· Score: 1
My point is: Israel is fighting for recognition and survival. All of its neighbors that attack it are fighting to kill every israeli man, woman and child. They want its land.
Why is it that is seems half the people on Slashdot suddenly can't understand what a monopoly is or what the laws are, or have any idea what MS is doing? I really hope massive astroturfing is going on because the alternative is a lot worse.
You just realise it now?
I guess the main reason Vista is so late is that for the last two years most MSFT employees are under serious astroturfing duty, polluting the forums. At least it looks so...
Sure, but let's just say that rats aren't exactly a fragile, endangered species. They'll probably survive the next world war despite how practically every other species won't.
By the look of it, they'll probably fight the next World War.
Slashdot Mirror
Lucky you, we're pretty hot here in the Southern hemisphere. Summer is coming!
You always imagined right.
But seriously...
Designs and recipes are two different conceptual categories.
A design is what something is. A blueprint, if you want. The difficulty in deconstructing it is irrelevant.
It may be very easy (a shoe), or very difficuly (a chip), but when you've reverse engineered it, you're done. That's all that there is.
On the other side, a recipe is a way to make something. A process. An algorithm.
It may be very easy (my secret barbecue sauce), or very difficult (some weird biochemical process), but the point is you can only guess. An educated guess, hopefully, but a guess all the same. You can never be sure, you compare the results, and guess a little more.
So, you can have a recipe that's easy to guess, and a design that's impossible to deconstruct, but they're still very different things.
Cheers,
Carlos Cesar
And we must keep on mind that they're not necesarily playing the same game (I know, bad pun), so maybe both, or none, comes on top.
Cheers,
CC
You can see how a shoe is made just by looking at it? Wow, incredible.
Incredible to you, maybe, but about shoes I happen to know a little.
A cousin of mine makes shoes (and very fancy ones, may I add) for a living, and take my word for it, making shoes is not rocket science.
He, and just ONE artisan who works for him deconstruct and knock off a competitor's model, with some improvements, in one lazy afternoon.
Of course, his competitors do the same with HIS designs. The winner? The buying public, I guess.
Cheers,
CC
You surely are, because you're talking about two wholly different levels of abstraction.
The shoe's design is the product. It's an integral part of it, and you cannot look at the product without seeing the design.
On the other hand, a recipe is a way to make a product. It's not part of the product, and you cannot extract the recipe from the product. Of course, you can guess, and the better your knowledge of the problem domain, the better your guess will be. But still just a guess.
Cheers,
Carlos Cesar
Have you considered the possibility of MSFT having a secret agreement with the music industry, in which MSFT will somehow pay them in order to not extend the deal with Apple when it expires in the near future?
This Zune abortion doesn't make sense otherwise.
Interesting times ahead, I guess...
In space it is.
Cheers,
CC
This is so true... And it bears repeating a hundred times, because the moronic press somehow fails to grasp the obvious.
Cheers,
CC
You know, you're absolutely right. I'd never realized it.
Thanks,
CC
And working a lot less, I'd add.
You nail it in the head. Comparing living standards in dollars is essentially meaningless. Even in the USA, the same dollar gets you a lot farther in the Midwest than in NY, so imagine the distortions introduced by foreign exchange rates.
When taxes for your three bedroom condo in a fancy suburb of the capital are U$S 11 a month, or you get full first-tier medical coverage for a family of four for U$S 200, your middle class salary buys you a pretty decent life, even if it's not very impressive in dollars.
Cheers,
CC
It's true that the last Windows I've used was Win98, but unless they put a really radical innovation in XP, I'd guess it will not explode even then.
This meme about the end of support implying the death of the software baffles me.
Cheers,
CC
Nice post. May I elaborate further?
Maybe because "somebody" is scared stiff at the thought of a few million Linux laptops being given away. I wonder who could it be?
I happen to live in one of the countries that purportedly placed an order. And, just in case someone is wondering, not a part of the ruling elite, not even rich, but middle class. We have a HUGE middle class. We don't live in a hut. We have electricity. And running water. And way better food than I found in the States. And cable TV. And broadband. And computers. And yes, a rugged, simple, unexpensive laptop would be incredibly useful, and not just for children. If the OLPC were willing to sell them for, say, $200 I'd buy three or four. They seem bespoken for my business.
Yes, they are. And the astroturfing is going to get a lot worse.
Cheers,
CC
His past. Have you noticed that he's sounding more and more delusional and megalomaniacal every year?
I guess being always surronded by yes men and lackeys does that to you, but for us spectators is kind of weird to see it happening in real time.
I'm expectig the persian cat and the monocle anytime soon.
Cheers,
CC
Yes, they'll care. Because most music and movies of most people are illegal copies.
If you believe Slashdotters who say they only rip their paid for CDs and DVDs, I have a bridge to sell.
The problem with DRM isn't false positives, but true positives. People will run away from anything that prevent them using their not-really-legal copies, just like we buy no-name chinese DVD players with no zone enforcement and Divx.
DRM is impossible to do right. The nearer some corporation is to perfect control, the faster people will leave the product.
Perfect DRM is self-defeating. It's not here, and certainly will not stay.
Cheers,
CC
[ Reply to This ]
Well, let's put it this way: if the OLPC is willing to sell me 1K laptops at $100 every month, I'm buying them. I can sell that number with almost no overhead at $200/220. No sweat. And no marketing, just a web site. And no support, just a FAQ. At that price, nobody expects hand-holding. These babies will sell themselves.
I'm guessing earning about $30 net each, before taxes. Of course in your country things may be different.
Cheers,
CC
Let me guess...Near zero?
Put a web site, process credit cards, and I will gladly pay for shipping, and even throw a fiver for the tip.
And, if it's not enough and you want to make some extra change sell them for $200. At that price point, who cares?
Cheers,
CC
Ditto. So my question is, does anybody have any insight about the real motives for the weird distribution scheme? The one million minimum order? And from governments?
Because if it is economy of scale it just doesn't make sense.
I'd bet that if they sold them for say, $250, they'd be selling one million every month. I myself would buy four on the spot. They are made-for-order for the business we're in.
And, since the cost is about $130, they could give one away for each one sold.
So, why aren't they doing the obvious thing? Any thoughts?
Cheers,
CC
Azureus.
Cheers,
CC
They want their land back.
I corrected it for you. You're welcome.
At best they buy us 20-50 year to figure out how to deal with the problem
Oaks will give us 500.
Cheers,
CC
(I can't comment on whether it was a fair-minded assessment or not, as I've never read Forbes.)
I did, for many years, and it was.
Cheers,
CC
Dude, great post...
Short and right on target.
Cheers,
CC
Why is it that is seems half the people on Slashdot suddenly can't understand what a monopoly is or what the laws are, or have any idea what MS is doing? I really hope massive astroturfing is going on because the alternative is a lot worse.
You just realise it now?
I guess the main reason Vista is so late is that for the last two years most MSFT employees are under serious astroturfing duty, polluting the forums.
At least it looks so...
Cheers,
CC
Sure, but let's just say that rats aren't exactly a fragile, endangered species. They'll probably survive the next world war despite how practically every other species won't.
By the look of it, they'll probably fight the next World War.
Cheers,
CC
Complete Success = 2 out of 9 = 22% (Spanish and Chinese)
My dear friend, I hate having to tell you, but the Spanish translation is not only incorrect, but meaningless.
A native Spanish speaker,
CC
What kind of message do you think this sends to the small business and enterprise markets about the maturity of the FOSS community?
Who cares?