4. Price / performance. A segment the x86 have done well in.
Because of installed base
Security. Will my x86 progs be supported in 20 years? The answer: yes.
Again, because of installed base. Although as Apple has shown with the PPC -> x86 migration (and also m68k -> ppc) this isn't such a big factor. Major software is constantly being upgraded and old CPUs can always be emulated if necessary. You might say that performance isn't good, but how fast does a 20 year old app have to run?
Availability. Hmm... Intel, I'd like to 1 000 000 CPUs. Intel: Sure thing.
Installed base.
Good will. What should we buy, Intel or PPC. PPC? What's that? Go Intel! Yes boss.
Tell that to AMD. They seem to be doing pretty well for themselves.
There is always place for multiple projects. Different focus, different personalities even different geographical location. Multiple projects encourage innovations that wouldn't be thought about otherwise.
Agreed. There a misconception of "wasted" time and effort in open source. Like if you have 20 total programmers working on 3 similar projects, it is necessarily better that all 20 combine efforts on one project. The problem is is more programmers doesn't necessarily make for a better product or even faster development. Too many cooks spoiling the stew and all that. Sometimes all you need is a small core of really dedicated developers with a clear vision. If that means you have 3 groups working on competing projects... then so be it. May the best project "win." Though I don't really know if this is the case with Compiz and Beryl. Maybe they are better off combining efforts. It really depends.
So essentially it means that the attacker can use the authentication cookie of the user to authenticate them again, and then run javascript with that authentication. But why are AJAX apps storing authentication in cookies? If you need to store authentication (User session id's etc), store them in a variable within the javascript. That'll stay there until a page refresh clears variable status, and how many page refreshes occur with AJAX?
Well, for one thing, AJAX isn't an all or nothing deal. Many sites/apps just use ajax for certain features where otherwise it is a regular website. Sure, there are some pure "AJAX apps" like gmail out there, but the vast majority of AJAX being used is just for little bits of functionality. In this case, storing the authentication in a javascript variable is going to be a big pain in the butt for users.
AJAX apps do not need to (and should not!) store user authentication in cookies. Cookies are useful for keeping a continual session open between pages.
Cookies keep continual session between any kind HTTP of request, not just "pages."
Again, just to point out that Windows-the-gui is a derivative works, arguably an improvement, but still has its own set of innovations IMO nonetheless. So much so that KDE then copied Windows. ( flame away fanboys, but you know it's true ).
Ugh, it is so true. Why did all the Linux geeks decide to take the most hated (more love-hate) GUI environment... and copy it? I can think of three possible reasons:
1) They didn't know any better. They knew they wanted some GUI but really only knew Windows. So that is what it mimicked. In other words: lack of creativity and/or laziness. Hey, this isn't a put down. I do this myself when it comes to user interfaces sometimes. Just look around for the most popular way of doing something and copy it. If everyone tried to be uber unique, computers would be much more difficult to use overall.
2) Want to appeal to the masses who are used to Windows. I don't favor this reason because I'm not sure KDE/GNOME developers REALLY care that much about mass adoption. My impression is that most are just doing it for fun and to have something to use for themselves and others they know. But I guess there's always ego points in getting mass adoption.
3) Maybe they just LIKE the Windows GUI. Somehow i find this difficult to accept but maybe KDE/GNOME developers thing the "Start Menu" is a really cool idea.:-)
Personally, I wish they had looked to OS X if they needed some inspiration. But I guess that I what OpenStep is for.:P
1) Windows-the-gui was derived from Apple's gui (which was derived from Xerox's gui), and Windows-the-OS was based on DOS, which was not created by MS either.
Derived in concept, perhaps, but not code. And even then, they weren't that similar. I mean, you have a mouse and teh concept of windows and such, but I never found using early Windows to be much like MacOS.
And as far as Windows being based on DOS, that is Just WIndows 3.x/9x. NT is based on OS/2 and was further influenced by VMS.
2) Money is a clone of Quicken
But still an original product as far as code is concerned.
3) Xbox is a clone of Playstation
Oh come on. Xbox is no more a clone of the Playstation that any other console system. They're console gaming systems. You have a couple controllers, pop in a CD/DVD/Cartridge and play. If you want to call every single console system a clone of another, fine, but don't you're idea of a "clone" is pretty darn loose... to the point of meaninglessness.
Office is a clone of Wordperfect, Lotus, etc.
From the Wordperfect Wikipedia article: "WordPerfect was late in coming to market with a Windows version. WordPerfect 5.1 for Windows was released in late 1991, by which time Microsoft Word for Windows was already at version 2. WordPerfect's function-key-centered user interface did not adapt well to the new paradigm of mouse and pull-down menus, especially with many of WordPerfect's standard key combinations pre-empted by incompatible keyboard shortcuts that Windows itself used (e.g. Alt-F4 became Exit Program instead of WordPerfect's Block Text). The DOS version's impressive arsenal of finely tuned printer drivers was also rendered obsolete by Windows' use of its own printer device drivers."
Have you ever used Wordperfect 5.1? Is was nothing like Word other than that they were both word processing programs.
And similar from the article on Excel: "Microsoft originally marketed a spreadsheet program called Multiplan in 1982, which was very popular on CP/M systems, but on MS-DOS systems it lost popularity to Lotus 1-2-3. This promoted development of a new spreadsheet called Excel which started with the intention to, in the words of Doug Klunder, 'do everything 1-2-3 does and do it better' . The first version of Excel was released for the Mac in 1985 and the first Windows version (numbered 2.0 to line-up with the Mac and bundled with a run-time Windows environment) was released in November 1987. Lotus was slow to bring 1-2-3 to Windows and by 1988 Excel had started to outsell 1-2-3 and helped Microsoft achieve the position of leading PC software developer. This accomplishment, dethroning the king of the software world, solidified Microsoft as a valid competitor and showed its future of developing graphical software. Microsoft pushed its advantage with regular new releases, every two years or so. The current version for the Windows platform is Excel 12, also called Microsoft Office Excel 2007. The current version for the Mac OS X"
In this case, Microsoft was not only first in Windows (Office) with a speadsheet program, they even had a spreadsheet before Lotus 1-2-3.
Yes, everything still works. If you've tried blackbox for windows, GeOShell, or Litestep, you'll notice everything still works. What would KDE make different about that? It's not like it goes off and assinates MFC and SWF.NET to replace them with libqt
You need to keep in mind just how dangerous and deadly infections can be. I mean, people used to die from a relatively minor puncture wound or similar back before antibiotics.
If there is abuse of antibiotics, it is with livestock and perhaps the elderly. Average people are not getting antibiotics for the "sniffles."
But you are right, consumer grade routers are pure crap. Why I recommend Soekris boards with OpenBSD for small businesses.
Plain ol' OpenBSD for small business? I guess you want to by the guy they call any time they want to make a change? I usually recommend Netscreens for regular firewalls.
Although I did just put together a WRAP embedded board running pfSense http://www.pfsense.org/ . Great investment. I used it to replace some POS DLink DSA-3200 that started crapping out on me. I can't believe I paid $500 for that piece of crap just to get some captive portal functionality when I could have had more fun (and gotten a better system!) for just over $200 in hardware and some free software. The good news is that I was able to steal the pigtails and antennas from the Dlink. I considered taking the radio but it turns out that FreeBSD doesn't support that particular chipset.
All in the name of protecting Cisco's SOHO marketshare from rock solid consumer grade products.
Protecting their SOHO marketshare? Did they even have any? I thought the point of the Linksys merger was to GET a SOHO marketshare.
Anyway, I never really thought of Linksys as a particularly good brand. I mean, all the the consumer grade wireless/router stuff is pretty much crap. Not that Linksys was particulary bad, but it certainly wasn't good either. Much like home inkjet printers. The only thing that make Linksys stand out in my mind is the ability to load custom Linux on the WRT54G. Other than that, they're basically just disposable hardware.
that means nothing if Best Buy ends up cutting Speakeasy's staff to a skeleton crew.
I think that only happens when a) the parent means to drive the company into the ground (and take their customers and patents) or b) when there are redundancies between the two companies. Fortunately, I don't think either is the case here. Best Buy would have no reason to drive Speakeasy into the ground and they don't have much in common as far as business, so I think Speakeasy is safe in that regard.
I'm going to seriously consider leaving. I don't want to stick around and watch them go down the drain just like every other cool company that gets bought out. I guess it could be worse... like Symantec or Computer Associates, but still... Best Buy? WTF does an ISP have in common with a retail giant?
I'm really kind of sick of this buy-out -> toilet trend. I just got burned pretty bad by it last year when EMC bought Dantz/Retrospect. Retrospect used to be a pretty solid product. Now it is a steaming pile of crap and I look like an ass for recommending it at my new employer.
Whta is it with buyouts and mergers? Is it just the chaos of trying to merge very different ways of doing things? Or are the parent companies really just that bad? I can't think of a single buyout that has done anything but destroy a good brand. Maybe Cisco/Linksys wasn't so bad? I dunno.
-matthew
Re:Well.. What are they doing wrong? ...
on
Rethinking the MMOG
·
· Score: 1
5. What about griefing? There's always idiots that do that. How do we deal with them?
I liked how EVE Online dealt with griefers... put bounties on their heads. Sure, the bounties become a trophy for the griefers, but so what? At least people can profit from pk'ing the griefers. And in a way it works into the theme of the game. I mean, what is a space game without space pirates? It is especially interesting when you get certain griefers with a reputation. And people talk about them. It really adds to the depth of the game. Sure, it is still annoying as hell when someone steals your loot/ore, but at least you have some recourse. Also, EVE has a relatively robust economic system that is far less open to abuse. From what I undersatnd, (gold) miners are a nuisance in WoW. In EVE, mining is just another role. People building ships NEED people to mine ore.
Of course, I haven't played EVE in a while, but when I did it was very interesting. I played a good 4 months (I get bored with most any game pretty quick) with an "alternative" role. I didn't do much fighting or "grinding." I made a good living just buying/reselling/building ships and other parts. And it wasn't simple either. I had to find suppliers, buyers, bid on blueprints, deal with competitors and other market forces, etc.
-matthew
Re:What is ir again?
on
TextMate
·
· Score: 4, Informative
To quote the review: "TextMate is primarily viewed as a Ruby on Rails development tool. The book expressly acknowledges this (the code examples are mostly written in Ruby), but provides detailed instructions for handling syntax highlighting in Java, C and other languages via Automations"
It is a text editor with some ability to integrate with a development environment (but not quite an IDE) that is most commonly associated with Ruby on Rails development, but can be used to work in other environments. Which part of that isn't clear?
New Injet printers... now with 100x the number of nozzles to clog! Sounds like a mixed blessing to me. I think I'll stick with my old HP B&W laserjet, thanks.
What about what the drug companies are doing with depression? It is all still pretty crude. It isn't like people can just take a pill once and be happy (outside recreational/temporary happy, of course). Even when the drugs do work like they are advertised, they don't "fix" anything. At best they help people "get by." Don't get me wrong, medicine has come a long way but psychiatry is still very much in a dark ages as far as I can tell.
The oral tradition, by and large, was a religious one. They preserved their creation, law, and holy stories (all functions of religion, esp. in your indigenous peoples) via music, and
I don't quite understand why you make such a distinction between music for religious purposes and music for "pleasure." I mean, for these people it was more than just religion, it was their culture. They didn't really have such distinctions like church/state, religion/pop culture.
used music both as a mnemonic device and to spice the stories up a bit.
Kinda like how I use music today. Nothing helps me remember the lyrics to songs better than the music. And I'm a big fan of Bob Dylan... so there is your "spicing up stories" right there.
Anyway, so what was your point, again? I guess I missed it.
Slashdot Mirror
Because of installed base
Again, because of installed base. Although as Apple has shown with the PPC -> x86 migration (and also m68k -> ppc) this isn't such a big factor. Major software is constantly being upgraded and old CPUs can always be emulated if necessary. You might say that performance isn't good, but how fast does a 20 year old app have to run?
Installed base.
Tell that to AMD. They seem to be doing pretty well for themselves.
-matthew
No, you Nazi's still look bad.
Agreed. There a misconception of "wasted" time and effort in open source. Like if you have 20 total programmers working on 3 similar projects, it is necessarily better that all 20 combine efforts on one project. The problem is is more programmers doesn't necessarily make for a better product or even faster development. Too many cooks spoiling the stew and all that. Sometimes all you need is a small core of really dedicated developers with a clear vision. If that means you have 3 groups working on competing projects... then so be it. May the best project
"win." Though I don't really know if this is the case with Compiz and Beryl. Maybe they are better off combining efforts. It really depends.
-matthew
Let me guess, you think you're a a really awesome coder...
Well, for one thing, AJAX isn't an all or nothing deal. Many sites/apps just use ajax for certain features where otherwise it is a regular website. Sure, there are some pure "AJAX apps" like gmail out there, but the vast majority of AJAX being used is just for little bits of functionality. In this case, storing the authentication in a javascript variable is going to be a big pain in the butt for users.
Cookies keep continual session between any kind HTTP of request, not just "pages."
-matthew
Err, I mean GNUStep, not OpenStep.
-matthew
Ugh, it is so true. Why did all the Linux geeks decide to take the most hated (more love-hate) GUI environment... and copy it? I can think of three possible reasons:
1) They didn't know any better. They knew they wanted some GUI but really only knew Windows. So that is what it mimicked. In other words: lack of creativity and/or laziness. Hey, this isn't a put down. I do this myself when it comes to user interfaces sometimes. Just look around for the most popular way of doing something and copy it. If everyone tried to be uber unique, computers would be much more difficult to use overall.
2) Want to appeal to the masses who are used to Windows. I don't favor this reason because I'm not sure KDE/GNOME developers REALLY care that much about mass adoption. My impression is that most are just doing it for fun and to have something to use for themselves and others they know. But I guess there's always ego points in getting mass adoption.
3) Maybe they just LIKE the Windows GUI. Somehow i find this difficult to accept but maybe KDE/GNOME developers thing the "Start Menu" is a really cool idea.
Personally, I wish they had looked to OS X if they needed some inspiration. But I guess that I what OpenStep is for.
-matthew
3)
Derived in concept, perhaps, but not code. And even then, they weren't that similar. I mean, you have a mouse and teh concept of windows and such, but I never found using early Windows to be much like MacOS.
And as far as Windows being based on DOS, that is Just WIndows 3.x/9x. NT is based on OS/2 and was further influenced by VMS.
But still an original product as far as code is concerned.
Oh come on. Xbox is no more a clone of the Playstation that any other console system. They're console gaming systems. You have a couple controllers, pop in a CD/DVD/Cartridge and play. If you want to call every single console system a clone of another, fine, but don't you're idea of a "clone" is pretty darn loose... to the point of meaninglessness.
From the Wordperfect Wikipedia article: "WordPerfect was late in coming to market with a Windows version. WordPerfect 5.1 for Windows was released in late 1991, by which time Microsoft Word for Windows was already at version 2. WordPerfect's function-key-centered user interface did not adapt well to the new paradigm of mouse and pull-down menus, especially with many of WordPerfect's standard key combinations pre-empted by incompatible keyboard shortcuts that Windows itself used (e.g. Alt-F4 became Exit Program instead of WordPerfect's Block Text). The DOS version's impressive arsenal of finely tuned printer drivers was also rendered obsolete by Windows' use of its own printer device drivers."
Have you ever used Wordperfect 5.1? Is was nothing like Word other than that they were both word processing programs.
And similar from the article on Excel: "Microsoft originally marketed a spreadsheet program called Multiplan in 1982, which was very popular on CP/M systems, but on MS-DOS systems it lost popularity to Lotus 1-2-3. This promoted development of a new spreadsheet called Excel which started with the intention to, in the words of Doug Klunder, 'do everything 1-2-3 does and do it better' . The first version of Excel was released for the Mac in 1985 and the first Windows version (numbered 2.0 to line-up with the Mac and bundled with a run-time Windows environment) was released in November 1987. Lotus was slow to bring 1-2-3 to Windows and by 1988 Excel had started to outsell 1-2-3 and helped Microsoft achieve the position of leading PC software developer. This accomplishment, dethroning the king of the software world, solidified Microsoft as a valid competitor and showed its future of developing graphical software. Microsoft pushed its advantage with regular new releases, every two years or so. The current version for the Windows platform is Excel 12, also called Microsoft Office Excel 2007. The current version for the Mac OS X"
In this case, Microsoft was not only first in Windows (Office) with a speadsheet program, they even had a spreadsheet before Lotus 1-2-3.
-matthew
Ok, but CAN it do that?
-matthew
You need to keep in mind just how dangerous and deadly infections can be. I mean, people used to die from a relatively minor puncture wound or similar back before antibiotics.
If there is abuse of antibiotics, it is with livestock and perhaps the elderly. Average people are not getting antibiotics for the "sniffles."
-matthew
Plain ol' OpenBSD for small business? I guess you want to by the guy they call any time they want to make a change? I usually recommend Netscreens for regular firewalls.
Although I did just put together a WRAP embedded board running pfSense http://www.pfsense.org/ . Great investment. I used it to replace some POS DLink DSA-3200 that started crapping out on me. I can't believe I paid $500 for that piece of crap just to get some captive portal functionality when I could have had more fun (and gotten a better system!) for just over $200 in hardware and some free software. The good news is that I was able to steal the pigtails and antennas from the Dlink. I considered taking the radio but it turns out that FreeBSD doesn't support that particular chipset.
-matthew
Digital Lamarkism? Come on. This was been disproved long ago. I'll hold out for the fittest computer to survive.
-matthew
God, i can't wait for the day when we never hear anyone refer to a partition by a letter with a colon after it.
Yeah, off topic, I know.
Protecting their SOHO marketshare? Did they even have any? I thought the point of the Linksys merger was to GET a SOHO marketshare.
Anyway, I never really thought of Linksys as a particularly good brand. I mean, all the the consumer grade wireless/router stuff is pretty much crap. Not that Linksys was particulary bad, but it certainly wasn't good either. Much like home inkjet printers. The only thing that make Linksys stand out in my mind is the ability to load custom Linux on the WRT54G. Other than that, they're basically just disposable hardware.
-matthew
I think that only happens when a) the parent means to drive the company into the ground (and take their customers and patents) or b) when there are redundancies between the two companies. Fortunately, I don't think either is the case here. Best Buy would have no reason to drive Speakeasy into the ground and they don't have much in common as far as business, so I think Speakeasy is safe in that regard.
-matthew
Oh wait, Juniper buys Netscreen. That wasn't so bad. As far as I can tell, Netscreens are still darn good firewalls.
-matthew
I'm going to seriously consider leaving. I don't want to stick around and watch them go down the drain just like every other cool company that gets bought out. I guess it could be worse... like Symantec or Computer Associates, but still... Best Buy? WTF does an ISP have in common with a retail giant?
I'm really kind of sick of this buy-out -> toilet trend. I just got burned pretty bad by it last year when EMC bought Dantz/Retrospect. Retrospect used to be a pretty solid product. Now it is a steaming pile of crap and I look like an ass for recommending it at my new employer.
Whta is it with buyouts and mergers? Is it just the chaos of trying to merge very different ways of doing things? Or are the parent companies really just that bad? I can't think of a single buyout that has done anything but destroy a good brand. Maybe Cisco/Linksys wasn't so bad? I dunno.
-matthew
I liked how EVE Online dealt with griefers... put bounties on their heads. Sure, the bounties become a trophy for the griefers, but so what? At least people can profit from pk'ing the griefers. And in a way it works into the theme of the game. I mean, what is a space game without space pirates? It is especially interesting when you get certain griefers with a reputation. And people talk about them. It really adds to the depth of the game. Sure, it is still annoying as hell when someone steals your loot/ore, but at least you have some recourse. Also, EVE has a relatively robust economic system that is far less open to abuse. From what I undersatnd, (gold) miners are a nuisance in WoW. In EVE, mining is just another role. People building ships NEED people to mine ore.
Of course, I haven't played EVE in a while, but when I did it was very interesting. I played a good 4 months (I get bored with most any game pretty quick) with an "alternative" role. I didn't do much fighting or "grinding." I made a good living just buying/reselling/building ships and other parts. And it wasn't simple either. I had to find suppliers, buyers, bid on blueprints, deal with competitors and other market forces, etc.
-matthew
To quote the review: "TextMate is primarily viewed as a Ruby on Rails development tool. The book expressly acknowledges this (the code examples are mostly written in Ruby), but provides detailed instructions for handling syntax highlighting in Java, C and other languages via Automations"
It is a text editor with some ability to integrate with a development environment (but not quite an IDE) that is most commonly associated with Ruby on Rails development, but can be used to work in other environments. Which part of that isn't clear?
-matthew
What does Emacs being GPL'd have to do with someone else creating a program which has a similar feel?
-matthew
Or they'll just backport the significant new features to DX9... oh wait, they already did with DX9EX ;-)
New Injet printers... now with 100x the number of nozzles to clog! Sounds like a mixed blessing to me. I think I'll stick with my old HP B&W laserjet, thanks.
-matthew
They're still rather crude at that.
What about what the drug companies are doing with depression? It is all still pretty crude. It isn't like people can just take a pill once and be happy (outside recreational/temporary happy, of course). Even when the drugs do work like they are advertised, they don't "fix" anything. At best they help people "get by." Don't get me wrong, medicine has come a long way but psychiatry is still very much in a dark ages as far as I can tell.
-matthew
I don't quite understand why you make such a distinction between music for religious purposes and music for "pleasure." I mean, for these people it was more than just religion, it was their culture. They didn't really have such distinctions like church/state, religion/pop culture.
Kinda like how I use music today. Nothing helps me remember the lyrics to songs better than the music. And I'm a big fan of Bob Dylan... so there is your "spicing up stories" right there.
Anyway, so what was your point, again? I guess I missed it.
-matthew