Instead of clogging everyone else's pipes, why don't you do what we all used to do, back in the stone age of the early 80s- walk down the hall, borrow a friend's LP or CD, and make a copy! We all had to tape them (yeah, I know barefoot through the snow, blah blah). You guys can rip and burn CDs in minutes.
Go on, it'll do you some good. Get off your fat, geek asses. Make some friends, interact for real, and actually SHARE some music.
Here's something to think about- very few people spend $500/year on CDs, but a lot of them spend that much on broadband ($45/mo x 12). P2P is one of the key drivers in the broadband market, whether or not TW and others want to admit it. They could probably make just as much money giving away music for free, if they'd concentrate on selling broadband to everyone.
The "internet appliance" finally done right?
on
AOL's new Linux PC
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· Score: 2
The hot thing a few years ago was the internet appliance- the i-Opener, 3Com Audrey, etc. These were a great idea, they just lacked what was really needed to make them work- AOL! AOL was the one company that could have pulled this off. I think it could have worked at the time, and I can't for the life of me figure out why AOL didn't do it. I still think it can work. Maybe it will happen.
Think about what most people use their computers for. Certainly a lot use them primarily for net access, and a lot of those just for AOL. Add to that writing the occasional letter, creating the occasional greeting card, and uploading the occasional picture. An internet applicance can handle all these things through web services, at much greater convenience to the user. It's not for everyone, but it's the perfect solution for many. I hope someone at AOL has their brain turnied on.,.
Not every "big business" professional thinks like the knuckle-draggers at the media companies. The brainiacs at KPMG have been very critical of how the music biz has handled this issue. The music industry has been ignoring huge potential markets, which *is not* in the interest of their shareholders. Read more about it here:
Spam could be fought and cut down drastically. All we need is to rally the industry behind the effort. Sure, a little will always get through. But mostly, it will be due to luck. I don't buy the argument about "smarter" spammers. If they were good enough to consistently defeat well engineered systems, they'd be good enough to get a real job doing something else that pays a lot better.
C'mon, look at the spam you get. It's real bottom feeder stuff. It probably makes some money for someone, but I can guarantee no one's getting rich. If you really believe it's possible, then I have a great way for you to make money. Have you heard the good news about Herbalife?:-)
If Microsoft put as much energy into creating quality software as they do trying to "outsmart" the competition, Linux wouldn't be such "a serious competitor."
Netscape used to have something on their website, where you could store your bookmarks and address book, and then import them into any Netscape running on any other computer. It was totally cross-platform and everything. I used it to sync my address books between my Linux and Windows machines- way easier and more reliable than exporting/importing database files. Microsoft also had this for Outlook users.
All this is good, but what would be most useful is a cross-platorrm, cross-browser, cross-everything standard for bookmarks and address books.
While most hardware I have ever purchased is supported, some things just don't have support yet. One example is the "winmodem".
Not so, or at least not completely so. Some of these modems do have Linux support. All it took was for someone to write Linux drivers for them. And it has been done, at least for a few. I don't have a list of which ones- do a web search.
Most modems sold today are sneakily designed to work only with Microsoft Windows. Yes, this is a conspiracy between Microsoft and the manufacturers of those modems.
Not really. It was an attempt by hardware manufacturers to cut costs, by eliminating modem chips. Winmodems use the computer's main processor and soundcard to do the work, by emulating the modem chip in software.
If your modem doesnt work, you will probably have to buy a new modem which specifically says it is a "hardware modem".
Maybe, maybe not. That's the easiest way to go, though. Here's a hint- all serial port modems are "hardware" modems. Buy a well-known brand of one of these, and it's likely to work fine.
Why are we all deluding ourselves into thinking that X11 and it's KDE/Gnome companions are viable desktop environments for consumers when they really aren't.
I disagree wholeheartedly. KDE and Gnome are at least as good as Windows from a usability standpoint. If a user finds them more difficult to use, it's usually due to simple unfamiliarity, not genuine usability. Users are often just accustomed to Windows (or Mac), and run into trouble when something isn't where they expect it to be. But working from a clean slate, Windows *is not* better, just different. In tests I've done (clean slate), I've found KDE has a slight but real usability edge over Windows. And if a distribution has included some nice admin tools, like Mandrake has, users find it easier navigating Linux for the first time, than Win 2k for the first time. That's a much fairer comparison. So quit using Windows as the golden reference implementation for everything. There are better ways of doing things, so let's break our old habits, instead of perpetuating them.
Depending on the nature of your idea, it might be cheaper, easier, and more effective to make use of copyright law instead of patent. Of course you can copyright code, which may or may not be of help. But you can also copyright a design, even in an engineering sense. Do some research on this, too. It's not only easier to establish, it's also easier to defend.
If you can't monetize your patent yourself, it's almost worthless.
That sounds all smart and glib on the surface, but it doesn't work that way. There's no way to raise money without shopping your idea around a bit, and don't think for a minute those you're showing it to won't rip you off- especially VC types. A patent or copyright is the only way to protect yourself from these sharks. Yes, it's a lot of money- but nothing compared to the time you'll spend selling your idea afterward. So it's cheap insurance, even though it's still expensive.
If the patent is really worth defending, ie, if it had any merit in the first place, a lawyer would jump at the chance to do it on contingency- same as with any other lawsuit.
In my experience, RTF is no more compatible than cross platform DOC filters. It works most of the time, but it's still unreliable. An RTF created by one program may not work with another, even on the same platform. Your chances are a lot better if you stick to mainstream fonts, etc., but few people know which ones those are. If you can get everyone to agree which programs, versions, and fonts to use, RTF is workable, but it's still a big pain.
No one is going to be displaced or made redundant. The same players will be in charge in the hydrogen economy, as in the oil economy now. The greatest amount of money being spent on hydrogen fuel R&D is by the oil companies themselves. If and when the hydrogen economy ever arrives, they want to ensure their piece of the pie.
...not fuel efficiency. They have been in the past- it was one of the biggest selling points of the Yamaha Virago back in the 70s. But no one cares now. They either want big, ground-pounding Harleys, or Grand Prix poseur sport bikes. If people really wanted fuel efficient motorcycles, they'd get them. Blame motorcyclists, not manufacturers.
This is no surprise, considering USC is right down the road from Sony, Universal, Disney, Paramount, etc. It supplies more wetware to the film and entertainment industry than any other, and takes more money from said industry to support its world class film, music, and business departments.
You might look up my friends over at F-Test. By focusing only on functionality testing, they're able to do it more efficiently than almost anyone. They can do it more thoroughly and cheaply than most companies can do themselves, even small shops like ours (and probably yours). They've done great work with our stuff, as well as for big corporate clients like Sony. Nothing beats a team of well-trained, experienced testers banging away at keyboards, but there aren't many people around focusing on just that. Look 'em up. They're in Los Angeles.
Dude, it's cuz Linux users don't need to use Google. All of 'em are such hardcore webheads an' shit, they already know how to instantly find stuff! You know, all that doubleyuh doubleyuh dot doubleyuh slash stuff, an' shit...
One of the biggest enablers of commerce in the US is that we can just pick up the phone and yak without thinking about the cost. Letting your fingers do the walking can be quite expensive in many countries. While low cost internet access is a nice thing, low cost everyday phone service is far more important. I'll take free, unlimited local calling any day, then gladly pay $20/month for internet access if need be.
If you're asking about an out of the box installation, then Mandrake is more secure than Windows. Mandrake's installer runs a few scripts to stop unnecessary services, close ports, build an appropriate firewall, and otherwise lock things down. The user is prompted for a low, medium, or high level of security. A brief description of each level is offered, so even a clueless user can make the right choice. The user hits a button, and the system does the rest. It's point-and-drool simple, and it works.
Windows does none of this. Everything but the kitchen sink is installed and running. It's hard to tell what's running, especially if you're not familiar with Windows' cryptic names for all the services. There are no good explanations of what services really are or what they do. Everything is buried 3-4 levels deep, and poorly organized. Unless you're already familiar with it, it's much harder to figure out than Mandrake.
So yes, Mandrake is more secure. Part of this is the installation itself- it goes through the appropriate steps to build in some security. The other part is general usability. Mandrake wins here, too.
Don't get me wrong, not all Linux distros are as good in this respect. IMO, Redhat is about as bad as Windows, though it's getting better. Others might be a complete disaster.
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Instead of clogging everyone else's pipes, why don't you do what we all used to do, back in the stone age of the early 80s- walk down the hall, borrow a friend's LP or CD, and make a copy! We all had to tape them (yeah, I know barefoot through the snow, blah blah). You guys can rip and burn CDs in minutes.
Go on, it'll do you some good. Get off your fat, geek asses. Make some friends, interact for real, and actually SHARE some music.
Here's something to think about- very few people spend $500/year on CDs, but a lot of them spend that much on broadband ($45/mo x 12). P2P is one of the key drivers in the broadband market, whether or not TW and others want to admit it. They could probably make just as much money giving away music for free, if they'd concentrate on selling broadband to everyone.
The hot thing a few years ago was the internet appliance- the i-Opener, 3Com Audrey, etc. These were a great idea, they just lacked what was really needed to make them work- AOL! AOL was the one company that could have pulled this off. I think it could have worked at the time, and I can't for the life of me figure out why AOL didn't do it. I still think it can work. Maybe it will happen.
Think about what most people use their computers for. Certainly a lot use them primarily for net access, and a lot of those just for AOL. Add to that writing the occasional letter, creating the occasional greeting card, and uploading the occasional picture. An internet applicance can handle all these things through web services, at much greater convenience to the user. It's not for everyone, but it's the perfect solution for many. I hope someone at AOL has their brain turnied on.,.
Ogg is great. I like it. But what good is it to most people if they can't play it on their portable, car, or home audio system?
I understand this is because the codec requires a math coprocessor, which none of these things have, or ever will.
Not every "big business" professional thinks like the knuckle-draggers at the media companies. The brainiacs at KPMG have been very critical of how the music biz has handled this issue. The music industry has been ignoring huge potential markets, which *is not* in the interest of their shareholders. Read more about it here:
www.boingboing.net
I see stuff like this all the time.
Spam could be fought and cut down drastically. All we need is to rally the industry behind the effort. Sure, a little will always get through. But mostly, it will be due to luck. I don't buy the argument about "smarter" spammers. If they were good enough to consistently defeat well engineered systems, they'd be good enough to get a real job doing something else that pays a lot better.
:-)
C'mon, look at the spam you get. It's real bottom feeder stuff. It probably makes some money for someone, but I can guarantee no one's getting rich. If you really believe it's possible, then I have a great way for you to make money. Have you heard the good news about Herbalife?
If Microsoft put as much energy into creating quality software as they do trying to "outsmart" the competition, Linux wouldn't be such "a serious competitor."
Great idea, and just one more reason ISPs ought not prevent you from running your own server.
Netscape used to have something on their website, where you could store your bookmarks and address book, and then import them into any Netscape running on any other computer. It was totally cross-platform and everything. I used it to sync my address books between my Linux and Windows machines- way easier and more reliable than exporting/importing database files. Microsoft also had this for Outlook users.
All this is good, but what would be most useful is a cross-platorrm, cross-browser, cross-everything standard for bookmarks and address books.
Not so, or at least not completely so. Some of these modems do have Linux support. All it took was for someone to write Linux drivers for them. And it has been done, at least for a few. I don't have a list of which ones- do a web search.
Most modems sold today are sneakily designed to work only with Microsoft Windows. Yes, this is a conspiracy between Microsoft and the manufacturers of those modems.
Not really. It was an attempt by hardware manufacturers to cut costs, by eliminating modem chips. Winmodems use the computer's main processor and soundcard to do the work, by emulating the modem chip in software.
If your modem doesnt work, you will probably have to buy a new modem which specifically says it is a "hardware modem".
Maybe, maybe not. That's the easiest way to go, though. Here's a hint- all serial port modems are "hardware" modems. Buy a well-known brand of one of these, and it's likely to work fine.
I disagree wholeheartedly. KDE and Gnome are at least as good as Windows from a usability standpoint. If a user finds them more difficult to use, it's usually due to simple unfamiliarity, not genuine usability. Users are often just accustomed to Windows (or Mac), and run into trouble when something isn't where they expect it to be. But working from a clean slate, Windows *is not* better, just different. In tests I've done (clean slate), I've found KDE has a slight but real usability edge over Windows. And if a distribution has included some nice admin tools, like Mandrake has, users find it easier navigating Linux for the first time, than Win 2k for the first time. That's a much fairer comparison. So quit using Windows as the golden reference implementation for everything. There are better ways of doing things, so let's break our old habits, instead of perpetuating them.
Depending on the nature of your idea, it might be cheaper, easier, and more effective to make use of copyright law instead of patent. Of course you can copyright code, which may or may not be of help. But you can also copyright a design, even in an engineering sense. Do some research on this, too. It's not only easier to establish, it's also easier to defend.
That sounds all smart and glib on the surface, but it doesn't work that way. There's no way to raise money without shopping your idea around a bit, and don't think for a minute those you're showing it to won't rip you off- especially VC types. A patent or copyright is the only way to protect yourself from these sharks. Yes, it's a lot of money- but nothing compared to the time you'll spend selling your idea afterward. So it's cheap insurance, even though it's still expensive.
If the patent is really worth defending, ie, if it had any merit in the first place, a lawyer would jump at the chance to do it on contingency- same as with any other lawsuit.
In my experience, RTF is no more compatible than cross platform DOC filters. It works most of the time, but it's still unreliable. An RTF created by one program may not work with another, even on the same platform. Your chances are a lot better if you stick to mainstream fonts, etc., but few people know which ones those are. If you can get everyone to agree which programs, versions, and fonts to use, RTF is workable, but it's still a big pain.
Not if your dealers' lots are full of passe cars no one wants!
No one is going to be displaced or made redundant. The same players will be in charge in the hydrogen economy, as in the oil economy now. The greatest amount of money being spent on hydrogen fuel R&D is by the oil companies themselves. If and when the hydrogen economy ever arrives, they want to ensure their piece of the pie.
...not fuel efficiency. They have been in the past- it was one of the biggest selling points of the Yamaha Virago back in the 70s. But no one cares now. They either want big, ground-pounding Harleys, or Grand Prix poseur sport bikes. If people really wanted fuel efficient motorcycles, they'd get them. Blame motorcyclists, not manufacturers.
This is no surprise, considering USC is right down the road from Sony, Universal, Disney, Paramount, etc. It supplies more wetware to the film and entertainment industry than any other, and takes more money from said industry to support its world class film, music, and business departments.
You might look up my friends over at F-Test. By focusing only on functionality testing, they're able to do it more efficiently than almost anyone. They can do it more thoroughly and cheaply than most companies can do themselves, even small shops like ours (and probably yours). They've done great work with our stuff, as well as for big corporate clients like Sony. Nothing beats a team of well-trained, experienced testers banging away at keyboards, but there aren't many people around focusing on just that. Look 'em up. They're in Los Angeles.
Yup. Where have you been?
Dude, it's cuz Linux users don't need to use Google. All of 'em are such hardcore webheads an' shit, they already know how to instantly find stuff! You know, all that doubleyuh doubleyuh dot doubleyuh slash stuff, an' shit...
One of the biggest enablers of commerce in the US is that we can just pick up the phone and yak without thinking about the cost. Letting your fingers do the walking can be quite expensive in many countries. While low cost internet access is a nice thing, low cost everyday phone service is far more important. I'll take free, unlimited local calling any day, then gladly pay $20/month for internet access if need be.
Couldn't you just install the older, 2.0 version, which you can download for free, and then upgrade using apt-get?
If you're asking about an out of the box installation, then Mandrake is more secure than Windows. Mandrake's installer runs a few scripts to stop unnecessary services, close ports, build an appropriate firewall, and otherwise lock things down. The user is prompted for a low, medium, or high level of security. A brief description of each level is offered, so even a clueless user can make the right choice. The user hits a button, and the system does the rest. It's point-and-drool simple, and it works.
Windows does none of this. Everything but the kitchen sink is installed and running. It's hard to tell what's running, especially if you're not familiar with Windows' cryptic names for all the services. There are no good explanations of what services really are or what they do. Everything is buried 3-4 levels deep, and poorly organized. Unless you're already familiar with it, it's much harder to figure out than Mandrake.
So yes, Mandrake is more secure. Part of this is the installation itself- it goes through the appropriate steps to build in some security. The other part is general usability. Mandrake wins here, too.
Don't get me wrong, not all Linux distros are as good in this respect. IMO, Redhat is about as bad as Windows, though it's getting better. Others might be a complete disaster.