...the guy's a neanderthal. He's the classic geek, lacking in maturity and social skills. These can be developed though, and along with his technical knowledge could help him rise to new heights. I suggest he read the book "Emotional Intelligence," for a start...
And lay off the hemp (it ain't just a plant, dammit).
...you don't get to choose who the VCs will put in place. You make the deal with the devil, and you get what you get. You may be lucky and get someone who is an asset to your company, or you may get the VC's ne'er do well son in law.
I've had the same email address for almost 10 years. I post on newsgroups a lot, and my email address is all over my website, which itself has been around a long time. So naturally, I get a lot of spam- probably 50-100 messages a day, *after* running some simple filters. SO WHAT! I just delete it. It takes less than a minute. Then I get on with reading the legit stuff, which takes about two hours.
What *does* bother me are the reams and piles of junk mail that appear in my snail-mail box every day. It makes me sick thinking all the trees that have to die to create this stuff.
A Windows version! We all can't run 'nix all the time! I'm hacking and praying with MySQL for Windows clients, unless they're willing to pop for Oracle...
HP talks a good Linux, but does approximately nil to further the cause, or even make their products work with Linux.
I like HP inkjet printers. I strongly believe they're more reliable than Epson's. But I've bought three Epson printers in the last two years, only because they worked better (or at all) with Linux.
Please, Slashdot, don't feed the marketroids. HP's lack of Linux action is surpassed only by Microsoft's.
Methanol for these devices will be sold in tiny commodity containers like the CO2 cartridges for seltzer bottles and bicycle tire inflators. They'll be available in convenience stores just like batteries, for a similar price.
That's why they have the "expert" install. You can choose *exactly* what you want. I can't believe how people complain about default installs- one size cannot fit all.
Plus, if you do need to add or remove anything after installation, it's easier with Mandrake than anything, except maybe Debian.
I'll use it! It would be great to be able to check my email from my boat. Verizon has great coverage all over British Columbia. We get solid digital signals even way out in the sticks. I could stay out there for weeks. Currently, I have to pop back into a marina with internet access every three days or so, just to check my email.
It works OK at the current 9600 baud rate, but with 50-60 messages a day (spam!) and three or four accounts, 144K would be better.
BTW, if you want peace and quiet for getting some programming done, there's no place like a secluded cove.
How about releasing an Intel-compiled Linux distro, and charging money for it? Intel would want a piece of the action, but just build that into the price. I'm sure people would pay for it. Even if it isn't that much faster, as long as people think it might be, they'll be lining up for it. Just like Mandrake being "Pentium optimized," not like that dumb, old, slow Redhat!;-)
It's pretty obvious they just want to charge more money for more computers, for no other reason than they think they can. All these arguments about cost and usage are just stupid. They see a bunch of people out there who will just submit and pay. That's what marketing is all about, isn't it? Whatever they think the traffic will bear!
The biggest danger is that they're taking this aggressive position now in order to set a precedent. If they can change the rules of this still new game now to suit them, they can lock in higher rates and greater profits for years to come. The future is at stake.
Personally, I don't think it will fly. I believe there are too many users with home metworks now that they can't afford to risk losing, vs. an unguaranteed number new users who will buy into their new "offerings," or just submit without a fight.
Note that while Earthlink has been offering NAT and multi-computer services for a fee, they've never required users to buy these services from them. They'll even give you a static IP account for an extra $10.
Prices will be competitive soon. There are several companies developing fuel cells for marine/RV use, with target prices similar to gasoline and diesel gensets. They ought to sell well, since they're silent, which is a big issue in marinas, RV parks, and anchorages. Wherever you go seeking a quiet anchorage in the wilderness, there's always some asshole in a big boat running a noisy generator so his kids can have microwave pizza. This can result in lots of pissy radio chatter, or even vacation-spoiling screaming matches. Fuel cells are the perfect solution.
The company rep I talked to mentioned something like $1800 for 1kW. They were confident they could do it. But even $8000 units should sell well to owners of $800,000 boats, which are usually loaded with similarly pricey toys (electric dinghy lifts, gimballing sattelite TV antennas, etc.)
The main hurdle is fuel, and developing a fuel cell that can run on diesel, gasoline, or propane. These are all that's available at gas docks. Even propane is a stretch.
The typical Walmart shopper is not a heavy online shopper. Sure, there's an overlap, but for the most part they're from a totally different demographic, with different shopping habits.
That's the heart of the matter. Though a typical Slashdot user's online shopping probably consists of hunting down deals on RAM through Priceline, the average shopper is simply looking for convenience and selection. They're willing to pay a little more for it, too. This mirrors the rest of the catalog shopping world- which the online shopping world is just another part of. And surprise, the online winners, with very few exceptions, are the same companies who have been doing mail order successfully for the last 20 years- Lands End, LLBean, etc.
I agree. Fans needn't be noisy. Most of them are, and it drives me nuts, but there are some quiet ones too. Lately I've been working on a Dell with a really quiet fan, and a whisper quiet CD writer. That's a new one for me- all the CD writers I've used before were obnoxiously noisy. Right now I have an IBM laptop with a fan so quiet I have to try to hear it, even by myself in a quiet room.
Still, the iMac, with no fan, is really neat. It works because it was designed as a whole system, case and everything. Most PCs are just a pile of parts thrown together. Where's the engineering in that? These water cooling systems are silly- what we really need are better designed, more integrated cases. Current case designs, even the better ones, are pretty cheesy, and way overpriced for a few pieces of stamped metal. There's definately some room for improvement here.
Who wants to work with a bunch of drones anyway? Not me... that's the whole reason I gave up on my original career path... as a mechanical engineer, probably working in the defense industry. It wasn't the subject matter that bored me, it was the people I worked with. My colleagues now are writers, artists, musicians, activists, filmmakers, chefs, and charity workers in addition to being software engineers. It's a much richer existence than hanging out with guys who do nothing but collect a paycheck and play with model trains.
Not to be cynical or pick on them, because I'm awfully glad they're taking this position. But it's easily explained. Phillips has no interest in copy protection. They're simply an electronics company, not a major media player like Sony. So eliminating the influence of the content side of the business puts Phillips on an even playing field.
Just as with "live" movies, Hollywood is flooded with thousands of talented hopefuls hoping to make the scene. Everyone wants to be in the movie business because it's cool. Studios know this, and take full advantage of it. You may be paid well when you work, but making a career of this is next to impossible- unless you're a world class visual artist, with world class computer skills too. Most people aren't. Even those that are have a hard time staying employed. I know a bunch of them. The upside is that it's cheaper to live in LA than Sili Valley, and if you're skilled enough to do CGI, you're skilled enough to make a living between CGI jobs, doing small office networks and stuff. Hey, it beats waiting tables! This is important, because there are plenty of talented people in LA with trust funds, and that's who you'll be competing with!
That's the deal, folks. They're pulling the wool over your gullible eyes. This really isn't about extra costs of servers being run on consumer broadband networks. It's about controlling the market for those services. If they stamp out Napster and Limewire now, they control the channels of distribution for that stuff in the future. Wanna run a web server? How much are you *willing to pay*? Wanna be able to connect to your home computer from elsewhere? How much is that worth to you? Maybe your company will pick up the tab...
This is nothing but a shakedown. They're trying to charge more only because they think a "business class" customer has more to spend. There's no difference in their cost, etc. It's like the classic "luxury car" oil change at quick-lube places. Luxury cars use the same oil and the same filters, and the service procedure is exactly the same. But they're charged more, because the company thinks they can get away with it. So do you always just roll over and play dead when you're being overcharged? I feel sorry for you...
Slashdot Mirror
...the guy's a neanderthal. He's the classic geek, lacking in maturity and social skills. These can be developed though, and along with his technical knowledge could help him rise to new heights. I suggest he read the book "Emotional Intelligence," for a start...
And lay off the hemp (it ain't just a plant, dammit).
...you don't get to choose who the VCs will put in place. You make the deal with the devil, and you get what you get. You may be lucky and get someone who is an asset to your company, or you may get the VC's ne'er do well son in law.
I've had the same email address for almost 10 years. I post on newsgroups a lot, and my email address is all over my website, which itself has been around a long time. So naturally, I get a lot of spam- probably 50-100 messages a day, *after* running some simple filters. SO WHAT! I just delete it. It takes less than a minute. Then I get on with reading the legit stuff, which takes about two hours.
What *does* bother me are the reams and piles of junk mail that appear in my snail-mail box every day. It makes me sick thinking all the trees that have to die to create this stuff.
Enough said. As long as he's not taxing their network, what interest would they have in shutting him down?
A Windows version! We all can't run 'nix all the time! I'm hacking and praying with MySQL for Windows clients, unless they're willing to pop for Oracle...
...tell us exactly how MySQL fails the ACID test, and what that means in the real world.
HP talks a good Linux, but does approximately nil to further the cause, or even make their products work with Linux.
I like HP inkjet printers. I strongly believe they're more reliable than Epson's. But I've bought three Epson printers in the last two years, only because they worked better (or at all) with Linux.
Please, Slashdot, don't feed the marketroids. HP's lack of Linux action is surpassed only by Microsoft's.
Methanol for these devices will be sold in tiny commodity containers like the CO2 cartridges for seltzer bottles and bicycle tire inflators. They'll be available in convenience stores just like batteries, for a similar price.
That's why they have the "expert" install. You can choose *exactly* what you want. I can't believe how people complain about default installs- one size cannot fit all.
Plus, if you do need to add or remove anything after installation, it's easier with Mandrake than anything, except maybe Debian.
I'll use it! It would be great to be able to check my email from my boat. Verizon has great coverage all over British Columbia. We get solid digital signals even way out in the sticks. I could stay out there for weeks. Currently, I have to pop back into a marina with internet access every three days or so, just to check my email.
It works OK at the current 9600 baud rate, but with 50-60 messages a day (spam!) and three or four accounts, 144K would be better.
BTW, if you want peace and quiet for getting some programming done, there's no place like a secluded cove.
I thought Red Carpet only updated Ximian, and not the rest of your system. Redhat Network keeps your entire distribution up to date.
How about releasing an Intel-compiled Linux distro, and charging money for it? Intel would want a piece of the action, but just build that into the price. I'm sure people would pay for it. Even if it isn't that much faster, as long as people think it might be, they'll be lining up for it. Just like Mandrake being "Pentium optimized," not like that dumb, old, slow Redhat! ;-)
It's pretty obvious they just want to charge more money for more computers, for no other reason than they think they can. All these arguments about cost and usage are just stupid. They see a bunch of people out there who will just submit and pay. That's what marketing is all about, isn't it? Whatever they think the traffic will bear!
The biggest danger is that they're taking this aggressive position now in order to set a precedent. If they can change the rules of this still new game now to suit them, they can lock in higher rates and greater profits for years to come. The future is at stake.
Personally, I don't think it will fly. I believe there are too many users with home metworks now that they can't afford to risk losing, vs. an unguaranteed number new users who will buy into their new "offerings," or just submit without a fight.
Note that while Earthlink has been offering NAT and multi-computer services for a fee, they've never required users to buy these services from them. They'll even give you a static IP account for an extra $10.
Prices will be competitive soon. There are several companies developing fuel cells for marine/RV use, with target prices similar to gasoline and diesel gensets. They ought to sell well, since they're silent, which is a big issue in marinas, RV parks, and anchorages. Wherever you go seeking a quiet anchorage in the wilderness, there's always some asshole in a big boat running a noisy generator so his kids can have microwave pizza. This can result in lots of pissy radio chatter, or even vacation-spoiling screaming matches. Fuel cells are the perfect solution.
The company rep I talked to mentioned something like $1800 for 1kW. They were confident they could do it. But even $8000 units should sell well to owners of $800,000 boats, which are usually loaded with similarly pricey toys (electric dinghy lifts, gimballing sattelite TV antennas, etc.)
The main hurdle is fuel, and developing a fuel cell that can run on diesel, gasoline, or propane. These are all that's available at gas docks. Even propane is a stretch.
The typical Walmart shopper is not a heavy online shopper. Sure, there's an overlap, but for the most part they're from a totally different demographic, with different shopping habits.
That's the heart of the matter. Though a typical Slashdot user's online shopping probably consists of hunting down deals on RAM through Priceline, the average shopper is simply looking for convenience and selection. They're willing to pay a little more for it, too. This mirrors the rest of the catalog shopping world- which the online shopping world is just another part of. And surprise, the online winners, with very few exceptions, are the same companies who have been doing mail order successfully for the last 20 years- Lands End, LLBean, etc.
I agree. Fans needn't be noisy. Most of them are, and it drives me nuts, but there are some quiet ones too. Lately I've been working on a Dell with a really quiet fan, and a whisper quiet CD writer. That's a new one for me- all the CD writers I've used before were obnoxiously noisy. Right now I have an IBM laptop with a fan so quiet I have to try to hear it, even by myself in a quiet room.
Still, the iMac, with no fan, is really neat. It works because it was designed as a whole system, case and everything. Most PCs are just a pile of parts thrown together. Where's the engineering in that? These water cooling systems are silly- what we really need are better designed, more integrated cases. Current case designs, even the better ones, are pretty cheesy, and way overpriced for a few pieces of stamped metal. There's definately some room for improvement here.
"What kinda computer you have, IBM or Mac?"
"Neither, I run Linux."
"Didn't AOL just buy those guys?"
What's really scary is that I was being perfectly serious.
Who wants to work with a bunch of drones anyway? Not me... that's the whole reason I gave up on my original career path... as a mechanical engineer, probably working in the defense industry. It wasn't the subject matter that bored me, it was the people I worked with. My colleagues now are writers, artists, musicians, activists, filmmakers, chefs, and charity workers in addition to being software engineers. It's a much richer existence than hanging out with guys who do nothing but collect a paycheck and play with model trains.
Not to be cynical or pick on them, because I'm awfully glad they're taking this position. But it's easily explained. Phillips has no interest in copy protection. They're simply an electronics company, not a major media player like Sony. So eliminating the influence of the content side of the business puts Phillips on an even playing field.
...they're called passports.
Just as with "live" movies, Hollywood is flooded with thousands of talented hopefuls hoping to make the scene. Everyone wants to be in the movie business because it's cool. Studios know this, and take full advantage of it. You may be paid well when you work, but making a career of this is next to impossible- unless you're a world class visual artist, with world class computer skills too. Most people aren't. Even those that are have a hard time staying employed. I know a bunch of them. The upside is that it's cheaper to live in LA than Sili Valley, and if you're skilled enough to do CGI, you're skilled enough to make a living between CGI jobs, doing small office networks and stuff. Hey, it beats waiting tables! This is important, because there are plenty of talented people in LA with trust funds, and that's who you'll be competing with!
That's the deal, folks. They're pulling the wool over your gullible eyes. This really isn't about extra costs of servers being run on consumer broadband networks. It's about controlling the market for those services. If they stamp out Napster and Limewire now, they control the channels of distribution for that stuff in the future. Wanna run a web server? How much are you *willing to pay*? Wanna be able to connect to your home computer from elsewhere? How much is that worth to you? Maybe your company will pick up the tab...
This is nothing but a shakedown. They're trying to charge more only because they think a "business class" customer has more to spend. There's no difference in their cost, etc. It's like the classic "luxury car" oil change at quick-lube places. Luxury cars use the same oil and the same filters, and the service procedure is exactly the same. But they're charged more, because the company thinks they can get away with it. So do you always just roll over and play dead when you're being overcharged? I feel sorry for you...