Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge open source fan, have built corporate networks with it, started with slackware in 1996, etc - but realistically speaking, 6 months is not going to make much difference.
Linux itself is already ready for the desktop. Ubuntu, Kubuntu or Fedora are just as easy to install or use as Windows Vista. It's the application support and off the shelf software library that is lacking.
Yes - we all know there's a huge library of open source software either included or available for download. However, until joe blow can go to the shop, pick up a copy of photoshop, Quake V or whatever, pop the cd in and run a simple installer - it's going to lag behind.
I seriously doubt that this situation will eventuate within 6 months, given that in the past 11 years I've been hearing "is this year the year of the linux desktop?"
Linux already is ready - the rest of the industry isn't.
Out of the box default, vista 32 bit ultimate. Boot time is pretty much the same as my core2 quadro, except the quadro is on an Intel board with onboard RAID controller that I have to wait a lot longer for to POST...
If it's genuinely taking 5 minutes, something is seriously broken on that box... either hardware problem, configuration problem or driver issue....
XP can't do anything of substance that Win2k can't. XP = waste of time. Vista provides a lot more in terms of "new stuff" than XP ever did: UAC (and thus the ability to safely run as an admin user - to get the same level of security in xp/2k you need to log in as a non-admin and do "run-as" for every fucking thing that needs admin), usermode audio drivers with per app volume control, DirectX10, snapshotting of all your data (this one is a workstation BIG win in itself), etc, etc.
Performance of any game I have run under vista (if it runs, i'll admit, some won't without mucking about - but then that was true going from 98 to 2k/xp) is indistinguishable from XP.
Finaly the resourses it take to run (largely because of a bloated GUI IMHO) are way out of proportion.
The (optional, aero) GUI uses about 256mb of RAM.
Or, in $ terms, approximately $20 worth in today's aussie dollars. Too much for you? CPU power wise, it runs just fine on a 5 year old machine. Much older than that and you're facing possible hardware failure due to age in any case.
If you want to run some bunky old piece of shit hardware, stick with a bunky old piece of shit O/S (XP, dos, whatever. Win2k was the best OS microsoft has put out imho - but it's just past it).
The rest of us will move on. You say you can't see any benefits, i'll list some for you below:
Continued windows updates
New APIs that new software will require (eg, DX10, future.net versions, etc)
UAC - people who bitch about it just like to bitch. once your system is installed, you rarely see it, unless of course something is trying to install - perhaps without your prior knowledge
If you want it to look like Windows 2000, it can do.
CPU power = not an issue - my 5 year old Pentium 4 ran just fine, it was not cpu bound, even running aero. When memory is obtainable for under $100/gb (much less) who cares if it won't run in 128kb? Neither will XP, or even full blown linux...
The best bet for any OEM looking to run on such hardware would be something like NetBSD or embedded Linux - whether or not vista exists or not...
Either my Vista X-Fi drivers or NVIDIA drivers do not support DRM. I know this because it had in the release notes "Digitally protected content is not supported" or words to that effect. They're signed drivers.
How about buying a mac mini for work and multimedia and the game system of your choice for gaming? Wouldnt be more expensive and is way more fun.
I already have a number of consoles (PS1/PS2, Dreamcast, a bunch of old ones), but no console can run a lot of the games I want to play. For example, Falcon: Allied Force, Neverwinter Nights 2, Stalker, GRAW2, etc.
I like the mac mini, I really do, but I just have no real use for it. I was considering one for a media PC, but my "old" Pentium D 3.0 with Geforce 7600GT has taken care of that role quite nicely. Also, being a full tower PC, filling it up with a few tb of disk for media ripping, encoding, tv recording, etc is much easier than trying to jam all that into a mini and ending up needing to use firewire, etc.
The one possible justification i can make for a mac mini would be to learn objective C/OpenStep - but given that I can do that cheaper and easier with Linux/BSD + GNUStep - and not have to fork out $1k AU for the mini, plus monitor, mouse, kb, etc.... it's a non-starter.
As a general home-use operating system, the sum total of my issues so far have been:
kb938979
loss of directX support for EAX. fixed with creative alchemy by upgrading to an SB X-fi (cheap)
some older games don't work. most of my games *do* work though, and new directX 10 games will be out soon that i'll need vista for anyway
exchange 2003 snap in doesn't work
my netgear 108mb wireless card only has 54mb support in the current vista driver. i only have a 54mb hub at the moment though, so no loss to me
That's pretty much it so far, i'm really struggling to dig out issues. Sure, it's a memory and disk space pig (17gb install for ultimate and 2gb ram is really what you should consider as being "baseline usable", but neither of those things are breaking the bank these days.
As to ubuntu - well, haven't tried it yet on this box (Core2 Quad 2.4 on intel DP35DP mobo with geforce 8800gts and other bits) to be honest, but i tried slackware 12 the other day (i'm a slackware user from way back - haven't tried slackware since about 7.0 though:D) and it can't see my DVD drive to install from on this box. It boots, but can't install packages - go figure.
Ubuntu can't even handle my old machine (Pentium D 3.0 with Geforce 7600GT) when plugged into my TV (using it as a media box). It's an LCD tv, does 1024x768, and ubuntu always craps out when setting up X. No idea why, can't be bothered figuring it out to be honest.
Don't get me wrong, I love free software, have built a large corporate WAN with FreeBSD and Linux in the past and am looking for an alternative OS for this box at the moment, but its at the point where on my home box, if stuff doesn't "just work" my patience is fairly limited. I get paid to fix shit like that at work, i can't be bothered dealing with it at home as well on my time off.
Few if you are a home user, but if you use corporate enterprise or anything legacy then you are in a world of hurt. Mostly, this is not the fault of Microsoft, but rather your vendors (Specifically VPN and software related to home use)
Granted, there are more issues in the corporate world, but it really depends on your application mix. A few of us have been running it at work, and the biggest problem we have had so far is the Exchange 2003 snap-in doesn't work.
However, i would wager that the compatibility issues with an exisiting windows environment are significantly less with Vista than jumping ship to OS/X.
Thermaltake Soprano case. It's not eye-bleedingly ugly - in fact the black one goes fairly nicely next to my LCD tv in the living room. My new box is silver though.
So why not make a handheld that can do real-time raytracing? Seems it would be easier to do. And that's a pretty good selling point to boast "better than PS3/360 graphics in the palm of your hand."
It's just not worth it.
These days, games are often ported from platform to platform with fairly portable code (ie, written in C with platform specific low level stuff in ASM if required).
The second you put a raytracing platform out, every conventional raster graphics engine on the market becomes extremely difficult to port to it. It's all well and good being able to boast, but if you have no software to back up the claims, then it's a waste of time.
Yes, vista has a few issues. Note: Few. I've been running it since March, and there's no way XP is going back on my box, at least not exclusively.
I've been tempted to buy a Mac, but I game - and for the cost of a 17" Imac with pretty crappy video, I recently built a Core2 Quad 2.4ghz, 2gb ram, 500gb disk, Geforce 8800GTS, etc.
If apple were to release a PowerMac chassis at a slightly less inflated price, i'd be pretty keen... but double the cost of what I built? No thanks...
He admits that he "put together" his own machine. Could that be why it does not wake up from sleep mode? Or why he's having so many other troubles?
Could be? Certainly. Doesn't change the fact that a knwoledgable user has been unable to get his machine to work for 9 months. Given 9 months, I'm quite sure even the average inept noob could get linux doing what they like (only took me a few months to get to learn slackware back in 96)...
Counting votes is a non-problem for a half competent programmer/engineer.
IMHO, the problems in this software are either due to totally incompetent engineering AND inadequate code review (and how the fuck did BOTH of those happen, if thats the case?), or they were intentionally put in place for some particular motive.
My guess is the latter - but what could the motive be?
Deliberately broken software to suggest that electronic voting is inherently unreliable
Intentionally exploitable software to enable swinging the vote to/for the highest bidder
You can review source code all you like, you're still trusting that the supplier of the source code gave you the code that was used to generate the voting machine software in use.
Slashdot Mirror
Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge open source fan, have built corporate networks with it, started with slackware in 1996, etc - but realistically speaking, 6 months is not going to make much difference.
Linux itself is already ready for the desktop. Ubuntu, Kubuntu or Fedora are just as easy to install or use as Windows Vista. It's the application support and off the shelf software library that is lacking.
Yes - we all know there's a huge library of open source software either included or available for download. However, until joe blow can go to the shop, pick up a copy of photoshop, Quake V or whatever, pop the cd in and run a simple installer - it's going to lag behind.
I seriously doubt that this situation will eventuate within 6 months, given that in the past 11 years I've been hearing "is this year the year of the linux desktop?"
Linux already is ready - the rest of the industry isn't.
Funny how i haven't had any issues running openGL apps on vista...
If it's genuinely taking 5 minutes, something is seriously broken on that box... either hardware problem, configuration problem or driver issue....
Performance of any game I have run under vista (if it runs, i'll admit, some won't without mucking about - but then that was true going from 98 to 2k/xp) is indistinguishable from XP.
Or, in $ terms, approximately $20 worth in today's aussie dollars. Too much for you? CPU power wise, it runs just fine on a 5 year old machine. Much older than that and you're facing possible hardware failure due to age in any case.
If you want to run some bunky old piece of shit hardware, stick with a bunky old piece of shit O/S (XP, dos, whatever. Win2k was the best OS microsoft has put out imho - but it's just past it).
The rest of us will move on. You say you can't see any benefits, i'll list some for you below:
- Continued windows updates
- New APIs that new software will require (eg, DX10, future
.net versions, etc)
- UAC - people who bitch about it just like to bitch. once your system is installed, you rarely see it, unless of course something is trying to install - perhaps without your prior knowledge
If you want it to look like Windows 2000, it can do.The best bet for any OEM looking to run on such hardware would be something like NetBSD or embedded Linux - whether or not vista exists or not...
Vista boots on my old P4-2.4 (non ht) in around a minute or less.
That machine is 5 years old. If you can't be bothered waiting for the machine to boot, hibernation would be a good idea...
But when the largest media hardware producers do not support the DRM, who in their right mind will protect their content with it? :)
Either my Vista X-Fi drivers or NVIDIA drivers do not support DRM. I know this because it had in the release notes "Digitally protected content is not supported" or words to that effect. They're signed drivers.
The issue is quality control... not DRM control.
smash
Get work to pay...
I already have a number of consoles (PS1/PS2, Dreamcast, a bunch of old ones), but no console can run a lot of the games I want to play. For example, Falcon: Allied Force, Neverwinter Nights 2, Stalker, GRAW2, etc.
I like the mac mini, I really do, but I just have no real use for it. I was considering one for a media PC, but my "old" Pentium D 3.0 with Geforce 7600GT has taken care of that role quite nicely. Also, being a full tower PC, filling it up with a few tb of disk for media ripping, encoding, tv recording, etc is much easier than trying to jam all that into a mini and ending up needing to use firewire, etc.
The one possible justification i can make for a mac mini would be to learn objective C/OpenStep - but given that I can do that cheaper and easier with Linux/BSD + GNUStep - and not have to fork out $1k AU for the mini, plus monitor, mouse, kb, etc.... it's a non-starter.
That's pretty much it so far, i'm really struggling to dig out issues. Sure, it's a memory and disk space pig (17gb install for ultimate and 2gb ram is really what you should consider as being "baseline usable", but neither of those things are breaking the bank these days.
As to ubuntu - well, haven't tried it yet on this box (Core2 Quad 2.4 on intel DP35DP mobo with geforce 8800gts and other bits) to be honest, but i tried slackware 12 the other day (i'm a slackware user from way back - haven't tried slackware since about 7.0 though :D) and it can't see my DVD drive to install from on this box. It boots, but can't install packages - go figure.
Ubuntu can't even handle my old machine (Pentium D 3.0 with Geforce 7600GT) when plugged into my TV (using it as a media box). It's an LCD tv, does 1024x768, and ubuntu always craps out when setting up X. No idea why, can't be bothered figuring it out to be honest.
Don't get me wrong, I love free software, have built a large corporate WAN with FreeBSD and Linux in the past and am looking for an alternative OS for this box at the moment, but its at the point where on my home box, if stuff doesn't "just work" my patience is fairly limited. I get paid to fix shit like that at work, i can't be bothered dealing with it at home as well on my time off.
However, i would wager that the compatibility issues with an exisiting windows environment are significantly less with Vista than jumping ship to OS/X.
Thermaltake Soprano case. It's not eye-bleedingly ugly - in fact the black one goes fairly nicely next to my LCD tv in the living room. My new box is silver though.
OEM version of vista ultimate will fit in that price, or close to it.
It's just not worth it.
These days, games are often ported from platform to platform with fairly portable code (ie, written in C with platform specific low level stuff in ASM if required).
The second you put a raytracing platform out, every conventional raster graphics engine on the market becomes extremely difficult to port to it. It's all well and good being able to boast, but if you have no software to back up the claims, then it's a waste of time.
I don't know but I wonder what would happen if you tried emailing trent for legal support...
Neither is GCC.
I've been tempted to buy a Mac, but I game - and for the cost of a 17" Imac with pretty crappy video, I recently built a Core2 Quad 2.4ghz, 2gb ram, 500gb disk, Geforce 8800GTS, etc.
If apple were to release a PowerMac chassis at a slightly less inflated price, i'd be pretty keen... but double the cost of what I built? No thanks...
However, if your site depends on bombarding the user with shitty pop-up banner ads, your business model is broken.
If I see a non-intrusive banner ad for something I'm curious about, I click it.
If your shitty website blasts me with a million pop-ups, the last thing I'm going to do is click on any of them or buy from the company involved.
If you decide to block firefox users from your site, it's your loss. Google has the right idea.
IMHO, the problems in this software are either due to totally incompetent engineering AND inadequate code review (and how the fuck did BOTH of those happen, if thats the case?), or they were intentionally put in place for some particular motive.
My guess is the latter - but what could the motive be?
Which is it?
You can review source code all you like, you're still trusting that the supplier of the source code gave you the code that was used to generate the voting machine software in use.
You can bet your ass that if Dell would ship it, redhat would give them the license to distribute redhat virtually for free...