Perhaps the coolest Personal Super Computer was the one shown by the good folks at Penguin Computing. It was rumored to be over-clocked and featured liquid cooling for silent operation!
I've been gifted lately with a girlfriend that doesn't mind and in fact likely gaming with me. She takes interest in something that interests me. So I've come to rely on these games:
1) Sonic 2 with Tails is a great suggestion. She can just play along with you.
2) Tetris (the old standby) the new XBox version has a handicap feature
3) Amped 2 (XBOX) you can split the screen and ride the mountain together. You will likely always out score her, but you both can play against yourself to outscore yourself. Since you aren't competing with each other, it makes it much more enjoyable.
4) Super Mario! Another old great standby.
Really as far as FPS games go, I have had worse luck. They don't seem interesting to them, or they just have a rather large learning curve.
Its a shame each time Cassini is mentioned on Slashdot they ocassionaly forget to mention the link to the Cassini Imageging Teams Offical website. The link is here. Just so everyone knows...:-) Enjoy
The Casinni Imagaing team is located in Colorado, but we host the offical webserver at the Lunar and Planetary Lab at the University of Arizona. You can view the website and an image diary at ciclops.lpl.arizona.edu
I love my Speakeasy/Covad DSL. I can't say enough about them. Thos on my local LUG list will tell you that I don't stop raving about them. Perhaps Speakeasy could afford to buy the lines from Covad. That would kick ass. Oh and on a side note, Speakeasy, is scheduled to be profitable in September. I still hope this is on track.
-
IT will never happen. What is Intel thinking. They don't write much software anyway. As long as strings and user entered data exsist in software there will always be a new way to exploit something. Nothing will ever be 100% secure. Besides, shipping windows in "reduced functionality" has already proven to be a pain.
-Josh
When I started looking for a strong alternative to Windows. I knew I wanted more power and flexibility. Linux gives me just that. But it lacks in strong areas, such as having an easy to use "desktop GUI" that makes its power easily accessible to the other people in this world who are to intimidated by a command line, by many millions of configuration options. When I found BeOS I found an incredibily powerful OS, which had roots in a UNIX enviroment and filesystem. But at the same time I saw and amazingly powerful GUI, that sort of hid the power of the OS and make people less scared of this new something. I was very disapointed though when I found BeOS wasn't GPL'd. For such strong selling points, it lacked Appilcations, Drivers, and a wide user base. It should be pointed out though that many pieces of software for Be ARE GPL'd, it still lacks a strong passionate developement group, that is perhaps one of Linux's strongest blessings. I would love to see BeOS GPL'd. I also think it would be worth Be's efforts to do so as well. Imagine having all the power, stability, and flexiblity of a Linux machine, but have the sort of "magic screen" that allows this power to be presented to the non-ubergeek user in a no threating way. I know that I when I mention Linux to a non-nerd, they hide in fear of its complexity and miss out on its power. GPLing BeOS would not only help Be, but would help the Linux Community as a whole by showing the true power and flexiblity of a Linux based OS.
Judge: Will the defense lawyer please present their opening statements...
MS Lawyer: I'm sorry your honor, but my Windows 2000 Laptop Crashed last night in my hotel. So I tired to re-install it using the CD I brought, but I forgot the CD-Key back in the Office. So I had the document on a disk. Well when I gave it to my counsol, they had an older version of Word on it so I couldn't open it. (We know how that dang format keeps changing) Then once I retyped it, when I tried to print it I got a Fatal Exception Error and was forced to reboot once again, re-install the printer driver, and finally try to print it out. But then explorer crashed an corupted the video driver Vxd. So what I'm trying to say is that I don't have my opening statement.
Hey, I had the same problems you have. I currently have an IDSL line from Speakeasy/Covad. Installation was stright forward and they delt with my local UsWest, (or whatever they are called now). I get e-mails regularly about outages, ports open on this server, what version of this they are running on this Mail server, etc. I have Full Shell Access, IMAP, POP3, and Dial-up. I even get two free Static IPs. When something does go wrong though, their tech support is top notch. They officaly support Linux too!!! They allow me to run a server, (as long as nothing illegal is on it) and they will set me up with a hostname for a one time fee of $25 (assuming you already own the domain.) I got mine from opensrs.net for $10. I just can't say enough about these people, I really think you check them out. http://www.speakeasy.net
At a project I've been working on during the summer we've added computers based on the open-source movement to elementary schools. Its never to early to learn and become involved. In fact we have second graders writting pure HTML and running the GIMP with great results. You can check out the results and the culmination of project at Osef.orgI know that as a student of computer science I have learned alot about where linux can be headed in the education world. OH and BTW, the osef.org is of course a not for profit organization. As a teacher I think students should be asked as to what they feel they want to get out of the class. Let the students deside. Perhaps have each of them contribute to a Linux project and report what they accomplished. LinuxLinks.com is a good place to see whats out there and what can be done to help.
You are very right on some of your most obvious points. Such as your last point. But while many of these systems run Windows. Now I'm not hear to bash Windows, but why hasn't the recent development of Linux and the entire community provide alternitives to Windows and "utterly fascist basis." Computer will be programable until AI comes to town. But students have the AI already, instead of sitting them down to write a paper. Have them write a paper about the futures of computers. The time of the internet is now. The Internet, provides a medium to exchange information. Just look, how in history what has happened with the exchange of ideas. Marco Pollo, for instace. The Internet should be a tool to show students what is possible. How can a student leave school without experience in computers? How are they supposed to be the Future leaders of tomorrow? Look what has happened in the past few years. Look at we have, mapping the human Genome, medicine, etc. As a student, I can tell you that school do get enoguh computers simply because they can't afford it. That is were linux comes in. Its Free and Fast, and it provides more uses. I know that in Tucson, AZ we have a full elementary school running off of Linux, second grades writting HTML, running GIMP, My firends daughter wants a Laptop, shes 6. Check out osef.org for more info on this project. Simply put to conclude, computers are now a part of life. Computers provide a means to exchange ideas, and that promotes change, which then promotes learning. So for a change....study the past. Linux is here, here is change.
Hey I know that they are only open to small time people, check out www.levindustries.com or E-mail Josh at josh@levindustries.com, tell him I sent you.
Hey $15 is nuts for a domain name. Check out http://www.opensrs.org (it might be.com) for domains at $10 and changes are made over the web. Its the best.
Yeah it would be great if everyone wanted to put the Muppet Show back on TV. The old one anyway, I know they had set on ABC for a while that ran a newer more "elite" version. Muppet Show version 2.0 of course it was only in an alpha stage and was canceled, right?
Slashdot Mirror
Perhaps the coolest Personal Super Computer was the one shown by the good folks at Penguin Computing. It was rumored to be over-clocked and featured liquid cooling for silent operation!
http://www.penguincomputing.com/products/linux/workstations
I've been gifted lately with a girlfriend that doesn't mind and in fact likely gaming with me. She takes interest in something that interests me. So I've come to rely on these games:
1) Sonic 2 with Tails is a great suggestion. She can just play along with you.
2) Tetris (the old standby) the new XBox version has a handicap feature
3) Amped 2 (XBOX) you can split the screen and ride the mountain together. You will likely always out score her, but you both can play against yourself to outscore yourself. Since you aren't competing with each other, it makes it much more enjoyable.
4) Super Mario! Another old great standby.
Really as far as FPS games go, I have had worse luck. They don't seem interesting to them, or they just have a rather large learning curve.
One again, I just like to point on a link to the Cassini Imageing Team's Homepage located here
Its a shame each time Cassini is mentioned on Slashdot they ocassionaly forget to mention the link to the Cassini Imageging Teams Offical website. The link is here. Just so everyone knows... :-) Enjoy
The Casinni Imagaing team is located in Colorado, but we host the offical webserver at the Lunar and Planetary Lab at the University of Arizona. You can view the website and an image diary at ciclops.lpl.arizona.edu
What about for us Jews? I always feel so left out.....
I love my Speakeasy/Covad DSL. I can't say enough about them. Thos on my local LUG list will tell you that I don't stop raving about them. Perhaps Speakeasy could afford to buy the lines from Covad. That would kick ass. Oh and on a side note, Speakeasy, is scheduled to be profitable in September. I still hope this is on track. -
IT will never happen. What is Intel thinking. They don't write much software anyway. As long as strings and user entered data exsist in software there will always be a new way to exploit something. Nothing will ever be 100% secure. Besides, shipping windows in "reduced functionality" has already proven to be a pain. -Josh
When I started looking for a strong alternative to Windows. I knew I wanted more power and flexibility. Linux gives me just that. But it lacks in strong areas, such as having an easy to use "desktop GUI" that makes its power easily accessible to the other people in this world who are to intimidated by a command line, by many millions of configuration options. When I found BeOS I found an incredibily powerful OS, which had roots in a UNIX enviroment and filesystem. But at the same time I saw and amazingly powerful GUI, that sort of hid the power of the OS and make people less scared of this new something. I was very disapointed though when I found BeOS wasn't GPL'd. For such strong selling points, it lacked Appilcations, Drivers, and a wide user base. It should be pointed out though that many pieces of software for Be ARE GPL'd, it still lacks a strong passionate developement group, that is perhaps one of Linux's strongest blessings. I would love to see BeOS GPL'd. I also think it would be worth Be's efforts to do so as well. Imagine having all the power, stability, and flexiblity of a Linux machine, but have the sort of "magic screen" that allows this power to be presented to the non-ubergeek user in a no threating way. I know that I when I mention Linux to a non-nerd, they hide in fear of its complexity and miss out on its power. GPLing BeOS would not only help Be, but would help the Linux Community as a whole by showing the true power and flexiblity of a Linux based OS.
-Joshua Bernstein
(INSERT CLEVER CATCH LINE HERE)
Just picture this:
Judge: Will the defense lawyer please present their opening statements...
MS Lawyer: I'm sorry your honor, but my Windows 2000 Laptop Crashed last night in my hotel. So I tired to re-install it using the CD I brought, but I forgot the CD-Key back in the Office. So I had the document on a disk. Well when I gave it to my counsol, they had an older version of Word on it so I couldn't open it. (We know how that dang format keeps changing) Then once I retyped it, when I tried to print it I got a Fatal Exception Error and was forced to reboot once again, re-install the printer driver, and finally try to print it out. But then explorer crashed an corupted the video driver Vxd. So what I'm trying to say is that I don't have my opening statement.
Hey, I had the same problems you have. I currently have an IDSL line from Speakeasy/Covad. Installation was stright forward and they delt with my local UsWest, (or whatever they are called now). I get e-mails regularly about outages, ports open on this server, what version of this they are running on this Mail server, etc. I have Full Shell Access, IMAP, POP3, and Dial-up. I even get two free Static IPs. When something does go wrong though, their tech support is top notch. They officaly support Linux too!!! They allow me to run a server, (as long as nothing illegal is on it) and they will set me up with a hostname for a one time fee of $25 (assuming you already own the domain.) I got mine from opensrs.net for $10. I just can't say enough about these people, I really think you check them out. http://www.speakeasy.net
At a project I've been working on during the summer we've added computers based on the open-source movement to elementary schools. Its never to early to learn and become involved. In fact we have second graders writting pure HTML and running the GIMP with great results. You can check out the results and the culmination of project at Osef.orgI know that as a student of computer science I have learned alot about where linux can be headed in the education world. OH and BTW, the osef.org is of course a not for profit organization. As a teacher I think students should be asked as to what they feel they want to get out of the class. Let the students deside. Perhaps have each of them contribute to a Linux project and report what they accomplished. LinuxLinks.com is a good place to see whats out there and what can be done to help.
You are very right on some of your most obvious points. Such as your last point. But while many of these systems run Windows. Now I'm not hear to bash Windows, but why hasn't the recent development of Linux and the entire community provide alternitives to Windows and "utterly fascist basis." Computer will be programable until AI comes to town. But students have the AI already, instead of sitting them down to write a paper. Have them write a paper about the futures of computers. The time of the internet is now. The Internet, provides a medium to exchange information. Just look, how in history what has happened with the exchange of ideas. Marco Pollo, for instace. The Internet should be a tool to show students what is possible. How can a student leave school without experience in computers? How are they supposed to be the Future leaders of tomorrow? Look what has happened in the past few years. Look at we have, mapping the human Genome, medicine, etc. As a student, I can tell you that school do get enoguh computers simply because they can't afford it. That is were linux comes in. Its Free and Fast, and it provides more uses. I know that in Tucson, AZ we have a full elementary school running off of Linux, second grades writting HTML, running GIMP, My firends daughter wants a Laptop, shes 6. Check out osef.org for more info on this project. Simply put to conclude, computers are now a part of life. Computers provide a means to exchange ideas, and that promotes change, which then promotes learning. So for a change....study the past. Linux is here, here is change.
Hey I know that they are only open to small time people, check out www.levindustries.com or E-mail Josh at josh@levindustries.com, tell him I sent you.
Hey $15 is nuts for a domain name. Check out http://www.opensrs.org (it might be .com) for domains at $10 and changes are made over the web. Its the best.
Yeah it would be great if everyone wanted to put the Muppet Show back on TV. The old one anyway, I know they had set on ABC for a while that ran a newer more "elite" version. Muppet Show version 2.0 of course it was only in an alpha stage and was canceled, right?