My poor old Acer Netbook, 7 years old and going strong, isn't 64 bit, and runs Linux Mint very well.
My ZG5 is currently running Win XP, Fedora 24 and Ubuntu 16.04 Mate. I'n hesitant to try Windows 10 on an Atom N270 with only 1GB RAM.
I bought the "upgrade" for my Acer Netbook, giving me a fantastic 2 GB of RAM --- but actually that makes streaming video, running LibreOffice, etc., no problem at all. I know there are Linux denigrators around here but really, when an OS gives you satisfactory performance on old and underpowered hardware, what's to complain about? A few hours of setup work? You're right, Windows 10 likely will not do so well on your ZG5 if it even runs at all.
My poor old Acer Netbook, 7 years old and going strong, isn't 64 bit, and runs Linux Mint very well. Oh no, what shall I do?
Really, there will be 32-bit compatibility for a minimum of 5 more years (Mint 18 support cycle) and by then... maybe the Acer will deserve retirement.
My use of Windows has decreased so much that I boot my Windows partition once a month or less. Very little I can't do on Linux Mint except maybe play some games, which frankly don't make it worth the effort to boot Windows and worry about stealth updates, telemetry, and all the rest. Subscription model? They'll never get a cent from me for subscriptions.
I admit to being a big Linux fan, but I've always said that those who need to run Windows (whether for gaming, a mission critical software system, or whatever reason) should do so. I've also freely admitted that we will not see "the year of Linux on the desktop."
But I may be wrong.
Microsoft indeed has lost trust. I don't agree that they never had it; we can argue about whether that trust was misplaced, but still the average consumer seems to have trusted Microsoft, at least implicitly.
I think, though, that the Windows 10 will not be the defining moment. That will occur when, as is widely speculated, Microsoft goes to a subscription business model for Windows. They are driven completely by the bottom line, like most if not all for-profit corporations, and that seems to blind them to the consequences of their actions.
A subscription model may actually give Linux a chance.
Thank you for a reasoned post which tells things as they are. I also use Linux because it meets my needs. I don't pretend that it's for people who want the highest performance from the latest games or anything approaching that. There are games for Linux (and more all the time) but I would hardly call it a gamer's platform.
And Linux not being a gamer's platform is not a problem. Gamers should use platforms suited to their purposes. I don't tout Linux as the One Solution That Fits All.
Linux is useful to me for getting things done. That's all I need.
Apple cares about the customers experience. If they don't deliver, people don't buy their stuff.
You are completely right. But the unexpressed part of that is, Apple delivers what they think/know Apple buyers will want. It seems to me that by and large this is things like the feeling of support (the "Genius Bar" which I have not quite found to be populated by geniuses), sleek appearance, and hip products that convey status because they look ultra-cool and especially because they cost a lot.
One place where hipness and coolness intersected with innovative technology was Siri, and there are certainly others. But Apple is in this for the bottom line (like just about every corporation), and there is a very specific "Apple" culture. Headphone jacks may be functional but being cool is more important, and if Apple makes a slim phone that only works with a $250 Apple wireless headset, Apple fans will buy the phone and the headset and maybe even some $50 Apple branded ear cushions.
Yes. The summary lists all sorts of reasons why this is bad for the consumer and neglects to state that being good for the consumer is not exactly Apple's prime motivation. Apple isn't going to care about a list of reasons a hundred miles long. They know people will buy their stuff no matter what. It could be a cow pie, but if it was polished and sleek and glossy and hip, and it said "Apple" the fans would buy it and love it.
.... Then there are all of the people who are angry but don't express it online. I bet a lot of them just say "fuck it" to Linux. They just use FreeBSD, or OS X, or even Windows without saying a thing. This is probably why Linux's share of the desktop market is at most 2%, and that's being generous....
I don't deny that some people give up because they are angry about X, Y, or Z. But I think, pure and simple, the reason Linux's desktop share is so low is that nearly every computer you buy comes with either Windows or Mac OS pre-installed, and people simply aren't going to change the operating system (and in most cases wouldn't quite know how to do that either).
It makes a certain macabre sense. After all, cancers can't have evolved for self-preservation, as they do everything possible to kill the host and thereby die themselves.
Something to consider: when I come across an open-source, free for the online edition textbook that I use and find useful, I try to support the author by buying a hardcopy. Usually these are not expensive and if I can afford it I think supporting the authors who are generous with their knowledge and expertise may encourage others to do the same.
Well, as an old-timer who participates in a University of Hawai`i program for "kupuna" (seniors), I was shocked last fall when I signed up for a two-semester sequence in Abstract Algebra, and found that a used copy of the textbook sold for just under $140, and a new copy was close to $200. For one book.
Books were expensive when I was an undergrad, and publishers churned editions just as they do now, but it seems greed has reached epic levels.
Microsoft had no legal obligation to let people keep the free game, and those who obtained the game for free didn't have the legal expectation of being allowed to keep it.
Of course, Microsoft could have been nice about it, and gained tremendous good will and positive public relations. But then again, that wouldn't be the Microsoft we all know and love. (I don't consider a $10 store credit being particularly nice about it.)
the fact is tablet specs actually don't suck, since they're good enough for the task most people use them for
This clearly states the issue.
A year ago I bought a supposedly high-end expensive Samsung tablet and completely regret it. I've gotten little use out of it because (and I confess to having done inadequate pre-purchase research) it is just about useless as a productivity device, even with a Bluetooth keyboard.
At about the same time I bought an Asus Zenbook, installed Linux on it, and it's been worth every cent I paid--- I can get work done, unlike on the tablet. (For me, work is mostly writing and blogging.)
Tablets indeed are media consumption devices and seem to be nearly always used as such. It leads to a self-limiting cycle in which a productivity oriented tablet won't come to pass.
Computer science, with the sole exception of the statistics-heavy research that you do at grad school level, doesn't require even the most basic math skills. They're completely and totally orthogonal. The fact that the computer is doing lots of math under the hood doesn't mean the programmer needs to know or care.
If I'm reading this correctly, you're saying that computer science and programming are the same thing, and that's very far from the truth.
... is the very same need in telling oneself "I am weak, I can't stand on my own"
Maybe not. Maybe it means, "I need a little help getting started."
When I was an MIT undergrad way back in the late 60s, MIT was just beginning to try to identify high-potential students from "disadvantaged" backgrounds. They would be offered a preparatory summer session to prepare them for the rigors of freshman year. While there were some flaws in the initial execution, the program had some real successes.
There were a number of black kids brought in under this program, and they soon formed their own affinity group, the Black Students Union (BSU). (There were other similar groups for Chinese students, etc.) A year or so later, the BSU did something that has me respecting them to this very day.
MIT was offering four years of full scholarship for the disadvantaged students--- very generous indeed. The BSU went to the administration and said that one year is fine, to help students get started, but more than that is sending a message to the student that you're incapable of making it on your own. So here we have a minority group offered something for nothing, turning it down because they were wise enough to realize that it could be harmful in the long run. Hats off to them.
The inherent rightness of equality and fairness for everyone is a no-brainer. That also implies tolerance and being willing to listen respectfully to one another, two attributes not present in the SJW camp.
Slashdot Mirror
My poor old Acer Netbook, 7 years old and going strong, isn't 64 bit, and runs Linux Mint very well.
My ZG5 is currently running Win XP, Fedora 24 and Ubuntu 16.04 Mate. I'n hesitant to try Windows 10 on an Atom N270 with only 1GB RAM.
I bought the "upgrade" for my Acer Netbook, giving me a fantastic 2 GB of RAM --- but actually that makes streaming video, running LibreOffice, etc., no problem at all. I know there are Linux denigrators around here but really, when an OS gives you satisfactory performance on old and underpowered hardware, what's to complain about? A few hours of setup work? You're right, Windows 10 likely will not do so well on your ZG5 if it even runs at all.
My poor old Acer Netbook, 7 years old and going strong, isn't 64 bit, and runs Linux Mint very well. Oh no, what shall I do?
Really, there will be 32-bit compatibility for a minimum of 5 more years (Mint 18 support cycle) and by then ... maybe the Acer will deserve retirement.
You're right, most career criminals will just blow it away, but I bet the vast majority of punks will be scared witless by one of these things.
No other company can support software so well, in critical moments, or produce software as functional.
Whatever you're smoking must be really, really good.
My use of Windows has decreased so much that I boot my Windows partition once a month or less. Very little I can't do on Linux Mint except maybe play some games, which frankly don't make it worth the effort to boot Windows and worry about stealth updates, telemetry, and all the rest. Subscription model? They'll never get a cent from me for subscriptions.
Mono has too many problems. The one good thing about .net on Linux is that it might (*might*) encourage some cross-platform compatibility.
They're never going to get that trust back. Ever.
I admit to being a big Linux fan, but I've always said that those who need to run Windows (whether for gaming, a mission critical software system, or whatever reason) should do so. I've also freely admitted that we will not see "the year of Linux on the desktop."
But I may be wrong.
Microsoft indeed has lost trust. I don't agree that they never had it; we can argue about whether that trust was misplaced, but still the average consumer seems to have trusted Microsoft, at least implicitly.
I think, though, that the Windows 10 will not be the defining moment. That will occur when, as is widely speculated, Microsoft goes to a subscription business model for Windows. They are driven completely by the bottom line, like most if not all for-profit corporations, and that seems to blind them to the consequences of their actions.
A subscription model may actually give Linux a chance.
Thank you for a reasoned post which tells things as they are. I also use Linux because it meets my needs. I don't pretend that it's for people who want the highest performance from the latest games or anything approaching that. There are games for Linux (and more all the time) but I would hardly call it a gamer's platform.
And Linux not being a gamer's platform is not a problem. Gamers should use platforms suited to their purposes. I don't tout Linux as the One Solution That Fits All.
Linux is useful to me for getting things done. That's all I need.
if you were actually caught trying to take information out of the room in anything other than your brain, you would likely be prosecuted.
Unless you're Hillary.
Apple cares about the customers experience. If they don't deliver, people don't buy their stuff.
You are completely right. But the unexpressed part of that is, Apple delivers what they think/know Apple buyers will want. It seems to me that by and large this is things like the feeling of support (the "Genius Bar" which I have not quite found to be populated by geniuses), sleek appearance, and hip products that convey status because they look ultra-cool and especially because they cost a lot.
One place where hipness and coolness intersected with innovative technology was Siri, and there are certainly others. But Apple is in this for the bottom line (like just about every corporation), and there is a very specific "Apple" culture. Headphone jacks may be functional but being cool is more important, and if Apple makes a slim phone that only works with a $250 Apple wireless headset, Apple fans will buy the phone and the headset and maybe even some $50 Apple branded ear cushions.
Never stopped Apple before.
Yes. The summary lists all sorts of reasons why this is bad for the consumer and neglects to state that being good for the consumer is not exactly Apple's prime motivation. Apple isn't going to care about a list of reasons a hundred miles long. They know people will buy their stuff no matter what. It could be a cow pie, but if it was polished and sleek and glossy and hip, and it said "Apple" the fans would buy it and love it.
Can you imagine if you paid your plumber for a new toilet, but then you also had to pay him every time you used it ?!?
Don't say that too loudly or the plumbers union will start lobbying for it.
I don't deny that some people give up because they are angry about X, Y, or Z. But I think, pure and simple, the reason Linux's desktop share is so low is that nearly every computer you buy comes with either Windows or Mac OS pre-installed, and people simply aren't going to change the operating system (and in most cases wouldn't quite know how to do that either).
It makes a certain macabre sense. After all, cancers can't have evolved for self-preservation, as they do everything possible to kill the host and thereby die themselves.
And you had to walk uphill both ways in a snow storm to get to the book store.
How did you know? And don't forget the part about "uphill into the wind."
Something to consider: when I come across an open-source, free for the online edition textbook that I use and find useful, I try to support the author by buying a hardcopy. Usually these are not expensive and if I can afford it I think supporting the authors who are generous with their knowledge and expertise may encourage others to do the same.
Well, as an old-timer who participates in a University of Hawai`i program for "kupuna" (seniors), I was shocked last fall when I signed up for a two-semester sequence in Abstract Algebra, and found that a used copy of the textbook sold for just under $140, and a new copy was close to $200. For one book.
Books were expensive when I was an undergrad, and publishers churned editions just as they do now, but it seems greed has reached epic levels.
How many times have you, word for word, posted this exact same thing?
There's probably fine print in the click through EULA that allows them to do what they did.
Microsoft had no legal obligation to let people keep the free game, and those who obtained the game for free didn't have the legal expectation of being allowed to keep it.
Of course, Microsoft could have been nice about it, and gained tremendous good will and positive public relations. But then again, that wouldn't be the Microsoft we all know and love. (I don't consider a $10 store credit being particularly nice about it.)
the fact is tablet specs actually don't suck, since they're good enough for the task most people use them for
This clearly states the issue.
A year ago I bought a supposedly high-end expensive Samsung tablet and completely regret it. I've gotten little use out of it because (and I confess to having done inadequate pre-purchase research) it is just about useless as a productivity device, even with a Bluetooth keyboard.
At about the same time I bought an Asus Zenbook, installed Linux on it, and it's been worth every cent I paid--- I can get work done, unlike on the tablet. (For me, work is mostly writing and blogging.)
Tablets indeed are media consumption devices and seem to be nearly always used as such. It leads to a self-limiting cycle in which a productivity oriented tablet won't come to pass.
From TFS:
"The video suggests some sort of reliance between the Clinton campaign and Eric Schmidt."
Um, could that be alliance? Or do Schmidt and Clinton rely upon one another?
Does anybody out there edit this stuff any longer?
Computer science, with the sole exception of the statistics-heavy research that you do at grad school level, doesn't require even the most basic math skills. They're completely and totally orthogonal. The fact that the computer is doing lots of math under the hood doesn't mean the programmer needs to know or care.
If I'm reading this correctly, you're saying that computer science and programming are the same thing, and that's very far from the truth.
... is the very same need in telling oneself "I am weak, I can't stand on my own"
Maybe not. Maybe it means, "I need a little help getting started."
When I was an MIT undergrad way back in the late 60s, MIT was just beginning to try to identify high-potential students from "disadvantaged" backgrounds. They would be offered a preparatory summer session to prepare them for the rigors of freshman year. While there were some flaws in the initial execution, the program had some real successes.
There were a number of black kids brought in under this program, and they soon formed their own affinity group, the Black Students Union (BSU). (There were other similar groups for Chinese students, etc.) A year or so later, the BSU did something that has me respecting them to this very day.
MIT was offering four years of full scholarship for the disadvantaged students--- very generous indeed. The BSU went to the administration and said that one year is fine, to help students get started, but more than that is sending a message to the student that you're incapable of making it on your own. So here we have a minority group offered something for nothing, turning it down because they were wise enough to realize that it could be harmful in the long run. Hats off to them.
The inherent rightness of equality and fairness for everyone is a no-brainer. That also implies tolerance and being willing to listen respectfully to one another, two attributes not present in the SJW camp.