I feel like I just took a step back in time to the Nintendo 64 days. "There's very little reason to write games in 64 bit, so virtually all of them use the CPU's 32 bit mode."
Ya know, I just realized how long I've been using 32 bit applications. First I had the 8 bit Commodore 64/128 machines, and then I jumped to 32 bit with the Commodore Amiga in 1987. I've never used anything but 32 bit applications since then. That's a loooong time.
>>>So all of their private conversations are suddenly public record because they get paid with tax dollars?
No.
Because they have the ear of the US and EU leaders who are enforcing CO2 caps, and if these scientists' advice is to be followed rather than ignored, then they damn well better PROVE their case. "I say so and my data backs me up," is not sufficient. Show the data to other climatologists and let them confirm the conclusion. --
So..... same difference. They muzzled him and imprisoned him for exercising free speech. I guess it could have been worse - the Athenian Democracy killed Socrates when he exercised his free speech.
>>>They make their ethanol from sugar which is more efficient than corn.
(packs suitcase)
That's it. I'm moving to brazil. They have the right co copy the CD you buy to your iPod, they have renewable energy for cars (ethanol or biodiesel), and they have women that walk-around topless as often as the men do! This is definitely the country for me. One drawback - Their average internet speed is only 3.8 Mbit/s - about 6 megabits slower than the US or EU average. Oh well. (shrug). I think the topless ladies make up for it.
I just bought a Windows 7 PC used for $150. I never even thought about the RAM limit. It's just a 32-bit CPU so that means I can never go larger than 3 gigabyte.:-( On the other hand maybe I'll never need to. My current XP-PC is still on just half-a-gig and works fine. (shrug)
Re:Search is still relevant...
on
The End of Free
·
· Score: 1
>>>IMDB web page takes forever to render over 3G on the iPhone's crappy web browser.
Install Opera - it uses text and image compression to render about 5 times faster. Here's a brief video that demonstrates the difference: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mw0B2lrpDfo
I don't do texting but a quick look at my provider's website (VirginMobile) shows $20 for unlimited texting or $10 for 1000 (basically 2 texts per hour). That doesn't sound bad at all, if you're a texting addict.
Re:Not end to anything, rather, start of rapid cha
on
The End of Free
·
· Score: 2, Interesting
>>>You don't see how a PDA could be more useful than a pen and notepad? Even for taking notes?
I do, such as being able to do a "find" or "Search" function, but I don't see how it's worth the +$1999 pricetag over a paper tablet or notebook. In practical terms that dollar amount equates to 100 hours of overtime at hell..... er, I mean work. I'd rather just do the Find function manually.
It's somewhat similar to how I don't think it's necessary to pay +$10,000 for an Acura with self-opening doors, when its cousin the Honda is just fine. I can open the doors manually .
Re:I Disagree with Some Parts of This Article
on
The End of Free
·
· Score: -1, Offtopic
Okay this is the second one of my post modded -1 troll or -1 flamebait.
DEAR MODERATORS:
Clicking -1 is not how you say "I disagree." The method of saying I disagree is to click reply and SAY "I disagree". Your job is not to mod people's posts into invisibility (0) or (-1). Your job is not censorship.
>>>I *came* from rural Maryland. You do have dialup/cable modem/DSL..
Even in the western mountain counties? That's what I was referring to as "rural". The only kind of high speed you have out there is the expensive Cellular type, hence my comment. Maybe I should change it:
"Unless you live somewhere, like a ranch in rural Idaho, and have no other way to access the internet except via an expensive ~$100/month cellular plan. That's the path corporations are leading us down. Or more correctly: The US FCC is leading us down that path."
Re:More corporate BS
on
The End of Free
·
· Score: -1, Offtopic
>>>>> "Information wants to be liberated"? >> >> If your a bush-ite, that'd be the wording.
Sorry but I don't see the connection to Bush. If this is some vague reference to the war, I now take this opportunity to remind you that Obama has made the war even larger than it was (sent more troops/spent more money). These men are two halves of the same asshole.
>>>Can you use these over-the-air television channels to surf the Web or download files? No?
No and yes. When you are watching television you are actually downloading MPEG2 video files. I'm downloading one right now called "Dances with Wolves" and last night while I was sleeping the TV's DVR downloaded Stargate, Dead Like Me, Reno 911, Monk, Lost, and Legend of the Seeker. I'll probably watch them this afternoon.
Later tonight I'll be downloading the video files for Law & Order, NCIS, Ghost Whisperer, Star Trek Next Generation, South Park, Cold Case, Deadliest Catch, and a Korean telenovel called "You Are My Destiny". (Some I'll stream live while others will be stored on the hard drive.)
All completely free of charge. 6000 gigabytes downloaded each month (per channel). I hope this post has been informative.:-)
.
>>>nothing's more pathetic than a libertarian whining about a free public service he enjoys is about to be cut off.
Nothing's more pathetic than an [ignorant person] whining about a free public service he [apparently knows nothing about] else he wouldn't make such dumb statements. Fixed that for you. And just so you know: Libertarians consider the airwaves, just like the air itself, to be the Property of the People not the corporations. Libertarians consider the giving of channels 25-83 for cellphone companies - to be locked up behind ~$100/month paywalls - further proof that government is waaaaaay too big and in urgent need of downsizing to Constitutional limits. It no longer serves "We the People".
The government's new motto is now "We the Corporations". The FCC is the most obvious example of this new motto. It needs be restrained.
Re:More corporate BS
on
The End of Free
·
· Score: 0, Offtopic
"Information wants to be liberated"?
Re:Not end to anything, rather, start of rapid cha
on
The End of Free
·
· Score: 1
>>>FutureShock..... they are not able to function normally in society.
Or laugh at the fools scribbling to record notes in the $2000 iPhones/iPads (cost includes yearly fee), while they do the exact-same function with a 50 cent paper tablet + pen. I became an engineer because I love technology, but at the same time that love has to be moderated by common sense. New technologies should only be adopted if they are better than the old technology.
Recently a former teacher came to me (and others) for advice on a laptop for her college kid. She wanted to buy an Apple iMac, but I dissuaded her. First I said she could get an equivalent IBM PC compatible for just $370, or twice the memory as the mac for $450. Next I told her that laptops tend to have short lives, so I would recommend a Desktop not a laptop.
Anyway she ignored me, listened to her daughter's pleading, and got a $1200 iMac. Now I like Macs and consider them decent machines, but I see no reason to spend over 3 times as much money for equivalent function. Likewise I see no need to buy a PalmPilot, iPad, or similar gadget when a 50 cent tablet works just as well.
Re:More corporate BS
on
The End of Free
·
· Score: 2, Interesting
I always thought "information wants to be free" was in the sense of the TV model. The information is there at no cost, but you still have to put-up with advertising to cover the expense. Like here on slashdot where I have ads across the top of the screen.
BTW I thought it was funny when people complained the 1996 and 2002 US Olympics were too "commercialized" with all the ads around the stadiums. That is probably true but on the other hand, those were the only Olympics that didn't bankrupt their host cities (see Athens or Montreal - still haven't paid off the debt).
It's nice to give stuff away for free, but *somebody* still has to pay the bill. I'd sooner it be the rich corporations rather than poor little-old me. So please - give me more ads. I'll do anything to avoid monthly bills (plus the taxes included therein).
Re:The Internet as mass appetites
on
The End of Free
·
· Score: 1
Eternal September is a myth.
I was on the Usenet in the late 80s, and it was no different then versus post-1995. You can confirm that yourself by doing a GoogleGroups search through the old posts. There's no real difference in quality in 1989 versus 1999.
Re:How Quickly They Forget
on
The End of Free
·
· Score: 2, Insightful
>>>It doesn't require a separate fee for my Wii, for my 3 media PCs, for my Linux PCs, for my Macs, for the iphones or for the iPad.
Yeah until they put a 5 GB cap on your service, and suddenly you start getting charged overage fees for all those devices exceeding the limit.
Wow. The salesman must have took one look at you and said "sucker". My Windows95 PC was given to me for free. All I had to do was sign a two-year-contract with MSN for a mere $19 a month. Not only did you overpay for your Dialup Internet, but you also got ripped-off on the computer.
Re:No uptake from young people?
on
The End of Free
·
· Score: 1
>>>the print/TV media let their advertising models get destroyed and now cry poverty
Or else charge 3 dollars/year per cable-subscribed home. This is what FOX is now doing, and the other networks are saying "Good idea. We should do the same."
>>>back to prepaid dumb phone after years of carrying smart phones
Wise idea. I pay only $5/month for my VirginMobile phone, and if I don't make any calls that money is simply rolled-over to the next month. I've now accumulated $100 on my phone (which will eventually get used up when I go to Otakon and other long distance places).
You know what else went up? Satellite TV. You used to be able to get Dish TV's Family Package for only $20. Now they eliminated it, and the cheapest available is a two year contract at $35 per month.
Cable went up too. Analog Comcast was $62 but it's been discontinued and replaced with $65 digital. That doesn't sound too bad, but you need to add $5 per set. My home was quoted at $80 a month! $62 to $80 is a huge jump.
>>a VHS tape of a major motion picture cost you $90
I don't remember any such time. Nor do I remember seeing anything worthwhile in Walamrt's $5 bin. What I remember is paying about $30 for VHS or an RCA videorecord movie. It was comparable to what Atari games cost. So a more realistic comparison:
$30 circa 1980 for VHS $20 for Star Trek, Slumdog Millionaire, or other good movie on DVD
VHF Rabbit ears plus UHF loop. These used to be good for analog television, but now for digital television they are all-but-worthless. You really need to get one of the larger antennas:
By the way free tv won't last too much longer. The FCC and Obama administration are rushing full speed ahead to sell-off the remaining channels by 2012 to their Corporate Overloads (ATT and Verizon), and only leave ~5 channels per city. So enjoy your Free TV while you can - you'll soon be forced to either upgrade to Pay TV, or else take up book reading
I thought that was charged by the phone company, not the ISP? My dialup used to be $13 unlimited time, and now it's dropped to just $7.
Re:How Quickly They Forget
on
The End of Free
·
· Score: 3, Insightful
>>>With inflation, $20 in 1995 would be around $28 today, which is comparable to the $30 a month data charge for a smartphone.
Instead of comparing the present to the ancient technological past when 28k was considered "fast" and a ~0.1 gigahertz processor was standard, how about comparing the present to the present?
$50 for cellular internet; capped at a mere 5-10 gigabytes
$15-20 for DSL with no cap (or cable with 250GB cap)
$7 for dialup with no cap
$0 for over-the-air television (6000 gigabytes per channel)
Re:I Disagree with Some Parts of This Article
on
The End of Free
·
· Score: 3, Insightful
>>>Free TV is not dead. Get a $20 antenna, and you can get nice 1920x1080 HD TV off the air for *gasp* free.
(1) I said "dying" not dead. (2) You've not heard the news? FCC's Broadband Plan will sell off the remaining TV channels to ATT, Verizon, and other cellular companies, and Obama has announced he fully supports the plan and wants to implement it ASAP. (3) No free TV won't be completely dead, but with only 5-6 channels left per city it might as well will be. .
>>>What would happen tomorrow if 99% of all web sites went to a paywall?
You are correct in your previous analysis, but they aren't erecting the paywall at the website because they know it would fail. They are erecting it at your home by basically forcing you to subscribe to ATT/comcast/whoever to get your television or news or internet. The free services are slowly but surely getting destroyed by the FCC and the corporations it serves.
I fully expect that by 2020 I'll either have a ~$100/month bill to see videos, or else have no access to them. It's ridiculous.
Slashdot Mirror
I feel like I just took a step back in time to the Nintendo 64 days. "There's very little reason to write games in 64 bit, so virtually all of them use the CPU's 32 bit mode."
Ya know, I just realized how long I've been using 32 bit applications. First I had the 8 bit Commodore 64/128 machines, and then I jumped to 32 bit with the Commodore Amiga in 1987. I've never used anything but 32 bit applications since then. That's a loooong time.
>>>So all of their private conversations are suddenly public record because they get paid with tax dollars?
No.
Because they have the ear of the US and EU leaders who are enforcing CO2 caps, and if these scientists' advice is to be followed rather than ignored, then they damn well better PROVE their case. "I say so and my data backs me up," is not sufficient. Show the data to other climatologists and let them confirm the conclusion.
--
So..... same difference. They muzzled him and imprisoned him for exercising free speech. I guess it could have been worse - the Athenian Democracy killed Socrates when he exercised his free speech.
>>>They make their ethanol from sugar which is more efficient than corn.
(packs suitcase)
That's it. I'm moving to brazil. They have the right co copy the CD you buy to your iPod, they have renewable energy for cars (ethanol or biodiesel), and they have women that walk-around topless as often as the men do! This is definitely the country for me. One drawback - Their average internet speed is only 3.8 Mbit/s - about 6 megabits slower than the US or EU average. Oh well. (shrug). I think the topless ladies make up for it.
I thought most people say XP-64 is crap?
I just bought a Windows 7 PC used for $150. I never even thought about the RAM limit. It's just a 32-bit CPU so that means I can never go larger than 3 gigabyte. :-( On the other hand maybe I'll never need to. My current XP-PC is still on just half-a-gig and works fine. (shrug)
>>>IMDB web page takes forever to render over 3G on the iPhone's crappy web browser.
Install Opera - it uses text and image compression to render about 5 times faster. Here's a brief video that demonstrates the difference: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mw0B2lrpDfo
I don't do texting but a quick look at my provider's website (VirginMobile) shows $20 for unlimited texting or $10 for 1000 (basically 2 texts per hour). That doesn't sound bad at all, if you're a texting addict.
>>>You don't see how a PDA could be more useful than a pen and notepad? Even for taking notes?
I do, such as being able to do a "find" or "Search" function, but I don't see how it's worth the +$1999 pricetag over a paper tablet or notebook. In practical terms that dollar amount equates to 100 hours of overtime at hell..... er, I mean work. I'd rather just do the Find function manually.
It's somewhat similar to how I don't think it's necessary to pay +$10,000 for an Acura with self-opening doors, when its cousin the Honda is just fine. I can open the doors manually
.
Okay this is the second one of my post modded -1 troll or -1 flamebait.
DEAR MODERATORS:
Clicking -1 is not how you say "I disagree." The method of saying I disagree is to click reply and SAY "I disagree". Your job is not to mod people's posts into invisibility (0) or (-1). Your job is not censorship.
SIGNED,
SLASHDOTTER (me)
>>>I *came* from rural Maryland. You do have dialup/cable modem/DSL..
Even in the western mountain counties? That's what I was referring to as "rural". The only kind of high speed you have out there is the expensive Cellular type, hence my comment. Maybe I should change it:
"Unless you live somewhere, like a ranch in rural Idaho, and have no other way to access the internet except via an expensive ~$100/month cellular plan. That's the path corporations are leading us down. Or more correctly: The US FCC is leading us down that path."
>>>>> "Information wants to be liberated"?
>>
>> If your a bush-ite, that'd be the wording.
Sorry but I don't see the connection to Bush. If this is some vague reference to the war, I now take this opportunity to remind you that Obama has made the war even larger than it was (sent more troops/spent more money). These men are two halves of the same asshole.
>>>Can you use these over-the-air television channels to surf the Web or download files? No?
No and yes. When you are watching television you are actually downloading MPEG2 video files. I'm downloading one right now called "Dances with Wolves" and last night while I was sleeping the TV's DVR downloaded Stargate, Dead Like Me, Reno 911, Monk, Lost, and Legend of the Seeker. I'll probably watch them this afternoon.
Later tonight I'll be downloading the video files for Law & Order, NCIS, Ghost Whisperer, Star Trek Next Generation, South Park, Cold Case, Deadliest Catch, and a Korean telenovel called "You Are My Destiny". (Some I'll stream live while others will be stored on the hard drive.)
All completely free of charge. 6000 gigabytes downloaded each month (per channel). I hope this post has been informative. :-)
.
>>>nothing's more pathetic than a libertarian whining about a free public service he enjoys is about to be cut off.
Nothing's more pathetic than an [ignorant person] whining about a free public service he [apparently knows nothing about] else he wouldn't make such dumb statements. Fixed that for you. And just so you know: Libertarians consider the airwaves, just like the air itself, to be the Property of the People not the corporations. Libertarians consider the giving of channels 25-83 for cellphone companies - to be locked up behind ~$100/month paywalls - further proof that government is waaaaaay too big and in urgent need of downsizing to Constitutional limits. It no longer serves "We the People".
The government's new motto is now "We the Corporations". The FCC is the most obvious example of this new motto. It needs be restrained.
"Information wants to be liberated"?
>>>FutureShock..... they are not able to function normally in society.
Or laugh at the fools scribbling to record notes in the $2000 iPhones/iPads (cost includes yearly fee), while they do the exact-same function with a 50 cent paper tablet + pen. I became an engineer because I love technology, but at the same time that love has to be moderated by common sense. New technologies should only be adopted if they are better than the old technology.
Recently a former teacher came to me (and others) for advice on a laptop for her college kid. She wanted to buy an Apple iMac, but I dissuaded her. First I said she could get an equivalent IBM PC compatible for just $370, or twice the memory as the mac for $450. Next I told her that laptops tend to have short lives, so I would recommend a Desktop not a laptop.
Anyway she ignored me, listened to her daughter's pleading, and got a $1200 iMac. Now I like Macs and consider them decent machines, but I see no reason to spend over 3 times as much money for equivalent function. Likewise I see no need to buy a PalmPilot, iPad, or similar gadget when a 50 cent tablet works just as well.
I always thought "information wants to be free" was in the sense of the TV model. The information is there at no cost, but you still have to put-up with advertising to cover the expense. Like here on slashdot where I have ads across the top of the screen.
BTW I thought it was funny when people complained the 1996 and 2002 US Olympics were too "commercialized" with all the ads around the stadiums. That is probably true but on the other hand, those were the only Olympics that didn't bankrupt their host cities (see Athens or Montreal - still haven't paid off the debt).
It's nice to give stuff away for free, but *somebody* still has to pay the bill. I'd sooner it be the rich corporations rather than poor little-old me. So please - give me more ads. I'll do anything to avoid monthly bills (plus the taxes included therein).
Eternal September is a myth.
I was on the Usenet in the late 80s, and it was no different then versus post-1995. You can confirm that yourself by doing a GoogleGroups search through the old posts. There's no real difference in quality in 1989 versus 1999.
>>>It doesn't require a separate fee for my Wii, for my 3 media PCs, for my Linux PCs, for my Macs, for the iphones or for the iPad.
Yeah until they put a 5 GB cap on your service, and suddenly you start getting charged overage fees for all those devices exceeding the limit.
>>>$30 a month for AOL on a $1,500 Windows 95 PC
Wow. The salesman must have took one look at you and said "sucker". My Windows95 PC was given to me for free. All I had to do was sign a two-year-contract with MSN for a mere $19 a month. Not only did you overpay for your Dialup Internet, but you also got ripped-off on the computer.
>>>the print/TV media let their advertising models get destroyed and now cry poverty
Or else charge 3 dollars/year per cable-subscribed home. This is what FOX is now doing, and the other networks are saying "Good idea. We should do the same."
>>>back to prepaid dumb phone after years of carrying smart phones
Wise idea. I pay only $5/month for my VirginMobile phone, and if I don't make any calls that money is simply rolled-over to the next month. I've now accumulated $100 on my phone (which will eventually get used up when I go to Otakon and other long distance places).
You know what else went up? Satellite TV. You used to be able to get Dish TV's Family Package for only $20. Now they eliminated it, and the cheapest available is a two year contract at $35 per month.
Cable went up too. Analog Comcast was $62 but it's been discontinued and replaced with $65 digital. That doesn't sound too bad, but you need to add $5 per set. My home was quoted at $80 a month! $62 to $80 is a huge jump.
>>a VHS tape of a major motion picture cost you $90
I don't remember any such time. Nor do I remember seeing anything worthwhile in Walamrt's $5 bin. What I remember is paying about $30 for VHS or an RCA videorecord movie. It was comparable to what Atari games cost. So a more realistic comparison:
$30 circa 1980 for VHS
$20 for Star Trek, Slumdog Millionaire, or other good movie on DVD
VHF Rabbit ears plus UHF loop. These used to be good for analog television, but now for digital television they are all-but-worthless. You really need to get one of the larger antennas:
Settop VHF/UHF - http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss337/KonichiJ/dtv-antenna-rabbit-ears-hdtv.jpg
CM4228HD - http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/picture.php?albumid=107&pictureid=538
By the way free tv won't last too much longer. The FCC and Obama administration are rushing full speed ahead to sell-off the remaining channels by 2012 to their Corporate Overloads (ATT and Verizon), and only leave ~5 channels per city. So enjoy your Free TV while you can - you'll soon be forced to either upgrade to Pay TV, or else take up book reading
>>>pay per minute dial up
I thought that was charged by the phone company, not the ISP? My dialup used to be $13 unlimited time, and now it's dropped to just $7.
>>>With inflation, $20 in 1995 would be around $28 today, which is comparable to the $30 a month data charge for a smartphone.
Instead of comparing the present to the ancient technological past when 28k was considered "fast" and a ~0.1 gigahertz processor was standard, how about comparing the present to the present?
$50 for cellular internet; capped at a mere 5-10 gigabytes
$15-20 for DSL with no cap (or cable with 250GB cap)
$7 for dialup with no cap
$0 for over-the-air television (6000 gigabytes per channel)
>>>Free TV is not dead. Get a $20 antenna, and you can get nice 1920x1080 HD TV off the air for *gasp* free.
(1) I said "dying" not dead. (2) You've not heard the news? FCC's Broadband Plan will sell off the remaining TV channels to ATT, Verizon, and other cellular companies, and Obama has announced he fully supports the plan and wants to implement it ASAP. (3) No free TV won't be completely dead, but with only 5-6 channels left per city it might as well will be.
.
>>>What would happen tomorrow if 99% of all web sites went to a paywall?
You are correct in your previous analysis, but they aren't erecting the paywall at the website because they know it would fail. They are erecting it at your home by basically forcing you to subscribe to ATT/comcast/whoever to get your television or news or internet. The free services are slowly but surely getting destroyed by the FCC and the corporations it serves.
I fully expect that by 2020 I'll either have a ~$100/month bill to see videos, or else have no access to them. It's ridiculous.