THe main issue I have with Enron isn't actually the fraud or criminal acts.
Their business model was being a middle man. They weren't an "energy company". They were an "energy trading company".
Personally, I find that repulsive. From a macroeconomic standpoint, their entire purpose was to be parasites. The company added no value, except made it easier for the heavily subsidized oil companies to sell their products. They skimmed off the profits from a business that was selling what is a necessity of life for anyone not living in a mud hut in a third world country.
I'm not one who believes in communism or that private enterprise should not be allowed to profit to a certain extent - but there are certain commodities which should be very heavily regulated - to prevent profiteering, and the manipulation and exploitation, and widespread deleterious effects from such - such as starvation, war, massive ecological destruction, warping of public policy through bribery, etc. Energy is one such commodity.
I would work for an Enron to "feed my family" - but if I could "feed my family" by waiting tables, I'd sleep easier.
Yes, the low-end eMac is $799. But add the RAM upgrade, and you're not addressing this "market" of which I speak.
Nor would a home-brew PC (or any PC, for that matter) - this is for a home (or even small-office) LAN, on AirPort, set up by a layman, so Jimmy, Jake, and Suzie, all have their own machine to do homework on. Set up with Rendevouz, and other low-admin, low-cost defaults.
Oh, and Apple's been producing iMacs for years - and the "all in ones suck because you're stuck if the monitor ever dies" notion has pretty much been disproven. Monitors are like the least likely component to die these days. I'm running an external 23" Mitsubishi monitor that I originally bought for my 7100. When the 7100 died, I moved it to my Beige G3. When my Beige G3 died, I moved it to my G5. I'm not worried about losing the monitor in any of my family's iMacs. More likely, the power supply or CD drive will go bad first. Or the Logic Board.
I'm talking about a (surplus) 600-800MHz G3 with 256 Meg RAM, 40 GB HD, no flat-screen CRT, no LCD, just a regular built-in CRT. Such a beast could be sold with a nice Apple-type margin at $499. Such a beast is also more than adequate for just about any General Purpose Computing Task. (ie. eMail, Web Browsing, School Term Papers, light gaming of the typical shareware ilk you find on the Mac platform - but probably not a good platform for Photoshopping, video editing, or high-end 3d shooter gaming). A machine like that won't be obsolete for at least 5 years.
But Steve Jobs is too stuck on the notion that "Apple isn't low-end" Which is why Apple won't "go there" with price. It's why the cube failed, and it's why the iPod Jr will fail.
You see, that makes a whole lot of sense except for one thing.
This is APPLE we're talking about.
Apple, who has absolutely flat-out refused to sell desktop machines into the sub $800 market (and for years, strongly resisted sub $1k.) Apple could sell old CRT iMacs (with high-end G3 or something a tad lower-end G4 than current eMacs) for $500. I think such a machine would sell like hotcakes to families looking to build home-LANs for Jimmy, Jake, and Suzie to do homework on. Such a strategy would also sell a buttload of AirPort base-stations. And a family-level server (to centralize iTunes library storage, etc) would be a great addition to such a line up as well.
Apparently, the marketing geniuses at Apple don't have as much vision as I do. But very few families are going to buy Jimmy, Jake, and Suzie, homework machines at $1500 a pop. A lot more families might be able to swing it at $500 a pop. It's a fairly obvious idea - and one that has been staring Apple in the face for about 5 years. And they stubbornly refuse to address the sub $800 market, and let WinTel eat their lunch there undisturbed.
So I really don't think iPod Jr is going to be sub $100. I think it will come in around $199, while the iPod Sr goes up to $499 at the bottom end, both will sell like crap, and Jr will get cancelled within 6 months.
It was strongly hinted to me, without evidence, but by people in a position to know, is that this is how MS was going to deal with Linux. Installing anything after and MS OS was put on could be considered DMCA violations.
I think that's pretty thin - considering that the DMCA itself sits on shaky ground. It won't take much of a change of political landscape to see that law finally dismissed. How long, a year? Two? Sooner or later, either the US Constitution goes, or the DMCA goes. They're incompatible.
However, even in the case where the DMCA spins for a dozen or more years without a brush with SCOTUS, and even when the majors are spitting out obnoxious hellspawn PCs that won't run Linux without "illegal" modifications - I'm certain there will still be manufacturers willing to churn out machines that don't have this issue. Perhaps this will halt Linux adoption on the desktop (because Major Corp X won't be able to buy 500 Dells with pre-loaded Linux) - but that's not much of a change from today's situation.
And the very DAY that the DMCA fails, is the day RedHad ships a bootloader that "works around" this problem.
how 'bout: Microsoft's Innovations Presenting the Microsoft Hall of Innovation Close Combat Popular game purchased from Atomic Games Flight Simulator Purchased from the Bruce Artwick Organisation Age of Empires Collabaration with Ensemble studios(Gopal R S) Microsoft's HTML editor was purchased from Vermeer Technologies in 1996 FoxPro This database application came along with Microsoft's purchase of Fox Software in 1986 Internet Explorer Microsoft licensed code from Spyglass Inc one of the two licensees of the original Mosaic code base in 1995 and called it MSIE Microsoft then proceeded to distribute MSIE for free denying Spyglass substantial royalties for their key contribution to the product
MS-DOS The original Microsoft cash cow this CPM clone then called Q-DOS was purchased from the Seattle Computer Company in 1981 Microsoft then proceeded to thwart Seattle Computer's license rights to the product The tiny company sued Microsoft and prevailed in court
Object Linking Environment OLE Microsoft settled a suit with Wang Labs over patent infringement code portions of OLE which is also the heart of Microsoft's ActiveX PowerPoint This presentation software package was renamed and re branded after Microsoft's purchase of Forethought Incin 1987 SQL Server This important database product is based on code purchased from Sybase in 1988 Visual Basic Ruby the foundation for Microsoft's highly important Visual Basic product was purchased from Cooper Software in 1991 Visual C Microsoft purchased the Lattice C code compiler which became Visual C Microsoft's software development environment Visual SourceSafe Purchased from OneTree Software Shortly after OneTree's SourceSafe was released Microsoft preannounced a similar application called Microsoft Delta which failed to sell Microsoft then purchased OneTree and renamed SourceSafe as Microsoft Visual SourceSafe Windows Technologies used in Windows multitasking came to Microsoft with their purchase of Dynamical Systems in 1986 Portions of the interface were licensed from Apple Computer also in 1986 XENIX Microsoft's version of Unix was actually written under contract by the Santa Cruz Operation(SCO) Intellimouse Goldtouch is now suing for patent violations over. Seems Goldtouch had a meeting with M$ and tried to sell them their ergonomic mouse technology. M$ didn't buy, but 6 months later released a mouse which looked remarkably simular... Microsoft Internet Sharing features in the latest versions of windows are based on technology aquired through the purchase of Nevod, Inc. (and their product: "NAT1000") in 1999
This must be what they did to the American Public so that they'd forget all about the S&L collapse, Iran/Contra, the faked Satellite Photos leading up to Gulf War I, McCarthyism, etc. etc. ad nauseum.
It's not really the energy that's the problem - if you've got a good nuclear reactor.
The problem is propellant. Where you gonna store the propellant? Much of your first half of the store of propellant is expended in accelerating the second half along with the ship.
TFM says: When the check-engine light goes on, go drop off your car at the dealer and pay $200 so they can plug their proprietary computer in and proceed to charge you $800 to put in new spark plugs.
Not very helpful or informative. The Check-Engine light was a MAJOR step backwards, as far as making an automobile a useful and reliable device to own.
" When was the last time a nuke station was built in California? Over 20 years ago, thanks to the Wackos."
That's actually not true.
No stations were built because the Diablo Canyon project went so far over budget, that the power companies don't want to take on that kind of risk anymore. Nobody has pushed any blanket regulation or law outright banning of new plants. The energy baron crybabies picked up their toys and went home when they were forced to act responsibly for once.
on Monday, an earthquake shook the foundations of Diablo Canyon nuclear power station in California. This plant, if it had been built as originally planned, would likely have failed on Monday, likely contaminating hundreds of miles of pacific coastline with deadly radiation.
Thank GOD the environmentallist wackos were there, in the 1970's, to halt construction on this plant, and force PG&E to redesign the plant so that it could withstand a 7.0 direct on it's location. The magnatude of the San Simeon quake was estimated to be in the 5.5 to 6.0 range on the site of Diablo Canyon.
I personally don't mind having a nuclear power station in my "backyard". But that's because I've toured it, and I *know* they built it right.
For all those who blamed the 2000 blackouts on environmentalist wackos - screw you. It was fradulent enerygy trading practices.
The *big* one, speculated about on http://www.macosrumors.com/
seems more interesting to me. ..
Sounds like an ideal companion to a mini-dv camcorder. If one could dump video to it in the field, and possibly do edits to it (portable iMovie?) - that'd be great. I don't really have much use for an ipod - too big for pocket transportability (really). Too small (storage-wise) to be useful as a semi-portable "desktop music server" - (though a G4 iBook serves that purpose pretty well).
Re:my Masc-o-meter. . . .
on
Cube House
·
· Score: 1
says that this barely registers at all. In fact, this is the lowest Masculinity site I've ever measured, that wasn't pink. I'd have my testes checked, if I were you. Sounds like a hormone deficiency or something like that. Better go buy a red sports car. (With a stick shift! NOT a manual!) That'll perk you right up!
Actually, I just got through reading the Foundation Trilogy, and I think that would make a fantastic miniseries. It would require some embellishment, but I think that the "main character" that emerges in the third book could actually tie the whole thing together into one cohesive story, even though it spans over 400 years.
I have a net worth of well over $100,000, if you count my home. I think that's true for MOST homeowners in the US.
Someone with a net worth of less than $100,000, I would not consider rich. I would consider them dirt poor. I consider myself "endangered, near-extinct, middle-class". "commoner" status, in the US. I'm the guy caught in the middle. The one who didn't get Bush's tax cut. But got his dad's tax increase.
" at least there's one country where corporate fascists cant buy everything."
Are you kidding? This is a country that between the years 1850 and 1900, lost something like 50% of it's population to emmigration (mostly to the US) because of the entrenched landed gentry. There was such lack of opportunity for these people - a farmer might crank out 9 kids, and one of them would be able to find a job or a place to live, the others were out of luck - so they went to America. Eventually, they learned (as we have, in the US, mostly) that we really can't be having more than 2 or 3 kids anymore.
Not even to mention Object Oriented languages - where code is reusable.
Most of the foundational libraries are written. For most general purpose programming now, it's just a matter of slapping together other people's widgets.
He's had 3 years to roll this back. ANd hasn't. So those who are in IT tech, and unemployed, and voted for Bush, I'd like to send you a jar of vaseline for Christmas.
Slashdot Mirror
I oppose such laws because they make no room for exceptions if the chick is hot.
Why don't you guys just learn English? What could it hurt? Besides, writing left-to-right is just wrong. Don't you smudge the ink with your hand?
THe main issue I have with Enron isn't actually the fraud or criminal acts.
Their business model was being a middle man. They weren't an "energy company". They were an "energy trading company".
Personally, I find that repulsive. From a macroeconomic standpoint, their entire purpose was to be parasites. The company added no value, except made it easier for the heavily subsidized oil companies to sell their products. They skimmed off the profits from a business that was selling what is a necessity of life for anyone not living in a mud hut in a third world country.
I'm not one who believes in communism or that private enterprise should not be allowed to profit to a certain extent - but there are certain commodities which should be very heavily regulated - to prevent profiteering, and the manipulation and exploitation, and widespread deleterious effects from such - such as starvation, war, massive ecological destruction, warping of public policy through bribery, etc. Energy is one such commodity.
I would work for an Enron to "feed my family" - but if I could "feed my family" by waiting tables, I'd sleep easier.
Yes, the low-end eMac is $799. But add the RAM upgrade, and you're not addressing this "market" of which I speak.
Nor would a home-brew PC (or any PC, for that matter) - this is for a home (or even small-office) LAN, on AirPort, set up by a layman, so Jimmy, Jake, and Suzie, all have their own machine to do homework on. Set up with Rendevouz, and other low-admin, low-cost defaults.
Oh, and Apple's been producing iMacs for years - and the "all in ones suck because you're stuck if the monitor ever dies" notion has pretty much been disproven. Monitors are like the least likely component to die these days. I'm running an external 23" Mitsubishi monitor that I originally bought for my 7100. When the 7100 died, I moved it to my Beige G3. When my Beige G3 died, I moved it to my G5. I'm not worried about losing the monitor in any of my family's iMacs. More likely, the power supply or CD drive will go bad first. Or the Logic Board.
I'm talking about a (surplus) 600-800MHz G3 with 256 Meg RAM, 40 GB HD, no flat-screen CRT, no LCD, just a regular built-in CRT. Such a beast could be sold with a nice Apple-type margin at $499. Such a beast is also more than adequate for just about any General Purpose Computing Task. (ie. eMail, Web Browsing, School Term Papers, light gaming of the typical shareware ilk you find on the Mac platform - but probably not a good platform for Photoshopping, video editing, or high-end 3d shooter gaming). A machine like that won't be obsolete for at least 5 years.
But Steve Jobs is too stuck on the notion that "Apple isn't low-end" Which is why Apple won't "go there" with price. It's why the cube failed, and it's why the iPod Jr will fail.
You see, that makes a whole lot of sense except for one thing.
This is APPLE we're talking about.
Apple, who has absolutely flat-out refused to sell desktop machines into the sub $800 market (and for years, strongly resisted sub $1k.) Apple could sell old CRT iMacs (with high-end G3 or something a tad lower-end G4 than current eMacs) for $500. I think such a machine would sell like hotcakes to families looking to build home-LANs for Jimmy, Jake, and Suzie to do homework on. Such a strategy would also sell a buttload of AirPort base-stations. And a family-level server (to centralize iTunes library storage, etc) would be a great addition to such a line up as well.
Apparently, the marketing geniuses at Apple don't have as much vision as I do. But very few families are going to buy Jimmy, Jake, and Suzie, homework machines at $1500 a pop. A lot more families might be able to swing it at $500 a pop. It's a fairly obvious idea - and one that has been staring Apple in the face for about 5 years. And they stubbornly refuse to address the sub $800 market, and let WinTel eat their lunch there undisturbed.
So I really don't think iPod Jr is going to be sub $100. I think it will come in around $199, while the iPod Sr goes up to $499 at the bottom end, both will sell like crap, and Jr will get cancelled within 6 months.
well, it was built by the british.
Ever own a british car? (Rover, Jag, etc)
Well known for crappy and unreliable electrical systems.
. . . next thing you know, cops'll want a remote-control device for people's guns.
one word:
"Pocky"
It was strongly hinted to me, without evidence, but by people in a position to know, is that this is how MS was going to deal with Linux. Installing anything after and MS OS was put on could be considered DMCA violations.
I think that's pretty thin - considering that the DMCA itself sits on shaky ground. It won't take much of a change of political landscape to see that law finally dismissed. How long, a year? Two? Sooner or later, either the US Constitution goes, or the DMCA goes. They're incompatible.
However, even in the case where the DMCA spins for a dozen or more years without a brush with SCOTUS, and even when the majors are spitting out obnoxious hellspawn PCs that won't run Linux without "illegal" modifications - I'm certain there will still be manufacturers willing to churn out machines that don't have this issue. Perhaps this will halt Linux adoption on the desktop (because Major Corp X won't be able to buy 500 Dells with pre-loaded Linux) - but that's not much of a change from today's situation.
And the very DAY that the DMCA fails, is the day RedHad ships a bootloader that "works around" this problem.
how 'bout:
Microsoft's Innovations
Presenting the Microsoft Hall of Innovation
Close Combat
Popular game purchased from Atomic Games
Flight Simulator
Purchased from the Bruce Artwick
Organisation
Age of Empires
Collabaration with Ensemble studios(Gopal R
S)
Microsoft's HTML editor was purchased from
Vermeer Technologies in 1996
FoxPro
This database application came along with
Microsoft's purchase of Fox Software in 1986
Internet Explorer
Microsoft licensed code from Spyglass Inc one of
the two licensees of the original Mosaic code base in 1995 and called it MSIE Microsoft then proceeded to distribute MSIE for free
denying Spyglass substantial royalties for their key contribution to the product
MS-DOS
The original Microsoft cash cow this CPM
clone then called Q-DOS was purchased from the Seattle Computer Company in 1981 Microsoft then
proceeded to thwart Seattle Computer's license rights to the product The tiny company sued
Microsoft and prevailed in court
Object Linking Environment OLE
Microsoft settled a suit with Wang Labs
over patent infringement code portions of OLE which is also the heart of Microsoft's ActiveX
PowerPoint
This presentation software package was renamed and re branded after Microsoft's purchase of Forethought Incin 1987
SQL Server
This important database product is based on
code purchased from Sybase in 1988
Visual Basic
Ruby the foundation for Microsoft's highly
important Visual Basic product was purchased from
Cooper Software in 1991
Visual C
Microsoft purchased the Lattice C code
compiler which became Visual C Microsoft's software development environment
Visual SourceSafe
Purchased from OneTree Software Shortly
after OneTree's SourceSafe was released Microsoft
preannounced a similar application called Microsoft Delta which failed to sell Microsoft then purchased OneTree and renamed SourceSafe as Microsoft Visual SourceSafe
Windows
Technologies used in Windows multitasking
came to Microsoft with their purchase of Dynamical
Systems in 1986 Portions of the interface were
licensed from Apple Computer also in 1986
XENIX
Microsoft's version of Unix was actually
written under contract by the Santa Cruz
Operation(SCO)
Intellimouse
Goldtouch is now suing for patent
violations over. Seems Goldtouch had a meeting with M$ and tried to sell them
their ergonomic mouse technology. M$ didn't buy, but 6 months later released a mouse which looked remarkably simular...
Microsoft Internet Sharing
features in the latest versions of windows are based on technology aquired through the
purchase of Nevod, Inc. (and their product: "NAT1000") in 1999
This must be what they did to the American Public so that they'd forget all about the S&L collapse, Iran/Contra, the faked Satellite Photos leading up to Gulf War I, McCarthyism, etc. etc. ad nauseum.
It's not really the energy that's the problem - if you've got a good nuclear reactor.
The problem is propellant. Where you gonna store the propellant? Much of your first half of the store of propellant is expended in accelerating the second half along with the ship.
Atlas-Centaurs are launched from SLC-3E. (just shot one up last month). It's being repurposed for Atlas V.
TFM says:
When the check-engine light goes on, go drop off your car at the dealer and pay $200 so they can plug their proprietary computer in and proceed to charge you $800 to put in new spark plugs.
Not very helpful or informative. The Check-Engine light was a MAJOR step backwards, as far as making an automobile a useful and reliable device to own.
" When was the last time a nuke station was built in California? Over 20 years ago, thanks to the Wackos."
That's actually not true.
No stations were built because the Diablo Canyon project went so far over budget, that the power companies don't want to take on that kind of risk anymore. Nobody has pushed any blanket regulation or law outright banning of new plants.
The energy baron crybabies picked up their toys and went home when they were forced to act responsibly for once.
on Monday, an earthquake shook the foundations of Diablo Canyon nuclear power station in California. This plant, if it had been built as originally planned, would likely have failed on Monday, likely contaminating hundreds of miles of pacific coastline with deadly radiation.
Thank GOD the environmentallist wackos were there, in the 1970's, to halt construction on this plant, and force PG&E to redesign the plant so that it could withstand a 7.0 direct on it's location. The magnatude of the San Simeon quake was estimated to be in the 5.5 to 6.0 range on the site of Diablo Canyon.
I personally don't mind having a nuclear power station in my "backyard". But that's because I've toured it, and I *know* they built it right.
For all those who blamed the 2000 blackouts on environmentalist wackos - screw you. It was fradulent enerygy trading practices.
The *big* one, speculated about on http://www.macosrumors.com/
.
seems more interesting to me. .
Sounds like an ideal companion to a mini-dv camcorder. If one could dump video to it in the field, and possibly do edits to it (portable iMovie?) - that'd be great. I don't really have much use for an ipod - too big for pocket transportability (really). Too small (storage-wise) to be useful as a semi-portable "desktop music server" - (though a G4 iBook serves that purpose pretty well).
doh! typo. my bad. so flog me.
says that this barely registers at all. In fact, this is the lowest Masculinity site I've ever measured, that wasn't pink. I'd have my testes checked, if I were you. Sounds like a hormone deficiency or something like that. Better go buy a red sports car. (With a stick shift! NOT a manual!) That'll perk you right up!
. . . sad, however, how all the serious (prosumer) 3d modeling and rendering software has fled the superior hardware platform in favor of WinTel.
Who, out there, wouldn't like to see an AltiVec enhanced infini-D beat the snot out of a complicated model on a dual 2GHz G5?
Oh well. Maybe Pixar will get on the stick and start porting to OS X. . .
Actually, I just got through reading the Foundation Trilogy, and I think that would make a fantastic miniseries. It would require some embellishment, but I think that the "main character" that emerges in the third book could actually tie the whole thing together into one cohesive story, even though it spans over 400 years.
Net Worth != Salary.
I have a net worth of well over $100,000, if you count my home. I think that's true for MOST homeowners in the US.
Someone with a net worth of less than $100,000, I would not consider rich. I would consider them dirt poor. I consider myself "endangered, near-extinct, middle-class". "commoner" status, in the US. I'm the guy caught in the middle. The one who didn't get Bush's tax cut. But got his dad's tax increase.
" at least there's one country where corporate fascists cant buy everything."
Are you kidding?
This is a country that between the years 1850 and 1900, lost something like 50% of it's population to emmigration (mostly to the US) because of the entrenched landed gentry. There was such lack of opportunity for these people - a farmer might crank out 9 kids, and one of them would be able to find a job or a place to live, the others were out of luck - so they went to America. Eventually, they learned (as we have, in the US, mostly) that we really can't be having more than 2 or 3 kids anymore.
Not even to mention Object Oriented languages - where code is reusable.
Most of the foundational libraries are written. For most general purpose programming now, it's just a matter of slapping together other people's widgets.
And Bush did nothing about it.
He's had 3 years to roll this back. ANd hasn't.
So those who are in IT tech, and unemployed, and voted for Bush, I'd like to send you a jar of vaseline for Christmas.