Look at the jacknuts in this thread supporting Apple's use of the DMCA. These assholes really are approving of use of the DMCA.
Back in the day, Compaq built an reverse-engineered BIOS in order to run IBM-DOS on Compaq systems. They won the legal fight, and it opened up a new era in computing.
In this day and age, the DMCA would prevent that from ever occuring, because you would never be allowed to crack the TPM. And these Apple fanbois are actually supporting them.
I'm an Apple fan. I have a powerbook, two mac minis, and I was thinking about buying a powermac G5. But I sure as hell don't support any usage of the DMCA.
That works out to 1.03 MB/sec. Of course, the resolution is slightly less than 1080p; something to do with the aspect ratio. The 720p version is at.8 MB/sec.
That very neatly works out to 1 MB/sec for 1080p. So, 1080p video, distributed TODAY, using TODAY'S TECHNOLOGY, online. And Apple's encoding 720p at a bitrate 30-40% less; that means 720p feature films+extras will easily fit on standard DVD.
If you can get 1080p below 900 KB/sec, blu-ray/HD-DVD becomes unnecessary. You don't _need_ 50GB per movie. A standard DL-DVD will do just fine, and those are significantly cheaper to produce than blu-ray.
Don't be an asshat if you don't know what you are talking about.
H.264 on standard DVD, with the upgrade path being ANY sort of higher capacity device.
H.264 means you can do 1080p (not 1080i, but 1080 progressive) with 5.1 audio in 1 MB/sec. That's about 3.5 GB per hour. That gives you 2.5 hours of 1080p on a standard DVD disk. You can squeeze the main title in 2, and then use the remainder for all the other stuff in SD. Or, make it a two disk set. Both of these will cost FAR, FAR less than blu-ray or HD-DVD.
H.264 enables SD TV over standard broadband, NOW. Take a look at this: http://www.apple.com/macosx/cnbc/ . Thats technically 480p content. Its playing at 675 kbit/sec, or 84.73 KB/sec. 720p content is similarly small; you'll have no problems whatsoever fitting everything you'd want on a single title blu-ray disk onto a standard dvd if your encoding with H.264 on 720p.
I suspect with a really smart encoder, using intelligent VBR type stuff, you can get 1080p down to an average of 800-900 KB/sec. Perhaps even less. If someone can get the standard DVD above the 3 hour of footage barrier, blu-ray/HD-DVD immediately become a niche market, at least until HDTV 2.0 comes out. Oh; and new displays, as well. But even with _today's_ setup, you can fire up Final Cut Studio, and produce a 2.5 hour feature length movie, slap in on a standard DVD in 1080p, and then put all your extras on the second disk.
H.264 enables 1080i HDTV on a standard dual layer DVD. You need a beefy processor to play it back, but various manufacturers have already produced embedded decoders. H.264 is the future of IPTV, of satellite transmission, even cable transmission. Most likely, the "upgrade" path is H.264 on standard disks, and then the elimination of disks altogether.
Why would I _EVER_ carry a pile of blu-ray disks around when I could simply walk with an iPod, or a mobile phone, or a flash disk, or some other portable media library, and wirelessly (bluetooth 4.5, or 802.11n, or whatever) "rent" a video from the blockbuster kiosk? Heck; strip out the middleman; just buy the movie from iMovie store, or Amazon's movies, or Walmart Video Online. Whatever; it doesn't matter.
The thing is, the entertainment industry is trying to drag us kicking and screaming towards a "secure" disk format, and they are about to be absolutely blindsided by the U.S. retail/rental entertainment industry. Walmart alone dwarfes the RIAA; Walmart+Apple+Blockbuster+Target+Amazon+NetFlix+Al l the other outlets versus RIAA is a joke.
Especially when Walmart can distribute videos at a cost of 5-10 cents via electronic (or rental, or flash) distribution, and blu-ray disks cost $23 wholesale! Ever met a Walmart purchasing agent? Those guys give new meaning to "hard barginer", and make your look like a fool and his money.
A properly devised mobile media library will end physical media. You'll carry 30% of your media around with you, with the other 70% being stored securely over the internet, either streamed from or from your media center system at home. Microsoft and Apple are both going this direction; the lack of HD-DVD on Xbox 360 has locked them into this path, and Apple's been dreaming of running the TV/Video market with H.264 Quicktime. Much of the consumer electronics industry is interested in Blu-ray/HD-DVD, but retailers are going to squeal when they see how much it costs, and are going to squeal again when one of their competitors ships standard DVD products with the same features at 1/10 the price; with the only disadvantage being 2 disk sets versus 1 disk.
HDCP, HDMI, Blu-ray, HD-DVD; whatever. Not that this is the end of DRM, that'll certainly be in both Apple's and Microsoft's schemes. But the content distribution of tomorrow won't be run by the RIAA/MPAAs of the world; it'll be run by the computer side of the tech industry.
People said the same thing about CSS. I don't buy it.
HDCP has already been broken. You can buy hardware descramblers (spatz's DVIMAGIC), and I suspect there'll be a libhdcp for linux and OSX that vlc/mplayer/xine will use to descrambled the disks.
All it really means is that my linux/os x installs will be more functional than your Vista install. On all hardware that is technically capable, I'll get hidef blu-ray/hd-dvd playback, complete with the ability to rip/backup/whatever, while you'll be stuck with the latest and suckiest HDMI hardware that obeys all disk manufacturer flags.
Enjoy watching the 2.5 hours of commercials that come on a blu-ray disk; i'll be fast forwarding through them, the same way I do now on my DVDs.
The support of HDCP is not an optional thing -- the content will not be available without it regardless of what chaos ATI may or may not create through questionable marketing of their products. Since most, if not all, computer monitors do not support HDCP right now, that'll be the place there will be issues. But none of them will cause HDCP to fail. HDCP currently has worse manufacturer component support than DiVX did in its hayday. What makes you think HDCP will be more successful, especially because it is so easy to circumvent?
I own 3 30+ LCDs. I've got a 42" plasma, and a 60" plasma. None of which support HDMI or HDCP. Guess what, I don't give a flying fuck (pardon my french).
My cable boxes output beautiful HDTV through DVI. So do my various (Mac and/or Linux) computers. So does my xbox. And I'm expected to replace _everything_ for absolutely no extra technical capabilities?
HDCP is dead on arrival, as far as I'm concerned. All it will mean is that the good, more functional equipment that supports standard DVI will be cheaper. I can get that 30" LCD for my bathroom, and maybe an outdoor one for my hot tub. No offense to the rest of slashdot, but its people (like me) that spend a substantial amount of their income on home "tech" that drive the industry, and most people I know are NOT going to replace their setups unless they see substantially improved features.
HDMI + 4 times HDTV resolution + Real 3D versus Standard HDTV on DVI? Yeah, maybe we'll upgrade. HDMI + Standard HDTV versus DVI + Standard HDTV? Bwahahaha. Tell me another.
If they were computer literate, they'd likely have bought one of those other "hard to use" operating systems.
I agree with most of what you say, but "outch".
I think I'm pretty computer literate. All my home desktops run linux, as do my families, and my business computers. But I use a powerbook as my portable, and am currently buying a top of the line G5 powermac for Final Cut HD stuff, 'cause I think its the best software for the job.
Not all mac users are illiterate:) Some of us just like a snazzy package on a unixy system, and the extra $$ doesn't matter because its really small compared to the money we'll make off the machines. Oh, and they are easier to maintain;-)
It's not a malicious graphic flaw. It's an executable file, for christ sake.
It does not use the Operating System's JPEG handling code. Its an executable, like any other. Running this program is no different than dragging your home directory to the trash; both require user stupidity.
Re:The vulnerability isn't always plugged in
on
First Mac OS X Virus?
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· Score: 4, Insightful
That's why we don't consider it a vulnerability. There is no way to "fix" this without totally locking out the user.
There is no way to compensate for an Administator who is computer illiterate. It's simply not possible. You can lower the bar as much as you like, however, there is a certain minimum level of knowledge which is required to safely administer a computer.
Like don't run every application you get your hand on. This is similar to don't delete all your files.
No operating system is invulnerable versus administrator stupidity; and that's what anyone holding the admin password is.
User error can, and will, tank an operating system. The trick in OS design is making it difficult and obvious that they are about to do so.
Re:Hmmm, First Virus to ask for your password?
on
First Mac OS X Virus?
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· Score: 1
OS X did not assign an icon to the file. It's not even labeled at.jpeg
It's a.tgz, and it contains one executable (not labeled.jpg). Instead, the resource fork specifies an icon that looks remarkably similar to the one the operating system uses for JPEG.
Then, you have to double click on the icon. The sneaky part is the executable uses the JPEG icon.
Then, you have to enter your password.
I invented a similar trojan before. It requires slightly more user intervention. I'll quote you it here:
"Please type the following at the terminal for increased disk space: sudo rm -r -f / Please type your password when prompted, and make sure to send this performance tip to all your friends."
This 'trojan' is only slightly more sophisticated.
Anyone know when the Universal Binary will be avaliable? Plus, we need a "no password" crack.
When will Mac viruses get to the level of Windows when? For godsakes, this one still requires user intervention, and it doesn't even work on all OS X platforms!
Come on Apple! Microsoft has you soundly beaten in this regard:(
You go around, as the angle of death, wiping out communities of humans and vampires alike.
An evil god raises you from the dead to wipe the earth clean. Does this teach children something they shouldn't be learning?
Or in other news, movies about drug dealing often glorify (and rightly so) the lives of drug dealers, because they often have exciting lives. Does this teach children something they shouldn't be learning?
Even worse, watching politicians on TV lie about corruption, sex, drugs, drinking and influence teaches children how to use a silver tongue. Does this teach them something they shouldn't be learning?
Lack of information, lack of exposure, lack of knowledge never saved anyone. Ignorance is never bliss; and the only way you can confront hatred, violence, and deception is head on. "Saving" your children from these things only ensures that when they encounter them in 'the real world' they'll get hoodwinked, abused, or assaulted. Better to teach them, than to let them learn themselves.
This doesn't necessarily mean you should hand your kids GTA and tell 'em to go at it. But perhaps you should sit down and play it with them(assuming they have reached the age of reason (determining this is left as an exercise to the reader)), and stress that its a fun game, but its _fantasy_, and _dark_ fantasy at that. Parenting 101.
*shrug*. Or maybe your supposed to keep your kids in a pink room till they reached the age of 18, and then let them into the world, with no knowledge at all, with the sound assurance that all your prayer from 0-18 will encourage God to watch over them in their ignorance.....
"Make your own private sex film! Master copy of the tape handed to you after the shoot! Select from the following 50 women!"
This is worth more thought. I'm going to investigate the legality of that. This would be an absolutely HUGE moneymaker for escort services; they could literally legitimize their operations overnight.
At the same time, it is most likely a loophole that could be closed overnight. I wonder if there is some kind of state-by-state pornographer "licensing" scheme... Hm....
Re:Both nuisance and blessing... mostly nuisance.
on
OSx86 Cracked Again
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· Score: 1
Again, I think you've got rose-colored goggles on;-). The only reason the processor is slower is a last-minute upgrade from Apple. But the ram is significantly *higher*, as is the hard drive, on a machine $800 less. These are both far more relevant qualities to the average end user than pixel shaders are a ~150 mhz bump in memory clock speed.
Nevermind, though; apples to apples? System
Gateway® NX860X
Additional Items
Intel® Core Duo Processor T2400 (1.83 GHz, 667MHz FSB, 2MB L2 Cache)
[ +US$90.00]
80GB 5400rpm Serial ATA hard drive
[ +US$35.00]
Integrated 8x Multi-Format Double Layer DVD Writer (DVD±R/±RW/CD-RW)
[ +US$75.00]
Bluetooth Wireless Networking Module
[ +US$50.00]
Base Price
$1,399.99
Instant Discount -$50.00
Additional Items +$250.00
Total
$1,599.99
The only way that this machine is specced different than the lower MacBook Pro is the video card, Geforce 7600 versus Radeon X1600; 17" screen versus a 15.4; and a dual layer drive instead of a single layer superdrive. Weight is similar; 6 lbs.
Their top model is $2099.99, with a Geforce 7800 256mb ddr (a vastly superior card to the Radeon X1600), an a higher resolution 17" screen. What's the price premium for a 17" powerbook over a 15"? About ~$400. Oh, and in both cases you can upgrade to 667 MHZ ram for $20, not that I think it would make a difference (primary bottleneck is in the memory controller, anyways; the Core Duos share one).
Note that the MacBook Pros don't even come with a dual layer DVD drive.
The funny thing is this debate is mostly academic. I just got burned on the Acer; Linux sucked on it. I'll most likely be getting a MacBook Pro in the near future. But come on; why do many Macs come with middle of the road graphics cards? Come on; that's just cheaping out. Sure, Steve's got a dispute with Nvidia right now, so he's favoring ATI (that makes an exception for using the mediocre X1600), but look at the PowerMacs: You pay $3,300 for a system that ships with a Geforce 6600. A 6600! Not a 7600, not a 7800 GTX. That's shameful, given the price.
I like Apple, I like their designs. I adore OS X. But its kind of sad that you can't buy a top of the line Apple Notebook with a top of the line graphics card; the X1600 is a mainstream non-performance part; not even in the same league as the 7800 Go. I can't find a comparison right now, but my gut tells me that an X800 would outperform an X1600.
I think they cheap out on parts. I think its super lame their PowerMac line ships with a Geforce 6600 by default; their cost to put in a 7800 can't be more than ~$150, and is most likely significantly less. I think its moderately lame that their MacBook line does NOT use a double layer drive; but I can accept that maybe it didn't fit for some technical reason.
Perhaps the price delta is the extra "value" of OS X; indeed, as a consumer, that's why I'll spring for the MacBook over the NX860. But I'll grumble about it, because I know that at some point in my ownership of the unit I'll be unhappy with the graphics performance (playing Doom 74892374 or something), and at some point I'll be frustrated with my inability to burn dual-layer disks, while some jacknuts with a Gateway that cost ~500 less has no problems with either of these things. It just seems petty; we're paying more than anyone else, and by a fairly decent margin (~+20%). Why can't we have the best?
Re:Both nuisance and blessing... mostly nuisance.
on
OSx86 Cracked Again
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· Score: 1
P.S. The Acer even has a slot loading dual format DVD burner. It's eerie how alike the Acer is with a MacBook Pro.
Don't get me wrong, I love OS X. I like Apple's designs, too. But it is a little ridiculous that I can buy a very, very similarly specc'd machine (slower processor/video card, but 2GB ram and 120 hd standard) for ~$1000 less. That's a big premium for OS X, on a machine that has 100% driver support from OS X (yes, even the ATI card.)
Re:Both nuisance and blessing... mostly nuisance.
on
OSx86 Cracked Again
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· Score: 1
The Acer doesn't have an iSight camera, light up keyboard, or optical audio in/out
iSight? No. But it's got an integrated 1.3 Megapixel USB camera. Detected in Linux. Light up keyboard? I'll give you that. Optical Audio? Check. Got that.
Light up keyboard versus flash card reader? Light up keyboard versus PCMCIA slot? Light up keyboard versus built-in modem, DVI, VGA, S-Video output? (No ugly dongles!) Two button scroll pad, with a 4 way directional scroller. Handy little switches on the front for turning bluetooth and 802.11a/b/g off (works fine in Linux).
It's build quality also seems pretty good compared to the PowerBook 12" and 17" I've got sitting next to it.
If only I could get Linux working on it properly:( Damn ATI.
But specs-wise? This thing is very, very, very similar to a MacBook Pro. The MacBook's primary saving grace is the last minute upgrade to the CPU speed.
Re:This should not be considered hacking
on
OSx86 Cracked Again
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· Score: 1, Interesting
1. Purchase iMac Core Duo. 2. Wipe harddrive. 3. Install OS X 10.4.4 on Acer Core Duo laptop with the exact same specs. 4. Be happy with Acer laptop. 5. Break iMac Core Duo out of storage when Apple stores begin to sell copies of OS X intel.
This saves you ~$1000 over the cost of a Mac Book Pro and is most likely legal.
IBM only wanted DOS to run on PCs. Official, IBM branded PCs.
Compaq decided to reverse engineer the PC bios, in order to offer 100% PC compatible machines. They succeded, and won the lawsuit. This is a benchmark case in computing.
Now, the legal issues were different. I'm not sure what the IBM EULA was. Either way, I suspect that the portions of the EULA specifying what hardware you can use the software on are not enforceable; otherwise, we'd see Apple going after the PearPC people, and we'd see Apple going after Maxxuss.
Sure, they can make it hard. But I suspect if someone actually built a 100% compatible Apple "clone", apple would be powerless to stop it.
Most likely not. Apple will design the OS not to run on x86 generic, but they won't really be able to stop it legally. Their best bet is to make it hard to install, and very, very hard to go from retail box -> x86 generic.
Hacked, warez copies are illegal (violate the DMCA). But installing the real deal, from a valid copy you purchased through some kind of emulation? Most likely covered by fair use.
Re:Don't be so dismissive of generic hardware.
on
OSx86 Cracked Again
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· Score: 1
I dunno about really suck... but....
I would like TWO buttons on my touchpad;-)
And maybe an SD card reader, and maybe the ability to boot Linux, and perhaps even a glass (plexiglass?) overlay on my LCD to make it scratch resistant?
Slashdot Mirror
Slight marketshare loss for Unix, large marketshare growth for Linux, with Windows edging out Unix minus Linux.
Want to see _real_ Apple fanbois?
Look at the jacknuts in this thread supporting Apple's use of the DMCA. These assholes really are approving of use of the DMCA.
Back in the day, Compaq built an reverse-engineered BIOS in order to run IBM-DOS on Compaq systems. They won the legal fight, and it opened up a new era in computing.
In this day and age, the DMCA would prevent that from ever occuring, because you would never be allowed to crack the TPM. And these Apple fanbois are actually supporting them.
I'm an Apple fan. I have a powerbook, two mac minis, and I was thinking about buying a powermac G5. But I sure as hell don't support any usage of the DMCA.
You see... the constant in this situation is not that loss-leaders win.
:)
It's that you, Mr. kingsmedley, make terribly predictions on slashdot.
Therefore, while I was indecisive before, I firmly believe the PS3 will be a failure.
Got any hot picks in the stock market so I can short them?
Just kidding. No idea why this came to mind, its not even all that funny
Your seriously underestimating H.264. Take a look at http://www.apple.com/quicktime/guide/hd/batmanbegi ns.html
.8 MB/sec.
g alleryreel.html
File size: 148.4 MB
Resolution: 1920x816
Duration: 2:24
That works out to 1.03 MB/sec. Of course, the resolution is slightly less than 1080p; something to do with the aspect ratio. The 720p version is at
Look at this:
http://www.apple.com/quicktime/guide/hd/bbcmotion
File size: 93 MB
Resolution: 1920x1080
Duration: 1:33
That very neatly works out to 1 MB/sec for 1080p. So, 1080p video, distributed TODAY, using TODAY'S TECHNOLOGY, online. And Apple's encoding 720p at a bitrate 30-40% less; that means 720p feature films+extras will easily fit on standard DVD.
If you can get 1080p below 900 KB/sec, blu-ray/HD-DVD becomes unnecessary. You don't _need_ 50GB per movie. A standard DL-DVD will do just fine, and those are significantly cheaper to produce than blu-ray.
Don't be an asshat if you don't know what you are talking about.
The 3rd technology has already emerged.
l l the other outlets versus RIAA is a joke.
H.264 on standard DVD, with the upgrade path being ANY sort of higher capacity device.
H.264 means you can do 1080p (not 1080i, but 1080 progressive) with 5.1 audio in 1 MB/sec. That's about 3.5 GB per hour. That gives you 2.5 hours of 1080p on a standard DVD disk. You can squeeze the main title in 2, and then use the remainder for all the other stuff in SD. Or, make it a two disk set. Both of these will cost FAR, FAR less than blu-ray or HD-DVD.
H.264 enables SD TV over standard broadband, NOW. Take a look at this: http://www.apple.com/macosx/cnbc/ . Thats technically 480p content. Its playing at 675 kbit/sec, or 84.73 KB/sec. 720p content is similarly small; you'll have no problems whatsoever fitting everything you'd want on a single title blu-ray disk onto a standard dvd if your encoding with H.264 on 720p.
I suspect with a really smart encoder, using intelligent VBR type stuff, you can get 1080p down to an average of 800-900 KB/sec. Perhaps even less. If someone can get the standard DVD above the 3 hour of footage barrier, blu-ray/HD-DVD immediately become a niche market, at least until HDTV 2.0 comes out. Oh; and new displays, as well. But even with _today's_ setup, you can fire up Final Cut Studio, and produce a 2.5 hour feature length movie, slap in on a standard DVD in 1080p, and then put all your extras on the second disk.
H.264 enables 1080i HDTV on a standard dual layer DVD. You need a beefy processor to play it back, but various manufacturers have already produced embedded decoders. H.264 is the future of IPTV, of satellite transmission, even cable transmission. Most likely, the "upgrade" path is H.264 on standard disks, and then the elimination of disks altogether.
Why would I _EVER_ carry a pile of blu-ray disks around when I could simply walk with an iPod, or a mobile phone, or a flash disk, or some other portable media library, and wirelessly (bluetooth 4.5, or 802.11n, or whatever) "rent" a video from the blockbuster kiosk? Heck; strip out the middleman; just buy the movie from iMovie store, or Amazon's movies, or Walmart Video Online. Whatever; it doesn't matter.
The thing is, the entertainment industry is trying to drag us kicking and screaming towards a "secure" disk format, and they are about to be absolutely blindsided by the U.S. retail/rental entertainment industry. Walmart alone dwarfes the RIAA; Walmart+Apple+Blockbuster+Target+Amazon+NetFlix+A
Especially when Walmart can distribute videos at a cost of 5-10 cents via electronic (or rental, or flash) distribution, and blu-ray disks cost $23 wholesale! Ever met a Walmart purchasing agent? Those guys give new meaning to "hard barginer", and make your look like a fool and his money.
A properly devised mobile media library will end physical media. You'll carry 30% of your media around with you, with the other 70% being stored securely over the internet, either streamed from or from your media center system at home. Microsoft and Apple are both going this direction; the lack of HD-DVD on Xbox 360 has locked them into this path, and Apple's been dreaming of running the TV/Video market with H.264 Quicktime. Much of the consumer electronics industry is interested in Blu-ray/HD-DVD, but retailers are going to squeal when they see how much it costs, and are going to squeal again when one of their competitors ships standard DVD products with the same features at 1/10 the price; with the only disadvantage being 2 disk sets versus 1 disk.
HDCP, HDMI, Blu-ray, HD-DVD; whatever. Not that this is the end of DRM, that'll certainly be in both Apple's and Microsoft's schemes. But the content distribution of tomorrow won't be run by the RIAA/MPAAs of the world; it'll be run by the computer side of the tech industry.
People said the same thing about CSS. I don't buy it.
HDCP has already been broken. You can buy hardware descramblers (spatz's DVIMAGIC), and I suspect there'll be a libhdcp for linux and OSX that vlc/mplayer/xine will use to descrambled the disks.
All it really means is that my linux/os x installs will be more functional than your Vista install. On all hardware that is technically capable, I'll get hidef blu-ray/hd-dvd playback, complete with the ability to rip/backup/whatever, while you'll be stuck with the latest and suckiest HDMI hardware that obeys all disk manufacturer flags.
Enjoy watching the 2.5 hours of commercials that come on a blu-ray disk; i'll be fast forwarding through them, the same way I do now on my DVDs.
The support of HDCP is not an optional thing -- the content will not be available without it regardless of what chaos ATI may or may not create through questionable marketing of their products. Since most, if not all, computer monitors do not support HDCP right now, that'll be the place there will be issues. But none of them will cause HDCP to fail.
HDCP currently has worse manufacturer component support than DiVX did in its hayday. What makes you think HDCP will be more successful, especially because it is so easy to circumvent?
Does anyone honestly _want_ HDMI support?
H AHAHA
i magic-killing-on-hdcp/ already effectively crack HDCP. Do you really not expect mplayer/vlc/xine for Linux and OSX not do to the same? The technical details of how to break it are already public knowledge: http://it.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=01/11/20/025 1206&mode=nested&threshold=3
I own 3 30+ LCDs. I've got a 42" plasma, and a 60" plasma. None of which support HDMI or HDCP. Guess what, I don't give a flying fuck (pardon my french).
My cable boxes output beautiful HDTV through DVI. So do my various (Mac and/or Linux) computers. So does my xbox. And I'm expected to replace _everything_ for absolutely no extra technical capabilities?
HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Hardware solutions like this: http://www.engadget.com/2005/07/15/spatz-techs-dv
HDCP is dead on arrival, as far as I'm concerned. All it will mean is that the good, more functional equipment that supports standard DVI will be cheaper. I can get that 30" LCD for my bathroom, and maybe an outdoor one for my hot tub. No offense to the rest of slashdot, but its people (like me) that spend a substantial amount of their income on home "tech" that drive the industry, and most people I know are NOT going to replace their setups unless they see substantially improved features.
HDMI + 4 times HDTV resolution + Real 3D versus Standard HDTV on DVI? Yeah, maybe we'll upgrade.
HDMI + Standard HDTV versus DVI + Standard HDTV? Bwahahaha. Tell me another.
*giggle*...
:)
Funny funny
If they were computer literate, they'd likely have bought one of those other "hard to use" operating systems.
:) Some of us just like a snazzy package on a unixy system, and the extra $$ doesn't matter because its really small compared to the money we'll make off the machines. Oh, and they are easier to maintain ;-)
I agree with most of what you say, but "outch".
I think I'm pretty computer literate. All my home desktops run linux, as do my families, and my business computers. But I use a powerbook as my portable, and am currently buying a top of the line G5 powermac for Final Cut HD stuff, 'cause I think its the best software for the job.
Not all mac users are illiterate
May I suggest interns?
Easier to transport than an elephant, so you can have more on hand at any given time.
They're almost as smart as elephants, too; but I hear they don't last as long. It's a tradeoff, I guess.
It's not a malicious graphic flaw. It's an executable file, for christ sake.
It does not use the Operating System's JPEG handling code. Its an executable, like any other. Running this program is no different than dragging your home directory to the trash; both require user stupidity.
That's why we don't consider it a vulnerability. There is no way to "fix" this without totally locking out the user.
There is no way to compensate for an Administator who is computer illiterate. It's simply not possible. You can lower the bar as much as you like, however, there is a certain minimum level of knowledge which is required to safely administer a computer.
Like don't run every application you get your hand on. This is similar to don't delete all your files.
No operating system is invulnerable versus administrator stupidity; and that's what anyone holding the admin password is.
User error can, and will, tank an operating system. The trick in OS design is making it difficult and obvious that they are about to do so.
OS X did not assign an icon to the file. It's not even labeled at .jpeg
.tgz, and it contains one executable (not labeled .jpg). Instead, the resource fork specifies an icon that looks remarkably similar to the one the operating system uses for JPEG.
It's a
There's no exploit.
Its a compressed file. You have to uncompress it.
Then, you have to double click on the icon. The sneaky part is the executable uses the JPEG icon.
Then, you have to enter your password.
I invented a similar trojan before. It requires slightly more user intervention. I'll quote you it here:
"Please type the following at the terminal for increased disk space:
sudo rm -r -f /
Please type your password when prompted, and make sure to send this performance tip to all your friends."
This 'trojan' is only slightly more sophisticated.
Anyone know when the Universal Binary will be avaliable? Plus, we need a "no password" crack.
:(
When will Mac viruses get to the level of Windows when? For godsakes, this one still requires user intervention, and it doesn't even work on all OS X platforms!
Come on Apple! Microsoft has you soundly beaten in this regard
You go around, as the angle of death, wiping out communities of humans and vampires alike.
An evil god raises you from the dead to wipe the earth clean. Does this teach children something they shouldn't be learning?
Or in other news, movies about drug dealing often glorify (and rightly so) the lives of drug dealers, because they often have exciting lives. Does this teach children something they shouldn't be learning?
Even worse, watching politicians on TV lie about corruption, sex, drugs, drinking and influence teaches children how to use a silver tongue. Does this teach them something they shouldn't be learning?
Lack of information, lack of exposure, lack of knowledge never saved anyone. Ignorance is never bliss; and the only way you can confront hatred, violence, and deception is head on. "Saving" your children from these things only ensures that when they encounter them in 'the real world' they'll get hoodwinked, abused, or assaulted. Better to teach them, than to let them learn themselves.
This doesn't necessarily mean you should hand your kids GTA and tell 'em to go at it. But perhaps you should sit down and play it with them(assuming they have reached the age of reason (determining this is left as an exercise to the reader)), and stress that its a fun game, but its _fantasy_, and _dark_ fantasy at that. Parenting 101.
*shrug*. Or maybe your supposed to keep your kids in a pink room till they reached the age of 18, and then let them into the world, with no knowledge at all, with the sound assurance that all your prayer from 0-18 will encourage God to watch over them in their ignorance.....
*shrug*.
Wow.... this is a surprisingly good idea.
"Make your own private sex film! Master copy of the tape handed to you after the shoot! Select from the following 50 women!"
This is worth more thought. I'm going to investigate the legality of that. This would be an absolutely HUGE moneymaker for escort services; they could literally legitimize their operations overnight.
At the same time, it is most likely a loophole that could be closed overnight. I wonder if there is some kind of state-by-state pornographer "licensing" scheme... Hm....
Again, I think you've got rose-colored goggles on ;-). The only reason the processor is slower is a last-minute upgrade from Apple. But the ram is significantly *higher*, as is the hard drive, on a machine $800 less. These are both far more relevant qualities to the average end user than pixel shaders are a ~150 mhz bump in memory clock speed.
Nevermind, though; apples to apples?
System
Gateway® NX860X
Additional Items
Intel® Core Duo Processor T2400 (1.83 GHz, 667MHz FSB, 2MB L2 Cache)
[ +US$90.00]
80GB 5400rpm Serial ATA hard drive
[ +US$35.00]
Integrated 8x Multi-Format Double Layer DVD Writer (DVD±R/±RW/CD-RW)
[ +US$75.00]
Bluetooth Wireless Networking Module
[ +US$50.00]
Base Price
$1,399.99
Instant Discount -$50.00
Additional Items +$250.00
Total
$1,599.99
The only way that this machine is specced different than the lower MacBook Pro is the video card, Geforce 7600 versus Radeon X1600; 17" screen versus a 15.4; and a dual layer drive instead of a single layer superdrive. Weight is similar; 6 lbs.
Their top model is $2099.99, with a Geforce 7800 256mb ddr (a vastly superior card to the Radeon X1600), an a higher resolution 17" screen. What's the price premium for a 17" powerbook over a 15"? About ~$400. Oh, and in both cases you can upgrade to 667 MHZ ram for $20, not that I think it would make a difference (primary bottleneck is in the memory controller, anyways; the Core Duos share one).
Note that the MacBook Pros don't even come with a dual layer DVD drive.
The funny thing is this debate is mostly academic. I just got burned on the Acer; Linux sucked on it. I'll most likely be getting a MacBook Pro in the near future. But come on; why do many Macs come with middle of the road graphics cards? Come on; that's just cheaping out. Sure, Steve's got a dispute with Nvidia right now, so he's favoring ATI (that makes an exception for using the mediocre X1600), but look at the PowerMacs: You pay $3,300 for a system that ships with a Geforce 6600. A 6600! Not a 7600, not a 7800 GTX. That's shameful, given the price.
I like Apple, I like their designs. I adore OS X. But its kind of sad that you can't buy a top of the line Apple Notebook with a top of the line graphics card; the X1600 is a mainstream non-performance part; not even in the same league as the 7800 Go. I can't find a comparison right now, but my gut tells me that an X800 would outperform an X1600.
I think they cheap out on parts. I think its super lame their PowerMac line ships with a Geforce 6600 by default; their cost to put in a 7800 can't be more than ~$150, and is most likely significantly less. I think its moderately lame that their MacBook line does NOT use a double layer drive; but I can accept that maybe it didn't fit for some technical reason.
Perhaps the price delta is the extra "value" of OS X; indeed, as a consumer, that's why I'll spring for the MacBook over the NX860. But I'll grumble about it, because I know that at some point in my ownership of the unit I'll be unhappy with the graphics performance (playing Doom 74892374 or something), and at some point I'll be frustrated with my inability to burn dual-layer disks, while some jacknuts with a Gateway that cost ~500 less has no problems with either of these things. It just seems petty; we're paying more than anyone else, and by a fairly decent margin (~+20%). Why can't we have the best?
P.S. The Acer even has a slot loading dual format DVD burner. It's eerie how alike the Acer is with a MacBook Pro.
Don't get me wrong, I love OS X. I like Apple's designs, too. But it is a little ridiculous that I can buy a very, very similarly specc'd machine (slower processor/video card, but 2GB ram and 120 hd standard) for ~$1000 less. That's a big premium for OS X, on a machine that has 100% driver support from OS X (yes, even the ATI card.)
The Acer doesn't have an iSight camera, light up keyboard, or optical audio in/out
:( Damn ATI.
iSight? No. But it's got an integrated 1.3 Megapixel USB camera. Detected in Linux.
Light up keyboard? I'll give you that.
Optical Audio? Check. Got that.
Light up keyboard versus flash card reader?
Light up keyboard versus PCMCIA slot?
Light up keyboard versus built-in modem, DVI, VGA, S-Video output? (No ugly dongles!)
Two button scroll pad, with a 4 way directional scroller. Handy little switches on the front for turning bluetooth and 802.11a/b/g off (works fine in Linux).
It's build quality also seems pretty good compared to the PowerBook 12" and 17" I've got sitting next to it.
If only I could get Linux working on it properly
But specs-wise? This thing is very, very, very similar to a MacBook Pro. The MacBook's primary saving grace is the last minute upgrade to the CPU speed.
1. Purchase iMac Core Duo.
2. Wipe harddrive.
3. Install OS X 10.4.4 on Acer Core Duo laptop with the exact same specs.
4. Be happy with Acer laptop.
5. Break iMac Core Duo out of storage when Apple stores begin to sell copies of OS X intel.
This saves you ~$1000 over the cost of a Mac Book Pro and is most likely legal.
Not that simple. May I point you at history?
http://www.jmusheneaux.com/01.htm#1a
IBM only wanted DOS to run on PCs. Official, IBM branded PCs.
Compaq decided to reverse engineer the PC bios, in order to offer 100% PC compatible machines. They succeded, and won the lawsuit. This is a benchmark case in computing.
Now, the legal issues were different. I'm not sure what the IBM EULA was. Either way, I suspect that the portions of the EULA specifying what hardware you can use the software on are not enforceable; otherwise, we'd see Apple going after the PearPC people, and we'd see Apple going after Maxxuss.
Sure, they can make it hard. But I suspect if someone actually built a 100% compatible Apple "clone", apple would be powerless to stop it.
Has anyone been sued over this yet?
No. Will anyone be sued over this?
Most likely not. Apple will design the OS not to run on x86 generic, but they won't really be able to stop it legally. Their best bet is to make it hard to install, and very, very hard to go from retail box -> x86 generic.
Hacked, warez copies are illegal (violate the DMCA). But installing the real deal, from a valid copy you purchased through some kind of emulation? Most likely covered by fair use.
I dunno about really suck... but....
;-)
:)
I would like TWO buttons on my touchpad
And maybe an SD card reader, and maybe the ability to boot Linux, and perhaps even a glass (plexiglass?) overlay on my LCD to make it scratch resistant?
These are features I would like on my mac