That'll be legal protection from people chunking hissyfits over some of their previous antics...
Such as Dashboard (Konfabulator)... or Spaces (Just about every desktopmanager in existance)... etc.
As well as legal protection guaranteeing that you can't block Apple development by releasing something through them (via the iPhone store) and claiming that they're being anticompetative by releasing their own implementation of blah without forewarning.
Your agreement does not automatically grant them the right to use your patented material (should you have any), trademarks or breach your copyrights. It's not completely evil - they still have to redevelop your idea...
The license you agree to in order to access the specification prohibits you from producing a compatible SWF player/reader.
I quote from the license: "Pursuant to the terms and conditions of this License, you are granted a nonexclusive license to use the Specification for the sole purposes of developing products that output SWF."
No, they literally mean what Linux has been doing for a while now - individual subsystems of the Darwin kernel now are locked individually, rather than via a Global Kernel Lock.
I'd imagine the PAL gamecube is a fair bit different actually.
Japan and the US have the advantage that they're practically the same unit - both countries use NTSC, and ~110v, so they can pretty much use the same system board, same power supply, same nearly everything in fact... the only difference they need is different firmwares.
I'd imagine that it'd be a lot cheaper for them to just put both firmwares in there, and select them by installing a link as appropriate to select the firmware that the unit is to ship with. Given the instructions for region switches, this appears to be what they did do in the end.
PAL units, OTOH, have to drive a different video system compared to the JP/US model, and all PAL units use the same firmware anyway (I can select european languages in my australian gamecube should I suddenly feel the desire to operate it in German, or French). I doubt the region switch modification can be performed on this model.
I'm glad that this has happened, but not so I can play copied games.
I'm looking forward to being able to play my imports without using a boot disc (I currently use freeloader). And being able to patch and update it against bugs in such handling (Japanese Namco games are quite well known for having serious problems with freeloader and save cards).
Homebrew software development also appeals to me, but not as much as the ability to handle those imports.
And why am I so interested in imports? Well, our local Nintendo office has seen it fit to destroy the gamecube by keeping the prices high, failing to promote the cube sufficently, being slow on the uptake of titles and withholding new accessories for the gamecube from market.
In Australia, you can't even buy the Official Nintendo 1019 block memory card, whereas I bought one during a visit to the US for the same price that a 251 block memory card costs us here. The broadband adapter was announced at one point, but you certainly can't buy them here.
Not only that, imported gamecube games cost LESS than their local counterparts, even after shipping in most cases. I bought R: Racing (US) for a whole US$20, whereas it was still priced at AU$90 back home. Given express shipping from Lik-Sang costs around AU$25, we still keep just below the $90-100 line for most games here.
Now, given the choice, would you give money to that division when you could just buy from overseas, with one of the foreign divisions of that company earning the profits instead?
As far as I'm concerned, it means I get my games, and I get them cheaper than buying locally, and Nintendo still gets the money they deserve for producing such a good (underrated) platform.
And, with some luck, I hope that the local branch will get their act together and start giving us prices that are even vaugely competative against their neighbouring branches.
Debian has been needing kickstart-like functionality for a while. (No, FAI is not the answer, it works in a somewhat different manner, and its a royal pain to set up to bootstrap unstable systems from a host running stable).
AlphaStations are not particularly vintage Alphas, they still use modern PCI/EISA/ISA architecture. The vintage Alphas are the AXP systems, like the DEC3000/800AXP, which are NOT supported by linux, and are unlikely ever to be supported unless somebody cleans up the linux bus code.
the DEC3000 family are Turbochannel based Alphas, and consequentially are fairly different to their PCI/EISA based brethren.
NetBSD supports these models nicely (just not completely last time I looked).
Then onto the matters of the DECStation Family.
The DECStation family are a mix of VAX and MIPS based systems. Neither of which are supported properly by Linux. (Linux/MIPS is still fairly imature). However, once again, NetBSD supports the MIPS models (the relevant port is 'pmax'), and some of the VAX models as well. Furthermore, the pmax port of NetBSD is remarkibly stable, and I was using a DECStation 5000/240 back in 1998 as a web server for the computer science students association at the university I was studying at at the time.
There is lots of information available about the pmax family of systems at the NetBSD ports information page.
I also demand the final word in anything I'm the principle author - its called Quality Assurance.
ie: I filter out what I feel is crap, and similarly, I work on what *I* want to. If you submit me a good patch, it'll go in, and you'll be in my credits file/changelog, but at the end of the day, its still my project.
When you're working on stuff in your free time, this is the way of the game. Its not just a job, its personal.
I'm pretty sure those of us who have met Stallman in person would agree wholeheartedly.
Despite the fact the cause has some degree of validity, the extremes which he takes it to regularly stomps on people's toes, and is generally antisocial.
I had the (mis?)fortune to meet him during one of his visits to Canberra, Australia - which, over lunch, he proceded to argue that our local Linux Users Group (CLUG) should rename itself to the Canberra GNU/Linux Users Group. This did not go down well.
Even though there are some fairly valid reasons as to why, its still fairly egotistical of him - did he ask for a consensus of all the developers releasing "GNU Software"? Does his own technical work make up a large slice of the GNU works used by linux? [No, Emacs does not count as a large slice, despite its footprint.;)]
Just consider RMS as what he really is, a politican.
As a "Help Desk Operative", one deals with users of all levels of competance.
It is always a pain when a user tackles you with a problem that can be solved easily by referring to the documentation, but often this is due to ignorance about the existance or clarity of such documentation.
UserFriendly, I feel, doesn't really attack this (rather innocent) group of User.
However, the group that UserFriendly does attack, and quite rightly in my opinion, is the arrogent AND ignorant group of users. These are the users that don't only not know the solutions to simple problems, they feel its the HDO's responsibility to correct them despite the fact they have often made _NO_ attempt to enlighten themselves first, or they fall completely outside of the juradstriction of the operative.
Now before you all move to flame me off of/. for being "Anti-user", please remember that I too work on a helpdesk, and I have no qualms with Users who make an honest effort to learn something that they have to regularly deal with. [Please note that I provide more unix support for non-regular unix users - so I'm probably biased]. And Userfriendly makes no effort to slander or parody the users in this category.
The thing to remember is, that above all, not only are the users human, but so are the help desk operatives.
Just because Sun isn't going to make Java an ISO standard, doesn't mean that it isn't worth using.
I will point out that Java has been out for a few years now, has been usable for that time, and is constantly improving its base of support and its performance on most platforms.
It is a GOOD OO language with an execelent design philosophy. [ie: its C++ without the stupidity]
The Virtual Machine is an excellent design, and its fundamental security is something to be very pleased with.
Just remember, it might be written by a big evil corporation who sells their OS and hardware for $$$, but Java is a `free' technology which they allow anybody to download and use.
I personally believe that anybody should be able to pick up development software for their machine at no cost, and Java has been an initiative that not only allows this, but allows one to also ensure that their apps will work on other peoples machines.
Also, it might be better if it remains in the hands of Sun, rather than the ISO committee. Whilst sun retains it, we can at least rest safely knowing that Sun is not likely to do anything too stupid to it:)
Anyhows, thats enough ranting from me for today...
Linear SCSI Tape. Hence obviously supported by standard SCSI Tape driver on Linux + *BSD.
15GB & 25GB Native capactity 8mm Digital Cartridges
Fast Narrow SCSI-II - easy to hook up, easy to get interface boards for.
Internal, but you can always buy an external SCSI enclosure and bung it into one of those.
The 25GB model is "coming 1st quarter '99", umm... aren't we in quarter 2?
BEGIN (* RANT *)
I think this business with tape companies quoting "Compressed Capacity" is rather dirty and dishonest. The should always quote the Native Capacity due to the innefficiencies of Compression algorithms.
Other thing I'll note, is that does anybody remember the older Exatape D8 Drives? 2.5GB & 5GB native capacities in a 8MM DAT not much larger than a 8mm Video cassette. These appear to be virtually the same, but with a longer tape.
I wouldn't consider using it for anything that isn't streaming, but it would help me tonnes here at work for backing up our 20+ GBs of disk....
END (* RANT *);
-- XFire
Umm... I think you missed something
on
Unreal for Linux?
·
· Score: 1
Umm... We aren't talking about the FC demo 'ere, We're talking about "Unreal" by "Epic MegaGames".
Go look at www.unreal.com to get a decent idea of what we're talking about.
Slashdot Mirror
That'll be legal protection from people chunking hissyfits over some of their previous antics...
Such as Dashboard (Konfabulator)... or Spaces (Just about every desktopmanager in existance)... etc.
As well as legal protection guaranteeing that you can't block Apple development by releasing something through them (via the iPhone store) and claiming that they're being anticompetative by releasing their own implementation of blah without forewarning.
Your agreement does not automatically grant them the right to use your patented material (should you have any), trademarks or breach your copyrights. It's not completely evil - they still have to redevelop your idea...
Err, thats not Open. That's just available.
The license you agree to in order to access the specification prohibits you from producing a compatible SWF player/reader.
I quote from the license:
"Pursuant to the terms and conditions of this License, you are granted a nonexclusive license to use the Specification for the sole purposes of developing products that output SWF."
(any spellos in there are mine).
No, they literally mean what Linux has been doing for a while now - individual subsystems of the Darwin kernel now are locked individually, rather than via a Global Kernel Lock.
I'd imagine the PAL gamecube is a fair bit different actually.
Japan and the US have the advantage that they're practically the same unit - both countries use NTSC, and ~110v, so they can pretty much use the same system board, same power supply, same nearly everything in fact... the only difference they need is different firmwares.
I'd imagine that it'd be a lot cheaper for them to just put both firmwares in there, and select them by installing a link as appropriate to select the firmware that the unit is to ship with. Given the instructions for region switches, this appears to be what they did do in the end.
PAL units, OTOH, have to drive a different video system compared to the JP/US model, and all PAL units use the same firmware anyway (I can select european languages in my australian gamecube should I suddenly feel the desire to operate it in German, or French). I doubt the region switch modification can be performed on this model.
I'm glad that this has happened, but not so I can play copied games.
I'm looking forward to being able to play my imports without using a boot disc (I currently use freeloader). And being able to patch and update it against bugs in such handling (Japanese Namco games are quite well known for having serious problems with freeloader and save cards).
Homebrew software development also appeals to me, but not as much as the ability to handle those imports.
And why am I so interested in imports? Well, our local Nintendo office has seen it fit to destroy the gamecube by keeping the prices high, failing to promote the cube sufficently, being slow on the uptake of titles and withholding new accessories for the gamecube from market.
In Australia, you can't even buy the Official Nintendo 1019 block memory card, whereas I bought one during a visit to the US for the same price that a 251 block memory card costs us here. The broadband adapter was announced at one point, but you certainly can't buy them here.
Not only that, imported gamecube games cost LESS than their local counterparts, even after shipping in most cases. I bought R: Racing (US) for a whole US$20, whereas it was still priced at AU$90 back home. Given express shipping from Lik-Sang costs around AU$25, we still keep just below the $90-100 line for most games here.
Now, given the choice, would you give money to that division when you could just buy from overseas, with one of the foreign divisions of that company earning the profits instead?
As far as I'm concerned, it means I get my games, and I get them cheaper than buying locally, and Nintendo still gets the money they deserve for producing such a good (underrated) platform.
And, with some luck, I hope that the local branch will get their act together and start giving us prices that are even vaugely competative against their neighbouring branches.
I heard about this a bit early - I did some digging around on their website.
The openly admit it runs MythTV (once you find the comments), and that the source code is available ON the device itself...
Technically speaking, I think that actually qualifies for compliance.
Hopefully this means we have Kickstart too.
Debian has been needing kickstart-like functionality for a while. (No, FAI is not the answer, it works in a somewhat different manner, and its a royal pain to set up to bootstrap unstable systems from a host running stable).
AlphaStations are not particularly vintage Alphas, they still use modern PCI/EISA/ISA architecture. The vintage Alphas are the AXP systems, like the DEC3000/800AXP, which are NOT supported by linux, and are unlikely ever to be supported unless somebody cleans up the linux bus code.
the DEC3000 family are Turbochannel based Alphas, and consequentially are fairly different to their PCI/EISA based brethren.
NetBSD supports these models nicely (just not completely last time I looked).
Then onto the matters of the DECStation Family.
The DECStation family are a mix of VAX and MIPS based systems. Neither of which are supported properly by Linux. (Linux/MIPS is still fairly imature). However, once again, NetBSD supports the MIPS models (the relevant port is 'pmax'), and some of the VAX models as well. Furthermore, the pmax port of NetBSD is remarkibly stable, and I was using a DECStation 5000/240 back in 1998 as a web server for the computer science students association at the university I was studying at at the time.
There is lots of information available about the pmax family of systems at the NetBSD ports information page.
I also demand the final word in anything I'm the principle author - its called Quality Assurance.
ie: I filter out what I feel is crap, and similarly, I work on what *I* want to. If you submit me a good patch, it'll go in, and you'll be in my credits file/changelog, but at the end of the day, its still my project.
When you're working on stuff in your free time, this is the way of the game. Its not just a job, its personal.
I'm pretty sure those of us who have met Stallman in person would agree wholeheartedly.
;)]
Despite the fact the cause has some degree of validity, the extremes which he takes it to regularly stomps on people's toes, and is generally antisocial.
I had the (mis?)fortune to meet him during one of his visits to Canberra, Australia - which, over lunch, he proceded to argue that our local Linux Users Group (CLUG) should rename itself to the Canberra GNU/Linux Users Group. This did not go down well.
Even though there are some fairly valid reasons as to why, its still fairly egotistical of him - did he ask for a consensus of all the developers releasing "GNU Software"? Does his own technical work make up a large slice of the GNU works used by linux? [No, Emacs does not count as a large slice, despite its footprint.
Just consider RMS as what he really is, a politican.
The same reason I'm a practically unknown person.
Most of everything is luck - the rest is fate.
As a "Help Desk Operative", one deals with users of all levels of competance.
It is always a pain when a user tackles you with a problem that can be solved easily by referring to the documentation, but often this is due to ignorance about the existance or clarity of such documentation.
UserFriendly, I feel, doesn't really attack this (rather innocent) group of User.
However, the group that UserFriendly does attack, and quite rightly in my opinion, is the arrogent AND ignorant group of users. These are the users that don't only not know the solutions to simple problems, they feel its the HDO's responsibility to correct them despite the fact they have often made _NO_ attempt to enlighten themselves first, or they fall completely outside of the juradstriction of the operative.
Now before you all move to flame me off of /. for being "Anti-user", please remember that I too work on a helpdesk, and I have no qualms with Users who make an honest effort to learn something that they have to regularly deal with. [Please note that I provide more unix support for non-regular unix users - so I'm probably biased]. And Userfriendly makes no effort to slander or parody the users in this category.
The thing to remember is, that above all, not only are the users human, but so are the help desk operatives.
I guess thats my 5 cents worth.
OK. Please wake up.
:)
Just because Sun isn't going to make Java an ISO standard, doesn't mean that it isn't worth using.
I will point out that Java has been out for a few years now, has been usable for that time, and is constantly improving its base of support and its performance on most platforms.
It is a GOOD OO language with an execelent design philosophy. [ie: its C++ without the stupidity]
The Virtual Machine is an excellent design, and its fundamental security is something to be very pleased with.
Just remember, it might be written by a big evil corporation who sells their OS and hardware for $$$, but Java is a `free' technology which they allow anybody to download and use.
I personally believe that anybody should be able to pick up development software for their machine at no cost, and Java has been an initiative that not only allows this, but allows one to also ensure that their apps will work on other peoples machines.
Also, it might be better if it remains in the hands of Sun, rather than the ISO committee. Whilst sun retains it, we can at least rest safely knowing that Sun is not likely to do anything too stupid to it
Anyhows, thats enough ranting from me for today...
OK.
Personal Observations
BEGIN (* RANT *)
I think this business with tape companies quoting "Compressed Capacity" is rather dirty and dishonest. The should always quote the Native Capacity due to the innefficiencies of Compression algorithms.
Other thing I'll note, is that does anybody remember the older Exatape D8 Drives? 2.5GB & 5GB native capacities in a 8MM DAT not much larger than a 8mm Video cassette. These appear to be virtually the same, but with a longer tape.
I wouldn't consider using it for anything that isn't streaming, but it would help me tonnes here at work for backing up our 20+ GBs of disk....
END (* RANT *);
-- XFire
Umm... We aren't talking about the FC demo 'ere, We're talking about "Unreal" by "Epic MegaGames".
Go look at www.unreal.com to get a decent idea of what we're talking about.