Public libraries were one of the great achievements of Western civilization. However, it seems to me their time has passed. Classic books are available freely anything, and for books still in copyright, a variety of online "for profit" lending options make more sense than somehow tying reading to a physical building. Book rentals generally are cheaper than a milkshake at McDonalds, and healthier too.
You sound like you haven't been to the library in a long while. I get all my TV and movie DVDs from the library. All my e-books (which I can check-out online from home via the web). All my CDs. And free WiFi when I'm onsite. Why are you paying for free stuff?
To the "tablets are a fad" crowd?
They were a lot louder 2 years ago.
Tablet makers addressed the issue by including HID support, so that keyboards / mice could be used. Some even include a standard size USB port, supporting thumb-drives in addition to input devices. This lets people use a tablet as a laptop when / if needed, and leave the excess baggage behind when it's not.
The boot sector issue has already been solved by most BIOS by (optionally, under user control in the BIOS configuration) preventing writes to the sector. The only time you need to unlock it is when you want to update the bootloader (relatively rare). I'm still at a loss for the value-add presented by secure boot.
At $1000 per installation, they would get about $120B for 120M households; close enough to start. I would gladly pay a $1000 start-up fee for symmetrical 1Gbps/service. From other reports, Google is charging $70/month, with an operating cost of $5/month. As the early adopters start to accumulate, the revenue stream will offset the cost for the periodically lowered installation charge to increase penetration.
Establish a nation-wide signup. Require a credit card (Google Wallet) for signup; they won't be charged, but they'll separate the wheat from the chaff. Crunch the data to find the highest population density signups and start build-out in those areas. Provide near-realtime online updates on build-out area priority. This lets those interested in an area act as promoters / ambassadors to increase signups, and raise their area's priority. Like the first cities selected, let people compete - providing free word of mouth advertising in the process.
And don't forget the other side of the equation; offer servers reasonably priced 100Gb local Google data center / site interconnects to keep the on-net customers interested and happy.
I've bought a dozen retail DVD players (standalone and PC) over the years, each of which came with a license either in the form of internal firmware or standalone software. I have two DVD drives still in use, both in Linux PCs. I should have plenty of licenses - if that's what they in fact are. The idea that I can hold a dozen licenses and yet not be authorized to play legally obtained content on two surviving drives because someone in the MPAA doesn't like my completely legal operating system is an abomination of logic, reason, and ethics.
"People are still getting used to the notion that unlimited data plans are dead and gone for their smartphones. The option wasn't even offered for tablets. Now, we're beginning to see the eradication of the unlimited data plan in our broadband lines, such as cable and DSL connections."
My cable company (Optonline) offers unlimited, uncapped, unthrottled bandwidth. That doesn't mean that there aren't periods of contention, but it's not the ISP slowing down the service. We also switched to Republic Wireless, which offers unlimited, uncapped, unthrottled voice, text, and data (yes, even cellular data) for $19/month. They are still in beta, but we've been happy with the service. If your service providers aren't offering these services, switch. If you can't switch in your area, complain to your township, county, and state to bring in competitive services.
The thing is, real unlimited shifts the burden to you, and that's a responsibility that many people can't handle. It's like being on the LAN at the office; if someone is monopolizing the bandwidth, you know it. You (or the admins) will have a chat with them about playing nice. As long as everyone plays nice, you can get the bandwidth you need, when you need it. Throttling comes in when people refuse to play nice, and have to be forced.
Even back in the old landline telephone days when local calls were free, some people would leave the phone off the hook for days / weeks / months. Maximum call lengths had to be instituted as a result. Most people never hit the limit, and never even knew they existed. When people can't play nice, we can't have nice things.
Plug it in and use VNC to a separate session to make it a mini-head for monitoring things like email, tweets, system sensors, etc. For example, what I did with my tablet.
Some distributions, like Fedora, package the extensions for installation via the normal package management. The web site is generic, which is why I pointed there. There are third party repositories as well. These integrate into the standard maintenance processes. For example, on my Fedora system, I've installed:
This allows me to customize the environment to my personal preferences, which are likely different from yours. Having a common stable base with just the needed additional functionality (if any) is a much saner idea than putting everything that anyone can think of into the base, and then having to maintain that complex mess.
But the gnome team said at the start that support for extentions would be removed.
They've set up a gnome web page for extensions, so I doubt they are going away. This statement at the site should clarify:
Since extensions are created outside of the normal GNOME design and development process, they are supported by their authors, rather than by the GNOME community. Some features first implemented as extensions might find their way into future versions of GNOME.
I don't want to think where I put my windows. I know my personal browser sessions are on 3, along with any game I might be playing, my E-mail and other contact managers are on 1, and my database interface and Eclipse are running on 2.
When I want to save a window for later, I toss it over to 4.
I shouldn't have to think about it. That's how proper organization works.
Imagine for a moment if your clothing drawers automatically created and deleted drawers so you had to figure out where you'd put something, and if you took the last sock out of the sock drawer, the shirt drawer wouldn't be where you expected it. We use metaphors on desktops to help users organize their data, including the folder system. Making those metaphors less realistic kills their ability to use them for organization.
If that's the workflow you prefer, then use the static workspaces extension. You can easily turn extensions on and off and make other changes with the gnome tweak tool GUI.
Security questions are an opportunity for additional long passwords.
Favorite color: ALQbpFcWvvFiJlnEh5uuC0lpJZFHAvIcMuXrOh46L3bc24V39m Where you grew up: 1t7jpfr7zzp87kOJTMOFw5qf1ReWKoxoeRu8U7vuz5TfPwypkU First pet: gzcPme09nDYPHXvfvyi8FbpP9hX5cjqMiVi0MWd61sxyCIJjaG
Just use the prompt as the index for the key, which you've saved in your favorite key store, like keepassx.
There isn't a flash memory slot on a tablet or smartphone that will give you access to the petabytes of content you can access remotely. As a power user, I choose not to limit myself to the relatively tiny amount of local content a device can store.
Good for you. Meanwhile, when the power went out for eight hours in our part of town recently, I was glad I had a couple of hundred books on my Kindle.
You should try to read the thread before you reply.
"The only thing my local storage is for is installed applications, and a handful of items for when I'm offline."
Even 4GB storage is enough to hold more content than your battery can get through.
The Cloud is over-hyped nonsense that's not nearly reliable enough or ubiquitous enough at this time to make up for lack of local storage. You might not use squat. That's not the same thing as using the Cloud instead.
A memory slot can be safely ignored by the more pedestrian user while still allowing a power user to load up on storage.
There isn't a flash memory slot on a tablet or smartphone that will give you access to the petabytes of content you can access remotely. As a power user, I choose not to limit myself to the relatively tiny amount of local content a device can store.
Perhaps people buying the bigger capacities are offline more than you are. They don't want to spend hundreds of dollars a year on a mobile broadband plan for a tablet when they're already paying hundreds for Internet at home. And even if they do pay up, once someone streams a couple movies over cellular, that's all the Internet access the subscriber gets for the month.
I use WiFi only; it's ubuiquitous where I am, and there's no additional charge for it. I'll be switching to Republic Wireless as soon as they start offering again for the same reason. Certainly if you are in a location where cellular is your only choice, the decision will be different.
With flash memory so cheap, why would anyone release a tablet with less than 32GB? Our CAD stations have more RAM.
Because many people don't store information locally anymore. My tablet has 16GB, and I have a 16GB microSD. I used to keep a lot of local content, but these days I just have an sshfs mount to my home server for all my content. The only thing my local storage is for is installed applications, and a handful off items for when I'm offline. People are keeping information in 'the cloud' whether it's a personal implementation or a public service offering.
Slashdot Mirror
Public libraries were one of the great achievements of Western civilization. However, it seems to me their time has passed. Classic books are available freely anything, and for books still in copyright, a variety of online "for profit" lending options make more sense than somehow tying reading to a physical building. Book rentals generally are cheaper than a milkshake at McDonalds, and healthier too.
You sound like you haven't been to the library in a long while. I get all my TV and movie DVDs from the library. All my e-books (which I can check-out online from home via the web). All my CDs. And free WiFi when I'm onsite. Why are you paying for free stuff?
To the "tablets are a fad" crowd?
They were a lot louder 2 years ago.
Tablet makers addressed the issue by including HID support, so that keyboards / mice could be used. Some even include a standard size USB port, supporting thumb-drives in addition to input devices. This lets people use a tablet as a laptop when / if needed, and leave the excess baggage behind when it's not.
Microsoft, you drop secure boot, and Google will give you a YouTube app?
Because, for fucks sake, a giant software company like Microsoft can't code one up in a weekend. How sad is that?
The boot sector issue has already been solved by most BIOS by (optionally, under user control in the BIOS configuration) preventing writes to the sector. The only time you need to unlock it is when you want to update the bootloader (relatively rare). I'm still at a loss for the value-add presented by secure boot.
By this reasoning, all the "bad lip reading" YouTube videos are authentic, because of the continuous ENF on the dubbed track. I don't think so.
It eventually will be, you'll just have to wait longer. $500 isn't reasonable if it costs $1000 to install, which it does.
I paid about $300 installation when cable Internet was first offered in my area - back when it was 8Mb/512kb. $1000 for the upgrade seems reasonable.
Google: 200 Billion Broadband Scandal
At $1000 per installation, they would get about $120B for 120M households; close enough to start. I would gladly pay a $1000 start-up fee for symmetrical 1Gbps/service. From other reports, Google is charging $70/month, with an operating cost of $5/month. As the early adopters start to accumulate, the revenue stream will offset the cost for the periodically lowered installation charge to increase penetration.
Establish a nation-wide signup. Require a credit card (Google Wallet) for signup; they won't be charged, but they'll separate the wheat from the chaff. Crunch the data to find the highest population density signups and start build-out in those areas. Provide near-realtime online updates on build-out area priority. This lets those interested in an area act as promoters / ambassadors to increase signups, and raise their area's priority. Like the first cities selected, let people compete - providing free word of mouth advertising in the process.
And don't forget the other side of the equation; offer servers reasonably priced 100Gb local Google data center / site interconnects to keep the on-net customers interested and happy.
Like the "Earth: Final Conflict" Global Link Communicator, this will allow the creation of small devices with large screens that unroll when in use.
http://goo.gl/LDMgp
Look! Wires and things!
Has anyone ever found a watch, clock, or cellphone that couldn't be used as a trigger device?
I've bought a dozen retail DVD players (standalone and PC) over the years, each of which came with a license either in the form of internal firmware or standalone software. I have two DVD drives still in use, both in Linux PCs. I should have plenty of licenses - if that's what they in fact are. The idea that I can hold a dozen licenses and yet not be authorized to play legally obtained content on two surviving drives because someone in the MPAA doesn't like my completely legal operating system is an abomination of logic, reason, and ethics.
My cable company (Optonline) offers unlimited, uncapped, unthrottled bandwidth. That doesn't mean that there aren't periods of contention, but it's not the ISP slowing down the service. We also switched to Republic Wireless, which offers unlimited, uncapped, unthrottled voice, text, and data (yes, even cellular data) for $19/month. They are still in beta, but we've been happy with the service. If your service providers aren't offering these services, switch. If you can't switch in your area, complain to your township, county, and state to bring in competitive services.
The thing is, real unlimited shifts the burden to you, and that's a responsibility that many people can't handle. It's like being on the LAN at the office; if someone is monopolizing the bandwidth, you know it. You (or the admins) will have a chat with them about playing nice. As long as everyone plays nice, you can get the bandwidth you need, when you need it. Throttling comes in when people refuse to play nice, and have to be forced.
Even back in the old landline telephone days when local calls were free, some people would leave the phone off the hook for days / weeks / months. Maximum call lengths had to be instituted as a result. Most people never hit the limit, and never even knew they existed. When people can't play nice, we can't have nice things.
Plug it in and use VNC to a separate session to make it a mini-head for monitoring things like email, tweets, system sensors, etc. For example, what I did with my tablet.
Some distributions, like Fedora, package the extensions for installation via the normal package management. The web site is generic, which is why I pointed there. There are third party repositories as well. These integrate into the standard maintenance processes. For example, on my Fedora system, I've installed:
gnome-tweak-tool-3.4.0.1-2.fc17.noarch
gnome-shell-extension-user-theme-3.4.0-1.fc17.noarch
gnome-shell-extension-common-3.4.0-1.fc17.noarch
gnome-shell-frippery-0.4.1-1.noarch
gnome-shell-extension-workspace-indicator-3.4.0-1.fc17.noarch
gnome-shell-extension-apps-menu-3.4.0-1.fc17.noarch
This allows me to customize the environment to my personal preferences, which are likely different from yours. Having a common stable base with just the needed additional functionality (if any) is a much saner idea than putting everything that anyone can think of into the base, and then having to maintain that complex mess.
But the gnome team said at the start that support for extentions would be removed.
They've set up a gnome web page for extensions, so I doubt they are going away. This statement at the site should clarify:
Since extensions are created outside of the normal GNOME design and development process, they are supported by their authors, rather than by the GNOME community. Some features first implemented as extensions might find their way into future versions of GNOME.
I don't want to think where I put my windows. I know my personal browser sessions are on 3, along with any game I might be playing, my E-mail and other contact managers are on 1, and my database interface and Eclipse are running on 2.
When I want to save a window for later, I toss it over to 4.
I shouldn't have to think about it. That's how proper organization works.
Imagine for a moment if your clothing drawers automatically created and deleted drawers so you had to figure out where you'd put something, and if you took the last sock out of the sock drawer, the shirt drawer wouldn't be where you expected it. We use metaphors on desktops to help users organize their data, including the folder system. Making those metaphors less realistic kills their ability to use them for organization.
If that's the workflow you prefer, then use the static workspaces extension. You can easily turn extensions on and off and make other changes with the gnome tweak tool GUI.
The requested functions are already mostly available via gnome shell extensions, allowing users to customize gnome to their preference.
Security questions are an opportunity for additional long passwords.
Favorite color: ALQbpFcWvvFiJlnEh5uuC0lpJZFHAvIcMuXrOh46L3bc24V39m
Where you grew up: 1t7jpfr7zzp87kOJTMOFw5qf1ReWKoxoeRu8U7vuz5TfPwypkU
First pet: gzcPme09nDYPHXvfvyi8FbpP9hX5cjqMiVi0MWd61sxyCIJjaG
Just use the prompt as the index for the key, which you've saved in your favorite key store, like keepassx.
Yeah the only problem is, if they play a console, they might just be okay with Win8.
Then they aren't change averse, and Windows is the right environment for their use.
I suggest giving showing them Windows 8 first. After that, the change to any of the major Linux distributions will seem trivial.
There isn't a flash memory slot on a tablet or smartphone that will give you access to the petabytes of content you can access remotely. As a power user, I choose not to limit myself to the relatively tiny amount of local content a device can store.
Good for you. Meanwhile, when the power went out for eight hours in our part of town recently, I was glad I had a couple of hundred books on my Kindle.
You should try to read the thread before you reply.
"The only thing my local storage is for is installed applications, and a handful of items for when I'm offline."
Even 4GB storage is enough to hold more content than your battery can get through.
The Cloud is over-hyped nonsense that's not nearly reliable enough or ubiquitous enough at this time to make up for lack of local storage. You might not use squat. That's not the same thing as using the Cloud instead.
A memory slot can be safely ignored by the more pedestrian user while still allowing a power user to load up on storage.
There isn't a flash memory slot on a tablet or smartphone that will give you access to the petabytes of content you can access remotely. As a power user, I choose not to limit myself to the relatively tiny amount of local content a device can store.
Perhaps people buying the bigger capacities are offline more than you are. They don't want to spend hundreds of dollars a year on a mobile broadband plan for a tablet when they're already paying hundreds for Internet at home. And even if they do pay up, once someone streams a couple movies over cellular, that's all the Internet access the subscriber gets for the month.
I use WiFi only; it's ubuiquitous where I am, and there's no additional charge for it. I'll be switching to Republic Wireless as soon as they start offering again for the same reason. Certainly if you are in a location where cellular is your only choice, the decision will be different.
With flash memory so cheap, why would anyone release a tablet with less than 32GB? Our CAD stations have more RAM.
Because many people don't store information locally anymore. My tablet has 16GB, and I have a 16GB microSD. I used to keep a lot of local content, but these days I just have an sshfs mount to my home server for all my content. The only thing my local storage is for is installed applications, and a handful off items for when I'm offline. People are keeping information in 'the cloud' whether it's a personal implementation or a public service offering.