I think newspapers are perfect for distribution as 'e-books'. That saves us a lot of paper, and the distibution costs of all that paper. If you have a subscription like a subscription to a podcast, your paper is automagically downloaded every day, and sits there ready for you when you wake up. Not so good for all the people who lose their jobs if this catches on, but alas...
I recently decided to use LaTeX for evey text document I have to make at home. Word et al. are just too much of a hassle, especially if you want to be able to read and edit your documents years after you made them.
I'm typing this on a 266 MHz iMac G3 with 256 MB internal memory and a 6 GB harddrive, running OS X 10.3.9. OK, you need a lot of patience. Booting takes forever, but iTunes almost never skips a beat, even when I start up FF, Thunderbird and Skype all at the ame time. I also have X always running. Maybe all Unix-like OS's run well on old hardware!
If you don't have to run the program, then what's the point of building a quantum computer in the first place? You just need a terminal to see the result! I'll try it when I get home tonight.
Here at work I have a group of around 20 people. We are happy with our 120 GB network disk that contains all our data (and is backed up regularly). At home I have around 2.5 GB of data I backup regularly. I always wonder how in the world people need a Terabyte or more just for their own data? How the hell can you fill that amount of space with `legal' data?
Of course immature OSS is doomed in the Enterprise. Who wants to use any immature software where correct functioning is important? Software being open source or closed source has nothing to do with that. At the end of the day performance is the only thing that counts.
I'n not convinced of the quality of the new device based on the information in the article. There is just not enough information. There is almost nothing about how the new system achieves its claimed amazing sensitivity and speed, except that the probe is `a bit like a cross between a pogo stick and a microphone'. They talk about a membrane with a tip on it. But only a membrane doesn't a microphone make. How does this thing measure? Inductive? Capacitative? Both have their pro's and cons, and I am sceptic concerning the sensitivity of both methods compared to the laser - optical detection of a standard AFM. As for the movies: AFM's can be used to make movies, only ususally not at 'real time' speeds (say 25 fps). But in the article they claim to achieve 60 lines per second. I guess that's not even one frame per second, so we will not see `real-time' movies made with scanning probe technology for a long time, I imagine.
That's interesting because that means DRM imposed by most manufacturers is against the law in America. I live in Holland; we have Buma/Stemra instead of the RIAA, but they are comparible qua `lunacy'. I wonder what the rules are in my country. We don't have many second-hand CD shops so I guess maybe the rules are stricter here.
My biggest fear has already been realized when seemingly inteligent people like yourself consider locked down untransferable music "fair". This fly's in the face of what we have been able to do for 20 years with CDs and yet now people are just accepting DRM as "normal". It's sad.
That's just not true. There is no copy protection on CD's because back in the early eighties when CD's came out the only feasible way to copy them was using a tape recorder. So the copy would be of worse quality than the original. And back then it was also illegal to sell copies to other people, or re-sell the CD, or even to lend the CD. On every CD you buy there is this notice that says something like `unauthorized selling, lending etc punishable'. The fact that you can now easily copy CD's with no quality loss is an unwanted side effect of computer hardware getting better faster than anyone imagined. So yes, I accept this DRM as normal. I can make copies for my own use, play the files on multiple devices etc. I can even loan it to a friend, provided (s)he has an iPod.
My office sucks. It's too cold in the winter (there is actually cold air coming out of the heating system in the winter), too warm in the summer, and opening windows doesn't make the atmosphere much better. I used to be in the oxygen free zone on my floor, so I shouldn't complain, but the fact is that my office complies with but a tiny amount of the requirements my gouvernment made for offices. And I get payed by my ***n gouvernment!
I've done a lot of MS-ranting in this thread, but I must say XP is pretty useable. It's not slow, and it almost never crashes on me. Maybe once a year or so. I'm not a heavy user so YMMV.
You know what's the worst part? People will go and think: Hey, this is a Microsoft anti virus program. They know their software best, so it must be the best anti virus program out there. Let's buy it!
Slashdot Mirror
I think newspapers are perfect for distribution as 'e-books'. That saves us a lot of paper, and the distibution costs of all that paper. If you have a subscription like a subscription to a podcast, your paper is automagically downloaded every day, and sits there ready for you when you wake up. Not so good for all the people who lose their jobs if this catches on, but alas...
...since we're constantly hearing from Mac owners how wonderful OS X is, then why would they give a damn about this?
The answer is very simple and can be put in one word: Games.
I recently decided to use LaTeX for evey text document I have to make at home. Word et al. are just too much of a hassle, especially if you want to be able to read and edit your documents years after you made them.
a - an engine can be turned off at will, and a mule cannot.
Yes it can. The hard part is switching it on again.
Yes but they got to pay for it. I can't believe refilling this thing is cheaper than recharging a battery.
Fantastic! Imagine a Beowulf cluster of those!
I'm typing this on a 266 MHz iMac G3 with 256 MB internal memory and a 6 GB harddrive, running OS X 10.3.9. OK, you need a lot of patience. Booting takes forever, but iTunes almost never skips a beat, even when I start up FF, Thunderbird and Skype all at the ame time. I also have X always running. Maybe all Unix-like OS's run well on old hardware!
Records are horrible. If you rip them to cassette you lose quality. Oh, the horror!
If you don't have to run the program, then what's the point of building a quantum computer in the first place? You just need a terminal to see the result! I'll try it when I get home tonight.
Here at work I have a group of around 20 people. We are happy with our 120 GB network disk that contains all our data (and is backed up regularly). At home I have around 2.5 GB of data I backup regularly. I always wonder how in the world people need a Terabyte or more just for their own data? How the hell can you fill that amount of space with `legal' data?
Sorry, with Enterprise I don't mean the spaceship, but a business environment.
Of course immature OSS is doomed in the Enterprise. Who wants to use any immature software where correct functioning is important? Software being open source or closed source has nothing to do with that. At the end of the day performance is the only thing that counts.
I'n not convinced of the quality of the new device based on the information in the article. There is just not enough information. There is almost nothing about how the new system achieves its claimed amazing sensitivity and speed, except that the probe is `a bit like a cross between a pogo stick and a microphone'. They talk about a membrane with a tip on it. But only a membrane doesn't a microphone make. How does this thing measure? Inductive? Capacitative? Both have their pro's and cons, and I am sceptic concerning the sensitivity of both methods compared to the laser - optical detection of a standard AFM. As for the movies: AFM's can be used to make movies, only ususally not at 'real time' speeds (say 25 fps). But in the article they claim to achieve 60 lines per second. I guess that's not even one frame per second, so we will not see `real-time' movies made with scanning probe technology for a long time, I imagine.
That's interesting because that means DRM imposed by most manufacturers is against the law in America. I live in Holland; we have Buma/Stemra instead of the RIAA, but they are comparible qua `lunacy'. I wonder what the rules are in my country. We don't have many second-hand CD shops so I guess maybe the rules are stricter here.
Thanks for your comment!
I guess part of what you pay for used CD's there goes to the RIAA. These stores are authorized to sell CD's.
That's certainly insightful. Apparently looks is still more important to MS than safety.
My biggest fear has already been realized when seemingly inteligent people like yourself consider locked down untransferable music "fair". This fly's in the face of what we have been able to do for 20 years with CDs and yet now people are just accepting DRM as "normal". It's sad.
That's just not true. There is no copy protection on CD's because back in the early eighties when CD's came out the only feasible way to copy them was using a tape recorder. So the copy would be of worse quality than the original. And back then it was also illegal to sell copies to other people, or re-sell the CD, or even to lend the CD. On every CD you buy there is this notice that says something like `unauthorized selling, lending etc punishable'. The fact that you can now easily copy CD's with no quality loss is an unwanted side effect of computer hardware getting better faster than anyone imagined. So yes, I accept this DRM as normal. I can make copies for my own use, play the files on multiple devices etc. I can even loan it to a friend, provided (s)he has an iPod.
Wow, Flounder is modded Insightful! That's even funnier than his/her comment! :-)
My office sucks. It's too cold in the winter (there is actually cold air coming out of the heating system in the winter), too warm in the summer, and opening windows doesn't make the atmosphere much better. I used to be in the oxygen free zone on my floor, so I shouldn't complain, but the fact is that my office complies with but a tiny amount of the requirements my gouvernment made for offices. And I get payed by my ***n gouvernment!
I've done a lot of MS-ranting in this thread, but I must say XP is pretty useable. It's not slow, and it almost never crashes on me. Maybe once a year or so. I'm not a heavy user so YMMV.
Very good point, and therefore I hope the EU will keep a keen eye on MS with this. I find this a case of abusing their monopoly.
There is a step 4:
4. Produce new version of software with the same faults in it.
4.5 Say it's better and overhype
5. Profit!!
6. More profit!
You know what's the worst part? People will go and think: Hey, this is a Microsoft anti virus program. They know their software best, so it must be the best anti virus program out there. Let's buy it!
I wonder why Apple doesn't make iTunes for Linux. That must not be too hard for them, and may increase their profit by a (admittedly tiny) amount.
Good point. I was also a bit put off by the term "DRM ridden". I find the DRM that iTunes uses is not very restricting, and fair.