Apologies: I posted this under a different topic, but I'll "cross-post" here because I feel quite strongly about this one:
Joe Sixpack DOES NOT GIVE A FUCK about why Microsoft is "evil". He doesn't care that Linux/BSD is "free(dom)" in many ways. His computer cost him x dollars, and he doesn't care or realize that $100 or more of that is in Microsoft software.
"Linux/BSD is so much better!" we cry - but then when the new users come to us for help, we tell them to RTFM - and then laugh when they don't know what that acronym means. We deride them for not knowing how to use the CLI - "Gnome Sux, Evolution blowze, you luzers!"
Dependency issues (don't even start, Debian users - that install routine would send Joe screaming down the hallway to get his Windows CD), the sheer plethora of apps - yeah, I actually think sometimes this hurts BSD/Linux - KOffice, OpenOffice, AbiWord - which to use? "You're *free* to choose! You're not burdened by Microsoft any longer!" Blah, blah, blah. We espouse all of these nice little taglines, freedom of speech, choice, etc., bitch about the evil empire - but we're not making a fucking dent in the normal market.
"Windows is so unstable, so buggy, and it crashes so much!" *Bzzt* Try again. Newer PCs with Windows 2000 and XP are, in fact, quite stable. A well-maintained Windows 98SE box is also quite stable. Many Windows stability issues stem from poor 3rd-party code or cheap hardware.
Put shitty code or hardware on your Linux box and see how stable it is.:)
Users don't care that you can have 5 terminal sessions open, SSH to another box, etc. etc. etc. They want the web, email, chat, maybe a word processor or small office-style suite, MP3 playback, digital camera/scanner connectivity, and as little hassle as possible for this to work.
Lycoris Linux has a good idea - make it as similar to Windows as possible, limit the user's initial experience to prevent overload, and give them a comfortable, familiar environment.
Macs are easy - that's why many people choose them.
Windows is prevalent - "I use it at work/school", and it's what's on machines. Don't bludgeon people with your scorn and acronym soup. Help them, and they'll be able to help us.
Let the extreme fools talk. Good people will generally refuse to sell them any soap boxes.
Which, unfortunately, is exactly the response that will be a downfall. "Oh, look, another kook with crazy ideas! Everyone knows book burnings and government approved libraries keep us Safe From Terror!"
However, the U.S. is lucky in that its population is generally happy, free, educated, and less vulnerable to extremeties such as fascism, whether American, Russian, German, Islamic, or whatever.
Oh, you're not actually serious, are you?! Educated? No. We gots some book larnin', but the "Average American(TM)" hasn't a pound of the real education you talk about. They're programmed, conditioned, and ready to accept our government's and media's cries of "Terror!". That way, it doesn't interrupt the soccer tournament, the SUV payment, or the Super Size fries at McDonald's. Americans DON'T CARE about too much - they'll put up flags, and light candles in a maudlin "remembrance", put up a silly memorial park in the middle of New York, but they won't DO anything about it.
Granted, I'm on my own soapbox, here, but for the most part, public displays must be permitted or licensed by local authorities, or you'll be dispersed or arrested. Yup, some real freedom there. With the passage of the US Patriot Act, the government has unprecedented power of surveillance over private citizens in the name of National Security and Preventing Terror.
Please understand - I love the ideal of the USA as orginally planned, but the execution lately has left me cold. The "New World Order" that the first President Bush talked about is coming to pass - and I fear it a great deal. Our Founding Fathers would have revolted quite some time ago.
Soon, I fear, you will buy a car with no self-servicable parts. Many people already pay someone else to change their oil and other service items. "Sorry, but you must be an authorized dealer to access the engine compartment of your 2007 Chevy SuperAvalance EXT. No service is needed for normal use."
Most people have no idea how or why they change belts, oil, tires, etc.
Sure, on my 1957 Chevy Bel-Air, I do all that myself (plus some! *Grin*) - but, honestly, on my 2000 ZR2, I do the oil changes and other services, and not much else.
People don't care how their cars run - only that they do. If you give them a spout on the outside - like behind a headlight, etc. for washer fluid, and the gas fill door, that's all they'll care about - and manufacturers will seal the hood for "aerodynamics, strength, and safety of the frontal impact zone."
I'd like to see you back this up; I'm curious as to how they're losing their asses at current prices.
If you figure $50/mo for broadband, and with say 5,000 subscribers, that's $250,000 monthly in revenue. I don't know what a DS3 costs, mind you, but I can't see it being even $100,000 monthly. Equipment costs, employees, I realize, all take part of that pie, but WTF is all this money going?
Or, as Mrs. Flanders would say, "What about the CHILDREN?!?!?"
Please. That's precisely the knee-jerk reaction this whole tragedy has generated, and the government and media are feeding upon. "Drugs help fund terror." "Homeland Security will protect your children."
While we shield, mislead, and protect your children (I am thankfully childless), their minds are filled with Britney Spears, Coca Cola ads, and other drivel, so they become better consumers, better corporate citizens. (Sorry about the JonKatz-ism, but it seems appropriate here).
So - in other words - don't tell me to protect your children with intrusive government control. Do your job as a parent - worry about yourself and your kids, not other people.
We're on a slippery slope here - one that, I fear, looks much the same from the top as when Hitler came to power.
Disclaimer: I work for a car/home audio shop, and we sell XM Radio.
Alpine, Sony, and Pioneer all make XM-Ready head units, which then can have in Pioneer's case a $150 tuner plugged in, or in Alpine and Sony's worlds, a $250 tuner. Then you need a $100 antenna, and then a $9.95/mo subscription.
After this, XM Radio is *awesome*. Out here in Western South Dakota, we're in "Radio Hell" - drive 60 minutes in any direction, and it's only country.
/em shudders.
XM radio is also signing on new stations and programs all the time, and the selection is growing. XM sounds nearly as good as CD quality, and keeping the same station countrywide is appealing as hell.
Sirius, from what our reps tell us, hasn't gotten the manufacturer support _yet_ that XM has.
Expect to see head units next year for cars that have the XM chipset built in in the $600-$700 range.
Also - nearly all Sony Unilink-compatible head units _should_ be able to provide an interface with a Sony XM tuner.
Alpine's XM tuner is Ai-Net, so if you have an Ai-Net head unit, you're golden.
Pioneer units use the P-Bus, so changer control decks have a good shot, also.
You may not get all the text display, but you'll get the tuner to work. Ask your salesman/installer about your specific head unit.
XM is easy to install, easy to use, and Sony makes a unit that can be moved from the car to the home via an FM Modulator that works with *nearly any* FM radio.
FM modulation won't have the same quality as a true XM source, but if you own a leased vehicle, it's a good option.
Get a good install shop, and ask plenty of questions of your salesmen and installers.
Even here in remote western South Dakota, we sell quite a few (50%) HDTV or HDTV-ready sets. Mitsubishi and Sony are the two makers to watch; Mitsu actually quit making glass TVs about 4 years ago in order to focus on rear-projection digital sets.
HDTV is defined as a 16:9 broadcast with DTS sound. There are (IIRC) 3 different formats: 720p, 960p, and 1080i. DVD video is either 480i or 480p (interlaced or progressive scan) - for DVD, it depends on your DVD player.
Comparing even a good quality picture from Dish Network to a true HD broadcast is amazing. Everything looks better - it's like looking through a window. Movies, depending on how they're transferred to DVD, look proper in their widescreen format.
BUT. Please, please, please - if you buy a projection HD set, and plan to hook up your Playstation/XBox/Gamecube - *TURN DOWN YOUR CONTRAST*! These sets CAN and WILL burn in. Also, if you're watching a regular 4:3 broadcast, use your Full Zoom or Stretched Standard mode to fill your screen. Don't view static images for more than about 15% of your time, or you risk burn-in.
That said, there IS a difference between a $1500 51" Hitachi and a $2700 53" Sony. Color saturation, image sharpness, auto convergence - all very nice.
Also, for right now, unless you plan on using an antenna to receive HDTV signal, you don't need a TV with the tuner. Your cable box/Dish Network will be providing the HDTV signal, bypassing the HDTV tuner.
Comparison: a 57" Sony w/o the tuner is $3300. A 57" Sony w/ the tuner is $5000.
Actually, even non-audiophiles can hear it. I work in a stereo shop, and on a Yamaha RXV2200, a pair of Klipsch RF7's, and a Yamaha SACD CD Player, even my car-stereo damaged ears can hear the difference between CD and SACD. The disc we have both of is Stevie Ray Vaughn's "Texas Flood", so we can compare A/B from CD to SACD. There's a subtlety and warmth that CD doesn't have. Is it huge? Hard to say. But there *is* a difference.
I know you were trying to sound important and all with your quip:
but when will you septics break out of your parochial "we invented everything" state of mind?
But were you trying to be that insulting? To wit:
Merriam-Webster's definitions of 'septic':
1 : of, relating to, or causing putrefaction 2 : relating to, involving, or characteristic of sepsis
I'm sure you were trying to demonstrate your superior mastery of the English language, but I fear your vernacular isn't quite the magnificent portayal of eloquence and grace you had anticipated.
Seriously, though *where* did you get the idea that we (Americans) have a "we invented everything" mentality? Reading through the comments, I didn't get that impression at all - I think that Americans are actually quite open to new ideas from other countries, and we apply them to our own challenges as we see fit.
Actually, this hits really close to home - my Dad had a retina become detached about six months ago, and it was very scary for him and for us while he recovered. Now he's concerned about his other eye, and if he'll be able to continue seeing. He's 54 years old, and is terrified of losing his sight. As for me, I have poor vision, and wonder if his retina problems will also befall me. I say push forward on this, so my Dad can continue to see his grandchildren.
Many I have talked/chatted/emailed with have the same feeling as I do about AoTC
Yawn.
TPM was a giant letdown - totally incoherent storytelling, a jumbled together collage of CGI, a pretty teen actress falling in love with a 9 year old boy (that alone ruined it for me; that and Jake Lloyd's cries of "yippee!").
Natalie Portman, while good in "The Professional", and especially her movie with Susan Sarandon (sorry, can't remember the name) came off as an actress in TPM. The queen wasn't regal, she was stilted and pompous. As Padme, she was more of a little conciousness to lead we viewers along Lucas' little thought pattern.
The best part of TPM was Darth Maul - and they killed him off right away, instead of letting him build into a good, sinister character that perhaps would have challenged Anakin's favor with Darth Sidious/Senator-Emperor Palpatine.
I love the original trilogy - yeah, they're not incredibly highbrow material, either, but the story and plotline was more coherent. Unfortunately, RoTJ was a clear harbinger of Lucas' willingness to sell out for the tie-ins (Ewoks!).
Sorry, I'm ranting here, but I for one will not see this movie in the theater; I haven't decided whether or not I'll see it when it comes out on DVD. A $2.50 rental may be worth it for the CGI and Jedi duels.
Since when is 6 or more a 'real decent family' ?! Do you have 4 kids, or are you talking about 3 generations? Just curious, if 4 kids is average, then I'm seriously under par at 0.;)
Instead of being so smug, perhaps you should help 'enlighten' we non-Debian and non-Slackware users as to WHY you're so strong in your support? Rather than just look down your nose at us, _tell us_ *WHY* you use Debian or Slackware.
Your attitude is precisely what keeps people away from Linux. Like that of a petulant 12 year old who won't share his toys. "Mine's better, and no, you can't play with it, and no, I won't tell you why it's better."
Except: as an administrator, if you *really* want to read someone's mail, you can re-register and re-certify that person, thereby generating a new ID file, which will match the entry in the.nsf's ACL. You then Switch ID to that user, and open their database. The ACL reads Davitt J Potter/CIA/GOV/US, and... well, you're in. Why do I know this?:) Users forget passwords, and this is how we recovered passwords. Granted, this is not the most secure implementation, but it is the default for a Domino installation.
You *can* disable this, however, by setting up password recovery within Domino, which I recommend that ALL Domino admins do. Then it requires anywhere from 2 to (I think) 4 different ID's to enter a recovery password, which will then recover the user's password.
Domino/Notes also is interesting in that your password is never sent over the wire, encrypted or otherwise. Your machine gets a copy of about a 2K $user.id file, which contains your authentication certificate to the Domino server. Your password identifies to your certificate that "I am Davitt J Potter/CIA/GOV/US." The Notes client then sends the certificate info to Domino, which then checks to make sure that certificate was generated by the Domino server, and is still a valid certificate. (Domino servers can set certificate expirations, so even if your password is valid, your certificate may be expired.)
I found Domino to be a really nice enterprise level email solution; I only wonder why it isn't used more?
... "a file is simply missing; you may be able to isolate the problem to the specific file and reinstall it (this is common and most often the result of uninstalling applications)"...
So what you're saying is that by removing/disabling Internet Explorer, I may have to install a.dll or some other file in order for my other Windows applications to work.
..."If you find an application that does not work under 98micro, it's possible that: it requires the MS HTML Engine and you'll have to abandon that application or use the ShellSwap feature of 98lite to swap to a shell containing the IE engine (SLEEK, CHUBBY, or OVERWEIGHT)..."
Again, so I just can't uninstall Internet Explorer and have all of my applications work.
In my opinion, our crowd (the/.'ers) forget something: Microsoft is VERY, VERY good at reading the general market and responding to them. They have given 95% of the general computing public *exactly* what they want, restrictive and forceful licensing aside.
Also, with the HTML rendering engine as part of the operating system, many applications - Outlook, MS Money, MS FrontPage, MS Office - don't have to have that code written. A simple call to the HTML rendering API, and boom.
I would agree that the wrapper around the HTML rendering engine named "Microsoft Internet Explorer" may be superflous - but the underlying code is indeed vital to Windows 98/2000/XP.
As for "98lite" - I recommend AGAINST running it on Windows XP. I kicked up a box with my old RC2 XP client and tried it - the shell works, sort of. All of the new features/eye candy with XP quit working. Now, maybe I did something wrong - but I wasn't brave enough to try it on my real XP box. Also, why use 98lite? If what you want is Windows 95, use Windows 95. Even Windows 2000, with proper administration and a little knowledge - the same amount you'd invest in learning a new Linux distro - and it can be very very fast. I personally like the ability to hit a webpage from anywhere in the shell, much like Nautilus or Konqueror.
/sigh. Sorry, enough for now. But I would suggest that IE *is* part of Windows. iexplore.exe is a very small part of that, which only initializes the application called "Microsoft Internet Explorer".
As far as THAT goes, I'll use IE over Netscape (any version) any day. I find Netscape on Windows AND Linux buggy, crash-prone, and slower. I clocked it - IE loads faster on my PII/350 with 128MB RAM (Windows 2000) than my Athlon 1500 with 512MB RAM loads Netscape 6. Bleh.
I use Windows XP, Linux Mandrake, and FreeBSD 4.4, so I like to think I've given everything a fair shot. I subscribe to the school of "use the best tool for the job".
And even though "thanks to SmoothWall" may be due, SmoothWall's attitude towards customer support (actually, the lack thereof) guarantees that I would *never* use a product from such an abrasive crew.
Between friends/developers, "RTFM!" is fine, but that is a pretty hard stance to take if you expect corporate customers, I think.
I'll grant that my tone was a bit inflammatory, but I used "Curb Weight" from edmunds.com - and the weight of the Corvette closely jives with other sources I've seen.
11,000 pounds is coming up on the weight of a Kenworth...:)
What's unbelievable is that your knee-jerk "think about the children" mentality is moderated to 5, Insightful.
Read the facts, Waffle boy. "Anybody who walks in off the streets" is only half true. With proper ID, you may be able to buy a hunting rifle, depending on the store and the clerk. But I gather you imply those EVIL ASSAULT WEAPONS and HANDGUNS.
You use "3 ton trucks!" as a scare tactic. Just for the record, that's 6,000 pounds.
A new Honda Accord weighs 2,943 pounds. ~1.5 tons.
A new Corvette Z06? (Light, fast, DANGEROUS sports car, right): 3,130 pounds. ~1.5 tons.
And finally, your "BIG BAD EVIL SUV", the mother of 'em all, the Ford Excursion, weighs 3575 pounds. ~1.78 tons. Not even 2 tons, and nowhere close to your "3 tons of death" you're trying to imply.
Christ. Yeah, the SSSCA sucks, but you're way off the mark with your comments. Do your homework first.
God, those were awful - and everybody who had them looked at the other poor bastards and had the same thought - "you look SO stupid!" Then you looked in the mirror in the head later. Ouch.
Yup. It was a priority to get your other glasses back as soon as possible. My girlfriend at the time, ironically enough, found them 'so ugly they're cute!'
Or maybe it was me that was so ugly I was cute.:) Hard to remember.
Slashdot Mirror
Apologies: I posted this under a different topic, but I'll "cross-post" here because I feel quite strongly about this one:
:)
Joe Sixpack DOES NOT GIVE A FUCK about why Microsoft is "evil". He doesn't care that Linux/BSD is "free(dom)" in many ways. His computer cost him x dollars, and he doesn't care or realize that $100 or more of that is in Microsoft software.
"Linux/BSD is so much better!" we cry - but then when the new users come to us for help, we tell them to RTFM - and then laugh when they don't know what that acronym means. We deride them for not knowing how to use the CLI - "Gnome Sux, Evolution blowze, you luzers!"
Dependency issues (don't even start, Debian users - that install routine would send Joe screaming down the hallway to get his Windows CD), the sheer plethora of apps - yeah, I actually think sometimes this hurts BSD/Linux - KOffice, OpenOffice, AbiWord - which to use? "You're *free* to choose! You're not burdened by Microsoft any longer!" Blah, blah, blah. We espouse all of these nice little taglines, freedom of speech, choice, etc., bitch about the evil empire - but we're not making a fucking dent in the normal market.
"Windows is so unstable, so buggy, and it crashes so much!" *Bzzt* Try again. Newer PCs with Windows 2000 and XP are, in fact, quite stable. A well-maintained Windows 98SE box is also quite stable. Many Windows stability issues stem from poor 3rd-party code or cheap hardware.
Put shitty code or hardware on your Linux box and see how stable it is.
Users don't care that you can have 5 terminal sessions open, SSH to another box, etc. etc. etc. They want the web, email, chat, maybe a word processor or small office-style suite, MP3 playback, digital camera/scanner connectivity, and as little hassle as possible for this to work.
Lycoris Linux has a good idea - make it as similar to Windows as possible, limit the user's initial experience to prevent overload, and give them a comfortable, familiar environment.
Macs are easy - that's why many people choose them.
Windows is prevalent - "I use it at work/school", and it's what's on machines. Don't bludgeon people with your scorn and acronym soup. Help them, and they'll be able to help us.
Let the extreme fools talk. Good people will generally refuse to sell them any soap boxes.
Which, unfortunately, is exactly the response that will be a downfall. "Oh, look, another kook with crazy ideas! Everyone knows book burnings and government approved libraries keep us Safe From Terror!"
However, the U.S. is lucky in that its population is generally happy, free, educated, and less vulnerable to extremeties such as fascism, whether American, Russian, German, Islamic, or whatever.
Oh, you're not actually serious, are you?! Educated? No. We gots some book larnin', but the "Average American(TM)" hasn't a pound of the real education you talk about. They're programmed, conditioned, and ready to accept our government's and media's cries of "Terror!". That way, it doesn't interrupt the soccer tournament, the SUV payment, or the Super Size fries at McDonald's. Americans DON'T CARE about too much - they'll put up flags, and light candles in a maudlin "remembrance", put up a silly memorial park in the middle of New York, but they won't DO anything about it.
Granted, I'm on my own soapbox, here, but for the most part, public displays must be permitted or licensed by local authorities, or you'll be dispersed or arrested. Yup, some real freedom there. With the passage of the US Patriot Act, the government has unprecedented power of surveillance over private citizens in the name of National Security and Preventing Terror.
Please understand - I love the ideal of the USA as orginally planned, but the execution lately has left me cold. The "New World Order" that the first President Bush talked about is coming to pass - and I fear it a great deal. Our Founding Fathers would have revolted quite some time ago.
Soon, I fear, you will buy a car with no self-servicable parts. Many people already pay someone else to change their oil and other service items. "Sorry, but you must be an authorized dealer to access the engine compartment of your 2007 Chevy SuperAvalance EXT. No service is needed for normal use."
Most people have no idea how or why they change belts, oil, tires, etc.
Sure, on my 1957 Chevy Bel-Air, I do all that myself (plus some! *Grin*) - but, honestly, on my 2000 ZR2, I do the oil changes and other services, and not much else.
People don't care how their cars run - only that they do. If you give them a spout on the outside - like behind a headlight, etc. for washer fluid, and the gas fill door, that's all they'll care about - and manufacturers will seal the hood for "aerodynamics, strength, and safety of the frontal impact zone."
*Sigh*
God, I'm such a cynic these days.
I'd like to see you back this up; I'm curious as to how they're losing their asses at current prices.
If you figure $50/mo for broadband, and with say 5,000 subscribers, that's $250,000 monthly in revenue. I don't know what a DS3 costs, mind you, but I can't see it being even $100,000 monthly. Equipment costs, employees, I realize, all take part of that pie, but WTF is all this money going?
Or, as Mrs. Flanders would say, "What about the CHILDREN?!?!?"
Please. That's precisely the knee-jerk reaction this whole tragedy has generated, and the government and media are feeding upon. "Drugs help fund terror." "Homeland Security will protect your children."
While we shield, mislead, and protect your children (I am thankfully childless), their minds are filled with Britney Spears, Coca Cola ads, and other drivel, so they become better consumers, better corporate citizens. (Sorry about the JonKatz-ism, but it seems appropriate here).
So - in other words - don't tell me to protect your children with intrusive government control. Do your job as a parent - worry about yourself and your kids, not other people.
We're on a slippery slope here - one that, I fear, looks much the same from the top as when Hitler came to power.
Disclaimer: I work for a car/home audio shop, and we sell XM Radio.
Alpine, Sony, and Pioneer all make XM-Ready head units, which then can have in Pioneer's case a $150 tuner plugged in, or in Alpine and Sony's worlds, a $250 tuner. Then you need a $100 antenna, and then a $9.95/mo subscription.
After this, XM Radio is *awesome*. Out here in Western South Dakota, we're in "Radio Hell" - drive 60 minutes in any direction, and it's only country.
/em shudders.
XM radio is also signing on new stations and programs all the time, and the selection is growing. XM sounds nearly as good as CD quality, and keeping the same station countrywide is appealing as hell.
Sirius, from what our reps tell us, hasn't gotten the manufacturer support _yet_ that XM has.
Expect to see head units next year for cars that have the XM chipset built in in the $600-$700 range.
Also - nearly all Sony Unilink-compatible head units _should_ be able to provide an interface with a Sony XM tuner.
Alpine's XM tuner is Ai-Net, so if you have an Ai-Net head unit, you're golden.
Pioneer units use the P-Bus, so changer control decks have a good shot, also.
You may not get all the text display, but you'll get the tuner to work. Ask your salesman/installer about your specific head unit.
XM is easy to install, easy to use, and Sony makes a unit that can be moved from the car to the home via an FM Modulator that works with *nearly any* FM radio.
FM modulation won't have the same quality as a true XM source, but if you own a leased vehicle, it's a good option.
Get a good install shop, and ask plenty of questions of your salesmen and installers.
Heh. I was, in fact, wondering. :) I expected to see a BHSU acronym in there some where.
Heh.
Thanks for a laugh.
SharpVision's HDTV digital projector has 2 component video inputs, 2 composite inputs, 2 SVideo, and - 1 VGA input! $8500. An 8' wide image, as well!
Even here in remote western South Dakota, we sell quite a few (50%) HDTV or HDTV-ready sets. Mitsubishi and Sony are the two makers to watch; Mitsu actually quit making glass TVs about 4 years ago in order to focus on rear-projection digital sets.
:)
HDTV is defined as a 16:9 broadcast with DTS sound. There are (IIRC) 3 different formats: 720p, 960p, and 1080i. DVD video is either 480i or 480p (interlaced or progressive scan) - for DVD, it depends on your DVD player.
Comparing even a good quality picture from Dish Network to a true HD broadcast is amazing. Everything looks better - it's like looking through a window. Movies, depending on how they're transferred to DVD, look proper in their widescreen format.
BUT. Please, please, please - if you buy a projection HD set, and plan to hook up your Playstation/XBox/Gamecube - *TURN DOWN YOUR CONTRAST*! These sets CAN and WILL burn in. Also, if you're watching a regular 4:3 broadcast, use your Full Zoom or Stretched Standard mode to fill your screen. Don't view static images for more than about 15% of your time, or you risk burn-in.
That said, there IS a difference between a $1500 51" Hitachi and a $2700 53" Sony. Color saturation, image sharpness, auto convergence - all very nice.
Also, for right now, unless you plan on using an antenna to receive HDTV signal, you don't need a TV with the tuner. Your cable box/Dish Network will be providing the HDTV signal, bypassing the HDTV tuner.
Comparison: a 57" Sony w/o the tuner is $3300. A 57" Sony w/ the tuner is $5000.
Save the bucks and buy a nice new DTS receiver!
Actually, even non-audiophiles can hear it. I work in a stereo shop, and on a Yamaha RXV2200, a pair of Klipsch RF7's, and a Yamaha SACD CD Player, even my car-stereo damaged ears can hear the difference between CD and SACD. The disc we have both of is Stevie Ray Vaughn's "Texas Flood", so we can compare A/B from CD to SACD. There's a subtlety and warmth that CD doesn't have. Is it huge? Hard to say. But there *is* a difference.
but when will you septics break out of your parochial "we invented everything" state of mind?
But were you trying to be that insulting? To wit:
Merriam-Webster's definitions of 'septic':
I'm sure you were trying to demonstrate your superior mastery of the English language, but I fear your vernacular isn't quite the magnificent portayal of eloquence and grace you had anticipated.
Seriously, though *where* did you get the idea that we (Americans) have a "we invented everything" mentality? Reading through the comments, I didn't get that impression at all - I think that Americans are actually quite open to new ideas from other countries, and we apply them to our own challenges as we see fit.
Actually, this hits really close to home - my Dad had a retina become detached about six months ago, and it was very scary for him and for us while he recovered. Now he's concerned about his other eye, and if he'll be able to continue seeing. He's 54 years old, and is terrified of losing his sight. As for me, I have poor vision, and wonder if his retina problems will also befall me. I say push forward on this, so my Dad can continue to see his grandchildren.
Are you saying it's not? Or are you just being contrary for it's own sake?
Many I have talked/chatted/emailed with have the same feeling as I do about AoTC
Yawn.
TPM was a giant letdown - totally incoherent storytelling, a jumbled together collage of CGI, a pretty teen actress falling in love with a 9 year old boy (that alone ruined it for me; that and Jake Lloyd's cries of "yippee!").
Natalie Portman, while good in "The Professional", and especially her movie with Susan Sarandon (sorry, can't remember the name) came off as an actress in TPM. The queen wasn't regal, she was stilted and pompous. As Padme, she was more of a little conciousness to lead we viewers along Lucas' little thought pattern.
The best part of TPM was Darth Maul - and they killed him off right away, instead of letting him build into a good, sinister character that perhaps would have challenged Anakin's favor with Darth Sidious/Senator-Emperor Palpatine.
I love the original trilogy - yeah, they're not incredibly highbrow material, either, but the story and plotline was more coherent. Unfortunately, RoTJ was a clear harbinger of Lucas' willingness to sell out for the tie-ins (Ewoks!).
Sorry, I'm ranting here, but I for one will not see this movie in the theater; I haven't decided whether or not I'll see it when it comes out on DVD. A $2.50 rental may be worth it for the CGI and Jedi duels.
Since when is 6 or more a 'real decent family' ?! Do you have 4 kids, or are you talking about 3 generations? Just curious, if 4 kids is average, then I'm seriously under par at 0. ;)
And it's the US-bashing jerks(1) like you that prompt us to tell you to start your own slashdot.
(1) With your "disclaimer", you prove to be just as stupid, prejudiced, and egotistical.
Cheers!
Instead of being so smug, perhaps you should help 'enlighten' we non-Debian and non-Slackware users as to WHY you're so strong in your support? Rather than just look down your nose at us, _tell us_ *WHY* you use Debian or Slackware.
Your attitude is precisely what keeps people away from Linux. Like that of a petulant 12 year old who won't share his toys. "Mine's better, and no, you can't play with it, and no, I won't tell you why it's better."
Sheesh.
Except: as an administrator, if you *really* want to read someone's mail, you can re-register and re-certify that person, thereby generating a new ID file, which will match the entry in the .nsf's ACL. You then Switch ID to that user, and open their database. The ACL reads Davitt J Potter/CIA/GOV/US, and... well, you're in. Why do I know this? :) Users forget passwords, and this is how we recovered passwords. Granted, this is not the most secure implementation, but it is the default for a Domino installation.
You *can* disable this, however, by setting up password recovery within Domino, which I recommend that ALL Domino admins do. Then it requires anywhere from 2 to (I think) 4 different ID's to enter a recovery password, which will then recover the user's password.
Domino/Notes also is interesting in that your password is never sent over the wire, encrypted or otherwise. Your machine gets a copy of about a 2K $user.id file, which contains your authentication certificate to the Domino server. Your password identifies to your certificate that "I am Davitt J Potter/CIA/GOV/US." The Notes client then sends the certificate info to Domino, which then checks to make sure that certificate was generated by the Domino server, and is still a valid certificate. (Domino servers can set certificate expirations, so even if your password is valid, your certificate may be expired.)
I found Domino to be a really nice enterprise level email solution; I only wonder why it isn't used more?
Marcus,
:)
Thanks for the excellent clarification.
*Cruises over to the Hurd website*
... "a file is simply missing; you may be able to isolate the problem to the specific file and reinstall it (this is common and most often the result of uninstalling applications)"...
.dll or some other file in order for my other Windows applications to work.
..."
/.'ers) forget something: Microsoft is VERY, VERY good at reading the general market and responding to them. They have given 95% of the general computing public *exactly* what they want, restrictive and forceful licensing aside.
So what you're saying is that by removing/disabling Internet Explorer, I may have to install a
..."If you find an application that does not work under 98micro, it's possible that:
it requires the MS HTML Engine and you'll have to abandon that application or use the ShellSwap feature of 98lite to swap to a shell containing the IE engine (SLEEK, CHUBBY, or OVERWEIGHT)
Again, so I just can't uninstall Internet Explorer and have all of my applications work.
In my opinion, our crowd (the
Also, with the HTML rendering engine as part of the operating system, many applications - Outlook, MS Money, MS FrontPage, MS Office - don't have to have that code written. A simple call to the HTML rendering API, and boom.
I would agree that the wrapper around the HTML rendering engine named "Microsoft Internet Explorer" may be superflous - but the underlying code is indeed vital to Windows 98/2000/XP.
As for "98lite" - I recommend AGAINST running it on Windows XP. I kicked up a box with my old RC2 XP client and tried it - the shell works, sort of. All of the new features/eye candy with XP quit working. Now, maybe I did something wrong - but I wasn't brave enough to try it on my real XP box. Also, why use 98lite? If what you want is Windows 95, use Windows 95. Even Windows 2000, with proper administration and a little knowledge - the same amount you'd invest in learning a new Linux distro - and it can be very very fast. I personally like the ability to hit a webpage from anywhere in the shell, much like Nautilus or Konqueror.
/sigh. Sorry, enough for now. But I would suggest that IE *is* part of Windows. iexplore.exe is a very small part of that, which only initializes the application called "Microsoft Internet Explorer".
As far as THAT goes, I'll use IE over Netscape (any version) any day. I find Netscape on Windows AND Linux buggy, crash-prone, and slower. I clocked it - IE loads faster on my PII/350 with 128MB RAM (Windows 2000) than my Athlon 1500 with 512MB RAM loads Netscape 6. Bleh.
I use Windows XP, Linux Mandrake, and FreeBSD 4.4, so I like to think I've given everything a fair shot. I subscribe to the school of "use the best tool for the job".
And even though "thanks to SmoothWall" may be due, SmoothWall's attitude towards customer support (actually, the lack thereof) guarantees that I would *never* use a product from such an abrasive crew.
Between friends/developers, "RTFM!" is fine, but that is a pretty hard stance to take if you expect corporate customers, I think.
Just my opinion, of course.
Cheers.
I'll grant that my tone was a bit inflammatory, but I used "Curb Weight" from edmunds.com - and the weight of the Corvette closely jives with other sources I've seen.
:)
11,000 pounds is coming up on the weight of a Kenworth...
What's unbelievable is that your knee-jerk "think about the children" mentality is moderated to 5, Insightful.
Read the facts, Waffle boy. "Anybody who walks in off the streets" is only half true. With proper ID, you may be able to buy a hunting rifle, depending on the store and the clerk. But I gather you imply those EVIL ASSAULT WEAPONS and HANDGUNS.
You use "3 ton trucks!" as a scare tactic. Just for the record, that's 6,000 pounds.
A new Honda Accord weighs 2,943 pounds. ~1.5 tons.
A new Corvette Z06? (Light, fast, DANGEROUS sports car, right): 3,130 pounds. ~1.5 tons.
And finally, your "BIG BAD EVIL SUV", the mother of 'em all, the Ford Excursion, weighs 3575 pounds. ~1.78 tons. Not even 2 tons, and nowhere close to your "3 tons of death" you're trying to imply.
Christ. Yeah, the SSSCA sucks, but you're way off the mark with your comments. Do your homework first.
What band? The B-52's, you mean, with the '..set sail!' quote?
God, those were awful - and everybody who had them looked at the other poor bastards and had the same thought - "you look SO stupid!" Then you looked in the mirror in the head later. Ouch.
:) Hard to remember.
Yup. It was a priority to get your other glasses back as soon as possible. My girlfriend at the time, ironically enough, found them 'so ugly they're cute!'
Or maybe it was me that was so ugly I was cute.