If you ever write anything server-side you'll understand how nice Ruby can be. I've honestly never written an application in it though. Seriously though, the way Ruby deals with data is incredible. Especially when it comes to things like complex strings and string literals and combining them with things and character sets and on and on I'd take Ruby over C++ and every String related C++ library ever made. Just trying to pull off some of the things you can do in a few characters in Ruby with C++ String Streams would take ridiculous amounts of coding.
Ruby is however a very different type of language, and its syntax and the way it operates is something a lot of people don't like. I myself didn't initially like it until I had to do server-side stuff, at which point I quickly found out it is a gorgeous language for that task (and many others, mind you). Would I prefer Ruby over Java for Apps? Well, I don't even know how Ruby would deal with threads and events and things like that, and those are really strong points in Java and things that you can really use extensively in Apps and Widgets, so I don't know.
X11 has this internal networking protocol to pass information back and fourth between objects/processes/whatever. If Google had used something like that to say, communicate with widgets etc. you could code widgets and apps in totally different languages and as long as there was an interface to that internal networking protocol there would be no issue. I believe the Wayland project set out to make a better version of that X11 protocol, perhaps Google should have done something with that?
Oh wait, that's not what I had heard of. Apparently you can wrap Ruby scripts in a package with JRuby and run them as apps. Still not so great but I guess it's something?
I haven't tried it myself but what I heard about was this: http://code.google.com/p/android-scripting/ . Looks like other than Ruby those are native? Weather or not they're usable is a different question entirely...
Personally I really like Ruby, but if it runs like mud and can't really do anything through JRuby then I'll have to pass on it.
Yeah, I was too vague when I said that. The integration in Eclipse is well done. Eclipse itself (editing) is awful. Things like Eclipse automatically adding random lines (like imports) whenever I copy and paste between files? Yeah, that's a terrible feature. Panes/splitting and pane management is very obscure as well. Oh, and tabs are characters, not 4 spaces - seriously fucking stop with the tab conversion.
I can easily understand that. I haven't tried to do it in VIM with Makefiles etc. because the whole thing is so tied into Eclipse I doubt it would be easy to do at all. Can you get the debug feed outside of Eclipse?
ZING! But there's an NDK for Android as well, so it's not like you have to use Java anyway. There's even a way to write apps in Ruby now. Oh, and apparently you can sell AIR apps through the Android market as well. Realistically at this point Android doesn't really need Java at all, but it's too late for them to take it out. I personally think they should have done all the base components native, made an X11 like protocol for communication between widgets and apps and whatever, and then just told everyone to go for it. If that were the case using a VM based language would spare you some headaches, but even then you wouldn't be tied to Java as Ruby, Python, AIR/AS3, and a whole bunch of others would work just the same.
On a side note, I'm a bit ashamed to admit it but the SDK for Android running in Eclipse is really really nice and they've streamlined all the Java stuff and added enough libraries that things are pretty easy to understand and work with. I would have preferred something other than Java, and in general I'm a VIM/Makefile kind of guy so the whole IDE thing still puts me off but still I have to admit they did a great job.
Flash is a very capable platform which enables a lot of things Java set out to do, along with an extremely tight integration to designers tools. It's popular amongst designers because if you've ever seen the work-flow it's amazingly well done - unparalleled. AS3 as a language is much nicer and ore robust than JavaScript and can be developed using the free Flex compiler, which is written (strangely enough?) in Java so it's completely cross platform. Flash can also do a lot of things HTML5/JS can't do like real-time video and audio manipulation, access a web cam/mic, has a full featured 3D API with hardware acceleration and software fallback (including using WebGL as a fallback if available) coming out in version 11 - beta available now.
I'd keep talking because up until now I've found the Flash platform very nice. That was up until the BSA started baseless threatening me (see the news from a few days ago), and with Adobe part of the BSA they've lost my loyalty altogether and shouldn't expect me to support them anymore. They made some great tools, but until they stop being shit heads claiming everyone (including paying customers!) steals their stuff they can go fuck themselves. Attitudes like that and their generally half-assed approach to open source, along with persistent stability issues in their player is the reason why the majority of slashdot users will continue to hate them despite the quality of their tool set.
He actually stole his notebook and it was a bitch to get back. When it did come back he had poured cola on it. We pulled the drive, checked it for anything incriminating but he had wiped and redacted it. We had it cleaned up (Toshiba is awesome!) and since we didn't need it anymore we gave it away to a family member.
Actually I just spent it poorly and I have bad organizational and management skills. It wasn't until the money ran out that I realized most of my team was so into what we were doing they'd do it with me for free in exchange for a fair portion of the profits - which is a great deal for everyone.
And only one of the 6 of us uses any commercial software in the first place, and we purchased his software over a year ago. I even did the audit on my workstation and I realized how little I used Windows - the installed software list was 2 pages, easliy less than a page if you exclude the Windows Live components and various updates/drivers. Everything else I have an appropriate license for/is free. Linux on the other hand, my installed package list is 2637 lines long, which is about 32 pages printed. I'm considering sending that list just to fuck with them.
He actually stole the notebook he was using and we had a bitch of a time getting it back. It came back with cola poured on it. We wiped the drive and had the cola-soaked parts replaced - it's clean.
It still smells kind of like cola though... fucker.
A consultation will not cost as much as you expect. Gather up all your licenses, receipts, and certificates and have him send copies to the BSA along with what is euphemisitically called a "robust" response. You'll probably want to threaten to claim vexatious litigation and assert that you will ask that legal expenses be awarded. Don't let them do an "audit".
I'm hiring a lawyer who can handle this, if a consultant is needed I'll hire one as well. That vexatious litigation thing is good, I'll talk to the lawyer about that. I have no intention of letting them come in and do an "audit" at this point... what with my office at home and all (we're indie) that's just an invasion of privacy.
And in the future, perhaps you might want to consider not doing business with BSA members. There are alternatives. Just a thought...
The only commercial software any of us needs is the Designers, who need Adobe stuff. If they could do with something else that would be great but there's really only one option there. I paid for the Adobe license because of that and it's a decision I don't currently regret, but you can be sure I hate every BSA member a lot more now than I did last week.
Thank you for this comment! After reading it I immediately searched for receipts and found all of them, including the PC's with windows listed. I also did an audit using one of their suggested auditing suites and can without a doubt confirm every single piece of software on that list is software I have an appropriate license for with paperwork. Thank goodness we're primarily Linux based, the amount of Windows software we use can be counted on fingers alone.
The only company owned box running Windows is mine, and I rarely use it anyway (yes, I play games on my workstation!), so blowing away the windows partition is a no-brainer. As soon as this is over I'll do just that. Next time they send me a letter I'll print out my installed package list and tell them to go fuck themselves unless they want to try charging me for LibreOffice and GCC.
1. Doing just that. 2. I intend to. I did a self audit and I'm positive I'm clean and have the documentation to prove it. 3. Oh god it's giving me nightmares. Even though I'm sure I'm clean reading about people who get charged $2000 for windows update components scares the shit out of me. 4. Don't need to! 5. I'll do my best. 6. I've called everyone I know and that includes a lot of business and legal-wise people. We're very very small so we purchased all our software from shops, not vendors. We have receipts and documentation. 7. Already compliant for what I know. 8. Let's hope there aren't any aspects, monetary or otherwise, to discuss.
Following this advice I downloaded some of the approved audit software and ran it. It's almost a joke how short the Windows list is, and every single piece of software on that list I can confirm I have a license for, including receipts. We're primarily Linux, the only thing that we run in Windows is Adobe software and we own actual licenses for that. On top of that we have almost no money to speak of, and at this point since we're just working on products and have had basically no income (we're indie, currently only one person is considered "employed" and even then that's "part time") I'm no longer so worried. I'm speaking to a lawyer soon, I'll have him handle it, but I think this will end quickly.
Actually I'd put money on this being brand association/loyalty. The product could be terrible, but if the image associated with it is good enough to the consumer they'll buy it even over superior products. Just look at Vuitton, StarBucks and Disney. Even the article points it out as "Brand Strength".
You realize Newton series was mainly just repackaged Sharp hardware, don't you? Granted they wrote their own software, but the hardware and most of the form factors came from other companies, who had been selling that hardware with their own ROM's before Apple even started. Sharp and Casio in particular started making "pockecon" [pocket computer] in 1980, the devices that would later be called PDA's.
Check it out, first sentence: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MessagePad For reference, most of the Newton devices were Sharp Zaurus (post-pokekon) hardware. The original Newton for example was a Sharp PI-7000 with the Apple ROM.
Uhh, Apple is the one continually stifling progress by throwing around patents. Are you new here?
Maybe having to take some of their own medicine will make them think a little differently. I mean they even have patents that now prevent the W3C, an organization they are a member of, from making progress on finalizing standards. How does that one work?
Not like I really like HTC either. If they both litigate each-other into the ground I'd find that massively entertaining.
Pfft, everybody uses bitcoins now. Everyone knows the bitcoin market is going to explode any day now. I traded in all 5 of my Internets for 2 bitcoins and now with those same two bitcoins I can buy........oh...
It will kill facebook. It will kill twitter. It will revolutionize your social atmosphere. With Google+ you'll always know what your friends are eating when they are eating it regardless of weather or not you want to. Google+ will melt your iPhone. Google+ will get your mom to stop drinking. I've only been using Google+ for a week and I've already lost 16kg. Google+ accelerates your Internet connection 15X. Google+ lets you cheat on your wife faster and smarter without any possibility of negative repercussion. Google+ knows what you want to eat and will send you coupons for it (unless you want to eat soup, because soup is for fagots and Google+ is straight edge). If you change the + in Google+ to a - your pets will mysteriously disappear. Google+ will raise your children for you. Google+ contains vitamins and sodium. Google+ will be the future government. Google+ will rape your data. Loyal Google+ members will be sent regular installments of exotic spiced meats. Google+ will teach you how to play tennis like the pros. Google+ has no confidence issues; Google+ sleeps naked. This one time, a burglar broke into Google+s' apartment and Google+ fucking killed the guy with his bare hands. Google+ eats grapefruit for breakfast. Google+ is free forever. Google+ is fresher than an ocean breeze. Google+ is radical to the max.
So they use Android as a base but you can't run Android Apps? That alone kills the possibility of a massive user base and f* if developers want to start porting to yet another platform. I like Mozilla, probably more than Google, but lately Mozilla has just made a lot of really bad decisions. Prism? That was a good idea! I still use it to run things like GrooveShark - works great! But apparently the project is dead - they made it work then killed it. Way to go guys! HTML5 games? Yeah, that was a disaster wasn't it! Why didn't you put together a better llvm engine in JS and have a porting challenger or something? Now this? You think this will work?
Slashdot Mirror
If you ever write anything server-side you'll understand how nice Ruby can be. I've honestly never written an application in it though. Seriously though, the way Ruby deals with data is incredible. Especially when it comes to things like complex strings and string literals and combining them with things and character sets and on and on I'd take Ruby over C++ and every String related C++ library ever made. Just trying to pull off some of the things you can do in a few characters in Ruby with C++ String Streams would take ridiculous amounts of coding.
Ruby is however a very different type of language, and its syntax and the way it operates is something a lot of people don't like. I myself didn't initially like it until I had to do server-side stuff, at which point I quickly found out it is a gorgeous language for that task (and many others, mind you). Would I prefer Ruby over Java for Apps? Well, I don't even know how Ruby would deal with threads and events and things like that, and those are really strong points in Java and things that you can really use extensively in Apps and Widgets, so I don't know.
X11 has this internal networking protocol to pass information back and fourth between objects/processes/whatever. If Google had used something like that to say, communicate with widgets etc. you could code widgets and apps in totally different languages and as long as there was an interface to that internal networking protocol there would be no issue. I believe the Wayland project set out to make a better version of that X11 protocol, perhaps Google should have done something with that?
Oh wait, that's not what I had heard of. Apparently you can wrap Ruby scripts in a package with JRuby and run them as apps. Still not so great but I guess it's something?
I haven't tried it myself but what I heard about was this: http://code.google.com/p/android-scripting/ . Looks like other than Ruby those are native? Weather or not they're usable is a different question entirely...
Personally I really like Ruby, but if it runs like mud and can't really do anything through JRuby then I'll have to pass on it.
Yeah, I was too vague when I said that. The integration in Eclipse is well done. Eclipse itself (editing) is awful. Things like Eclipse automatically adding random lines (like imports) whenever I copy and paste between files? Yeah, that's a terrible feature. Panes/splitting and pane management is very obscure as well. Oh, and tabs are characters, not 4 spaces - seriously fucking stop with the tab conversion.
I can easily understand that. I haven't tried to do it in VIM with Makefiles etc. because the whole thing is so tied into Eclipse I doubt it would be easy to do at all. Can you get the debug feed outside of Eclipse?
ZING! But there's an NDK for Android as well, so it's not like you have to use Java anyway. There's even a way to write apps in Ruby now. Oh, and apparently you can sell AIR apps through the Android market as well. Realistically at this point Android doesn't really need Java at all, but it's too late for them to take it out. I personally think they should have done all the base components native, made an X11 like protocol for communication between widgets and apps and whatever, and then just told everyone to go for it. If that were the case using a VM based language would spare you some headaches, but even then you wouldn't be tied to Java as Ruby, Python, AIR/AS3, and a whole bunch of others would work just the same.
On a side note, I'm a bit ashamed to admit it but the SDK for Android running in Eclipse is really really nice and they've streamlined all the Java stuff and added enough libraries that things are pretty easy to understand and work with. I would have preferred something other than Java, and in general I'm a VIM/Makefile kind of guy so the whole IDE thing still puts me off but still I have to admit they did a great job.
One more thing: Fuck you Oracle!
Following the story thus far I'd guess that's probably about what happened.
Flash is a very capable platform which enables a lot of things Java set out to do, along with an extremely tight integration to designers tools. It's popular amongst designers because if you've ever seen the work-flow it's amazingly well done - unparalleled. AS3 as a language is much nicer and ore robust than JavaScript and can be developed using the free Flex compiler, which is written (strangely enough?) in Java so it's completely cross platform. Flash can also do a lot of things HTML5/JS can't do like real-time video and audio manipulation, access a web cam/mic, has a full featured 3D API with hardware acceleration and software fallback (including using WebGL as a fallback if available) coming out in version 11 - beta available now.
I'd keep talking because up until now I've found the Flash platform very nice. That was up until the BSA started baseless threatening me (see the news from a few days ago), and with Adobe part of the BSA they've lost my loyalty altogether and shouldn't expect me to support them anymore. They made some great tools, but until they stop being shit heads claiming everyone (including paying customers!) steals their stuff they can go fuck themselves. Attitudes like that and their generally half-assed approach to open source, along with persistent stability issues in their player is the reason why the majority of slashdot users will continue to hate them despite the quality of their tool set.
He actually stole his notebook and it was a bitch to get back. When it did come back he had poured cola on it. We pulled the drive, checked it for anything incriminating but he had wiped and redacted it. We had it cleaned up (Toshiba is awesome!) and since we didn't need it anymore we gave it away to a family member.
Actually I just spent it poorly and I have bad organizational and management skills. It wasn't until the money ran out that I realized most of my team was so into what we were doing they'd do it with me for free in exchange for a fair portion of the profits - which is a great deal for everyone.
And only one of the 6 of us uses any commercial software in the first place, and we purchased his software over a year ago. I even did the audit on my workstation and I realized how little I used Windows - the installed software list was 2 pages, easliy less than a page if you exclude the Windows Live components and various updates/drivers. Everything else I have an appropriate license for/is free. Linux on the other hand, my installed package list is 2637 lines long, which is about 32 pages printed. I'm considering sending that list just to fuck with them.
He actually stole the notebook he was using and we had a bitch of a time getting it back. It came back with cola poured on it. We wiped the drive and had the cola-soaked parts replaced - it's clean.
It still smells kind of like cola though... fucker.
A consultation will not cost as much as you expect. Gather up all your licenses, receipts, and certificates and have him send copies to the BSA along with what is euphemisitically called a "robust" response. You'll probably want to threaten to claim vexatious litigation and assert that you will ask that legal expenses be awarded. Don't let them do an "audit".
I'm hiring a lawyer who can handle this, if a consultant is needed I'll hire one as well. That vexatious litigation thing is good, I'll talk to the lawyer about that. I have no intention of letting them come in and do an "audit" at this point... what with my office at home and all (we're indie) that's just an invasion of privacy.
And in the future, perhaps you might want to consider not doing business with BSA members. There are alternatives. Just a thought...
The only commercial software any of us needs is the Designers, who need Adobe stuff. If they could do with something else that would be great but there's really only one option there. I paid for the Adobe license because of that and it's a decision I don't currently regret, but you can be sure I hate every BSA member a lot more now than I did last week.
Thank you for this comment! After reading it I immediately searched for receipts and found all of them, including the PC's with windows listed. I also did an audit using one of their suggested auditing suites and can without a doubt confirm every single piece of software on that list is software I have an appropriate license for with paperwork. Thank goodness we're primarily Linux based, the amount of Windows software we use can be counted on fingers alone.
Just a heads up, we are a Japanese firm. Still, much of the legal system is very very similar and your point is just as valid here.
The only company owned box running Windows is mine, and I rarely use it anyway (yes, I play games on my workstation!), so blowing away the windows partition is a no-brainer. As soon as this is over I'll do just that. Next time they send me a letter I'll print out my installed package list and tell them to go fuck themselves unless they want to try charging me for LibreOffice and GCC.
1. Doing just that.
2. I intend to. I did a self audit and I'm positive I'm clean and have the documentation to prove it.
3. Oh god it's giving me nightmares. Even though I'm sure I'm clean reading about people who get charged $2000 for windows update components scares the shit out of me.
4. Don't need to!
5. I'll do my best.
6. I've called everyone I know and that includes a lot of business and legal-wise people. We're very very small so we purchased all our software from shops, not vendors. We have receipts and documentation.
7. Already compliant for what I know.
8. Let's hope there aren't any aspects, monetary or otherwise, to discuss.
A lawyer representing the BSA sent me the letter. I've already got one for myself lined up and will be speaking to him soon.
I went ahead and did my own audit - it's totally clean and I checked and made sure I had all receipts for the software we purchased - I do.
Following this advice I downloaded some of the approved audit software and ran it. It's almost a joke how short the Windows list is, and every single piece of software on that list I can confirm I have a license for, including receipts. We're primarily Linux, the only thing that we run in Windows is Adobe software and we own actual licenses for that. On top of that we have almost no money to speak of, and at this point since we're just working on products and have had basically no income (we're indie, currently only one person is considered "employed" and even then that's "part time") I'm no longer so worried. I'm speaking to a lawyer soon, I'll have him handle it, but I think this will end quickly.
Actually I'd put money on this being brand association/loyalty. The product could be terrible, but if the image associated with it is good enough to the consumer they'll buy it even over superior products. Just look at Vuitton, StarBucks and Disney. Even the article points it out as "Brand Strength".
You realize Newton series was mainly just repackaged Sharp hardware, don't you? Granted they wrote their own software, but the hardware and most of the form factors came from other companies, who had been selling that hardware with their own ROM's before Apple even started. Sharp and Casio in particular started making "pockecon" [pocket computer] in 1980, the devices that would later be called PDA's.
Check it out, first sentence: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MessagePad
For reference, most of the Newton devices were Sharp Zaurus (post-pokekon) hardware. The original Newton for example was a Sharp PI-7000 with the Apple ROM.
Uhh, Apple is the one continually stifling progress by throwing around patents. Are you new here?
Maybe having to take some of their own medicine will make them think a little differently. I mean they even have patents that now prevent the W3C, an organization they are a member of, from making progress on finalizing standards. How does that one work?
Not like I really like HTC either. If they both litigate each-other into the ground I'd find that massively entertaining.
Pfft, everybody uses bitcoins now. Everyone knows the bitcoin market is going to explode any day now. I traded in all 5 of my Internets for 2 bitcoins and now with those same two bitcoins I can buy..... ...oh...
I guess it really was a scam...
It will kill facebook. It will kill twitter. It will revolutionize your social atmosphere. With Google+ you'll always know what your friends are eating when they are eating it regardless of weather or not you want to. Google+ will melt your iPhone. Google+ will get your mom to stop drinking. I've only been using Google+ for a week and I've already lost 16kg. Google+ accelerates your Internet connection 15X. Google+ lets you cheat on your wife faster and smarter without any possibility of negative repercussion. Google+ knows what you want to eat and will send you coupons for it (unless you want to eat soup, because soup is for fagots and Google+ is straight edge). If you change the + in Google+ to a - your pets will mysteriously disappear. Google+ will raise your children for you. Google+ contains vitamins and sodium. Google+ will be the future government. Google+ will rape your data. Loyal Google+ members will be sent regular installments of exotic spiced meats. Google+ will teach you how to play tennis like the pros. Google+ has no confidence issues; Google+ sleeps naked. This one time, a burglar broke into Google+s' apartment and Google+ fucking killed the guy with his bare hands. Google+ eats grapefruit for breakfast. Google+ is free forever. Google+ is fresher than an ocean breeze. Google+ is radical to the max.
So they use Android as a base but you can't run Android Apps? That alone kills the possibility of a massive user base and f* if developers want to start porting to yet another platform. I like Mozilla, probably more than Google, but lately Mozilla has just made a lot of really bad decisions. Prism? That was a good idea! I still use it to run things like GrooveShark - works great! But apparently the project is dead - they made it work then killed it. Way to go guys! HTML5 games? Yeah, that was a disaster wasn't it! Why didn't you put together a better llvm engine in JS and have a porting challenger or something? Now this? You think this will work?
Seriously.