Loads reddit.com and slashdot.com almost instantly. Occasionally the browser will just hang for a second but it makes firefox look like molasses.
I have serious reservations about using Google as my search, browser, voicemail, and email but it is difficult when they keep blowing the competition out of the water.
What I have seen in the US is either the website has their own shop with credit processing, or they are affiliated with someone (amazon, google) or they take paypal; I'm sure there are other options but they are outliers.
It still amazes me that there isn't a legit popular alternative to paypal for online shopping (other than huge sites like amazon). I refuse to have anything to do with them anymore. At least it taught me a lesson in scams and how to deal with companies who care very little for their customers.
The people aren't any different. In this day and age, with all the history available to us, we still have people that joyfully vote out the rights of others. http://i.imgur.com/FDFx2.jpg
At one time I would have said is that all we have to do is wait for these people to die off. But now I believe that technology has gotten past a point where it is easily understand by people willing to learn, to the point where you have to be specialized just to understand the basics. The problem is that the government will use this to it's advantage to control and intimidate the population. This is an even bigger problem once you realize that the government is really conrolled by corporations, which will use both technology and politicians to get whatever they want.
Or you're not detecting anything even though it is there. I said the same thing while I was using AVG until I switched to Avast. The last two viruses (that I've gotten in the past 4 years) have been drive-by downloads going to benign sites using firefox, so essentially nothing I could have done other than crippling the browser would have prevented it.
It depends on your browsing habits. If you browse a site like reddit, where you click on a bunch of links related to what you are interested in, then noscript becomes a hassle rather quickly.
Like what, Firefox? The drive-by-download-and-install javascript exploit has been in the wild for what, 4 years now? The only way Firefox is even remotely secure is by using noscript, and at that point you may as well use Lynx. Unlike most people here who don't check for viruses, they are inevitable while using windows, regardless of what Microsoft does. Most of my recent viruses have been using Firefox, just browsing the normal web, even with "Web of Trust" on. The only way you're not getting a virus on a windows box is either disconnecting it from the internet or run a sandboxed browser with no flash, javascript, java, or pretty much anything adobe. And I say this as a windows user, because for me the plethora of software I run makes it worth it, but it is understandable that for many it isn't.
I would say this sort of happened with mp3s and when they saw the true market value of them (about $0.32) they wet themselves and went apeshit with DRM until customers back-lashed at them, and now we finally have a somewhat fair but overpriced mp3 market.
So when they do pony up and offer a movie download solution I'm sure it will be laden with DRM and overpriced. Except this time the DRM will stay, because the movie industry in its current form would never accept consumer friendly movies. Because movie executives are wetting themselves at seeing the real value of movies, about a dollar (Redbox).
And what would you think the technology world would look like now without Microsoft? I'd say there is an equal chance of a linux utopia and an equal chance that all computers would be $3000 and made by either Apple or IBM with proprietary lockout like you wouldn't believe. Before MSDOS, IBM was looking to develop a proprietary OS linked to the BIOS so that EVERYTHING could be controlled and locked down by IBM. If it wasn't for Compaq and Microsoft no matter how you look at it computers would be much different than today.
You obviously haven't used Windows 7 much. It recovers from graphics driver and explorer.exe crashes much more gracefully. ctrl+shit+escape/ctrl+alt+del is nearly instantaneous. Actually I don't believe I've ever had to restart due to an out-of-control program, something I would have to do occasionally with XP. IMO stability is the one area 7 is worth upgrading for.
A 486 is perfect for a MS DOS 6 install and old school game machine. I would keep it around just to play wing commander and betrayal at krondor in their native glory.
..for some of the obvious issues with Jordan's writing. Can I pick up the Gathering Storm and be able to pick up on what is going on, or will I be reading through a mess of patches to plot holes from the previous 7 books?
"It would be nice if the OS prioritized apps on start up, giving priority to the user, instead of this apparent mad dash to see who can get started first."
I believe this is one feature of Windows 7; user space boot priority. It doesn't always work as advertised but it does work much better than XP.
Except the alternatives aren't that better. Acrobat may be bloated crapware but at least it works most of the time (unless you try to open a pdf within firefox, then god help you). Foxit not only annoys me with advertising but it has rendering flaws and bugs (buttons move around annoyingly when display is rotated on a tablet PC, at least when I tried it).
You all may bitch about Microsoft but I would love it if they included a lightweight PDF viewer in the OS like their picture viewer, so I can never see Acrobat on a system ever again.
Eh, if the wife rents some crap like Titanic for $5 and it costs $3 more to own it, then perhaps to her it is worth it. It's not like you can't look at the disc yourself to see the condition.
Most Blockbusters will deduct the rental fee if you purchase the rental; the additional price is on the receipt. I'm not sure if they do this with games, although I believe it would be a good idea.
3. Oddly enough a month after Empire Total War came out it was $50 on Steam, while Gamestop had it new for $29. You can get some great deals on Steam but the price for new games is a ripoff IMO.
I am in the 4th camp: I reluctantly use it, due to the price and convenience. I don't care for the DRM, advertising, or lack of resale. DRM I can live with but I much prefer the way Impulse does it (no constant online activation).
Ever since Obama won the presidency it seems like libertarians have been attacked from every angle. I'm not sure if it is because the republican party is fragmenting, or if because FoxNews decided we were too much of a nuisance and wanted to sabotage them with Glen Beck and the Tea Parties. Libertarianism is an extreme solution to an extreme problem, one of a government out of control. Anyone who doubts this, move to California. I'm probably breaking coincidental three laws just sitting here typing on slashdot. There seems to be a lot of attention on libertarianism lately, even though I don't believe they've ever been polled nationally higher than 1%.
I just don't want to subsidize large corporations with bailouts, I want to be able to start a business with little hassle (I'm not against regulations, but try setting up a small business in California, the regulations are ridiculous), I don't believe anyone has the right to tell me what I put into my body, I don't believe anyone has the right to tell me who I am allowed to marry (as consenting adults), I don't want my money to fund unnecessary wars, and I believe I have the right to be secure and safe (and recognize the police has no obligation to do so). Apparently less than 2% of the population agrees with me though.
I don't give a shit about libertarian economics. Any reasonable person recognizes that a mixed market is necessary. The problem is everyone wants to control everyone else, and some are getting away with it.
Have you tried space rangers 2? It's not like wing commander but you essentially explore space, do quests, space combat, text adventures, and RTS into one package. Yah it doesn't do any one those perfectly but it is fun.
Maybe I'm completely off base, but I would assume that MS has at least a couple dollars of royalty and patent fees for every licensed copy they sell, especially now that the OS comes with DVD codecs.
Most of our founding fathers brought about the United States through anonymous papers. If the Supreme Court were to rule that anonymity was not a part of free speech, it would be flat out treason.
Slashdot Mirror
Loads reddit.com and slashdot.com almost instantly. Occasionally the browser will just hang for a second but it makes firefox look like molasses. I have serious reservations about using Google as my search, browser, voicemail, and email but it is difficult when they keep blowing the competition out of the water.
What I have seen in the US is either the website has their own shop with credit processing, or they are affiliated with someone (amazon, google) or they take paypal; I'm sure there are other options but they are outliers.
What I find amazing is that when I was growing up it was assumed that 2 hours of TV a day was a brain drain and now it is a conservative estimate.
It still amazes me that there isn't a legit popular alternative to paypal for online shopping (other than huge sites like amazon). I refuse to have anything to do with them anymore. At least it taught me a lesson in scams and how to deal with companies who care very little for their customers.
The people aren't any different. In this day and age, with all the history available to us, we still have people that joyfully vote out the rights of others. http://i.imgur.com/FDFx2.jpg At one time I would have said is that all we have to do is wait for these people to die off. But now I believe that technology has gotten past a point where it is easily understand by people willing to learn, to the point where you have to be specialized just to understand the basics. The problem is that the government will use this to it's advantage to control and intimidate the population. This is an even bigger problem once you realize that the government is really conrolled by corporations, which will use both technology and politicians to get whatever they want.
Or you're not detecting anything even though it is there. I said the same thing while I was using AVG until I switched to Avast. The last two viruses (that I've gotten in the past 4 years) have been drive-by downloads going to benign sites using firefox, so essentially nothing I could have done other than crippling the browser would have prevented it.
It depends on your browsing habits. If you browse a site like reddit, where you click on a bunch of links related to what you are interested in, then noscript becomes a hassle rather quickly.
Like what, Firefox? The drive-by-download-and-install javascript exploit has been in the wild for what, 4 years now? The only way Firefox is even remotely secure is by using noscript, and at that point you may as well use Lynx. Unlike most people here who don't check for viruses, they are inevitable while using windows, regardless of what Microsoft does. Most of my recent viruses have been using Firefox, just browsing the normal web, even with "Web of Trust" on. The only way you're not getting a virus on a windows box is either disconnecting it from the internet or run a sandboxed browser with no flash, javascript, java, or pretty much anything adobe. And I say this as a windows user, because for me the plethora of software I run makes it worth it, but it is understandable that for many it isn't.
I would say this sort of happened with mp3s and when they saw the true market value of them (about $0.32) they wet themselves and went apeshit with DRM until customers back-lashed at them, and now we finally have a somewhat fair but overpriced mp3 market. So when they do pony up and offer a movie download solution I'm sure it will be laden with DRM and overpriced. Except this time the DRM will stay, because the movie industry in its current form would never accept consumer friendly movies. Because movie executives are wetting themselves at seeing the real value of movies, about a dollar (Redbox).
And what would you think the technology world would look like now without Microsoft? I'd say there is an equal chance of a linux utopia and an equal chance that all computers would be $3000 and made by either Apple or IBM with proprietary lockout like you wouldn't believe. Before MSDOS, IBM was looking to develop a proprietary OS linked to the BIOS so that EVERYTHING could be controlled and locked down by IBM. If it wasn't for Compaq and Microsoft no matter how you look at it computers would be much different than today.
You obviously haven't used Windows 7 much. It recovers from graphics driver and explorer.exe crashes much more gracefully. ctrl+shit+escape/ctrl+alt+del is nearly instantaneous. Actually I don't believe I've ever had to restart due to an out-of-control program, something I would have to do occasionally with XP. IMO stability is the one area 7 is worth upgrading for.
A 486 is perfect for a MS DOS 6 install and old school game machine. I would keep it around just to play wing commander and betrayal at krondor in their native glory.
Compared to 3 trillion in bailouts a few million is pocket change.
..for some of the obvious issues with Jordan's writing. Can I pick up the Gathering Storm and be able to pick up on what is going on, or will I be reading through a mess of patches to plot holes from the previous 7 books?
"It would be nice if the OS prioritized apps on start up, giving priority to the user, instead of this apparent mad dash to see who can get started first." I believe this is one feature of Windows 7; user space boot priority. It doesn't always work as advertised but it does work much better than XP.
Except the alternatives aren't that better. Acrobat may be bloated crapware but at least it works most of the time (unless you try to open a pdf within firefox, then god help you). Foxit not only annoys me with advertising but it has rendering flaws and bugs (buttons move around annoyingly when display is rotated on a tablet PC, at least when I tried it). You all may bitch about Microsoft but I would love it if they included a lightweight PDF viewer in the OS like their picture viewer, so I can never see Acrobat on a system ever again.
Eh, if the wife rents some crap like Titanic for $5 and it costs $3 more to own it, then perhaps to her it is worth it. It's not like you can't look at the disc yourself to see the condition.
Most Blockbusters will deduct the rental fee if you purchase the rental; the additional price is on the receipt. I'm not sure if they do this with games, although I believe it would be a good idea.
3. Oddly enough a month after Empire Total War came out it was $50 on Steam, while Gamestop had it new for $29. You can get some great deals on Steam but the price for new games is a ripoff IMO.
I am in the 4th camp: I reluctantly use it, due to the price and convenience. I don't care for the DRM, advertising, or lack of resale. DRM I can live with but I much prefer the way Impulse does it (no constant online activation).
Ever since Obama won the presidency it seems like libertarians have been attacked from every angle. I'm not sure if it is because the republican party is fragmenting, or if because FoxNews decided we were too much of a nuisance and wanted to sabotage them with Glen Beck and the Tea Parties. Libertarianism is an extreme solution to an extreme problem, one of a government out of control. Anyone who doubts this, move to California. I'm probably breaking coincidental three laws just sitting here typing on slashdot. There seems to be a lot of attention on libertarianism lately, even though I don't believe they've ever been polled nationally higher than 1%. I just don't want to subsidize large corporations with bailouts, I want to be able to start a business with little hassle (I'm not against regulations, but try setting up a small business in California, the regulations are ridiculous), I don't believe anyone has the right to tell me what I put into my body, I don't believe anyone has the right to tell me who I am allowed to marry (as consenting adults), I don't want my money to fund unnecessary wars, and I believe I have the right to be secure and safe (and recognize the police has no obligation to do so). Apparently less than 2% of the population agrees with me though. I don't give a shit about libertarian economics. Any reasonable person recognizes that a mixed market is necessary. The problem is everyone wants to control everyone else, and some are getting away with it.
Have you tried space rangers 2? It's not like wing commander but you essentially explore space, do quests, space combat, text adventures, and RTS into one package. Yah it doesn't do any one those perfectly but it is fun.
Maybe I'm completely off base, but I would assume that MS has at least a couple dollars of royalty and patent fees for every licensed copy they sell, especially now that the OS comes with DVD codecs.
Most of our founding fathers brought about the United States through anonymous papers. If the Supreme Court were to rule that anonymity was not a part of free speech, it would be flat out treason.
Touché