I like my gym. They have a water fountain, with a tap for filling bottles, but don't feel the need to greenwash what people have for years been doing out of water fountains (fill reusable bottle). Plus by not having the display there's less e-waste generated that poor African kids will have to burn to recover precious metals!
I found netbooks were ok in Windows, as long as you weren't trying to run Crysis. Some of the OEM Linux distros like Xandros were garbage, but plenty of branches of normal distros showed up that were fine.
Regardless of your prefered OS, they are a low cost notebook with a keyboard that can run whatever environment you want unlike a tablet.
Never mind that a lot of these trends that exist in "hip tech companies": (open office, unassigned seating, bleachers) are also in areas with really expensive realestate, so everything has to be done to increase density, and it isn't really applicable to flyover states with lots of cheap realestate. There's a cargo cult of "Must follow teh Googles, teh Facebook, and teh Apple"
this means that one month ago we were dedicating one in each 6 new panels installed last year, worldwide, to power Bitcoin. Today, it is "only" one in 9.5.
Can you convert that to how many library of congresses can be powered?
The big thing that makes computers anemic is the web. Load a modern browser up and it's taking 500MB RAM.
Then there's the webpages. Content hasn't changed, but they've become bloated. From a recent post of mine:
If you're reading a news article (for example), requirements haven't really changed since print. You want some text, and a few images. Text is very bandwidth efficient, and the pictures you usually only glance at are 2.5"x1.5" and don't need to be super high res. Even if you have an 8k phone, you're scrolling by. Click to load a larger picture.
But webpages include bundled custom fonts you don't care about, 93 tracking JavaScript plugins for social media sites and ads, 15 JavaScript frameworks where a fraction of the framework is used, 16k resolution stock images, and videos that you don't care about that start playing.
One of the features I really like with newer Excel versions (compared to 2003) is improved filter options. As well in Word I like built in PDF export with the table of contents and links.
There was a major step change with 2007 and the introduction of the Ribbon, but after that I thought it was fairly stable afterwards as far as location of functions. On the positive they added more customization of the interface. On the negative they lowered the number of colors to match current trends (leaving functions on the same tab), and PUT THE TITLES IN CAPS.
Personally I don't mind the Ribbon after adapting to the change 10 years ago. It doesn't have a habit of randomly moving around like their toolbars, doesn't take up any more vertical space than the default Office 2003 menu+toolbars, tries desperately to follow the same ALT+ hotkeys as much as possible, and I think it handles narrowing of the window more gracefully than toolbars. Plus it can be easily collapsed to no more height than a menu bar, but retain the same functionality (great for use on 1024x768 projectors)
I can't tell if you're joking or not. A bare install of Windows XP can be easily pared down to run in 1.2GB Hard drive (less if you need fewer features), and run in 256MB RAM without touching page file. The useful features in Windows 10 isn't actually appreciably better.
This is also going to ignore that you can get a variety of useful Linux distros to run in that footprint or less.
I am reminded of the NetBook fad a decade ago. Cheap Low End laptops used mostly for low end users. Microsoft didn't have too much luck in that field, as most Netbook users gravitated towards Linux.
The first models, like the EeePC 701 included truly awful Linux distributions, and a manual that was mostly instructions on how to install Windows XP. I believe Linux Netbooks had an incredibly high return rate. Your best bet was to either install Windows XP on them, or another distribution (like EeeBuntu). I don't know why the Linux models didn't just ship with Ubuntu instead of an ugly bastard step-child of an operating system.
I believe including Linux was an act to pressure Microsoft to release low cost Windows licences. For the majority of the Netbook life, products were roughly: Windows XP Home or Windows 7 Starter, 1.6Ghz Atom or equivalent, 1GB RAM, 160GB Hard drive.
While the processor wasn't good for Crysis, it was adequate for surfing the net, watching movies, using office, remote desktop / SSH, etc. The hard drive was adequate for offloading photos from a digital camera while traveling. At the time they were good as low cost, fairly compact computing devices for simple tasks. They showed the untapped potential for such devices, which eventually morphed into Tablets and better smartphones.
Contrary to popular belief, Windows 7 Starter does not use any less resources than Home Premium or Professional, they just decontented the operating system as a means of differentiation at such a low cost.
The RAM could usually be upgraded to 2GB, and the hard drive could be easily upgraded to a larger one if you wanted to bring a larger one (like 1TB) if you wanted more storage.
I think it is just we have a bigger data requirement.
^^^
this.
It's Parkinson's law: data requirements expand to fill the bandwidth available.
Whether or not there's any reason you need more data.
This is it.
If you're reading a news article (for example), requirements haven't really changed since print. You want some text, and a few images. Text is very bandwidth efficient, and the pictures you usually only glance at are 2.5"x1.5" and don't need to be super high res. Even if you have an 8k phone, you're scrolling by. Click to load a larger picture.
But webpages include bundled custom fonts you don't care about, 93 tracking JavaScript plugins for social media sites and ads, 15 JavaScript frameworks where a fraction of the framework is used, 16k resolution stock images, and videos that you don't care about that start playing.
Apps themselves also feel that they are privileged to use your background data to give you nonsense advertisement notifications, or download updates at any time.
If I was watching an hour of video on commute every day, I'd be more apt to queue it up offline (Netflix offers offline mode, or download torrents at home and load onto the phone). Mostly to not hit data cap, but also so it will keep working through coverage deadspots. Likewise I have offline playlists on Google Play Music to not tie up too much bandwidth.
This is how I listen to music at the gym, and watch videos while doing cardio. The gym is in a basement so cell coverage is spotty at best.
8.1 / Server 2012R2 suffered from an OS with an identity crisis: Good kernel improvements under the hood, good improvements to some of the utilities (task manager, added Win+x / Right click start button menu)
But completely fucked up others: Start "menu" designed for tablets even though the OS was only used on desktops/laptops, half the control panel functionality designed for a phone, the rest for Windows 95; random notifications on your SERVER OPERATING SYSTEM saying "Tap here to change your settings".
But it was ok. Classic Shell dealt with the worst of the worst, and the rest of the quirkiness could be dealt with because it was stable.
Then came Windows 10.
First came the forced upgrades from 7/8.1 Then came the circlejerk in the community "ZOMG it's so much better than Windows 8.1 because startmenu". Even though the start menu is worse than a freeware addon that pretends to be a previous version (classic shell). It has random ads and animations, lacks organizations, and has an "assistant" I keep trying to disable. And it still has an identity crisis in the settings. Half are still for a phone, the other half for Windows 95. And for some reason it wants to send all my data to www.microsoft.com
Then come the forced updates.
Oh you have an important render/compile going on overnight? An important meeting to go to today? Too bad, time for a new upgrade! Not just a 5 minute security update you used to curse when you shutdown your old XP laptop with a dead battery. No this is an upgrade, please wait 65 minutes and three reboots. Will your drivers still run? Programs still be there? Operating system still be activated? Built in basic programs like Paint still be there? Data still be there? Who knows!? This is the fun of Agile!
Those were also the days where you could ping a PC with a mis-configured modem: "+++ATH0<CR>" and it would hang up because it didn't need a delay after +++ for AT commands..
So you'd go on IRC, message someone you didn't like "Click", then disconnect them. Then they couldn't rejoin with the same Nickname for a while.
I love how you compare this to NT4/95, where something as simple as specifying a minor typo in a font name through their GDI API would blue screen the entire OS.
I never had a lot of experiance with it, but I thought NT4 was supposed to be stable (unlike Win9x).
My favorite way of blue-screening Windows 9x back in the day was to go on random forums and add an image: <img src="file:///C:/con/con">
I rent a fairly large place for $700 a month. I have no interest in spending my weekends, or spare money, on upkeep. The housing market is fairly stagnant here and I know people that had to sell their houses for less than they bought. As well my utility costs are significantly lower than a house.
I have a good gig where I'm working, but if another opportunity came up elsewhere, I could bail pretty quick without the financial burden of a house.
With a phone people crave new and shiny more often because they fit a different need. People want more data in a smaller package, which means chasing the latest cellular technology even if the phone is otherwise up to task.
I think the problem with phones is that because they are carried around all day, everyday, and go through more charge cycles, they are more prone to wearing out quicker. About 6 months ago I replaced my 2012 era Nexus 4 with a new S8. The battery has really become weak (won't make a day), the phone is more apt to randomly crash/reboot, and crappy bloated websites / apps are more apt to slow it down to the point of being barely usable. Otherwise I was satisfied with the featureset and size of the phone. It made no sense dumping money into trying to repair that phone if I could get a brand new N-1 flagship phone with modern OS, superior camera, more RAM / storage, and faster CPU for free (on contract).
The phone was free on contract, but would cost $1000 outright, which I wouldn't pay. Wifi tablet purchases wouldn't be subsidized, and I wouldn't pay that much for a tablet.
OTOH, I would happily buy an A3 E-ink ebook reader with sound. I want it to read datasheets with schematics in on the workbench or in the field. Meanwhile, I will go on using my 3rd gen Kindle.
A3? As in 364mm / 14.3" diagonal? (For those in the US, A3 is about the size of 11"x17" paper).
I would be happy with a solid A4 / 8.5"x11" reader, as many PDFs are approximately that size.
A good landing is one you can walk away from. A great landing is when the aircraft can be used again. Landing in a field or median may result in more damage.
Slashdot Mirror
Money is involved, people have a reason to get interested and take their cut. Cue death of uTorrent.
Given the malware they've been bundling in their installers for years, I'm surprised they aren't already dead. I abandoned them over 5 years ago.
I switched to qBittorrent after uTorrent started including ads and malware. It hasn't let me down.
I like my gym. They have a water fountain, with a tap for filling bottles, but don't feel the need to greenwash what people have for years been doing out of water fountains (fill reusable bottle). Plus by not having the display there's less e-waste generated that poor African kids will have to burn to recover precious metals!
I found netbooks were ok in Windows, as long as you weren't trying to run Crysis. Some of the OEM Linux distros like Xandros were garbage, but plenty of branches of normal distros showed up that were fine.
Regardless of your prefered OS, they are a low cost notebook with a keyboard that can run whatever environment you want unlike a tablet.
My favorite is getting endless shitty security warnings from their shitty Java plug-in, when trying to open their shitty ERP.
Couldn't they just put a notch in instead?
The trends now are unassigned seating, and Bleacher Seating
Never mind that a lot of these trends that exist in "hip tech companies": (open office, unassigned seating, bleachers) are also in areas with really expensive realestate, so everything has to be done to increase density, and it isn't really applicable to flyover states with lots of cheap realestate. There's a cargo cult of "Must follow teh Googles, teh Facebook, and teh Apple"
this means that one month ago we were dedicating one in each 6 new panels installed last year, worldwide, to power Bitcoin. Today, it is "only" one in 9.5.
Can you convert that to how many library of congresses can be powered?
The big thing that makes computers anemic is the web. Load a modern browser up and it's taking 500MB RAM.
Then there's the webpages. Content hasn't changed, but they've become bloated. From a recent post of mine:
If you're reading a news article (for example), requirements haven't really changed since print. You want some text, and a few images. Text is very bandwidth efficient, and the pictures you usually only glance at are 2.5"x1.5" and don't need to be super high res. Even if you have an 8k phone, you're scrolling by. Click to load a larger picture.
But webpages include bundled custom fonts you don't care about, 93 tracking JavaScript plugins for social media sites and ads, 15 JavaScript frameworks where a fraction of the framework is used, 16k resolution stock images, and videos that you don't care about that start playing.
Text files. I trying to use simple text files the more I can (my personal files are 95% text files). Then I export it to PDF, ODF, ... if required.
I try to use only future proof (25+ years) file formats : text (org-mode, Markdown, LaTeX, ...), PDF, PNG, ...
This quote resume the way I treat MY data (don't remember where I read it) : I'm using apps against data, not housing my data in an app.
And apparently you go out of your way to type your internet comments in monospace font as well.
One of the features I really like with newer Excel versions (compared to 2003) is improved filter options. As well in Word I like built in PDF export with the table of contents and links.
There was a major step change with 2007 and the introduction of the Ribbon, but after that I thought it was fairly stable afterwards as far as location of functions. On the positive they added more customization of the interface. On the negative they lowered the number of colors to match current trends (leaving functions on the same tab), and PUT THE TITLES IN CAPS.
Personally I don't mind the Ribbon after adapting to the change 10 years ago. It doesn't have a habit of randomly moving around like their toolbars, doesn't take up any more vertical space than the default Office 2003 menu+toolbars, tries desperately to follow the same ALT+ hotkeys as much as possible, and I think it handles narrowing of the window more gracefully than toolbars. Plus it can be easily collapsed to no more height than a menu bar, but retain the same functionality (great for use on 1024x768 projectors)
I can't tell if you're joking or not. A bare install of Windows XP can be easily pared down to run in 1.2GB Hard drive (less if you need fewer features), and run in 256MB RAM without touching page file. The useful features in Windows 10 isn't actually appreciably better.
This is also going to ignore that you can get a variety of useful Linux distros to run in that footprint or less.
I am reminded of the NetBook fad a decade ago. Cheap Low End laptops used mostly for low end users. Microsoft didn't have too much luck in that field, as most Netbook users gravitated towards Linux.
The first models, like the EeePC 701 included truly awful Linux distributions, and a manual that was mostly instructions on how to install Windows XP. I believe Linux Netbooks had an incredibly high return rate. Your best bet was to either install Windows XP on them, or another distribution (like EeeBuntu). I don't know why the Linux models didn't just ship with Ubuntu instead of an ugly bastard step-child of an operating system.
I believe including Linux was an act to pressure Microsoft to release low cost Windows licences. For the majority of the Netbook life, products were roughly: Windows XP Home or Windows 7 Starter, 1.6Ghz Atom or equivalent, 1GB RAM, 160GB Hard drive.
While the processor wasn't good for Crysis, it was adequate for surfing the net, watching movies, using office, remote desktop / SSH, etc. The hard drive was adequate for offloading photos from a digital camera while traveling. At the time they were good as low cost, fairly compact computing devices for simple tasks. They showed the untapped potential for such devices, which eventually morphed into Tablets and better smartphones.
Contrary to popular belief, Windows 7 Starter does not use any less resources than Home Premium or Professional, they just decontented the operating system as a means of differentiation at such a low cost.
The RAM could usually be upgraded to 2GB, and the hard drive could be easily upgraded to a larger one if you wanted to bring a larger one (like 1TB) if you wanted more storage.
This is just looks like a revival of the failed Windows 10 S in a new form. No one wanted that and no one will want this version of it either.
You mean a revival of the failed Windows RT?
Windows CE?
Win32 app compatibility is the only reason people continue to use Windows. People use it in spite of Microsoft, not because of them.
I think it is just we have a bigger data requirement.
^^^
this.
It's Parkinson's law: data requirements expand to fill the bandwidth available.
Whether or not there's any reason you need more data.
This is it.
If you're reading a news article (for example), requirements haven't really changed since print. You want some text, and a few images. Text is very bandwidth efficient, and the pictures you usually only glance at are 2.5"x1.5" and don't need to be super high res. Even if you have an 8k phone, you're scrolling by. Click to load a larger picture.
But webpages include bundled custom fonts you don't care about, 93 tracking JavaScript plugins for social media sites and ads, 15 JavaScript frameworks where a fraction of the framework is used, 16k resolution stock images, and videos that you don't care about that start playing.
Apps themselves also feel that they are privileged to use your background data to give you nonsense advertisement notifications, or download updates at any time.
If I was watching an hour of video on commute every day, I'd be more apt to queue it up offline (Netflix offers offline mode, or download torrents at home and load onto the phone). Mostly to not hit data cap, but also so it will keep working through coverage deadspots. Likewise I have offline playlists on Google Play Music to not tie up too much bandwidth.
This is how I listen to music at the gym, and watch videos while doing cardio. The gym is in a basement so cell coverage is spotty at best.
8.1 / Server 2012R2 suffered from an OS with an identity crisis:
Good kernel improvements under the hood, good improvements to some of the utilities (task manager, added Win+x / Right click start button menu)
But completely fucked up others: Start "menu" designed for tablets even though the OS was only used on desktops/laptops, half the control panel functionality designed for a phone, the rest for Windows 95; random notifications on your SERVER OPERATING SYSTEM saying "Tap here to change your settings".
But it was ok. Classic Shell dealt with the worst of the worst, and the rest of the quirkiness could be dealt with because it was stable.
Then came Windows 10.
First came the forced upgrades from 7/8.1 Then came the circlejerk in the community "ZOMG it's so much better than Windows 8.1 because startmenu". Even though the start menu is worse than a freeware addon that pretends to be a previous version (classic shell). It has random ads and animations, lacks organizations, and has an "assistant" I keep trying to disable. And it still has an identity crisis in the settings. Half are still for a phone, the other half for Windows 95. And for some reason it wants to send all my data to www.microsoft.com
Then come the forced updates.
Oh you have an important render/compile going on overnight? An important meeting to go to today? Too bad, time for a new upgrade! Not just a 5 minute security update you used to curse when you shutdown your old XP laptop with a dead battery. No this is an upgrade, please wait 65 minutes and three reboots. Will your drivers still run? Programs still be there? Operating system still be activated? Built in basic programs like Paint still be there? Data still be there? Who knows!? This is the fun of Agile!
Those were also the days where you could ping a PC with a mis-configured modem: "+++ATH0<CR>" and it would hang up because it didn't need a delay after +++ for AT commands..
So you'd go on IRC, message someone you didn't like "Click", then disconnect them. Then they couldn't rejoin with the same Nickname for a while.
I love how you compare this to NT4/95, where something as simple as specifying a minor typo in a font name through their GDI API would blue screen the entire OS.
I never had a lot of experiance with it, but I thought NT4 was supposed to be stable (unlike Win9x).
My favorite way of blue-screening Windows 9x back in the day was to go on random forums and add an image:
<img src="file:///C:/con/con">
I rent a fairly large place for $700 a month. I have no interest in spending my weekends, or spare money, on upkeep. The housing market is fairly stagnant here and I know people that had to sell their houses for less than they bought. As well my utility costs are significantly lower than a house.
I have a good gig where I'm working, but if another opportunity came up elsewhere, I could bail pretty quick without the financial burden of a house.
With a phone people crave new and shiny more often because they fit a different need. People want more data in a smaller package, which means chasing the latest cellular technology even if the phone is otherwise up to task.
I think the problem with phones is that because they are carried around all day, everyday, and go through more charge cycles, they are more prone to wearing out quicker. About 6 months ago I replaced my 2012 era Nexus 4 with a new S8. The battery has really become weak (won't make a day), the phone is more apt to randomly crash/reboot, and crappy bloated websites / apps are more apt to slow it down to the point of being barely usable. Otherwise I was satisfied with the featureset and size of the phone. It made no sense dumping money into trying to repair that phone if I could get a brand new N-1 flagship phone with modern OS, superior camera, more RAM / storage, and faster CPU for free (on contract).
The phone was free on contract, but would cost $1000 outright, which I wouldn't pay. Wifi tablet purchases wouldn't be subsidized, and I wouldn't pay that much for a tablet.
Correction. A3 is 514mm / 20.2" diagonal.
OTOH, I would happily buy an A3 E-ink ebook reader with sound. I want it to read datasheets with schematics in on the workbench or in the field. Meanwhile, I will go on using my 3rd gen Kindle.
A3? As in 364mm / 14.3" diagonal? (For those in the US, A3 is about the size of 11"x17" paper).
I would be happy with a solid A4 / 8.5"x11" reader, as many PDFs are approximately that size.
A good landing is one you can walk away from. A great landing is when the aircraft can be used again. Landing in a field or median may result in more damage.
Here's a highway landing
recently in the UK an ad for a Nissan Micra was banned for depicting excessive speed... a fucking Micra? but I digress
False advertising? The Micra would never make the speed limit, let alone over