"Obscene copyright laws" are not what allows them to charge outrageous amounts for what are, essentially, non-existent goods; market demand does.
No, it's obscene copyright laws which are essentially perpetual. A perpetual government granted monopoly is as anti-market as you can get. They can cherge that price because there is no market.
Incorrect; think about this from a base, supply vs demand standpoint: Regardless of draconian copyright laws, If Amazon knows Joe the Consumer will pay $12.99 for an ebook, they'll charge $12.99 for it; if no one buys ebooks from Amazon for $12.99, and OtherRetailer.com starts selling their ebooks for $9.99, Amazon will either drop their prices or lose out completely.
Similarly, if Joe the Consumer realized he can have a tangible, irrevocable version of the ebook (we just call them "books" around these parts) for even less than what the online retailers are charging, he'd be a complete moron (IMO) to waste money renting* ebooks from online retailers.
Now, that's not to say that insane copyright duration doesn't play its own role, but to blame the entire pricing scheme on copyright is to exhibit a complete ignorance of basic economics.
* If you pay for something, but the person you paid can take it away from you without giving you a refund, you don't own, you're renting.
Lame. When asked about figurines we want the guy with the cool features. Many-Faces where you can turn the faces around, Skunk Man which smells bad. That green furry guy because it is like a stuffed animal but Cool and Tough and Tough and Cool...
Battle Damage that gives more damage after each punch.
I figured you'd be more of an Orko kinda guy...
RE: Castle Greyskull - still have an original, and all the accessories. Battle Cat, too.
Might just break that bad boy out tonight for nostalgia's sake.
The idea is to have fans put up the money to bring bands to their city by buying premium tickets. If the goal is met and the band is booked, general box office tickets are sold.
What if the goal isn't met? Do I get a full refund, or will I be charged a "service fee?"
Will I get a refund at all?
If the show sells enough at the box office, or sells out, the original premium ticket holders get a full refund and keep their ticket, effectively seeing the show they helped bring for free.
What if the show doesn't "sell enough at the box office?" Does the band cancel the show? Do I get my money back?
What happens if we reach the goal but no Box Office Tickets sell?
Then the fans who funded the show get an exclusive show and have already paid for their tickets.
What happens if we don’t reach the goal?
Fans who purchased BringTickets receive a full refund.
OK, that's... that's actually kinda cool. Especially the "exclusive show" part.
Conclusion: I like this idea; maybe now we can get some half decent shows in the podunk, BFE, third-largest-city-in-the-state where I happen to reside.
you stop using the services and infrastructure that "stolen money" pays for
Hmmm...I pay some $4000 dollars a year for schools. I don't have kids. Why am I paying for other peoples crotch fruit to be baby sat (and maybe even learn a little) 8 hours a day.
I'm in the same boat, and I always found it stupid.
OTOH, it gives you an excuse to mandate what the kids are taught, even if you don't have any that attend the school, like this asshole did.
I doubt that situation will change, unless in-district pedophiles start mandating mini-skirt school uniforms for kindergartners, or some equally sick shit.
I'll gladly pay for services I use. Mind you I'd expect complete openness about how that money is being spent. Quarterly reports on what was payed to who for what and the like. Kinda like SOX for the government. When I pay for something from a business I usually have some selections to choose from. Features are detailed and limitations are typically reported on.
Agreed. Mind you, I wasn't in any way implying the government is (ever) right, or that they (ever) spend our money on the right things, just pointing out how only idiots refer to taxation as theft.
The exceptions are the cases where the government has stepped in to limit things. You know, like patents and copyrights and cellular and internet. In those cases competition is limited by government regulation thus the choices are constrained and the prices are ridiculous. Why does the US, the country that invented the internet (don't bring up Berners-Lee, he came up with one protocol that runs on the internet), have the worst and most expensive cellular and internet service of developed nations?
Not because patents and copyrights, as concepts, are flawed. Rather, it is the current implementation, heavily influenced by industry giants who pay off legislators to pass laws in their own favor, that is the issue.
Walt Disney deserved a copyright for Mickey, but that copyright should have died with him (or soon thereafter).
Take an e-book for example. It's marginal cost is way less that that of a printed book and primarily due to DRM it's worth is actually less to me yet publishers are able to charge MORE than a paper book costs because of obscene copyright laws.
"Obscene copyright laws" are not what allows them to charge outrageous amounts for what are, essentially, non-existent goods; market demand does. So long as the majority of people who use ebooks are willing to put up with the bullshit, one-sided aspect of 'ownership,' the publishers and vendors will continue to not give a fuck.
It's a "Thank you sir, may I have another" kinda thing, ya know?
A three year old being able to figure out basic GUI operations conversely does not equate to an OS being overly simplified.
A three year old being able to figure out basic GUI operations also does not mean it is "intuitively design." It might mean that the interface is chock full of primary colors and simple pictograms, the kind of stuff three year old children really latch on to.
I don't think that patents were ever about "inspiring creativity". They were always about protecting your "invention" from competition.
Unless we're talking about inventions created by the likes of Mother Theresa, those two are often one in the same.
Why should I waste time inventing something, if I can't make money off of it? Nothing wrong with altruism, but I've got a household to feed.
I really don't think patents serve any socially useful purpose. They are just create monopolies on ideas which are exploited by corporations. The result is that the consumer has less choice and higher costs (and companies higher profits).
Then you don't understand the true purpose of patents (not that I blame you; there's been a lot of intentional obfuscation of that topic over recent years); I'll give an example:
My dad is an inventor. He designs accessories for various types of "toy" trailers (by "toy" I mean ATVs, boats, jetskis, et. al). If he couldn't patent his designs, some massive corporation like Bass Pro Shops could take a quick look at the design, replicate it, and have it in every Bass Pro store in the nation by the end of the week. My dad, the guy who did all the work figuring out what needed to be done and designing the product, gets fucked.
Stuff like the aforementioned are why we have a patent process to begin with. Granted, it's a royally fucked up process at this point, but that doesn't change the fact of its necessity.
Unless, of course, you're of the mentality that mega-corporations should be the only one's who make any money, in which case I know of a particularly short pier you should take a long walk on.
But isn't that the ideal way to run government? Like a business? Instead of stealing our hard-earned money?
...
I really, really hope that's sarcasm...
If not, I'll make you a deal: I'll get the government to stop "stealing your money," and in return, you stop using the services and infrastructure that "stolen money" pays for.
Admit it, if you use Windows, it's only because it runs your software.
I've got some software that's Windows only (like pretty much all my games), but that's not my main reason: Linux doesn't play well with the particular Broadcom wireless card my laptop uses.
So, my choices are A) boot into Debian and spend the first 10 minutes fighting with the wireless (and usually losing), or B) Boot into Win7 and get some shit done.
If it makes you feel any better, I don't blame Linux - I blame Broadcom. The whole situation bums me out:(
And lastly, if you design an interface for 3 year olds and idiots, only 3 year olds and idiots are going to like it. Welcome to the Idiocracy interface.
Seriously, why is that not the bigger focus here? Amazon can repossess your digital stuff without refund or recourse!
What makes you think it is your digital stuff?
You really think that's a legitimate question? It's mine because I paid for it, just like with any other good or commodity - being in digital format doesn't change squat except the medium used to view it.
If I sold you a book, then later came to your house and said you have to give me the book back because I don't like you anymore (BTW, I'm keeping your money, too), would you surrender it? If so, you'd be the dumbest person I'd ever met (but always welcome in my shop, just like all suckers!)
Where do you get the idea that ebooks purchased from Amazon should be treated any different?
I love how all these "new" cutters and shapers and printers are nothing more than your standard 2D CNC mills with the "mill" part swapped out in favor of a laser, or water jet, or extrusion nozzle... I guess if it ain't borked, don't fix it, right?
What I'm imagining will happen here is that the software will have the capability long before the hardware does. There was a long period of time where a mouse was an optional item for a desktop computer. Economy of scale may make the same true of the touchscreen. Only time will tell, of course.
IMO, Laptops should already come with touchscreens at this point... not really sure why they don't. Paraphrasing the intro to The Six Million Dollar Man, we have the technology...
If you've got an iPad, try Splashtop's Windowns 8 remote access app. It hooks into Windows 8 through a HID driver, and gives an excellent idea of what the interface is supposed to be like.
I don't, but I will readily admit how useful that would be... to the handful of people developing Metro Apps, anyway. Oh, and MS salespeople (although giving a Win8 usage demo on an Android/Apple tablet might not be the best way to go...)
On the other, Apple is well-known for demanding and pushing lower pricing
Since when???
The price they, Apple, pays.
The real question is, if it's so "well-known" that Apple pays less and less for parts with each generation, why aren't Apple customers pushing Apple for lower prices on their finished goods?
I assume it has something to do with that old "sucker born every minute" adage...
No, what he's saying is that Chevy shouldn't be able to prevent you from installing a new engine in your '57 just because they no longer support the platform.
According to PC World, you can still continue to activate the software.
Yea, and according to my contract with Verizon, I have access to unlimited data, but we both know that's not really the case.
As for XP activation lasting beyond 2014, I'll believe it when I see it.
Tried it; Took over 20 minutes to boot the installer in a VM with 2 cores and 2 GB of RAM. Once I finally managed to get the behemoth installed, (and after another 10 minutes of booting), I get presented with the ugliest, most useless interface I've ever seen on a desktop machine.
Not interested.
If it took you 20 minutes to load WinPE 4, which the installer is built from, then I'd go so far as to say you've got bigger problems than not liking the interface. I can't say I've tried it, but I'm pretty sure you can flat-boot (no RAM Disk) WinPE 4 with less than 100 MB of RAM. You can count the services that start up on your fingers.
Can't verify that, all I know is what I experienced.
Metro apps aren't very good with a keyboard and mouse. Try them with a touchscreen.
Don't have one, and I'm sure as hell not going out and buying one just to try out some lame OS I have no intention of ever actually using. Not to mention, what a bullshit sales strategy - "Oh, our new system won't run on what you already own? Then just buy new stuff!"
I've got a better idea - I'll keep using the equipment I already have, and MicroShaft can go fuck themselves.
Maybe you should actually try Windows 8 before ranting about it. There is a lot more to it then just the metro stuff.
Tried it; Took over 20 minutes to boot the installer in a VM with 2 cores and 2 GB of RAM. Once I finally managed to get the behemoth installed, (and after another 10 minutes of booting), I get presented with the ugliest, most useless interface I've ever seen on a desktop machine.
Slashdot Mirror
MIT, Caltech, Harvard, and other universities in Europe
I understand what they mean, but it's a silly way to write it. Maybe Slashdot should have someone who edits submissions.
How would you revise it without adding anything?
Best I can come up with is
MIT, Caltech, and Harvard, as well as some European universities
MIT, Caltech, Harvard, and some universities in Europe
MIT, Caltech, Harvard, and several universities in Europe
MIT, Caltech, Harvard, and a handful of universities in Europe
MIT, Caltech, Harvard, and a number of universities in Europe
Best Case, per your criteria of no additions:
MIT, Caltech, Harvard, and universities in Europe
No need for superfluous words, especially words that imply specific connection... like 'other.'
The point is it will give them higher data rates for free which they can then charge extra for.
If you believe carriers will get rich and fat from this, then by all means, buy stock! They are public companies. Put your money where your mouth is.
I'd put my money in hay bales, personally, considering people such as AC here's propensity for building strawmen.
"Obscene copyright laws" are not what allows them to charge outrageous amounts for what are, essentially, non-existent goods; market demand does.
No, it's obscene copyright laws which are essentially perpetual. A perpetual government granted monopoly is as anti-market as you can get. They can cherge that price because there is no market.
Incorrect; think about this from a base, supply vs demand standpoint: Regardless of draconian copyright laws, If Amazon knows Joe the Consumer will pay $12.99 for an ebook, they'll charge $12.99 for it; if no one buys ebooks from Amazon for $12.99, and OtherRetailer.com starts selling their ebooks for $9.99, Amazon will either drop their prices or lose out completely.
Similarly, if Joe the Consumer realized he can have a tangible, irrevocable version of the ebook (we just call them "books" around these parts) for even less than what the online retailers are charging, he'd be a complete moron (IMO) to waste money renting* ebooks from online retailers.
Now, that's not to say that insane copyright duration doesn't play its own role, but to blame the entire pricing scheme on copyright is to exhibit a complete ignorance of basic economics.
* If you pay for something, but the person you paid can take it away from you without giving you a refund, you don't own, you're renting.
Lame. When asked about figurines we want the guy with the cool features. Many-Faces where you can turn the faces around, Skunk Man which smells bad. That green furry guy because it is like a stuffed animal but Cool and Tough and Tough and Cool... Battle Damage that gives more damage after each punch.
I figured you'd be more of an Orko kinda guy...
RE: Castle Greyskull - still have an original, and all the accessories. Battle Cat, too.
Might just break that bad boy out tonight for nostalgia's sake.
I HAVE THE POWER!!!!!
They named it "coded TCP", not TCP.
Yea, the phrasing was written in the most confusing way possible.
On second thought, I take that back - it could have been written in Esperanto.
What if the goal isn't met? Do I get a full refund, or will I be charged a "service fee?"
Will I get a refund at all?
What if the show doesn't "sell enough at the box office?" Does the band cancel the show? Do I get my money back?
From the FAQ:
OK, that's... that's actually kinda cool. Especially the "exclusive show" part.
Conclusion: I like this idea; maybe now we can get some half decent shows in the podunk, BFE, third-largest-city-in-the-state where I happen to reside.
you stop using the services and infrastructure that "stolen money" pays for
Hmmm...I pay some $4000 dollars a year for schools. I don't have kids. Why am I paying for other peoples crotch fruit to be baby sat (and maybe even learn a little) 8 hours a day.
I'm in the same boat, and I always found it stupid.
OTOH, it gives you an excuse to mandate what the kids are taught, even if you don't have any that attend the school, like this asshole did.
I doubt that situation will change, unless in-district pedophiles start mandating mini-skirt school uniforms for kindergartners, or some equally sick shit.
I'll gladly pay for services I use. Mind you I'd expect complete openness about how that money is being spent. Quarterly reports on what was payed to who for what and the like. Kinda like SOX for the government. When I pay for something from a business I usually have some selections to choose from. Features are detailed and limitations are typically reported on.
Agreed. Mind you, I wasn't in any way implying the government is (ever) right, or that they (ever) spend our money on the right things, just pointing out how only idiots refer to taxation as theft.
The exceptions are the cases where the government has stepped in to limit things. You know, like patents and copyrights and cellular and internet. In those cases competition is limited by government regulation thus the choices are constrained and the prices are ridiculous. Why does the US, the country that invented the internet (don't bring up Berners-Lee, he came up with one protocol that runs on the internet), have the worst and most expensive cellular and internet service of developed nations?
Not because patents and copyrights, as concepts, are flawed. Rather, it is the current implementation, heavily influenced by industry giants who pay off legislators to pass laws in their own favor, that is the issue.
Walt Disney deserved a copyright for Mickey, but that copyright should have died with him (or soon thereafter).
Take an e-book for example. It's marginal cost is way less that that of a printed book and primarily due to DRM it's worth is actually less to me yet publishers are able to charge MORE than a paper book costs because of obscene copyright laws.
"Obscene copyright laws" are not what allows them to charge outrageous amounts for what are, essentially, non-existent goods; market demand does. So long as the majority of people who use ebooks are willing to put up with the bullshit, one-sided aspect of 'ownership,' the publishers and vendors will continue to not give a fuck.
It's a "Thank you sir, may I have another" kinda thing, ya know?
But, is your kid 3 years old and running it on Windows 8?
Didn't you read the article you're referencing? Windows 8 is only for people with half a brain.
bpechter and his kid obviously have whole ones.
Condescending childishness ignored, obviously.
A three year old being able to figure out basic GUI operations conversely does not equate to an OS being overly simplified.
A three year old being able to figure out basic GUI operations also does not mean it is "intuitively design." It might mean that the interface is chock full of primary colors and simple pictograms, the kind of stuff three year old children really latch on to.
I don't think that patents were ever about "inspiring creativity". They were always about protecting your "invention" from competition.
Unless we're talking about inventions created by the likes of Mother Theresa, those two are often one in the same.
Why should I waste time inventing something, if I can't make money off of it? Nothing wrong with altruism, but I've got a household to feed.
I really don't think patents serve any socially useful purpose. They are just create monopolies on ideas which are exploited by corporations. The result is that the consumer has less choice and higher costs (and companies higher profits).
Then you don't understand the true purpose of patents (not that I blame you; there's been a lot of intentional obfuscation of that topic over recent years); I'll give an example:
My dad is an inventor. He designs accessories for various types of "toy" trailers (by "toy" I mean ATVs, boats, jetskis, et. al). If he couldn't patent his designs, some massive corporation like Bass Pro Shops could take a quick look at the design, replicate it, and have it in every Bass Pro store in the nation by the end of the week. My dad, the guy who did all the work figuring out what needed to be done and designing the product, gets fucked.
Stuff like the aforementioned are why we have a patent process to begin with. Granted, it's a royally fucked up process at this point, but that doesn't change the fact of its necessity.
Unless, of course, you're of the mentality that mega-corporations should be the only one's who make any money, in which case I know of a particularly short pier you should take a long walk on.
But isn't that the ideal way to run government? Like a business? Instead of stealing our hard-earned money?
...
I really, really hope that's sarcasm...
If not, I'll make you a deal: I'll get the government to stop "stealing your money," and in return, you stop using the services and infrastructure that "stolen money" pays for.
Don't we want intuitively-designed GUIs? If anyone can use it, it's a sign of success, not failure.
intuitively-designed != overly simplified.
Note the article doesn't say that "anyone can use it," it specifically states that a 3-year-old can.
I am not a three-year-old.
Admit it, if you use Windows, it's only because it runs your software.
I've got some software that's Windows only (like pretty much all my games), but that's not my main reason: Linux doesn't play well with the particular Broadcom wireless card my laptop uses.
:(
So, my choices are A) boot into Debian and spend the first 10 minutes fighting with the wireless (and usually losing), or B) Boot into Win7 and get some shit done.
If it makes you feel any better, I don't blame Linux - I blame Broadcom. The whole situation bums me out
And lastly, if you design an interface for 3 year olds and idiots, only 3 year olds and idiots are going to like it. Welcome to the Idiocracy interface.
Aw, but but but... It's got what plants crave!
It's got the Windows App Store!!!
Seriously, why is that not the bigger focus here? Amazon can repossess your digital stuff without refund or recourse!
What makes you think it is your digital stuff?
You really think that's a legitimate question? It's mine because I paid for it, just like with any other good or commodity - being in digital format doesn't change squat except the medium used to view it.
If I sold you a book, then later came to your house and said you have to give me the book back because I don't like you anymore (BTW, I'm keeping your money, too), would you surrender it? If so, you'd be the dumbest person I'd ever met (but always welcome in my shop, just like all suckers!)
Where do you get the idea that ebooks purchased from Amazon should be treated any different?
I love how all these "new" cutters and shapers and printers are nothing more than your standard 2D CNC mills with the "mill" part swapped out in favor of a laser, or water jet, or extrusion nozzle... I guess if it ain't borked, don't fix it, right?
What'll we think of next?
NASA could just upload the stills to Flickr and the videos to Youtube and save some money.
Great idea; I mean, what could possibly go wrong?
What I'm imagining will happen here is that the software will have the capability long before the hardware does. There was a long period of time where a mouse was an optional item for a desktop computer. Economy of scale may make the same true of the touchscreen. Only time will tell, of course.
IMO, Laptops should already come with touchscreens at this point... not really sure why they don't. Paraphrasing the intro to The Six Million Dollar Man, we have the technology...
If you've got an iPad, try Splashtop's Windowns 8 remote access app. It hooks into Windows 8 through a HID driver, and gives an excellent idea of what the interface is supposed to be like.
I don't, but I will readily admit how useful that would be... to the handful of people developing Metro Apps, anyway. Oh, and MS salespeople (although giving a Win8 usage demo on an Android/Apple tablet might not be the best way to go...)
On the other, Apple is well-known for demanding and pushing lower pricing
Since when???
The price they, Apple, pays.
The real question is, if it's so "well-known" that Apple pays less and less for parts with each generation, why aren't Apple customers pushing Apple for lower prices on their finished goods?
I assume it has something to do with that old "sucker born every minute" adage...
What about Hairy Cu... ah, you know what, let's just skip that one...
No, what he's saying is that Chevy shouldn't be able to prevent you from installing a new engine in your '57 just because they no longer support the platform.
According to PC World, you can still continue to activate the software.
Yea, and according to my contract with Verizon, I have access to unlimited data, but we both know that's not really the case.
As for XP activation lasting beyond 2014, I'll believe it when I see it.
Tried it; Took over 20 minutes to boot the installer in a VM with 2 cores and 2 GB of RAM. Once I finally managed to get the behemoth installed, (and after another 10 minutes of booting), I get presented with the ugliest, most useless interface I've ever seen on a desktop machine. Not interested.
If it took you 20 minutes to load WinPE 4, which the installer is built from, then I'd go so far as to say you've got bigger problems than not liking the interface. I can't say I've tried it, but I'm pretty sure you can flat-boot (no RAM Disk) WinPE 4 with less than 100 MB of RAM. You can count the services that start up on your fingers.
Can't verify that, all I know is what I experienced.
Metro apps aren't very good with a keyboard and mouse. Try them with a touchscreen.
Don't have one, and I'm sure as hell not going out and buying one just to try out some lame OS I have no intention of ever actually using. Not to mention, what a bullshit sales strategy - "Oh, our new system won't run on what you already own? Then just buy new stuff!"
I've got a better idea - I'll keep using the equipment I already have, and MicroShaft can go fuck themselves.
No, it's more like Coca-Cola recommending consumers not to drink from expired cans.
No it's not.
This was a bad analogy from the start, and only got worse as the replies started to accumulate..
Maybe you should actually try Windows 8 before ranting about it. There is a lot more to it then just the metro stuff.
Tried it; Took over 20 minutes to boot the installer in a VM with 2 cores and 2 GB of RAM. Once I finally managed to get the behemoth installed, (and after another 10 minutes of booting), I get presented with the ugliest, most useless interface I've ever seen on a desktop machine.
Not interested.