Look at how much Linux desktops have evolved over the last 8 years. Actually- just over the last four. Also- look at how Apple's OS has evolved over the same time period.
The only company that seems to be having a hard time evolving a desktop OS is Microsoft.
The new ad campaign isn't any better, and is considerably less entertaining.
They are trying to make Mac (or possibly other OS) users out to be elitist, while promoting the PC as the everyman's computer, or "The Computer of the People".
The problem is- most everyday-ordinary people, like those in depicted their ads, can't even get Vista to run on their computers. They face expensive upgrades or buying a new PC, which they probably can't afford. Many have spent YEARS just trying to get XP to work consistantly and have spent lots of time and money protecting themselves from malware.
I'm an IT manager. While we have kept Vista off our corporate desktops, we have to support outside sales staff and their home computers. Several have "upgraded" or bought new computers with Vista pre-installed. It's been a disaster. My help desk staff spends almost all of their time trying to help Vista users. Meanwhile- we started rolling out Macs to some of our internal staff- NO ISSUES! We even gave one to our biggest (for 10+ years) "ID10T" staff members, who seems to attract computer problems like a magnet. He loves it, and hasn't had ANY problems in the three months he's been using it.
I've been using Ubuntu or 2+ years, although I also have a couple of Macs and an (unused) XP machine. I almost got Ubuntu on some of our desktops, except they screwed the pooch with gvfs/nautilus and SMB authentication with Hardy.:( Even with this fault- it works a lot better (faster, more reliable) than Vista on the same hardware.
I actually used to be a fan of Microsoft. NT certainly made configuring and managing a corporate network easier than Netware. But it, and pretty much everything Microsoft has turned out since Windows first came to being, had one big flaw. Microsoft seems more concerned with making things "pretty", than making them functional, reliable, and secure. That is what they need to do to REALLY win people back.
Ever try to get Flash to work on 64-bit Linux? It isn't pretty. Yes- you can get the 32-bit version to work "most" of the time, and if you are lucky you can open a few sites with Flash before it locks up, but it is NOT the free universal solution it is touted to be.
Then again- at least it IS available for all platforms, unlike Silverlight. I haven't tried Mono yet as a Silverlight alternative, and just avoid Web sites that use it. If they want to sell-out to Microsoft by excluding Linux users- I will find another company/service to use.
I always keep a couple of older machines in my office for when this happens. I can boot an Ubuntu LiveCD and be up and running in minutes. No way in hell I'm driving 30 miles to retrieve my laptop...
I use Qwest DSL and I'm pretty much convinced they do this. I have the same problems with both Vonage and T-Mobile's @Home mobile VoIP, as well as several tests I've done using other VoIP providers, and my company's VoIP system.
Both inbound and outbound VoIP packets are being dropped with high frequency, regardless of QoS tweaking using two different routers. I've got 7mbit/1mbit D/U service too- so bandwidth certainly shouldn't be an issue. I very seldom use BitTorrent for anything. Just surfing the Web or downloading software updates is enough to kill VoIP for me. It's even gotten really bad with NO OTHER Internet traffic on my link.
I've complained to Qwest and they have sent techs out several times to check the connection- naturally they can find nothing wrong with it. Of course- their solution to the problem is to buy their own VoIP service, which costs more than a standard phone line while offering less than Vonage for services.
As someone else said- at least then THEY would have to fix the problem.
And yet, most large corporations require a 4-year degree (or more) just to get into the interview process for a job, regardless of one's real-world experience. We can see from this how much a lot of those 4-year degrees are really worth.
My philosophy is if someone is ignorant enough to leave a WiFi connection open- I'll access it if I have to. I've generally only done this in "emergencies" where I need to take care of a problem at my office and I'm not where Internet access can be had "legitimately". It's usually easy to find an open connection within a block or two of wherever I am.
I DO NOT try to break WEB/WPA keys or otherwise circumvent any security on a connection. In that respect- I believe I am within the law. I also only use it to access the Internet, and I don't try to crack/hack anything on the open network (even though they would likely be easy prey).
I do know several people in my neighborhood that use others' open WiFi connections as their primary Internet access. I just think that's dangerous and cheap.
I have to agree with what has already been said- it won't work. Legit sites will get caught in the net and the lawsuits will ensue.
Anyone who has had to deal with Internet filtering systems like Websense knows they are problematic at-best. I can't imagine using an ISP that runs something like that.
It seems to me that if they know enough about the kiddie pr0n sites to block them- they should have enough information to provide authorities to get them shut down.
Aren't there enough already? I know we don't want Linux to get stagnant (if that's even possible) but there are already hundreds of distributions, with a handful (or two) of "major" ones.
If he wants to make Linux easier to use- why not team up with {insert your favorite desktop distribution here}?
And really- "Exherbo"? What is that supposed to mean? It was hard enough to get my head around "Ubuntu".
Unfortunately- there are a lot of "uppity online geeks" out there right now. They seem to delight in telling people to RTFM, flagging bug reports as dupes, and sending people on wild goose chases through the Internet. All requiring more effort than simply answering the damn question or throwing out a command line entry.
It's really sad- because it is one of the things that is really holding Linux back. I've been using Linux as a server platform for over a decade, and have been using Desktop Linux for about two years now. I still come across problems I can't find answers to online. Admittedly I'm usually asking the wrong question, or I can't figure out exactly what package or program is causing the problem. If I can't find an answer- I'll post a question or report a bug. Inevitably some "uppity online geek" will post some smart-ass response, instead of actually providing a solution to the problem or pointing me in the right direction. I can't imagine how this looks to someone NEW to Linux who has no idea where to go or what to do.
Okay, I know it is probably flame-bait, but there is NOTHING on NBC worth recording as far as I'm concerned anyway, so- I don't really care.
Okay, I do care that if NBC gets away with it (and doesn't drive their viewers away)- the other networks start doing it too. If CBS or some of the cable networks do- I'll be really pissed.
I also refuse to use any software written by Microsoft. I'm sure if there isn't already a hack/crack to get around the broadcast flag- there will be, and it will probably come to Linux and Mac WAY before it comes to Windows.
If a network wants to limit my ability to watch their programming whenever I want (which VCRs made possible around 30 years ago), than I just won't watch it. I got a PVR/DVR so my life wouldn't have to revolve around TV- I'm not going to change that because of a greedy network.
Okay, it's Slashdot, I'm probably the 99th person to suggest this...
I get old laptops from my employer on a fairly regular basis. They are too old and slow for our staff to use, but we just can bring ourselves to throwing them away.
I use them as file, print, and special purpose (backup, jukebox, entertainment) servers at home. It's amazing what you can do with Linux and one or more cheap USB HDDs and network adapters (if it is a REALLY old laptop).
They make perfect home servers because by their nature- they are very energy efficient. I've also found they actually stack quite nicely, since once you have Linux installed- you don't need to use the screen or keyboard. You can use the one on top as a console.:)
If the batteries still have a litte bit of life left in them- you've got built-in UPS capabilities too. If the battery is toast- I recommend just pulling it. The charging circuit is just wasting power and you've got a minimal risk of fire if the battery goes really bad and it overheats.
On the one hand, I think people can be overly paranoid about things like this. They aren't going to go out of their way to search your laptop unless they have a reason to feel you present a hazard, and if they do- I really doubt they will devote all that much time to decrypting encrypted data unless they REALLY think you are a potential danger.
On the other hand- privacy at least USED to be a big deal in this country, and I don't like the idea of having to give that up if I travel internationally. Also- many people traveling with laptops are doing so on business. How many corporations out there (domestic and international) are going to want the US Government poking around in their laptops?
Also- if it isn't challenged- it's a very small step for DHS to just say- "We need to search EVERYONE'S laptops to protect America!" I have enough problems with TSA every time I travel. I remember a few years ago coming back from a business trip in Germany and being interrogated at the airport. It is almost as bad at several airports here now.
I generally loathe Adobe and I know the Art Department in my company is going to be pissed about this, but I have to admit they have a good reason for doing it.
They really need to just work on having the fastest and most standards-compliant Web browser available. That is what people want and expect from Firefox.
Microsoft has been trying to "blur the lines" of their browser for years, and look at the mess that's ended up being. Once you start blurring the lines and hooking more and more into the operating system- you create security and reliability risks. Firefox is popular now because it is more standards compliant than IE 7 (and probably IE 8) and is considerably safer and more reliable. Why ruin a good thing?
I tried Vista on two machines running ATI cards- a desktop and laptop. They crashed an average of 2-3 times a day (BSOD). In all cases- Microsoft blamed the ATI video drivers, which I kept updated from ATI and Microsoft's own updates. I got fed up with it after a month.
I dropped Windows completely and went with Ubuntu Linux. It has issues with video cards too, but aside from not being able to enable some eye-candy- it almost never crashes. (Usually the only time it does is when I try to tweak video settings or try new drivers.)
Video card drivers are probably the number one problem with computers right now, in ANY operating system. It wouldn't surprise me if they are responsible for a lot of game console crashes too.
Where on Earth do you work that you have to be THAT concerned about your computer in a cubicle farm? Does your company have NO security at all? How do the other workers there lock up their hardware? Are you working in a prison or something?
Take the laptop home with you at night if you are that worried about it, and lock everything else up in a file cabinet or desk drawer. If the company won't let you take the laptop home- then why the hell are you worried about someone else taking it? What's the point of even having a laptop if you can't take it with you? If you back things up to a USB drive- take that with you if you can. At least if it does get ripped off- you will still have your data.
If you have to leave it- just get a cable lock and lock your Windows desktop before you go. If you want higher security, and have access- lock it up in the server room or a wiring closet. You can still keep it powered on and connected to the network there.
It's also always a good idea to password protect your laptop's HDD and BIOS. Sure- there are ways to bypass them, but several layers of security are always better than just one. As another layer- encrypt your NTFS data. Be sure to save the encryption key somewhere (like on a thumb drive at home), or you are screwed if Windows crashes and you have to re-install. You can also use any of a variety of encryption programs, like TrueCrypt.
I wish I could rescind my own posts... I should have RTFA- there is an exclusion for "Internet Access". This mostly applies to people trying to use other network resources, like trying to crack a database or steal media.
Still- it's a matter of personal responsibility. If one leaves their wireless router open- it's an invitation for use. You are essentially just leaving something out on the front yard for someone to take.
Slashdot Mirror
Well- this is Slashdot, so...
Look at how much Linux desktops have evolved over the last 8 years. Actually- just over the last four. Also- look at how Apple's OS has evolved over the same time period.
The only company that seems to be having a hard time evolving a desktop OS is Microsoft.
The new ad campaign isn't any better, and is considerably less entertaining.
They are trying to make Mac (or possibly other OS) users out to be elitist, while promoting the PC as the everyman's computer, or "The Computer of the People".
The problem is- most everyday-ordinary people, like those in depicted their ads, can't even get Vista to run on their computers. They face expensive upgrades or buying a new PC, which they probably can't afford. Many have spent YEARS just trying to get XP to work consistantly and have spent lots of time and money protecting themselves from malware.
I'm an IT manager. While we have kept Vista off our corporate desktops, we have to support outside sales staff and their home computers. Several have "upgraded" or bought new computers with Vista pre-installed. It's been a disaster. My help desk staff spends almost all of their time trying to help Vista users. Meanwhile- we started rolling out Macs to some of our internal staff- NO ISSUES! We even gave one to our biggest (for 10+ years) "ID10T" staff members, who seems to attract computer problems like a magnet. He loves it, and hasn't had ANY problems in the three months he's been using it.
I've been using Ubuntu or 2+ years, although I also have a couple of Macs and an (unused) XP machine. I almost got Ubuntu on some of our desktops, except they screwed the pooch with gvfs/nautilus and SMB authentication with Hardy. :( Even with this fault- it works a lot better (faster, more reliable) than Vista on the same hardware.
I actually used to be a fan of Microsoft. NT certainly made configuring and managing a corporate network easier than Netware. But it, and pretty much everything Microsoft has turned out since Windows first came to being, had one big flaw. Microsoft seems more concerned with making things "pretty", than making them functional, reliable, and secure. That is what they need to do to REALLY win people back.
1. Tell us how great your database is, (ie. postgres, mssql server, oracle etc..)
2. Tell us how shitty mysql is in your eyes.
3. Tell us how mysql "sold out"
So everything under this thread can be modded as "redundant"
Thank You.
LOL! If I had mod-points, I'd be using them here! :)
Ever try to get Flash to work on 64-bit Linux? It isn't pretty. Yes- you can get the 32-bit version to work "most" of the time, and if you are lucky you can open a few sites with Flash before it locks up, but it is NOT the free universal solution it is touted to be.
Then again- at least it IS available for all platforms, unlike Silverlight. I haven't tried Mono yet as a Silverlight alternative, and just avoid Web sites that use it. If they want to sell-out to Microsoft by excluding Linux users- I will find another company/service to use.
The subject says it all.
I always keep a couple of older machines in my office for when this happens. I can boot an Ubuntu LiveCD and be up and running in minutes. No way in hell I'm driving 30 miles to retrieve my laptop...
Amen!
I use Qwest DSL and I'm pretty much convinced they do this. I have the same problems with both Vonage and T-Mobile's @Home mobile VoIP, as well as several tests I've done using other VoIP providers, and my company's VoIP system.
Both inbound and outbound VoIP packets are being dropped with high frequency, regardless of QoS tweaking using two different routers. I've got 7mbit/1mbit D/U service too- so bandwidth certainly shouldn't be an issue. I very seldom use BitTorrent for anything. Just surfing the Web or downloading software updates is enough to kill VoIP for me. It's even gotten really bad with NO OTHER Internet traffic on my link.
I've complained to Qwest and they have sent techs out several times to check the connection- naturally they can find nothing wrong with it. Of course- their solution to the problem is to buy their own VoIP service, which costs more than a standard phone line while offering less than Vonage for services.
As someone else said- at least then THEY would have to fix the problem.
Sorry, I meant to say "...at least some of those 4-year degrees..." I shouldn't imply that most are like that (which they hopefully aren't).
And yet, most large corporations require a 4-year degree (or more) just to get into the interview process for a job, regardless of one's real-world experience. We can see from this how much a lot of those 4-year degrees are really worth.
My philosophy is if someone is ignorant enough to leave a WiFi connection open- I'll access it if I have to. I've generally only done this in "emergencies" where I need to take care of a problem at my office and I'm not where Internet access can be had "legitimately". It's usually easy to find an open connection within a block or two of wherever I am.
I DO NOT try to break WEB/WPA keys or otherwise circumvent any security on a connection. In that respect- I believe I am within the law. I also only use it to access the Internet, and I don't try to crack/hack anything on the open network (even though they would likely be easy prey).
I do know several people in my neighborhood that use others' open WiFi connections as their primary Internet access. I just think that's dangerous and cheap.
I have to agree with what has already been said- it won't work. Legit sites will get caught in the net and the lawsuits will ensue.
Anyone who has had to deal with Internet filtering systems like Websense knows they are problematic at-best. I can't imagine using an ISP that runs something like that.
It seems to me that if they know enough about the kiddie pr0n sites to block them- they should have enough information to provide authorities to get them shut down.
Hmm... Didn't scroll down enough. All I found were references to this project, which seems to be a weed.
Aren't there enough already? I know we don't want Linux to get stagnant (if that's even possible) but there are already hundreds of distributions, with a handful (or two) of "major" ones.
If he wants to make Linux easier to use- why not team up with {insert your favorite desktop distribution here}?
And really- "Exherbo"? What is that supposed to mean? It was hard enough to get my head around "Ubuntu".
Unfortunately- there are a lot of "uppity online geeks" out there right now. They seem to delight in telling people to RTFM, flagging bug reports as dupes, and sending people on wild goose chases through the Internet. All requiring more effort than simply answering the damn question or throwing out a command line entry.
It's really sad- because it is one of the things that is really holding Linux back. I've been using Linux as a server platform for over a decade, and have been using Desktop Linux for about two years now. I still come across problems I can't find answers to online. Admittedly I'm usually asking the wrong question, or I can't figure out exactly what package or program is causing the problem. If I can't find an answer- I'll post a question or report a bug. Inevitably some "uppity online geek" will post some smart-ass response, instead of actually providing a solution to the problem or pointing me in the right direction. I can't imagine how this looks to someone NEW to Linux who has no idea where to go or what to do.
Okay, I know it is probably flame-bait, but there is NOTHING on NBC worth recording as far as I'm concerned anyway, so- I don't really care.
Okay, I do care that if NBC gets away with it (and doesn't drive their viewers away)- the other networks start doing it too. If CBS or some of the cable networks do- I'll be really pissed.
I also refuse to use any software written by Microsoft. I'm sure if there isn't already a hack/crack to get around the broadcast flag- there will be, and it will probably come to Linux and Mac WAY before it comes to Windows.
If a network wants to limit my ability to watch their programming whenever I want (which VCRs made possible around 30 years ago), than I just won't watch it. I got a PVR/DVR so my life wouldn't have to revolve around TV- I'm not going to change that because of a greedy network.
Okay, it's Slashdot, I'm probably the 99th person to suggest this...
:)
I get old laptops from my employer on a fairly regular basis. They are too old and slow for our staff to use, but we just can bring ourselves to throwing them away.
I use them as file, print, and special purpose (backup, jukebox, entertainment) servers at home. It's amazing what you can do with Linux and one or more cheap USB HDDs and network adapters (if it is a REALLY old laptop).
They make perfect home servers because by their nature- they are very energy efficient. I've also found they actually stack quite nicely, since once you have Linux installed- you don't need to use the screen or keyboard. You can use the one on top as a console.
If the batteries still have a litte bit of life left in them- you've got built-in UPS capabilities too. If the battery is toast- I recommend just pulling it. The charging circuit is just wasting power and you've got a minimal risk of fire if the battery goes really bad and it overheats.
This HAS to be challenged again in court soon.
On the one hand, I think people can be overly paranoid about things like this. They aren't going to go out of their way to search your laptop unless they have a reason to feel you present a hazard, and if they do- I really doubt they will devote all that much time to decrypting encrypted data unless they REALLY think you are a potential danger.
On the other hand- privacy at least USED to be a big deal in this country, and I don't like the idea of having to give that up if I travel internationally. Also- many people traveling with laptops are doing so on business. How many corporations out there (domestic and international) are going to want the US Government poking around in their laptops?
Also- if it isn't challenged- it's a very small step for DHS to just say- "We need to search EVERYONE'S laptops to protect America!" I have enough problems with TSA every time I travel. I remember a few years ago coming back from a business trip in Germany and being interrogated at the airport. It is almost as bad at several airports here now.
I generally loathe Adobe and I know the Art Department in my company is going to be pissed about this, but I have to admit they have a good reason for doing it.
If this isn't an April Fools joke- maybe they could get DX-10 to work first, before worrying about DX-11?(!)
Yes! They should get their &%#@! priorities straight!
They really need to just work on having the fastest and most standards-compliant Web browser available. That is what people want and expect from Firefox.
Microsoft has been trying to "blur the lines" of their browser for years, and look at the mess that's ended up being. Once you start blurring the lines and hooking more and more into the operating system- you create security and reliability risks. Firefox is popular now because it is more standards compliant than IE 7 (and probably IE 8) and is considerably safer and more reliable. Why ruin a good thing?
I tried Vista on two machines running ATI cards- a desktop and laptop. They crashed an average of 2-3 times a day (BSOD). In all cases- Microsoft blamed the ATI video drivers, which I kept updated from ATI and Microsoft's own updates. I got fed up with it after a month.
I dropped Windows completely and went with Ubuntu Linux. It has issues with video cards too, but aside from not being able to enable some eye-candy- it almost never crashes. (Usually the only time it does is when I try to tweak video settings or try new drivers.)
Video card drivers are probably the number one problem with computers right now, in ANY operating system. It wouldn't surprise me if they are responsible for a lot of game console crashes too.
Where on Earth do you work that you have to be THAT concerned about your computer in a cubicle farm? Does your company have NO security at all? How do the other workers there lock up their hardware? Are you working in a prison or something?
Take the laptop home with you at night if you are that worried about it, and lock everything else up in a file cabinet or desk drawer. If the company won't let you take the laptop home- then why the hell are you worried about someone else taking it? What's the point of even having a laptop if you can't take it with you? If you back things up to a USB drive- take that with you if you can. At least if it does get ripped off- you will still have your data.
If you have to leave it- just get a cable lock and lock your Windows desktop before you go. If you want higher security, and have access- lock it up in the server room or a wiring closet. You can still keep it powered on and connected to the network there.
It's also always a good idea to password protect your laptop's HDD and BIOS. Sure- there are ways to bypass them, but several layers of security are always better than just one. As another layer- encrypt your NTFS data. Be sure to save the encryption key somewhere (like on a thumb drive at home), or you are screwed if Windows crashes and you have to re-install. You can also use any of a variety of encryption programs, like TrueCrypt.
I wish I could rescind my own posts... I should have RTFA- there is an exclusion for "Internet Access". This mostly applies to people trying to use other network resources, like trying to crack a database or steal media.
Still- it's a matter of personal responsibility. If one leaves their wireless router open- it's an invitation for use. You are essentially just leaving something out on the front yard for someone to take.