I think that the Robolab software has been reworked since then, and includes a variant of the Mindstorms software, which is _very_ object-oriented. Mac adapter cables for the RIS's IR tower are available from PITSCO-dacta .
The difference is *not* purely software; the Scout has two inputs and two outputs, whereas the RCX has three apiece. Also, the Scout is programmed from onboard, onscreen menus. The RCX is not.
The Scout has only two inputs and two outputs (compared to the RCX's three apiece) but doesn't require a PC or IR tower (the IR tower is part of the RIS) to be programmed. The RCX requires that you compile your software on your PC or Mac (the RIS only provides cabling for connecting the IR tower to an 8-pin serial or [using the provided adapter] a 25-pin parallel port, but Mac adapter cables are available from PITSCO/Dacta) before downloading it to the RCX. The Scout can be programmed using the on-screen display and menus.
I would recommend the RIS with the RCX for anyone who wants to get into the guts of the matter, as this will allow you to choose your programming environment, rather than be locked into the built-in environment of the Scout.
There are several kits available from The LEGO Company (TLC) which let you build Mindstorms-style robots; the Robotics Invention System (RIS, the Mindstorms 'basic' set) the Robotics Discovery Set (which has the 'Scout' microcomputer instead of the RCX that comes in the RIS; the Scout doesn't require a PC for you to program it) and the Droid Developer Kit (which has yet another 'Scout'-style programmable brick). These are the three robotics kits available from The Lego Company . Available from Pitsco/DACTA is the RoboLab, a LEGO robotics kit aimed more towards the Educational sector, primarily as a teaching tool for educators looking to teach scientific-minded youths the joys of programming and the wonderment that is robotry. It's available from PITSCO/Dacta. I've ordered stuff from them online without having to prove if I'm an educator, but YMMV.
I've had the Unofficial Guide to LEGO Mindstorms for a month now, and my cats are starting to think I like my robots (Clumsy Pike and Hovis) better than them (Hydrox and Pork Chop, so they don't get jealous)(I think they've got FELUX running on my PC).
I hope that this is of some use to someone looking for the perfect gift for that geek on their Christmas list.
-The Cheese, who's next plan is to RULE THE WORLD!
PS; LEGO also sells a wireless IR remote for controlling the RCX.
I bet it's either an OmniView PS/2 or an OmniView model F1D065 (it's right in front of me). The PS/2 has 4 KVM connections, and uses a shortcut of Alt+Ctrl+Shift+X, with X being the desired port you wish to display. The other one uses the same shortcuts, but has 6 AT connections.
The company I work for (which shall remain nameless) has a strict policy on this sort of thing; our hot'n'juicy lawyers have made sure that the policy strictly conforms to US and international law. ANY work done by a US national that is implemented in a project outside of the borders of the US is considered export work. This includes bug fixes, and even commenting on work done by foreign nationals outside the US. In fact, even commenting on software produced by foreign nationals WHILE IN THE US is considered exporting those resources. Consequently, our encryption division looks like a typical shaker community; you shake it, and nothing but white guys fall out.
With the AGP slot, you can pop in any hi-power card you want, and install the latest Mac drivers... oh, wait a minute. None of these companies is making Mac drivers, because they all have written Apple off. The Mac's a dead platform, didn't you hear? That's what everyone's been ramming down my throat for the last 2 years, but this is a great new twist. Now Apple's got cool hardware, but the particulars suck becasue they couldn't get a better graphics company to sign on for the long haul. So Mac users have to put up with much hooting and derision from PC people because we've got Rage 128 video cards, and are pretty much stuck with them, after putting up with those same people railing on and on at length about how Apple is dead, and we're gonna have to scrap them and use PC crap boxen instead.
Well, in the words of Power Computing (RIP); You can have my Mac when you pry my cold, dead fingers off of the mouse!
I'm desparately afraid that this will have the same impact on Amazon.com as requiring cookies did for Hotmail; ie, no one is going to care.
Unfortunately for the consumer, the only way to avoid this sort of Big-Brotherish 'Since you've done business with us, now we own you' outlook is to not shop with them... and they are the largest bookseller on the Internet. This is hopefully going to cause some users to reconsider their relationship with Amazon, as they realize that Amazon is not only taking their money for books that they've bought, but also letting other companies capitalize on the user's buying habits.
Having this sort of information available on the Internet is roughly analogous to having your name printed in the phonebook, however with Amazon, you don't get the opportunity to opt out of it. Of course, by having your name in the phonebook, you're not opening yourself to a range of people who are going to mine your buying habits and spam you with offers of stuff they know you want to buy; verily, that's illegal in the US.
Personally, I have never and will never buy books from Amazon, nor any other online bookstore. I believe that the only true way to shop for books is to go to a local bookseller and peruse the stacks for a tome that catches your fancy. I don't even go to those immense chain stores, because I dislike supporting huge corporations at the expense of local storeowners. I don't shop at Wal-Mart either, for the same reason.
Of course, this obviates the need for MS to produce a linux shell for winders. The Cheese shall put on his oracle hat (not that Oracle) and prophesy that MS will release such a beast, either as a ServPac for 98 or NT, or as a feature of 2k.
In fact, I'm surprised that MS doesn't already have one that they're giving away, a la Exploiter.
Well, there's a store in my area which sells a lot of tech-junk (from old stereo equipment to cameras to used PCs)... you might want to check for similar places in your area. I've seen 6 channel mixing boards in pawn shops for as little as US$75... that would probably suit your needs. Or, if you didn't need to listen to all of your boxen at once, you could hook each box to a different line in on an old stereo tuner; say Linux to Aux 1, PC to AUx 2, Mac to Casette.. you get the idea. This wouldn't give you line-mixing capabilities, but it would at least give a convenient option for selecting which box you're listening to... not to mention the fact that you could control all of the outputs with a single remote.
While I would love to see Apple develop QuickTime as an Open Source project, I cannot possibly believe that it would ever happen. QT is one of Apple's few long-time cash cows; without QT for Windows and the MacOS, multimedia content would be seriously lessened, and I truly believe that Apple plows the money that QT garners back into it's research and development.
As a cog in the Macintosh software machine, and a longtime supporter of the Mac, I feel saddened and elated at the same time for the end of the EvangeList.
On one hand, it has provided a rallying point for us during the dark days of Apple's recent troubles, and gave all of Macdom something we could point to and say "Look! This is what the Mac can do!"
On the other hand, it also became a target for what I consider to be the worst kind of Mac user; the overly-hateful, PC-trashing, Microsoft-bashing nerfherders who wouldn't know a good OS if it came bundled with a free CPU. I have long felt that these users (and I admit to have raised my voice in their defense on occasion) have done more to harm Apple and the Mac platform than Apple's financial misfortunes and Microsoft's dominance of the PC market combined. The rabid rantings of these few have turned away people who might have purchased a Mac, simply because their vehemence and vitriolic venting against the Wintel platform made potential Mac users blanch at the thought of being lumped in with those fanatics.
I use a Mac, not because it's the best platform for anything, but because it's what I like and it's what I'm used to. I like to use the MacOS because I am familiar with it, and I can make it do exaclty what I want it to do. Windows is not a bad operating system, for consumer-level use, and Linux in it's myriad flavors have much more power than I need for surfing the 'Net. The MacOS has functionality to spare for the tasks that I have to perform, as well as having plenty of software and hardware to toy around with. I shall miss the EvangeList, but I may not miss some EvangeListas.
Okay; I've got a PalmPilot, but it's too big to carry in my hand, and it's too fragile to carry in my pocket. If I can't carry it in my pocket, I don't carry it. End of story. I don't have a pager, because having a pager implies that I have to respond when someone pages me. I don't have a cell phone for the same reason. I've got voice mail at the office, which has taken three calls since I began working here in November, two of which being my mom. I have a single phone line at home, with Call Waiting ID (and 99% of the calls I get are "UNAVAILABLE"). I've had to use the Call Waiting feature exactly twice, both times when I was talking long distance with my Mom. The absolute only thing I carry around with me that I feel naked without (barring clothes) is my Leatherman. Ol' Tim Leatherman's first tool is absolutely indispensible. I used to carry a Victorinox ("Swiss Army") pocket knife, but it didn't have a Phillips screwdriver, nor workable pliers.
Now, if I could get a PDA that folds up to be less than 2cm by 5cm, full color LCD screen, 56k cell modem, accepts pages, cell calls, and can surf the web, I'd be all over that like white on rice. Until that device comes out, I'll look at public clocks for the time, write down appointments on my hand, and wait until I get home to check my answering machine. If I have to call someone when I'm not at home, I've got a pocket full of quarters.
Imagine; surfing the web on mass transit. Rebuilding your kernel while "downloading" on the loo. INstead of restarting and making lunch, you restart, and run diagnostics while making lunch.
If it wasn't for this damn job, I would be there. Stupid rent. Stupid electricity. Stupid telephone. Stupid ISP. Stupid cat. Uh, no. Good cat. Nice kitty! Niiiiiiice kitty.
Don't you mean the Apple Extended KB? I've got three of those MFs at home. The one I actually use is 10 years old, and has probably seen more spills than the "agony of defeat" guy. The only differencees between the Extended and the Extended II is that the II has a dingus at the back to adjust the height, the key action is completely different, the II is a little more round and the Apple logo is at the top of the II, not the bottom.
OTOH, the Apple Adjustable keyboard is without a doubt the finest ergo KB I've ever used. It's split down the middle, and can be adjusted to fit the user. That's the biggest beef I have with the MS ergo; it's at just the wrong angle, and hurts my wrists. The Apple Adjustable also has a detached keypad with 15 function keys. The biggest drawbacks to the AAK is that it takes up a *HUGE* amount of desk real estate, it only works with Macs (unless anyone knows of an ADB-to-PS/2 adapter) and they are very hard to find.
God forbid that you should live off campus, where *you* are responsible for your own housing, rather than complain about the people who manage the housing you chose to live in.
Admittedly, you may not have wanted to have an automatic transmission or power windows on your new car; these are options, not mandatory features. If you had made a point of it to your car dealer, you most likely could have gotten the same car with a manual transmission and no power windows. Imagine if you will a world where every car came with square wheels, which the manufacturer puts on because Microsquare tells them that the car cannot run without them. You can go out and buy round wheels, but you will still be stuck with the square ones, and the auto manufacturer may refuse to service the car if you bring it in with the round wheels on it. In addition, there are loads of free accessories for the round wheels, but any accessories for the square wheels must be purchased either from Microsquare, the car manufacturer, or an authorised Microsquare reseller. (Oh, and some of the accessories for the square wheels won't work, even though they are made by Microsquare.) My point here is that there are many venues where we are presented with "choices that are not choices"; try going to Burger King (corporate slogan: Have it your way) and order a Big Mac. They not only will not give you a Big Mac, they will probably ask you to leave. Here you are presented with the option of choice (you can supposedly have it you way, whatever that is) yet the choices are limited to what the coproration tells you are your choices. Microsoft eliminates the element of choice in that there are no other options available to you at the time of purchase. Microsoft says that Be, Inc. is a competitor of theirs, but when was the last time you went into a computer store and saw a wall full of machines runnign BeOS? Never, because (while BE has a great OS, and may become a threat to MS) Be does not bundle their OS with any hardware. If you want to go out and buy a commercially manufactured Intel box, you are s-t-u-c-k STUCK with Windows, period.
Slashdot Mirror
I think that the Robolab software has been reworked since then, and includes a variant of the Mindstorms software, which is _very_ object-oriented. Mac adapter cables for the RIS's IR tower are available from PITSCO-dacta .
The Cheese
Nitrozac Boot Squad
The difference is *not* purely software; the Scout has two inputs and two outputs, whereas the RCX has three apiece. Also, the Scout is programmed from onboard, onscreen menus. The RCX is not.
The Cheese
Nitrozac Boot Squad
The Scout has only two inputs and two outputs (compared to the RCX's three apiece) but doesn't require a PC or IR tower (the IR tower is part of the RIS) to be programmed. The RCX requires that you compile your software on your PC or Mac (the RIS only provides cabling for connecting the IR tower to an 8-pin serial or [using the provided adapter] a 25-pin parallel port, but Mac adapter cables are available from PITSCO/Dacta) before downloading it to the RCX. The Scout can be programmed using the on-screen display and menus.
I would recommend the RIS with the RCX for anyone who wants to get into the guts of the matter, as this will allow you to choose your programming environment, rather than be locked into the built-in environment of the Scout.
-Cheese, who really does have a real job.
There are several kits available from The LEGO Company (TLC) which let you build Mindstorms-style robots; the Robotics Invention System (RIS, the Mindstorms 'basic' set) the Robotics Discovery Set (which has the 'Scout' microcomputer instead of the RCX that comes in the RIS; the Scout doesn't require a PC for you to program it) and the Droid Developer Kit (which has yet another 'Scout'-style programmable brick). These are the three robotics kits available from The Lego Company .
Available from Pitsco/DACTA is the RoboLab, a LEGO robotics kit aimed more towards the Educational sector, primarily as a teaching tool for educators looking to teach scientific-minded youths the joys of programming and the wonderment that is robotry. It's available from PITSCO/Dacta. I've ordered stuff from them online without having to prove if I'm an educator, but YMMV.
I've had the Unofficial Guide to LEGO Mindstorms for a month now, and my cats are starting to think I like my robots (Clumsy Pike and Hovis) better than them (Hydrox and Pork Chop, so they don't get jealous)(I think they've got FELUX running on my PC).
I hope that this is of some use to someone looking for the perfect gift for that geek on their Christmas list.
-The Cheese, who's next plan is to RULE THE WORLD!
PS; LEGO also sells a wireless IR remote for controlling the RCX.
PPS; Check out the online resources at LUGNET .
I bet it's either an OmniView PS/2 or an OmniView model F1D065 (it's right in front of me). The PS/2 has 4 KVM connections, and uses a shortcut of Alt+Ctrl+Shift+X, with X being the desired port you wish to display. The other one uses the same shortcuts, but has 6 AT connections.
Either one is a serviceable KVM switcher.
-The Cheese
Actually, my Mac mouse has four buttons. *grin*
-The Cheese
The company I work for (which shall remain nameless) has a strict policy on this sort of thing; our hot'n'juicy lawyers have made sure that the policy strictly conforms to US and international law. ANY work done by a US national that is implemented in a project outside of the borders of the US is considered export work. This includes bug fixes, and even commenting on work done by foreign nationals outside the US. In fact, even commenting on software produced by foreign nationals WHILE IN THE US is considered exporting those resources. Consequently, our encryption division looks like a typical shaker community; you shake it, and nothing but white guys fall out.
With the AGP slot, you can pop in any hi-power card you want, and install the latest Mac drivers... oh, wait a minute. None of these companies is making Mac drivers, because they all have written Apple off. The Mac's a dead platform, didn't you hear? That's what everyone's been ramming down my throat for the last 2 years, but this is a great new twist. Now Apple's got cool hardware, but the particulars suck becasue they couldn't get a better graphics company to sign on for the long haul. So Mac users have to put up with much hooting and derision from PC people because we've got Rage 128 video cards, and are pretty much stuck with them, after putting up with those same people railing on and on at length about how Apple is dead, and we're gonna have to scrap them and use PC crap boxen instead.
Well, in the words of Power Computing (RIP);
You can have my Mac when you pry my cold, dead fingers off of the mouse!
-The Cheese
I'm desparately afraid that this will have the same impact on Amazon.com as requiring cookies did for Hotmail; ie, no one is going to care.
Unfortunately for the consumer, the only way to avoid this sort of Big-Brotherish 'Since you've done business with us, now we own you' outlook is to not shop with them... and they are the largest bookseller on the Internet. This is hopefully going to cause some users to reconsider their relationship with Amazon, as they realize that Amazon is not only taking their money for books that they've bought, but also letting other companies capitalize on the user's buying habits.
Having this sort of information available on the Internet is roughly analogous to having your name printed in the phonebook, however with Amazon, you don't get the opportunity to opt out of it.
Of course, by having your name in the phonebook, you're not opening yourself to a range of people who are going to mine your buying habits and spam you with offers of stuff they know you want to buy; verily, that's illegal in the US.
Personally, I have never and will never buy books from Amazon, nor any other online bookstore. I believe that the only true way to shop for books is to go to a local bookseller and peruse the stacks for a tome that catches your fancy. I don't even go to those immense chain stores, because I dislike supporting huge corporations at the expense of local storeowners. I don't shop at Wal-Mart either, for the same reason.
Of course, this obviates the need for MS to produce a linux shell for winders. The Cheese shall put on his oracle hat (not that Oracle) and prophesy that MS will release such a beast, either as a ServPac for 98 or NT, or as a feature of 2k.
In fact, I'm surprised that MS doesn't already have one that they're giving away, a la Exploiter.
Well, there's a store in my area which sells a lot of tech-junk (from old stereo equipment to cameras to used PCs)... you might want to check for similar places in your area. I've seen 6 channel mixing boards in pawn shops for as little as US$75... that would probably suit your needs. Or, if you didn't need to listen to all of your boxen at once, you could hook each box to a different line in on an old stereo tuner; say Linux to Aux 1, PC to AUx 2, Mac to Casette.. you get the idea. This wouldn't give you line-mixing capabilities, but it would at least give a convenient option for selecting which box you're listening to... not to mention the fact that you could control all of the outputs with a single remote.
While I would love to see Apple develop QuickTime as an Open Source project, I cannot possibly believe that it would ever happen.
QT is one of Apple's few long-time cash cows; without QT for Windows and the MacOS, multimedia content would be seriously lessened, and I truly believe that Apple plows the money that QT garners back into it's research and development.
-The Cheese
As a cog in the Macintosh software machine, and a longtime supporter of the Mac, I feel saddened and elated at the same time for the end of the EvangeList.
On one hand, it has provided a rallying point for us during the dark days of Apple's recent troubles, and gave all of Macdom something we could point to and say "Look! This is what the Mac can do!"
On the other hand, it also became a target for what I consider to be the worst kind of Mac user; the overly-hateful, PC-trashing, Microsoft-bashing nerfherders who wouldn't know a good OS if it came bundled with a free CPU. I have long felt that these users (and I admit to have raised my voice in their defense on occasion) have done more to harm Apple and the Mac platform than Apple's financial misfortunes and Microsoft's dominance of the PC market combined. The rabid rantings of these few have turned away people who might have purchased a Mac, simply because their vehemence and vitriolic venting against the Wintel platform made potential Mac users blanch at the thought of being lumped in with those fanatics.
I use a Mac, not because it's the best platform for anything, but because it's what I like and it's what I'm used to. I like to use the MacOS because I am familiar with it, and I can make it do exaclty what I want it to do. Windows is not a bad operating system, for consumer-level use, and Linux in it's myriad flavors have much more power than I need for surfing the 'Net. The MacOS has functionality to spare for the tasks that I have to perform, as well as having plenty of software and hardware to toy around with.
I shall miss the EvangeList, but I may not miss some EvangeListas.
-The Cheese
I just took my "team" (me) for an "off-site" meeting (went to see The Matrix).
If you are a fan of Hong Kong-style action, then run, do not walk to see this motion picture.
The Cheese Has Spoken
Doubtless, Sony will claim to own all code written by 3rd party developers for the PSX2 as well.
I can't wait until I can get my hands on the Emotion Engine version of Virtual Stoop Tag 2000!
-The Cheese
Okay; I've got a PalmPilot, but it's too big to carry in my hand, and it's too fragile to carry in my pocket. If I can't carry it in my pocket, I don't carry it. End of story. I don't have a pager, because having a pager implies that I have to respond when someone pages me. I don't have a cell phone for the same reason. I've got voice mail at the office, which has taken three calls since I began working here in November, two of which being my mom. I have a single phone line at home, with Call Waiting ID (and 99% of the calls I get are "UNAVAILABLE"). I've had to use the Call Waiting feature exactly twice, both times when I was talking long distance with my Mom. The absolute only thing I carry around with me that I feel naked without (barring clothes) is my Leatherman. Ol' Tim Leatherman's first tool is absolutely indispensible. I used to carry a Victorinox ("Swiss Army") pocket knife, but it didn't have a Phillips screwdriver, nor workable pliers.
Now, if I could get a PDA that folds up to be less than 2cm by 5cm, full color LCD screen, 56k cell modem, accepts pages, cell calls, and can surf the web, I'd be all over that like white on rice. Until that device comes out, I'll look at public clocks for the time, write down appointments on my hand, and wait until I get home to check my answering machine. If I have to call someone when I'm not at home, I've got a pocket full of quarters.
I don't even have a microwave!
-The Cheese
Imagine; surfing the web on mass transit. Rebuilding your kernel while "downloading" on the loo. INstead of restarting and making lunch, you restart, and run diagnostics while making lunch.
Wearable Pc... mmmmmmmmmmm...
-The Cheese
Stupid job...
If it wasn't for this damn job, I would be there. Stupid rent. Stupid electricity. Stupid telephone. Stupid ISP. Stupid cat. Uh, no. Good cat. Nice kitty! Niiiiiiice kitty.
The Cheese
Don't you mean the Apple Extended KB? I've got three of those MFs at home. The one I actually use is 10 years old, and has probably seen more spills than the "agony of defeat" guy. The only differencees between the Extended and the Extended II is that the II has a dingus at the back to adjust the height, the key action is completely different, the II is a little more round and the Apple logo is at the top of the II, not the bottom.
OTOH, the Apple Adjustable keyboard is without a doubt the finest ergo KB I've ever used. It's split down the middle, and can be adjusted to fit the user. That's the biggest beef I have with the MS ergo; it's at just the wrong angle, and hurts my wrists. The Apple Adjustable also has a detached keypad with 15 function keys. The biggest drawbacks to the AAK is that it takes up a *HUGE* amount of desk real estate, it only works with Macs (unless anyone knows of an ADB-to-PS/2 adapter) and they are very hard to find.
The Cheese
God forbid that you should live off campus, where *you* are responsible for your own housing, rather than complain about the people who manage the housing you chose to live in.
-The Cheese
Admittedly, you may not have wanted to have an automatic transmission or power windows on your new car; these are options, not mandatory features. If you had made a point of it to your car dealer, you most likely could have gotten the same car with a manual transmission and no power windows.
Imagine if you will a world where every car came with square wheels, which the manufacturer puts on because Microsquare tells them that the car cannot run without them.
You can go out and buy round wheels, but you will still be stuck with the square ones, and the auto manufacturer may refuse to service the car if you bring it in with the round wheels on it.
In addition, there are loads of free accessories for the round wheels, but any accessories for the square wheels must be purchased either from Microsquare, the car manufacturer, or an authorised Microsquare reseller. (Oh, and some of the accessories for the square wheels won't work, even though they are made by Microsquare.)
My point here is that there are many venues where we are presented with "choices that are not choices"; try going to Burger King (corporate slogan: Have it your way) and order a Big Mac. They not only will not give you a Big Mac, they will probably ask you to leave.
Here you are presented with the option of choice (you can supposedly have it you way, whatever that is) yet the choices are limited to what the coproration tells you are your choices. Microsoft eliminates the element of choice in that there are no other options available to you at the time of purchase. Microsoft says that Be, Inc. is a competitor of theirs, but when was the last time you went into a computer store and saw a wall full of machines runnign BeOS? Never, because (while BE has a great OS, and may become a threat to MS) Be does not bundle their OS with any hardware. If you want to go out and buy a commercially manufactured Intel box, you are s-t-u-c-k STUCK with Windows, period.