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User: Amigori

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  1. Patent info on Five PC Vendors Face Patent Lawsuit · · Score: 5, Insightful
    Its funny how they decided to go after Intel's clients and not Intel or even AMD. This is similar to suing the local car dealership over a manufacturing issue, which only the auto manufacturer would have control over. Intel isn't resting on its laurels with this case either, as they have filed "a motion in the Northern District of California seeking a court order stopping Patriot from suing any additional Intel customers."

    Here is the official patent from the USPTO. It was originally filed in 1998, but IC's have been around much longer than that, so I'm sure there's some prior art somewhere. This next quote could almost have come from the depths of the SCO complex:

    "'Our Main focus is the IP [intellectual property] business now,'" he [CEO Jeff Wallin] said."

    Kinda sounds like Rambus and look where they've gone.

    Amigori

  2. My Favorite Quote... on SCO Complaint Filed -- Including Code Samples · · Score: 2, Interesting
    So I just finished skimming the legal brief, and this is one of the most interesting bits of legal pleading that I've seen in a long while...

    IBM has engaged in a course of conduct that is intentionally and foreseeably calculated to undermine and/or destroy the economic value of UNIX anywhere and everywhere in the world, and to undermine and/or destroy the plantiff's rights to fully exploit and benefit from its ownership rights in and to UNIX System V... and their derivatives directly for its own benefit and indirectly for the benefit of its Linux distribution partners."

    So Darl, worried that IBM is going to put you out of business? I have news for you. The jounaling file system was developed at IBM, for IBM, for use in IBM products. I think you're still pissed off that IBM decided not to finish work on the Monteray project. They felt it would flop in the marketplace, which Itanium has, and decided to pursue more profitable interests that did not include you or your company. I wonder if you have/will go after SGI because they also have a type of journaling file system available on the x86 platform. What about Be, Inc.? Even though they're already a dead company, many of those guys were Unix guys and developed a JFS for both PPC and x86.

    One of the main goals in business, even if its not always thought of initially, is to put the competition, you, out of business while trying to make a profit. (And there are far too many example to list.) In case you haven't noticed, business models are subject to change by these things called market forces. You must have fallen asleep that day in Marketing 101 and/or Economics 101. There are only two things in the US that are certain, and this sounds so cliche, death and taxes, but its true. Its unfortunate that under your leadership, your company has become a legal firm and not a computer company. I would wish you luck, but you are a great example of many wrongs in this world. So I hope your company goes belly up, then the Wall Street hounds are released upon you.

    Amigori

  3. If the hardware fails... on Confessions of a Mac OS X User · · Score: 1

    If the hardware fails, especially in a laptop, it doesn't really matter what OS is installed. When the logic board, whether in an iBook, a Dell, Gateways, etc., you're not going to get any OS to run on it, be it Mac OSX, *nix, or Windows. You're just going to have to suck it up and get it fixed, or buy a new one.

  4. Re:Overpriced on Why iPod Mini is a smart move for Apple · · Score: 4, Interesting
    For being a "Proud owner of a Mensa membership card," you've made several comments that someone of your intellect should have realized are false.

    "...in the long term they will be failing." Long term here being what, 5 years? How many portable audio players, CD, Tape, MP3, etc, have a product life cycle of 5 years? Zero. Sure, the Walkman has been around forever but it certainly hasn't remaind the same product for the past 25 years, or even the last 5 years. Portable CD players 5 years ago didn't know what MP3's were. Now, even the inexpensive ones play MP3 encoded discs.

    USD30 mp3 players? Maybe eventually and at that point, Apple and all the other device manufacturers will have a new product with new features that people will gladly pay a premium price for. 10 cent downloads? Riiiight, that will happen....maybe with indie music, but never with mainstream, RIAA endorsed/encoded, DRM'd music. If you've ever read any type of financial article about iTMS, you'd know that it is a loss leader to sell iPods, cited here. Those songs will not be less than $0.99 for a long time, maybe $0.69 on sale, or something to that effect. Yeah, yeah, $0.79 at some of the other sites, that's got them where in market share and profitability? $0.10/song gets you what? In legal trouble with the music industry, and a real quick sucking sound of your VC funds because for ever song you sell, you lose $1.00 or so.

    Apparently Mercedes-Benz, Giorgio Armani, and Rolex have never learned your lesson about "Nobody cares about quality." I know I do, which is why I bought an Apple Powerbook G4 instead of some POS HP/Compaq. Does this make me biased toward Apple? No. I bought the better product for my needs and the comparable Dells, which I do not believe have better quality or service, were several hundred dollars more and did less than my PB. I also don't shop at Walmart because of the low quality of much of the items they stock. Obviously, Walmart is doing something right to become the number one retailer in the world, but I still refuse to shop there and a completely separate discussion. I don't buy Kia's because I believe that they are lousy automobiles. My point here is that many people, including myself, care about quality.

    I'm not quite sure what universal law of economics you are talking about, unless you have some odd perception of the supply and demand curves. If there was an economic law that stated that the cheapest product wins the most market share, we'd all be driving Kia's (or taking public transportation), doing all of our shopping at the dollar stores, buying clothes at the salvation army, and buying old computers off eBay as "upgrades."

  5. /.'d already on The Definitive Episode 3 Spoiler Synopsis · · Score: 1, Funny

    25 comments in and its /.'d already. I guess I shouldn't be surprised, this is Slashdot afterall. Its not like there are any Star Wars geeks here.

  6. Bluetooth's in its infancy... on Is Bluetooth Dead? · · Score: 1
    Even though the tech specs are finalized for this version, its only now beginning to show up in devices that are used in day-to-day operations. Keyboards, mice, cell phones, laptops, etc. MS's Bluetooth keyboard/mouse aren't completely Bluetooth as you still have to plug in that damn dongle into your computer, even if you have built-in Bluetooth. Apple has a much better solution. Bluetooth keyboard/mouse, bluetooth built into the PC or use with the current rev. of the D-Link adapter (which is very small). I remember seeing similar talk about USB and FireWire and how they were dying technologies. For better or worse, it took Apple to push the use of these technologies into common place. MS and Intel didn't care. We'd probably just have more COM and LPT ports on the back of the beige boxen, transfer rate be damned! I'm looking forward to buying my next cell phone now because my new 12" Powerbook has built-in Bluetooth, which you already know because we're all geeks here.

    Now if only Verizon would pull their head out of thier ass and license Nokia phone, yeah yeah, different protocols/technology, I know, but Motorola's and LG's and whatever other junk Verizon sells, are falling behind compareable phones from Nokia. I don't care so much for a camera phone, I'd rather have one with Bluetooth. Come on Moto/VZW. Where's my Bluetooth?

  7. Learning Experience on Aussie Uni Dumps Dual-Boot In Favor of Linux · · Score: 2
    This will be an experience for all parties involved, students, teachers, and admins. The admins learn how to properly lock down a system, the teachers learn more of the nuances of the system as..., the students learn how to overcome the limits set by the admins. Good show, I say... I just wish more schools, specifically my old high school, would look into locking down there systems, even if they keep windows. Windows 2000/XP has a nifty policy editor that helps on preventive maintenance.

    Speaking of switching, and maybe OT, I've been contemplating more and more about switching back to a *nix based system as all the games that I want to play will not run on my system and I am not too keen on building another one that will just be outdated in a year...(Am I growing out of my geekness, or just tiring of spending so much money?)...Its almost as big of waste of money as my car is...No, I think I will just optimize the one that I have and probably load OpenBSD on it.

    Amigori

  8. What about OpenBSD? on Financial Institutions Balk at MS Licensing · · Score: 2
    Ok, since most of the applications that banks run are custom apps, why don't they take some of the money the pay to MS and hire a couple of programmers to port it to OpenBSD. Then, they are running on a secure platform at a fraction of the cost. Really, the only major problem that I see here would be lack of name-brand support (i.e. Sun, IBM, etc.).

  9. Re:shrug on HP Drops Microsoft Word in Favor of WordPerfect · · Score: 3, Informative
    Look the same? Sure maybe some of the icons look the same and are in similar places, but the programs behave very differently. I personally cannot stand Works, and I've used WP for a long time, but I'm also comfortable with Word, but you have to be because of its dominance in the marketplace.

    Have you ever considered Gobe? It rocked on BeOS, and now its available on the Windows platform. And if you don't want to trust their marketing, then here's a review from Ars Technica. And if you still want to complain, go use vi or emacs or even notepad.

    Amigori

  10. Ignorant American Public on RIAA Smacked by DoS · · Score: 2
    I see this as a 'You brought it on yourself' kind of situation, so I can't help but laugh at this incident. However, it will probably hurt the goals of the opposition, us, the general /. crowd, more than it will help. Depending on who spins the story, it will probably come across to the general, voting public as an attack by mischievous 'hackers' in an attempt to thwart a legit American corporation. (more of an out-of-date cartel in my opinion, but...) What these spins will lack is any reference to the bill in the works to give this cart..er, legit American corporation legal protection to launch the same kind of attack on American, and world, citizens.

    And that's even if it makes it past CNET or ZDNET and into the mainstream press, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, L.A. Times, etc. more of the people who vote still read newspapers and watch news programs for their news, so they'll read a pro-RIAA spin and agree with them.

    Yikes! I'm not sure how to change the views of the general public, but I know that I already wrote my congressmen to let them know how I feel from a professional and personal level. Will that change my congressmen's point-of-view? Maybe not, but at least they know how one of their constituents feel, just like how the democratic process is suppose to work.

    ...end rant

  11. Local Shops on Authors Guild To Members: De-link Amazon.com · · Score: 3, Interesting
    While I do use many of the tools and services that Amazon provides, most of the time though, I end up ordering from my local bookstore, Horizon Books. Why? Because they can get just as many books as Amazon, their website just isn't as fully featured. Sure, they cost a little more per book, but I feel better knowing that my dollars are returning to the local economy rather than ending up out west.

    Amigori

  12. Re:Won't Last on Public CD Copying Machine in Australia · · Score: 2

    That's must be coincedence then, not the Walgreen's thing, but that I worked for Disney last August and lived near Kissimmee next to a Walgreens. Go figure...But yeah, when I did work there, we charged alot of money for everything. My cast discount brought the prices down to normal prices for most things there, but its still expensive.

  13. Won't Last on Public CD Copying Machine in Australia · · Score: 2
    As cool as it might seem to have these installed in 7/11's across the US, I'm pretty sure that the music industry won't let it happen. Legal fees and court costs will cause this company to go under, because the RIAA will just throw some high-cost lawsuits at them in the US, and I'm sure they, or their Australian counterpart, is trying similar legal tactics there in Australia.

    Wait a minute, you say, I purchased the media and should have fair use to it, I totally agree with you, but almost everyone that I know that copies music, for whatever reason, has access to a CD burner either in their computer, or a friends computer. So what's the point of this machine? Convenience. But it won't happen here, too many corrupt politicians...cough...Hollings...cough... and media barrons.

    Amigori

  14. PC Card? on Sega, Nintendo Team Up To Create New Graphics Board · · Score: 2

    Ok, so the /. headline is almost as big as the linked article itself, and the article states nothing of this nature, but wouldn't it be cool if they put this new board into PCs as well as the arcade? Then maybe ATI, GC graphics, could pull their head out of their arse and release a product that's as good or better than whatever nVidia kicks out. Or at least, they'd be working with 3 huge game dev houses who know exactly what kind of technology they want, even if they don't port them to PC, in future chips. So they'd get an idea of what they need to do...cough...drivers...cough...to try and regain some pc market share by providing a better product.

    Amigori

  15. Re:You have the right to use the software you buy on WinXP Keygen Foils Product Activation · · Score: 3, Insightful
    T` 9?all for fair use, i do not agree with posting the keygen, then saying:

    "Please do not use it if you have not paid for Windows XP."

    If you have paid for a copy of Windows XP, it would have come with the product key, defeating the need for a keygen. I imagine that your intent is so users may install XP on more than one of their own, personal machines, but what would the ratio of them to users who just need a key to pirate the software be? I'm going with many more pirates to more legit (not totally legal as you are not complying with the EULA [which is a whole other issue in itself]) users.

    Please do not think that I am against Fair Use, but Slashdot is not the place to publish this type of software. Newsgroups, personal websites, etc. would be a better place for this type of code. Just to keep Slashdot out of any legal trouble that may come of it.

    Amigori

  16. Congratulations! on Kathleen Fent Read This Story · · Score: 2

    Congrats Taco and Kathleen!

  17. I'd love it...if I could afford it... on Handspring Treo Now Available · · Score: 3, Insightful
    This looks to be very promising, but I wonder if the current marketplace can afford its price. $400 (or $550 if you already have a GSM provider) isn't too much considering your getting a wireless Palm and a cell phone, but considering I was layed-off last month, this won't be replacing my Palm m105 and Motorola v120c. Oh well...one can still dream...

    Amigori

  18. Profitable?!? on User Review of Transmeta-Based Aquapad · · Score: 2

    Were dot.coms really profitable? Or are you just remembering the days were VC's were making poor investments in very, very risky, long-term business plans.

  19. Reversal Effect on Browsing Alone · · Score: 5, Interesting
    So what if I've been a computer geek for 16 years? So what if most of my friends were because we all like computers or video games? So what if most, probably all, of them are male?


    So?!? I'm bored with it. I thought that it would never come to this, but I'm actually bored with computers. I've lost my passion for programming, gaming, and just tinkering with computers. While my friends look at me as a computer geek still, they see that I am much easier to talk to and am invited to other events, like going to the bar with a big group. While not all people will agree, being more social in the "real world" has made me much happier.


    Ok, so you say you can't become more social. Girls don't like you and the only thing you can talk about is computers, video games, or technology. Do not fear! You can change if you want to, but I must say that it is not easy and requires lots of time and effort on your part. The first step is to become involved in something that you may have never considered as fun or entertaining before. Join a book club at the library, hang out at the student union, go to a (Gasp!) sports event like a basketball or volleyball game. And don't sell yourself short by telling yourself "I won't fit in," or "They'll make fun of me." Just be yourself and attempt to make conversation. It is a long process of trial and error, but I think the payoff is worth it. Instead of sitting around having a Q3, HL, or UT LAN party 12-hour marathon on Saturday, which is still very fun, you could take that same group and go bowling or watch a volleyball game or hang out where there are many other people of the same age. And when you return, you can still play the game(s) for a few hours.


    Good Luck,

    Amigori

  20. Its all about supply... on Nintendo Declares GCN Most Popular Console Ever · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Nintendo knows they have a popular console on their hand and to meet demand, they needed product on the store shelves to buy. Microsoft also knows this, but they wanted to try and increase demand by limiting supply. This could hurt them because the purchaser might decide to buy Gamecube instead of Xbox, only because they can get their hands on it. Plus they can get 2 more games if they get NGC instead of Xbox or they can save $100. And me being my broke college self, I'd spring for the NGC anyways. Just my 2 cents...

    Amigori

  21. More time for MS on Senator Seeks Injuction Against WinXP · · Score: 2
    Let's say the states are successful in stopping/delaying the October release date of XP. Wouldn't that give MS more time to "innovate" more products into XP?

    Just a thought...

  22. They are going to be kicking themselves... on Palm to Shift to ARM Processor · · Score: 3
    "...Palm maintains a huge lead in market share over its rivals..." Then why would they screw themselves by making their products compete more directly with the products in the minority market share? People are buying Palms to replace paper organizers, not laptop computers. But people are people and they usually want they latest thing with the most power, can do many more things than they need, can fit the most stuff on it, and might be able to play quake on it.

    "That's why they are revising their platform--to grow room for the future." A standard idea, but I for one, do not want streaming multimedia and MP3s on my handheld. My Palm m105 does exactly what I need it to do. If I want to watch a movie on a plane, $4 headphones from the stewardess or a laptop w/DVD will do the trick. If I want to read a book, I'll spend $6 and get a paperback from the store or check out one from a library. No batteries, backlighting, or internet connection needed.

    The Palms were designed to replace the paper organizer that contained our calendars, to do lists, addresses, etc. Last I checked, my paper dayplanner did not play MP3s. It doesn't need to. My Palm doesn't play MP3s either. It doesn't need to. Unfortunately, too many people forget about this and want the latest and greatest. Maybe when they start burning holes in suits because they run so hot, people will realize that the current Palm line does more than they need it to.

  23. Oh well... on Indrema No More · · Score: 2
    I wasn't planning on buying one anyways. The market is too crowded already. Especially now that Microsoft has a console on the horizon. But I'm planning on getting a GameBoy Advance and a Gamecube. The PS2 is just too expensive and it doesn't have any games I want to play and my Dreamcast is dying, so it will be time to upgrade this fall.

    Amigori

  24. Finally... on FireWire For Windows XP, But No USB 2.0 · · Score: 2
    an efficient standard that MS is supporting. I think this is a great idea. Rather than putting out buggy software for vaporware, they are deciding to back a new technology with real-world experience. There are already moy different devices out that are currently supported by Apple and soon to be Windows and eventually *nix. My new Firewire CD-RW drive works great with my iBook. I really didn't like the USB drive that I had it was too slow, messed up my mouse, and too up too many proc cycles.

    Amigori

  25. I Don't Know on CNET Reviews Windows XP Beta 2 · · Score: 2
    I haven't had a chance to try out XP and I keep reading mixed reviews of it. Currently, I'm running Win2k, BeOS, and OpenBSD and am very impressed with all three. Win2k is the best version of Windows ever, IMO. I find it stable, your milage may vary, fairly easy to use, and all kinds of cool tools to use. BeOS is just very plesant to use. It fast, colorful, user-friendly, and light on the hardware requirements. Most of the programs I use in windows, I have found a comparable solution for Be.

    I'm starting to like the BSD's more than Linux cause of the central standards bodies. Sure you can say Linux has Linus, but he represents mainly the kernel. Linux, IMO, is branching in too many directions for me. But hey, a server version isn't an appropriate solution for an embedded system and I need a workstation solution.

    Anyways, from reading the CNET article, I will not be upgrading my Win2k partition to XP. I don't like the copyright management crap, the phoning home to MS for verification/updates, the new interface looks too cute for me, the hardware reqs. are way too high (maybe its getting time to upgrade), and its an MS OS.

    Amigori