Sega is now a key developer that produces some incredible games. They will attract a HUGE audience from Sega gamers worldwide to whatever platform(s) they choose. Personnaly, I would like to see Sonic running on the Gamecube. I also can't wait for that and the Xbox to be released. Why? Well, my Dreamcast is going down in the next year and I'll need a new system, but I really don't like PS2. Maybe Metal Gear Solid 2 will save PS2. That is the only game that I'm interested in on PS2. Halo is going to pretty sweet, but I hope I can buy it for my computer instead of buying an Xbox.
That is what you get for releasing software into the public domain under a free license (I may be wrong here) and several years later decide you want to the trademark to it. If you want a trademark to something, apply for it at the beginning or during product development. If you're denied, then you have the chance to change the name of your project to something else.
Amigori
------------- Patents and trademarks are a double-edged sword.
consoles either out or coming out. As a lifetime gamer, I've seen this happen once before in the 80's and it wasn't too pretty, but I don't think the same will happen this time around. Personally, I would wait until I see any games that interest me before I would consider buying an Indrema box. I don't have the money to just buy it for the geek cool factor.
Playstation 2 is similar, IMO. Sony only has one game that I'm interested in for Playstation 2 and that's Metal Gear Solid 2. SSX is pretty cool, but its not enough to warrant purchasing the system. But it is a DVD player too, you might say. I already have 2 of them, one on my computer and a home console version. Besides, there's no remote in that USD$300 price tag. No memory card either. So I'd have to shell out about $400 for a decent starter system. Way too much for me!
I really like my Sega Dreamcast, because Sega has the balls to release some new games. Not Madden Football X, Cool Borders whatever, Tekken gameplayhasntchange Tag, or whatever other sequels. Granted Sega has their share of sequels, but they have some of the most original games of the last several years. Samba De Amigo, Virtua Tennis, Jet Grind Radio, etc.
OK...enough ranting...
Amigori
-----------------
I'm looking forward to Gameboy Advance. How about you?
No seriously...Why do we need the huge overhead of government? To protect us from who, ourselves? This is a little more relevant today than say in the Stone Age. We would be back to the early 20th century and focusing on our industrial and survival skills and not our computer skills.
But to answer the question, we would need to rebuild our manufacturing process, which is highly computerized, redesign the transistors, and relearn or make a new machine language. I can see this taking 75+ years with rebuilding the infrastructure of the manufacturing process taking 30+ years computer development taking 40+ years, and the latter 15 years for consumer level sales.
To rebuild the IT industry would also take an enourmous amount of funding, which relies on other industries to fund. The economy would die. Prices would skyrocket. Everything from the $0.79 taco to the $20 shirt at the mall and the $10k auto to the $150k house.
This would obviously cause a depression that would make the Great Depression of the 1930s seem like high times and the 1990s as the pinnacle of human history (which I would actually argue against the Romans, the Greeks, and the Renaissance).
Anyways...that's just my POV and I would probably rejoice. I could spend more time sociallizing, reading books, and learning some trade skills like farming and woodworking.
Amigori
------------- Here's hope for a major technology reform...
Today in London, researchers have successfully grown a pig that can fly. Dr. Smith and his team of farmers and genetic engineers combined the growth pattern of microfans with the pigs skin and hooves. "We were just trying to create a 'Cool' pig," Dr. Smith noted. "Our team didn't think the fans were powerful enough to lift the pig off the ground."
University of Colorado researchers state they never had the intention of using these micro fans outside of the computer world. Apparently, they underestimated the creative will of some insane scientists.
Protestors outside the research facility held up signs saying, "It's the end of the world! Pigs are flying!"
-------------
Seriously though, I think they are "cool" and can't wait until I can buy a chip with them on it. Hopefully, they will sell sheets of these fans to the consumer market. Plus, these could have great influency on small computer designs in which the heat could be dissapated more quickly and efficiently.
Amigori
------------
Duck! No, that's a pig flying!
Thousands of Free Books! or Project Gutenberg
on
Free Books Online
·
· Score: 4
I'm surprised that no one has mentioned Project Gutenberg. They have thousands of books available to download in.txt or.zip format. Most of the literature is Classical, but there are many excellent titles. Definitely worth your time to check out if you are into the eBook/eText thing.
Amigori
-----------------
Books are a great alternative to video games.
...I would only want a couple of the models. Some of them I wouldn't touch with a 10ft pole even if they run linux. What we need to go along with this is a BeOS-friendly laptop list.
When I first read the news bit, I thought, "Uh-oh! Someone's working on a self-replicating, AI-like robot." But upon further reading/perusing of the acutal site, they are building a robot that configure itself according a situation out of a finite amount of parts. That's cool. I can think of some scientific applications for this.
Slightly Offtopic Rant Ahead: I'm sorry. Some of the new technologies scare me. Yes, they will be developed with good intentions, but someone, somewhere will develop a sinister way to use it. Nanotech, Biotech, and AI are the 3 coming technologies that scare me the most. They all sound cool in some of the scifi books, but if you look at recent human history, the ones in power have a tendancy to destory and kill things. Hence my worries about those 3 technologies. Nanotech = Controllable nanovirus. Biotech = Controlling genes and DNA (ala Galactica). AI = Computers taking over (ala Matrix). My fears aside...
Amigori
-------------- Humans have a tendency to destroy things.
Too bad it has to burn up. This would make a great museum piece(s). It symbolizes much of the space programs for the 1990s. No one sent a man to the moon. The US put Hubble into orbit, only to fix/upgrade it 3 times now, to capture some of the most stunning photographs ever. The US had 2 failed missions to Mars. China started its own space program. And the international community has come together to build a new International Space Station. ISS sounds better than Alpha, Enterprise, or whatever else they call it, IMO.
But for many years, Mir has stayed together, stayed serviceable, and provided a wealth of information to the scientific community. US astronauts shaking hands with Russian cosmonauts in a Russian craft 20 years ago would've been unheard of. Its nice to see that people have come together with a common goal and worked together to achieve it. Hopefully this progress will continue into this century. But I could write a long essay about peace and greed, so I'll save that for another day.
Something similar to this has happened to me. Let me explain. I was in the US Air Force working as a SysAd in Alaska. Upon entering the military, I had a clean bill of health. While being incredibly bored up here, I decided to try for my Private Pilot License. Anyways, I went to the doctor to get a Flight Physical so I could start flying. The Doc thought he heard a heart murmur. Since we only have a clinic on base, he sent me to Anchorage to have some tests done. The results come back and not only do I have a murmur, but a bad Aortic Valve.
Over the past year, I've had several more tests done by several different doctors that confirm the bad heart valve. One Army doctor thinks I have Marfan's Syndrome, but I think that's a mis-diagnose due to the lack of evidence and I only have the heart problem. None of the other problems. Anyways, back to the Pink Slip part.
My doctor used this information to deem me "Not Worldwide Qualified" category, which basically means I got fired. Of this, a medical board conviened and confirmed his decision. I challenged their decision on a basis of lack of evidence. They had the results from 2 Echocardiograms and 1 MUGA Scan. They decided that I should be discharged with a severance pay and a disability rating. I did not want to leave the military. So I challenged their decision and flew to Texas to a formal Medical Evaluation Board. After a whole bunch of political and monetary bullshit, I got to see a cardiologist, finally. And talk with an Air Force lawyer. The cardiologist did a few more tests and basically just confirmed that I had a bad Aortic Heart Valve. He does not think that I have Marfan's Syndrome. And my lawyer was of little help. He just wanted to not do any paperwork, I think. He did tell me that if I did challenge the board, I would lose. I would lose because the team of medical experts that sat on the formal MEB would somehow prove that this was a pre-existing, read genetic condition. And if they did, I'd lose everything. The severance pay, disability rating, and my job. So I decided not to pursue it any farther and risk losing everything, so I took their original offer and got out.
They still haven't proved anything other than I have a heart problem. So now, I have a heart problem that could or could not be related to my AF duties, but I have something that I can go to the VA with.
Soooo....to make a long story short, I was fired because of a possibly genetic condition. A Lose, Win situation if you ask me. Sure, I lost my job, but I'm getting out of this freezing place that's in the middle of nowhere and heading back to the states. I start school again next month and will have some experiance 'under my belt.' At least now I can have some chance of getting out of such a deeply entrenched WinNT network that barely has funding and go to something that at least has money flowing into its IT department. And get that piece of paper that says, "[Insert name here] you have shelled out several [ten's of] thousand dollars to us so that we can certify that you are smart enough to become part of the vast corporate ladder."
Amigori
-------------- The Air Force. A good experience if you can deal with politics and stupid people, you can work here.
I like this idea. Study the ways of your adversary. The US spies on other countries 24/7/365. Why can't we monitor our own networks and learn to protect them to the best of our abilities. Some people might say that this is deception and just a corporate scheme to get some kids arrested. If I owned a high profile, or even low profile, network, I would want someone protecting my network at all times. And this may mean hiring another person to figure out why my network is getting cracked/hacked.
If a kid walks into a store, steals a candybar, and is caught on video tape, then he deserves to be punished/arrested. If a kid breaks into my website, defames it, steal information, and causes damage to my systems, then he/she deserves to be arrested.
Amigori
------------ Being aware of your surroundings can help protect yourself.
How have other countries dealt with this problem? Our politicians seem hell bent on doing something short term and will make them look good. I'm sure there are other countries with policies similar to this one and have been in effect for much longer. What do you say Non-Americans?
They also seem to want to make the government more like a parent, you can do this, but you can't do this. Yes, many thing should be against the law, murder, rape, robbery, etc., but forcing the use of censorship software in publicly funded institutions is just wrong. If I go to my old high school library and ask to get on the net, I have to sign, along with my parents, a "User Agreement." If I violate that, then I will be punished, be it losing my net connection at school or a 3 day suspension.
Why can't the parents of this generation take responsibility for their own actions and their children? End parental responsiblity rant.
I hope they are right. It would be great to develop your software once and just have the translator, Amiga DE, interperate for whatever its running on. Sounds alot like the idea for Java... The Amiga DE is going to have to run very fast so it doesn't end up like java. Especially if someone wants to use it for games that are more intense than solitare and minesweeper, like Quake, Asheron's Call, and Starcraft.
Amigori
----------- Amiga. It just keeps going and going and going...
...means higher prices. But maybe they will slow down the product cycle a little. I don't have the money to purchase a new video card every six months. Maybe that's why I still have a V3 2000. This leaves Nvidia, ATI, and Matrox as the big players.
I hope that Nvidia adds support for Glide. I know its an older standard, but Unreal Tournament runs better on my computer in Glide, than in OpenGL.
Amigori
--------------- Well, so much for Linux support from 3Dfx.
I believe that Pres. Kuchma made a good decision. Shutting down a plant that already had one disaster and could have another. I support the EU's funding decision to help replace two other nuclear plants. Why? Nuclear power is a clean source of energy. Sure, when things go wrong, events like what happened at Chernobyl can happen.
I don't agree with Greenpeace Intl. about the renewable sources. What are you going to use? Solar power or hydroelectric? The first one is almost an expensive joke. Does it work? Yes, but for it to generate the same amount of power, you would need acres upon acres of solar panels and hope it doesn't get cloudy. Do the other reactors need to be shut down? Probably if they are in poor condition and poor maintenance.
This may sound selfish, but I think my energy bill is high enough as it is, including home and autos. I don't want it any higher because a people what to bet on flaky technology that is not as reliable, or useful as petroleum based products.
I don't know about all of you, but I don't have enough time to play the 3 systems I own, DC, PC, PSX. I own some great games, but other Real World issues keep me from playing them, now that I'm out of school.
The only new system I plan on purchasing is the Gamecube, for Metroid, Zelda, and Mario. I will not buy a PS2 at any time in the near future. Why? Games. There are no decent games at the moment and none that I am looking forward too on the Release List. Sony is starting to become the new Atari, quantity over quality. Sure, they have Final Fantasy, but I haven't liked any since VII, and Gran Turismo. I can't stand that stupid Crash Bandicoot, and many of the games in the last year have been of low quality and no fun to play. Check out the reviews here at IGN. Backwards compatibility? Already have a Playstation. DVD? Already have a real DVD player.
Sega, on the other hand, has some incredible, original games. Not just the lastest version of some worn out game. Check out IGN's Dreamcast reviews. Yes, there may be a few worn out games and some low rated ones, but if you look at the overall ratings, quality, and originality of the games over the last year, you will find many great games. Plus they have SegaNet and a broadband adapter coming out soon. Enough about Sega...
Too many game systems will spread the developers too thin. Personally, I'd like to see the X-box and PS2 fail. One more thing Microsoft doesn't need to do. And PS2 has yet to impress me, except for their resale value on eBay and that will soon fall below retail prices. I don't think Indrema will be popular enough to even take off, except in the Slashdot and geek communities. And like the article stated about Nintendo, "Nintendo generally plays by their own rules." Plus they have the Game Boy Advance to and a whole slew of killer franchises to fall back on.
I wonder how long before this process is used in mainstream applications? 12-24 months is my guess. Maybe we will see some small equipment, like lighter laptops and smaller CPUs.
Amigori
These guys had too much time on their hands. Although they did say it was a school assignment. Good thing they said its experimental and stated it has no security.
The mainstream press could blow this totally out of context. Worse case scenario, the press says this is Linux's next kernel, which its not. Just an experiment that can be ported in future if they want.
Not really... I would have done the same thing. My company X takes over your company Y. My company already has developers in the area. My new division, Y, has developers doing the same thing in the same area. Is it increasing my productivity? Probably not. Do they communicate with each other? Maybe. Does it make business sense to have a secondary team? No. Time to cut some overhead. Do I close my established, larger division or the smaller division? You close the small office and their jobs will either transfer to the larger location, or be deleted. Not exactly fair, but when was life ever fair?
What is one way to lower your competition? Make a better product? Sometimes. Better yet, buy your competition, then close their operations! Most major companies have done it at least once. Look at the auto market for example, or Microsoft.
HAL: It is a small meteor that has estabilshed an orbit around Saturn.
Dave: But how can astronomers see it from Earth, HAL?
HAL: The surface has been covered with AOL CDs, Dave.
Dave: Incredible! How did they get here, HAL?
HAL: Once AOL merged with Time Warner, the federal government sued AOLTW for monopolizing the space available in landfills and issued a federal order to clean the landfills. With AOL's knowledge of computer systems and TW's knowledge of satellite systems, they launched several satellites filled with AOL CDs. The payloads merged between the Earth and the Moon. Then used the "Slingshot Effect" to hurl itself into deep space.
Dave: Similar to how we arrived here.
HAL: Correct, Dave. But the CDs came too close to Saturn and were placed in an orbit around Saturn.
Cool. Hopefully, this will expand the userbase in the business world. I wonder if when a business calls up and asks for a windows-based system, if dell will say that a linux system is also available?
Also, the company that I work for buys systems based on the price of the system after some minimum requirements have been met. And usually its three different companies competing for the order. This would be great because a linux system should be cheaper. The only downside is that the minimum requirements state that it needs to come with Win NT or Win2k. Doh! Oh well.
-----------------
My company doesn't use linux. Time to look for a new job.
It means that at least one judge believes in free speech and isn't afraid to stand up to corporate and a liberal group's pressure. I think that it is the parents responsibility to make sure that their kids don't look at porn, etc. A law that restricts use like this was made by parents who worried more about themselves and their careers than to take responsibility and take care of their own children. If you don't want them to look at porn (or whatever), don't let them use the internet or teach them what is right and wrong. For example: Tell them books, classic hobbies, sports, etc...good. Violence, Sex, Abuse...bad. Please note! I just used these as examples! You must make your own judgements on what you believe is moral and teach it to your children.
----------------
Take responsibility for your own actions...and your children under 18.
Slashdot Mirror
Amigori
Amigori
-------------
Patents and trademarks are a double-edged sword.
Playstation 2 is similar, IMO. Sony only has one game that I'm interested in for Playstation 2 and that's Metal Gear Solid 2. SSX is pretty cool, but its not enough to warrant purchasing the system. But it is a DVD player too, you might say. I already have 2 of them, one on my computer and a home console version. Besides, there's no remote in that USD$300 price tag. No memory card either. So I'd have to shell out about $400 for a decent starter system. Way too much for me!
I really like my Sega Dreamcast, because Sega has the balls to release some new games. Not Madden Football X, Cool Borders whatever, Tekken gameplayhasntchange Tag, or whatever other sequels. Granted Sega has their share of sequels, but they have some of the most original games of the last several years. Samba De Amigo, Virtua Tennis, Jet Grind Radio, etc.
OK...enough ranting...
Amigori
----------------- I'm looking forward to Gameboy Advance. How about you?
I found the CAP and SHOUTING too annoying to read the rest of the article.
But to answer the question, we would need to rebuild our manufacturing process, which is highly computerized, redesign the transistors, and relearn or make a new machine language. I can see this taking 75+ years with rebuilding the infrastructure of the manufacturing process taking 30+ years computer development taking 40+ years, and the latter 15 years for consumer level sales.
To rebuild the IT industry would also take an enourmous amount of funding, which relies on other industries to fund. The economy would die. Prices would skyrocket. Everything from the $0.79 taco to the $20 shirt at the mall and the $10k auto to the $150k house.
This would obviously cause a depression that would make the Great Depression of the 1930s seem like high times and the 1990s as the pinnacle of human history (which I would actually argue against the Romans, the Greeks, and the Renaissance).
Anyways...that's just my POV and I would probably rejoice. I could spend more time sociallizing, reading books, and learning some trade skills like farming and woodworking.
Amigori
-------------
Here's hope for a major technology reform...
I need a new sig...
University of Colorado researchers state they never had the intention of using these micro fans outside of the computer world. Apparently, they underestimated the creative will of some insane scientists.
Protestors outside the research facility held up signs saying, "It's the end of the world! Pigs are flying!"
-------------
Seriously though, I think they are "cool" and can't wait until I can buy a chip with them on it. Hopefully, they will sell sheets of these fans to the consumer market. Plus, these could have great influency on small computer designs in which the heat could be dissapated more quickly and efficiently.
Amigori
------------
Duck! No, that's a pig flying!
Amigori
-----------------
Books are a great alternative to video games.
Amigori
-----------
Wishing BeOS was used more.
Slightly Offtopic Rant Ahead: I'm sorry. Some of the new technologies scare me. Yes, they will be developed with good intentions, but someone, somewhere will develop a sinister way to use it. Nanotech, Biotech, and AI are the 3 coming technologies that scare me the most. They all sound cool in some of the scifi books, but if you look at recent human history, the ones in power have a tendancy to destory and kill things. Hence my worries about those 3 technologies. Nanotech = Controllable nanovirus. Biotech = Controlling genes and DNA (ala Galactica). AI = Computers taking over (ala Matrix). My fears aside...
Amigori
--------------
Humans have a tendency to destroy things.
But for many years, Mir has stayed together, stayed serviceable, and provided a wealth of information to the scientific community. US astronauts shaking hands with Russian cosmonauts in a Russian craft 20 years ago would've been unheard of. Its nice to see that people have come together with a common goal and worked together to achieve it. Hopefully this progress will continue into this century. But I could write a long essay about peace and greed, so I'll save that for another day.
Mir, I salute you.
Amigori
------------
Why are politics so corrupt?
Over the past year, I've had several more tests done by several different doctors that confirm the bad heart valve. One Army doctor thinks I have Marfan's Syndrome, but I think that's a mis-diagnose due to the lack of evidence and I only have the heart problem. None of the other problems. Anyways, back to the Pink Slip part.
My doctor used this information to deem me "Not Worldwide Qualified" category, which basically means I got fired. Of this, a medical board conviened and confirmed his decision. I challenged their decision on a basis of lack of evidence. They had the results from 2 Echocardiograms and 1 MUGA Scan. They decided that I should be discharged with a severance pay and a disability rating. I did not want to leave the military. So I challenged their decision and flew to Texas to a formal Medical Evaluation Board. After a whole bunch of political and monetary bullshit, I got to see a cardiologist, finally. And talk with an Air Force lawyer. The cardiologist did a few more tests and basically just confirmed that I had a bad Aortic Heart Valve. He does not think that I have Marfan's Syndrome. And my lawyer was of little help. He just wanted to not do any paperwork, I think. He did tell me that if I did challenge the board, I would lose. I would lose because the team of medical experts that sat on the formal MEB would somehow prove that this was a pre-existing, read genetic condition. And if they did, I'd lose everything. The severance pay, disability rating, and my job. So I decided not to pursue it any farther and risk losing everything, so I took their original offer and got out.
They still haven't proved anything other than I have a heart problem. So now, I have a heart problem that could or could not be related to my AF duties, but I have something that I can go to the VA with.
Soooo....to make a long story short, I was fired because of a possibly genetic condition. A Lose, Win situation if you ask me. Sure, I lost my job, but I'm getting out of this freezing place that's in the middle of nowhere and heading back to the states. I start school again next month and will have some experiance 'under my belt.' At least now I can have some chance of getting out of such a deeply entrenched WinNT network that barely has funding and go to something that at least has money flowing into its IT department. And get that piece of paper that says, "[Insert name here] you have shelled out several [ten's of] thousand dollars to us so that we can certify that you are smart enough to become part of the vast corporate ladder."
Amigori
--------------
The Air Force. A good experience if you can deal with politics and stupid people, you can work here.
If a kid walks into a store, steals a candybar, and is caught on video tape, then he deserves to be punished/arrested. If a kid breaks into my website, defames it, steal information, and causes damage to my systems, then he/she deserves to be arrested.
Amigori
------------
Being aware of your surroundings can help protect yourself.
They also seem to want to make the government more like a parent, you can do this, but you can't do this. Yes, many thing should be against the law, murder, rape, robbery, etc., but forcing the use of censorship software in publicly funded institutions is just wrong. If I go to my old high school library and ask to get on the net, I have to sign, along with my parents, a "User Agreement." If I violate that, then I will be punished, be it losing my net connection at school or a 3 day suspension.
Why can't the parents of this generation take responsibility for their own actions and their children? End parental responsiblity rant.
Amigori
-------------
Parents, take control of your kids.
Amigori
-----------
Amiga. It just keeps going and going and going...
I hope that Nvidia adds support for Glide. I know its an older standard, but Unreal Tournament runs better on my computer in Glide, than in OpenGL.
Amigori
---------------
Well, so much for Linux support from 3Dfx.
I don't agree with Greenpeace Intl. about the renewable sources. What are you going to use? Solar power or hydroelectric? The first one is almost an expensive joke. Does it work? Yes, but for it to generate the same amount of power, you would need acres upon acres of solar panels and hope it doesn't get cloudy. Do the other reactors need to be shut down? Probably if they are in poor condition and poor maintenance.
This may sound selfish, but I think my energy bill is high enough as it is, including home and autos. I don't want it any higher because a people what to bet on flaky technology that is not as reliable, or useful as petroleum based products.
Amigori
-------------
I'll keep my car.
The only new system I plan on purchasing is the Gamecube, for Metroid, Zelda, and Mario. I will not buy a PS2 at any time in the near future. Why? Games. There are no decent games at the moment and none that I am looking forward too on the Release List. Sony is starting to become the new Atari, quantity over quality. Sure, they have Final Fantasy, but I haven't liked any since VII, and Gran Turismo. I can't stand that stupid Crash Bandicoot, and many of the games in the last year have been of low quality and no fun to play. Check out the reviews here at IGN. Backwards compatibility? Already have a Playstation. DVD? Already have a real DVD player.
Sega, on the other hand, has some incredible, original games. Not just the lastest version of some worn out game. Check out IGN's Dreamcast reviews. Yes, there may be a few worn out games and some low rated ones, but if you look at the overall ratings, quality, and originality of the games over the last year, you will find many great games. Plus they have SegaNet and a broadband adapter coming out soon. Enough about Sega...
Too many game systems will spread the developers too thin. Personally, I'd like to see the X-box and PS2 fail. One more thing Microsoft doesn't need to do. And PS2 has yet to impress me, except for their resale value on eBay and that will soon fall below retail prices. I don't think Indrema will be popular enough to even take off, except in the Slashdot and geek communities. And like the article stated about Nintendo, "Nintendo generally plays by their own rules." Plus they have the Game Boy Advance to and a whole slew of killer franchises to fall back on.
Ok, enough from me...
Amigori
------------
I have no sig...
I wonder how long before this process is used in mainstream applications? 12-24 months is my guess. Maybe we will see some small equipment, like lighter laptops and smaller CPUs.
Amigori
Amigori
----------
Patience is a virtue.
The mainstream press could blow this totally out of context. Worse case scenario, the press says this is Linux's next kernel, which its not. Just an experiment that can be ported in future if they want.
Amigori
----------
Its alive!
What is one way to lower your competition? Make a better product? Sometimes. Better yet, buy your competition, then close their operations! Most major companies have done it at least once. Look at the auto market for example, or Microsoft.
----------------
Life isn't fair...
HAL: That is not a moon, Dave.
Dave: What is it then, HAL?
HAL: It is a small meteor that has estabilshed an orbit around Saturn.
Dave: But how can astronomers see it from Earth, HAL?
HAL: The surface has been covered with AOL CDs, Dave.
Dave: Incredible! How did they get here, HAL?
HAL: Once AOL merged with Time Warner, the federal government sued AOLTW for monopolizing the space available in landfills and issued a federal order to clean the landfills. With AOL's knowledge of computer systems and TW's knowledge of satellite systems, they launched several satellites filled with AOL CDs. The payloads merged between the Earth and the Moon. Then used the "Slingshot Effect" to hurl itself into deep space.
Dave: Similar to how we arrived here.
HAL: Correct, Dave. But the CDs came too close to Saturn and were placed in an orbit around Saturn.
Dave: Ok HAL, thanks.
HAL: You're welcome, Dave
Also, the company that I work for buys systems based on the price of the system after some minimum requirements have been met. And usually its three different companies competing for the order. This would be great because a linux system should be cheaper. The only downside is that the minimum requirements state that it needs to come with Win NT or Win2k. Doh! Oh well.
-----------------
My company doesn't use linux. Time to look for a new job.
----------------
Take responsibility for your own actions...and your children under 18.