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User: Gilmoure

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  1. Space based power production on NASA Flies First Laser-powered Aircraft · · Score: 1

    What would be the spread of a laser from a geo-sync solar sat?

    Better efficency from space based solar collection?

    What effects would a power laser beam have on surface stuff (people, computers, animals, plants, etc.)?

    What if we had huge, tethered balloons, up several miles as receivers for space based power production. Could you use lower power transfer beams, since you wouldn't have to go through the lower 5-10 miles of atmosphere? You'd then pipe the electricity down to ground based distribution stations.

    Would make sense to use the fusion source we're tethered too, right?

  2. Re:Sounds familiar on Apple G4 Power Supply Woes? · · Score: 1

    Part of the cap problem last year was that a trusted manufacturer of parts in Taiwan, used by lots of computer manufacturers, including Apple, was hit with a shipload of bad capacitors. I think the info I read on it was that they came out of China. If you have an older Airport base station and it's wacked (lights come on but don't flicker or signal what's going on) you can get replacement caps from a local electronics supply place and repair the Airport yourself, if you're a good hand with a soldering iron.

  3. Re:Dead? on Apple G4 Power Supply Woes? · · Score: 1

    Apple's power management and start up routines 'requires' their proprietary power supplies. Would love to be able to use ATX power boxes. Makes it real easy to build a drive or CD tower in a 9600 box, having enough watts.

  4. Re:Why haven't you tried replacing the powersupply on Apple G4 Power Supply Woes? · · Score: 1

    For replacement CPUs, check out Sonnet Technology and Other World Computing. Sonnet makes most of the upgrade chips and Other World has some great support for issues involving CPU replacement/upgrade.

  5. Re:Why haven't you tried replacing the powersupply on Apple G4 Power Supply Woes? · · Score: 1

    Mmm...the Blue and White G3's were the first Macs to do away with nearly all of the old style Mac uniqueness. They had VGA video, USB keyboard and mouse (and ADB for older input devices), IDE drives, ZIF socket processors, etc. You could get SCSI in them, but it was extra.

    As to this problem, it's most likely the motherboard. I can't count how many G4 wind tunnel mobos I've replaced in the last year. The problem with the powersupplies is mostly due to them not responding to the mobos fan cycling, making them run way too loud. Apple had a program to ship you a replacement power supply but I think it ended last June. Can't hurt to check with an authorized Apple repair center to see what programs might be out there. If enough people complain to Apple about a problem (you gotta' call and make a nuisance of yourself), they usually will try to fix your fairly new Mac and maybe put into place a repair issue, like the one they have with the 17" b/w monitors.

  6. Re:The question is then on Apple's Dual 2GHz By The Numbers · · Score: 1

    And then Apple would create an X86 based machine that was required to run OSX. While they might save a few bucks in costs, they would still keep their profit margins by keeping the costs of the machines high. To the end user, there would not be a signifigant drop in prices.

    Apple will not just release OSX into the X86 wilderness. By using their own hardware platform (X86 or PPC), they are able to have much more control over the user experience. Apple is a BMW or Mercedes, not a Ford. If you want a Mac bad enough, you'll pay their prices. If not, you'll use something else. With millions of returning customers, Apple doesn't have to worry about keeping poor geeks happy.

  7. Re:eddie izzard? on Eddie Izzard As ... Doctor Who? · · Score: 1

    Alan said on daytime TV his next project is "Not exactly new".

    Ground Force?

  8. John Cleese! on Eddie Izzard As ... Doctor Who? · · Score: 1

    Now there's a Doctor I could respect, follow, nay, even spit upon.

  9. Re:Plenty fast, but I'm still waiting... on Apple's Dual 2GHz By The Numbers · · Score: 1

    Yes.

    But I'm not going to say what it is.

  10. Re:Sculley had some big shoes to fill on Interview with John Scully · · Score: 1

    As to being obsolete, I had the exact same model in the shop last year, getting a hard drive upgrade. This machine, running Quark, Photoshop, Office, etc. was used for primary production of a small town weekly newspaper. I told the guy that we could upgrade him to a used G3 that would be about 5 times faster than his current system but he was happy with how it worked. My Quadra has also been pressed into service within the last year, after my USB scanner died and I had to get a job done. It's copy of Photoshop 2.5 and my Agfa scsi scanner worked just great. 8 years use (and potentially more, if I'm ever in such a jam again) is pretty good return for the $2300 back then.

  11. Re:Not tech related but... on Interview with John Scully · · Score: 1

    Rumors have it that Apple's working on their own MS format compatible office suite. It'll consist of Keynote (Powerpoint type app), Document (word processor), a spreadsheet app and a database app. It's doubtful Apple would release something that was half-assed (OK, there was OS X 10.0). Keynote seems pretty good. Hopefully, Document and the rest will just as nice.

    While the Apple market is signifigantly smaller that the Windows market, it is still large (25 million users is the usual number bandied about). There's plenty of profit to be made from this market, especially when you consider that your support costs for a software title will be less, due to less hardware variations to deal with. Coding for MacOS is more straight forward when you stick to Apple specs. Coding for OS X means that you could potentially be writing something that could also be release for Linux/Unix, if you do it right.

    Just think how many calls a small software developer might get for a Windows app they've come up with, due to a Windows problem with some hardware variation. Even if the help person quickly blows them off with the "it's Windows, not our software", they've still spent some money on that call.

  12. Re:Not tech related but... on Interview with John Scully · · Score: 1

    The first Quadra was the Quadra 700. It shipped with either an 80 or 160 MB SCSI hard drive. All Quadras shipped with hard drives. The only ones that approached $10k were the Quadra 900/950.

    The first Macs (beige toasters) shipped with no hard drives. It wasn't until 1987 that Apple offered the SE with either two 800k floppy drives or 1 800k and 1 20 MB internal hard drive. Still not $10k.

    The IIfx topped out close to $11k in price but it came with an internal HD between 40 and 160 MB.

    When you say no video, do you mean no video output at all or just no A/V IO? Maybe you mean a Lisa or Macintosh XL? The Lisa was the precurssor to the Macintosh and the XL was basicly a Lisa with Macintosh OS emulation software pre-installed.

  13. Re:Geeks are cool? on Microsoft Wants to Project "Cool" Image · · Score: 1

    Guess I should have mentioned my definition of 'geek'. To me, I think a geek is anyone who spends a lot of time indulging in and attaining extended knowledge in a subject, hobby, or activity. Thus, there can be scrap book geeks (there are whole stores devoted to this-go figure), sports geeks (jocks?), Star Treck geeks, etc. Usually, the geek adjective is applied when such an activity is not understood by others (why the hell would you use a Mac?). While I don't get the whole sports thing (of what possible interest could I have with a bunch of rich guys playing a game with ball?), enough people do to make it a mainstream activity and thus, not geeky.

  14. Re:Sculley had some big shoes to fill on Interview with John Scully · · Score: 1

    I have a IIci that I installed 2 NICs in and then NetBSD. It was my home NAT box for about a year and a half, until I could afford a LinkSys router. I haven't plugged it in and booted it up for a couple of years but I imagine it runs just fine. I know that my Quadra 650 ($2300 in 1993) still runs ok. One thing about those machines, they built them to last. I never had a bad motherboard or hard drive failure back then. Now, I see one at least once a week. 'Course I repair Macs in three counties now, as opposed to just taking care of my own Macs back then.

  15. Re:Hypercard on Interview with John Scully · · Score: 1

    As far as Hypercard goes, it's still in use, at least in one place. I was called in to save a PowerMac 7100 running OS 7.5 that held the sole copy/version of a certain museum of surrealist art in the south-east US's collection database. I was told it was a custom program and it really didn't look like what I remembered a Hypercard stack to look like. This database kept track of the location of every piece in the collection. The nice thing about this was that I was able to transfer this setup to an G3 OS9 machine and it ran fine. I did recommend that they go and move this database to Filemaker. I doubt that that's happened.

  16. Re:Hypercard on Interview with John Scully · · Score: 1

    I know that as of 2001, there were some plug-ins that would allow hypercard to access stacks via IP address. There was also a gateway software tool that would provide addressing to stacks on a machine, sorta' like Apache. I haven't really looked into Hypercard since, then.

    If Apple had picked up on the concept of connecting stacks across the network, it would have been a major coup. Especially when you consider how easy Appletalk networking was/is.

  17. Re:Microsoft to project themselves as "cool"? on Microsoft Wants to Project "Cool" Image · · Score: 1

    What if the old bald white guy goes and jumps around, hooting like a retarded orangatang in heat?

  18. Geeks are cool? on Microsoft Wants to Project "Cool" Image · · Score: 1

    How can geeks be cool when a major factor in geeking is devoting an inordinate amount of time and energy on a hobby or subject, usually one that is not widely enjoyed by the majority. Since geeks tend to not give a damn to what the majority of people think, how can they possibly be cool, except to other geeks.

    Coolness is something that has some barrier to entry (usually cost) to the majority but is still desired by the masses. Uniqueness and presentation can also make something cool. A bowling shirt can look like crap on one person and slick on another.

    What's interesting is how Macs now have some sort of cache' but are still shown disdain by geeks. Wonder what that's all about.

  19. Re:What other options? on Schools to Avoid: University of Florida · · Score: 1

    Apartment prices are high in the Tampabay area as well. 2 bedroom places run $600-$800/mo. These are pretty run down places, too. You can find cheaper rents in some parts (older house with stand alone garage apartments) but that's where I usuall have my car broken into. As long as Florida is a desirable place to live in, it'll be getting more expensive.

  20. Re:More draconian measures to come? on Schools to Avoid: University of Florida · · Score: 1

    Then that's a school to avoid. UF does not require anyone to live on campus.

  21. Re:Here is a way for security on Beyond Fear · · Score: 1

    No registration needed to own a gun in Florida. There is a background check if you purchase a firearm from a licensed dealer. If you purchase a gun from a private individual, there's no required information to be given. That said, I wouldn't sell a gun to anyone that I didn't highly trust (currently, about 4 people).

  22. Re:tim benzedrine?? on The Incredible Shrinking Recording Studio · · Score: 1

    Yep, Board of the Rings. Been my sig since I joined /. Cool thing is that, with the movies being out, Bored is back in print. Can order it from Amazon. I've already been through two copies of the original printing and am now working on my third one (new printing). It looks like it'll last longer.

  23. Re:Into the hands of the public... on The Incredible Shrinking Recording Studio · · Score: 1

    It's similar to the desktop publishing revolution that started around 20 years ago (when did Apple ship it's first LaserWriter?). Yes, lots of people will be able to produce stuff that is 'near professional quality'. This doesn't mean it's going to be any easier getting published or widely distritbuted. Look at all the writers there are on the web. On the flipside, there'll be a lot more crap published (both print and music). I imagine we'll also see a dumbing down of the industry, just like you can now spot all sorts of bad writing (grammer, usage, *spelling*) and layout in professional materials. This is due to people who aren't trained (copy writers, editors, graphic designers) being given a computer with all the professional tools and told they are a 'designer'. Yes, I could hook up all the hardware and be a 'recording engineer' but I'd have no idea what I'm doing. The good thing is that as the price of entry drops, folks who do have an apptitude will get a chance to demonstrate and develope it.

  24. Wussy users! on User Interface Design for Programmers · · Score: 1

    If they can't figure out an interface, they have no right to use the technology.

    Vi!

  25. Re:Basically, yes. on Electricity Apocalypse Soon? · · Score: 1

    Check out the TVA. It's an example of a rural area pulling together to provide utilities. How well it works now, I have no idea.