Vorbis as a format is definitely there, but the software isn't there yet. The beta reference encoder is quite slow and the beta winamp decoder plugin is too CPU intensive (over 60% CPU usage on a PPro200, 96megs, Win98SE to decode a default quality (VBR up to 160kbps) file... while a similar quality VBR MP3 hovers around 12% CPU usage). I definitely suggest checking it out, but wait for the release version which will undoubtedly be much more optimizied.
BTW - The beta encoder (for Windows, Linux x86 and BeOS) as well as plugins to winamp, xmms and sonique are available at www.vorbis.com.
If there's an 'I Hate Quicktime' post, consider me in on it. Using it on my PentiumPro 200 with 96 megs on Win98SE (or Win95) is almost unbearable. Slow to launch, slow to run, choppy, etc. The DivX codec running under the standard Windows Media Player (not v 7) performs much better. Then again, Quicktime has pretty much always sucked under windows.
There are tons of windows shareware programs that do the 'sprinkle bits around' thing. How do you think they keep track of that 30 day trial period and not allow you to just reinstall to get another 30 days? I've seen bits end up stuffed in the registry, WIN.INI, SYSTEM.INI and in random text files. I wouldn't be too worried. When Napster's new client has this ability, use NT and do a system snapshot, install Napster, then do a compare to the snapshot and see what was changed that shouldn't have been. You could even install and then uninstall between snapshots to see just what is left behind.
I'd also recommend using XOSL. (It stands for eXtended Operating System Loader) I've used it to boot Win95, Win98SE, WinNT4, Corel Linux, Red Hat Linux 6.2 and BeOS 5 without a hitch. According to their site, it is also known to support MSDOS, FreeDOS, Win2k, Solaris and VxWorks 5.x. And, XOSL is free (speech and beer) and released under the GPL. I definitely recommend it.
You can download Liberty from gambitstudios.com (and be sure you're avoiding the Liberty trojan floating around). They suggest using an overclocker for best performance. The site has some fun screenshots of the emulator running Tetris, Zelda and Pokemon *groan*, too. Oh, and if you have a Palm IIIc, you even get to play em in color.
Caldera and Apache were probably not included for their open-sourceness (is that a word?), but more as major players in the current landscape of computing. I don't think we'll see Java open-sourced under the GPL anytime soon just because the Apache Software Foundation has a seat on the Executive Committee. That aside, this can only mean good things: namely, a colaborative effort ensuring that the whole "write once run anywhere" mantra applies (and continues to apply) to Linux and Apache.
Interesting Note: It is still nice to see Apache and Caldera (or other Linux vendors) listed among other big players in the industry, as they are in the complete list of the Committee: Apache Software Foundation, Apple, BEA, Caldera, Compaq, Fujitsu, HP, IBM, IONA, Inprise, Insignia, Matsushita, Motorola, Nokia, Novell, Oracle, Palm, Philips, Siemens, Sony, Sun Microsystems, and Wind River.
Also, since this is only a press release (Sun's website also has it available.), I wonder when we can get some comments from Caldera and Apache on what their gameplan/goals are for this committee. (other than the quick blurb in the press release)
I had actually made a few predictions for the future of the internet for my senior seminar in 1996. Some of them have come true already (proliferation of internet radio and television stations, ordering pizza online, internet phone calls, online banking), some are on their way to becoming a reality for everyone, as opposed to just us geeks (realtime purchase and delivery of full movies and albums, software rented instead of purchased without needing a complex installation).
As far as technology is concerned, things will most likely progress as they have been, steadily forward. We can expect technologies from Internet2 to be carried over and made a part of the internet piece by piece rather than a big switch one day. I2 has already implemented IPv6 on their backbone and has given us a glimpse of the bandwidth we'll be dealing with in years to come (yes, that is 830 megabits per second over a distance of 5,626 Km).
Application-wise, we can expect new and better audio and video streaming and codecs, improved security protocols, advances is 3d rendering and navigation protocols (making immersive VRML sites more of a reality), improved text-to-speech and speech-to-text recognition systems (opening up web-over-phone and in-car web browsing possibilities for the mainstream - Think: Let me kick back and have my car stereo read me the slashdot headlines downloaded from the wireless network... maybe I'll dictate a comment back, too).
The combination of technology and advances in applications with plain old geek ingenuity will give us lots of new "can't live without it" stuff that will cause the internet to become an essential part of almost everyone's everyday life (instead of just ours). We can expect the internet to:
Replace or merge with the phone system
Replace or merge with the television system
Fundamentally change the way we rent/buy music and movies
Invade home applicances, making it easy to keep track of what you need from the store or lookup a recipe at your fridge or check on or update your washing machine from your home office.
go wireless at high-bandwidth, making video cellular phones a reality
on-line learning (undergrad, high-school, even elementary) will become more commonplace. Writer's Note - This isn't necessarily a good thing. Going away to college is an excellent experience I think everyone should have.
virtual operations, online operations by doctors operating robotic instruments and instructing assistants remotely will give patients access to the surgical expertise practiced at the world's elite institutions
Ok, I think I have babbled on about this enough. I won't get into the obvious debate over freedom vs regulation, though this will play a huge role in the development of the internet and will most likely hamper the US' ability to compete further down the road, since it is such a litigious culture at the moment, so I will leave that to others to debate.
Slashdot Mirror
Vorbis as a format is definitely there, but the software isn't there yet. The beta reference encoder is quite slow and the beta winamp decoder plugin is too CPU intensive (over 60% CPU usage on a PPro200, 96megs, Win98SE to decode a default quality (VBR up to 160kbps) file... while a similar quality VBR MP3 hovers around 12% CPU usage). I definitely suggest checking it out, but wait for the release version which will undoubtedly be much more optimizied.
BTW - The beta encoder (for Windows, Linux x86 and BeOS) as well as plugins to winamp, xmms and sonique are available at www.vorbis.com.
--
If there's an 'I Hate Quicktime' post, consider me in on it. Using it on my PentiumPro 200 with 96 megs on Win98SE (or Win95) is almost unbearable. Slow to launch, slow to run, choppy, etc. The DivX codec running under the standard Windows Media Player (not v 7) performs much better. Then again, Quicktime has pretty much always sucked under windows.
--
Is it just me... or do the fonts and widgets in one of those screenshots look decidedly MacOS-like? Particularly the third channels screenshot.
There are tons of windows shareware programs that do the 'sprinkle bits around' thing. How do you think they keep track of that 30 day trial period and not allow you to just reinstall to get another 30 days? I've seen bits end up stuffed in the registry, WIN.INI, SYSTEM.INI and in random text files. I wouldn't be too worried. When Napster's new client has this ability, use NT and do a system snapshot, install Napster, then do a compare to the snapshot and see what was changed that shouldn't have been. You could even install and then uninstall between snapshots to see just what is left behind.
I'd also recommend using XOSL. (It stands for eXtended Operating System Loader) I've used it to boot Win95, Win98SE, WinNT4, Corel Linux, Red Hat Linux 6.2 and BeOS 5 without a hitch. According to their site, it is also known to support MSDOS, FreeDOS, Win2k, Solaris and VxWorks 5.x. And, XOSL is free (speech and beer) and released under the GPL. I definitely recommend it.
You can download Liberty from gambitstudios.com (and be sure you're avoiding the Liberty trojan floating around). They suggest using an overclocker for best performance. The site has some fun screenshots of the emulator running Tetris, Zelda and Pokemon *groan*, too. Oh, and if you have a Palm IIIc, you even get to play em in color.
If ya missed it, don't worry, one of the great things about Comedy Central is how often they rerun the episodes.
/.ed.
The episode will be rerun as follows:
Friday, Aug 25 8:00PM
Saturday, Aug 26 10:00AM
Saturday, Aug 26 5:00PM
Saturday, Aug 26 11:00PM
Sunday, Aug 27 11:30AM
(All times EDT)
BTW - Their Realvideo server is currently
Try printing 7 part forms on a laser printer. Anybody who has to deal with any organization that uses forms probably knows this.
Any organization that uses 7-part forms is just as obsolete as the dot matrix printers they use!
Caldera and Apache were probably not included for their open-sourceness (is that a word?), but more as major players in the current landscape of computing. I don't think we'll see Java open-sourced under the GPL anytime soon just because the Apache Software Foundation has a seat on the Executive Committee. That aside, this can only mean good things: namely, a colaborative effort ensuring that the whole "write once run anywhere" mantra applies (and continues to apply) to Linux and Apache.
Interesting Note: It is still nice to see Apache and Caldera (or other Linux vendors) listed among other big players in the industry, as they are in the complete list of the Committee: Apache Software Foundation, Apple, BEA, Caldera, Compaq, Fujitsu, HP, IBM, IONA, Inprise, Insignia, Matsushita, Motorola, Nokia, Novell, Oracle, Palm, Philips, Siemens, Sony, Sun Microsystems, and Wind River.
Also, since this is only a press release (Sun's website also has it available.), I wonder when we can get some comments from Caldera and Apache on what their gameplan/goals are for this committee. (other than the quick blurb in the press release)
As far as technology is concerned, things will most likely progress as they have been, steadily forward. We can expect technologies from Internet2 to be carried over and made a part of the internet piece by piece rather than a big switch one day. I2 has already implemented IPv6 on their backbone and has given us a glimpse of the bandwidth we'll be dealing with in years to come (yes, that is 830 megabits per second over a distance of 5,626 Km).
Application-wise, we can expect new and better audio and video streaming and codecs, improved security protocols, advances is 3d rendering and navigation protocols (making immersive VRML sites more of a reality), improved text-to-speech and speech-to-text recognition systems (opening up web-over-phone and in-car web browsing possibilities for the mainstream - Think: Let me kick back and have my car stereo read me the slashdot headlines downloaded from the wireless network... maybe I'll dictate a comment back, too).
The combination of technology and advances in applications with plain old geek ingenuity will give us lots of new "can't live without it" stuff that will cause the internet to become an essential part of almost everyone's everyday life (instead of just ours). We can expect the internet to:
Ok, I think I have babbled on about this enough. I won't get into the obvious debate over freedom vs regulation, though this will play a huge role in the development of the internet and will most likely hamper the US' ability to compete further down the road, since it is such a litigious culture at the moment, so I will leave that to others to debate.
PS - Long time reader, first-time poster.