I know I'll probably come off as a pro-Linux zealot for this.. but..
I am a first year compsci student. Before this year, all of my attempts to try to use Linux failed horribly.. but in January this year, I installed Redhat, and immediately fell in love. I've slowly been learning how to take advantage of all of Linux's more advanced features, and I've lately been able to fix problems based on intuition, rather than long searches on Google.
Whenever any of my friends come over, they see my computer, and they gasp. They love the way KDE looks, they love the Liquid theme, they love transparent menu's, they love the functionality of the command prompt, they ENVY the fact I can leave it on for days.. even weeks without having to so much as log out. (probably not the safest thing to be doing.. but it makes me feel big, lol)
The only things which prevent people from installing Linux on their own computers are the following
1. Lack of MSN messenger (Kmerlin) built in. They would not know where to look, if they were going to find it.. and it seems to be the most popular messenger at my university.
2. Once and awhile the Xserver bombs, and deletes the 'fixed fonts'.. which requires some knowledge to fix.
3. Decent CD burning software
4. A file sharing program which does not bomb all the time.
5. Better media support - Built in Divx support... easy to install quicktime support.. easy to find realplayer (it takes awhile to find realplayer if you don't know where to look)
The last thing it needs is to be pre-installed on a few computers.. but this article shows why that isn't likely to happen.
In preparation for Ballmer meeting with a Dell executive to talk about the computer maker's support of Linux, a confidential Microsoft briefing e-mail notes as a talking point that "it's untenable for a 'premier partner' of Windows 2000 to be doing aggressive marketing development for another operating system."
"This little drama ends" later that year, Kuney said, with Dell abandoning its Linux efforts with the head of the program being reassigned.
Overall, I think Linux is pretty much ready for the desktop. Everyone here is always bitching about stuff like document support.. which for the desktop, IMO, is pretty irrelevant. The majority of people out there transfer documents by copying and pasting to emails.
Another reason could be that they know how most consumers act. If Joe User finds out his computer can't play the new DVD's because they require too much processing power, chances are he will go out and buy an entirely new computer. With a new computer comes a new OS.. probably Windows XP, or whatever MS is coming out with after that. An operating system that could have all sorts of hidden DRM software, or could be updated with DRM software without the consent of Joe User. (what are the chances that he'll know how to get around the DRM/turn off windows update?)
in a major Canadian university. With our textbooks, there is some version of Visual Studio included so that kids can do their labs at home on it. However, all of our teachers frown upon using it, so almost every CS student in our university ends up using GCC. On top of that, there is a growing fascination with linux. Most people here have tried it at some point a few years ago. Most likely they tried redhat 5.something, didn't understand how to use it, and have moved on.
Lately, however, people have been slowly getting back into it. I've brought a lot of friends over to show them my linux box, and they've been simply amazed by how far it has come, and have begun to consider dual booting or switching over.
Personally, I think that if Wine 1.0 can really run any windows98 application, most people could easily convert over to linux. The only thing left for linux to being highly accepted in academic institutions is the ability to run as many games as windows. As for word processing, I seriously don't see what the big deal about the.doc format is. (probably because I haven't dealt with business before). I can write whatever I want on AbiWord, KWord, or StarOffice.. I can send it to other people on.rtf, or another format, and they can open it. No biggie. Anyways, I'll end my incoherant rant here. Linux is pretty much there, people just have to realize it.
does anyone know where i can download a copy of beos?
or buy it, for that matter.. i found a few sites on the net with links to download it at the beos site.. but be has shut down most of its site, so it isn't available per say..
You sat on top for how long, basically ruling the software market. You had every opportunity to perfect your products.. and I'll admit that you've come a long way.. but you concentrated so hard on your future, and everything ahead of you, that you didn't watch your back. Now your ass is going to be sore, and it's all your fault.
It's your fault, and I hate you and die and fuck you and yeah.
(obviously this post = my humble opinion, and isn't intended to represent any facts of any kind)
Hi, we're the humans, look at all the cool scientific data we have. Oh wait, can't show you that, it's a trade secret. Can't show you that, or that, or that, or that, or that. Hmmm... how is wherever you're from like at this time of year?
This is awesome. I wonder about how this will affect the emerging feild of cybernetics. This seems like it would make it more possible to implant electronics into people's brains and other body parts.
Imagine having a mathematics co-processor, that solved every mathematical equation almost instantly, directly embedded into your brain. Even if only a few people chose to adopt these, the advances they could make for physics and math are staggering.
I know a lot of people would be uncomfortable with implanting technology into their bodies.. but, to me at least, the idea of a society in which information could be wirelessly transmitted in to your brain is beyond cool.
not everyone has quicktime, though. I'm sure that a lot of people do, but a great number of people I've seen, whether they be in computer science or commerce, lack everything but windows media player. It's funny watching them try to play.rm on windows media player, and watch them bitch about how it isn't working, but it does present these VP3 people with a significant problem. (along with apple, real, and virtually every other company trying to sell some kind of media product)
if my experience helping my friends install various codecs is any indication, people will gladly download whichever codec they need, as long as it is clear where to download it, and there isn't much of a hassle to download it.
Having to fill out any registration forms will push people away, and not being able to find the codec online will obviously throw people off. The easiest way to get around this would be to encode a bunch of movies, or tv shows.. in the name of the file put the URL to download the codec, and message everyone who is trying to download it, telling them where to download the codec.
With a bit of support from its users, this could easily take over as the common standard. With mp3's, people were only used to hearing about one specific codec (mp3). With video, people already know there are multiple kinds, each with different qualities. They know of real video, mpeg, divx, quicktime, and a few other formats. Throwing another one in the mix won't be surprising to them.
Also, after someone has downloaded a 600Mb file, they are more likely to go out on a limb and install a codec, than if they just downloaded a 3Mb mp3.
In high school, some of my geekier friends and I communicated small messages via small laser-pointers. It was ok when just a couple of us were doing it, but when we graciously tried to extend this mode of communication with our teachers and fellow classmates, our lasers were taken away by our teachers.
I doubt the ESA would want my high school teacher to take their lasers away.
"Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws."
- Plato
Copyright protection will never really work out, because those who want to break it, will break it.. and those who follow the law anyways, won't bother with breaking it.
I have some pirated mp3's on my computer, but they are of bands whos cd's I would NEVER purchase. Generally, if I like even two songs off of the same CD, I go out and buy it.. and most other people out there are similar in nature. The RIAA is just shooting itself in the foot with all their crappy attempts at copyright protection.
I mean, the arguements against copyright protection have been posted here so many times, I think we all know the reasons that it will never work out.. I guess all we can really do is crack all of the crappy little attempts RIAA members make, and then laugh at them for dumb things like this.
Before people start bitching
on
Poor NASA
·
· Score: 4, Insightful
about how we don't really need the ISS, I just want to say something.
When I was a child, I looked to the night-time sky in awe. My every last thought was about space. I badly wanted to become an astronaut and fly around the space shuttle. I thought about how much I wanted to go to the moon, or Mars.
I did not wish all these things because NASA did experiments in satellites, or because they were planning to send robots into space to do various missions. I longed to become an astronaut because of the pictures and video I saw. I wanted to stare in awe at the earth, while standing on the moon.
I did not become an astronaut, but I was inspired to love science and math. Now, I am earning my BSc. in Computer Science, and am hopefully going to end up with a PHD in Computer Science.
The science done on the ISS could surely be done more efficiently. Hell, we could explore the cosmos without ever taking a single foot off the surface of earth. I don't think that's the point of NASA, or the ISS. Behind all the research they do, there is the distinct presence of some basic human traits. We need to humanize the unknown. Space is vast and mysterious. We do know a lot about it, but it's just a drop in the bucket. There is so much we don't know, some of which could end up destroying earth (not likely, but possible). Having sent a man to the moon, probes to all the planets, and having satellites and a space station orbiting earth makes at least our corner of the galaxy seem a lot less hostile.
I also think that the space station serves as a marker for our technological prowess. Through architecture, expos, and vehicles, our society tries to assure itself that we are the peak of civilization. We want to prove that we are better than the ancient Egyptians, whose pyramids leave us in awe. We want to prove that we are better than every other group of humans that have ever existed.
Most importantly, and the point of this post, NASA serves to inspire youth. I'm sure that a lot of people on Slashdot, and around the world, have been inspired by NASA. Maybe you were around for the moon landing. Maybe you were around for Voyager. Maybe you were too young to remember Challenger, it doesn't really matter. You saw some awesome pictures, some awesome video, and you shit yourself. It probably inspired you to open a couple books, or to read the newspaper once and awhile.. maybe even to take up a career in the sciences. If it weren't for NASA, I'm sure that there'd be a hell of a lot fewer scientists out there.
Do we "need" the ISS? Not really. Should we cut funding, or quit making it? Definitely not. The implications of the ISS run far deeper than just some scientific experiments.
some info on tomahawk missiles
on
Bert Is Evil
·
· Score: 1, Offtopic
I was looking around the net yesterday for info on Tomahawk missiles, the kind
being used to level Afghanistan, and I found these sites pretty interesting..
I was looking around the net yesterday for info on Tomahawk missiles, the kind being used to level Afghanistan, and I found these sites pretty interesting..
In the perfect world, the Navy would use UNIX. This, however, is not a perfect world. Techies who are capable of running and maintaining a UNIX infastructure generally don't like working with the millitary, much less for the pay the millitary is offering.
We can talk about why they should use it all they want, but if they cannot find anyone to maintain it, they're screwed. People who can run MS are a dime a dozen, and thus it makes more practical sense for them to run it.
there's no reason to believe that some deus ex machina is suddenly going to save net users from a police state.
I think that we should listen to the article, and quit protesting at everything. We'll quit fighting back, and 'give in', as it were. Eventually, something will cause everything to change for us.
The article told us that it'd be all right.. the article.. are you going to mess with the article?
That's why I never do anyone good deads.. they just bitch and complain
But seriously, this guy deserves a medal, not time in jail, or fines. If a worker at a car company knew of a serious fault in another companies car, and didn't come forward, he would be guilty of murder (assuming people died from the flaw). If this guy didn't come forward, he would be partially responsible for the damage caused by the security flaw.
I doubt this case will go that far, though.. I just wish the government would realize how fucking stupid they are being.
Bill Gates, and his noble consortium of Microsoft visionaries contacted Mike Dell, and asked him to build a personal computer, to take advantage of Al Gores latest invention, the internet.
Well, a few days after Dell began making computers, Bill decided that the internet could be the future of the world economy, and encouraged his good friend Jeff Bezos to open an online book store.. to test the waters, and see if it was possible to create a working internet business.
Years later, thieves and pirates moved in, peddling porn, warez, and MP3s.. ruining the very social fabric of the internet. Some renegade people began to create computer virii, and send spam. Recently Bill Gates has taken the noble effort upon himself to get rid of these "open source" programmers.
I don't know where IBM thought up all of this bullshit, but I hope that no one believes a word of it.
someone should make a code red three
on
Code Redux
·
· Score: 1
and copyright it. then, if anyone patches their computer to prevent it from being infected, the person who made the worm could invoke the DCMA, since they would be circumventing the virus. They could then sue microsoft, and the anti-virus companies, and every corporation running windows NT/2000.
Slashdot Mirror
I know I'll probably come off as a pro-Linux zealot for this.. but..
I am a first year compsci student. Before this year, all of my attempts to try to use Linux failed horribly.. but in January this year, I installed Redhat, and immediately fell in love. I've slowly been learning how to take advantage of all of Linux's more advanced features, and I've lately been able to fix problems based on intuition, rather than long searches on Google.
Whenever any of my friends come over, they see my computer, and they gasp. They love the way KDE looks, they love the Liquid theme, they love transparent menu's, they love the functionality of the command prompt, they ENVY the fact I can leave it on for days.. even weeks without having to so much as log out. (probably not the safest thing to be doing.. but it makes me feel big, lol)
The only things which prevent people from installing Linux on their own computers are the following
1. Lack of MSN messenger (Kmerlin) built in. They would not know where to look, if they were going to find it.. and it seems to be the most popular messenger at my university.
2. Once and awhile the Xserver bombs, and deletes the 'fixed fonts'.. which requires some knowledge to fix.
3. Decent CD burning software
4. A file sharing program which does not bomb all the time.
5. Better media support - Built in Divx support... easy to install quicktime support.. easy to find realplayer (it takes awhile to find realplayer if you don't know where to look)
The last thing it needs is to be pre-installed on a few computers.. but this article shows why that isn't likely to happen.
In preparation for Ballmer meeting with a Dell executive to talk about the computer maker's support of Linux, a confidential Microsoft briefing e-mail notes as a talking point that "it's untenable for a 'premier partner' of Windows 2000 to be doing aggressive marketing development for another operating system."
"This little drama ends" later that year, Kuney said, with Dell abandoning its Linux efforts with the head of the program being reassigned.
Overall, I think Linux is pretty much ready for the desktop. Everyone here is always bitching about stuff like document support.. which for the desktop, IMO, is pretty irrelevant. The majority of people out there transfer documents by copying and pasting to emails.
I guess that's my conspiracy theory of the day
in a major Canadian university. With our textbooks, there is some version of Visual Studio included so that kids can do their labs at home on it. However, all of our teachers frown upon using it, so almost every CS student in our university ends up using GCC. On top of that, there is a growing fascination with linux. Most people here have tried it at some point a few years ago. Most likely they tried redhat 5.something, didn't understand how to use it, and have moved on.
.doc format is. (probably because I haven't dealt with business before). I can write whatever I want on AbiWord, KWord, or StarOffice.. I can send it to other people on .rtf, or another format, and they can open it. No biggie. Anyways, I'll end my incoherant rant here. Linux is pretty much there, people just have to realize it.
Lately, however, people have been slowly getting back into it. I've brought a lot of friends over to show them my linux box, and they've been simply amazed by how far it has come, and have begun to consider dual booting or switching over.
Personally, I think that if Wine 1.0 can really run any windows98 application, most people could easily convert over to linux. The only thing left for linux to being highly accepted in academic institutions is the ability to run as many games as windows. As for word processing, I seriously don't see what the big deal about the
thanks a lot :)
does anyone know where i can download a copy of beos?
or buy it, for that matter.. i found a few sites on the net with links to download it at the beos site.. but be has shut down most of its site, so it isn't available per say..
"Windows Powered Smartphone 2002"
lol, why not call it "super-great windows CE awesome gnarly future-smart-phone 2002"
I mean, seriously.. why not call it like "Smartphone XP" or just throw an XP at the end of a decent brand name (nokia 7100XP)?
ok, I'm done my ignorant comments.. time to read the article and see how far off I really am.
I choose microsoft, too.
Walmart uses sweatshops and I personally don't feel like supporting slavery.
HJAHAHAHAHAHAAHh hAHAH AhahAH AHAHA
HAHAHA HAA
HOW DO YOU LIKE THEM APPLES??
You sat on top for how long, basically ruling the software market. You had every opportunity to perfect your products.. and I'll admit that you've come a long way.. but you concentrated so hard on your future, and everything ahead of you, that you didn't watch your back. Now your ass is going to be sore, and it's all your fault.
It's your fault, and I hate you and die and fuck you and yeah.
(obviously this post = my humble opinion, and isn't intended to represent any facts of any kind)
lol, you know that won't happen
It'd be more like this;
Hi, we're the humans, look at all the cool scientific data we have. Oh wait, can't show you that, it's a trade secret. Can't show you that, or that, or that, or that, or that. Hmmm... how is wherever you're from like at this time of year?
Imagine having a mathematics co-processor, that solved every mathematical equation almost instantly, directly embedded into your brain. Even if only a few people chose to adopt these, the advances they could make for physics and math are staggering.
I know a lot of people would be uncomfortable with implanting technology into their bodies.. but, to me at least, the idea of a society in which information could be wirelessly transmitted in to your brain is beyond cool.
(disregarding the potential for abuse, that is)
not everyone has quicktime, though. I'm sure that a lot of people do, but a great number of people I've seen, whether they be in computer science or commerce, lack everything but windows media player. It's funny watching them try to play .rm on windows media player, and watch them bitch about how it isn't working, but it does present these VP3 people with a significant problem. (along with apple, real, and virtually every other company trying to sell some kind of media product)
Having to fill out any registration forms will push people away, and not being able to find the codec online will obviously throw people off. The easiest way to get around this would be to encode a bunch of movies, or tv shows.. in the name of the file put the URL to download the codec, and message everyone who is trying to download it, telling them where to download the codec.
With a bit of support from its users, this could easily take over as the common standard. With mp3's, people were only used to hearing about one specific codec (mp3). With video, people already know there are multiple kinds, each with different qualities. They know of real video, mpeg, divx, quicktime, and a few other formats. Throwing another one in the mix won't be surprising to them.
Also, after someone has downloaded a 600Mb file, they are more likely to go out on a limb and install a codec, than if they just downloaded a 3Mb mp3.
I doubt this will become widespread
In high school, some of my geekier friends and I communicated small messages via small laser-pointers. It was ok when just a couple of us were doing it, but when we graciously tried to extend this mode of communication with our teachers and fellow classmates, our lasers were taken away by our teachers.
I doubt the ESA would want my high school teacher to take their lasers away.
Webmasters, however, should be careful with these new "anti-words", as when they mix with their word counterpart, a gigantic explosion results.
"Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws."
- Plato
Copyright protection will never really work out, because those who want to break it, will break it.. and those who follow the law anyways, won't bother with breaking it.
I have some pirated mp3's on my computer, but they are of bands whos cd's I would NEVER purchase. Generally, if I like even two songs off of the same CD, I go out and buy it.. and most other people out there are similar in nature. The RIAA is just shooting itself in the foot with all their crappy attempts at copyright protection.
I mean, the arguements against copyright protection have been posted here so many times, I think we all know the reasons that it will never work out.. I guess all we can really do is crack all of the crappy little attempts RIAA members make, and then laugh at them for dumb things like this.
about how we don't really need the ISS, I just want to say something.
When I was a child, I looked to the night-time sky in awe. My every last thought was about space. I badly wanted to become an astronaut and fly around the space shuttle. I thought about how much I wanted to go to the moon, or Mars.
I did not wish all these things because NASA did experiments in satellites, or because they were planning to send robots into space to do various missions. I longed to become an astronaut because of the pictures and video I saw. I wanted to stare in awe at the earth, while standing on the moon.
I did not become an astronaut, but I was inspired to love science and math. Now, I am earning my BSc. in Computer Science, and am hopefully going to end up with a PHD in Computer Science.
The science done on the ISS could surely be done more efficiently. Hell, we could explore the cosmos without ever taking a single foot off the surface of earth. I don't think that's the point of NASA, or the ISS. Behind all the research they do, there is the distinct presence of some basic human traits. We need to humanize the unknown. Space is vast and mysterious. We do know a lot about it, but it's just a drop in the bucket. There is so much we don't know, some of which could end up destroying earth (not likely, but possible). Having sent a man to the moon, probes to all the planets, and having satellites and a space station orbiting earth makes at least our corner of the galaxy seem a lot less hostile.
I also think that the space station serves as a marker for our technological prowess. Through architecture, expos, and vehicles, our society tries to assure itself that we are the peak of civilization. We want to prove that we are better than the ancient Egyptians, whose pyramids leave us in awe. We want to prove that we are better than every other group of humans that have ever existed.
Most importantly, and the point of this post, NASA serves to inspire youth. I'm sure that a lot of people on Slashdot, and around the world, have been inspired by NASA. Maybe you were around for the moon landing. Maybe you were around for Voyager. Maybe you were too young to remember Challenger, it doesn't really matter. You saw some awesome pictures, some awesome video, and you shit yourself. It probably inspired you to open a couple books, or to read the newspaper once and awhile.. maybe even to take up a career in the sciences. If it weren't for NASA, I'm sure that there'd be a hell of a lot fewer scientists out there.
Do we "need" the ISS? Not really. Should we cut funding, or quit making it? Definitely not. The implications of the ISS run far deeper than just some scientific experiments.
being used to level Afghanistan, and I found these sites pretty interesting..
http://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/factfile/miss
Millitary specifications on the tomahawk
http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/smart/bgm-109.
A technical guide to how the Tomahawk works.
http://members.tripod.de/usnavy/weapons/tomahawk.
Some statistics on Tomahawk missiles
http://www.howstuffworks.com/cruise-missile.htm
A less technical guide to how the Tomahawk works.
http://www.softwar.net/emg.html
Information on a cool EMG warhead that a Tomahawk can be
fitted with.
http://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/factfile/miss
Millitary specifications on the tomahawk
http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/smart/bgm-109.
A technical guide to how the Tomahawk works.
http://members.tripod.de/usnavy/weapons/tomahawk.
Some statistics on Tomahawk missiles
http://www.howstuffworks.com/cruise-missile.htm
A less technical guide to how the Tomahawk works.
http://www.softwar.net/emg.html
Information on a cool EMG warhead that a Tomahawk can be fitted with.
We can talk about why they should use it all they want, but if they cannot find anyone to maintain it, they're screwed. People who can run MS are a dime a dozen, and thus it makes more practical sense for them to run it.
I think that we should listen to the article, and quit protesting at everything. We'll quit fighting back, and 'give in', as it were. Eventually, something will cause everything to change for us.
The article told us that it'd be all right.. the article.. are you going to mess with the article?
i know i'm not.
But seriously, this guy deserves a medal, not time in jail, or fines. If a worker at a car company knew of a serious fault in another companies car, and didn't come forward, he would be guilty of murder (assuming people died from the flaw). If this guy didn't come forward, he would be partially responsible for the damage caused by the security flaw.
I doubt this case will go that far, though.. I just wish the government would realize how fucking stupid they are being.
They only took out the Quicktime plugin because it is a stable feature, and thus isn't compatible with any Microsoft products.
If Apple were willing to add some buggy code, I'm sure the Microsoft would be more than happy to allow the feature in Internet Explorer
Well, a few days after Dell began making computers, Bill decided that the internet could be the future of the world economy, and encouraged his good friend Jeff Bezos to open an online book store.. to test the waters, and see if it was possible to create a working internet business.
Years later, thieves and pirates moved in, peddling porn, warez, and MP3s.. ruining the very social fabric of the internet. Some renegade people began to create computer virii, and send spam. Recently Bill Gates has taken the noble effort upon himself to get rid of these "open source" programmers.
I don't know where IBM thought up all of this bullshit, but I hope that no one believes a word of it.
It'd be a thing of beauty.
I don't know if I'll be able to afford to give this to both my boss, and my inlaws..