Well, I see what you mean, but I don't exactly agree with calling it "offensive". You see, just calling out the truth shouldn't be insulting. That, assuming we really would be talking about someone with a physical disability. It's political correctness fucking up everything again. So, I'm a balding nerd and guess what, you can call me that. I reserve myself the right to call someone who can't walk correctly, a "cripple".
It's the same thing as not being able to say "Negro" any more, you have to say "black" or even "coloured". Know where "Negro" comes form in Latin? "Niger", which means nothing more than "black" for crying out loud! It's completely asinine. It makes it worse that black people do say "nigger" (you also see the "niger" root in it) amongst themselves. That utterly blows my mind. I'm sure somebody is going to call me racist now, but it really is an example how valid words with a well-defined meaning get corrupted by political correctness crusaders.
Oh, well, everyone should just stop being so thin-skinned, but hey, that's probably just me. Tough chance, that'll ever happen.
It is, and I didn't know it was an offensive word before looking it up, which I did a looooong time ago when I first read about people here finding the word inappropriate. It's a less nice word to say "cripple" and "cripple" isn't exactly nice. There is also this, but I'm not sure how it's related That said, I don't think kids should know what a Gimp is.
The thing that irks me, is that you could simply say "GNU Image Manipulation Program" instead and nobody would bat an eyelash. It's not as is "Adobe Photoshop" is short.
However, both Adobe Photoshop and The GIMP are both way overkill for schoolchildren. Personally, I'd go Paint.NET, which is a great product. Just too bad there is no real Linux equivalent for it.
Ouch. At least, mine came with XP Media Center Edition. It was cheap too, because it was on sale just before Vista was released. Before anybody thought Vista could be a dud.;-)
I still use the Ati Xpress 1100 on one of my laptops. Given that there are no more proprietary drivers for it and the open source drivers are, ehm, "interesting", using Ubuntu with anything but Unity-2D is impossible. Intel graphics in comparison are lighting speed. The garbling on the Xpress 1100 seems to be gone now, though (Ubuntu 12.04). Keep in mind, the Ati Xpress 1100 can run Half Life 2 in low settings on Windows XP, so really to display a desktop.....
However, Intel doesn't get a free pass either. I have an Atom based machine with Intel GMA 3150 and I think it has problems with some OpenGL things. For example, Cheese doesn't work at all, while it does just fine with my work laptop (NVidia-based) and the same webcam. (again Ubuntu 12.04)
Depends. I was playing around wth rrdtool on OpenBSD 5.0 and there was a library it required in xbase. I just extracted it and put it where needed, but it sure was a pain.
It should work. Do remember that it's not paravirtualized. While not VMWare, I've run it in VirtualBox sessions. If VirtualBox can do it, so should VMWare.
Partitioning scheme: Not more complicated than on the bare metal.
ISO: You can do that, but you'll have to create the ISO yourself (which isn't hard - they might even provide downloadables these day... I wouldn't know, you'll see why), or you just buy the official CD (recommended version). Me? I don't bother with CD's anymore. Just use the PXE-boot (netboot) method and be done with it.
VMWare tools: What VMWare tools? I'm pretty sure, there aren't any... You don't need them. You're not going to run X on it anyway, are you? Once you have ssh running, you probably never will use the console again. Besides, I'm sure VMWare can handle serial-port connections. My OpenBSD box doesn't even have a graphics card. RS232 is enough.
After reading all of the comments, this really seems to be the best thing to do. I have to admit, I was a bit short on details (European house, not as much space as in American homes). It's mostly to keep everything tidy and clean so it has a higher WAF. Yes, just a few desktop on a table works fine too, but does have lower WAF.
Thanks... If anyone else reads it, also thank you for all the input.
The problem we, and I'm sure others as well, have is that if we decide to pursue this we will loose out on work from some US corporations and, especially, the US government. Thus we don't.
This is a matter of risk management. If the financial loss of the leaked information, or the fact that you'll have less sales, exceeds the profit that can be made from US corporations and US government, then the company you work for should give up those clients. If the loss is acceptable (meaning net profit is likely), then continue doing business with them. It's really that simple.
Oh, Hans Ze Vacationer does care, at least those who are informed a bit. When Bush was in power, I told my wife: I won't go to the US as long as Bush is in power, halfway expecting the insanity would end after is reign. It didn't. While discussing vacations recently, my wife brought up the US (We saw a really nice documentary about San Fransisco and I've been there and I'd love to take my wife) and I said "no". She didn't understand as Bush was gone, and I told her we basically have no rights at all there. Calmed her down a bit.
Jean le Commerce is a tough nut. Yes, if he's dealing with US corporations, he probably has no choice. However, many International companies now already start to make sure conferences and meetings are done outside of the US to avoid the risk of laptops being ceized, and employees being held. That's a business risk, whether you like it or not.
Kickstarter is starting to ruin me, I'm already funding five projects, included this one... and now you tell me the Guys From Andromeda are having one too. Damnit, it will be Ramen at the end of the month again...
I'm very aware of the difference, and I agree that what you say a "netbook" is, is indeed a "netbook". My original post had the word "netbook" there, but I changed it. The thing is the "D" category doesn't match. The "D" can only stand for Desktop, but an Atom in a desktop?!? Nope, doesn't match, the word used in the Atom context would be "nettop". That would be an "N" again, so they couldn't use that. So, if "Desktop" is correct, "Netbook" can't be correct as Netbook:Nettop as Notebook:Desktop.
So, yes, I did this on purpose and - I think - I had good reason to do so... It is also why I wrote the "whatever they're called these days" part. It indicated that I had thought about the issue. Contrary to popular belief, some slashdotters do think about what exactly they write. You are of course free to think I'm an idiot and will then accept the criticism.
Yes... Exactly that.... It always interested me a lot, but I damage myself whenever trying. My dad can do it, so if I have anything to do with soldering irons, I ask him. Hopefully he lives for a long long time...
It has been that way ever since XP. Windows 2000 (Pro, there was only Pro) and Windows NT 4.0 (same remark) both handled Duallies fine. XP: duallies only for Pro customers. I ran an AMD Athlon MP 2400+ system for ages. One of the nicest machines I ever had and what a long life it had. It finally died a few months ago. Won't post...
All currently sold netbook/nettop Atoms are 64-bit. Yes, you can get 32-bit embedded Atoms. See here. Click on the 32-bit filter. You'll notice all models starting with E, those are embedded ones. Ignore them. N270 and N280 are from 2008 and I don't think you can get those anymore. The ones starting with Z are, like the E series, thought for non-PC platforms.
Those starting with N are for "notebooks" (netbooks, whatever the name du jour), those starting D are for "desktops" (nettops...) 64-bit all of them (except for the above noted N270 abd N280)
Download and install 3 or more apps? No! You can easily avoid this. It's very simple: split up the apps, call the whole thing "iTunes Suite" (or "iTunes Pack", or "iTunes $WHATEVER") and provide one MSI/installer that installs these new three or more applications. In the first iterations, do add an iTunes application that does nothing more than provide you with a choice of "what do you want to do", per application, one friendly big icon with explanatory text.... and you're done.
Of course, that's the user-facing parts. Splitting up these applications is most likely what holds this back. Not the fact that it would be "strange" for the end-user. Especially, Windows users, who are used to nasty, nasty and continual changes in their interfaces.
All in all: it's a non issue. It can be split, it's just a herculeanean task.
However, they're already very close to the PC Free situation. My wife never connects her iPhone to her machine. I do sometimes, but only to be sure there is a backup. I really should switch her backup to iCloud or something.
You mean the 3C90x? The situation is even more twisted than what you described. You will find no 32 bit or 64 bit driver for download anywhere for it... BUT, that's not the whole story because there is a driver and you can get it over Microsofts online driver search.... I'm not kidding, in order to get this driver you need to be online already. In my journal I have documented this alongside my ramblings about the fanbois saying 7 has drivers for everything out of the box. Well the 3C90x definitely doesn't, at least not out of the box.
In this case, it doesn't matter. Random number generation is in itself interesting and a very important part of computer science... or better said, the problem that with a finite state machine, like a computer, we cannot generate truly random numbers. Computers can generate pseudorandom numbers, but they are only random within the constraints set, are repeatable and will have a periodicity. Getting "true" random numbers only is possible from physical processes.
There have been several articles about random number generation on slashdot. On the top of my head, random numbers generated from a lava lamp, or from a CCD with a (disassembled?) smoke detector (which contains Americum, a radioactive element). Let's just say that random numbers are interesting unto themselves. That's they're generated by quantum fluctuations is just an added bonus.
On the other hand, people who grew up with computers, of course, want to have more flexibility.
Not my experience... In some sense they are even worse. Take the people of my wifes and sisters generation: both are 30 years old. My sister grew up in a complete nerd household, doesn't remember a time where there wasn't a computer and vaguely remembers when there was no network at home. My wife was still using a 56k modem, when I met her in 2004. My sister is a power user. True she couldn't install an OS, but she can manage her computer and... here is the kicker... is considered by her friends to be a computer wiz. My wife and my sister are the two extremes of that generation and one can assume the general knowledge must be between those two. It seems however, there are more of the kind like my wife than like my sister. Hey, I support users at work and those in the early 30ties often need the most babysitting.
However, those younger than 30 are those who grew up with Windows XP (an vaguely remember 95/98... Look my sister was 14 when Windows 95 came out!). They have been conditioned and in many cases seem not to understand anything beyond where to click and what to expect but comprehension is not there. I'm not that sure they do want flexibility. The success of Apple in pretty much all market segments (even the younger generations) demonstrates they don't want flexibility. Of course, there will always nerds who do want flexibility, but those really are in a small small minority.
When I see terms like "digital natives" (I know you didn't use that term) or the assumtion that people who grew up with computers know them, I simply get a gag reflex. There is no such thing as a digital native. It's all learned, and the dumbing down of computers in the last 15 years, made it less likely they understand anything.
I just checked. No, it still hides the menu and you need to hover over it to get the options. Weird, I never noticed this before or at least it didn't annoy me. I bet that now I know, it will start to annoy me. *sigh*
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Well, I see what you mean, but I don't exactly agree with calling it "offensive". You see, just calling out the truth shouldn't be insulting. That, assuming we really would be talking about someone with a physical disability. It's political correctness fucking up everything again. So, I'm a balding nerd and guess what, you can call me that. I reserve myself the right to call someone who can't walk correctly, a "cripple".
It's the same thing as not being able to say "Negro" any more, you have to say "black" or even "coloured". Know where "Negro" comes form in Latin? "Niger", which means nothing more than "black" for crying out loud! It's completely asinine. It makes it worse that black people do say "nigger" (you also see the "niger" root in it) amongst themselves. That utterly blows my mind. I'm sure somebody is going to call me racist now, but it really is an example how valid words with a well-defined meaning get corrupted by political correctness crusaders.
Oh, well, everyone should just stop being so thin-skinned, but hey, that's probably just me. Tough chance, that'll ever happen.
It is, and I didn't know it was an offensive word before looking it up, which I did a looooong time ago when I first read about people here finding the word inappropriate. It's a less nice word to say "cripple" and "cripple" isn't exactly nice. There is also this, but I'm not sure how it's related That said, I don't think kids should know what a Gimp is.
The thing that irks me, is that you could simply say "GNU Image Manipulation Program" instead and nobody would bat an eyelash. It's not as is "Adobe Photoshop" is short.
However, both Adobe Photoshop and The GIMP are both way overkill for schoolchildren. Personally, I'd go Paint.NET, which is a great product. Just too bad there is no real Linux equivalent for it.
Ouch. At least, mine came with XP Media Center Edition. It was cheap too, because it was on sale just before Vista was released. Before anybody thought Vista could be a dud. ;-)
I'm not disagreeing. If I want to continue this machine, I might have to switch back to Windows... Wouldn't that be ironic? ;-)
I still use the Ati Xpress 1100 on one of my laptops. Given that there are no more proprietary drivers for it and the open source drivers are, ehm, "interesting", using Ubuntu with anything but Unity-2D is impossible. Intel graphics in comparison are lighting speed. The garbling on the Xpress 1100 seems to be gone now, though (Ubuntu 12.04). Keep in mind, the Ati Xpress 1100 can run Half Life 2 in low settings on Windows XP, so really to display a desktop.....
However, Intel doesn't get a free pass either. I have an Atom based machine with Intel GMA 3150 and I think it has problems with some OpenGL things. For example, Cheese doesn't work at all, while it does just fine with my work laptop (NVidia-based) and the same webcam. (again Ubuntu 12.04)
Depends. I was playing around wth rrdtool on OpenBSD 5.0 and there was a library it required in xbase. I just extracted it and put it where needed, but it sure was a pain.
It should work. Do remember that it's not paravirtualized. While not VMWare, I've run it in VirtualBox sessions. If VirtualBox can do it, so should VMWare.
Partitioning scheme: Not more complicated than on the bare metal.
ISO: You can do that, but you'll have to create the ISO yourself (which isn't hard - they might even provide downloadables these day... I wouldn't know, you'll see why), or you just buy the official CD (recommended version). Me? I don't bother with CD's anymore. Just use the PXE-boot (netboot) method and be done with it.
VMWare tools: What VMWare tools? I'm pretty sure, there aren't any... You don't need them. You're not going to run X on it anyway, are you? Once you have ssh running, you probably never will use the console again. Besides, I'm sure VMWare can handle serial-port connections. My OpenBSD box doesn't even have a graphics card. RS232 is enough.
Thanks... If anyone else reads it, also thank you for all the input.
No, just anecdotal... So, it might be not true....
This is a matter of risk management. If the financial loss of the leaked information, or the fact that you'll have less sales, exceeds the profit that can be made from US corporations and US government, then the company you work for should give up those clients. If the loss is acceptable (meaning net profit is likely), then continue doing business with them. It's really that simple.
(Besides, it's "lose" in this context...)
Oh, Hans Ze Vacationer does care, at least those who are informed a bit. When Bush was in power, I told my wife: I won't go to the US as long as Bush is in power, halfway expecting the insanity would end after is reign. It didn't. While discussing vacations recently, my wife brought up the US (We saw a really nice documentary about San Fransisco and I've been there and I'd love to take my wife) and I said "no". She didn't understand as Bush was gone, and I told her we basically have no rights at all there. Calmed her down a bit.
Jean le Commerce is a tough nut. Yes, if he's dealing with US corporations, he probably has no choice. However, many International companies now already start to make sure conferences and meetings are done outside of the US to avoid the risk of laptops being ceized, and employees being held. That's a business risk, whether you like it or not.
I surely hope so... I'm hoping for Core i7 Atoms by then ;-)
I think there even used to be an online version of it, but I can't seen to find it. I thought it was on sarien.net.
That's how the kickstarter project is called. Slashdot didn't invent it.
Kickstarter is starting to ruin me, I'm already funding five projects, included this one... and now you tell me the Guys From Andromeda are having one too. Damnit, it will be Ramen at the end of the month again...
I'm very aware of the difference, and I agree that what you say a "netbook" is, is indeed a "netbook". My original post had the word "netbook" there, but I changed it. The thing is the "D" category doesn't match. The "D" can only stand for Desktop, but an Atom in a desktop?!? Nope, doesn't match, the word used in the Atom context would be "nettop". That would be an "N" again, so they couldn't use that. So, if "Desktop" is correct, "Netbook" can't be correct as Netbook:Nettop as Notebook:Desktop.
So, yes, I did this on purpose and - I think - I had good reason to do so... It is also why I wrote the "whatever they're called these days" part. It indicated that I had thought about the issue. Contrary to popular belief, some slashdotters do think about what exactly they write. You are of course free to think I'm an idiot and will then accept the criticism.
Yes... Exactly that.... It always interested me a lot, but I damage myself whenever trying. My dad can do it, so if I have anything to do with soldering irons, I ask him. Hopefully he lives for a long long time...
Checked... Didn't find any, and you know what they say about programmers and soldering irons... ;-)
It has been that way ever since XP. Windows 2000 (Pro, there was only Pro) and Windows NT 4.0 (same remark) both handled Duallies fine. XP: duallies only for Pro customers. I ran an AMD Athlon MP 2400+ system for ages. One of the nicest machines I ever had and what a long life it had. It finally died a few months ago. Won't post...
All currently sold netbook/nettop Atoms are 64-bit. Yes, you can get 32-bit embedded Atoms. See here. Click on the 32-bit filter. You'll notice all models starting with E, those are embedded ones. Ignore them. N270 and N280 are from 2008 and I don't think you can get those anymore. The ones starting with Z are, like the E series, thought for non-PC platforms.
Those starting with N are for "notebooks" (netbooks, whatever the name du jour), those starting D are for "desktops" (nettops...) 64-bit all of them (except for the above noted N270 abd N280)
Download and install 3 or more apps? No! You can easily avoid this. It's very simple: split up the apps, call the whole thing "iTunes Suite" (or "iTunes Pack", or "iTunes $WHATEVER") and provide one MSI/installer that installs these new three or more applications. In the first iterations, do add an iTunes application that does nothing more than provide you with a choice of "what do you want to do", per application, one friendly big icon with explanatory text.... and you're done.
Of course, that's the user-facing parts. Splitting up these applications is most likely what holds this back. Not the fact that it would be "strange" for the end-user. Especially, Windows users, who are used to nasty, nasty and continual changes in their interfaces.
All in all: it's a non issue. It can be split, it's just a herculeanean task.
However, they're already very close to the PC Free situation. My wife never connects her iPhone to her machine. I do sometimes, but only to be sure there is a backup. I really should switch her backup to iCloud or something.
You mean the 3C90x? The situation is even more twisted than what you described. You will find no 32 bit or 64 bit driver for download anywhere for it... BUT, that's not the whole story because there is a driver and you can get it over Microsofts online driver search.... I'm not kidding, in order to get this driver you need to be online already. In my journal I have documented this alongside my ramblings about the fanbois saying 7 has drivers for everything out of the box. Well the 3C90x definitely doesn't, at least not out of the box.
In this case, it doesn't matter. Random number generation is in itself interesting and a very important part of computer science... or better said, the problem that with a finite state machine, like a computer, we cannot generate truly random numbers. Computers can generate pseudorandom numbers, but they are only random within the constraints set, are repeatable and will have a periodicity. Getting "true" random numbers only is possible from physical processes.
There have been several articles about random number generation on slashdot. On the top of my head, random numbers generated from a lava lamp, or from a CCD with a (disassembled?) smoke detector (which contains Americum, a radioactive element). Let's just say that random numbers are interesting unto themselves. That's they're generated by quantum fluctuations is just an added bonus.
Not my experience... In some sense they are even worse. Take the people of my wifes and sisters generation: both are 30 years old. My sister grew up in a complete nerd household, doesn't remember a time where there wasn't a computer and vaguely remembers when there was no network at home. My wife was still using a 56k modem, when I met her in 2004. My sister is a power user. True she couldn't install an OS, but she can manage her computer and ... here is the kicker... is considered by her friends to be a computer wiz. My wife and my sister are the two extremes of that generation and one can assume the general knowledge must be between those two. It seems however, there are more of the kind like my wife than like my sister. Hey, I support users at work and those in the early 30ties often need the most babysitting.
However, those younger than 30 are those who grew up with Windows XP (an vaguely remember 95/98... Look my sister was 14 when Windows 95 came out!). They have been conditioned and in many cases seem not to understand anything beyond where to click and what to expect but comprehension is not there. I'm not that sure they do want flexibility. The success of Apple in pretty much all market segments (even the younger generations) demonstrates they don't want flexibility. Of course, there will always nerds who do want flexibility, but those really are in a small small minority.
When I see terms like "digital natives" (I know you didn't use that term) or the assumtion that people who grew up with computers know them, I simply get a gag reflex. There is no such thing as a digital native. It's all learned, and the dumbing down of computers in the last 15 years, made it less likely they understand anything.
Now get off my lawn ;-)
I just checked. No, it still hides the menu and you need to hover over it to get the options. Weird, I never noticed this before or at least it didn't annoy me. I bet that now I know, it will start to annoy me. *sigh*