In Conway, Arkansas, we have Conway Corp which is a non-profit local government run utilities company that provides cable tv / internet, power, water, sewage, and waste removal (among other things). The general populous is pleased with their performance because we get pretty good service for significantly lower rates. But it's not that great. They were quick to do cable internet, but slow to do any upgrades after that. Sometimes they seem a little backwards and 'small-town'ish.
And the biggest issue for the other utilities is there is no other option. With Internet if you want cable it has to be CC, otherwise you can dial up or get DSL. If they took over local phones I'm sure that would change too. I don't know if there are regulations stopping them from filtering Internet access, but I wouldn't put it past them.
Heh, my biggest complaint is that they cap speeds at the modem rather than at the gateway. I only get 15KB/s send speeds to my next door neighbor/:
What I want to know is, why is it you can buy a laptop with that flat panel installed, but you can't buy an LCD monitor for your desktop PC that can do that?
I've been asking the same damn question ever since Dell started using the 1600 x 1200 15" displays. What's up with that? And at that point why can't they put three of them together and make it 3600 x 1600? That'd be one hell of a display!
Google is not a "tool" in this sense. A hammer is a tool. I can kill someone with a hammer. The internet is a tool. However, the guy at Sears who tells me where to buy a hammer is not a "tool" (well, he may be, but that's a different kind of tool). He can't be used for good or evil. He can tell me where to find a hammer, which I can then use for good or evil.
Is he not a tool for information? I guess that would be saying a dictionary is a tool, or an excyclopedia or map is a tool.
tool n. A device, such as a saw, used to perform or facilitate manual or mechanical work. Something regarded as necessary to the carrying out of one's occupation or profession: Words are the tools of our trade. Something used in the performance of an operation; an instrument: "Modern democracies have the fiscal and monetary tools... to end chronic slumps and galloping inflations" (Paul A. Samuelson). A person used to carry out the designs of another; a dupe. Computer Science. An application program, often one that creates, manipulates, modifies, or analyzes other programs.
Software is a tool. The artists I work with use Photoshop - it is their tool. Google is the tool used to search for information. I believe it is a tool.
Sex: I've always been of the opinion that sex and sexual acts should not be "gifts" to your significant other. If you're not both into it, then it shouldn't be done. And if you're getting something out of it for yourself is it really a gift? That's not to say I wouldn't like a lil' sum`n sum`n, but it shouldn't be the gift.
ThinkGeek: A friend of mine gave me a $100 gift cert to TG for Christmas. It was actually difficult for me to find something with their current stock. Perhaps TG isn't your best option right now - it'll improve soon I hope.
Non-Geek: I think this is a really great idea. Geeks have non-geek interests. In fact their geekiness is probably a small part of their personality, but because it's so in the media right now it tends to be the only thing people see. The computer geek persononality is usually paired with a mechanical personality, tools, cars, the like... musical interests, and even art. Not to sound pompus (but it does) "geeks" like smart people stuff.
Here's an idea. A nice picture of yourself in a nice frame. Prepaired dinner. Rented movie. And a smaller purchase. Perhaps a little toy of some sort he can keep on his desk near his computer. The dinner and movie at home would be excellent as resturants are usually flooded. You can still get dressed up and all that, I would suggest it even. Geeks like romance too, you know.
There are a lot of scanners these days that have software which gives you the ability to "scan to email". It will scan a document, crop it appropriately, open an email and attach it - all at the click of one button.
Useless argument, I know, but it would be nice to see them go away.
Good lord, fax needs to go away. I've bitched and moaned about this at my office for FIVE YEARS.
In addition to that, there needs to be some way of physically inflicting pain upon people who print documents and don't pick them up from the printer. It's a waste to print at all, but if you then don't even get your wasted print out... what are you thinking?
Ideally the cell phone can be made smaller and just stay in the pocket. Or even put in a palm pilot that does not have an ear piece or mouth piece. And have it come with a Bluetooth head set.
Amen to that! Though you end up with an awkward shaped headphone thing in your pocket as well. I still think this is what needs to happen next.
Then the PDA is voice activated and you simply say "today's meetings" and it tells you time / location for your meetings that day. Magnificent.
I heard rumblings a while back (may have been on/.) about alternative space exploration to our current methods. Basically launching hundreds of smaller robots at a task rather than a single highly developed bot. They mentioned lots of benefits, like 80% failure rate would still generate something. Additionally they would be near eachother and possibly work together and even repair one-anothother.
Has there been anymore talk about things like this?
I agree, flash memory is faster and more than sufficient. But it's expensive, and you'd need quite a bit of it by today's standards. I have two full 8MB PS2 memory cards. I would think 256MB would just get you started and that's looking at $80 by the time the XBox 2 comes out. Hard drives are CHEAP and serve multiple functions.
2. Downloaded content
Yes, all the things you mention are true. But you're expecting the user to be intelligent. Keep in mind these are generally young gamers who don't have a clue how it all works. If you're expecting them to configure software between two devices you've already asked too much. Most of the guys I know don't even have a router / switch. They honestly move the cable from the computer to the XBox.
3. Music
I think this is pretty stupid. Put it on the computer.
I'd like to add a fourth reason to HAVE a hard drive. Games could / should be cashed on the hard drive while the game is being played. That way it loads nearly instantaneously. A friend of mine has a modded XBox with Halo copied to disk for the sole purpose that it loads HELLA FAST by comparison. The hdd throughput and seek time is at least 10x the speed of optical. And with new technology it's even faster.
Yes, but that's the point. People don't want to deal with hardware upgrades, and system requirements of computers. A console gives them that freedom. If you then add back in the extraneous devices like steering wheels, keyboard / mouse... anything USB or Firewire, you've got a great little toy.
Agreed. A long time ago I promised myself to not purchase games for their release price of $50. I've been pretty good at waiting for them to come down to $30. This also gives me time to play it on other friends' consoles and decide whether or not it's going to be worth that $30 I'm still reluctant to let go of.
The biggest thing a game manufacturer could do would be to drop their release prices from 50 to 40 dollars in the US market. They'd sell so many more to make up for lost profit that the end result would be amazing.
To those who say Apple would never do something like SCO look here.
The fact they dismissed him is one thing. However, most companies who are in the business of creating something have rules / guidelines that state anything you create that is under their business's product spectrum belongs to them. The company I work for, an advertising agency, has the same rules. It's not a bad thing. After all, he probably wouldn't have the skills or tools to create that application if he weren't employed by Apple.
Now, don't take this as a cheer for Apple. I think they're heartless bastards just the same (:
But with Linux on a Dell he isn't locked into a Linksys Wireless card... he can choose something different. The hardware lock-in comes from only being able to run OS X on Apple hardware.
Workgroup Manager uses a lot of terminology that is completely lost on me, and I am not managing any users, really.
Gripe number two - who the hell is this guy? Why does he have an XServe in his home?
Has any notable person, perhaps a system administrator, done a review on the OS X Server package? I have an XServe G5 coming to my advertising agency (as soon as they ship). Perhaps I'll write a worth while review of it.
I've got a PowerBook G3/400 in my stereo closet for playing MP3s. The PowerBook doesn't have internal AirPort, and instead is connected to another switch and another Extreme base station, configured to do WDS.
Run a god damn wire you dumb shit! You've thrown away several HUNDRED dollars so you can be cool and have wireless to a STATIONARY laptop. Or if you're not in the mood for a little physical labor (fat ass?) you could at a minimum buy an Airport card, or if the PowerBook is too old you could get a USB wireless adaptor.
Good lord. How much credit do I give this guy on servers when he does retarded ass things like this?
Well, I don't know that turning the profit right around and giving it to the victim is the best course of action. It would be pennies and no one has the time to deal with that.
A better solution would be to add it to a fun for spam research or something.
Well that's the other part of Marketing math. They don't include redundancy. It's maximum capacity (using base 1000 instead of 1024) is 3.5TB on 14 disks.
You are correct, though, that it would be significantly less after redundancy is factored in.
Agreed. Apple's XServe RAID quotes that it has 3.5TB of data with 14 x 250GB. Excuse me? When I format that sucker and it comes up at 3.18TB, more than an entire DRIVE short, I'm not going to be pleased.
Well I guess I have to buy it first (:
I refered to this as "marketing math" to a salesman just last week.
Yes, I hear all you balking at "superior", and I agree that it is not. But even if it were I still have to ask why bother? Mp3 and ACC are good enough. There are things I care more about in a small device than more format options. Perhaps a convertion utility that runs on the host computer would be enough. But how about more options in that little portable doo-dad.
Slashdot Mirror
Never underestimate the stupidity of people in large numbers.
Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups.
In Conway, Arkansas, we have Conway Corp which is a non-profit local government run utilities company that provides cable tv / internet, power, water, sewage, and waste removal (among other things). The general populous is pleased with their performance because we get pretty good service for significantly lower rates. But it's not that great. They were quick to do cable internet, but slow to do any upgrades after that. Sometimes they seem a little backwards and 'small-town'ish.
/:
And the biggest issue for the other utilities is there is no other option. With Internet if you want cable it has to be CC, otherwise you can dial up or get DSL. If they took over local phones I'm sure that would change too. I don't know if there are regulations stopping them from filtering Internet access, but I wouldn't put it past them.
Heh, my biggest complaint is that they cap speeds at the modem rather than at the gateway. I only get 15KB/s send speeds to my next door neighbor
WUXGA+ screen, which is 1920x1200 pixels.
What I want to know is, why is it you can buy a laptop with that flat panel installed, but you can't buy an LCD monitor for your desktop PC that can do that?
I've been asking the same damn question ever since Dell started using the 1600 x 1200 15" displays. What's up with that? And at that point why can't they put three of them together and make it 3600 x 1600? That'd be one hell of a display!
Because it doesn't play Half-Life?
...
Gaming Laptop
Gaming on a Mac
Google is not a "tool" in this sense. A hammer is a tool. I can kill someone with a hammer. The internet is a tool. However, the guy at Sears who tells me where to buy a hammer is not a "tool" (well, he may be, but that's a different kind of tool). He can't be used for good or evil. He can tell me where to find a hammer, which I can then use for good or evil.
Is he not a tool for information? I guess that would be saying a dictionary is a tool, or an excyclopedia or map is a tool.
From Dictionary.com
tool
n.
A device, such as a saw, used to perform or facilitate manual or mechanical work.
Something regarded as necessary to the carrying out of one's occupation or profession: Words are the tools of our trade.
Something used in the performance of an operation; an instrument: "Modern democracies have the fiscal and monetary tools... to end chronic slumps and galloping inflations" (Paul A. Samuelson).
A person used to carry out the designs of another; a dupe.
Computer Science. An application program, often one that creates, manipulates, modifies, or analyzes other programs.
Software is a tool. The artists I work with use Photoshop - it is their tool. Google is the tool used to search for information. I believe it is a tool.
Sex: I've always been of the opinion that sex and sexual acts should not be "gifts" to your significant other. If you're not both into it, then it shouldn't be done. And if you're getting something out of it for yourself is it really a gift? That's not to say I wouldn't like a lil' sum`n sum`n, but it shouldn't be the gift.
... musical interests, and even art. Not to sound pompus (but it does) "geeks" like smart people stuff .
ThinkGeek: A friend of mine gave me a $100 gift cert to TG for Christmas. It was actually difficult for me to find something with their current stock. Perhaps TG isn't your best option right now - it'll improve soon I hope.
Non-Geek: I think this is a really great idea. Geeks have non-geek interests. In fact their geekiness is probably a small part of their personality, but because it's so in the media right now it tends to be the only thing people see. The computer geek persononality is usually paired with a mechanical personality, tools, cars, the like
Here's an idea. A nice picture of yourself in a nice frame. Prepaired dinner. Rented movie. And a smaller purchase. Perhaps a little toy of some sort he can keep on his desk near his computer. The dinner and movie at home would be excellent as resturants are usually flooded. You can still get dressed up and all that, I would suggest it even. Geeks like romance too, you know.
There are a lot of scanners these days that have software which gives you the ability to "scan to email". It will scan a document, crop it appropriately, open an email and attach it - all at the click of one button.
Useless argument, I know, but it would be nice to see them go away.
Good lord, fax needs to go away. I've bitched and moaned about this at my office for FIVE YEARS.
... what are you thinking?
In addition to that, there needs to be some way of physically inflicting pain upon people who print documents and don't pick them up from the printer. It's a waste to print at all, but if you then don't even get your wasted print out
Ideally the cell phone can be made smaller and just stay in the pocket. Or even put in a palm pilot that does not have an ear piece or mouth piece. And have it come with a Bluetooth head set.
Amen to that! Though you end up with an awkward shaped headphone thing in your pocket as well. I still think this is what needs to happen next.
Then the PDA is voice activated and you simply say "today's meetings" and it tells you time / location for your meetings that day. Magnificent.
Aren't those the chip they use over at DC Comics? ;-)
Might have used NT Technology to make it, though, so what do you expect (:
I heard rumblings a while back (may have been on /.) about alternative space exploration to our current methods. Basically launching hundreds of smaller robots at a task rather than a single highly developed bot. They mentioned lots of benefits, like 80% failure rate would still generate something. Additionally they would be near eachother and possibly work together and even repair one-anothother.
Has there been anymore talk about things like this?
I have no comment on your comment other than "Power PPC"? A little redundant don't you think?
PPC - Power Personal Computer
So they're putting a Power Power Personal Computer chip in it. P^2PC. EAT THAT G5! (:
1. Savegames
I agree, flash memory is faster and more than sufficient. But it's expensive, and you'd need quite a bit of it by today's standards. I have two full 8MB PS2 memory cards. I would think 256MB would just get you started and that's looking at $80 by the time the XBox 2 comes out. Hard drives are CHEAP and serve multiple functions.
2. Downloaded content
Yes, all the things you mention are true. But you're expecting the user to be intelligent. Keep in mind these are generally young gamers who don't have a clue how it all works. If you're expecting them to configure software between two devices you've already asked too much. Most of the guys I know don't even have a router / switch. They honestly move the cable from the computer to the XBox.
3. Music
I think this is pretty stupid. Put it on the computer.
I'd like to add a fourth reason to HAVE a hard drive. Games could / should be cashed on the hard drive while the game is being played. That way it loads nearly instantaneously. A friend of mine has a modded XBox with Halo copied to disk for the sole purpose that it loads HELLA FAST by comparison. The hdd throughput and seek time is at least 10x the speed of optical. And with new technology it's even faster.
Yes, but that's the point. People don't want to deal with hardware upgrades, and system requirements of computers. A console gives them that freedom. If you then add back in the extraneous devices like steering wheels, keyboard / mouse ... anything USB or Firewire, you've got a great little toy.
Agreed. A long time ago I promised myself to not purchase games for their release price of $50. I've been pretty good at waiting for them to come down to $30. This also gives me time to play it on other friends' consoles and decide whether or not it's going to be worth that $30 I'm still reluctant to let go of.
The biggest thing a game manufacturer could do would be to drop their release prices from 50 to 40 dollars in the US market. They'd sell so many more to make up for lost profit that the end result would be amazing.
To those who say Apple would never do something like SCO look here.
The fact they dismissed him is one thing. However, most companies who are in the business of creating something have rules / guidelines that state anything you create that is under their business's product spectrum belongs to them. The company I work for, an advertising agency, has the same rules. It's not a bad thing. After all, he probably wouldn't have the skills or tools to create that application if he weren't employed by Apple.
Now, don't take this as a cheer for Apple. I think they're heartless bastards just the same (:
But with Linux on a Dell he isn't locked into a Linksys Wireless card ... he can choose something different. The hardware lock-in comes from only being able to run OS X on Apple hardware.
You're using TWO wireless accesspoints (each a minimum of $200) to make one measly connection? That's dumb.
You're telling me there are NO USB wireless devices that work in OS X? That's rediculous.
Workgroup Manager uses a lot of terminology that is completely lost on me, and I am not managing any users, really.
Gripe number two - who the hell is this guy? Why does he have an XServe in his home?
Has any notable person, perhaps a system administrator, done a review on the OS X Server package? I have an XServe G5 coming to my advertising agency (as soon as they ship). Perhaps I'll write a worth while review of it.
I've got a PowerBook G3/400 in my stereo closet for playing MP3s. The PowerBook doesn't have internal AirPort, and instead is connected to another switch and another Extreme base station, configured to do WDS.
Run a god damn wire you dumb shit! You've thrown away several HUNDRED dollars so you can be cool and have wireless to a STATIONARY laptop. Or if you're not in the mood for a little physical labor (fat ass?) you could at a minimum buy an Airport card, or if the PowerBook is too old you could get a USB wireless adaptor.
Good lord. How much credit do I give this guy on servers when he does retarded ass things like this?
Well, I don't know that turning the profit right around and giving it to the victim is the best course of action. It would be pennies and no one has the time to deal with that.
A better solution would be to add it to a fun for spam research or something.
Well that's the other part of Marketing math. They don't include redundancy. It's maximum capacity (using base 1000 instead of 1024) is 3.5TB on 14 disks.
You are correct, though, that it would be significantly less after redundancy is factored in.
2.73TB RAID 5 with a hot spare.
Agreed. Apple's XServe RAID quotes that it has 3.5TB of data with 14 x 250GB. Excuse me? When I format that sucker and it comes up at 3.18TB, more than an entire DRIVE short, I'm not going to be pleased.
Well I guess I have to buy it first (:
I refered to this as "marketing math" to a salesman just last week.
Yes, I hear all you balking at "superior", and I agree that it is not. But even if it were I still have to ask why bother? Mp3 and ACC are good enough. There are things I care more about in a small device than more format options. Perhaps a convertion utility that runs on the host computer would be enough. But how about more options in that little portable doo-dad.