If OS/2 _really_ had Win32 interoperability, I might still be using it
That makes no sense, becuase BeOS has less Win32 interoperability than OS/2 does. BeOS may be faster, but it's certainly not more flexible. It doesn't run any DOS or Windows 3.1 apps, and I don't think it has XFree86 or all those ported Unix apps. For every 1 BeOS app there are 20 OS/2 apps. For every 1 piece of hardware that BeOS supports, there are 10 pieces of hardware that OS/2 supports. OS/2 is definitely more flexible than BeOS.
As for the UI, the BeOS may have nicer icons, but the WPS is undoubtable the more powerful and more flexible UI. You can always change OS/2's icons to be more BeOS-like, and I think the BeOS UI is otherwise rather dull.
But I can't blame you for moving away from OS/2 because of IBM.
BTW, I have BeOS installed on two machines, but I don't use it. I had to spend $200 on additional hardware just to get it to install.
It's my OS of choice. I've tried BeOS, and all I can say is, "What's the point"? OS/2 has much better application and hardware support than BeOS.
Sure, there are some legacy problems that will never get eliminated. The Single-Input-Queue (SIQ) is a real pain, but it's mostly a pain because many OS/2 apps don't multithread properly (BeOS gets around this by creating multiple threads on behalf of each application, something that might work for OS/2). OS/2 drivers are mostly 16-bit, but it's possible to write 32-bit drivers. Yes, the WPS has some bugs, but it's vastly more complex and powerful than any other GUI, and the bugs are typically in third-party WPS add-ons like Object Desktop. I have one OS/2 machine which has no add-ons, and it's rock solid. My other machine has a bunch, and it has problems.
In my opinion, OS/2 is STILL a viable desktop alternative. IBM may not market OS/2 to the end-user, but they still update it and provide support, contrary to popular opinion. And don't forget that a kick-ass server (which in all likelihood scales better than Linux on SMP boxes) was just released.
Let's talk about applications. XFree86 is available for OS/2, and several Linux applications have been ported to OS/2, such as Gimp and Apache. Star Office is also available. I could go on, but there are quite a few big-name applications available for OS/2 but not BeOS.
As for purchasing OS/2, there are several copies available on eBay, and you can always mail order it from IBM Direct or Indelible Blue.
I think if everyone gave OS/2 another look, quite a few people would see something they like. The public perception against OS/2 is much worse than with BeOS, and that's unfair.
As announced on WarpCast, here's the information on OS/2 clients:
If you run OS/2, there is a command-line client available via http://www.os2ss.com/seti/. Like the Unix client, this version has no GUI and runs at a low priority so that it doesn't interfere with your regular work. It does have the option to run at regular priority.
Of course, you don't need to be running the OS/2 client to join the group. In fact, I have one Mac, 2 OS/2 PC's, and 1 NT PC all running the client under the same name.
What makes TT fonts look good at small point sizes is "hinting", not anti-aliasing. AA makes medium to larger fonts look better by blurring the edges so that they appear smooth. Hinting is a set of instructions inside the font that tell the font rendering engine what modifications to make to the font at small point sizes. Microsoft's TT website has quite a bit of info on it - see http://www.microsoft.com/ty pography/hinting/hinting.htm.
Given the same TT font on both X and Windows, if X shows the small points worse than Windows does, then my guess would be that the hinting support in X is either missing, broken, or just not good enough.
I'm not a Linux advocate (well, I am with respect to Windows, but not any other OS), so I guess I'm biased here a bit, but I don't think Linux is 100% self-sustaining.
What I mean by that is that I don't think everyone in the Linux community is completely satisfied with the software generated by others in the "Linux community". I'm sure there are some people who want more commercial software. For example, the engineers who are forced to use NT-based design software because their managers say so or because the Unix hardware is too expensive.
Yes, Linux can't be "defeated", certainly not the way the Amiga has been. However, if Microsoft can reduce the growth of Linux's marketshare (or even stop its growth), that will do damage to Linux. Few ISV's want to write software for a stagnant platform.
I don't think your "code and passion" is enough for many Linux users. How many, I can't say. But that's Microsoft's angle. For instance, I can't run Linux at work, because:
Outlook doesn't run, and our email system is 100% Outlook
There's no PVCS client for Linux
Microsoft Office won't run (Yes, I know about Star Office)
Internet Explorer won't run (many of our internal web sites use IE-specific features)
The DOS support is medicore, and probably won't run all of my old DOS-based development tools
And so on. There are plenty of other DOS and Windows apps that I need to run because there are no Linux equivalents. Yes, I know about Wine and VMWare, but I seriously doubt they'll be enough.
The point the original poster is trying to make (I think) is that the current Linux community doesn't care about anyone who doesn't use Linux. I don't think that's correct. I think most Linux users WANT others to use Linux. But that's not going to happen as long as the software that people need isn't available. And if MS does a good enough job at convincing enough people to NOT use Linux, then the software won't be ported.
Yes, the Linux community has created some incredible software on their own. I especially enjoy the Gimp for OS/2, because every other OS/2 graphics package is mediocre at best. However, I just don't think it's wise to disregard Microsoft's attempt at thwarting Linux acceptance.
WSOD was designed for situations like this. Create an environment that's the same for multiple people. Don't let them screw up the installed software. Don't use a local hard drive except for caching web pages. And the recently release 2.0 is way easier to set up than 1.0.
Helps reduce cost of ownership through centralized control
Provides a standardized environment that can be tailored to the needs of each user
Helps increase productivity and reduce user training time
Allows software updates and provides configuration capability from servers rather than on every client
Supports existing workstation hardware, applications, network infrastructure and new Java network computing applications
Includes broad support for clients: IBM Network Stations, Windows 95 and Windows NT
Is Tivoli Ready
Is Year 2000 ready
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A single-threaded app CAN take advantage of SMP
on
Quake3 to go SMP
·
· Score: 1
Even if the app itself is single-threaded, the rest of the OS is multithreaded. That means that the OS can be processing tasks on the 2nd CPU while the app runs on the 1st. Granted, it's not as good as a multithreaded app, but there is still an overall speed improvement because the app can truly own a CPU. In a non-SMP system, the app has to share the CPU with the rest of the system.
Not anytime soon, but probably by early next year, OS/2 will also be able to load and run Linux binaries. Take a look at Project EverBlue. Currently, it's basically a port of xlib to OS/2, so that you can run recompiled X apps directly on OS/2's desktop. A screenshot can be seen here.
Those of you familar with the Win32-OS/2 Project (recently renamed to Project Odin), know that it's possible to load and run some Win32 exectuables under OS/2 (most notably Quake II). The next step for Project EverBlue is to create an ELF loader so that OS/2 can load Linux binaries. Then Wine will be ported to OS/2 (via a merge with Odin), and at that point, OS/2 will be able to run...
1. DOS apps better than any other OS 2. 16-bit Windows apps, better than most other versions of Windows can 3. Most Win32 apps (just like Wine) 4. All OS/2 apps 5. Most, if not all, Linux apps
Combine that with the power of the WorkPlace Shell, and you'll have one kick-ass operating system.
Network administrators and web site maintainers really are the janitors of the computer industry. This article validates some beliefs I've had for a long time. You keep hearing about people who leave college early for $40K+ jobs, and this is exactly where they end up. I have no sympathy for them at all, because they thought they could make easy money by ignoring the real meat of a computer science degree.
My salary is also "up there", but I don't have to work these ungodly hours. I don't work on the weekends, I don't work late into the night. I have a beeper, but I only wear it when I go to lunch, and no one's every beeped me anyway. How did I manage this? I got a real education in computer science, and now I work as a BIOS programmer for Dell. I do real CS work - very few people can program in this environment, and the courses on microprocessor and microsystems design I took in grad school were valuable.
Oh sure, there are exceptions. One of my colleagues here never got his college degree, and he's at least as good as I am at this stuff.
1. is unsolicited. The people you are spamming did not specifically ask to be added to your list.
2. is a mass mailing. You send the same email to multiple people.
3. the people you are emailing don't have a common thread which relates to the topic of your message. For instance, if you send an email to each of your Congressmen about a political issue, that's not spam.
If the above three are both true, then it's spam. Just try thinking of a situation where you obtain a bunch of email addresses without the addressees' permission, you send them all email, the email isn't about something which you know for certain will interest them, and your positive that it's still not spam. If you can't think of such a situation, then chances are my definition is a good one.
The only way spam is going to end is if all ISP's start levying fines against anyone using their system to send spam. The most that any ISP will do at this point is to close the account. What good does that do? They'll just go to another one and spam from there.
IMHO, it should be illegal to obtain an email account (and hence the ability to send email) unless billing information is provided. If your ISP catches you sending spam, your account is closed AND you are billed $100 (or more). Email accounts can still be free, but you should have to provide a credit card or some other means by which you can be billed.
I'm currently a Road Runner and TWC subscriber, and although I enjoy my cable TV, I do have one gripe. They charge you an addition $10/month if you don't subscribe to their biggest channel package, which costs $20/month more than the previous level.
Could you tell me more about your complaint to the ATC? I'd like to file a complaint, too.
The correct spelling is shiitake not shitake. The only reason shitake is used is because there are a lot of people who are too stupid to look up the proper spelling before using it.
Face it - no industrial design team for a PC manufacturer will ever come close to Apple's products. They just don't have the talent.
These ugly cases are a pathetic attempt at mimicing the iMac. Even the names of half the colors are the same! Butt he colors are not enough, because the cases are still boxy. They have the same square edges that all PC's do, instead of smooth, flowing curves that hallmark the Mac.
The quotation is not any less valid because a reason wasn't given. Face it - lots of big companies have a set way of doing things and it takes months or even years to change things.
Besides, most enterprise financial institutions prefer OS/2 over Linux.
I have high-quality Henkel knives that I use to cut my steak, and every other food I cook or eat at home. Using Linux is like using a chainsaw to cut your steak - instead of just cutting it, you need to start the motor, carefully place the chain on the plate hoping you won't destroy the table, and then when you're done you have to clean up all the meat fragments that the saw sprayed all over the place.
Slashdot Mirror
2-3 years is pretty old in the technology field, and lots has happened in the encryption field since then.
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Timur Tabi
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IBM's price is way too high, I agree, but there are cheaper sources. Try Indelible Blue.
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That makes no sense, becuase BeOS has less Win32 interoperability than OS/2 does. BeOS may be faster, but it's certainly not more flexible. It doesn't run any DOS or Windows 3.1 apps, and I don't think it has XFree86 or all those ported Unix apps. For every 1 BeOS app there are 20 OS/2 apps. For every 1 piece of hardware that BeOS supports, there are 10 pieces of hardware that OS/2 supports. OS/2 is definitely more flexible than BeOS.
As for the UI, the BeOS may have nicer icons, but the WPS is undoubtable the more powerful and more flexible UI. You can always change OS/2's icons to be more BeOS-like, and I think the BeOS UI is otherwise rather dull.
But I can't blame you for moving away from OS/2 because of IBM.
BTW, I have BeOS installed on two machines, but I don't use it. I had to spend $200 on additional hardware just to get it to install.
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Sure, there are some legacy problems that will never get eliminated. The Single-Input-Queue (SIQ) is a real pain, but it's mostly a pain because many OS/2 apps don't multithread properly (BeOS gets around this by creating multiple threads on behalf of each application, something that might work for OS/2). OS/2 drivers are mostly 16-bit, but it's possible to write 32-bit drivers. Yes, the WPS has some bugs, but it's vastly more complex and powerful than any other GUI, and the bugs are typically in third-party WPS add-ons like Object Desktop. I have one OS/2 machine which has no add-ons, and it's rock solid. My other machine has a bunch, and it has problems.
In my opinion, OS/2 is STILL a viable desktop alternative. IBM may not market OS/2 to the end-user, but they still update it and provide support, contrary to popular opinion. And don't forget that a kick-ass server (which in all likelihood scales better than Linux on SMP boxes) was just released.
Let's talk about applications. XFree86 is available for OS/2, and several Linux applications have been ported to OS/2, such as Gimp and Apache. Star Office is also available. I could go on, but there are quite a few big-name applications available for OS/2 but not BeOS.
As for purchasing OS/2, there are several copies available on eBay, and you can always mail order it from IBM Direct or Indelible Blue.
I think if everyone gave OS/2 another look, quite a few people would see something they like. The public perception against OS/2 is much worse than with BeOS, and that's unfair.
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Considering this limitation and the other comments that have been posted here, it looks to me like this is one lame database.
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If you run OS/2, there is a command-line client available via http://www.os2ss.com/seti/. Like the Unix client, this version has no GUI and runs at a low priority so that it doesn't interfere with your regular work. It does have the option to run at regular priority.
There is also an OS/2 Warp group, available via http://setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/cgi?cmd =team_lookup&name=OS%2F2+Warp. We currently have 211 members and we're in 32nd place.
Of course, you don't need to be running the OS/2 client to join the group. In fact, I have one Mac, 2 OS/2 PC's, and 1 NT PC all running the client under the same name.
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Given the same TT font on both X and Windows, if X shows the small points worse than Windows does, then my guess would be that the hinting support in X is either missing, broken, or just not good enough.
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For more info on these PS/2's, see http://members.tripod.com/~ps2page/ ps2specs.htm
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What I mean by that is that I don't think everyone in the Linux community is completely satisfied with the software generated by others in the "Linux community". I'm sure there are some people who want more commercial software. For example, the engineers who are forced to use NT-based design software because their managers say so or because the Unix hardware is too expensive.
Yes, Linux can't be "defeated", certainly not the way the Amiga has been. However, if Microsoft can reduce the growth of Linux's marketshare (or even stop its growth), that will do damage to Linux. Few ISV's want to write software for a stagnant platform.
I don't think your "code and passion" is enough for many Linux users. How many, I can't say. But that's Microsoft's angle. For instance, I can't run Linux at work, because:
- Outlook doesn't run, and our email system is 100% Outlook
- There's no PVCS client for Linux
- Microsoft Office won't run (Yes, I know about Star Office)
- Internet Explorer won't run (many of our internal web sites use IE-specific features)
- The DOS support is medicore, and probably won't run all of my old DOS-based development tools
And so on. There are plenty of other DOS and Windows apps that I need to run because there are no Linux equivalents. Yes, I know about Wine and VMWare, but I seriously doubt they'll be enough.The point the original poster is trying to make (I think) is that the current Linux community doesn't care about anyone who doesn't use Linux. I don't think that's correct. I think most Linux users WANT others to use Linux. But that's not going to happen as long as the software that people need isn't available. And if MS does a good enough job at convincing enough people to NOT use Linux, then the software won't be ported.
Yes, the Linux community has created some incredible software on their own. I especially enjoy the Gimp for OS/2, because every other OS/2 graphics package is mediocre at best. However, I just don't think it's wise to disregard Microsoft's attempt at thwarting Linux acceptance.
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For more information on WSOD, check out http://www.software.ibm.com/network/ workspace/. A list of features:
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Timur Tabi
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Even if the app itself is single-threaded, the rest of the OS is multithreaded. That means that the OS can be processing tasks on the 2nd CPU while the app runs on the 1st. Granted, it's not as good as a multithreaded app, but there is still an overall speed improvement because the app can truly own a CPU. In a non-SMP system, the app has to share the CPU with the rest of the system.
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Timur Tabi
Remove "nospam_" from email address
Those of you familar with the Win32-OS/2 Project (recently renamed to Project Odin), know that it's possible to load and run some Win32 exectuables under OS/2 (most notably Quake II). The next step for Project EverBlue is to create an ELF loader so that OS/2 can load Linux binaries. Then Wine will be ported to OS/2 (via a merge with Odin), and at that point, OS/2 will be able to run ...
1. DOS apps better than any other OS
2. 16-bit Windows apps, better than most other versions of Windows can
3. Most Win32 apps (just like Wine)
4. All OS/2 apps
5. Most, if not all, Linux apps
Combine that with the power of the WorkPlace Shell, and you'll have one kick-ass operating system.
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Timur Tabi
Remove "nospam_" from email address
My salary is also "up there", but I don't have to work these ungodly hours. I don't work on the weekends, I don't work late into the night. I have a beeper, but I only wear it when I go to lunch, and no one's every beeped me anyway. How did I manage this? I got a real education in computer science, and now I work as a BIOS programmer for Dell. I do real CS work - very few people can program in this environment, and the courses on microprocessor and microsystems design I took in grad school were valuable.
Oh sure, there are exceptions. One of my colleagues here never got his college degree, and he's at least as good as I am at this stuff.
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Timur Tabi
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1. is unsolicited. The people you are spamming did not specifically ask to be added to your list.
2. is a mass mailing. You send the same email to multiple people.
3. the people you are emailing don't have a common thread which relates to the topic of your message. For instance, if you send an email to each of your Congressmen about a political issue, that's not spam.
If the above three are both true, then it's spam. Just try thinking of a situation where you obtain a bunch of email addresses without the addressees' permission, you send them all email, the email isn't about something which you know for certain will interest them, and your positive that it's still not spam. If you can't think of such a situation, then chances are my definition is a good one.
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Timur Tabi
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IMHO, it should be illegal to obtain an email account (and hence the ability to send email) unless billing information is provided. If your ISP catches you sending spam, your account is closed AND you are billed $100 (or more). Email accounts can still be free, but you should have to provide a credit card or some other means by which you can be billed.
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Timur Tabi
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Could you tell me more about your complaint to the ATC? I'd like to file a complaint, too.
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Timur Tabi
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... is to add the email addresses of your politicians to spam lists.
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Timur Tabi
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Now if only I could afford a decent house.
BTW, if you're from California and are thinking about moving to Austin - GO AWAY!!! WE DON'T WANT YOU!!!! Austinites think that Californians are scum.
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Timur Tabi
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I guess I should have read the article first. I apologize for this pointless rant.
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Timur Tabi
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The correct spelling is shiitake not shitake. The only reason shitake is used is because there are a lot of people who are too stupid to look up the proper spelling before using it.
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Timur Tabi
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Could it be that your clock is two minutes ahead?
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It's designed for computers that have an older BIOS which doesn't have the option to disable the CPU ID before boot.
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These ugly cases are a pathetic attempt at mimicing the iMac. Even the names of half the colors are the same! Butt he colors are not enough, because the cases are still boxy. They have the same square edges that all PC's do, instead of smooth, flowing curves that hallmark the Mac.
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Besides, most enterprise financial institutions prefer OS/2 over Linux.
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Timur Tabi
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I have high-quality Henkel knives that I use to cut my steak, and every other food I cook or eat at home. Using Linux is like using a chainsaw to cut your steak - instead of just cutting it, you need to start the motor, carefully place the chain on the plate hoping you won't destroy the table, and then when you're done you have to clean up all the meat fragments that the saw sprayed all over the place.
--
Timur Tabi
Remove "nospam_" from email address