Bot only that, but what these people build is done to benefit us all. Free software is a good idea, but the companies that work hard on bringing it to us should get some recognition. $60 isn't too much to ask. It's cheaper than the Microsoft tax and all of the tools that you could need are provided in the box for free, or are available for download.
I can't code worth a squat (though I am learning). I've always wanted to give back to the Open Source community, and this is the way I can do it.
I love Slackware. It's probably one of my favorites. I think that I would use either distro for both though. They each have theirs ups and downs, but Mandrake is a bit more well rounded in my opinion. Slackware has the benefit of being simple, yet powerful. It's got everything that you need and doesn't skimp, but isn't too bloated at the same time.
Nautilus takes care of it with automoutning of many things, plus you can just right click on the desktop and have it mount the CDROMs via a menu option.
Not sure about the default KDE desktop though, but I think that there was something there.
I have a few new favorites. Saranac and Anchor Steam are some of the newer major domestics that I love, but nothing beats a good old Grolsch or Saint Pauley Girl in my opinion.
Of course, all beers are different, and you can often find something good in many of them. If you are low on cash, nothng still beats a cheap bottle of watered down slop such as Amber Bock or Rolling Rock. It's all a matter of preference though, since I can't stand "The King of Beers."
How many people really do fix something when it breaks? Fixing something could apply to anything: replacing a screw, taping a damaged cable, or patching a hole in the wall. These are not tech-savvy actions.
I would go as far as saying that 97% of people actually go out and buy new things to replace their old things instead of fixing them- desipte what they say in the survey. Most people (not only Americans) have this tendancy to always want the newest things that they can get their hands on. This is why people lease a new car every year or two instead of buying a good, slightly used car.
As "tech savvy" as many people are getting, they will never be good at everything. People are skilled at different trades. Some are skilled at many trades, but nobody is good at everything, and most people don't know tech. Besides- Programming a VCR and installing AOL doesn't make you "tech savvy" even if you are dumb enough to believe it.
Let's not forget that it is totally fast and totally lightweight. That is the most important thing to me. It displays all web pages with the occasional few that force you to use IE. 99.9% of the time, Opera can be successful in pretending to be IE5 or Mozilla, but you get those occasional web pages that are written for one platform and one browser.
It has way more features and configurability than any other browser out there.
I also paid for Windows and Linux versions of Opera. It's amazing that people want everything to be free these days... They won't even pay for good software.
Paying for Opera helps to improve it- I have seen it get better and better over the past few years- a result of the customers supporting the cause.
Since 23% of the surveyed people no longer buy music, shouldn't that technically mean that the RIAA's profits should be down 23%? Let's not forget to take into account that many of these people never purchased CDs to begin with.
The RIAA's argument is worthless and meaningless. They can blame Napster (and other peer to peer services) all that they want. Things aren't going to change. Anyone who purchased music before isn't going to stop because they have access to music.
There is something deeper here. People now have a vehicle for listening to other things that are beyond the reach of the RIAA. Why keep it simple for people to use when they can fight it to the death? They don't want you to have access to other music besides theirs, and if you want their music, it is going to come with a premium. The RIAA lost the opportunity to gain control of the Internet as a distribution medium, and it scares the shit out of them. They were too late; there is nothing left for them to do except try to tear it all down.
I own over 300 legit CDs, many of which are from RIAA labels, but I won't buy any more of theirs because I hate the fucking RIAA. They aren't getting any more of my money. They did this to themselves; they made the enemy out of the consumers and the consumers are now going to make an enemy out of the RIAA.
Right or Wrong, we all understand the piracy issue. People will pay for a product that it worthwhile, and obviously many of the recent CDs are not. I am not going to sit back and let some parasite-corporation suck me dry of my hard earned money while they try to feed me with total shit music, and THEN have the nerve to blame people like me for their fucking problems while they use Gestapo tactics to get their point across.
What's even worse is that the officials believe their shit.
I have 1024MB of PC133 SDRAM on my current computer (a KT7A-RAID) and I really fail to see how DDR RAM is going to benefit me.
I use a Kyro 2 video card, which is really lean on resources and doesn't require a ton of memory bandwidth (unlike the nVidia line of cards.) It would essentially be pointless for me to upgrade my machine with a new mobo and newer DDR RAM. It just wouldn't do anything for me.
Faster RAM is good, but when will hardware developers stop trying to use brute-force methodology with their hardware and instead start designing more efficient devices? For the mainstream, SDRAM based boards are still fine. The larger problems are slow mechanics in hard drives and inefficient 3D video cards.
The biggest problem is that most people are too fucking lazy to search for music, and sometimes they are just too ignorant to figure it out.
Radio station material is convenient for them. Many of them that have heard other things aren't able to embrace new types of music because they have been subjected to so much mainstream shit over the years.
So here is too a few more years of shit like Limp Bizkit and Brittany Spears. Eventually, streaming internet radio will be common in many devices: home steros, car stereos, portable players. Even XMRadio won't be able to compete with the unlimited number of internet stations that will be available over IP. These stations will not only be run by large companies, but by people like you and me.
The RIAA and companies like Clearchannel will ultimately be forced out of business by the consumers. The companies are merely trying to protect their interests.
There is no real way that the RIAA can control the growing capabilities of the consumer's computer without taking away your freedoms in the process. Piracy is not a good thing, but the RIAA's theft of the consumer's dollar is also wrong. There is no reasonable solution to this problem, aside from objecting tp the RIAA's terms. The courts won't be able to make a suitable decision that will apphease the RIAA and protect the consumer. The consumer will still get screwed in the end.
I don't get all of you pro-Internet Explorer folks. Is it not blatantly obvious that this shit is put into the browser intentionally? You don't see Opera or Mozilla getting patched for these types for things...
And yet... People stil use IExploder cause it is convenient.
The 660 is a suitable substitute. Out of the box, it doesn't have the compatibility problems of the non-upgraded 600a.
The only thing that it really lacks it TOSlink and component video. Those can be added into the machines with mods.
What is really nice about the 660 is that many of them can be software upgraded. Just burn a bootable image to a disk and put it in... Region 0/1 switchability and a few other "enhancements."
Macrovision isn't encryption, it's a simple analog circuit.
Oh, and yet another thing...
My APEX player plays any disk just fine, without a hitch. The first generation of 600a models had some problems, but were fixed with a firmware revisions. For the record, almost all licensed manufacturers had the same problems at one time, especially with multi-layer disks.
Go ahead and keep your Sony. At leat my Apex plays multi-region DVDs, and has picture and sound quality that is just as good, if not better than your player.
I suppose that good things like APEX players couldn't last forever. APEX claims to be the second largest DVD player distributor in the U.S., next to Sony. The APEX product line, of course, is made by companies like Shinco of China. Shinco makes some great products, which include the DVD players that play Megadrive (Genesis) ROMs.
Are you saying that these apps can't run on Linux, or have just never been written for Linux?
Given time, more companies will start supporting non-Microsoft operating systems. That's the issue here. If you are a software company and you want to limit your income as a result of supporting a single OS provider (mind you, they aren't supporting Windows, but rather Microsoft by updating their software to make the transitions over the years from DOS to WindowsXP) then fine. As the OS market begins to grow and seperate, your company income will also start to gradually lower.
The fact is that Linux is growing and is the world's fastest growing OS. Companies will eventually be forced to write software for the alternate platforms. A large majority of gaming, 3d rendering, and music software is available for the Mac. It wasn't always this way, but time is changing these things.
If you have never used Linux, then how can you tell weather or not your Grandmother can or cannot?
I have heard stories of peopele's Grandparents using Linux at home, and Windows at the library, and honestly, they aren't partial to either.
On a modern Linux distribution with a simple installer (e.g. Mandrake or Suse,) a box can be just as easy, if not easier to set up than a Windows machine.
Odd hardware combinations aside (more obscure 3d chips like PowerVR and some mainboard RAID controllers) Linux will support and detect most hardware. If you aren't willing to do some configuration work on a machine, you shouldn't be installing your OS, weather it is Windows, Linux or anything else.
The fact is, Linux is perfectly suitable as a desktop OS, and is no less suitable than Windows. They both have benefits and problems, but both have their place. If gaming is your cup of tea, then Windows is obviously your OS to use. It isn't that Linux isn't capable, it's just that there isn't enough support for a Linux+OpenGL combination on the desktop from software companies. If stability, free software, more flexibility is your cup of tea, then hands down, Linux or FreeBSD are better options than Windows 200 or XP. I don't care what anyone says here. Windows 2000/XP will never, and can never, be as stable as a Linux or FreeBSD box. I have never had a porperly configured Linux box crash on me. Every properly configured Windows 2000 box crashes every once in a while.
Slashdot Mirror
Bot only that, but what these people build is done to benefit us all. Free software is a good idea, but the companies that work hard on bringing it to us should get some recognition. $60 isn't too much to ask. It's cheaper than the Microsoft tax and all of the tools that you could need are provided in the box for free, or are available for download.
I can't code worth a squat (though I am learning). I've always wanted to give back to the Open Source community, and this is the way I can do it.
I love Slackware. It's probably one of my favorites. I think that I would use either distro for both though. They each have theirs ups and downs, but Mandrake is a bit more well rounded in my opinion. Slackware has the benefit of being simple, yet powerful. It's got everything that you need and doesn't skimp, but isn't too bloated at the same time.
Nautilus takes care of it with automoutning of many things, plus you can just right click on the desktop and have it mount the CDROMs via a menu option.
Not sure about the default KDE desktop though, but I think that there was something there.
I have a few new favorites. Saranac and Anchor Steam are some of the newer major domestics that I love, but nothing beats a good old Grolsch or Saint Pauley Girl in my opinion.
Of course, all beers are different, and you can often find something good in many of them. If you are low on cash, nothng still beats a cheap bottle of watered down slop such as Amber Bock or Rolling Rock. It's all a matter of preference though, since I can't stand "The King of Beers."
How many people really do fix something when it breaks? Fixing something could apply to anything: replacing a screw, taping a damaged cable, or patching a hole in the wall. These are not tech-savvy actions.
I would go as far as saying that 97% of people actually go out and buy new things to replace their old things instead of fixing them- desipte what they say in the survey. Most people (not only Americans) have this tendancy to always want the newest things that they can get their hands on. This is why people lease a new car every year or two instead of buying a good, slightly used car.
As "tech savvy" as many people are getting, they will never be good at everything. People are skilled at different trades. Some are skilled at many trades, but nobody is good at everything, and most people don't know tech. Besides- Programming a VCR and installing AOL doesn't make you "tech savvy" even if you are dumb enough to believe it.
This article is stupid.
Let's not forget that it is totally fast and totally lightweight. That is the most important thing to me. It displays all web pages with the occasional few that force you to use IE. 99.9% of the time, Opera can be successful in pretending to be IE5 or Mozilla, but you get those occasional web pages that are written for one platform and one browser.
It has way more features and configurability than any other browser out there.
Why do you need multiple browser Windows? One isn't enough for pr0n?
I am pretty sure that Opera 6 TP3 has most of the features that you are looking for. It was just released a few days ago. Give it a shot.
I also paid for Windows and Linux versions of Opera. It's amazing that people want everything to be free these days... They won't even pay for good software.
Paying for Opera helps to improve it- I have seen it get better and better over the past few years- a result of the customers supporting the cause.
Since 23% of the surveyed people no longer buy music, shouldn't that technically mean that the RIAA's profits should be down 23%? Let's not forget to take into account that many of these people never purchased CDs to begin with.
The RIAA's argument is worthless and meaningless. They can blame Napster (and other peer to peer services) all that they want. Things aren't going to change. Anyone who purchased music before isn't going to stop because they have access to music.
There is something deeper here. People now have a vehicle for listening to other things that are beyond the reach of the RIAA. Why keep it simple for people to use when they can fight it to the death? They don't want you to have access to other music besides theirs, and if you want their music, it is going to come with a premium. The RIAA lost the opportunity to gain control of the Internet as a distribution medium, and it scares the shit out of them. They were too late; there is nothing left for them to do except try to tear it all down.
I own over 300 legit CDs, many of which are from RIAA labels, but I won't buy any more of theirs because I hate the fucking RIAA. They aren't getting any more of my money. They did this to themselves; they made the enemy out of the consumers and the consumers are now going to make an enemy out of the RIAA.
Right or Wrong, we all understand the piracy issue. People will pay for a product that it worthwhile, and obviously many of the recent CDs are not. I am not going to sit back and let some parasite-corporation suck me dry of my hard earned money while they try to feed me with total shit music, and THEN have the nerve to blame people like me for their fucking problems while they use Gestapo tactics to get their point across.
What's even worse is that the officials believe their shit.
I have 1024MB of PC133 SDRAM on my current computer (a KT7A-RAID) and I really fail to see how DDR RAM is going to benefit me.
I use a Kyro 2 video card, which is really lean on resources and doesn't require a ton of memory bandwidth (unlike the nVidia line of cards.) It would essentially be pointless for me to upgrade my machine with a new mobo and newer DDR RAM. It just wouldn't do anything for me.
Faster RAM is good, but when will hardware developers stop trying to use brute-force methodology with their hardware and instead start designing more efficient devices? For the mainstream, SDRAM based boards are still fine. The larger problems are slow mechanics in hard drives and inefficient 3D video cards.
The biggest problem is that most people are too fucking lazy to search for music, and sometimes they are just too ignorant to figure it out.
Radio station material is convenient for them. Many of them that have heard other things aren't able to embrace new types of music because they have been subjected to so much mainstream shit over the years.
So here is too a few more years of shit like Limp Bizkit and Brittany Spears. Eventually, streaming internet radio will be common in many devices: home steros, car stereos, portable players. Even XMRadio won't be able to compete with the unlimited number of internet stations that will be available over IP. These stations will not only be run by large companies, but by people like you and me.
The RIAA and companies like Clearchannel will ultimately be forced out of business by the consumers. The companies are merely trying to protect their interests.
There is no real way that the RIAA can control the growing capabilities of the consumer's computer without taking away your freedoms in the process. Piracy is not a good thing, but the RIAA's theft of the consumer's dollar is also wrong. There is no reasonable solution to this problem, aside from objecting tp the RIAA's terms. The courts won't be able to make a suitable decision that will apphease the RIAA and protect the consumer. The consumer will still get screwed in the end.
I was just thinking "God-damn DMCA" right before I read this.
I totally agree. People need to do something about this law before they have no rights left to dispute.
Opera, Opera, Opera!
I use it on all platforms. It's a great browser; the only one worth paying for, in my opinion.
The $35 price tag is very reasonable when you compare it to $1000 for lasec surgery.
I don't get all of you pro-Internet Explorer folks. Is it not blatantly obvious that this shit is put into the browser intentionally? You don't see Opera or Mozilla getting patched for these types for things...
And yet... People stil use IExploder cause it is convenient.
The 660 is a suitable substitute. Out of the box, it doesn't have the compatibility problems of the non-upgraded 600a.
The only thing that it really lacks it TOSlink and component video. Those can be added into the machines with mods.
What is really nice about the 660 is that many of them can be software upgraded. Just burn a bootable image to a disk and put it in... Region 0/1 switchability and a few other "enhancements."
Macrovision isn't encryption, it's a simple analog circuit.
Oh, and yet another thing...
My APEX player plays any disk just fine, without a hitch. The first generation of 600a models had some problems, but were fixed with a firmware revisions. For the record, almost all licensed manufacturers had the same problems at one time, especially with multi-layer disks.
Get a fskin' clue.
I better remeber to run my IPCHAINS, or my DVD player might get hax0r3d.
Go ahead and keep your Sony. At leat my Apex plays multi-region DVDs, and has picture and sound quality that is just as good, if not better than your player.
Did I mention that it only costs $100?
I suppose that good things like APEX players couldn't last forever. APEX claims to be the second largest DVD player distributor in the U.S., next to Sony. The APEX product line, of course, is made by companies like Shinco of China. Shinco makes some great products, which include the DVD players that play Megadrive (Genesis) ROMs.
I have an APEX player (ad 660)... Do you?
OH MAN! That just made my day! If I could mod you up, I would!
"Not like that shite windows, where everything is made for the lowest common denominator -- the dumbass." That's fucking great!
Are you saying that these apps can't run on Linux, or have just never been written for Linux?
Given time, more companies will start supporting non-Microsoft operating systems. That's the issue here. If you are a software company and you want to limit your income as a result of supporting a single OS provider (mind you, they aren't supporting Windows, but rather Microsoft by updating their software to make the transitions over the years from DOS to WindowsXP) then fine. As the OS market begins to grow and seperate, your company income will also start to gradually lower.
The fact is that Linux is growing and is the world's fastest growing OS. Companies will eventually be forced to write software for the alternate platforms. A large majority of gaming, 3d rendering, and music software is available for the Mac. It wasn't always this way, but time is changing these things.
If you have never used Linux, then how can you tell weather or not your Grandmother can or cannot?
I have heard stories of peopele's Grandparents using Linux at home, and Windows at the library, and honestly, they aren't partial to either.
On a modern Linux distribution with a simple installer (e.g. Mandrake or Suse,) a box can be just as easy, if not easier to set up than a Windows machine.
Odd hardware combinations aside (more obscure 3d chips like PowerVR and some mainboard RAID controllers) Linux will support and detect most hardware. If you aren't willing to do some configuration work on a machine, you shouldn't be installing your OS, weather it is Windows, Linux or anything else.
The fact is, Linux is perfectly suitable as a desktop OS, and is no less suitable than Windows. They both have benefits and problems, but both have their place. If gaming is your cup of tea, then Windows is obviously your OS to use. It isn't that Linux isn't capable, it's just that there isn't enough support for a Linux+OpenGL combination on the desktop from software companies. If stability, free software, more flexibility is your cup of tea, then hands down, Linux or FreeBSD are better options than Windows 200 or XP. I don't care what anyone says here. Windows 2000/XP will never, and can never, be as stable as a Linux or FreeBSD box. I have never had a porperly configured Linux box crash on me. Every properly configured Windows 2000 box crashes every once in a while.
*sarcasm*
And with a mod-chip, you'll be able to share it with your friends. Imagine! A free operating system on a PS2!
*/sarcasm*
What will Linux on a PS2 do that I can't do with an inexpensive nForce PC?