Modern AV receivers can help a lot with this since they can now "up-convert" signals from any video source and send them out via component. This means that you never have to change the video input on your HDTV. Note that manufacturers say "up-convert" but they really don't convert the signals.
For example, my DirecTivo has SVideo out, plugs into my receiver, and it switches that signal over to the component out to my HDTV as a 480i signal. This means that your AV receiver is the only thing doing the switching (Provided that your display can accept 480i signals on it's component inputs, and you don't use DVI). I've got the Denon 3805 and this works great. This has recently been trickling down into lower priced receivers from Denon, Yamaha, and Pioneer. Maybe it's time to upgrade your older AV receiver:)
You should checkout www.jabber.org to see if the open source server fits your needs. There are lots of OS clients as well. Otherwise, pick up the phone and call. Many enterprise level software solutions have more complex licensing schemes that can't easily be translated to a simple price tag.
Having buddies on 20 different servers does not mean that you have to "poll" all those servers to receive presence. You are notified when their presence changes by the person's server.
There are efforts underway already that remove the 1024 connection barrior on linux.. and using these methods, it's possible to scale a LOT more users. But like the other poster said, Jabber is about "everyone" running an ISP, so we don't need one single "farm".
I don't see how this topology differs at all from the email topology?? Please elaborate.
Excuse the existing CVS mess. I'm 100% to blame for it's current state:( WinJab has really grown and I'm still learning a lot about being in charge of an Open-Source project.. Its a steep learning curve, especially since I'm still trying to do my "real job" (tm).
I added a readme.txt yesterday (July 25) to the winjab CVS module that should hopefully resolve the component issues. If you have other issues, please contact me directly via email (check the sourceforge site for the addy).
I could _REALLY_ use the help and want to be as accomodating as possible.
Interesting article, but the whole thing is definitely slanted towards developers working on web-applications. What about all of us ISV's out there?? While I would love to have my main development machine running Linux, I can't until 95% of my customers run Linux!
Contrary to what the "mass-media" wants the entire world to believe, there is still a HUGE market for small, well-built, custom applications for a wide variety of things: Contact Management (real stuff, that actually works well for a small business), db applications, niche markets, etc. This is the area that I work in. Developing apps for niche markets and "small" db apps that typically run against desktop databases. While I know and love Linux, my customers are like lambs to the slaughter...lock, stock, and barrell to the Redmond camp. This forces me to develop for Win32 as opposed to *nix, X/Win, etc..
So what comes first?? Do people like me just take the plunge and develop for an "emerging" platform and possibly make no money?? Or do we develop for the demand from customers (which is still _VERY_ clearly Win32)?? This is the real battle in the "small and raw" camps (at least in mine).
OK, after reading a ton of messages, I'm thinking about this whole instruction translation issue. If Transmeta is making a "co-processor" that would translate instruction sets, and _THIS_ thing can store the existing state of the processor then....
Couldn't they theoretically (siq) be working on a system that would allow you to run MULTIPLE instruction sets inside of single OS?? The implications would turn the existing software industry (of which I am a part) onto it's ear!
Could we actually have a box running some form of unix, and actually be able to run ANY application natively on it - no matter what OS it was written for?? Think about running a BeOS app next to a Win32 app, next to an application compiled for i386 Redhat! WOAH.
If this is even close to what actually exists in Transmeta's labs, then we are in for a serious roller coaster over the next couple of years!
Nor a bad thing. It's just another piece of proprietary software that I'm not interested in running on my freedom platform. I hope you won't be seduced either.
I think the BIG thing that kaz is overlooking here are people like me who develop commerical software that is marketed to people inside of large corporations and such. Selling software is my business, and while I RUN a linux server here at our office, I don't have the desire (nor the business model) right now to give my packages away.
Sure, I've written a few free utilities for 32 bit Windows and they are available for free on my webpage. (http://www.buffnet.net/~millard) However, the fact of the matter is, that there are thousands of small shops just like ours that aren't prepared to give their products away! Having development tools like those that we are used to for the Win32 platform makes is beyond simple to jump into the Linux ballgame.
Some immediate benefits I see are:
More developers using Linux. This is a good thing for the OS and will eventually help all sorts of "mainstream" projects like KDE, Gnome, etc.
More Corporations using Linux. This is also a good thing. A larger installed base always help to find bugs, not to mention the benefits for hardware support. More corporations asking hardware vendors for Linux device drivers will at some point actually mean something to hw manufaturers...they will eventually catch the drift.
More freeware. Sure the development tools might be closed, but that doesn't mean that the utilities and applications that people develop with these tools won't be freeware. Look at all the utils and stuff available for Win32.
Credibility for the Linux OS as a "big player". There are a LOT of corporations and IT departments that use Borland tools already. (We use Delphi almost exclusively here). By producing a Linux version of these products, it will force some people to sit up and take notice. "Well if Borland has tools, there must be something to this OS".
All in all, this is some of the most exciting news (as a developer) that I've heard in a long time as far as Linux goes. I can't wait.
I sent in the story a few days ago also. Ah well. I also agree with the other post under this parent about several issues:
1) I get paid to write Delphi code. Not linux apps. HOWEVER, if our linux server ever went down, we'd all have to go home:)
2) Compared to the learning curve of C++, Object Pascal (the language behind Delphi) is a breeze to learn. Combined with a good Visual Component Library, Delphi apps are small, fast, and easy to maintain.
3) If Borland/Inprise is really serious about Linux development tools, I suspect JBuilder will be first out of the gate. It's gotten high praise from many developers and it was the main driving force behind the MS + Inprise deal a few months ago. I suspect that MS's J++ tool will be getting some serious modifications after the influx of Java technology from Inprise.
I can't agree with you more. This is one of the first things that I was wondering when this whole thing started. WHERE ARE THESE KIDS PARENTS?
I think one of the biggest problems we have in America is the sad state of affairs with concern to families. This may not be the most popular opinion (especially on slashdot) but we are starting to see the results of several things in society. How else can we explain _ALL_ of these shootings that are going on? I'm not that old (27) but I don't remember any school shootings EVER happening until this recent batch started. WHY IS THIS?
For one (as BoredAtWork pointed out), I think we are seeing an overall lack of real parenting going on. I see parents that just don't give a crap about what their kids are doing, who they are hanging around with, what they are watching, and what they are listening to. If things like the internet & DOOM were such a huge influence on these kids, why didn't the parents limit their computer usage? Use the computer as discipline leverage for petes sake.
Another thing that I see pervasive are the consequences of a relativistic society. If you think about it, we don't have real "black" and "white" anymore. If society doesn't truely know whats wrong and whats right anymore, how can we expect our kids to know this?
The problem of course is in large part due to the media. Have they even talked about these kid's (the perpetrators) parents? NO. Have they talked about the family life of these kids? NO.
Slashdot Mirror
This is off-topic, but what the heck :)
:)
Modern AV receivers can help a lot with this since they can now "up-convert" signals from any video source and send them out via component. This means that you never have to change the video input on your HDTV. Note that manufacturers say "up-convert" but they really don't convert the signals.
For example, my DirecTivo has SVideo out, plugs into my receiver, and it switches that signal over to the component out to my HDTV as a 480i signal. This means that your AV receiver is the only thing doing the switching (Provided that your display can accept 480i signals on it's component inputs, and you don't use DVI). I've got the Denon 3805 and this works great. This has recently been trickling down into lower priced receivers from Denon, Yamaha, and Pioneer. Maybe it's time to upgrade your older AV receiver
Start Shameless Plug:
I have an open source client called Exodus which installs and runs on Win95.
http://exodus.jabberstudio.org for more info.
You should checkout www.jabber.org to see if the open source server fits your needs. There are lots of OS clients as well. Otherwise, pick up the phone and call. Many enterprise level software solutions have more complex licensing schemes that can't easily be translated to a simple price tag.
Having buddies on 20 different servers does not mean that you have to "poll" all those servers to receive presence. You are notified when their presence changes by the person's server.
There are efforts underway already that remove the 1024 connection barrior on linux.. and using these methods, it's possible to scale a LOT more users. But like the other poster said, Jabber is about "everyone" running an ISP, so we don't need one single "farm".
I don't see how this topology differs at all from the email topology?? Please elaborate.
Excuse the existing CVS mess. I'm 100% to blame for it's current state :( WinJab has really grown and I'm still learning a lot about being in charge of an Open-Source project.. Its a steep learning curve, especially since I'm still trying to do my "real job" (tm).
I added a readme.txt yesterday (July 25) to the winjab CVS module that should hopefully resolve the component issues. If you have other issues, please contact me directly via email (check the sourceforge site for the addy).
I could _REALLY_ use the help and want to be as accomodating as possible.
Interesting article, but the whole thing is definitely slanted towards developers working on web-applications. What about all of us ISV's out there?? While I would love to have my main development machine running Linux, I can't until 95% of my customers run Linux!
Contrary to what the "mass-media" wants the entire world to believe, there is still a HUGE market for small, well-built, custom applications for a wide variety of things: Contact Management (real stuff, that actually works well for a small business), db applications, niche markets, etc. This is the area that I work in. Developing apps for niche markets and "small" db apps that typically run against desktop databases. While I know and love Linux, my customers are like lambs to the slaughter...lock, stock, and barrell to the Redmond camp. This forces me to develop for Win32 as opposed to *nix, X/Win, etc..
So what comes first?? Do people like me just take the plunge and develop for an "emerging" platform and possibly make no money?? Or do we develop for the demand from customers (which is still _VERY_ clearly Win32)?? This is the real battle in the "small and raw" camps (at least in mine).
OK, after reading a ton of messages, I'm thinking about this whole instruction translation issue. If Transmeta is making a "co-processor" that would translate instruction sets, and _THIS_ thing can store the existing state of the processor then....
Couldn't they theoretically (siq) be working on a system that would allow you to run MULTIPLE instruction sets inside of single OS?? The implications would turn the existing software industry (of which I am a part) onto it's ear!
Could we actually have a box running some form of unix, and actually be able to run ANY application natively on it - no matter what OS it was written for?? Think about running a BeOS app next to a Win32 app, next to an application compiled for i386 Redhat! WOAH.
If this is even close to what actually exists in Transmeta's labs, then we are in for a serious roller coaster over the next couple of years!
Quivering with anticipation...
p.
I think the BIG thing that kaz is overlooking here are people like me who develop commerical software that is marketed to people inside of large corporations and such. Selling software is my business, and while I RUN a linux server here at our office, I don't have the desire (nor the business model) right now to give my packages away.
Sure, I've written a few free utilities for 32 bit Windows and they are available for free on my webpage. (http://www.buffnet.net/~millard) However, the fact of the matter is, that there are thousands of small shops just like ours that aren't prepared to give their products away! Having development tools like those that we are used to for the Win32 platform makes is beyond simple to jump into the Linux ballgame.
Some immediate benefits I see are:
All in all, this is some of the most exciting news (as a developer) that I've heard in a long time as far as Linux goes. I can't wait.
I sent in the story a few days ago also. Ah well.
:)
I also agree with the other post under this parent about several issues:
1) I get paid to write Delphi code. Not linux apps. HOWEVER, if our linux server ever went down, we'd all have to go home
2) Compared to the learning curve of C++, Object Pascal (the language behind Delphi) is a breeze to learn. Combined with a good Visual Component Library, Delphi apps are small, fast, and easy to maintain.
3) If Borland/Inprise is really serious about Linux development tools, I suspect JBuilder will be first out of the gate. It's gotten high praise from many developers and it was the main driving force behind the MS + Inprise deal a few months ago. I suspect that MS's J++ tool will be getting some serious modifications after the influx of Java technology from Inprise.
I can't agree with you more. This is one of the first things that I was wondering when this whole thing started. WHERE ARE THESE KIDS PARENTS?
I think one of the biggest problems we have in America is the sad state of affairs with concern to families. This may not be the most popular opinion (especially on slashdot) but we are starting to see the results of several things in society. How else can we explain _ALL_ of these shootings that are going on? I'm not that old (27) but I don't remember any school shootings EVER happening until this recent batch started. WHY IS THIS?
For one (as BoredAtWork pointed out), I think we are seeing an overall lack of real parenting going on. I see parents that just don't give a crap about what their kids are doing, who they are hanging around with, what they are watching, and what they are listening to. If things like the internet & DOOM were such a huge influence on these kids, why didn't the parents limit their computer usage? Use the computer as discipline leverage for petes sake.
Another thing that I see pervasive are the consequences of a relativistic society. If you think about it, we don't have real "black" and "white" anymore. If society doesn't truely know whats wrong and whats right anymore, how can we expect our kids to know this?
The problem of course is in large part due to the media. Have they even talked about these kid's (the perpetrators) parents? NO. Have they talked about the family life of these kids? NO.
Disgusting.