Can't make your own food in your own kitchen because there's a chance you could do it wrong and kill a human (including yourself) via food poisoning. Gotta pay a licensed professional personal chef, or go to a restaurant for all your meals.
Can't own your own kitchen knives because they could injure or kill a human. Only a licensed professional is allowed to own and use kitchen knives.
Can't mow your own lawn with your own lawnmower because your or your kid could be injured by the blades or a rollover accident or being driven over by the mower. Only a licensed professional lawn care technician is allowed to cut your grass.
Can't clean your own bathroom because you might mix ammonia and bleach and produce poisonous gas, or you might not clean it enough and have unsanitary conditions. Gotta pay a licensed professional to clean your bathroom, and it has to be done according to a set schedule so you can't opt out either, and the local government will make sure the cleanings are done on time by a licensed professional.
Can't take a shower by yourself because you might slip and fall. Gotta pay a licensed professional to help you bathe.
We're most likely going to see that small scale war here really soon after Sessions is confirmed as AG and starts directing the DEA to shut down all the MJ activity in the various states.
Fixing your car yourself means you are *stealing* money from the hard-working American workers who work at your local dealership!! You should be *happy* to pay $100/hour for dealership mechanics to fix things on your car (even if they're not broken), because this supports American workers and your local economy too!/s
They banded together to fight proposals they disagreed with. Are you saying that the Dems aren't going to do the same now with Trump?
From what I've seen from Democrats for the last couple decades, I'd say, no, they are not going to do the same at all. They'll just go along with everything the Republicans want to pass, and lamely claim that there was nothing they could do because they didn't hold a super-majority in Congress.
Stuff like this is one reason why I don't buy GM or American. I have a 2015 Mazda and its TPMS system is about as simple and easy as you can get: there are *no* wheel sensors at all (!), as it just uses the ABS system to look for wheels that are (over some distance) turning a bit more slowly that the others. Resetting it when it alarms is really simple: hopefully you'll check the tire pressures and fix them, but to reset it you just press the TPMS button and hold it for 3 seconds. No special tools required.
No, this system isn't as accurate as the ones that show you actual tire pressures from sensors, but for those of us who actually check their pressures regularly it has major advantages: no expensive sensors to replace (or buy if you want a second set of wheels), and no special equipment needed if you change sensors.
Phones are already there. The best phone is the one I have, the Samsung Galaxy S5. It's waterproof, yet is easily disassembled (for a phone), has ubiquitous spare parts available on Ebay, has an easily-replaced battery, and an SDcard slot.
All the newer phones are worse in some way because they don't have all these features.
Unless Trump passes a new law, the Magnusson-Moss Warranty Act of 1975 prevents manufacturers from voiding warranties for using 3rd-party tools, using 3rd-party parts, etc.
Honestly, it seems like I read some dumb comment every week or two about carmakers or dealers "voiding" someone's warranty for some silly reason. It's "only" been 42 years now since that law was passed; you'd think people would know about it by now.
That explains it; the places I've seen are more conservative and more east-coast. Intel was all Thinkpads when I was there, and other companies I've seen used Dells and HPs.
Kids and retirees really don't matter much in the computing market. It's the business/enterprise customers that make MS a ton of money.
What I've been seeing for years is 90% Apple, 5% Windows, 5% Ubuntu.
Where do you live? I've never seen anything like that. I did phone-interview with some very small company a couple years ago that said they used Macs, but that's the only one I've ever even heard of, except for that article I read about IBM. Before that, I worked at one place where engineers could basically choose whatever laptop they wanted to use, and a few of them got Macs. but it wasn't a standard. "The norm"? Things must have really changed in the last few years if that's really the case, because I haven't even heard of such a thing (except for IBM again), let alone seen it. The norm I've seen, for many many years, is dockable business laptops: Thinkpads, Latitudes, and whatever POS that HP is making these days. The government currently uses HP AFAICT. Of course, those are all running Windows. I've never even heard of a company of any size running Ubuntu, except within a VM for devs that need it.
Exactly!!! I'm not sure why they even try, except for two ideas: 1) they're hoping to get lucky and find another extremely profitable cash cow somewhere, with the reasoning that if they throw enough shit at the wall something will stick, and/or 2) their executives would get really bored if they just pared themselves back to a minimal staff and collected licensing fees, so they might as well keep busy doing something.
Besides, you have to be realistic: if they really did eliminate all their developers, their product would before long have security holes found which would make it nearly impossible for their customers to keep using them, no matter how much they wanted to, so they at least have to keep on top of that stuff. It's not completely impossible for businesses to dump MS, it's just more trouble than they want to go to at this point in time, so they don't, so as long as the MS-ware works, sorta, they'll keep using it.
The pedantry here is ridiculous. "Everyone" in my prior post is obviously slightly hyperbolic in the context in which it was used, and a normal colloquial usage. The reality is that over 90% of everyone's PCs are running their software, and if you isolate that to business/government PCs it's almost 100%.
Stupid Slashdot should have a 1-minute edit option...
Also, if you're worried about companies being "morally bankrupt", please point me to any large company that isn't. Such a thing does not exist. If you're going to boycott any company that's morally bankrupt, you're going to starve to death while you live under a bridge.
That's impossible to avoid because there's only 4 networks in the US (Sprint, T-Mo, AT&T, Verizon). All the MVNOs work that way. The difference is that the direct customers of those networks get a worse deal, probably because of name recognition and also because they have to pay for all those fancy brick-and-mortar stores, whereas MVNO customers get a much better deal. The only way it really makes sense to be a customer of the mainstream networks is if you use a LOT of data and can't avoid it. But mostly, people subscribe to Verizon or whoever, pay $200/month, and blissfully stream all their music constantly, instead of subscribing to a MVNO and paying $30/month for just what they need.
IOW, the faithful will in the not too distant future will be able to prove their loyalty with their wallets, forever and ever, world without end, amen. We'll see how that works out. It won't take all that long until you have paid much more for your Windows machine than that stupid hipster and his "overpriced" Mac.
I'm quite sure Windows isn't going anywhere for at least the next quarter-century, especially in business computing. We've had alternatives now for ages, but they just don't get any adoption. Customers have proven, over and over, that they simply will not abandon MS Windows and Office, no matter what, even when they're forced into using a horrible, tablet-ified, spyware and ad-laden version of it.
This isn't like the NFL; no one *needs* to watch sports, it's purely entertainment, and tastes change. Computing is different; businesses aren't going to go back to doing everything on paper, or back to 1970s mainframes. At this point, MS would really have to shoot themselves in the head (not the foot) to get businesses to abandon them. It's just too easy for them to pay the licensing costs and deal with the problems and stick with Windows than to explore alternatives.
But little that could be seen to change the computing market.
Why should I care what IBM does? If they need my interest, what can they do to capture it?
What makes you think they care about changing the computing market, or your interest? You seem to think that the role of companies is to change or improve the world. It isn't. The only reason companies exist is to make money. If IBM is doing that, then it's successful in its mission.
I completely disagree. I blame the Democrats for everything.
I don't blame the Republicans. They're just being Republicans. It's like blaming a rabid dog for biting someone.
But the Democrats brought all this down on us with their shenaningans and their insistence of coronating their queen Hillary instead of working to give us a candidate worth voting for. So a bunch of people voted 3rd-party, or sat at home, and we got this.
Yes, and what exactly is the problem with this? If you don't like it, don't subscribe to AT&T. I don't.
Personally, I use Ting. There's no activation costs at all, and I can activate my phone myself from their web site. (Not an employee, just a happy customer.) Why anyone continues to use the mainstream cellular companies instead of the MVNOs I have no idea.
This is some seriously delusional thinking. Microsoft not critical or relevant? What are you smoking?
First off, IBM is still here if you haven't noticed. They got out of PCs, but they still do lots of other stuff and are a huge and profitable company.
But back to MS: they absolutely are critical and relevant, because everyone's PC runs on their software. That isn't going to change, probably ever. If Windows 10 couldn't convince people to dump them, nothing will. They might not have gotten anywhere in mobile devices, but that doesn't matter because they still have their Windows and Office cash cows, and those aren't going anywhere, and there's no threats to them (do you see businesses switching all their workstations to OSX or Linux? Nope).
MS is doing the right thing: cut employees, and cut all long-term investment, and just keep slapping some new lipstick on the Windows and Office pigs. Corporations in particular will happily continue to pay through the nose for MS's enterprise products, and consumers are happy to use Windows 10 with its built-in spyware and advertising which MS makes money from indirectly. MS doesn't need to invest long-term, they just need to keep milking their cash cows. They can do this indefinitely, because the whole Windows 10 experience has proven, without a doubt, that customers simply will not leave that platform no matter what, and no matter how much it costs them.
How was Biden a buffoon? After Obama totally flubbed in his debate to Romney, Biden beat the pants off of Paul Ryan in his debate, making it look like maybe the two should trade places.
And Cheney was no buffoon either, in fact quite the opposite. It was GWB who was a buffoon, and Cheney seemed to be the evil puppetmaster running things behind the scenes.
I've never felt like I needed "assistance" to keep the car in my lane.
Then you're probably not realizing just how bad your driving is.
After observing other people's driving for about a quarter-century now, I can safely say that most humans just aren't very good about keeping their car in their lane at all times. They can use all the help they can get. If you've *ever* gone over the lines while you were driving, then this includes you too. Somehow I doubt you have a perfect record of this.
Slashdot Mirror
You missed some things too:
Can't make your own food in your own kitchen because there's a chance you could do it wrong and kill a human (including yourself) via food poisoning. Gotta pay a licensed professional personal chef, or go to a restaurant for all your meals.
Can't own your own kitchen knives because they could injure or kill a human. Only a licensed professional is allowed to own and use kitchen knives.
Can't mow your own lawn with your own lawnmower because your or your kid could be injured by the blades or a rollover accident or being driven over by the mower. Only a licensed professional lawn care technician is allowed to cut your grass.
Can't clean your own bathroom because you might mix ammonia and bleach and produce poisonous gas, or you might not clean it enough and have unsanitary conditions. Gotta pay a licensed professional to clean your bathroom, and it has to be done according to a set schedule so you can't opt out either, and the local government will make sure the cleanings are done on time by a licensed professional.
Can't take a shower by yourself because you might slip and fall. Gotta pay a licensed professional to help you bathe.
We're most likely going to see that small scale war here really soon after Sessions is confirmed as AG and starts directing the DEA to shut down all the MJ activity in the various states.
Fixing your car yourself means you are *stealing* money from the hard-working American workers who work at your local dealership!! You should be *happy* to pay $100/hour for dealership mechanics to fix things on your car (even if they're not broken), because this supports American workers and your local economy too! /s
They banded together to fight proposals they disagreed with. Are you saying that the Dems aren't going to do the same now with Trump?
From what I've seen from Democrats for the last couple decades, I'd say, no, they are not going to do the same at all. They'll just go along with everything the Republicans want to pass, and lamely claim that there was nothing they could do because they didn't hold a super-majority in Congress.
Stuff like this is one reason why I don't buy GM or American. I have a 2015 Mazda and its TPMS system is about as simple and easy as you can get: there are *no* wheel sensors at all (!), as it just uses the ABS system to look for wheels that are (over some distance) turning a bit more slowly that the others. Resetting it when it alarms is really simple: hopefully you'll check the tire pressures and fix them, but to reset it you just press the TPMS button and hold it for 3 seconds. No special tools required.
No, this system isn't as accurate as the ones that show you actual tire pressures from sensors, but for those of us who actually check their pressures regularly it has major advantages: no expensive sensors to replace (or buy if you want a second set of wheels), and no special equipment needed if you change sensors.
Phones are already there. The best phone is the one I have, the Samsung Galaxy S5. It's waterproof, yet is easily disassembled (for a phone), has ubiquitous spare parts available on Ebay, has an easily-replaced battery, and an SDcard slot.
All the newer phones are worse in some way because they don't have all these features.
Unless Trump passes a new law, the Magnusson-Moss Warranty Act of 1975 prevents manufacturers from voiding warranties for using 3rd-party tools, using 3rd-party parts, etc.
Honestly, it seems like I read some dumb comment every week or two about carmakers or dealers "voiding" someone's warranty for some silly reason. It's "only" been 42 years now since that law was passed; you'd think people would know about it by now.
That explains it; the places I've seen are more conservative and more east-coast. Intel was all Thinkpads when I was there, and other companies I've seen used Dells and HPs.
You'll find that's common for kids and retirees.
Kids and retirees really don't matter much in the computing market. It's the business/enterprise customers that make MS a ton of money.
What I've been seeing for years is 90% Apple, 5% Windows, 5% Ubuntu.
Where do you live? I've never seen anything like that. I did phone-interview with some very small company a couple years ago that said they used Macs, but that's the only one I've ever even heard of, except for that article I read about IBM. Before that, I worked at one place where engineers could basically choose whatever laptop they wanted to use, and a few of them got Macs. but it wasn't a standard. "The norm"? Things must have really changed in the last few years if that's really the case, because I haven't even heard of such a thing (except for IBM again), let alone seen it. The norm I've seen, for many many years, is dockable business laptops: Thinkpads, Latitudes, and whatever POS that HP is making these days. The government currently uses HP AFAICT. Of course, those are all running Windows. I've never even heard of a company of any size running Ubuntu, except within a VM for devs that need it.
Exactly!!! I'm not sure why they even try, except for two ideas: 1) they're hoping to get lucky and find another extremely profitable cash cow somewhere, with the reasoning that if they throw enough shit at the wall something will stick, and/or 2) their executives would get really bored if they just pared themselves back to a minimal staff and collected licensing fees, so they might as well keep busy doing something.
Besides, you have to be realistic: if they really did eliminate all their developers, their product would before long have security holes found which would make it nearly impossible for their customers to keep using them, no matter how much they wanted to, so they at least have to keep on top of that stuff. It's not completely impossible for businesses to dump MS, it's just more trouble than they want to go to at this point in time, so they don't, so as long as the MS-ware works, sorta, they'll keep using it.
The pedantry here is ridiculous. "Everyone" in my prior post is obviously slightly hyperbolic in the context in which it was used, and a normal colloquial usage. The reality is that over 90% of everyone's PCs are running their software, and if you isolate that to business/government PCs it's almost 100%.
Wrong.
I specifically pointed out earlier that MVNOs like Ting don't charge activation fees.
Stupid Slashdot should have a 1-minute edit option...
Also, if you're worried about companies being "morally bankrupt", please point me to any large company that isn't. Such a thing does not exist. If you're going to boycott any company that's morally bankrupt, you're going to starve to death while you live under a bridge.
That's impossible to avoid because there's only 4 networks in the US (Sprint, T-Mo, AT&T, Verizon). All the MVNOs work that way. The difference is that the direct customers of those networks get a worse deal, probably because of name recognition and also because they have to pay for all those fancy brick-and-mortar stores, whereas MVNO customers get a much better deal. The only way it really makes sense to be a customer of the mainstream networks is if you use a LOT of data and can't avoid it. But mostly, people subscribe to Verizon or whoever, pay $200/month, and blissfully stream all their music constantly, instead of subscribing to a MVNO and paying $30/month for just what they need.
IOW, the faithful will in the not too distant future will be able to prove their loyalty with their wallets, forever and ever, world without end, amen. We'll see how that works out. It won't take all that long until you have paid much more for your Windows machine than that stupid hipster and his "overpriced" Mac.
I'm quite sure Windows isn't going anywhere for at least the next quarter-century, especially in business computing. We've had alternatives now for ages, but they just don't get any adoption. Customers have proven, over and over, that they simply will not abandon MS Windows and Office, no matter what, even when they're forced into using a horrible, tablet-ified, spyware and ad-laden version of it.
This isn't like the NFL; no one *needs* to watch sports, it's purely entertainment, and tastes change. Computing is different; businesses aren't going to go back to doing everything on paper, or back to 1970s mainframes. At this point, MS would really have to shoot themselves in the head (not the foot) to get businesses to abandon them. It's just too easy for them to pay the licensing costs and deal with the problems and stick with Windows than to explore alternatives.
Good luck editing a document or spreadsheet on a smartphone. Obviously, your family members don't do any real work.
But little that could be seen to change the computing market.
Why should I care what IBM does? If they need my interest, what can they do to capture it?
What makes you think they care about changing the computing market, or your interest? You seem to think that the role of companies is to change or improve the world. It isn't. The only reason companies exist is to make money. If IBM is doing that, then it's successful in its mission.
I completely disagree. I blame the Democrats for everything.
I don't blame the Republicans. They're just being Republicans. It's like blaming a rabid dog for biting someone.
But the Democrats brought all this down on us with their shenaningans and their insistence of coronating their queen Hillary instead of working to give us a candidate worth voting for. So a bunch of people voted 3rd-party, or sat at home, and we got this.
Yes, and what exactly is the problem with this? If you don't like it, don't subscribe to AT&T. I don't.
Personally, I use Ting. There's no activation costs at all, and I can activate my phone myself from their web site. (Not an employee, just a happy customer.) Why anyone continues to use the mainstream cellular companies instead of the MVNOs I have no idea.
This is some seriously delusional thinking. Microsoft not critical or relevant? What are you smoking?
First off, IBM is still here if you haven't noticed. They got out of PCs, but they still do lots of other stuff and are a huge and profitable company.
But back to MS: they absolutely are critical and relevant, because everyone's PC runs on their software. That isn't going to change, probably ever. If Windows 10 couldn't convince people to dump them, nothing will. They might not have gotten anywhere in mobile devices, but that doesn't matter because they still have their Windows and Office cash cows, and those aren't going anywhere, and there's no threats to them (do you see businesses switching all their workstations to OSX or Linux? Nope).
MS is doing the right thing: cut employees, and cut all long-term investment, and just keep slapping some new lipstick on the Windows and Office pigs. Corporations in particular will happily continue to pay through the nose for MS's enterprise products, and consumers are happy to use Windows 10 with its built-in spyware and advertising which MS makes money from indirectly. MS doesn't need to invest long-term, they just need to keep milking their cash cows. They can do this indefinitely, because the whole Windows 10 experience has proven, without a doubt, that customers simply will not leave that platform no matter what, and no matter how much it costs them.
Exactly my point. The sooner we get fully-automated cars, the better. Humans simply cannot perform reliably at all times behind the wheel.
To be entirely honest, I think that historians will look back and see that this election marked the beginning of the decline of the American Empire
I disagree. In the not-too-distant future which resembles The Walking Dead, there won't be any historians.
How was Biden a buffoon? After Obama totally flubbed in his debate to Romney, Biden beat the pants off of Paul Ryan in his debate, making it look like maybe the two should trade places.
And Cheney was no buffoon either, in fact quite the opposite. It was GWB who was a buffoon, and Cheney seemed to be the evil puppetmaster running things behind the scenes.
but the truck driver said he was watching Harry Potter:
How exactly was the truck driver able to see exactly what movie the guy was watching from that angle and distance?
I've never felt like I needed "assistance" to keep the car in my lane.
Then you're probably not realizing just how bad your driving is.
After observing other people's driving for about a quarter-century now, I can safely say that most humans just aren't very good about keeping their car in their lane at all times. They can use all the help they can get. If you've *ever* gone over the lines while you were driving, then this includes you too. Somehow I doubt you have a perfect record of this.