Ironically, this may be a good thing for MS and they would be wise to leave it alone. More users suckling on the Windows teat keeps people thinking "Windows."
I heard that it was possible to hack old DirectTV (satelite TV vendor) boxes for premium channels and Hughs knew about it but left it alone because it had the effect of creating more DirectTV mindshare. It is a fuzzy area, but some companies acknowlege the benefits of attracting and keeping technical mindshare even when it is "stolen."
Handspring (I have an older model that barely fits in my shirt pocket):
4.7 ht, 3.1 width,.4depth.
iPaq:
5.11 ht, 3.28 width,.62 depth
The differences seem small on paper, but not when you are trying to lug a PDA around everywhere whithout having to think about it.
bulge appears in its thickness because of the two slots
Ouch. This is a big deal. We are not talking about a laptop here. How many PCIA slots would be okay for your watch? A PDA should be just as convenient.
There are two complementing strategies for proliferating an operating system: 1. Make it practical and easy to get. 2. Make other operating systems expensive and difficult to get.
Ironically, through WindowsXP's extreme registration requirements, it may be more of a hassle to install a stolen copy of windows than a legit copy of Linux. Linux with KDE and StarOffice is a practical solution for lots of business users now, all they have to do is discover it. Seems like several million Chinese are discovering it every day.
Can anyone say critical mass?
I'm not sure this is the effect Microsoft foresaw, but it is one I expect.
It is fascinating how biotechnology (e.g., cloning, stem cells, etc) is racing toward replacing body parts while strictly mechanical solutions are racing toward the same goal (e.g., self contained heart, silicon/neural interfaces). Unlike clockwork hearts vs biological replacements where the biological replacement is without doubt the ultimate fix, silicon enhancements of the brain offer possibilities that natural neuron solutions cannot achieve such as 100% precision for mathematical calculations at high speed.
Gives silicon augmentation a new meaning. People will start looking for small scars under the ears and hairline for proof that someone's intelligence is not "natural."
I think they should store nuclear waste on the dark side of the moon so it can blow up and send inhabitants of Moon Base Alpha on cool space adventures.
What you say has the feel of truth because it fits the reality that we experience today. The only people I've met so far that believe process fixes all software development issues do not code themselves. Those that code know there is a fundamental talent+attitude aspect to this whole thing.
In traditional engineering disciplines, the laws of physics apply and do not change. On these laws, best practices have been built. No matter where you apply these practices, you can be sure the laws supporting them are just as they were before and will be tomorrow. This covers most of the work we consider "engineering."
In software development, there is less solid stuff to build our rules on. Heck, the very hardware changes all the time
I agree 100% that it is premature to expect software engineering to match mechanical/electrical/civil/chemical engineering in predictability today. However, it is self eviedent that there are some things we should expect all professionals to apply as a best practice. (e.g., Document your d*mn code, apply good naming conventions, get user buy in, keep backups, etc.)
Uhhh, news. Did you read that part... "news". If you don't like Fox, CNN, PBS, BBC or whatever, you don't have to watch their news. China does not like them because sometimes they tell the truth.
Blocking news because it is news is different from blocking things you consider porn.
To win you need to fly up 100000m. This rocket flew 5000m and the recovery system failed. That 95% remaining height is a big deal and the recovery from that height is going to be a real b*tch. It is not just a matter of putting more fuel in the rocket and stratospheric parachuting is not like the usual parachute descent.
This looks like a fund raising media event more than proof of anything that will win the prize within a year. Still, this is cool.
Example of value censorship: Saudi-Arabia blocks porn. (To them skin=porn, but that is nitpicking.)
Some libraries in the USA block porn.
We can argue over censorship, but we can probably agree that some censorship is worse than others. Blocking news is the most evil and manipulative I can think of.
Rather than sue websites (like France has done to Yahoo) Germany is attempting to address content issues within their own borders through technical means. I may or may not agree with what they are attempting to keep out, but I respect their right to try and I respect the fact their solution is lawyer free.
Of course, anyone with a phone number to an out-of-country ISP and a modem will have no trouble getting around this weak blockade, but that is a seperate issue.
The drives are 5400RPM with 8GB and 10GB (random luck which one you get). The CPU is a quasi Celeron/PIII at 733MHz. The memory is fixed at 64MB
Today I can buy a generic computer with 933MHz celeron, at least 64MB RAM (upgradable to 192MB for about $25), with keyboard, a bigger HD, and a $80 DVD ROM for about the same price.
Sure the Xbox sells at a loss. That's because they put extra effort into things that make game playing better. These are the things that are of no benefit for running your word processor or compiler. Hack the box? Why bother?
I wish that were true. Reality is that the US market is so large it can bully other markets into enforcing US style protections. Not to mention, if you piss off a big US company you might spend some quality time in a jail cell when you come to visit. Ask Dimitri.
Since it's running on a CD, you don't have to worry about someone modifying files on it if they manage to hack
Or, you could buy any one of a number of solid-state firewall routers that periodically sell for less than $50 and run on less than 5watts. (Mine is an SMC that cost $49 a few months ago, is the size of a small cigar box, and is also a printe server and DHCP server.)
e.g., www.smc.com
Perhaps the sega box is fun for playing games and experimenting, but there are more practical solutions for firewalls today.
"here's a gigabyte, you have 10 milliseconds to pull whatever's valuable out of it before the next gigabyte arrives".
...or just write it all as it comes in and analyze it later. That's how most other science takes place. Since when is scientific analysis "real-time?"
In general, the scientific process does not require conclusions during an experiment. I think CERN should cite a different reason for this project, there are many valid ones.
Look around you over a week of driving and you will see why a highway in the sky for personal commuting would be more like a highway of death:
1. Every car that you see on the side of the road that ran out of gas would be a plane falling out of the sky.
2. Every time you see an police or ambulance racing toward a traffic accident, that would be a pair of planes falling out of the sky.
Not to mention lots of cars on the road are barely in shape to be there... bad brakes, bad engines, bad paint jobs. If everyone had a personal flying vehicle we would eventually get a similar mix.
I think this idea will forever be a scene in "Metropolis" and nothing more.
people so blind and ignorant that using a piece of software constitutes 'I must use this from now til forever'?
When it is time to get something done, you use what you know. If you know Linux, you use it. If you know Windows, you use that. School time is when you have time to learn. On the job learning usually has a little more productivity pressure.
By providing software _for free_ to such a large number of people, the software now becomes the defacto standard for yet another group of people
Apple discovered long ago that they can keep mindshare by exposing future consumers while they are in school. Wouldn't a better settlement be one where they have to spend this $1.1b on software from other vendors instead? Wouldn't that be more in the spirit of the issue?
This is what happens when non-tech folks address tech issues. Shame on them for not demanding that those free systems have commercially purchased Linux distros installed.
Seems like a missed opportunity to benefit the people by expanding the OS market in the perfect place for it to grow.
Yes the components have been recyled, but no this is not a stripped down PC. It does not have a PC bios and the memory architecture is not modular in a PC way --- everything shares the same memory space for better game performance.
It will be a few years before your regular PC can create frames as quick as this.
Slashdot Mirror
Ironically, this may be a good thing for MS and they would be wise to leave it alone. More users suckling on the Windows teat keeps people thinking "Windows."
I heard that it was possible to hack old DirectTV (satelite TV vendor) boxes for premium channels and Hughs knew about it but left it alone because it had the effect of creating more DirectTV mindshare. It is a fuzzy area, but some companies acknowlege the benefits of attracting and keeping technical mindshare even when it is "stolen."
One of the smallest pocketPC devices, not even close when compared to Palm devices. Do some research dude.
4.7 ht, 3.1 width, .4depth.
iPaq:
5.11 ht, 3.28 width, .62 depth
The differences seem small on paper, but not when you are trying to lug a PDA around everywhere whithout having to think about it.
bulge appears in its thickness because of the two slots
Ouch. This is a big deal. We are not talking about a laptop here. How many PCIA slots would be okay for your watch? A PDA should be just as convenient.
Geez, expensive, heavy and big. I already have a desktop PC.
I'll stick with my Handspring for now thanks. (Cheap, light, and small.)
There are two complementing strategies for proliferating an operating system:
1. Make it practical and easy to get.
2. Make other operating systems expensive and difficult to get.
Ironically, through WindowsXP's extreme registration requirements, it may be more of a hassle to install a stolen copy of windows than a legit copy of Linux. Linux with KDE and StarOffice is a practical solution for lots of business users now, all they have to do is discover it. Seems like several million Chinese are discovering it every day.
Can anyone say critical mass?
I'm not sure this is the effect Microsoft foresaw, but it is one I expect.
It is fascinating how biotechnology (e.g., cloning, stem cells, etc) is racing toward replacing body parts while strictly mechanical solutions are racing toward the same goal (e.g., self contained heart, silicon/neural interfaces). Unlike clockwork hearts vs biological replacements where the biological replacement is without doubt the ultimate fix, silicon enhancements of the brain offer possibilities that natural neuron solutions cannot achieve such as 100% precision for mathematical calculations at high speed.
Gives silicon augmentation a new meaning. People will start looking for small scars under the ears and hairline for proof that someone's intelligence is not "natural."
I think they should store nuclear waste on the dark side of the moon so it can blow up and send inhabitants of Moon Base Alpha on cool space adventures.
Good luck finding a bureaucrat in the university that:
1. Really understands the issue and
2. Will stick his/her neck out and give you a sheet of paper.
Sometimes it is more practical to ask forgiveness than to ask permission.
What you say has the feel of truth because it fits the reality that we experience today. The only people I've met so far that believe process fixes all software development issues do not code themselves. Those that code know there is a fundamental talent+attitude aspect to this whole thing.
In traditional engineering disciplines, the laws of physics apply and do not change. On these laws, best practices have been built. No matter where you apply these practices, you can be sure the laws supporting them are just as they were before and will be tomorrow. This covers most of the work we consider "engineering."
In software development, there is less solid stuff to build our rules on. Heck, the very hardware changes all the time
I agree 100% that it is premature to expect software engineering to match mechanical/electrical/civil/chemical engineering in predictability today. However, it is self eviedent that there are some things we should expect all professionals to apply as a best practice. (e.g., Document your d*mn code, apply good naming conventions, get user buy in, keep backups, etc.)
Uhhh, news. Did you read that part... "news". If you don't like Fox, CNN, PBS, BBC or whatever, you don't have to watch their news. China does not like them because sometimes they tell the truth.
Blocking news because it is news is different from blocking things you consider porn.
To win you need to fly up 100000m. This rocket flew 5000m and the recovery system failed. That 95% remaining height is a big deal and the recovery from that height is going to be a real b*tch. It is not just a matter of putting more fuel in the rocket and stratospheric parachuting is not like the usual parachute descent.
This looks like a fund raising media event more than proof of anything that will win the prize within a year. Still, this is cool.
Censorship is censorship
All are not the same.
Example of manipulation: China blocks news sites.
Example of value censorship: Saudi-Arabia blocks porn. (To them skin=porn, but that is nitpicking.)
Some libraries in the USA block porn.
We can argue over censorship, but we can probably agree that some censorship is worse than others. Blocking news is the most evil and manipulative I can think of.
Rather than sue websites (like France has done to Yahoo) Germany is attempting to address content issues within their own borders through technical means. I may or may not agree with what they are attempting to keep out, but I respect their right to try and I respect the fact their solution is lawyer free.
Of course, anyone with a phone number to an out-of-country ISP and a modem will have no trouble getting around this weak blockade, but that is a seperate issue.
The drives are 5400RPM with 8GB and 10GB (random luck which one you get). The CPU is a quasi Celeron/PIII at 733MHz. The memory is fixed at 64MB
Today I can buy a generic computer with 933MHz celeron, at least 64MB RAM (upgradable to 192MB for about $25), with keyboard, a bigger HD, and a $80 DVD ROM for about the same price.
Sure the Xbox sells at a loss. That's because they put extra effort into things that make game playing better. These are the things that are of no benefit for running your word processor or compiler. Hack the box? Why bother?
I certainly wouldn't trust my PC if it made mistakes on .2% of its calculations
Some things demand 100% accuracy. Some things do not.
1. 0.2% mistakes are already good enough to compete with commercial text recognition systems.
2. Nobody claims Neural net solutions are 100% today, yet they are already in widespread use.
3. How accurate is your brain?
I think 99.8% accuracy is good enough today for some applications.
So that's USA internal problem
I wish that were true. Reality is that the US market is so large it can bully other markets into enforcing US style protections. Not to mention, if you piss off a big US company you might spend some quality time in a jail cell when you come to visit. Ask Dimitri.
And the captain was feeding on beer too.
Since it's running on a CD, you don't have to worry about someone modifying files on it if they manage to hack
Or, you could buy any one of a number of solid-state firewall routers that periodically sell for less than $50 and run on less than 5watts. (Mine is an SMC that cost $49 a few months ago, is the size of a small cigar box, and is also a printe server and DHCP server.)
e.g., www.smc.com
Perhaps the sega box is fun for playing games and experimenting, but there are more practical solutions for firewalls today.
"here's a gigabyte, you have 10 milliseconds to pull whatever's valuable out of it before the next gigabyte arrives".
...or just write it all as it comes in and analyze it later. That's how most other science takes place. Since when is scientific analysis "real-time?"
In general, the scientific process does not require conclusions during an experiment. I think CERN should cite a different reason for this project, there are many valid ones.
Look around you over a week of driving and you will see why a highway in the sky for personal commuting would be more like a highway of death:
1. Every car that you see on the side of the road that ran out of gas would be a plane falling out of the sky.
2. Every time you see an police or ambulance racing toward a traffic accident, that would be a pair of planes falling out of the sky.
Not to mention lots of cars on the road are barely in shape to be there... bad brakes, bad engines, bad paint jobs. If everyone had a personal flying vehicle we would eventually get a similar mix.
I think this idea will forever be a scene in "Metropolis" and nothing more.
people so blind and ignorant that using a piece of software constitutes 'I must use this from now til forever'?
When it is time to get something done, you use what you know. If you know Linux, you use it. If you know Windows, you use that. School time is when you have time to learn. On the job learning usually has a little more productivity pressure.
A nice solution would be to take the money but not allow MS to build or install the boxes. Perhaps IBM would handle that part.
By providing software _for free_ to such a large number of people, the software now becomes the defacto standard for yet another group of people
Apple discovered long ago that they can keep mindshare by exposing future consumers while they are in school. Wouldn't a better settlement be one where they have to spend this $1.1b on software from other vendors instead? Wouldn't that be more in the spirit of the issue?
This is what happens when non-tech folks address tech issues. Shame on them for not demanding that those free systems have commercially purchased Linux distros installed.
Seems like a missed opportunity to benefit the people by expanding the OS market in the perfect place for it to grow.
E=mc2 is not patentable
Was not then, probably is today.
Yes the components have been recyled, but no this is not a stripped down PC. It does not have a PC bios and the memory architecture is not modular in a PC way --- everything shares the same memory space for better game performance.
It will be a few years before your regular PC can create frames as quick as this.