I only cry "munchkin" when somebody creates a character that is entirely unreasonable. So far, I have only done this *once*. (an NPC that was simply unreasonable for a super low-level party) I have been playing for about 15 years, with dozens of different people.
More common problems arise, I find, from "rules lawyers" who exist only to make a game take too long because of some trivial little thing. If I am running a game, and you argue that you can do damage with either end of a halberd, I will listen. If I agree, it's all good. You might even argue that you can do subdual damage with a lute. Just because it has no specific rule, (or has) does not mean it has to be that way.
The *only* reason to play a game is to have fun. There are no other reasons. I don't mind "power gamers". As for all using the same weapon, I sure do see a lot of people these days using guns. Funny that. They gave up those swords and shields pretty quickly when somebody came along with a weapon that did a few more points of damage. Even if you can't block with it:)
Nah, SAP likes Java, but it really is just a way for them to stay competitive. They have.Net modules too. Just take your pick.
Heck, a good chunk of MS is running on SAP. So is a good chunk of IBM. (And Apple!) SAP will make their stuff plug into whatever you want to use, if you have the money to make it worth their time.
You forgot some steps for Windows: - upgrade to current version because this one has an issue with some other driver or software - type in 30 digit hex license key - spend 45 minutes on the phone because X software stopped working after installing Y software - Do it all again when you change mouse/video/modem/etc.
Actually, I was once a stock clerk for a company where part of my job (I found out a week after being hired) was to clean the toilets.
Of course, this stock clerk job required shirtsleeves and a tie, too. No kidding. We couldn't even change after hours. So here I am, every night, cleaning toilets in a dress shirt and slacks.
I left as soon as I could, because the clothing costs were way above the pay.
I see what you are saying, but I disagree. The functional difference is that I think that the presence of organization in the universe (and quite likely the universe as well) are more similar to a structured existence. Not just randomness.
It only applies to things like "hmmm, isn't it amazing that something as cool/odd/unique/common/etc as that happens". I think the answer is that it is because in the dream of the deity, there would be a reflection of the deity itself.
Ironically, I would have to agree with both comments.
Everything I have seen leads me to believe in a god. In fact, I believe in a "sleeping god", for whom the universe as we know it is simply a dream.
Therefore, I believe that god has little or no involvement with people.
Essentially I see the universe as a console game, where god is simply the console. All powerful, all pervading, and completely uninvolved in the actual game.
I look at it this way: if there is a being with power over the entire universe, why should it give a rat's ass about you or me? Maybe humanity in general, but I suspect our planet's entire existence is little more than a blip in such a being's awareness. What is 100 billion years to a being that would exist for a million times longer than that? Are you concerned with the well being of the cells on your little toe?
I travel a bit now privately as well as for the company, and I used to travel extensivelty to do wiring and site builds.
I found that a smallish laptop (my current fav is the 12" powerbook), a paperback novel (or handheld with ebooks), 1 change of clothes, toothbrush, comb, a multi-tool (if possible), a useful phone, and your tickets all fit into a modest laptop bag. Convert as many docs as possible to PDF or something before you go, and ship whatever you might need.
Standby is much more pleasent that way too, for when you're stuck in some BFE airport waiting for the chance to leave.
Heh. Sorry to post directly, but this is the case.
I used to have a nice, large television. Now, however, it is going into decline. I don't see any reason to buy a new one, since a nice portable projector can do 1280x1024 res, takes all sorts of inputs, and costs way under $2k.
I may be simple, but I think that for a person who does nothing but watch DVDs and play console games, this thing is perfect. (No, I don't get cable, and if a show is really that awesome, I will buy the DVD. Maybe. Some day. Or use my old Tuner card in a computer;) )
I like it. I like the transparency too. I spend about 4 hours a day in it.
I actually like it better than the company app, Reflections. (Though admittedly Reflections has its uses.) Especially once you create customized little "terminalettes" to do things like launch kword or run scripts via double-click.
Since you asked so nice, and aren't AC:) I will tell you why I (a 10+ year vet of the computer field) went to it, and why I like Steve Jobs.
1) Apple makes systems with a tight verticle integration. The same reasoning behind AIX, RS/6000 and Shark storage holds for a G4/G5. It is designed and optimized like a console, but allows for upgrades. (The whitebox upgrades are even supported by the warranty. I can add RAM or vid myself under warranty. Can I do that with a Dell?)
2) Apple really understands the customers. It has a really good idea of what people expect from Apple Computers, and usually does a pretty good job of delivering that.
3) Apple has a three year warranty that is only the price of a low-end vid card. It is around 150, if I remember correctly.
4) Apple support is composed of some of the nicest people I have ever talked to, and I even have some friends now who work there. They are willing to patiently explain that something a user did was dumb, and explain how to fix it. Without making even a grandmother (who WASHED her mac) feel stupid. My wife even likes talking to them.
5) Apple has really top-notch driver integration. I have only installed one driver on a Mac. Ever. Dozens of hardware add-ons and accessories, and I only had to install a driver for an ancient Wacom tablet. Everything else was perfect plug and play. It just doesn't happen with Windows. REALLY doesn't happen on Linux.
6) Full media ships with the computer. No crippled OS versions. It is the whole enchilada.
7) Safe system restore. Fix the problem in about 15 minutes, without losing a single byte of your data. It rocks! I've only had to use it once, but it was amazing.
8) Well-laid out keyboards. Personal preference.
9) Fantastic engineering. Again, personal preference. I happen to like a 6 lb 1" laptop with the power and battery life of something much larger. And a DVD burner. And the ability to run 2 external screens at the same time as the internal screen. I frequently use mine in dual screen mode at work.
10) iLife. A simple suite of cheap/free apps that really cover the bases. They work together nicely, too.
12).Apps. Seriously. These things rock. I like the whole framework. I can drag them around to install them, delete them to uninstall them, launch them from the CLI, copy them, back them up, etc. It is great.
13) Free dev environment. Full on IDE that is actually pretty nice. Works for Java, Perl, AppleScript, and C/C++/ObjC.
14) Finder. Finder is a very smooth way to navigate a computer. It has some issues, and I will certainly bitch about them.
15) Unix based. I like this. I've been on Unix since the mid 80's, and I love it. I'm glad Apple went that way.
Now, as for what I like about Jobs? He's a really charismatic person who is willing to tell people to go fly a kite. He goes in really weird directions, does really weird things, and they even sometimes work. What I really like, though, is that Apple seems to suck without him.
There you have it. Feel free to complain or flame, but understand that I really couldn't care less. I love my Macs, and I am not a PC Gamer. I play NWN on them. I do not buy computers to be game consoles, so I couldn't care less if $game supports it. I probably wouldn't own that game for windows, if I owned it.
Of course, there is also no guarantee that my next 4 computers will be Macs like my last 4. It is highly likely, though.
This is why I bought Macs for home. My wife and family called me 2-3 times a DAY because of some stupid user trick.
I always patiently helped. I helped my father-in-law rebuild and reimage scores of times a year. I helped my wife fix the same printer/word-processor/game problem several times a week.
Finally, I said "screw it". I bought a Powerbook for my wife, a G4 for myself and I now field approximately 1 call from my wife a MONTH. Her computer does precisely what it is supposed to do, all the time. Her printer works, and required no install. Her games work, and required no new drivers or reboots.
When my father-in-law calls me with some issue, I just tell him that I can't support his windows box. If he wants my help, he can buy a mac.
I know it is stupid, bigoted, etc. (feel free to flame me) but I have gotten my life back, thanks to Apple. I doubt I will ever go back to being a Windows home user.
Yes, but at the end of the day, you pop it out of the dock and take it with you.
My whole department does that. It sure is easier to support a system from home at 2 in the morning when you are on the exact same system you had that day at work. Especially if you use hibernate.
Actually, when I am on my cycling trainer, I am playing a game on my PS2:)
Check it out:
The ultimate training accessory
This way, I get my needed cycling in during the rain, and I can play too.
-WS
I'll tell you. I have a G4 with DVD-R and DVD-RAM. I don't care. I don't use DVD-RW, and if I wanted to start, I'd just buy a drive for it.
I use my DVD drive for three things: 1) Installation/Movies/RO type stuff 2) Burning movies to send to family 3) Long-term storage of useless crap that may someday be needed.
I don't need one, but I hated sending out the whole "holiday/birthday/etc" videos to the family on VHS. They kept asking for the videos (though I hate making them), and they wanted them on DVD, preferably. After I got a G5 (with a DVD-R) I can make them DVDs.
Much better? I think so. Certainly much cheaper for me!
Slashdot Mirror
I couldn't agree more.
:)
I only cry "munchkin" when somebody creates a character that is entirely unreasonable. So far, I have only done this *once*. (an NPC that was simply unreasonable for a super low-level party) I have been playing for about 15 years, with dozens of different people.
More common problems arise, I find, from "rules lawyers" who exist only to make a game take too long because of some trivial little thing. If I am running a game, and you argue that you can do damage with either end of a halberd, I will listen. If I agree, it's all good. You might even argue that you can do subdual damage with a lute. Just because it has no specific rule, (or has) does not mean it has to be that way.
The *only* reason to play a game is to have fun. There are no other reasons. I don't mind "power gamers". As for all using the same weapon, I sure do see a lot of people these days using guns. Funny that. They gave up those swords and shields pretty quickly when somebody came along with a weapon that did a few more points of damage. Even if you can't block with it
-WS
It's called "sudo" (sound familiar?)
And you *can* enable the root user. It is actually fairly simple. Pretty stupid too.
The idea is that you have to be well read enough to go find out how (it is easily found online, and in the help for OSX).
-WS
Nah, SAP likes Java, but it really is just a way for them to stay competitive. They have .Net modules too. Just take your pick.
Heck, a good chunk of MS is running on SAP. So is a good chunk of IBM. (And Apple!) SAP will make their stuff plug into whatever you want to use, if you have the money to make it worth their time.
-WS
You forgot some steps for Windows:
- upgrade to current version because this one has an issue with some other driver or software
- type in 30 digit hex license key
- spend 45 minutes on the phone because X software stopped working after installing Y software
- Do it all again when you change mouse/video/modem/etc.
-WS
Actually, I was once a stock clerk for a company where part of my job (I found out a week after being hired) was to clean the toilets.
Of course, this stock clerk job required shirtsleeves and a tie, too. No kidding. We couldn't even change after hours. So here I am, every night, cleaning toilets in a dress shirt and slacks.
I left as soon as I could, because the clothing costs were way above the pay.
-WS
I see what you are saying, but I disagree. The functional difference is that I think that the presence of organization in the universe (and quite likely the universe as well) are more similar to a structured existence. Not just randomness.
It only applies to things like "hmmm, isn't it amazing that something as cool/odd/unique/common/etc as that happens". I think the answer is that it is because in the dream of the deity, there would be a reflection of the deity itself.
-WS
Actually, I find this amusing.
I always purchase a specific brand of chocolate soymilk. I began getting coupons for both varieties the store carried after only my third trip.
This is irregardless of using my shopper card.
It's not who you are, it's what you buy they care about.
-WS
Ironically, I would have to agree with both comments.
Everything I have seen leads me to believe in a god. In fact, I believe in a "sleeping god", for whom the universe as we know it is simply a dream.
Therefore, I believe that god has little or no involvement with people.
Essentially I see the universe as a console game, where god is simply the console. All powerful, all pervading, and completely uninvolved in the actual game.
I look at it this way: if there is a being with power over the entire universe, why should it give a rat's ass about you or me? Maybe humanity in general, but I suspect our planet's entire existence is little more than a blip in such a being's awareness. What is 100 billion years to a being that would exist for a million times longer than that? Are you concerned with the well being of the cells on your little toe?
-WS
I totally second this.
I travel a bit now privately as well as for the company, and I used to travel extensivelty to do wiring and site builds.
I found that a smallish laptop (my current fav is the 12" powerbook), a paperback novel (or handheld with ebooks), 1 change of clothes, toothbrush, comb, a multi-tool (if possible), a useful phone, and your tickets all fit into a modest laptop bag. Convert as many docs as possible to PDF or something before you go, and ship whatever you might need.
Standby is much more pleasent that way too, for when you're stuck in some BFE airport waiting for the chance to leave.
-WS
I used to have a nice, large television. Now, however, it is going into decline. I don't see any reason to buy a new one, since a nice portable projector can do 1280x1024 res, takes all sorts of inputs, and costs way under $2k.
I may be simple, but I think that for a person who does nothing but watch DVDs and play console games, this thing is perfect. (No, I don't get cable, and if a show is really that awesome, I will buy the DVD. Maybe. Some day. Or use my old Tuner card in a computer ;) )
So, therefore... why would I buy a TV?
WS
Well, Porsche used to have the oil fill port as well as the fuel fill port accessible from the exterior.
This was *very* short lived (I think it was 71 or 72) because people are amazingly capable of screwing things up.
-WS
#ifndef HACK
# define HACK breakingstuffonpurpose
#endif
-WS
I like it. I like the transparency too. I spend about 4 hours a day in it.
I actually like it better than the company app, Reflections. (Though admittedly Reflections has its uses.) Especially once you create customized little "terminalettes" to do things like launch kword or run scripts via double-click.
-WS
Well, currently it is $!
-WS
Well,
:) I will tell you why I (a 10+ year vet of the computer field) went to it, and why I like Steve Jobs.
.Apps. Seriously. These things rock. I like the whole framework. I can drag them around to install them, delete them to uninstall them, launch them from the CLI, copy them, back them up, etc. It is great.
Since you asked so nice, and aren't AC
1) Apple makes systems with a tight verticle integration. The same reasoning behind AIX, RS/6000 and Shark storage holds for a G4/G5. It is designed and optimized like a console, but allows for upgrades. (The whitebox upgrades are even supported by the warranty. I can add RAM or vid myself under warranty. Can I do that with a Dell?)
2) Apple really understands the customers. It has a really good idea of what people expect from Apple Computers, and usually does a pretty good job of delivering that.
3) Apple has a three year warranty that is only the price of a low-end vid card. It is around 150, if I remember correctly.
4) Apple support is composed of some of the nicest people I have ever talked to, and I even have some friends now who work there. They are willing to patiently explain that something a user did was dumb, and explain how to fix it. Without making even a grandmother (who WASHED her mac) feel stupid. My wife even likes talking to them.
5) Apple has really top-notch driver integration. I have only installed one driver on a Mac. Ever. Dozens of hardware add-ons and accessories, and I only had to install a driver for an ancient Wacom tablet. Everything else was perfect plug and play. It just doesn't happen with Windows. REALLY doesn't happen on Linux.
6) Full media ships with the computer. No crippled OS versions. It is the whole enchilada.
7) Safe system restore. Fix the problem in about 15 minutes, without losing a single byte of your data. It rocks! I've only had to use it once, but it was amazing.
8) Well-laid out keyboards. Personal preference.
9) Fantastic engineering. Again, personal preference. I happen to like a 6 lb 1" laptop with the power and battery life of something much larger. And a DVD burner. And the ability to run 2 external screens at the same time as the internal screen. I frequently use mine in dual screen mode at work.
10) iLife. A simple suite of cheap/free apps that really cover the bases. They work together nicely, too.
11) Safari. Really nice, fully integrated mostly STANDARDS COMPLIANT browser.
12)
13) Free dev environment. Full on IDE that is actually pretty nice. Works for Java, Perl, AppleScript, and C/C++/ObjC.
14) Finder. Finder is a very smooth way to navigate a computer. It has some issues, and I will certainly bitch about them.
15) Unix based. I like this. I've been on Unix since the mid 80's, and I love it. I'm glad Apple went that way.
Now, as for what I like about Jobs? He's a really charismatic person who is willing to tell people to go fly a kite. He goes in really weird directions, does really weird things, and they even sometimes work. What I really like, though, is that Apple seems to suck without him.
There you have it. Feel free to complain or flame, but understand that I really couldn't care less. I love my Macs, and I am not a PC Gamer. I play NWN on them. I do not buy computers to be game consoles, so I couldn't care less if $game supports it. I probably wouldn't own that game for windows, if I owned it.
Of course, there is also no guarantee that my next 4 computers will be Macs like my last 4. It is highly likely, though.
-WS
The true warrior does not comment his code :)
-WS
I couldn't agree more. I play it online with friends and family all the time.
Not an FPS, though. Best part is being able to play it on almost all hardware.
-WS
The 356 models were very sweet. I have a good friend with a 356 (a 1600 I think) that he is insanely in love with. His wife lets him keep it :)
:)
However, I found the body roll to be just a bit too much, even though the cockpit is one of the best ever.
And yes, the targa was a blast
-WS
This is why I bought Macs for home. My wife and family called me 2-3 times a DAY because of some stupid user trick.
I always patiently helped. I helped my father-in-law rebuild and reimage scores of times a year. I helped my wife fix the same printer/word-processor/game problem several times a week.
Finally, I said "screw it". I bought a Powerbook for my wife, a G4 for myself and I now field approximately 1 call from my wife a MONTH. Her computer does precisely what it is supposed to do, all the time. Her printer works, and required no install. Her games work, and required no new drivers or reboots.
When my father-in-law calls me with some issue, I just tell him that I can't support his windows box. If he wants my help, he can buy a mac.
I know it is stupid, bigoted, etc. (feel free to flame me) but I have gotten my life back, thanks to Apple. I doubt I will ever go back to being a Windows home user.
-WS
Same here. 1975 Corvette Stingray. Beautiful Plumage :)
:)
Before that, I had a 1973 911 Targa.
I like classic cars. They have fewer redundant revenue generators
-WS
Yes, but at the end of the day, you pop it out of the dock and take it with you.
My whole department does that. It sure is easier to support a system from home at 2 in the morning when you are on the exact same system you had that day at work. Especially if you use hibernate.
-WS
Actually, when I am on my cycling trainer, I am playing a game on my PS2 :)
Check it out:
The ultimate training accessory
This way, I get my needed cycling in during the rain, and I can play too.
-WS
I'll tell you. I have a G4 with DVD-R and DVD-RAM. I don't care. I don't use DVD-RW, and if I wanted to start, I'd just buy a drive for it.
I use my DVD drive for three things:
1) Installation/Movies/RO type stuff
2) Burning movies to send to family
3) Long-term storage of useless crap that may someday be needed.
-WS
I don't need one, but I hated sending out the whole "holiday/birthday/etc" videos to the family on VHS. They kept asking for the videos (though I hate making them), and they wanted them on DVD, preferably. After I got a G5 (with a DVD-R) I can make them DVDs.
Much better? I think so. Certainly much cheaper for me!
-WS
OS X, Corvette Stingray, Corvette Stingray
:) I bought precisely what I wanted... in both cases.
Some of us are just lucky, I guess
-WS