Talk about muddling the waters (and I am an equal opportunity OS user).
A POS system is by default an embedded application. It is not like the typical cashier is going to fire up Word or emacs, and start typing up a receipt. Microsoft should more correctly comparing embedded NT or Windows CE to say embedded Linux.
Driver support. Most POS printers, bar code scanners, etc. don't even come with drivers, and its not like they are printing out on standard letter with colour. If I wanted fancy fonts and graphics a good driver would be useful, but most POS printers are good old dot-matrix serial.
Future proofing. Most retailers are not in the habit of replacing or updating a POS system unless forced to. I know of one retailer who recently upgraded his POS from 386 to 486 systems. But only because of Y2k! Turns out the vendors Y2k version needed more memory. It was cheaper to pickup used 486's than to get memory for the 386 boxes. Why not a modern system? Just more cpu cycles to waste. Besides he now has enough spare 486 systems last a decade (got them for less that $100 a piece, with monitors and keyboards).
Development tools. Every 4-5 years Microsoft makes enough of a change that no even properly written code will survive. Examples are the VB 3-4 transition, and the upcoming VB.net transition. Linux users shouldn't gloat. Kernel and gui changes pretty much means that 5 years from now your code will not compile without changes.
Security. So hackers have access to the Linux source, hasn't stop anybody from hacking either OS or creating viruses. Besides what moron is going to connect his POS network to the Internet. Granted security is necessary, but I don't see anyone downloading and applying bug fixes on a regular basis. Which Linux distribution to use? Only matters to the developers, and you shouldn't be developing a POS on Linux unless you have a distribution you trust. Same applies for Windows.
Cost of ownership. Linux has this one, but only when compared to retail Windows. Embedded NT or Windows CE license fees become noise when you factor in the 5 year cost of hardware, software, training, peripherals, support, etc.
And lets not forget that Linux and Windows are not only operating systems out there suitable for developing a POS system.
Taking RIAA's arguments further, it would be illegal to report on any bugs found in commercial software.
Their current argument is that the report would impact on commerically available software and therefore allow individuals to take advantage of faults in the software.
Well isn't that what bug reports do? If would mean that you couldn't analyze and report on bugs found in bind, sendmail, apache, linux, IIS, Windows, Outlook, WEP, etc.
It would make CERT and bugtrak illegal! Next they would be after/. to stop discussions.
I was sold until I saw the $8.95/month service charge. I already have cable, broadband internet and I like my TV Guide (portable, readable, cheap, and shareable). If someone hacks the Linux component I may reconsider.
You realize this is the same bunch that cost the radio industry the ears of my younger brother's generation.
I suspect my daughters, who will be buying music of their own in 5 years, will probably get most of their music by swapping it at school and over the internet. And it won't be from members of the RIAA, but from some garage band with a PC/Apple based editing studio.
RIAA's real fear shouldn't be Napster & P2P, but that my grandchildren will read about them in the history books, and that the Harvard Business Journal will have articles about how it all went so wrong.
The disenting opinion was that if Congress continuously extends the copyright period, they are in fact creating a perpetual copyright which is in conflict with the Constitutional limit on copyrights.
So far we only have a case of n=1, but if every 20 years Congress extends the copright by 20 years it would take a century to get to n=5, and to establish a pattern.
Unfortunately no one brought this up in court, thus limiting the justices' to only ruling based on the arguments presented.
Face recognition software is one of those double edge swords. On one hand it can be used to find criminals, kidnapped children, terrorist, etc. using public places and schools. On the other it can be used to track your shopping patterns, how often you go to the bathroom, who visits the local red light district, etc.
Check out Visionics".
As I see this, all software that attempts to play/run/access protected media must itself be licensed and my default the developers too. It sounds like they are they want to apply the DVD model to everything. In order for a developer to write an application that accesses protected media, that developer/business must be licensed (meaning pay $$$, sign non-disclosure, etc.). That pretty much means an end to cheap/free non-commercial software, and the independent developer. If I wanted to write an application that played music/video, copied/indexed files (if any of those files were protected), etc. I would first have to pay for a license. Pretty much drives up the price of startups, and developers (all of which could only have learned how to work with protected media at a licensed firm).
While the FCC is at it why don't they dump POTS (Plain ordinary Telephone System) and mandate digital service to go along with mandatory 10 digit dialing.
POTS is 100+ years old (1880s?), ISDN was introduced 25+ years ago, and VoIP although new, is based on standards developed for video conferening over ISDN. It is time for the telcos and the FCC to check the calendar and see what century we are in (okay, okay, wait 26 days and then check it).
They should also mandate barcode readers (in the handset) so that you can simply scan in the number off of a business card or advertisement. Just in case someone hasn't patented the idea, I consider publishing something on Slashdot to consitute prior art.
The economic spin offs of requiring digital phone service to the home should far outway the costs. Let the hacking begin!
It appears that not everyone understands how web services work.
Basically it allows a website to behave like an object(s) with properties/methods/etc (if your into C++,java,etc.) or a library of functions (if your into C,etc.).
Most programmers who have worked with cgi are already familiar with the idea. You decide what a cgi program is going to do, what parameters it will accept and what it will return (just like a function call). The problem is every CGI program on every website is different.
Okay so what web services? Slashdot for example, is a news & discussion service. Lets say you wanted to write an application (platform & language of your choice) to check for new articles and do keyword searches, reformat the resulting articles for you email enabled cell phone and send them to you (or your customers). Okay, so the slashdot programmers publish the WSDL describing the interface specification (function call description) for the slashdot cgi programs. You can now write your program (user or server app, your choice) to access slashdot just like it was a library or DLL on your own machine.
How is that for open source and code reuse.
Okay, so what if slashdot changes the interface and breaks your app. Although possible, chances are if someone went through the bother to publish a WSDL file, they won't change it willy-nilly. Besides, it is only the interface spciifcation. Slashdot can change their code all they want, as long as the interface remains the same.
Worried about speed? Althogh a local app that resides entirely on your machine is faster, it is irrelevant, since chances are you don't have slashdot's article database on your machine and have to access it over the net anyway!
As with any new technology you can do just about anything with it. Doesn't mean they would all be worth while.
Does M$'s involvment turn you off? Consider that M$'s latest strategy appears to be to make all their products as standard as possible. Just because M$ put XML & ECMAScript in IE, doesn't mean I am going to stop using XML and javascript! If anything, the more the merrier!
Why would anyone willingly be on the same race track as a robotic race car capable of over 200 MPH?
I would prefer to see two robots racing each other for many races before risking a human. At least Kasparov didn't have to worry about a glitch running into him at 200 MPH!
Besides, I would like to see a robot driving a Beetle and trying to beat my wife to a sale;)
The new Aibo could be considered the start of user robotics (as opposed to industrial robotics).
The first Aibo can be compared to the Commodore PET and Apple I. Almost zero expandibility and functionality, but a computer you could buy. The homebrew computer builders of course are equivalent to the homebrew robotics builders of today.
The second generation Aibo is more like the Apple II, TRS-80 & Commodore 64. More functionality and almost assured to get many people to start actively using and programming it.
The next generation will be more like the IBM PC. Something where you can actually consider changing not only hardware but also the OS (remember you could get CP/M as well as DOS). Don't forget respectability (GM? Ford? Sony? AOL?!)
Ultimately we will be able to roll our own hardware (choice of motherboards, processors, chassis, actuators, drive, etc) and OS/Apps (Embedded Linux, vision software, viris, etc.). As always their will be the user friendly robotics with their colourful transparent cases!
We may even have a Linus T. of the robot era in grade school right now.
Maybe the military could use Mir for target practice.
They seem to have a problem with the small ones, and should try something bigger. To be on the safe side, they should make sure the ISS is on the opposite site of the planet, in a higher orbit.
If Transmeta can get performance above 1Gz by next summer, they have a real shot at Intel.
I don't expect Intel to exceed 1Gz on laptops until next summer (mostly due to heat & power problems) when the mobile version of their Tulatin (.13) processor arrives.
So far the P4 is supposed to generate some much heat that it needs a motherboard & case redesign to take the weight of the heatsink. No mobile P4 on the horizon until maybe 2002.
IA64? Itanium doesn't even exist on a server yet. 2003-2005 in a laptop at best.
Transmeta may have to redesign there core to emulate a IA64 competitively. Although the chip is currently all hype, its performance maybe anything from mediocre to phenomenal. The truth may take time to appear, especially given that real world 64 bit applications and software barely exist.
Don't forget that QNX will release RTP on Monday, and Sun has released Solaris on both Sparc & Intel platforms (and source too). Additionally Nortel has released FIPA-OS for agent based transactions. Add these to Linux (don't forget HURD), BSD, Inferno, Plan 9, the traditional UNIXs, and of course the Windows family there are almost too many choices. All we need now is for Palm & Microsoft to joint the open source crowd. Any chance of Compaq releasing VMS? How about IBM releasing VM & MVS?
One of my associates has told me that many cable vendors now carry precut, terminated and tested lengths (many sizes) of cat5 & fibre. Price is slightly higher than raw cable, but much cheaper than having a qualified contractor run the cable, put the connectors on and test it. Just remember to protect the ends and make bigger holes.
All of those extreme sport cliff divers will be wetting themsleves over this.
More to topic. If we can go 35768 km into orbit, whats another few km to the bottom of the ocean. The deepest the ocean goes is the Marrianas Trench at 11,000 km, and most of the ocean is less than 100 km deep.
The lawyers will have a field day, when people get upset over that thing ruining their view. BTW. What happens when on of these things collapse? Talk about whiplash.
Many managers (Dilbert anyone?) perpetually forget about maintenace. If they are looking at outsourcing to begin with, it is almost always about cost (as in quality & documentation shall not interfere with getting the best price). Eventually it will be these very same managers that will also try to save money when it comes to maintenance.
Although a one time card will prevent repeated attempts to charge you, I wonder if you could place limits on the amount the first time it is used.
More than one merchant has said $58.00, but turned around and charged your card $158.00 by accident (or so they say). Would be nice to place a cap of say $70.
Besides it won't take long for them to recognise the one-time numbers and realize they won't get a second chance to screw you the first time.
Just remember not to go overboard. If you make it too hard, outfits like the FBI will just do a little late night B&E and plant a trojan on your system to send unencrypted copies of your traffic, degrade your encryption, steal your keys, etc.
Just to be fancy, how many regular users would notice if someone added a Promise IDE RAID card and a second harddrive (in mirror mode) to their system.
Maybe it is just time to stop watching TV, and start watching the web.
It would be wonderful to be able to convince enough people to boycott Sony & AOL/TimeWarner for the release of one movie/video (6th Day or next years Matrix 2). Granted that happens when they put out a dog, but to do it intentionally, that would put a dent in their stock value. Ideally it should be all product lines for a week, and Christmas would be to much to hope for.
These comparisons are worthless. In the end the number of people who will change their minds adds up to zero. Most commenters here use the tools of politicians to denigrate, ridicule, denounce and discredit that which isn't their own, instead of using facts to support their positions. In the end the differences between two well managed, well designed, well resourced data centers running different OS' and applications amount to near zero (cost of the OS+tools+app licenses are probably less than the cost of a T1 line, never mind administrators & developers). Never bet against trained, talented, and experienced administrators, designers and developers regardless of what operating system they are running.
Reality is the buyer will be getting a status symbol. $35k can buy alot of power these days, never mind the upkeep on a Cray.
Best comparison is buying a 1955 Ferrari, sure you can pickup a faster sports car at your local dealer for less, but it still wouldn't be a Ferrari.
Which would you rather say, "Ya I got a 32 processor linux box with 4 gig of ram and 130 Gb of RAID", or "Got a Cray in the back".
You can also do things like restaurants.berkley.ca.us
and gov.nb.us and gov.losangeles.ca.us. Usually beats stateofnebraska.gov and cityoflosangeles.gov. Just how many cities in the US have duplicate names? How about theothercityofkansas.gov?
Slashdot Mirror
Talk about muddling the waters (and I am an equal opportunity OS user).
A POS system is by default an embedded application. It is not like the typical cashier is going to fire up Word or emacs, and start typing up a receipt. Microsoft should more correctly comparing embedded NT or Windows CE to say embedded Linux.
Driver support. Most POS printers, bar code scanners, etc. don't even come with drivers, and its not like they are printing out on standard letter with colour. If I wanted fancy fonts and graphics a good driver would be useful, but most POS printers are good old dot-matrix serial.
Future proofing. Most retailers are not in the habit of replacing or updating a POS system unless forced to. I know of one retailer who recently upgraded his POS from 386 to 486 systems. But only because of Y2k! Turns out the vendors Y2k version needed more memory. It was cheaper to pickup used 486's than to get memory for the 386 boxes. Why not a modern system? Just more cpu cycles to waste. Besides he now has enough spare 486 systems last a decade (got them for less that $100 a piece, with monitors and keyboards).
Development tools. Every 4-5 years Microsoft makes enough of a change that no even properly written code will survive. Examples are the VB 3-4 transition, and the upcoming VB.net transition. Linux users shouldn't gloat. Kernel and gui changes pretty much means that 5 years from now your code will not compile without changes.
Security. So hackers have access to the Linux source, hasn't stop anybody from hacking either OS or creating viruses. Besides what moron is going to connect his POS network to the Internet. Granted security is necessary, but I don't see anyone downloading and applying bug fixes on a regular basis. Which Linux distribution to use? Only matters to the developers, and you shouldn't be developing a POS on Linux unless you have a distribution you trust. Same applies for Windows.
Cost of ownership. Linux has this one, but only when compared to retail Windows. Embedded NT or Windows CE license fees become noise when you factor in the 5 year cost of hardware, software, training, peripherals, support, etc.
And lets not forget that Linux and Windows are not only operating systems out there suitable for developing a POS system.
Taking RIAA's arguments further, it would be illegal to report on any bugs found in commercial software.
/. to stop discussions.
Their current argument is that the report would impact on commerically available software and therefore allow individuals to take advantage of faults in the software.
Well isn't that what bug reports do? If would mean that you couldn't analyze and report on bugs found in bind, sendmail, apache, linux, IIS, Windows, Outlook, WEP, etc.
It would make CERT and bugtrak illegal! Next they would be after
I was sold until I saw the $8.95/month service charge. I already have cable, broadband internet and I like my TV Guide (portable, readable, cheap, and shareable). If someone hacks the Linux component I may reconsider.
You realize this is the same bunch that cost the radio industry the ears of my younger brother's generation.
I suspect my daughters, who will be buying music of their own in 5 years, will probably get most of their music by swapping it at school and over the internet. And it won't be from members of the RIAA, but from some garage band with a PC/Apple based editing studio.
RIAA's real fear shouldn't be Napster & P2P, but that my grandchildren will read about them in the history books, and that the Harvard Business Journal will have articles about how it all went so wrong.
The disenting opinion was that if Congress continuously extends the copyright period, they are in fact creating a perpetual copyright which is in conflict with the Constitutional limit on copyrights.
So far we only have a case of n=1, but if every 20 years Congress extends the copright by 20 years it would take a century to get to n=5, and to establish a pattern.
Unfortunately no one brought this up in court, thus limiting the justices' to only ruling based on the arguments presented.
Face recognition software is one of those double edge swords. On one hand it can be used to find criminals, kidnapped children, terrorist, etc. using public places and schools. On the other it can be used to track your shopping patterns, how often you go to the bathroom, who visits the local red light district, etc. Check out Visionics".
When Apple was sued for using the word Sagan as a code-name for a project, Apple rename it Butt-Head Astronomer.
Anyone have any ideas for an alternative to bake-off?
Does anyone remember the copy protection phase the software industry went through a decade or more ago (with key disks, etc.)?
The public didn't like it, and sales went down on copy protected products.
Just wait until the TV ratings drop, movie ticket $ales drop and the video, CD and DVD $ales drop.
And lets not forget laywers.
As I see this, all software that attempts to play/run/access protected media must itself be licensed and my default the developers too. It sounds like they are they want to apply the DVD model to everything. In order for a developer to write an application that accesses protected media, that developer/business must be licensed (meaning pay $$$, sign non-disclosure, etc.). That pretty much means an end to cheap/free non-commercial software, and the independent developer. If I wanted to write an application that played music/video, copied/indexed files (if any of those files were protected), etc. I would first have to pay for a license. Pretty much drives up the price of startups, and developers (all of which could only have learned how to work with protected media at a licensed firm).
While the FCC is at it why don't they dump POTS (Plain ordinary Telephone System) and mandate digital service to go along with mandatory 10 digit dialing.
POTS is 100+ years old (1880s?), ISDN was introduced 25+ years ago, and VoIP although new, is based on standards developed for video conferening over ISDN. It is time for the telcos and the FCC to check the calendar and see what century we are in (okay, okay, wait 26 days and then check it).
They should also mandate barcode readers (in the handset) so that you can simply scan in the number off of a business card or advertisement. Just in case someone hasn't patented the idea, I consider publishing something on Slashdot to consitute prior art.
The economic spin offs of requiring digital phone service to the home should far outway the costs. Let the hacking begin!
It appears that not everyone understands how web services work.
Basically it allows a website to behave like an object(s) with properties/methods/etc (if your into C++,java,etc.) or a library of functions (if your into C,etc.).
Most programmers who have worked with cgi are already familiar with the idea. You decide what a cgi program is going to do, what parameters it will accept and what it will return (just like a function call). The problem is every CGI program on every website is different.
Okay so what web services? Slashdot for example, is a news & discussion service. Lets say you wanted to write an application (platform & language of your choice) to check for new articles and do keyword searches, reformat the resulting articles for you email enabled cell phone and send them to you (or your customers). Okay, so the slashdot programmers publish the WSDL describing the interface specification (function call description) for the slashdot cgi programs. You can now write your program (user or server app, your choice) to access slashdot just like it was a library or DLL on your own machine.
How is that for open source and code reuse.
Okay, so what if slashdot changes the interface and breaks your app. Although possible, chances are if someone went through the bother to publish a WSDL file, they won't change it willy-nilly. Besides, it is only the interface spciifcation. Slashdot can change their code all they want, as long as the interface remains the same.
Worried about speed? Althogh a local app that resides entirely on your machine is faster, it is irrelevant, since chances are you don't have slashdot's article database on your machine and have to access it over the net anyway!
As with any new technology you can do just about anything with it. Doesn't mean they would all be worth while.
Does M$'s involvment turn you off? Consider that M$'s latest strategy appears to be to make all their products as standard as possible. Just because M$ put XML & ECMAScript in IE, doesn't mean I am going to stop using XML and javascript! If anything, the more the merrier!
Why would anyone willingly be on the same race track as a robotic race car capable of over 200 MPH?
I would prefer to see two robots racing each other for many races before risking a human. At least Kasparov didn't have to worry about a glitch running into him at 200 MPH!
Besides, I would like to see a robot driving a Beetle and trying to beat my wife to a sale;)
The new Aibo could be considered the start of user robotics (as opposed to industrial robotics).
The first Aibo can be compared to the Commodore PET and Apple I. Almost zero expandibility and functionality, but a computer you could buy. The homebrew computer builders of course are equivalent to the homebrew robotics builders of today.
The second generation Aibo is more like the Apple II, TRS-80 & Commodore 64. More functionality and almost assured to get many people to start actively using and programming it.
The next generation will be more like the IBM PC. Something where you can actually consider changing not only hardware but also the OS (remember you could get CP/M as well as DOS). Don't forget respectability (GM? Ford? Sony? AOL?!)
Ultimately we will be able to roll our own hardware (choice of motherboards, processors, chassis, actuators, drive, etc) and OS/Apps (Embedded Linux, vision software, viris, etc.). As always their will be the user friendly robotics with their colourful transparent cases!
We may even have a Linus T. of the robot era in grade school right now.
Maybe the military could use Mir for target practice.
They seem to have a problem with the small ones, and should try something bigger. To be on the safe side, they should make sure the ISS is on the opposite site of the planet, in a higher orbit.
Pegasus launched anti-satellite weapon anyone.
If Transmeta can get performance above 1Gz by next summer, they have a real shot at Intel.
I don't expect Intel to exceed 1Gz on laptops until next summer (mostly due to heat & power problems) when the mobile version of their Tulatin (.13) processor arrives.
So far the P4 is supposed to generate some much heat that it needs a motherboard & case redesign to take the weight of the heatsink. No mobile P4 on the horizon until maybe 2002.
IA64? Itanium doesn't even exist on a server yet. 2003-2005 in a laptop at best.
Transmeta may have to redesign there core to emulate a IA64 competitively. Although the chip is currently all hype, its performance maybe anything from mediocre to phenomenal. The truth may take time to appear, especially given that real world 64 bit applications and software barely exist.
Don't forget that QNX will release RTP on Monday, and Sun has released Solaris on both Sparc & Intel platforms (and source too).
Additionally Nortel has released FIPA-OS for agent based transactions.
Add these to Linux (don't forget HURD), BSD, Inferno, Plan 9, the traditional UNIXs, and of course the Windows family there are almost too many choices.
All we need now is for Palm & Microsoft to joint the open source crowd.
Any chance of Compaq releasing VMS? How about IBM releasing VM & MVS?
One of my associates has told me that many cable vendors now carry precut, terminated and tested lengths (many sizes) of cat5 & fibre. Price is slightly higher than raw cable, but much cheaper than having a qualified contractor run the cable, put the connectors on and test it. Just remember to protect the ends and make bigger holes.
Great.
All of those extreme sport cliff divers will be wetting themsleves over this.
More to topic. If we can go 35768 km into orbit, whats another few km to the bottom of the ocean. The deepest the ocean goes is the Marrianas Trench at 11,000 km, and most of the ocean is less than 100 km deep.
The lawyers will have a field day, when people get upset over that thing ruining their view. BTW. What happens when on of these things collapse? Talk about whiplash.
Many managers (Dilbert anyone?) perpetually forget about maintenace. If they are looking at outsourcing to begin with, it is almost always about cost (as in quality & documentation shall not interfere with getting the best price). Eventually it will be these very same managers that will also try to save money when it comes to maintenance.
Although a one time card will prevent repeated attempts to charge you, I wonder if you could place limits on the amount the first time it is used.
More than one merchant has said $58.00, but turned around and charged your card $158.00 by accident (or so they say). Would be nice to place a cap of say $70.
Besides it won't take long for them to recognise the one-time numbers and realize they won't get a second chance to screw you the first time.
Just remember not to go overboard. If you make it too hard, outfits like the FBI will just do a little late night B&E and plant a trojan on your system to send unencrypted copies of your traffic, degrade your encryption, steal your keys, etc.
They may not have legal right to do it, but once your data hits Carnivore (assuming a legal e-tap is in place) its your word versus theirs on how the trojan got in your system (not like its going to have ©FBI in it).
Just to be fancy, how many regular users would notice if someone added a Promise IDE RAID card and a second harddrive (in mirror mode) to their system.
Maybe it is just time to stop watching TV, and start watching the web.
It would be wonderful to be able to convince enough people to boycott Sony & AOL/TimeWarner for the release of one movie/video (6th Day or next years Matrix 2). Granted that happens when they put out a dog, but to do it intentionally, that would put a dent in their stock value. Ideally it should be all product lines for a week, and Christmas would be to much to hope for.
These comparisons are worthless. In the end the number of people who will change their minds adds up to zero. Most commenters here use the tools of politicians to denigrate, ridicule, denounce and discredit that which isn't their own, instead of using facts to support their positions.
In the end the differences between two well managed, well designed, well resourced data centers running different OS' and applications amount to near zero (cost of the OS+tools+app licenses are probably less than the cost of a T1 line, never mind administrators & developers).
Never bet against trained, talented, and experienced administrators, designers and developers regardless of what operating system they are running.
Reality is the buyer will be getting a status symbol. $35k can buy alot of power these days, never mind the upkeep on a Cray.
Best comparison is buying a 1955 Ferrari, sure you can pickup a faster sports car at your local dealer for less, but it still wouldn't be a Ferrari.
Which would you rather say, "Ya I got a 32 processor linux box with 4 gig of ram and 130 Gb of RAID", or "Got a Cray in the back".
You can also do things like restaurants.berkley.ca.us and gov.nb.us and gov.losangeles.ca.us.
Usually beats stateofnebraska.gov and cityoflosangeles.gov.
Just how many cities in the US have duplicate names?
How about theothercityofkansas.gov?