The biggest pain is having to rely upon third party tools to try and shrink the size of a Windows install. Why not move so many of the bullshit folders into the cloud instead? That way User information can be kept protected and not uploaded, and since every Windows install has the same bullshit folders taking up extra space, why not leave them in the cloud til needed?
Crazy to need external storage to perform a Windows update when it should do everything to shrink itself first before requiring users to move files. I had to work to find spare space on a Surface device when it was trying to update, which had practically nothing on it.
(Which is why it's my only Windows device in the house - well besides VM's of course...)
I use Altium in my day to day work, and used Eagle in my personal projects for a couple of years. Coming back to start doing some personal projects again, I decided to switch to something that better aligned with my workflow AND principles. KiCad satisfies this, and the upcoming version 5 is looking very very good.
I continue to be confused why all these Open Hardware projects are using Eagle: a closed source badly designed tool, that has also moved to a terrible subscription model after being purchased by Autodesk.
I believe many businesses require better administration, or at least better processes.
Full disclosure: I have two degrees(bachelors and masters) in engineering, a science degree, and am just about to finish my MBA.
The MBA has been invaluable in learning how to get better efficiency in the company where I work. Optimizing manufacturing processes, market based design and research, and even focusing on products with the most margin in our business operations have made tangible differences in a business that has been mostly run by technical people rather than with business education. There are many things taught in the MBA that should have been taught to engineers to help them focus on what's really important when making real world engineering decisions.
There are so many optimizations and improvements that can be made in businesses that make them more profitable AND more sustainable which makes them more likely to survive when things get tough.
The most valuable lesson I have gained from my MBA is learning how to better communicate in the languages of the various divisions in business. I've really enjoyed learning how to "create value" and "connect resources with needs". Especially as my MBA focused on design thinking and this has been a great process to combine with the analytical processes developed through a science and engineering education. I have come to view my MBA as a form of "business engineering" where the movement of people, processes and money are the important elements of building better businesses.
I love that it has a Linux based operating system. The hardware looks kinda nice.
But it's coming into an already crowded market. Competing with the iphone is not going to be easy. At least the iphone comes from a background of an integrated product line. Ie Buy MacBook for computer, Ipod for music, Iphone for telecoms.
Palm doesn't have that. It's got a proprietary version of the operating system. Only runs on one(maybe two with Pixie) piece of hardware, and is competing with very well established lines of smart phones and feature phones(ie anything with S60, WinMo, Blackberry etc)
If Palm had released it 5 years ago(or maybe when it bought BeOS), I would care a lot more.
Android is my bet, as I should be able to concentrate on hardware upgrades, and not having to learn another crappy software interface. I want a good operating system that works on multiple hardware platforms-and not WinMo(I said "good":P )
an Atom based machine, with a USB host port, and an SD card slot, GPS, Wifi, Bluetooth etc, 5 hour battery life
All in the form factor of an A4 sized(maybe even A5) iphone like device. Ie Glass screen, solid build, slim design.
If i need a keyboard for the thing i can use a bt one. It would be perfect for reading books, maps, basic games, browsing. And fit into a pack or bag nicely
Oh, and finally, it would run Linux of course
(if the price was around the 500AUD mark, it would be fantastic, but twice that would also be tolerable:)
It doesn't sound like you are an exception at all.
Just because you are cheerful to people doesn't make you an optimist!
I would say that you are comfortable in your pessimism, and are just getting better at contingency planning(well except for the denial of being a pessimist:P )
That's not to say that complex human behaviours can be broken cleanly into a binary state of pessimism/optimism - it's maybe more of a sliding scale. It's just a pity we don't have more words to describe where people sit on that scale....
Signing off as a cheerful pessimist myself(who finds it offensive when people have dumb ideas that will fail, and I am called "negative" for pointing it out, and then being right!)
All excellent points and I agree with most of them. But I do disagree with your first one.
Mental ability changes over time. Be it flexibility, adaptability, etc there is a marked change as one gets older. Once you throw in a bit of trauma, emotional distress, etc there are many things that can happen "upstairs".
(Ever hear the old saw about most maths guys making their breakthroughs in their early days?)
And when I use the term relevance, I mean why does his doing something great years ago automatically qualify him as someone to listen to on everything that he chooses to ramble about? Or do we stop evaluating the source of information, because of emotional bias and hero worship?
I don't mean to come off ungrateful for what he did for the world back then, but how many free dinners does he get off it. If anyone else said what he gets quoted on, would it be special?
The pricing seemed quite a smart way of letting market forces apply feedback in the control loop for the sale of the iphone.
As much as people cry about the price, it means that those early adopters payed a premium for what they wanted(an iphone straight away gimme gimme gimme), and those slower to take it up, will also buy and feel better about it due to percieved value.
(I'm also happy because it means all the US early adopters took the brunt, while the rest of the world reaps the rewards:P)
Zilog has a nice range of chips with a very good amount of peripherals built in. Their development environment is very nice for stepping through and debugging code. Pity it is only for windows, and their really could be more sample code out there.
And they run plenty of competitions with circuit cellar, so you can often get free devel kits.
I always find it amusing when US companies are going to set standards, or develop working groups for mobile phone technologies. Why? Because it seems that the US has one of the most crippled mobile telecommunications system in the western world.
Countries in Europe can have roaming mobile phones between borders that were still fighting a war to the death just over 50 years ago, while the US can't even do it properly between towns (let alone states).
Nothing really insightful here, but always something that comes to my mind.
Slashdot Mirror
The biggest pain is having to rely upon third party tools to try and shrink the size of a Windows install. Why not move so many of the bullshit folders into the cloud instead? That way User information can be kept protected and not uploaded, and since every Windows install has the same bullshit folders taking up extra space, why not leave them in the cloud til needed?
Crazy to need external storage to perform a Windows update when it should do everything to shrink itself first before requiring users to move files. I had to work to find spare space on a Surface device when it was trying to update, which had practically nothing on it.
(Which is why it's my only Windows device in the house - well besides VM's of course...)
KiCad has an excellent Eagle import tool.
I use Altium in my day to day work, and used Eagle in my personal projects for a couple of years. Coming back to start doing some personal projects again, I decided to switch to something that better aligned with my workflow AND principles. KiCad satisfies this, and the upcoming version 5 is looking very very good.
I continue to be confused why all these Open Hardware projects are using Eagle: a closed source badly designed tool, that has also moved to a terrible subscription model after being purchased by Autodesk.
I believe many businesses require better administration, or at least better processes.
Full disclosure: I have two degrees(bachelors and masters) in engineering, a science degree, and am just about to finish my MBA.
The MBA has been invaluable in learning how to get better efficiency in the company where I work. Optimizing manufacturing processes, market based design and research, and even focusing on products with the most margin in our business operations have made tangible differences in a business that has been mostly run by technical people rather than with business education. There are many things taught in the MBA that should have been taught to engineers to help them focus on what's really important when making real world engineering decisions.
There are so many optimizations and improvements that can be made in businesses that make them more profitable AND more sustainable which makes them more likely to survive when things get tough.
The most valuable lesson I have gained from my MBA is learning how to better communicate in the languages of the various divisions in business. I've really enjoyed learning how to "create value" and "connect resources with needs". Especially as my MBA focused on design thinking and this has been a great process to combine with the analytical processes developed through a science and engineering education. I have come to view my MBA as a form of "business engineering" where the movement of people, processes and money are the important elements of building better businesses.
Best. Troll. Ever.
You know nothing about statistics, yet want to tell us how it is a phony science?
You couldn't have taken a few minutes on wolfram, or even wikipedia to even TRY to know a little of what you are talking about?
Yes, I do think you are a lunatic.
I love that it has a Linux based operating system. The hardware looks kinda nice.
But it's coming into an already crowded market. Competing with the iphone is not going to be easy. At least the iphone comes from a background of an integrated product line. Ie Buy MacBook for computer, Ipod for music, Iphone for telecoms.
Palm doesn't have that. It's got a proprietary version of the operating system. Only runs on one(maybe two with Pixie) piece of hardware, and is competing with very well established lines of smart phones and feature phones(ie anything with S60, WinMo, Blackberry etc)
If Palm had released it 5 years ago(or maybe when it bought BeOS), I would care a lot more.
Android is my bet, as I should be able to concentrate on hardware upgrades, and not having to learn another crappy software interface. I want a good operating system that works on multiple hardware platforms-and not WinMo(I said "good" :P )
Also, it is not a hand - any more than a glove is a hand.
It is an orthosis, more specifically a dynamic hand orthosis.
(from a bionics researcher, with a degree in prosthetics and orthotics...)
But I would be very happy with the following:
an Atom based machine, with
a USB host port, and an
SD card slot,
GPS,
Wifi,
Bluetooth etc,
5 hour battery life
All in the form factor of an A4 sized(maybe even A5) iphone like device. Ie Glass screen, solid build, slim design.
If i need a keyboard for the thing i can use a bt one. It would be perfect for reading books, maps, basic games, browsing. And fit into a pack or bag nicely
Oh, and finally, it would run Linux of course
(if the price was around the 500AUD mark, it would be fantastic, but twice that would also be tolerable :)
Please define the terms "supernatural" and "natural"
People use the term without clearly defining what is meant by it. How do you have things outside of the natural world?
Using more undefined nonsense words does not make undefined nonsense arguments more sensical - it simply makes them more inexplicably NONSENSICAL
What the hell? Troll?
Damn you Christian Moderators, and your reactionary button clicking!
I'll see your Theistic ways, and raise you 1 annoyed Ignostic Transhumanist....
You dodged the question.
You said you believe in creationism. But you also state that you are scientifically inquisitive. Where do the two meet, and which wins out?
Please elaborate on your evidence...
How can you be scientific in your belief of a entity-in-the-sky making "stuff"?
Inquiring minds wish to know....
It doesn't sound like you are an exception at all.
:P )
Just because you are cheerful to people doesn't make you an optimist!
I would say that you are comfortable in your pessimism, and are just getting better at contingency planning(well except for the denial of being a pessimist
That's not to say that complex human behaviours can be broken cleanly into a binary state of pessimism/optimism - it's maybe more of a sliding scale. It's just a pity we don't have more words to describe where people sit on that scale....
Signing off as a cheerful pessimist myself(who finds it offensive when people have dumb ideas that will fail, and I am called "negative" for pointing it out, and then being right!)
You subscribe to Elevator World?
:P
Wow
You have opened my eyes to a whole new world - Elevator Geeks!
I can picture it now....
"How to overclock your elevator in 5 easy steps..."
"Escalators - Are they the campers of the Elevator market?"
"Pictures of the top 10 elevators, and their designers - Sealed Section" (very naughty!)
Etc
That is an awesome post. Good to see something so clearly written, and contains "non-mainstream" computer history.
Kudos
All excellent points and I agree with most of them. But I do disagree with your first one.
Mental ability changes over time. Be it flexibility, adaptability, etc there is a marked change as one gets older. Once you throw in a bit of trauma, emotional distress, etc there are many things that can happen "upstairs".
(Ever hear the old saw about most maths guys making their breakthroughs in their early days?)
And when I use the term relevance, I mean why does his doing something great years ago automatically qualify him as someone to listen to on everything that he chooses to ramble about? Or do we stop evaluating the source of information, because of emotional bias and hero worship?
I don't mean to come off ungrateful for what he did for the world back then, but how many free dinners does he get off it. If anyone else said what he gets quoted on, would it be special?
Woz was pretty damn awesome back in the day.
But how is he now? Does his words still mean as much? Do you consider Woz-of-now equal with Woz-in-the-heady-beginnings-of-the-computer-revolution?
That is why I ask the question: why is he still relevant?
I guess blind idol worship exists in the geek world too....
I know he did amazing things back then. What I am asking is what makes him special lately?
Genius isn't forever. Much like sporting ability isn't forever.
He just reminds me of an athlete that did an amazing thing, but now is just sad and broken.
And it's not to say that I don't respect what he did back in the day. He changed the world in a lot of ways.
But people change, and the Woz now does not appear to be the same Woz that did those things.
Hence I ask, why is he still relevant?
The pricing seemed quite a smart way of letting market forces apply feedback in the control loop for the sale of the iphone.
:P)
As much as people cry about the price, it means that those early adopters payed a premium for what they wanted(an iphone straight away gimme gimme gimme), and those slower to take it up, will also buy and feel better about it due to percieved value.
(I'm also happy because it means all the US early adopters took the brunt, while the rest of the world reaps the rewards
This is probably going to get me in trouble, but I really don't know why people care about Woz so much.
There are hundreds of engineers that have done amazing things, and are still doing them.
Why do people still care what he thinks/does?
Hear Hear!
Humans are a tool-using creature. It's glad to hear there are some people still proud of it.
I love camping, and roughing it in the bush, but I know that I don't want to go back to living in the dirt.
Whenever I hear of people tech-bashing I always want to ask them about teeth.
That's right: teeth.
Let the Luddites go back to the dental care of ages yonder in the "glorious soulful past"
Then let's hear them talk about how great it is to have older tools and practices.....
But doesn't the idea of property at this level extend to only what you can control?
If you can't stop people from using it, then it pretty much belongs to whoever holds the ground(or who ships them supplies).
It's like a saying I heard: Air support can only deny territory. Infantry occupies it.
Zilog has a nice range of chips with a very good amount of peripherals built in. Their development environment is very nice for stepping through and debugging code. Pity it is only for windows, and their really could be more sample code out there.
And they run plenty of competitions with circuit cellar, so you can often get free devel kits.
Leela AND Amy
I don't want to sound like a zealot here, but sounds exactly like you should be selling Apple stuff.
I always find it amusing when US companies are going to set standards, or develop working groups for mobile phone technologies. Why? Because it seems that the US has one of the most crippled mobile telecommunications system in the western world.
Countries in Europe can have roaming mobile phones between borders that were still fighting a war to the death just over 50 years ago, while the US can't even do it properly between towns (let alone states).
Nothing really insightful here, but always something that comes to my mind.