Funny you should say that, I was listening to some C64 music the other day. Great stuff. Pales in comparison with the orchestral masterpieces that accompany modern games, but it's got a charm all of its own that no modern computer music can hope to capture.
Some of us like messing about with retro machines. I was browsing around a computer shop in London a couple of weeks ago; they had loads of old hardware, including an old Sinclair Spectrum+, the same model as the first computer I ever owned. I almost got choked up just looking at the thing.
You may have no time for anything other than the latest and greatest, and that's fine. Personally, I find modern systems soulless and without character. I like the Amiga's eccentric charm, and I'd love to run AmigaOS on new hardware.
What do you mean by "full speed?" The same as a 68000 at 7MHz? A 68030 at 50MHz? A 604e at 200MHz? Like many other computer systems, Amigas don't just come in one speed:-)
How about linux on Nintendo's current project dolphin (still under development). It's based on a modified PPC
Yeah, Unix/Linux for Nintendo! Anyone think that "Pikachunix" would be a good name?:-)
When are they going to port it to the Game Boy?:-)
"Hi, I'm Rob, and I wanna be a borg"
on
Wearable PCs
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· Score: 3
As soon as someone designs a computer than can be implanted into the skull, I'm going for it. If it requires cabling, circuitry etc. to be attached to the outside of my head, so much the better. I have a morbid fascination with becoming a mechanical freak.
Then there is a high correlation of people who are geeks and enjoy it.
I like being an amateur geek. I don't like being a professional software engineer. I find working with computers to be utterly joyless. Don't ask me why.
Once I've stuck this job out for two years (nearly half way through, yaaaay), I'm going to investigate getting out of IT and into something totally different. Then I will be a happy geek hobbyist again.
I can't be the only techie who works normal office hours. I'm out of the door every day at 5:30PM. I've only done overtime once, and that was grudgingly. I don't live to work.
So you think he'll be seen like Andrew Carnegie, then? You know, the guy who hired Pinkertons to beat and kill strikers, but then gave his money to the library system?
I don't think Bill Gates will be seen in that bad a light, because he hasn't been responsible for any killings. It's a good analogy though.
If any of Gates' 100 billion dollars goes to curing a disease that you are (or will be) afflicted with, you people owe him an apology for all the criticism.
Not necessarily. Extreme example: if I kill a man, serve my time in jail, then discover the cure for cancer when I get released, the fact that I've discovered the cure for cancer does not excuse the earlier crime I committed. Doing a wonderful deed in the present does not excuse past failings.
I think Bill Gates may go down in history as a flawed character; someone who built up a fortune in a less-than-ethical manner[1], but who later put that fortune to good use.
[1]: My opinion only. I am aware that some people reading this do not disagree with Microsoft's business practices.
We may disagree with Microsoft's business practices. We may disagree with the way that Bill Gates made his billions. We may dispute that one man should be allowed to be that rich. However, the fact the Bill is prepared to donate most of his fortune to charity shows that he has at least some scruples. It's surely a Good Thing that the richest man in the world is prepared to use his billions to support a charitable foundation.
Maybe he is doing it to try to save face and look less greedy. On the other hand, maybe he's doing it because he wants to put his fortune to good use. We could sit and debate his motives for ever. The point is, he's doing it, and has made the right decision.
Disclaimer: I know little about the Linux kernel. This stuff might all be nonsense.
What if any new functionality has been implemented by SGI as modules, loaded on demand by kerneld? They can be shipped as binaries only without violating the GPL. Since they're not techically part of the kernel, they don't have to be covered by the same license.
I was at World of Amiga '99 last Saturday. Amiga had a glass cabinet with this box in on display, along with the "blueprints" produced by Pentagram, the design people who were contracted to produce the mockup. And it was a mockup; the monitor had no connections or ports on the back at all. It was just a box.
Thst said, it was a very stylish box. If you're not impressed by the pictures, keep an open mind. If they build these, and I truly hope they do, you'll get a chance to see one in the "flesh". They're attractive cases. I'd be happy to have one on my desktop.
Our equivalent to your "R" rating is our 15 rating - nobody under 15 can go into the cinema, by law. Which I'm afraid, I would agree with.
You shouldn't be "afraid" of stating your point of view here. It is unfortunate that expressing a pro-restriction POV is likely to attract flames from the ultra-liberal section of the Slashdot readership.
Is there anything anywhere which says all geeks have to be libertarians, totally opposed to all forms of restriction?
FWIW, I agree with you on the movie ratings thing. I use them as a guideline myself; I skip anything with a 15 or 18 rating and wait for the edited-for-TV version.
The "nerd" community and the "open/free" community are not one and the same. There's a lot of overlap, sure, but being a nerd doesn't automatically mean that you're not interested in what tech businesses are doing.
As a long-time Amiga nerd, I'm enjoying Slashdot's coverage of the recent Amiga saga. If you don't like it, why not get a Slashdot account and filter all the stories you don't want to read? You'll get some very light days (like today which, as you say, is dominated by corporate news), but at least you won't have to put up with stories you've got no interest in.
I personally read Slashdot for the comments. I can get straight news anywhere. The opinions of other Slashdotters are what counts for me. Opinions are always interesting, no matter whether the story in question is a corporate or "free project" one.
phase5 were the guys talking a couple of years ago about an Amiga-style computer called the A\Box, which never saw the light of day. They were also planning a multi-processor Amiga-compat called the pre\Box, which also never happened. With this track record, I'm a bit sceptical. It'd be nice if it did happen, though. phase5's hardware is (in my experience) very good.
I wonder if Amiga will include source code with their os, or just pretend there is nothing wrong with violating the GPL.
They only have to include source to any modifications they make to the kernel, or other GPLed software. If they write a brand new operating environment over the top of the kernel, they're not obliged to include any source code. Of course, you may perceive that they are violating the spirit of the GPL by doing that, or taking advantage of the free software community. However, that is a different matter, nothing to do with violating the GPL.
My desk is covered in rubbish. My apartment is covered in rubbish. My computer, however, looks immaculate. I couldn't bear to have a messy computer with bits hanging out of it.
Since Amiga will be using the Linux kernel, and will apparantly be using an xfree86 Xserver, and presumably most of the gnu tools associated with linux...
Interesting that you brought that up. What if the Amiga OE is so self-contained that it removes the need for the GNU toolset? We'll have a Linux system for which the name "GNU/Linux" would not be appropriate.
Slashdot Mirror
Amiga is about as useful now as the Commodore 64.
Funny you should say that, I was listening to some C64 music the other day. Great stuff. Pales in comparison with the orchestral masterpieces that accompany modern games, but it's got a charm all of its own that no modern computer music can hope to capture.
Some of us like messing about with retro machines. I was browsing around a computer shop in London a couple of weeks ago; they had loads of old hardware, including an old Sinclair Spectrum+, the same model as the first computer I ever owned. I almost got choked up just looking at the thing.
You may have no time for anything other than the latest and greatest, and that's fine. Personally, I find modern systems soulless and without character. I like the Amiga's eccentric charm, and I'd love to run AmigaOS on new hardware.
What do you mean by "full speed?" The same as a 68000 at 7MHz? A 68030 at 50MHz? A 604e at 200MHz? Like many other computer systems, Amigas don't just come in one speed :-)
How about linux on Nintendo's current project dolphin (still under development). It's based on a modified PPC
Yeah, Unix/Linux for Nintendo! Anyone think that "Pikachunix" would be a good name? :-)
When are they going to port it to the Game Boy? :-)
As soon as someone designs a computer than can be implanted into the skull, I'm going for it. If it requires cabling, circuitry etc. to be attached to the outside of my head, so much the better. I have a morbid fascination with becoming a mechanical freak.
I think that's the exact opposite of many Slashdotters.
And don't confuse either of them with the Slashdot community, though again there are overlaps.
N/T
Add Nortel Networks to that list. I work for them; coding in Tcl/Tk is a major part of my job.
(Standard disclaimer: I do not speak officially for Nortel Networks)
I believe the word "methinks" appears in a play by William Shakespeare! Though I don't think the Bard ever used "drinken" or "Cokeocola".
I like being an amateur geek. I don't like being a professional software engineer. I find working with computers to be utterly joyless. Don't ask me why.
Once I've stuck this job out for two years (nearly half way through, yaaaay), I'm going to investigate getting out of IT and into something totally different. Then I will be a happy geek hobbyist again.
I can't be the only techie who works normal office hours. I'm out of the door every day at 5:30PM. I've only done overtime once, and that was grudgingly. I don't live to work.
I don't think Bill Gates will be seen in that bad a light, because he hasn't been responsible for any killings. It's a good analogy though.
Not necessarily. Extreme example: if I kill a man, serve my time in jail, then discover the cure for cancer when I get released, the fact that I've discovered the cure for cancer does not excuse the earlier crime I committed. Doing a wonderful deed in the present does not excuse past failings.
I think Bill Gates may go down in history as a flawed character; someone who built up a fortune in a less-than-ethical manner[1], but who later put that fortune to good use.
[1]: My opinion only. I am aware that some people reading this do not disagree with Microsoft's business practices.
We may disagree with Microsoft's business practices. We may disagree with the way that Bill Gates made his billions. We may dispute that one man should be allowed to be that rich. However, the fact the Bill is prepared to donate most of his fortune to charity shows that he has at least some scruples. It's surely a Good Thing that the richest man in the world is prepared to use his billions to support a charitable foundation.
Maybe he is doing it to try to save face and look less greedy. On the other hand, maybe he's doing it because he wants to put his fortune to good use. We could sit and debate his motives for ever. The point is, he's doing it, and has made the right decision.
Disclaimer: I know little about the Linux kernel. This stuff might all be nonsense.
What if any new functionality has been implemented by SGI as modules, loaded on demand by kerneld? They can be shipped as binaries only without violating the GPL. Since they're not techically part of the kernel, they don't have to be covered by the same license.
I was at World of Amiga '99 last Saturday. Amiga had a glass cabinet with this box in on display, along with the "blueprints" produced by Pentagram, the design people who were contracted to produce the mockup. And it was a mockup; the monitor had no connections or ports on the back at all. It was just a box.
Thst said, it was a very stylish box. If you're not impressed by the pictures, keep an open mind. If they build these, and I truly hope they do, you'll get a chance to see one in the "flesh". They're attractive cases. I'd be happy to have one on my desktop.
You shouldn't be "afraid" of stating your point of view here. It is unfortunate that expressing a pro-restriction POV is likely to attract flames from the ultra-liberal section of the Slashdot readership.
Is there anything anywhere which says all geeks have to be libertarians, totally opposed to all forms of restriction?
FWIW, I agree with you on the movie ratings thing. I use them as a guideline myself; I skip anything with a 15 or 18 rating and wait for the edited-for-TV version.
The "nerd" community and the "open/free" community are not one and the same. There's a lot of overlap, sure, but being a nerd doesn't automatically mean that you're not interested in what tech businesses are doing.
As a long-time Amiga nerd, I'm enjoying Slashdot's coverage of the recent Amiga saga. If you don't like it, why not get a Slashdot account and filter all the stories you don't want to read? You'll get some very light days (like today which, as you say, is dominated by corporate news), but at least you won't have to put up with stories you've got no interest in.
I personally read Slashdot for the comments. I can get straight news anywhere. The opinions of other Slashdotters are what counts for me. Opinions are always interesting, no matter whether the story in question is a corporate or "free project" one.
phase5 were the guys talking a couple of years ago about an Amiga-style computer called the A\Box, which never saw the light of day. They were also planning a multi-processor Amiga-compat called the pre\Box, which also never happened. With this track record, I'm a bit sceptical. It'd be nice if it did happen, though. phase5's hardware is (in my experience) very good.
What's the deal with all these "i" prefixes? We've had "iMac", "iToaster", "iBook", and now "iPlanet". Guess it stands for "information".
I do think it grates a bit, though not as badly as "e-" does, as in "e-commerce", "e-business" etc.
They only have to include source to any modifications they make to the kernel, or other GPLed software. If they write a brand new operating environment over the top of the kernel, they're not obliged to include any source code. Of course, you may perceive that they are violating the spirit of the GPL by doing that, or taking advantage of the free software community. However, that is a different matter, nothing to do with violating the GPL.
N/T
...and the first link there is to an interview with a certain Mr. Malda :-)
No case? The poor thing would be naked! :-)
My desk is covered in rubbish. My apartment is covered in rubbish. My computer, however, looks immaculate. I couldn't bear to have a messy computer with bits hanging out of it.
Interesting that you brought that up. What if the Amiga OE is so self-contained that it removes the need for the GNU toolset? We'll have a Linux system for which the name "GNU/Linux" would not be appropriate.