Just to test it out I typed 'Rygar' into Froogle (a new PS2 video game)...one of the resulting prices was a little...off. Visiting the relevant site turns up the same price as everyone else.
If you're trying to make a purchase decision the best thing to do is to go for volume a lot of times. Open up google, do some searches, get lots of information from lots of different places. Often you will want to throw out the most extreme positives and negatives as well.
But the best thing to do is to gather as much info as possible from as wide a range of sources as possible!
'trained Windows monkeys' - well I think that covers your bias to start with:) My bias is that I'm familiar with Windows, and with NT4-6 and W2K everything seems to work for me, and nothing seems that hard to maintain, etc. I have an interest in learning Linux, especially from a cost standpoint. So that's where I'm coming from.
- Linux admins are more difficult to find than Windows admins, and most companies will want to be able to replace their admins if necesary - also saying that a Linux admin is going to be more efficient than a Windows admin is really a subjective comment, and Linux admins do cost more
- uh no it's not 'plain nonsense'. Even if it's just little things like ctrl-c ctrl-v, it's quite useful to have everything work similarily. The Windows programs that stick out are the ones that don't follow convention. The end user experience is improved by following certain conventions. Now I know Linux is improving on this, so this may not be an issue for very long
- Why should all professional tools be hard to use at first? That doesn't make any sense to me. Obviously one must learn the features, but why is a difficult interface a requirement?
- people don't like to waste their money on Windows systems. I'm sure they'd love, in general to use free Linux. It's the learning curve that adds expense in terms of time and money. The next problem is software availability.
I'm not trying to tear apart Linux here, I want to use Linux, but so far a money spent on Windows seems to be worth it. However as Linux improves and Microsoft squeezes business for every drop it can, Linux begins to look more and more promising. But there's a huge barrier to entry. The more Linux can do to soften this barrier the better, and the faster people will squish out between the fingers of Microsoft's closing fist (its licensing is really getting out of hand).
I think there is a lot of potential for Linux to save businesses money - is getting there that's the problem. Getting there in knowledge and in skill. Getting there in software availability. And getting their in people's minds. There are some hefty costs involved here (and potential for major returns) and the status quo is a big inhibitor.
Issues faced when looking into using Linux: - user technical snobbery - obviously not everyone, but there's enough religious level fervor, looking down on the Linux uninitiated, and just plain denial when it comes to acknowledging any problems with Linux, that most people, computing not being the end all of their existence, just couldn't be bothered. I don't think Linux users really want more Linux users. They love to sit back and pretend how superior they are to other people. The only reason they even bother is that they hate MS so much. - lack of software in many important areas. On the home side there's the lack of games, on the business side there's the lack of specialized software (process manufacturing ERP software, etc.) That being said, there are lots of places where Linux can be used, especially on the back end. - knowledge barrier. I really think that experienced users forget just what the requirements are to get started! It's bewildering. It can become second nature like many other things, but where most people start in a Windows environment (because good old Microsoft 'gives' - ha! - Windows away with nearly every PC - if the government should do anything they should force PC prices to list the MS Works and Windows prices that are included in a PC price), Linux just doesn't seem worth it, especially given its software limitations and the attitudes that one runs across.
Anyways that was mostly OT ramblings. I personally would like to learn Linux. I am close to taking the plunge but these issues still nag at me, plus the lack of time. I am simply trying to communicate the problems faced.
For the last two years we haven't done any further upgrades on our main business system.
It's been the easiest and most stable two years I've spent in IT!
Software upgrades and changes really mess things up. Even assuming the latest version is 100% stable, even something as simple as moving a menu item can really trip the average user up until they get used to it - and if you follow every upgrade path by the time that happens you're changing it on them again.
Part of the lower cost comes from the factor of scale. If you're looking to do some consulting, well Microsoft has a massive and undeniable lead in the number of users- so you start up a business to take advantage of this and offer services for Microsoft software.
But everyone else is doing the same thing, so you have to lower prices and they lower theirs. (This is overall mind you, not pinned down to any two support services) Microsoft products are also quite easy to manage on the whole. Especially since Win2K came rolling in, plus with NT4SP6a you shouldn't have too many major server problems either.
Everywhere you go you can find all sorts of Microsoft camp product support. Once you learn one Microsoft product you are well on your way to knowing another.
Many corporate level packages also come on Microsoft (ERP, etc.) so that gets added into the mix as well - if you want a Linux solution you are really going to have to take the long way around for a lot of this stuff.
Linux is doing quite well, but entry into the Linux world is like running into a brick wall for many. There are far fewer Linux users around and the system is totally different from what most people are used to. There is a staggering amount of things to learn when taking on Linux, kernel recompiles, following the chains of dependancies, all of this takes time to learn and internalize. Most Microsoft type products are a matter of getting the latest service packs.
So there are fewer Linux users and fewer people overall familiar with Linux. The cost of finding someone to help you is going to be higher. Plus, I would argue there is *far* more to learn so you're going to pay the high priced people even more.
This presents a massive total cost barrier for those who would seek to save licensing money by switching to Linux. It is far easier to pay out to a software company for support and pay cheaper mainstream consultants and get things done than it is to start entering this whole new world of OSS. And you'll have to keep paying out more money to expensive consultants and employees to keep up-to-date, even though the initial costs are cheaper.
Then there's all of the little things that Linux can't quite do yet. Incompatibilities with the mainstream software products, pieces of software that just aren't available or which just aren't up to snuff when compared to the MS world. Add these in as indirect costs - even if you get the money to start up with Linux these little niggling issues will make management wonder why they bothered. Finance is not going to be happy without running Excel, the VP is going to be annoyed by not being able to access his IE only stock market site.
On the flip side, if you happen to have employees that known their Linux and know it well, there are definitely benefits to be had. If you want to add a new web server, W2K Adv Server is going to cost you more than the hardware and your Linux-savy employee can probably get an Apache server running nice and easy.
The problem is Linux is just not quite popular enough yet so these gifted people are hard to come by. Trying to insert Linux into a corporate world of Windows raised folk via consultants is going to mean huge dollars - basic stuff that everyone at least sort of knows how to do in Windows may require more consultant hours for instructional purposes.
But, even as the article mentions there are places were Linux is making itself cost effective and useful - like webserving. These tasks should be Linux's thin-end-of-the-wedge. Slowly get Linux in there for these tasks, and then maybe it can take over one more job, then another. Sys Admins can slowly learn more about it and become more experienced. Eventually that TCO is going to balance towards Linux.
There is a long ways to go though - and screaming that all MS users are idiots and they just don't realize how far superior Linux is, is counter-productive. The technical snobbery that often goes on (knee jerk MS bashing, even near-religious fervour found within variations on Linux, newbie bashing, etc.) helps nothing. The rest of the world will just ignore Linux even more and continue on doing their business using MS and closed-source products that they are comfortable with and *that work* as often as not. They *really and truly* don't care what software they use as long as it works, and as long as it is cost-effective to use it. Most business need to use computers, but what computers they use are irrelevant to them. They just need to, well, take care of business.
Find ways that Linux helps them to that in a cost-effective and friendly way and I'm sure more and more business will bite.
Consoles tend to drift behind PC gaming, then make leaps to catch up as each console comes out. An up-to-date PC will always beat the latest console it seems, but of course, at what price?
But where there's the same game with the same options, the consoles are usually more fun. Except for FPS - I don't think I can play any FPS with a controller anymore (though Vice City's FP aiming weapons I'm getting used to, and Timesplitters wasn't bad).
But I'm glad I have both, and PCs don't usually need too much tweaking it seems. Although games like Morrowind, etc. can sometimes be real bears.
I think if I was limited on cash, I'd stick with a modest PC for regular stuff and spending my gaming dough on a console.
So you'd rather they buy W2K Advanced Server and give MS even more money? At least they're part way there!
And for a new service it's probably just not cost effective to build a client for 5% of your potential client base when 95% of your potential customers already have the software necessary.
I don't think hypocrite really applies here - they aren't saying "go forth and use Linux" while they use MS. Plus they expect your client to Windows and I'm sure their clients and most workstations are Windows - I doubt if they've gone and built themselves Linux clients just for their use. Linux is their *server* here.
If a company or customer has the resources to fully and properly analyze your code then why wouldn't they just use those resources to write their own software; fully customized and programmed for their needs?
Of course if MS tweaks their format, it breaks all of their existing Office customers, causing trouble for them that way as well. It's not quite so easy for them to do that.
From Office 97 on there is good backwards compatibility, because the Office 95 and similar changeover problems really caused them a lot of grief. Unless of course Office 2005 or whatever includes required live updates to the spec over the Internet - and they wait out all of the Office 97 users (heh picture it - THERE HAVE BEEN UPDATES TO OFFICE 2005, PRESS OKAY TO UPDATE OR CANCEL TO EXIT OFFICE.) But surely that period of change would leave an opening for OSS?
I'm quite surprised that no one has managed to make an Office compatible product - people have reverse engineered all manner of complex programs, surely someone can do this for Office. Why is it harder to parse a.DOC file than it is to make WINE work (I know WINE doesn't work with everything, but it does work with an amazing amount of stuff considering what it's doing).
Okay, try posting a sign on your window that says, "Do Not Break This Window". Is this going to A) Give the Window a Longer life or B) Catch the Attention of those that like breaking windows. I'm sure we've all heard this little theory before.
On to the point (in relation to this story):
I rent and buy DVDs, I don't even think about it. I play them on my PC, my laptop, my PS2, my DVD player. It's great, I like it and DVDs are quite reasonably priced.
Now comes DRM - in whatever form they are planning. Will I have to call in and register my DVD? Will I need to have a phone or network cable attached to the player of the future? Are restrictions going to be inserted on to my PC? Is my old non-DRM box going to find itself instantly outdated and unable to play the latest movie or whatever?
All of a sudden I'm not a happy-go-lucky watcher of TV, and consumer of media. I'm feeling a little under appreciated, plus all of a sudden all of these restrictions are in my face. I can't just scoot out and pick up a DVD or record a TV program for viewing later.
So now I have to figure out, "How can my PC or media unit view these new movies?" or "How can I make my PVR record this show?" I didn't care before, but now I'm going to have to go and take a look. While I'm figuring this out illegal content may also be discovered (boot legged movies side by side with info on getting around DRM). Next thing you know I have the latest warez for viewing moviez on my PC. All because you wanted to make sure you've squeezed every last dime from everyone's pockets. The people who were copying before are still copying now. Formerly loyal customers are now pissed off pirates.
I'd been ignoring the window, happily walking by it - then you had to go and put a damn sign up and eventually it became time to break it!
Sims protests not really going to work...
on
Organizing Sim Protests
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· Score: 2, Interesting
Not that this issue is important in any way - but given the nature of how Sims Online is going to be structured, online protests aren't going to matter.
Each user will control their own area. If you're annoying them or their guests they'll kick you and possibly ban you.
There is no account banning as I understand it - you'll just keep getting banned by various people if you're annoying enough...I suppose in theory eventually you'll have no where to go but your own area.
But really the only story here is that there are people out there that find this something worth getting upset over...
Oh sure they're selling consoles at the nice, cheap price *but*......does X-Box have Vice City?
Despite Microsoft's attempts Sony is really keeping its grip on the console market. People are still choosing PS2 over the technically superior X-Box - why? Because PS2 has the killer apps, and that's really what counts.
If MS does this on the grand scale is this going to mean another minor boom in IT jobs. I mean it sounds to me like they are going to be creating a new Y2K level issue. Will there be thousands of apps that need repairing now?
This sort of service has some potential. There are several issues - i think I can live with DRM for this, provided that whatever system they have is self-contained. Also their download system must work, and work well. It must be convenient or why bother?
But perhaps the biggest issue here may be bandwidth - even with 1.5 Mbps DSL at home it'll take awhile to download a movie. (I wonder how the quality is at that...) If I'm going to rent a movie, it is rare that I'm thinking ahead as to what I'd like to watch. So once I decide "hey let's rent a movie", the download process begins and a few hours later I can actually watch the movie. As opposed to running to the video store for about the same price in half an hour.
An even bigger threat may be Video on Demand (VOD) services slowly being introduced by cable companies. They are basically offering the same service, but you don't have to wait for it, and it works with your TV equipment, not your PC.
Even with all of these problems, there may be a niche market here - such as going on a flight - just DL a movie ahead of time. Of course DVDs are readily available - but at least in this case you can do it a week ahead of time and not worry about returns - hey here's a thought maybe they can offer LAN services from stores a local airports? Download over your ethernet from airport store servers?
Actually it is offensive the way you put it. Wal-mart sells both wide and fullscreen copies, and hey ever consider that even people that know the difference still may prefer full screen even if you and I don't? I actually buy computer software, games etc. at Wal-Mart if they have it because their prices are good and as a customer you can return stuff - yes even software! Now you may have to make a small stink depending on the store, but it's their base policy that the customer is always right.
But the main problem, I understand where you are coming from and am not so worried with people being P.C., is that the sort of people that you are complaining about will actually *help* the cause!
Think about it, you get Redneck Joe whose CD doesn't work - he doesn't know or care about copy protection - all he knows is that his gol dang CD doesn't work in his new CD player or his Lindows PC:), and he's going to take it back and possibly raise a fuss while he's at it. Now if you piss of Wal-mart consistently (the suppliers that is), you may just find yourself short a distribution channel.
Wal-Mart is not going to be happy when they start realizing that 60% of EMI's CD's keep getting returned!
Okay anyone else just plain sick and tired of this argument from the record companies as was found in this article - the ones that go like, "there are 1 Gajillion CD-R's sold every year, if even 50% of them are used for music then that's $20 Gajillion in sales we lost..oops I mean that the artists never get."
I don't know about you but out of the few hundred CD-R's and CD-RW's I've purchased over the past five years or so, exactly 2 were used for music. And every track on those 2 CD-R's are music that I bought and paid for.
On the plus side I haven't purchased any music in the past one or two years, except for the SE of Morrowind which happened to have a sound track - hmmm well I guess I actually have purchased 1 or 2 sound tracks - but after reading this letter I think I'll just not bother any more - I can always get music my style direct from the artists at MP3.com or similar sites.
I suppose I was generalizing a bit. But the main thrust is towards radicals that run around shouting 'stop doing X right now!', without offering real alternatives or considering the implications.
People looking towards clean, efficient ways of doing things seem to be rare - mostly because the media would rather show radicals I suppose. As a result this is the filter with which I view most environmental writings.
When something truly interesting, such as those compressed air powered cars (if they really are the marvels of efficiency and compression pumps are clean as well), I do take more notice and am much more optimistic about it.
Well I expect hear that Greenpeace and their ilk. are going to keep whatever hardware they have now indefinitely. If it breaks down, too bad! They'd better at least just replace it with recycled servers, PCs, and laptops. And they'd better run from a windtower or solar...which probably means they won't be using AMD servers hehe.
(Now if your an anti-globalization protester as well you're really screwed - most companies that can provide you with internet access are multi-nationals - or at least linked upstream to them. Somewhere along the way you'll be supporting them...)
And while they're at it, they'd better start walking every where they go as well. Nope can't use electric cars - well unless they have their own windtower. Whoops - did they check into the processes involved in making the batteries? How long do the batteries last? The plastics in the electric car? Ah crap there's silicon chips in them fancy electric cars too...
Guess it's back to the stone age for us! Oh wait no fire though please - that's burning trees and releasing green house gasses.
This article doesn't make any sense. Why is it posted on Slashdot?
'Desktop CPU stuffed into your laptop' - what exactly is this supposed to mean anyways? Why would you complain about that? Did you want an Alpha in there instead, or a nice 8088? Am I missing something here?
Speed step slows your processor down to save batteries. It's a very handy feature, but is easily disabled if you need a speed burst while on batteries. I'm not sure what you're trying to do with it, but personally extra battery life is more important than extra FPS in Quake or whatever.
So what is your complaint? That you're having problems with your laptop? Try writing something informative on that instead of ill-informed ranting!
Oh and you'd better check into your laptop and make sure that 16MB of RAM isn't mysteriously missing...and added to your video RAM.
I know my wife misses them - she gets dizzy watching 3d games due to motion sickness (so her watching me play V-Rally 3 in Widescreen on the 50" is right out).
We dug up Frogger 2 for her for $10 CDN at an EB (an old PSOne game even), and she loved it. Ditto Ms. Pac Man on the PC - sometimes games plough along at such a rapid rate we forget that not everyone can comprehend or play them.
Access is good for providing short databased that interface with the main databases (running on Pervasive.SQL which does have a linux server package - hmmmmm) and MSSQL.
MySQL, as I understand it is just the database right? I'll use the p.sql tool or the MSSQL tool sometimes when I need to do updates or look up data fast. The problem comes in providing the standard user with 'access' (haha) to the data in a way that works for them.
What OS utility, program, etc would I use to do this? GUI is quite important for a lot of users:)
Slashdot Mirror
Just to test it out I typed 'Rygar' into Froogle (a new PS2 video game)...one of the resulting prices was a little...off. Visiting the relevant site turns up the same price as everyone else.
Are they already spoofing froogle results?
If you're trying to make a purchase decision the best thing to do is to go for volume a lot of times. Open up google, do some searches, get lots of information from lots of different places. Often you will want to throw out the most extreme positives and negatives as well.
But the best thing to do is to gather as much info as possible from as wide a range of sources as possible!
'trained Windows monkeys' - well I think that covers your bias to start with :) My bias is that I'm familiar with Windows, and with NT4-6 and W2K everything seems to work for me, and nothing seems that hard to maintain, etc. I have an interest in learning Linux, especially from a cost standpoint. So that's where I'm coming from.
- Linux admins are more difficult to find than Windows admins, and most companies will want to be able to replace their admins if necesary
- also saying that a Linux admin is going to be more efficient than a Windows admin is really a subjective comment, and Linux admins do cost more
- uh no it's not 'plain nonsense'. Even if it's just little things like ctrl-c ctrl-v, it's quite useful to have everything work similarily. The Windows programs that stick out are the ones that don't follow convention. The end user experience is improved by following certain conventions. Now I know Linux is improving on this, so this may not be an issue for very long
- Why should all professional tools be hard to use at first? That doesn't make any sense to me. Obviously one must learn the features, but why is a difficult interface a requirement?
- people don't like to waste their money on Windows systems. I'm sure they'd love, in general to use free Linux. It's the learning curve that adds expense in terms of time and money. The next problem is software availability.
I'm not trying to tear apart Linux here, I want to use Linux, but so far a money spent on Windows seems to be worth it. However as Linux improves and Microsoft squeezes business for every drop it can, Linux begins to look more and more promising. But there's a huge barrier to entry. The more Linux can do to soften this barrier the better, and the faster people will squish out between the fingers of Microsoft's closing fist (its licensing is really getting out of hand).
I think there is a lot of potential for Linux to save businesses money - is getting there that's the problem. Getting there in knowledge and in skill. Getting there in software availability. And getting their in people's minds. There are some hefty costs involved here (and potential for major returns) and the status quo is a big inhibitor.
Issues faced when looking into using Linux:
- user technical snobbery - obviously not everyone, but there's enough religious level fervor, looking down on the Linux uninitiated, and just plain denial when it comes to acknowledging any problems with Linux, that most people, computing not being the end all of their existence, just couldn't be bothered. I don't think Linux users really want more Linux users. They love to sit back and pretend how superior they are to other people. The only reason they even bother is that they hate MS so much.
- lack of software in many important areas. On the home side there's the lack of games, on the business side there's the lack of specialized software (process manufacturing ERP software, etc.) That being said, there are lots of places where Linux can be used, especially on the back end.
- knowledge barrier. I really think that experienced users forget just what the requirements are to get started! It's bewildering. It can become second nature like many other things, but where most people start in a Windows environment (because good old Microsoft 'gives' - ha! - Windows away with nearly every PC - if the government should do anything they should force PC prices to list the MS Works and Windows prices that are included in a PC price), Linux just doesn't seem worth it, especially given its software limitations and the attitudes that one runs across.
Anyways that was mostly OT ramblings. I personally would like to learn Linux. I am close to taking the plunge but these issues still nag at me, plus the lack of time. I am simply trying to communicate the problems faced.
For the last two years we haven't done any further upgrades on our main business system.
It's been the easiest and most stable two years I've spent in IT!
Software upgrades and changes really mess things up. Even assuming the latest version is 100% stable, even something as simple as moving a menu item can really trip the average user up until they get used to it - and if you follow every upgrade path by the time that happens you're changing it on them again.
Part of the lower cost comes from the factor of scale. If you're looking to do some consulting, well Microsoft has a massive and undeniable lead in the number of users- so you start up a business to take advantage of this and offer services for Microsoft software.
But everyone else is doing the same thing, so you have to lower prices and they lower theirs. (This is overall mind you, not pinned down to any two support services) Microsoft products are also quite easy to manage on the whole. Especially since Win2K came rolling in, plus with NT4SP6a you shouldn't have too many major server problems either.
Everywhere you go you can find all sorts of Microsoft camp product support. Once you learn one Microsoft product you are well on your way to knowing another.
Many corporate level packages also come on Microsoft (ERP, etc.) so that gets added into the mix as well - if you want a Linux solution you are really going to have to take the long way around for a lot of this stuff.
Linux is doing quite well, but entry into the Linux world is like running into a brick wall for many. There are far fewer Linux users around and the system is totally different from what most people are used to. There is a staggering amount of things to learn when taking on Linux, kernel recompiles, following the chains of dependancies, all of this takes time to learn and internalize. Most Microsoft type products are a matter of getting the latest service packs.
So there are fewer Linux users and fewer people overall familiar with Linux. The cost of finding someone to help you is going to be higher. Plus, I would argue there is *far* more to learn so you're going to pay the high priced people even more.
This presents a massive total cost barrier for those who would seek to save licensing money by switching to Linux. It is far easier to pay out to a software company for support and pay cheaper mainstream consultants and get things done than it is to start entering this whole new world of OSS. And you'll have to keep paying out more money to expensive consultants and employees to keep up-to-date, even though the initial costs are cheaper.
Then there's all of the little things that Linux can't quite do yet. Incompatibilities with the mainstream software products, pieces of software that just aren't available or which just aren't up to snuff when compared to the MS world. Add these in as indirect costs - even if you get the money to start up with Linux these little niggling issues will make management wonder why they bothered. Finance is not going to be happy without running Excel, the VP is going to be annoyed by not being able to access his IE only stock market site.
On the flip side, if you happen to have employees that known their Linux and know it well, there are definitely benefits to be had. If you want to add a new web server, W2K Adv Server is going to cost you more than the hardware and your Linux-savy employee can probably get an Apache server running nice and easy.
The problem is Linux is just not quite popular enough yet so these gifted people are hard to come by. Trying to insert Linux into a corporate world of Windows raised folk via consultants is going to mean huge dollars - basic stuff that everyone at least sort of knows how to do in Windows may require more consultant hours for instructional purposes.
But, even as the article mentions there are places were Linux is making itself cost effective and useful - like webserving. These tasks should be Linux's thin-end-of-the-wedge. Slowly get Linux in there for these tasks, and then maybe it can take over one more job, then another. Sys Admins can slowly learn more about it and become more experienced. Eventually that TCO is going to balance towards Linux.
There is a long ways to go though - and screaming that all MS users are idiots and they just don't realize how far superior Linux is, is counter-productive. The technical snobbery that often goes on (knee jerk MS bashing, even near-religious fervour found within variations on Linux, newbie bashing, etc.) helps nothing. The rest of the world will just ignore Linux even more and continue on doing their business using MS and closed-source products that they are comfortable with and *that work* as often as not. They *really and truly* don't care what software they use as long as it works, and as long as it is cost-effective to use it. Most business need to use computers, but what computers they use are irrelevant to them. They just need to, well, take care of business.
Find ways that Linux helps them to that in a cost-effective and friendly way and I'm sure more and more business will bite.
Consoles tend to drift behind PC gaming, then make leaps to catch up as each console comes out. An up-to-date PC will always beat the latest console it seems, but of course, at what price?
But where there's the same game with the same options, the consoles are usually more fun. Except for FPS - I don't think I can play any FPS with a controller anymore (though Vice City's FP aiming weapons I'm getting used to, and Timesplitters wasn't bad).
But I'm glad I have both, and PCs don't usually need too much tweaking it seems. Although games like Morrowind, etc. can sometimes be real bears.
I think if I was limited on cash, I'd stick with a modest PC for regular stuff and spending my gaming dough on a console.
So you'd rather they buy W2K Advanced Server and give MS even more money? At least they're part way there!
And for a new service it's probably just not cost effective to build a client for 5% of your potential client base when 95% of your potential customers already have the software necessary.
I don't think hypocrite really applies here - they aren't saying "go forth and use Linux" while they use MS. Plus they expect your client to Windows and I'm sure their clients and most workstations are Windows - I doubt if they've gone and built themselves Linux clients just for their use. Linux is their *server* here.
If a company or customer has the resources to fully and properly analyze your code then why wouldn't they just use those resources to write their own software; fully customized and programmed for their needs?
Of course if MS tweaks their format, it breaks all of their existing Office customers, causing trouble for them that way as well. It's not quite so easy for them to do that.
.DOC file than it is to make WINE work (I know WINE doesn't work with everything, but it does work with an amazing amount of stuff considering what it's doing).
From Office 97 on there is good backwards compatibility, because the Office 95 and similar changeover problems really caused them a lot of grief. Unless of course Office 2005 or whatever includes required live updates to the spec over the Internet - and they wait out all of the Office 97 users (heh picture it - THERE HAVE BEEN UPDATES TO OFFICE 2005, PRESS OKAY TO UPDATE OR CANCEL TO EXIT OFFICE.) But surely that period of change would leave an opening for OSS?
I'm quite surprised that no one has managed to make an Office compatible product - people have reverse engineered all manner of complex programs, surely someone can do this for Office. Why is it harder to parse a
Okay, try posting a sign on your window that says, "Do Not Break This Window". Is this going to A) Give the Window a Longer life or B) Catch the Attention of those that like breaking windows. I'm sure we've all heard this little theory before.
On to the point (in relation to this story):
I rent and buy DVDs, I don't even think about it. I play them on my PC, my laptop, my PS2, my DVD player. It's great, I like it and DVDs are quite reasonably priced.
Now comes DRM - in whatever form they are planning. Will I have to call in and register my DVD? Will I need to have a phone or network cable attached to the player of the future? Are restrictions going to be inserted on to my PC? Is my old non-DRM box going to find itself instantly outdated and unable to play the latest movie or whatever?
All of a sudden I'm not a happy-go-lucky watcher of TV, and consumer of media. I'm feeling a little under appreciated, plus all of a sudden all of these restrictions are in my face. I can't just scoot out and pick up a DVD or record a TV program for viewing later.
So now I have to figure out, "How can my PC or media unit view these new movies?" or "How can I make my PVR record this show?" I didn't care before, but now I'm going to have to go and take a look. While I'm figuring this out illegal content may also be discovered (boot legged movies side by side with info on getting around DRM). Next thing you know I have the latest warez for viewing moviez on my PC. All because you wanted to make sure you've squeezed every last dime from everyone's pockets. The people who were copying before are still copying now. Formerly loyal customers are now pissed off pirates.
I'd been ignoring the window, happily walking by it - then you had to go and put a damn sign up and eventually it became time to break it!
Not that this issue is important in any way - but given the nature of how Sims Online is going to be structured, online protests aren't going to matter.
Each user will control their own area. If you're annoying them or their guests they'll kick you and possibly ban you.
There is no account banning as I understand it - you'll just keep getting banned by various people if you're annoying enough...I suppose in theory eventually you'll have no where to go but your own area.
But really the only story here is that there are people out there that find this something worth getting upset over...
Oh sure they're selling consoles at the nice, cheap price *but*... ...does X-Box have Vice City?
Despite Microsoft's attempts Sony is really keeping its grip on the console market. People are still choosing PS2 over the technically superior X-Box - why? Because PS2 has the killer apps, and that's really what counts.
If MS does this on the grand scale is this going to mean another minor boom in IT jobs. I mean it sounds to me like they are going to be creating a new Y2K level issue. Will there be thousands of apps that need repairing now?
"I Like stories."
I guess the story here is that someone actually cares about something so trivial!
If I was going to that University it'd be pretty cool, other than that, this is just a bit of movie trivia that really matters not at all!
This sort of service has some potential. There are several issues - i think I can live with DRM for this, provided that whatever system they have is self-contained. Also their download system must work, and work well. It must be convenient or why bother?
But perhaps the biggest issue here may be bandwidth - even with 1.5 Mbps DSL at home it'll take awhile to download a movie. (I wonder how the quality is at that...) If I'm going to rent a movie, it is rare that I'm thinking ahead as to what I'd like to watch. So once I decide "hey let's rent a movie", the download process begins and a few hours later I can actually watch the movie. As opposed to running to the video store for about the same price in half an hour.
An even bigger threat may be Video on Demand (VOD) services slowly being introduced by cable companies. They are basically offering the same service, but you don't have to wait for it, and it works with your TV equipment, not your PC.
Even with all of these problems, there may be a niche market here - such as going on a flight - just DL a movie ahead of time. Of course DVDs are readily available - but at least in this case you can do it a week ahead of time and not worry about returns - hey here's a thought maybe they can offer LAN services from stores a local airports? Download over your ethernet from airport store servers?
I hope they have a business plan though!
Actually it is offensive the way you put it. Wal-mart sells both wide and fullscreen copies, and hey ever consider that even people that know the difference still may prefer full screen even if you and I don't? I actually buy computer software, games etc. at Wal-Mart if they have it because their prices are good and as a customer you can return stuff - yes even software! Now you may have to make a small stink depending on the store, but it's their base policy that the customer is always right.
:), and he's going to take it back and possibly raise a fuss while he's at it. Now if you piss of Wal-mart consistently (the suppliers that is), you may just find yourself short a distribution channel.
But the main problem, I understand where you are coming from and am not so worried with people being P.C., is that the sort of people that you are complaining about will actually *help* the cause!
Think about it, you get Redneck Joe whose CD doesn't work - he doesn't know or care about copy protection - all he knows is that his gol dang CD doesn't work in his new CD player or his Lindows PC
Wal-Mart is not going to be happy when they start realizing that 60% of EMI's CD's keep getting returned!
Okay anyone else just plain sick and tired of this argument from the record companies as was found in this article - the ones that go like, "there are 1 Gajillion CD-R's sold every year, if even 50% of them are used for music then that's $20 Gajillion in sales we lost..oops I mean that the artists never get."
I don't know about you but out of the few hundred CD-R's and CD-RW's I've purchased over the past five years or so, exactly 2 were used for music. And every track on those 2 CD-R's are music that I bought and paid for.
On the plus side I haven't purchased any music in the past one or two years, except for the SE of Morrowind which happened to have a sound track - hmmm well I guess I actually have purchased 1 or 2 sound tracks - but after reading this letter I think I'll just not bother any more - I can always get music my style direct from the artists at MP3.com or similar sites.
I suppose I was generalizing a bit. But the main thrust is towards radicals that run around shouting 'stop doing X right now!', without offering real alternatives or considering the implications.
People looking towards clean, efficient ways of doing things seem to be rare - mostly because the media would rather show radicals I suppose. As a result this is the filter with which I view most environmental writings.
When something truly interesting, such as those compressed air powered cars (if they really are the marvels of efficiency and compression pumps are clean as well), I do take more notice and am much more optimistic about it.
I may just check out that book...
Well I expect hear that Greenpeace and their ilk. are going to keep whatever hardware they have now indefinitely. If it breaks down, too bad! They'd better at least just replace it with recycled servers, PCs, and laptops. And they'd better run from a windtower or solar...which probably means they won't be using AMD servers hehe.
(Now if your an anti-globalization protester as well you're really screwed - most companies that can provide you with internet access are multi-nationals - or at least linked upstream to them. Somewhere along the way you'll be supporting them...)
And while they're at it, they'd better start walking every where they go as well. Nope can't use electric cars - well unless they have their own windtower. Whoops - did they check into the processes involved in making the batteries? How long do the batteries last? The plastics in the electric car? Ah crap there's silicon chips in them fancy electric cars too...
Guess it's back to the stone age for us! Oh wait no fire though please - that's burning trees and releasing green house gasses.
Oh son of a...
That's two dumbass posts for me in a row...
"But bridging the digital divide is not going to be easy. Too often, state monopolies charge exorbitant prices for the use of bandwidth."
Their prices are too high eh? I guess that's why most of the major telecoms are on the verge of bankruptcy?
This article doesn't make any sense. Why is it posted on Slashdot?
'Desktop CPU stuffed into your laptop' - what exactly is this supposed to mean anyways? Why would you complain about that? Did you want an Alpha in there instead, or a nice 8088? Am I missing something here?
Speed step slows your processor down to save batteries. It's a very handy feature, but is easily disabled if you need a speed burst while on batteries. I'm not sure what you're trying to do with it, but personally extra battery life is more important than extra FPS in Quake or whatever.
So what is your complaint? That you're having problems with your laptop? Try writing something informative on that instead of ill-informed ranting!
Oh and you'd better check into your laptop and make sure that 16MB of RAM isn't mysteriously missing...and added to your video RAM.
It's usurped all competition? Like Linux? I didn't know Linux was usurped...darn!
I know my wife misses them - she gets dizzy watching 3d games due to motion sickness (so her watching me play V-Rally 3 in Widescreen on the 50" is right out).
:)
We dug up Frogger 2 for her for $10 CDN at an EB (an old PSOne game even), and she loved it. Ditto Ms. Pac Man on the PC - sometimes games plough along at such a rapid rate we forget that not everyone can comprehend or play them.
She does like GTA3 though
Access is good for providing short databased that interface with the main databases (running on Pervasive.SQL which does have a linux server package - hmmmmm) and MSSQL.
:)
MySQL, as I understand it is just the database right? I'll use the p.sql tool or the MSSQL tool sometimes when I need to do updates or look up data fast. The problem comes in providing the standard user with 'access' (haha) to the data in a way that works for them.
What OS utility, program, etc would I use to do this? GUI is quite important for a lot of users