That's why I don't use OS X. Any OS that has a semi-cult following creeps me out. Linux used to be that way but recently it's become much more "mainstream". Apple managed to become "mainstream" around 1994-1996, but they blew it with the iMac. Now, the iMac was the best business descision they ever made - Apple needs a following to compensate for their massive flaws (choice, for one, I can choose to buy a Dell or HP or Gateway, or build my own PC - I can get small form factor or ten bays, I can choose a slot-loading DVD, I can choose almost any GPU; With a Mac I can only choose between Apple's much more limited selection).
AMD has a nice flash presentation on how conventional, MLC, and Mirrorbit flash works. It's actually an presentation for their MirrorBit flash technology, but it has a good description of the basics.
"But, it seems more important to purchase national patriotic technology than good technology"
Compared to CDMA, GSM is crap. 2X more calls per cell, no hand-offs, better interference rejection, more bandwidth, better data services, and bigger cells are some of the advantages.
Sure, GSM is more widespread. That doesn't mean it's bad.
"That must be why Americans still use Windows."
Americans AND Europeans use Windows for the same reason that GSM is uses - it's the standard.
And, oh, we do use Linux. And Windows. Guess what? Most Europeans use Windows too. There are real reasons to choose Windows over Linux, too.
"Forget that most of the cars that run the US are produced in Germany or by German companies. (BMW, Mercedes, Volkswagen, anyone?). "
Actually, most cars in the US are American or Japanese. Ever here of Ford, GM, or Toyota? VWs are good, cars, I have a Jetta TDI, but the're not the most common car on the road by any measure - neither are Mercedes or BMWs. Those cars may be common in Germany, but definately not in the US.
You are most likely a European; no one else in the world has the same superiority complex or the same bashing of America. Clearly, if it's European it must be better than this American stuff. Yeah, sure. Oh, I see from your email address that you're German. How nice. That explains quite a bit.
Look. CDMA is FLAT OUT BETTER. That's why European carrriers are migrating to GSM-Over-CDMA. That's why CDMA is used EXTENSIVELY in Asia and other newer cellular markets.
Yeah, I remember that. Basically, Microsoft should have revoked the certificate, but they decided not to because it would break older apps. I think that that was a poor choice.
Running an ActiveX control is just like running a regular program. The problem is that most people don't realize that.
The obvious benefit of ActiveX is, of course, that it has low-level access to the system - and it can be optimized C/assembly code if need be. Look at Flash for an example of a control done right - it's fast and small (600K if memory serves me, which is impressive considering all that Flash can do)
The problem is that the same control can also be used to screw your system. Gator is one example of ActiveX gone wrong.
That's why I have ActiveX disabled. Existing controls still run fine, but sites won't prompt me to install controls (automatically denied) unless I add them to my trusted sites.
" including a program downloaded without your knowledge"
Only if you have messed up settings. If you keep the defaults, your are warned and given the choice to run/not run signed ActiveX controls. Non-signed code is not run and you aren't prompted.
The problem is that too many people don't read the warning and just click "yes".
I had AT&T PocketNet service for a while. It was discontinued, unfortunately, because I loved it. Unlimited data, WAP browser, etc. It was also free. Free and unlimited - can't beat that.
I set up my media player (It's a SQL based music database/player that I've been working on for quite some time) to serve WAP pages to my phone. It was great - I could search, browse, etc.
I could also get whatever info I wanted by surfing around on the WAP web.
Now the service has been replaced with a charged-by-the-kilobyte imode service. And AT&T is now GSM.
Now I have PCS vision. It's not free (the cheapest plan is $45, but that includes 500 minutes peak and unlimited off-peak), but it is unlimited.
We get subsidised handsets too, BTW. You just have to look around.
Basically, your point was that you can get the same features (like free off-peak and free long-distance/roaming/SMS/data) as you can in the US.
Well, without the actual prices for those
"Basically you guys get seriously screwed over by your mobile operators, sorry, but its a fact."
No, it's bullshit. We'd be getting screwed if prices had increased. They haven't. In the past seven years I have gone from 30 free peak/offpeak minutes to 500 free peak minutes, unlimited offpeak minutes, unlimited PCS to PCS minutes, unlimited SMS, unlimited data, no roaming in a country of 300,000,000 (that, by the way, is larger than Western Europe), and no long distance charges.
I still pay what I've always paid, $45 a month.
So, OK, I pay for incoming calls. That's how it works over here. If you think that's bullshit, fine, but that's how it works here, and it's really not so bad.
And if you don't mind not being able to roam (local area only), you can get unlimited outgoing and incoming calls for $33 a month. It's called Cricket.
The system is different here. The culture is different here. We don't live in a wireless culture like Europe or Japan. Wireless is a tool, nothing more, and I am happy with what I pay and with what I get. As are most of the rest of the people in this country. I currently pay $200 a month for wireless+phone+internet+TV. I also get 240 channels, 4mbit/sec internet, unlimited local/national wired calls, and more data/voice service than I could ever use.
I also pay $1.50 per gallon of diesel. That's less than half what is charged in much of Europe. And I don't drive a big truck, I drive a Jetta TDI.
So, we spend more on entertainment/communication and less on gas. In the end, it all works out.
We accept this because providers give you lots of airtime for little cash.
Why do Europeans pay for cellular phone calls made on nights or weekends?
And why do they pay for calls to other phones on the same network?
And do they pay for each SMS message they send?
And do they pay for their first 500 minutes of peak time?
And do they pay for each kilobite of data they send?
The pricing system over here is different, that's all. I pay $55 a month for my cellular service; but I get two lines that share 500 peak minutes and unlimited off-peak minutes, have unlimited peak/off peak minutes when calling each other or other phones on the same network (Sprint), have unlimited 144kbps data service, and have unlimited SMS service.
Paying for recieving calls is kind of strange, but it makes sense in a manner - when cellphones were $1.00 per minute, how did you bill someone else calling you and still keep it a normal part of the phone system.
It's really not so bad. I can call my friends (who also have Sprint) anytime for free, and I can call anyone for free after 8:00 and on weekends. And I get 500 minutes free anytime else. And I never pay for roaming or long distance. And I can browse and send SMS as much as I want.
In most states, it's illegal for telemarkters to call a cellular phone.
In my state (Colorado), it's illegal for telemarketers to call me because I signed up (online) for the Colorado no-call list. Check if your state has one. If a telemarketer calls me, they're liable for up to $500. Unfortunately, non-profit organizations and politicians seem to be exempt. I got 5 calls a day in the three weeks leading up to the last election.
A "modern xp look" can be added to most applications by simply providing a MANIFEST file that specifies the newer Common Controls file, and the app is still compatable with the old interface on previous operating systems as well as on Windows XP.
According to the reviews I've read, Vegas 4 is as good or better than Final Cut Pro.
Now, Vegas+DVD - I just got to using it yesterday. It did the job and was pretty flexible - almost 100% of the feature film DVDs that I have seen could have been produced using it.
"The fact that Mac users don't have to worry about what kind of software shipped with their DVD burners, and whether that software is good or not, is a major selling point for the Macintosh. This comparison bears that out."
A user would usually buy the DVD burner with the computer. You would have to worry about what software Dell ships, not what software the maker of the DVD burner. If Microsoft made computers, I bet they would also ship good DVD producing software to go with them. If the DVD software sucks, that's the fault of whoever produced the system, not Microsoft. I restate my point - it was an Apple/Dell kind of comparison and not a Mac/Windows comparison. iDVD is NOT part of OSX; it is a software program provided by Apple, bundled with their computers.
"Um. Your math is a little off. DVD Studio Pro plus Final Cut Pro would cost $1998, not $2999. Not quite sure where the $2999 figure comes from."
Sorry, I thought that Final Cut was $1999 and DVD Studio was $999.
If the burner came with crap software, that's the fault of the company producing the burner. Remember, Microsoft does not sell PCs (XBox aside), Apple does. This was not a Windows/Mac comparison, it was an Apple/Whoever Made the DVD burner comparison.
I suggusted Vegas+DVD to show that Windows is not the problem here. Dell could probably ship a copy of Vegas+DVD on every system they sold with a DVD burner - Sonic Foundry is almost out of business and I'm sure they would be willing to license their package to Dell for very little cost.
iDvd is a great package. I've used it. It's no DVD Studio Pro, but it's good enough for most projects. But complaining about a stupid DVD package is not a comparison betweeen Mac and Windows. It is a comparison between what Apple shipped with their machine and what shipped with the DVD burner.
The author thankfully found TMPGEnc. It's an excellent encoder, and I believe that it offers more flexibility than the encoder in iDVD. The author didn't seem to be able to figure out how to use TMPGEnc, despite the fact that it has a wizard that shows you all of the profiles it has at the start, and, yes, it has profiles for DVD.
So what we have here is a DVD burner company or a PC company seriously trying to cut corners by bundling the cheapest DVD
Comparing Vegas+DVD to DVD Studio Pro + Final Cut Pro would probably come out favorably for Vegas. Final Cut and DVD Studio are definately more fully featured, but Vegas is also quite capable. The difference? $999 vs $2999. If there's some incredible difference, please tell me, as I've never used Final Cut.
Slashdot Mirror
"Come join us."
That's why I don't use OS X. Any OS that has a semi-cult following creeps me out. Linux used to be that way but recently it's become much more "mainstream". Apple managed to become "mainstream" around 1994-1996, but they blew it with the iMac. Now, the iMac was the best business descision they ever made - Apple needs a following to compensate for their massive flaws (choice, for one, I can choose to buy a Dell or HP or Gateway, or build my own PC - I can get small form factor or ten bays, I can choose a slot-loading DVD, I can choose almost any GPU; With a Mac I can only choose between Apple's much more limited selection).
Think Sane. Think Choice. Think Compatability. Think PC.
Switch to Windows XP. Oh, so OS X is bulletproof? Trust me, I can and will screw it up. I can screw up Windows, easily, too.
It would be funnier if they actually got a real Windows XP stop error and displayed it.
Not really. Even the 1995 Macs I have did a crap job of video and audio - and Windows did a slightly less crappy job.
AMD has a nice flash presentation on how conventional, MLC, and Mirrorbit flash works. It's actually an presentation for their MirrorBit flash technology, but it has a good description of the basics.
"But, it seems more important to purchase national patriotic technology than good technology"
Compared to CDMA, GSM is crap. 2X more calls per cell, no hand-offs, better interference rejection, more bandwidth, better data services, and bigger cells are some of the advantages.
Sure, GSM is more widespread. That doesn't mean it's bad.
"That must be why Americans still use Windows."
Americans AND Europeans use Windows for the same reason that GSM is uses - it's the standard.
And, oh, we do use Linux. And Windows. Guess what? Most Europeans use Windows too. There are real reasons to choose Windows over Linux, too.
"Forget that most of the cars that run the US are produced in Germany or by German companies. (BMW, Mercedes, Volkswagen, anyone?). "
Actually, most cars in the US are American or Japanese. Ever here of Ford, GM, or Toyota? VWs are good, cars, I have a Jetta TDI, but the're not the most common car on the road by any measure - neither are Mercedes or BMWs. Those cars may be common in Germany, but definately not in the US.
You are most likely a European; no one else in the world has the same superiority complex or the same bashing of America. Clearly, if it's European it must be better than this American stuff. Yeah, sure. Oh, I see from your email address that you're German. How nice. That explains quite a bit.
Look. CDMA is FLAT OUT BETTER. That's why European carrriers are migrating to GSM-Over-CDMA. That's why CDMA is used EXTENSIVELY in Asia and other newer cellular markets.
No, it was published in 1948.
Just get a quiet PSU and be done with it. There are plenty on the market.
Or mod your existing power supply and but a variable speed fan inside. That's what I did, and I can't even hear my PSU.
That's a troll, but it's right.
CDMA was better. CDMA is better. CDMA will be better.
Even Europe is migrating to CDMA based GSM networks.
2x cell capacity vs TDMA is a pretty big reason to go Qualcomm.
GSM lost here because the cell size is limted. CDMA allows for much larger cells.
Yeah, I remember that. Basically, Microsoft should have revoked the certificate, but they decided not to because it would break older apps. I think that that was a poor choice.
Running an ActiveX control is just like running a regular program. The problem is that most people don't realize that.
The obvious benefit of ActiveX is, of course, that it has low-level access to the system - and it can be optimized C/assembly code if need be. Look at Flash for an example of a control done right - it's fast and small (600K if memory serves me, which is impressive considering all that Flash can do)
The problem is that the same control can also be used to screw your system. Gator is one example of ActiveX gone wrong.
That's why I have ActiveX disabled. Existing controls still run fine, but sites won't prompt me to install controls (automatically denied) unless I add them to my trusted sites.
How about a memory controller right in the CPU?
And a HyperTransport link with 6.4 gigabytes per second of bandwidth (for AGP, PCI, Gigabit, SATA, etc.)
Like the Athlon 64/Opteron.
The 970 won't be the only 64-bit consumer chip on the market this October.
" including a program downloaded without your knowledge"
Only if you have messed up settings. If you keep the defaults, your are warned and given the choice to run/not run signed ActiveX controls. Non-signed code is not run and you aren't prompted.
The problem is that too many people don't read the warning and just click "yes".
I had AT&T PocketNet service for a while. It was discontinued, unfortunately, because I loved it. Unlimited data, WAP browser, etc. It was also free. Free and unlimited - can't beat that.
I set up my media player (It's a SQL based music database/player that I've been working on for quite some time) to serve WAP pages to my phone. It was great - I could search, browse, etc.
I could also get whatever info I wanted by surfing around on the WAP web.
Now the service has been replaced with a charged-by-the-kilobyte imode service. And AT&T is now GSM.
Now I have PCS vision. It's not free (the cheapest plan is $45, but that includes 500 minutes peak and unlimited off-peak), but it is unlimited.
Long live the wireless web!
It's DDR333, but the FSB actually limits it to SDR speeds.
That's why going to DDR was more marketing than anything else.
We get subsidised handsets too, BTW. You just have to look around.
Basically, your point was that you can get the same features (like free off-peak and free long-distance/roaming/SMS/data) as you can in the US.
Well, without the actual prices for those
"Basically you guys get seriously screwed over by your mobile operators, sorry, but its a fact."
No, it's bullshit. We'd be getting screwed if prices had increased. They haven't. In the past seven years I have gone from 30 free peak/offpeak minutes to 500 free peak minutes, unlimited offpeak minutes, unlimited PCS to PCS minutes, unlimited SMS, unlimited data, no roaming in a country of 300,000,000 (that, by the way, is larger than Western Europe), and no long distance charges.
I still pay what I've always paid, $45 a month.
So, OK, I pay for incoming calls. That's how it works over here. If you think that's bullshit, fine, but that's how it works here, and it's really not so bad.
And if you don't mind not being able to roam (local area only), you can get unlimited outgoing and incoming calls for $33 a month. It's called Cricket.
The system is different here. The culture is different here. We don't live in a wireless culture like Europe or Japan. Wireless is a tool, nothing more, and I am happy with what I pay and with what I get. As are most of the rest of the people in this country. I currently pay $200 a month for wireless+phone+internet+TV. I also get 240 channels, 4mbit/sec internet, unlimited local/national wired calls, and more data/voice service than I could ever use.
I also pay $1.50 per gallon of diesel. That's less than half what is charged in much of Europe. And I don't drive a big truck, I drive a Jetta TDI.
So, we spend more on entertainment/communication and less on gas. In the end, it all works out.
"Children don't have the same rights as adults"
Perhaps not, but they have the right to a bit of decency.
Tracking your children? Can't parents have a little more faith than that?
And if not, the're not doing their job.
"Go check the statistic for yourself, but DishPVR has a larger customer base than TiVo at this time."
That's because Echostar gave away 500,000 units for free.
It's GPRS, so about 60-144kbps is normal.
We accept this because providers give you lots of airtime for little cash.
Why do Europeans pay for cellular phone calls made on nights or weekends?
And why do they pay for calls to other phones on the same network?
And do they pay for each SMS message they send?
And do they pay for their first 500 minutes of peak time?
And do they pay for each kilobite of data they send?
The pricing system over here is different, that's all. I pay $55 a month for my cellular service; but I get two lines that share 500 peak minutes and unlimited off-peak minutes, have unlimited peak/off peak minutes when calling each other or other phones on the same network (Sprint), have unlimited 144kbps data service, and have unlimited SMS service.
Paying for recieving calls is kind of strange, but it makes sense in a manner - when cellphones were $1.00 per minute, how did you bill someone else calling you and still keep it a normal part of the phone system.
It's really not so bad. I can call my friends (who also have Sprint) anytime for free, and I can call anyone for free after 8:00 and on weekends. And I get 500 minutes free anytime else. And I never pay for roaming or long distance. And I can browse and send SMS as much as I want.
In most states, it's illegal for telemarkters to call a cellular phone.
In my state (Colorado), it's illegal for telemarketers to call me because I signed up (online) for the Colorado no-call list. Check if your state has one. If a telemarketer calls me, they're liable for up to $500. Unfortunately, non-profit organizations and politicians seem to be exempt. I got 5 calls a day in the three weeks leading up to the last election.
We had cellphones first.
Ever wonder why PAL is better than NTSC?
A "modern xp look" can be added to most applications by simply providing a MANIFEST file that specifies the newer Common Controls file, and the app is still compatable with the old interface on previous operating systems as well as on Windows XP.
According to the reviews I've read, Vegas 4 is as good or better than Final Cut Pro.
Now, Vegas+DVD - I just got to using it yesterday. It did the job and was pretty flexible - almost 100% of the feature film DVDs that I have seen could have been produced using it.
"The fact that Mac users don't have to worry about what kind of software shipped with their DVD burners, and whether that software is good or not, is a major selling point for the Macintosh. This comparison bears that out."
A user would usually buy the DVD burner with the computer. You would have to worry about what software Dell ships, not what software the maker of the DVD burner. If Microsoft made computers, I bet they would also ship good DVD producing software to go with them. If the DVD software sucks, that's the fault of whoever produced the system, not Microsoft. I restate my point - it was an Apple/Dell kind of comparison and not a Mac/Windows comparison. iDVD is NOT part of OSX; it is a software program provided by Apple, bundled with their computers.
"Um. Your math is a little off. DVD Studio Pro plus Final Cut Pro would cost $1998, not $2999. Not quite sure where the $2999 figure comes from."
Sorry, I thought that Final Cut was $1999 and DVD Studio was $999.
Which he did - by providing major funding for research that helped create the internet.
He didn't invent the internet. That was the work of engineers. He did create it - by giving those engineers their funding.
Yes, the MV12W is quite a wonder.
Smaller, lighter, and cooler than the 12" PBG4.
Now, it's missing the SuperDrive, and the PIII 1.33ghz probably isn't as fast as the PPCG4 866, but it gets the job done.
If the burner came with crap software, that's the fault of the company producing the burner. Remember, Microsoft does not sell PCs (XBox aside), Apple does. This was not a Windows/Mac comparison, it was an Apple/Whoever Made the DVD burner comparison.
I suggusted Vegas+DVD to show that Windows is not the problem here. Dell could probably ship a copy of Vegas+DVD on every system they sold with a DVD burner - Sonic Foundry is almost out of business and I'm sure they would be willing to license their package to Dell for very little cost.
iDvd is a great package. I've used it. It's no DVD Studio Pro, but it's good enough for most projects. But complaining about a stupid DVD package is not a comparison betweeen Mac and Windows. It is a comparison between what Apple shipped with their machine and what shipped with the DVD burner.
The author thankfully found TMPGEnc. It's an excellent encoder, and I believe that it offers more flexibility than the encoder in iDVD. The author didn't seem to be able to figure out how to use TMPGEnc, despite the fact that it has a wizard that shows you all of the profiles it has at the start, and, yes, it has profiles for DVD.
So what we have here is a DVD burner company or a PC company seriously trying to cut corners by bundling the cheapest DVD
Comparing Vegas+DVD to DVD Studio Pro + Final Cut Pro would probably come out favorably for Vegas. Final Cut and DVD Studio are definately more fully featured, but Vegas is also quite capable. The difference? $999 vs $2999.
If there's some incredible difference, please tell me, as I've never used Final Cut.