Why would anyone care what OS the Slurpee dispenser is running?
You or I may not care, but 7-11 sure does. Embedded devices are not usually known for their interfaces. They work hard at small jobs for their whole lives (like my elves (elfs if you're anal)).
Note that the board also supports WinCE. I'd wager that CE was the first OS ported to the device, the ease of setting up a CE system compared to setting up a Linux system is amazing.
It's a board. This is where Linux can really have the chance to shine. Beyond the obvious possibilities of setting up a beowulf cluster of these things to handle server requests, it looks like they designed the thing to fit into OEM devices. You could have this in your car, airport ticketing booths, interactive kiosks, or even Slurpee dispensers.
If this catches on, this is where Linux will see huge (but perhaps invisible) growth.
Also interesting to see will be just how their C# compiler compares to the GPL'ed compilers like gcc and g++.
Probably pretty well considering that Microsoft's C# compiler has been under development for quite a while and any GPL'd one must have necessarily only just begun development (if any has been planned at all).
If you create an algorithm that generated dynamic images (visualizations, for example), you wouldn't consider the images art? Why not? Pollock created art by waving a paint brush over a canvas. The forms that arose from his technique are considered art. What is the difference?
As we have not yet actually heard from our brethren residing on other planets, how do you know that they are not out there? If God scattered us around the universe, wouldn't it stand to reason that we may have just not yet made contact?
What's the big deal? the alt.binaries.* hierarchy is huge and anything that can be found on those groups can be found on any other group. Hell, most of the content on those groups is pr0n site advertising anyway.
We can discuss Jobs' neuroses and personal failings until the cows come home. But that's really not that interesting. So he's eccentric and suffers from NIH syndrome. So he's risking alienation of subordinates because of his semi-religious fervor. Well, that religious fervor also gains him respect among others. So he doesn't understand every technical aspect of everything.
So what?
Do you think these things are important? I don't, that's why I made the joke.
Doesn't he know that turn-based games have gone the way of the caveman? Games nowadays need to be fast-paced, click-click, multiplayer, full-immersion, twitch-based simulations.
No one has either the time or the attention span to wait for another human being to make a move. This is the future, baby, and if you don't move quickly, you are dead. Games that are based on waiting are dead.
There's no time to strategy. Strategy is formed at the business end of a gun. Read and react. There's no time for deep thinking. Think too long and the game is over.
1. Free as in no charge - IE is free in this sense.
2. Free as in Freedom - You are free to install IE wherever you like. You are free to extend the shell of IE however you like. You are free to add extensions to functionality of IE however you like. You are free to share your IE CD with as many friends as you like.
The IE browser is an ActiveX component. You have the full set of its interfaces available at your fingertips. The only thing you don't have is its source.
Convergence is one of those things that just doesn't work out in the ways people predict. Stuffing all the functionality of your TV, VCR, DVD, stereo into one easy-to-use package may sound like a great idea, but things like this never pan out.
Convergence in other areas does, though. Witness:
The Pepper Ball with built-in salt shaker. Now you don't have to have a separate salt and pepper shaker!
The pencil now comes equipped with a handy-dandy eraser located conveniently at the opposite end. Make a mistake, don't go looking for that Art Gum, just flip the pencil and rub!
It comes down to pairing things that are similar enough into one easy to use item. A TV-VCR combo is a good idea. A TV-Stereo combo is a very bad idea.
It means that another bulletin board website will need to be found to host all the inane Slashbots who are suddenly without a home.
Or it could be a cultural revolution not unlike the episode of the Simpsons wherein every kid rediscovers the joys of playing outdoors with other kids.
Of course using a Simpsons reference probably says something, but I'm not sure what.
Sacrosancte sounds like a mentally disturbed individual. While not quite in desperate need of institutionization, he would do good to have a psychiatrist take a look at him.
Slashdot Mirror
Why would anyone care what OS the Slurpee dispenser is running?
You or I may not care, but 7-11 sure does. Embedded devices are not usually known for their interfaces. They work hard at small jobs for their whole lives (like my elves (elfs if you're anal)).
Note that the board also supports WinCE. I'd wager that CE was the first OS ported to the device, the ease of setting up a CE system compared to setting up a Linux system is amazing.
Dancin Santa
Well, not the beast. Just Intrinsyc.
Here are the various reference platforms as made available by the manufacturer.
Dancin Santa
It's a board. This is where Linux can really have the chance to shine. Beyond the obvious possibilities of setting up a beowulf cluster of these things to handle server requests, it looks like they designed the thing to fit into OEM devices. You could have this in your car, airport ticketing booths, interactive kiosks, or even Slurpee dispensers.
If this catches on, this is where Linux will see huge (but perhaps invisible) growth.
Dancin Santa
Solipism rears its ugly head again.
Dancin Santa
Bad-Ass Sister Fuckers?
Are they still around?
And no one has checked the return value of printf yet either.
Dancin Santa
Also interesting to see will be just how their C# compiler compares to the GPL'ed compilers like gcc and g++.
Probably pretty well considering that Microsoft's C# compiler has been under development for quite a while and any GPL'd one must have necessarily only just begun development (if any has been planned at all).
Dancin Santa
If you create an algorithm that generated dynamic images (visualizations, for example), you wouldn't consider the images art? Why not? Pollock created art by waving a paint brush over a canvas. The forms that arose from his technique are considered art. What is the difference?
Dancin Santa
You could possibly get an NEA grant...
Dancin Santa
As we have not yet actually heard from our brethren residing on other planets, how do you know that they are not out there? If God scattered us around the universe, wouldn't it stand to reason that we may have just not yet made contact?
Dancin Santa
I can safely say that if whatever lives up there ever comes down here, I've got 4 cases of Head & Shoulders here at home.
Dancin Santa
If a Gecko was to grow a pouch, we would call it a Marsupial
No. A gecko is of the Class Reptilia. Reptilians can not be marsupials because marsupials are, by definition, mammals.
Here is a link for more information.
Dancin Santa
What's the big deal? the alt.binaries.* hierarchy is huge and anything that can be found on those groups can be found on any other group. Hell, most of the content on those groups is pr0n site advertising anyway.
Or so I've been told.
Dancin Santa
But you could always double your storage space with a hole puncher.
Dancin Santa
We can discuss Jobs' neuroses and personal failings until the cows come home. But that's really not that interesting. So he's eccentric and suffers from NIH syndrome. So he's risking alienation of subordinates because of his semi-religious fervor. Well, that religious fervor also gains him respect among others. So he doesn't understand every technical aspect of everything.
So what?
Do you think these things are important? I don't, that's why I made the joke.
Dancin Santa
Sneakers was a great game. So was Sabotage and Hard Hat Mack.
Does anyone use still use paddles?
Dancin Santa
all the original creators of the Macintosh got together to talk about OS X and what they think about Steve Jobs
OS X is the greatest OS we've ever seen. Steve Jobs is wonderful. We're going to buy it again and again.
Damn Jobs Reality Distortion Field...
Dancin Santa
Doesn't he know that turn-based games have gone the way of the caveman? Games nowadays need to be fast-paced, click-click, multiplayer, full-immersion, twitch-based simulations.
/. :-)
No one has either the time or the attention span to wait for another human being to make a move. This is the future, baby, and if you don't move quickly, you are dead. Games that are based on waiting are dead.
There's no time to strategy. Strategy is formed at the business end of a gun. Read and react. There's no time for deep thinking. Think too long and the game is over.
Kinda like fp'ing on
Dancin Santa
1. Free as in no charge - IE is free in this sense.
2. Free as in Freedom - You are free to install IE wherever you like. You are free to extend the shell of IE however you like. You are free to add extensions to functionality of IE however you like. You are free to share your IE CD with as many friends as you like.
The IE browser is an ActiveX component. You have the full set of its interfaces available at your fingertips. The only thing you don't have is its source.
Source != Freedom
Dancin Santa
Convergence is one of those things that just doesn't work out in the ways people predict. Stuffing all the functionality of your TV, VCR, DVD, stereo into one easy-to-use package may sound like a great idea, but things like this never pan out.
Convergence in other areas does, though. Witness:
The Pepper Ball with built-in salt shaker. Now you don't have to have a separate salt and pepper shaker!
The pencil now comes equipped with a handy-dandy eraser located conveniently at the opposite end. Make a mistake, don't go looking for that Art Gum, just flip the pencil and rub!
It comes down to pairing things that are similar enough into one easy to use item. A TV-VCR combo is a good idea. A TV-Stereo combo is a very bad idea.
Dancin Santa
that you've got to think ahead when you create a website for your company. You need to register:
.net
1) 'Your company's name'.com
2) 'Your company's name'.org and
3) 'Your company's name misspelled'.com/org/net
4) 'Your company's name'sucks.com/org/net
5) 'Your company's name permuted'.com/org/net
6) 'Your company's name backwards'.com/org/net
7) 'Your company CEO's name'.com/org/net
8) 'Your company CEO's name'sucks.com/org/net
And so on and so on...
It's a wonder anyone wants to get online these days.
Dancin Santa
It means that another bulletin board website will need to be found to host all the inane Slashbots who are suddenly without a home.
Or it could be a cultural revolution not unlike the episode of the Simpsons wherein every kid rediscovers the joys of playing outdoors with other kids.
Of course using a Simpsons reference probably says something, but I'm not sure what.
Dancin Santa
Should the gov't also provide free computers to access the broadband network? Perhaps hardware upgrades periodically?
Dancin Santa
Oh my god... One of the voices has escaped and posted on /.
Dancin Santa
Sacrosancte sounds like a mentally disturbed individual. While not quite in desperate need of institutionization, he would do good to have a psychiatrist take a look at him.
Dancin Santa