How can you write that the TouchPad doesn't suffer from the lack of a GOOD application to read PDFs ? It's the biggest gripe I have with mine. - Many PDFs can't be read. - Zoom factor is ridiculous. And not preserved when switching page. - Application is slow (but is it a software or a hardware problem ?). Reading PDF on a TouchPad is really a pity, and the fact that the application is Adobe Reader makes one wonder about Adobe commitment (or, worse, skill).
Very good idea the mention this EULA thing. As far as I know, the EULA you must accept to install SP2 includes your agreement to let MS infest your machine with DRM mechanisms. This alone, if verified, should rule out SP2 for any sane individual.
Using the power of the graphic subsystem to handle other kinds of calculations has been done for years, if not decade(s) by Silicon Graphics. At least for the demos...
The mix between GUI and CLI was tried -sort of- by Apple long ago with the Commando system that came with AU/X (their very first Unix).
The goal was to keep the familiar MacOS GUI on top of Unix.
Every Unix command had a dialog box in which you could check the desired options. Some commands had several panels, due to the abundance of options.
One of the field in the box showed the actual command being built, so that you could learn the CLI syntax while using the GUI.
There was a File Selction box available (to specifiy find's starting point for example).
Even better, you were able to invoke Commando from the shell, and upon leaving Commando, the command just built in the GUI was pasted in the shell.
I personally found it a very good way to learn Unix commands syntax.
More recently, another attempt at bringing the power of CLI to the GUI has been made by SGI.
In their own version of Motif, the file selection boxes have the filename completion (with the space bar).
I actually liked the dialog boxes (totally Mac-like) that helped novice users using Unix commands. Every common Unix command had its own dialog box with all the options available (for find, it took several dialogs to cover everything). Even better, one of the fields contained the actual command-line that was built according to user's choices. This way, it was not only simple to use arcane commands with many options, but it also allowed users to *learn* the syntax, and then to be able to use the commands without assistance. If I remember correctly, it was possible to invoke commando from the shell (cmd-k?), and from commando to send the resulting command back to the shell. It was very nice, and I'm sure such a system could help *a lot* novice Linux users (coming from Windows, Mac, or with no previous experience with computers).
If something similar, and as polished, exist for Linux, please let everyone know...
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How can you write that the TouchPad doesn't suffer from the lack of a GOOD application to read PDFs ?
It's the biggest gripe I have with mine.
- Many PDFs can't be read.
- Zoom factor is ridiculous. And not preserved when switching page.
- Application is slow (but is it a software or a hardware problem ?).
Reading PDF on a TouchPad is really a pity, and the fact that the application is Adobe Reader makes one wonder about Adobe commitment (or, worse, skill).
Very good idea the mention this EULA thing.
As far as I know, the EULA you must accept to install SP2 includes your agreement to let MS infest your machine with DRM mechanisms.
This alone, if verified, should rule out SP2 for any sane individual.
Using the power of the graphic subsystem to handle other kinds of calculations has been done for years, if not decade(s) by Silicon Graphics.
At least for the demos...
The mix between GUI and CLI was tried -sort of- by Apple long ago with the Commando system that came with AU/X (their very first Unix).
The goal was to keep the familiar MacOS GUI on top of Unix.
Every Unix command had a dialog box in which you could check the desired options. Some commands had several panels, due to the abundance of options.
One of the field in the box showed the actual command being built, so that you could learn the CLI syntax while using the GUI.
There was a File Selction box available (to specifiy find's starting point for example).
Even better, you were able to invoke Commando from the shell, and upon leaving Commando, the command just built in the GUI was pasted in the shell.
I personally found it a very good way to learn Unix commands syntax.
More recently, another attempt at bringing the power of CLI to the GUI has been made by SGI.
In their own version of Motif, the file selection boxes have the filename completion (with the space bar).
I actually liked the dialog boxes (totally Mac-like) that helped novice users using Unix commands. Every common Unix command had its own dialog box with all the options available (for find, it took several dialogs to cover everything).
Even better, one of the fields contained the actual command-line that was built according to user's choices. This way, it was not only simple to use arcane commands with many options, but it also allowed users to *learn* the syntax, and then to be able to use the commands without assistance.
If I remember correctly, it was possible to invoke commando from the shell (cmd-k?), and from commando to send the resulting command back to the shell.
It was very nice, and I'm sure such a system could help *a lot* novice Linux users (coming from Windows, Mac, or with no previous experience with computers).
If something similar, and as polished, exist for Linux, please let everyone know...
Non solum sed etiam