Does anyone doubt that, say, Word 95 installed on Windows 95 would run circles around Word XP on Windows XP (on the same hardware)? I hope not. You can call it bloat, but there's probably a reason why people (not just "lusers", but also "power users" who "know better") keep upgrading anyways.
This is the foundation of the Wintel monopoly: Harness ever-expanding software to Moore's law and reap the benefits. We don't have to like it, but at this point its not a surprise either. Maybe instead we should try to understand why it's been so successful.
You know, the interesting thing about this sig is that nursing is actually a learned (not instinctive) behavior. At least that's what they told us at the hospital when my first was born.
-- Brian
Re:Interesting point of departure...
on
Netscape 6.2
·
· Score: 1
If it's becoming irrelevant, why in the world would someone pay money for one when they can get another for free (as in beer)?
Okay, but they must be using some sort of algorithm or knowledge to narrow the search space. It's just not practically possible for someone to search all possible 8-letter names in a reasonable amount of time.
Fer cryin' out loud, I don't think the phrase "civil liberty" even existed back then. When the founders said "liberty", I think we can safely assume it included what we now call "civil liberties". E.g. Freedom of speech, assembly, etc.
I think the point this person is making is that there is no reason to carry around bottles of oxygen when there is a vast supply easily available in the air.
Wrapping a bunch of crap in XML does not make your life any simpler. It's like saying that a file is easier to process merely because it's in ASCII rather than binary.
Here's a simple example. I could take the contents of a random binary file, convert it to ASCII via Base64 encoding, then wrap the result in an XML document. While this might be "standardized", I haven't done anything to help you understand the original file.
Yes, this is an exaggerated case, but not as much as you might think. XML only adds as much structure to data as its author wants it to. If you can't understand a.doc file, it's unlikely that you'll be able to understand a.doc.xml file.
Even if StarOffice and MS Office can both store documents in (valid) XML, that doesn't mean they the two formats are compatible. They could be (and no doubt are) using two entirely different schemas.
Windows isn't really a monoculture either. Windows 9x and Windows NT are vastly different OSes. Within each codebase there are a variety of releases that are also different (Win95, Win98, WinME, Win2K, WinXP, etc.). On top of that, there are all the different flavors of each release (e.g. Win2K Professional vs. Server vs. Advanced Server).
Alot of people consider this menagerie to be an indication of Windows' crappiness, but I guess not in this context.<g>
A. It pointlessly complicates the interface by bringing COM into the picture.
But COM isn't "pointlessly complicated". It provides a necessary function (OO components). Are you saying that components are not necessary in graphics programming? Or are you saying that COM is just inherently "pointless"? If the former, I'm curious why; if the latter, I think you're just wrong.
It makes it difficult to access DirectX from the language of your choice. Not all languages have COM support.
The whole point of COM is to enable language-independent OO APIs. Granted, not all languages support COM, but is there a decent OO alternative that they should have used instead? Or are you advocating a plain C API instead? Personally, I find most C API's hopelessly antiquated when OO approaches like COM are available.
I didn't know about the DVD release of the movie. Thanks for the tip.
I don't think you can call the relationship between Orr and Haber a "little thing". They're the two main characters of the book.
-- Brian
Re:nice, but welcome back to the real world
on
Software Aesthetics
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· Score: 1
I tend to agree. I develop custom software for a living. The plain truth is that most of my clients are not willing to pay for high-quality software. They want something that works ASAP -- damn the torpedoes. I frequently have to explain to them why software quality is important.
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Does anyone doubt that, say, Word 95 installed on Windows 95 would run circles around Word XP on Windows XP (on the same hardware)? I hope not. You can call it bloat, but there's probably a reason why people (not just "lusers", but also "power users" who "know better") keep upgrading anyways.
This is the foundation of the Wintel monopoly: Harness ever-expanding software to Moore's law and reap the benefits. We don't have to like it, but at this point its not a surprise either. Maybe instead we should try to understand why it's been so successful.
-- Brian
This is called the "law of averages" and it is false.
-- Brian
You know, the interesting thing about this sig is that nursing is actually a learned (not instinctive) behavior. At least that's what they told us at the hospital when my first was born.
-- Brian
If it's becoming irrelevant, why in the world would someone pay money for one when they can get another for free (as in beer)?
Maybe it's not so irrelvant in that case?
-- Brian
Can you provide specific links to such articles? Thanks.
-- Brian
Excellent troll. Well done.
-- Brian
Okay, but they must be using some sort of algorithm or knowledge to narrow the search space. It's just not practically possible for someone to search all possible 8-letter names in a reasonable amount of time.
-- Brian
Some spammers even go as far as trying everything from 'aaaaaaaa@example.com' to 'zzzzzzzz@example.com' in their attempts go get your address.
Let's see. That's 26^8 = 208,827,064,576 different addresses right there. I don't think so.
-- Brian
Oh, please. Why bother having a government at all, if not to insure domestic tranquility and provide for the common defense? (Sound familiar?)
-- Brian
Let me get this straight: You have solved this problem by abandoning an entire "end" of your vast house to a working phone you never pick up?
Brilliant solution.
-- Brian
Fer cryin' out loud, I don't think the phrase "civil liberty" even existed back then. When the founders said "liberty", I think we can safely assume it included what we now call "civil liberties". E.g. Freedom of speech, assembly, etc.
-- Brian
I think the point this person is making is that there is no reason to carry around bottles of oxygen when there is a vast supply easily available in the air.
-- Brian
> new info pointing to the fact that only ~6 of
> the 'jackers actually knew it was a suicide
> mission
Where'd you see that?
-- Brian
The people who died were local Afghan employees, not Americans. So much for your argument.
-- Brian
Wrapping a bunch of crap in XML does not make your life any simpler. It's like saying that a file is easier to process merely because it's in ASCII rather than binary.
.doc file, it's unlikely that you'll be able to understand a .doc.xml file.
Here's a simple example. I could take the contents of a random binary file, convert it to ASCII via Base64 encoding, then wrap the result in an XML document. While this might be "standardized", I haven't done anything to help you understand the original file.
Yes, this is an exaggerated case, but not as much as you might think. XML only adds as much structure to data as its author wants it to. If you can't understand a
-- Brian
Even if StarOffice and MS Office can both store documents in (valid) XML, that doesn't mean they the two formats are compatible. They could be (and no doubt are) using two entirely different schemas.
-- Brian
Windows isn't really a monoculture either. Windows 9x and Windows NT are vastly different OSes. Within each codebase there are a variety of releases that are also different (Win95, Win98, WinME, Win2K, WinXP, etc.). On top of that, there are all the different flavors of each release (e.g. Win2K Professional vs. Server vs. Advanced Server).
Alot of people consider this menagerie to be an indication of Windows' crappiness, but I guess not in this context.<g>
-- Brian
Excellent meta-whining, Mr. Coward...
As if it matters, my main point was to say that the article belongs on Slashdot, and I believe I was the first to do so.
-- Brian
For crying out loud, how is this redundant when I posted it before the comment that was moderated up?
Get a clue, moderators. Jeez, I love /.
-- Brian
A. It pointlessly complicates the interface by bringing COM into the picture.
But COM isn't "pointlessly complicated". It provides a necessary function (OO components). Are you saying that components are not necessary in graphics programming? Or are you saying that COM is just inherently "pointless"? If the former, I'm curious why; if the latter, I think you're just wrong.
It makes it difficult to access DirectX from the language of your choice. Not all languages have COM support.
The whole point of COM is to enable language-independent OO APIs. Granted, not all languages support COM, but is there a decent OO alternative that they should have used instead? Or are you advocating a plain C API instead? Personally, I find most C API's hopelessly antiquated when OO approaches like COM are available.
-- Brian
Take it easy there. This article is news for nerds, after all.
Also, the word you're looking for is "condemn", not "condone".
-- Brian
What is it about DirectX's reliance on COM that causes a problem?
-- Brian
No, it isn't obvious.
I didn't know about the DVD release of the movie. Thanks for the tip.
I don't think you can call the relationship between Orr and Haber a "little thing". They're the two main characters of the book.
-- Brian
I tend to agree. I develop custom software for a living. The plain truth is that most of my clients are not willing to pay for high-quality software. They want something that works ASAP -- damn the torpedoes. I frequently have to explain to them why software quality is important.
-- Brian
How do you know _Lathe of Heaven_ was a tribute to PKD?
-- Brian