This family of databases is the heart of sendmail, and some SQL engines are built on top (MySQL if memory serves).
The interface is a model of simplicity: pointers to arbitrary length buffers for keys and data. All you need is key scheme that provides the post acquisition access that you require.
Berkeley offers hash and BTree style organization of the keys.
It may use memory mapped FileIO under the hood and handles all transfer of multiple buffers.
It provides multipe files or multiple tables in one file and you can control the cachesize.
It can run 2,000 inserts per second on hardware from the mid 90s. (UltraSparc II 450)
Berkeley DB (www.sleepycat.com)
As far a I know it runs on just about everything including several embedded OS's, Windows and every variant of Unix.
I suggest CompUSA. My wife found a case with wheels for her oversized HP Pavailion. She actually stores the notebook in a separate folder and uses the laptop designed compartment for other stuff.
Browse CompUSA for notebook accessories and bags, then go bargain hunting.
For LAN parties I wouldn't downgrade my well crafted system to a second rate LCD with slow response rates.
My personal thought was to add a baffle to the shuttle case to sufficiently cover/protect the LCD.
I've actually considered going with a non-shuttle case thats Tall, deep and narrow (can't think of brand but similar in shape to the Compaq small form factor PCs)
Good luck, cool system, I had one pieced out at $2500 with matched Corsair and a RADEON All in Wonder 9800 to double it as a PVR when I'm not LANing. Could you post the specs?
Isn't one of the reasons HTML sucks is because it merges content and formatting?
Have we learned nothing? Are XUL and XAML just for the default layout and values?
What do these do to make adding/changing/reading user input any easier? Can you assign an independent name/number/resourceid to buttons and such? Did MSFT learn nothing from ripping off Java and the pitiful AWT checking by name that was sooooo fragile? How well does that work with i18n?
Isn't SVG supposed to do all that graphics stuff?
Why did they have to reinvent the wheel, and make it a 1980's HTML 2.0 wheel at that? How many people think tables are 'the way' to do layout? Didn't HTML 4.0 change all that with <div> to break free of table layout hell?
Maybe I can't see the forest through the trees, but it seems like an idea full of compromises. XAML looks like something that needs to be split into two pieces a resource palette and a layout document. Not merged together ala HTML.
US Gov. must buy code and analyze, but wait, MSFT licensed rebuilds to Russia (say 2 billion rubels), but wants $3 Trillion for US (This is the gov't that convicted them of being a monopoly after all, now it's time to pay the piper and prove the force that a monopoly can exert.)
US gov't coders find holes, aren't allowed to fix them, must turn over code improvements to MSFT.
MSFT claims their 'open source' initiative now has a large body of community developers contributing to the security and stability of Windows without financial reward.
Dell and HP have to choose MSFT to achieve repsectable sales numbers, hence they ignore the consumer and listen to the MSFT monopoly. I do not blame AMI for wanting to stay in business.
One problem with performance - Bios will likely run at the motherboard clock speed, which is usually a lot closer to 133MHz than 2.0 GHz. Even custom hardware will have a tough time making up this difference. Hence, won't a dedicated Bios processor still be slower than a processor based solution.
Due to the restrictions for queueing instructions on a given thread (50% for each virtual processor), I would think this would help the P4 in a couple ways.
This is kind of like reducing the 20 stage pipeline to a 10 stage pipeline. Caveat being Hyperthreading which dilutes the number of instructions from a mispredicted thread, but does not restrict the pipeline stages.
It kind of makes me wonder why Intel didn't stop at Superthreading with a hardcoded interleaving of the 2 threads... That would give a hard and fast improvement on branch misprediction and it might have made a lot of the other logic much simpler.
For the love of cheeseburgers, don't let this happen.
I was hoping Activation in XP would cripple the release, it didn't. Now this.
They are probably rewriting TCP/IP to be "secure" and require "special hardware" meaning the Internet will be locked out to all chips except Intel & AMD running windows. Bye, bye *NIX.
And after Microsoft locks down the world for Paladium security, it'll take a cracker 3 days to spoof a Microsoft certified macro that will be just as evil as Nimda.
Microsoft makes a big announcement of a 1.0 system (with flaws admitted to be introduced) they lock out all other computers and don't accomplish there promises.
Please don't buy into this UNLESS, they are willing to put some money behind it. (I value my corporate IT at $100,000,000. If one virus gets through, you pay me based on what is infected).
I hope you get all the way down to reading this one.
1) Checkout pricewatch. Look for shops with your area code, IF there is one in your area you can sometimes sweet talk them into giving you there pricewatch price without paying for shipping!
2) Don't buy a CompUSA case!
Lastly a question - Are you installing Linux or already have a Windows license to use?
IF NOT, you might want to consider Dell (www.abscomputer.com or pick up a Computer Shopper), as the cost of OS and other software will typically outpace any homebuilt savings from having to buy Windows.
Every CS exam I ever took was a lot closer to: Pick up phone, call travel agent, etc.
Than it was to:
fd = open(/dev/AmericanExpressTravel); send(fd, reservation); etc.
1) Paper with no reference materials drives the CS student towards a language neutral sequence that provides a building block for his future as a programmer. 2) If you attend class and take notes you'll have a good feel for whether you can say "Drive to Airport" as a shorthand for 20 odd steps. If examined by computer you would be compelled (by compiler or by ease of entry) to enter and debug functionality that was not the point of the Prof's testing purpose. 3) In this environment you cut to the meat of making sure your binary tree balances correctly making for less text for you to write and the prof to grade. This makes it easier for you to prove to the prof that you're a Software Engineer not a keyboard banging monkey.
Do Fluid engineers stick bigger and bigger elbows on a pipe until they get laminar flow?
No they estimate the viscosity, angle on the pipe and flow rate and they calculate it.
Algorithms aren't artistic magic (like music, photos, stories and other right brained endeavors that appeal to mood and the human soul). They are structured and require forethought with the proper amount of big picture direction.
Programs are fairly similar to geometric proofs. You assemble simple statements of truth to derive a larger truth. (simple tests and statements of behavior to create a larger test or behavior).
Why can't Gateway replace the IE rendering engine with one based on Gecko?
Why can you replace the Microsoft VGA driver with one from NVidia?
I doubt its for performance, its probably because hardware companies can't innovate very well behind a stagnant hardware definition.
Unlike software, which always benefits from a consistent set of insecure, feature oriented, bloated, standardized, and partially documented set of APIs based on algorithms and ideas borrowed from other sources.
As many have pointed out - No tactile feedback. They underestimate tactile feedback. Can you look at your hands and make sure the key you pressed shows up on the screen while typing more than 10 wpm? What about the backspace frenzy when it messes up? I hope resting my palms or an uneven or unlevel surface won't mess it up.
I don't know about you but I actually notice the little bumps on the f an j keys, they let me find my position on the keyboard without looking. Mac (or was it NeXT) sometimes mess me up with their dots on d and k.
Second, what if I use the left hand alt to do Alt+D or Alt+F? Will it be able to 'see' the obscured alt key?
I bet it will be great for Quake (NOT)! How often do you look down at your hands while playing? Are they going to simulate a touchpad with it too?
Although a bit of a stretch - I think it would be much easier to teach people to type chording style with switches attached to their fingers.
Type anywhere, tactile feedback, much more friendly to modal (ie vi) than to windows (alt/cntrl + key) bindings.
By the feel of the article, this is only another way to make money based on fluidity. Instead of trading in clips, tracks, etc. You could sell an open modular Music Operating System. Then you could pay for algorithms and plugins that either compose or download and combine music to fit your style and mood.
Instead of paying a musician you would pay a programmer.
Try the flip side of the coin - Instead of buying, renting or creating and algorithm you could hire a band to send you a personalized stream in the style you like. Sounds pretty similar to me.
One question - Why do you want to replace human intelligence with artificial intelligence. Won't it be cheaper to have a constant stream of amateur techno (possibly filtered by a 3rd party for a small fee) than try to write an algorithm that that doesn't occasionally produce stuff that just sounds bad?
Could you write an algoritm that, given 5 streams of music of a similar style could select the "best" based on your specified cirteria?
How much could you sell the program for? Could you obfuscate the code, and charge people to customize the criteria?
I know that this is very closed source minded, but the point of the article was that we need to accept Napster and find Value Added ways to mix, customize, and personalize music IN ORDER to make money. The idea of free program doesn't preclude the existence of a proprietary one for the same reason that the Gimp doesn't preclude the existence of Photoshop.
Think about hospitals. They have to keep your data accessible, generally the faster the better. They can't really afford warehouses of paper records (hence there big push into CD-R, microfilm, etc). They also have to keep your data confidential, which in a digital world means encrypted.
How easy is it to destroy your identity? Are they still using the encryption that came with the original version? Can they confirm you actually got your MMR vaccine back in the day? Can insurance companies see your X-rays and deny you coverage?
How do they make backups? where are they stored? how long will the media remain valid? How long before they obsolete the drives to read it? Will they migrate the data or is it forgotten? I need a copy of my birth certificate, What do you mean I have no medical history before 2002?
Actually, if what he is saying is true, then your modem could go to 560kbit/sec by replacing QAM with Wavelet encoding. From the sound of it, it would also be able to establish the full 560kbit over a greater range due to better noise resistance.
Of course I don't know if this is an all or nothing proposition (560kbit/s or no connection at all) In which case it would really suck.
It also sucks that they are targeting cable modems, not phone modems.
Cable modems will keep the same data rate, they'll just decrease the bandwidth by 10X and put a bunch of HDTV channels in the remaining bandwidth.
Of course it will be years before that happens because users that own their cable modems and will be resistant to buying a new one for the same data rate, and the cable company will have to replace the modems for people who rent. This will reset the break even point for the extra $10/month you pay for renting the modem, which doesn't sit well in a business plan.
I think it should be broken up into separate devices.
Put the MPEG encoders/decoders inside of set-top box and hook it up with Ethernet or Firewire. 2+ connectors (1 for settop, 1 for CPU). Local Harddrive for buffering and other functions.
Put the DVD(RW/RAM/ROM) & CDRW in a separate box (hopefully with a 200 disc carosel on the top end models). Again 2+ Firewire and/or Ethernet connectors (1 to Set-top, 1 to CPU).
CPU:
SCSI to a separate drives box. An excellent video card, possibly with a separate monitor or DVI interface back to the Set-top box. Floppy is optional, harddrive for Programs and some content.
Form Factor:
How much room would it take for a CPU, RAM, HD, AGP Graphics Card & MB with Ethernet, 2 Firewire, 4 USB, and maybe a couple other ports (ie about the size of the Mini-PC on Tom's HW. (no 5.25 drive but we have to accommodate a large CPU heat sink and a GeForce3 with heat sink).
Want to game?
Take the CPU+HD case, hook up a Walkman sized Extigy with Headphones, and the hook up a SCSI CDRW in a small external package.
Want to watch a DVD:
Instruct the carosel to select a disc & feed raw stream accross link to set-top box which will decode and present both video and audio. CPU not needed.
TiVo:
Setup settop box to record to local HD. Use CPU box or the Set top to archive on HDs or CD/DVD.
Internet:
CPU accesses broadband through the Set-Top decoder.
Give MSFT 2 years with the universal plug and play and this is probably what they'll arrive at.
I want to see this question because it is as important to understand his personal views of what belongs in an Operating system as it is to know how he is going to react to Microsoft.
If he thinks everything belongs in the OS he will be a terrible person on the board because he'll have no reason to disagree with future bundles.
Please categorize define who should get to decide which of the following components are installed on a PC - (ie. the OS maker, the OEM/consumer, the device manufacturer, or some other category that I didn't think of.
1) Semaphores, locks, mutexes.
2) Virtual Memory Manager.
3) Threading and thread manager.
4) FileSystem (NTFS, Ext2, Ext3, ReiserFS, NFS,...)
5) basic / general Device drivers.
6) optimized Device Drivers (sound, video, pci bridges, keyboard, mice, etc.)
7) IP Stacks (TCP/IP, UDP/IP, RawIP, etc.)
8) USB/Firewire manager.
9) USB/Firewire device drivers.
10) A command line interace.
11) A GUI.
12) A basic text editor.
13) An advanced text editor.
14) A WordProcessor.
15) A compiler.
16) An Integrated Development Environment.
17) Operating system security Manager.
18) Document access manager (Digital rights manager? as well as user/owner/security).
19) Ability to upgrade the system.
20) Ability to patch security holes on the system.
21) Ability to detect malicious programs attempting to run/install/arrive on the system.
22) A spreadsheet.
23) A database.
24) An HTML document reader.
25) An XML document reader.
26) An Pluggable/Extendable Markup Language Reader (aka a full featured Web Browser).
27) Ability to read help files.
28) A PDF document reader.
29) A Java script execution environment.
30) A VB script execution environment.
31) A C# execution environment.
32) Requiring a special number to install the OS, where the special number is tied to the hardware configuration.
33) Play.wav or raw sound files.
34) Play.mpeg or open video codecs.
35) Play proprietary sound formats.
36) Play proprietary video formats.
37) Internet Access.
38) Accounting Software (Quicken, Quickbooks, etc.)
39) IP Port blocking, filtering, verification.
40) A crippled wordprocessor capable of reading and editing older versions of MSFT Word documents.
41) A CORBA client/server.
42) A COM/DCOM client/server.
43) CORBA/COM objects for HTML, XML, Text, Graphics, Video, Sound, PDF, Proprietary formats, etc.
I know that's a lot of items. But I want to know what you think is essential to an OS, what is bundled as part of a useable OS, and what is better left to the OEM/consumer.
Slashdot Mirror
This family of databases is the heart of sendmail, and some SQL engines are built on top (MySQL if memory serves).
The interface is a model of simplicity: pointers to arbitrary length buffers for keys and data. All you need is key scheme that provides the post acquisition access that you require.
Berkeley offers hash and BTree style organization of the keys.
It may use memory mapped FileIO under the hood and handles all transfer of multiple buffers.
It provides multipe files or multiple tables in one file and you can control the cachesize.
It can run 2,000 inserts per second on hardware from the mid 90s. (UltraSparc II 450)
Berkeley DB (www.sleepycat.com)
As far a I know it runs on just about everything including several embedded OS's, Windows and every variant of Unix.
At one time I heard Intel used this because it was real good at filling up the CPU pipelines.
Seti@Home is another alternative along the same lines, although Seti will utilize more Hard drive. (Signal processing vs huge Mathematical algorithm).
I suggest CompUSA. My wife found a case with wheels for her oversized HP Pavailion. She actually stores the notebook in a separate folder and uses the laptop designed compartment for other stuff.
Browse CompUSA for notebook accessories and bags, then go bargain hunting.
I've thought about doing this very thing...
For LAN parties I wouldn't downgrade my well crafted system to a second rate LCD with slow response rates.
My personal thought was to add a baffle to the shuttle case to sufficiently cover/protect the LCD.
I've actually considered going with a non-shuttle case thats Tall, deep and narrow (can't think of brand but similar in shape to the Compaq small form factor PCs)
Good luck, cool system, I had one pieced out at $2500 with matched Corsair and a RADEON All in Wonder 9800 to double it as a PVR when I'm not LANing. Could you post the specs?
Have we learned nothing? Are XUL and XAML just for the default layout and values?
What do these do to make adding/changing/reading user input any easier? Can you assign an independent name/number/resourceid to buttons and such? Did MSFT learn nothing from ripping off Java and the pitiful AWT checking by name that was sooooo fragile? How well does that work with i18n?
Isn't SVG supposed to do all that graphics stuff?
Why did they have to reinvent the wheel, and make it a 1980's HTML 2.0 wheel at that? How many people think tables are 'the way' to do layout? Didn't HTML 4.0 change all that with <div> to break free of table layout hell?
Maybe I can't see the forest through the trees, but it seems like an idea full of compromises. XAML looks like something that needs to be split into two pieces a resource palette and a layout document. Not merged together ala HTML.
It is a huge directory and you can never tell what libraries go with what programs.
/apps/*/libs/;/shared/*/libs/;/system/*/libs/
/usr/lib.
Would it be possible to have linux search something like search the following:
LD_LIBRARY_PATH =
I would hate having an LD_LIBRARY_PATH 50 miles long even more than the rats nest of libraries in
I'm pretty sure you can't use wildcards, and libtool is just a huge verbose listing, and is black magic compared to a wildcard.
You mentioned lego.com was too commercial.
Have you tried the lego users group?
http://www.lugnet.com/
They have a nifty & free program for exchanging building instructions (and 3D visualization).
Some links have scale skid steers and excavators. Last slashdot link I saw to it involved manifolds and kline bottle sculptures.
Also known as sucker punching the good guys.
Russia can see the code.
US Gov. must buy code and analyze, but wait, MSFT licensed rebuilds to Russia (say 2 billion rubels), but wants $3 Trillion for US (This is the gov't that convicted them of being a monopoly after all, now it's time to pay the piper and prove the force that a monopoly can exert.)
US gov't coders find holes, aren't allowed to fix them, must turn over code improvements to MSFT.
MSFT claims their 'open source' initiative now has a large body of community developers contributing to the security and stability of Windows without financial reward.
AMI customers are motherboard manufactures.
MB manufacture clients are system developers.
System developers are companies like Dell and HP.
Dell and HP have to choose MSFT to achieve repsectable sales numbers, hence they ignore the consumer and listen to the MSFT monopoly. I do not blame AMI for wanting to stay in business.
One problem with performance -
Bios will likely run at the motherboard clock speed, which is usually a lot closer to 133MHz than 2.0 GHz. Even custom hardware will have a tough time making up this difference. Hence, won't a dedicated Bios processor still be slower than a processor based solution.
Due to the restrictions for queueing instructions on a given thread (50% for each virtual processor), I would think this would help the P4 in a couple ways.
This is kind of like reducing the 20 stage pipeline to a 10 stage pipeline. Caveat being Hyperthreading which dilutes the number of instructions from a mispredicted thread, but does not restrict the pipeline stages.
It kind of makes me wonder why Intel didn't stop at Superthreading with a hardcoded interleaving of the 2 threads... That would give a hard and fast improvement on branch misprediction and it might have made a lot of the other logic much simpler.
For the love of cheeseburgers, don't let this happen.
I was hoping Activation in XP would cripple the release, it didn't. Now this.
They are probably rewriting TCP/IP to be "secure" and require "special hardware" meaning the Internet will be locked out to all chips except Intel & AMD running windows. Bye, bye *NIX.
And after Microsoft locks down the world for Paladium security, it'll take a cracker 3 days to spoof a Microsoft certified macro that will be just as evil as Nimda.
Microsoft makes a big announcement of a 1.0 system (with flaws admitted to be introduced) they lock out all other computers and don't accomplish there promises.
Please don't buy into this UNLESS, they are willing to put some money behind it. (I value my corporate IT at $100,000,000. If one virus gets through, you pay me based on what is infected).
I hope you get all the way down to reading this one.
1) Checkout pricewatch. Look for shops with your area code, IF there is one in your area you can sometimes sweet talk them into giving you there pricewatch price without paying for shipping!
2) Don't buy a CompUSA case!
Lastly a question - Are you installing Linux or already have a Windows license to use?
IF NOT, you might want to consider Dell (www.abscomputer.com or pick up a Computer Shopper), as the cost of OS and other software will typically outpace any homebuilt savings from having to buy Windows.
You have a valid point.
Every CS exam I ever took was a lot closer to: Pick up phone, call travel agent, etc.
Than it was to:
fd = open(/dev/AmericanExpressTravel);
send(fd, reservation);
etc.
1) Paper with no reference materials drives the CS student towards a language neutral sequence that provides a building block for his future as a programmer.
2) If you attend class and take notes you'll have a good feel for whether you can say "Drive to Airport" as a shorthand for 20 odd steps. If examined by computer you would be compelled (by compiler or by ease of entry) to enter and debug functionality that was not the point of the Prof's testing purpose.
3) In this environment you cut to the meat of making sure your binary tree balances correctly making for less text for you to write and the prof to grade. This makes it easier for you to prove to the prof that you're a Software Engineer not a keyboard banging monkey.
Have you ever tried CRC Cards?
Do you skip UML Class Diagrams, Sequence Diagrams, State charts and Flowcharts (for procedural stuff), and dig straight into the code?
Do you have Java Interface classes with 40 functions?
Will your whiteboard at work never be more than a todo list or doodle pad?
Do you fix a bug only to create 5 more within the same monolithic function that should be refactored?
Syntax checking is the least of your worries if you can't think up a solid structure/design.
It's Computer Science not computer artistry.
Do Fluid engineers stick bigger and bigger elbows on a pipe until they get laminar flow?
No they estimate the viscosity, angle on the pipe and flow rate and they calculate it.
Algorithms aren't artistic magic (like music, photos, stories and other right brained endeavors that appeal to mood and the human soul). They are structured and require forethought with the proper amount of big picture direction.
Programs are fairly similar to geometric proofs. You assemble simple statements of truth to derive a larger truth. (simple tests and statements of behavior to create a larger test or behavior).
Why can't Gateway replace the IE rendering engine with one based on Gecko?
Why can you replace the Microsoft VGA driver with one from NVidia?
I doubt its for performance, its probably because hardware companies can't innovate very well behind a stagnant hardware definition.
Unlike software, which always benefits from a consistent set of insecure, feature oriented, bloated, standardized, and partially documented set of APIs based on algorithms and ideas borrowed from other sources.
As many have pointed out -
No tactile feedback. They underestimate tactile feedback. Can you look at your hands and make sure the key you pressed shows up on the screen while typing more than 10 wpm? What about the backspace frenzy when it messes up? I hope resting my palms or an uneven or unlevel surface won't mess it up.
I don't know about you but I actually notice the little bumps on the f an j keys, they let me find my position on the keyboard without looking. Mac (or was it NeXT) sometimes mess me up with their dots on d and k.
Second, what if I use the left hand alt to do Alt+D or Alt+F? Will it be able to 'see' the obscured alt key?
I bet it will be great for Quake (NOT)! How often do you look down at your hands while playing? Are they going to simulate a touchpad with it too?
Although a bit of a stretch - I think it would be much easier to teach people to type chording style with switches attached to their fingers.
Type anywhere, tactile feedback, much more friendly to modal (ie vi) than to windows (alt/cntrl + key) bindings.
By the feel of the article, this is only another way to make money based on fluidity. Instead of trading in clips, tracks, etc. You could sell an open modular Music Operating System. Then you could pay for algorithms and plugins that either compose or download and combine music to fit your style and mood.
Instead of paying a musician you would pay a programmer.
Try the flip side of the coin - Instead of buying, renting or creating and algorithm you could hire a band to send you a personalized stream in the style you like. Sounds pretty similar to me.
One question - Why do you want to replace human intelligence with artificial intelligence. Won't it be cheaper to have a constant stream of amateur techno (possibly filtered by a 3rd party for a small fee) than try to write an algorithm that that doesn't occasionally produce stuff that just sounds bad?
Could you write an algoritm that, given 5 streams of music of a similar style could select the "best" based on your specified cirteria?
How much could you sell the program for? Could you obfuscate the code, and charge people to customize the criteria?
I know that this is very closed source minded, but the point of the article was that we need to accept Napster and find Value Added ways to mix, customize, and personalize music IN ORDER to make money. The idea of free program doesn't preclude the existence of a proprietary one for the same reason that the Gimp doesn't preclude the existence of Photoshop.
Think about hospitals. They have to keep your data accessible, generally the faster the better. They can't really afford warehouses of paper records (hence there big push into CD-R, microfilm, etc). They also have to keep your data confidential, which in a digital world means encrypted.
How easy is it to destroy your identity? Are they still using the encryption that came with the original version? Can they confirm you actually got your MMR vaccine back in the day? Can insurance companies see your X-rays and deny you coverage?
How do they make backups? where are they stored? how long will the media remain valid? How long before they obsolete the drives to read it? Will they migrate the data or is it forgotten? I need a copy of my birth certificate, What do you mean I have no medical history before 2002?
Actually, if what he is saying is true, then your modem could go to 560kbit/sec by replacing QAM with Wavelet encoding. From the sound of it, it would also be able to establish the full 560kbit over a greater range due to better noise resistance.
Of course I don't know if this is an all or nothing proposition (560kbit/s or no connection at all) In which case it would really suck.
It also sucks that they are targeting cable modems, not phone modems.
Cable modems will keep the same data rate, they'll just decrease the bandwidth by 10X and put a bunch of HDTV channels in the remaining bandwidth.
Of course it will be years before that happens because users that own their cable modems and will be resistant to buying a new one for the same data rate, and the cable company will have to replace the modems for people who rent. This will reset the break even point for the extra $10/month you pay for renting the modem, which doesn't sit well in a business plan.
I think it should be broken up into separate devices.
Put the MPEG encoders/decoders inside of set-top box and hook it up with Ethernet or Firewire. 2+ connectors (1 for settop, 1 for CPU). Local Harddrive for buffering and other functions.
Put the DVD(RW/RAM/ROM) & CDRW in a separate box (hopefully with a 200 disc carosel on the top end models). Again 2+ Firewire and/or Ethernet connectors (1 to Set-top, 1 to CPU).
CPU:
SCSI to a separate drives box. An excellent video card, possibly with a separate monitor or DVI interface back to the Set-top box. Floppy is optional, harddrive for Programs and some content.
Form Factor:
How much room would it take for a CPU, RAM, HD, AGP Graphics Card & MB with Ethernet, 2 Firewire, 4 USB, and maybe a couple other ports (ie about the size of the Mini-PC on Tom's HW. (no 5.25 drive but we have to accommodate a large CPU heat sink and a GeForce3 with heat sink).
Want to game?
Take the CPU+HD case, hook up a Walkman sized Extigy with Headphones, and the hook up a SCSI CDRW in a small external package.
Want to watch a DVD:
Instruct the carosel to select a disc & feed raw stream accross link to set-top box which will decode and present both video and audio. CPU not needed.
TiVo:
Setup settop box to record to local HD. Use CPU box or the Set top to archive on HDs or CD/DVD.
Internet:
CPU accesses broadband through the Set-Top decoder.
Give MSFT 2 years with the universal plug and play and this is probably what they'll arrive at.
Now that China has pretty much chosen Linux I don't think this will happen.
Giving up the worlds largest potential market just to please Redmond is very doubtful.
I want to see this question because it is as important to understand his personal views of what belongs in an Operating system as it is to know how he is going to react to Microsoft.
If he thinks everything belongs in the OS he will be a terrible person on the board because he'll have no reason to disagree with future bundles.
Please categorize define who should get to decide which of the following components are installed on a PC - (ie. the OS maker, the OEM/consumer, the device manufacturer, or some other category that I didn't think of. ...)
.wav or raw sound files.
.mpeg or open video codecs.
1) Semaphores, locks, mutexes.
2) Virtual Memory Manager.
3) Threading and thread manager.
4) FileSystem (NTFS, Ext2, Ext3, ReiserFS, NFS,
5) basic / general Device drivers.
6) optimized Device Drivers (sound, video, pci bridges, keyboard, mice, etc.)
7) IP Stacks (TCP/IP, UDP/IP, RawIP, etc.)
8) USB/Firewire manager.
9) USB/Firewire device drivers.
10) A command line interace.
11) A GUI.
12) A basic text editor.
13) An advanced text editor.
14) A WordProcessor.
15) A compiler.
16) An Integrated Development Environment.
17) Operating system security Manager.
18) Document access manager (Digital rights manager? as well as user/owner/security).
19) Ability to upgrade the system.
20) Ability to patch security holes on the system.
21) Ability to detect malicious programs attempting to run/install/arrive on the system.
22) A spreadsheet.
23) A database.
24) An HTML document reader.
25) An XML document reader.
26) An Pluggable/Extendable Markup Language Reader (aka a full featured Web Browser).
27) Ability to read help files.
28) A PDF document reader.
29) A Java script execution environment.
30) A VB script execution environment.
31) A C# execution environment.
32) Requiring a special number to install the OS, where the special number is tied to the hardware configuration.
33) Play
34) Play
35) Play proprietary sound formats.
36) Play proprietary video formats.
37) Internet Access.
38) Accounting Software (Quicken, Quickbooks, etc.)
39) IP Port blocking, filtering, verification.
40) A crippled wordprocessor capable of reading and editing older versions of MSFT Word documents.
41) A CORBA client/server.
42) A COM/DCOM client/server.
43) CORBA/COM objects for HTML, XML, Text, Graphics, Video, Sound, PDF, Proprietary formats, etc.
I know that's a lot of items. But I want to know what you think is essential to an OS, what is bundled as part of a useable OS, and what is better left to the OEM/consumer.
Thanks
Jeremy