Go with standard code, and let browsers render as they will.
So, are you saying we should ignore the 600 pound gorilla, or thumb our noses at it? Most people code to the standards, then tweak each page so the gorilla won't barf on them.
When over 80% of your clients use one browser, you either alienate 80% of your clients or you code to their browser, however sucky it may be. "Coding to standards" sounds good on paper, but we live in the real world. BTW, the gorilla thinks it is the standard, and with it's market share it really has become one, like it or not.
P.S., in the read world the Mac doesn't even exist -- I've tested web pages for some Fortune 500 companies and while mostly they said to test on MSIE and Netscape, none of them required me to test on Mac.
I'm sorry, but Consumer Reports has zero credibility with me. They lost me years ago by giving different scores to identical items with different labels (say, a GE dishwasher and the identical model from Sears with "Kenmore" on the door instead of "GE"). Plus, they're self-proclaimed experts on everything from toothpaste to transmissions, telephones to tax software, toilet paper to toenail clippers. I prefer to stick with subject matter experts, like Road and Track or Stereo Review. Would Tom's Hardware have any credibility with you if they started reviewing drain cleaners?
And time. I spend eight hours a day at work (at least). I'm lucky if I can spend eight hours a month on my personal persuits. Which do I enjoy more? No question. But which gets more time? No brainer.
why would they make such a big change in the architecture
To make it cheaper to produce. The Xbox1 is a PC with game console-like feature. The Xbox2 will be a game console with PC-like features. Microsoft is losing money on every Xbox they sell; Sony is making money on every PS2 they sell, even with the recent price cut.
emulation... would be far more worth it just for a base of titles.
Let's put it this way: If the Xbox2 won't play my Xbox1 games, requiring me to keep both an Xbox1 and Xbox2 connected to my TV, then why should I buy an Xbox2? I'm free to buy any other console that won't play my Xbox1 games: PS3, GameSphere, whatever -- even a PS2, which will be like free by then and have about 100 times more titles.
One point repeated in the editorial is the idea that the game publishers will have to invest too much to develop games for the Xbox 2. So what if Microsoft gave away development hardware and software to all those existing PS2 publishers? Remember, they have the money to do this; whether they have the brains to do it is another question.
I have thought about it. If Microsoft gets their way (which may happen -- don't bet against them) all the open-source code in the world will be of no value, at least in the USA.
Worst case scenario (which happens to be the best case scenario for Microsoft, and also for Disney and Dell and the rest, which is why it may happen): You're running Linux (or Windows XP) and using Thunderbird and OOo (or Office XP), and someone (your brother, your boss, whoever) emails you a document. You try to read it, but it's a Word 18 (or whatever version) document, and it's got DRM enabled (by default) so your softwear can't read it. So you email the sender and ask that they bother to save a copy without DRM. Except you don't use Outlook 23 (or whatever), so you don't send a DRM-enabled email, so their Outlook 23 rejects it as spam and they never get your email.
Here's the weird part. By switching to Longhorn and the whole DRM-enabled Office suite, that person has effectively cut themselves off from the rest of the world, yet they will frame the debate in terms that paint the rest of the world (including you) as spam-enabling, copyright-infringing luddites. That spam-enabling copyright-infringing arguement (plus a few billion in campaign contributions) will buy legislation that mandates DRM for all internet transactions, including email and simple file transfers. Just because you own the copyright on that letter to Aunt Millie doesn't give you the right to send it in plaintext! If you're really the copyright holder you should have no problem producing a DRM-enabled copy that can be legally sent to Aunt Millie, and she should have no problem with the idea of buying a new Dell just so she can run Longhorn, which is required for Office 34, simply to read your email.
Hey, I did say "worst-case scenario." But it could happen. Open source code could become illegal in the USA, simply because open source code can't deliver DRM and meet the DMCA at the same time, and the richest, most powerful company in the world is trying to make this happen, with the help of a lot of their Fortune 500 friends. In this scenario, Apple will be lucky to be allowed to use the DRM required by law. (IANAL, but I believe if the law requires you to infringe a patent then you must either negotiate a pantent royalty or get out of that business, and you'd better believe Microsoft's DRM will have patent protection, much to Apple's dismay)
Cory doesn't get it -- Microsoft is counting on DRM to drive Longhorn sales, because without DRM there's no reason for anyone to move from XP to Longhorn. I doubt anyone with the authority to change this policy was in that room. You'll note that Microsoft has repeatedly said their DRM-enabled applications will only run on Longhorn and will not be back-ported to XP.
With MS's current plan, if you develop an application using Longhorn technologies such as Avalon, it will only run on Longhorn, you can't run it on older versions of Windows such as WinXP.
As Joel points out, in 1990 this wasn't a problem, as the new PC sales were always more than the current installed base. Windows apps won't run on DOS? So what? There's now 20 times more Windows PCs than DOS PCs. Wait, make that 200 times. No, now it's 2000 times. Hold it, what's DOS?
Joel's put on all this is that times have changed and Longhorn may take years to simply match the XP installed base. Microsoft disagrees, and I believe they're counting on DRM to drive Longhorn sales. DRM has the potential to literally force everyone to buy a new, Government-approved (if not mandated) PC with Longhorn. DRM will be used to fight spam ("I won't read it if I can't verify the origin"). DRM will be used to deliver music and movies ("I won't play it if it's not legal"). DRM will be used to verify on-line payment ("I won't sell it to you if you can't prove this is really your credit card"). DRM -- and thus Longhorn on a new PC -- will be required to do any of those things, if Microsoft gets their way. Apple will be lucky if they can get in on the act without becoming another PC clone maker. Linux, *BSD, and the other open/free operating systems will never gain the desktop, and will be lucky to not be DMCA'd out of North America.
I personally don't think it will happen the way Microsoft, Intel, and Disney hope it will, but there's a significant chance that DRM will be legally mandated for so many things that even if you never listen to music or watch movies on your computer you'll still cave and join the club. The only silver lining I can see in the worst-case scenario is that if you're willing to pay a premium to your ISP to deliver all the spam they won't be able to block for you because you won't use the otherwise-mandated spam-block DRM email system, then maybe before too long there will be so few of you geezer geeks using pine and elm and thunderbird that it won't be worth sending spam anymore. But, as I said, I'm optimistic that we won't see the worst-case scenario. But what we see will be bad, and at best Longhorn will be the only Microsoft OS with DRM, so if you want DRM (and they're gonna make Joe Sixpack want it, believe me) you'll buy a new Intell-inside-Dell-DRM-PC-with-Longhorn (and a whole new Office package while we're at it). Either that, or you'll buy an Apple and all new application softwear. To prevent that, Microsoft will do all it can to make sure all your existing apps run just fine on Longhorn -- they just won't be able to take advantage of the DRM features. So they won't be useful and/or legal for some tasks (like email, on-line shopping, etc.).
Even in a not-at-all-worst-case scenario, sooner or later Joel will have to migrate his stuff to the new APIs because his current apps won't open his customer's DRM-protected files.
I am not defined by my ability to accomplish tasks.
While I agree with your post in general, I must disagree with this statement. Your ability to accomplish tasks (and the corollary, which tasks you can accomplish) determines the work you do. Bank robber, politician, computer programmer. Like it or not, your work defines you.
The USA is not a 1st World nation. There is no "1st World," unless you mean Europe. Europe is the "Old World." North and South America are the "New World." The rest of the planet is, therefore, the "Third World." Which really makes no sense, since Europe knew about Asia and Africa long before they knew about the "New World." So, really, North and South America are the true "Third World" (if you're European -- the rest of the planet thinks those EU folks are awfully self-centered). Unless you're from Asia or Africa, in which case they're about 5th and 6th World.
I don't need my refridgerator telling me that I need milk -- I can see for myself when I use the milk. And the last thing I need is my refridgerator telling Safeway.com that I need milk and scheduling a delivery when I'm on vacation.
My VCR watches TV for me when I'm not there, my oven can cook dinner for me when I'm not there, and my checking account can pay bills automatically if I'm not there. With all this convergence, will my possessions need me anymore?
Pantents? Patents? We don't need no stinking patents!
Hey, I also thought we don't need no stinking proprietary operating systems. What the hell is a GNU anything doing on a Microsoft OS? Isn't that, like, illegal or against the GPL or something? What's the next GNU story, "Stallman buys SOAP"?
While you've got those signals captured, I suggest you monitor their intensity via some sort of continuous graphical display. Something that shows the signal strength as variations in color and intensity, arrainged in a series of interlaces lines on some sort of visual display device.
When computers are outlawed, only 97% of the population will care. Or something like that.
Hell, I'll bet Time Warner is dancing for joy over this treaty, but wait until they come into CNN's headquarters and take away all the PCs and video monitors. And what will Disney say when ABC is shut down because nobody is allowed to watch it anymore?
I'd love to see the FBI enforce this one! If you thought our government was in Wall Street's pocket now, well, wait until they try to take all computers away from the Fortune 500:-)
Start your trolling? Why? The "BSD is dead" trolls have managed to troll up an entire story. Anything further would diminish the perfection of that accomplishment. Besides, in this case they'd be "redundant" as well as "troll". "Redundant" but not at all "offtopic".
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When over 80% of your clients use one browser, you either alienate 80% of your clients or you code to their browser, however sucky it may be. "Coding to standards" sounds good on paper, but we live in the real world. BTW, the gorilla thinks it is the standard, and with it's market share it really has become one, like it or not.
P.S., in the read world the Mac doesn't even exist -- I've tested web pages for some Fortune 500 companies and while mostly they said to test on MSIE and Netscape, none of them required me to test on Mac.
I found a bunch of 486s in a dumpster. How can I build one of those Beowolf thingies?
First sensible post on the whole page, and it's so far down the moderators will never see it. Slashdot's a bitch, man.
I'm sorry, but Consumer Reports has zero credibility with me. They lost me years ago by giving different scores to identical items with different labels (say, a GE dishwasher and the identical model from Sears with "Kenmore" on the door instead of "GE"). Plus, they're self-proclaimed experts on everything from toothpaste to transmissions, telephones to tax software, toilet paper to toenail clippers. I prefer to stick with subject matter experts, like Road and Track or Stereo Review. Would Tom's Hardware have any credibility with you if they started reviewing drain cleaners?
And time. I spend eight hours a day at work (at least). I'm lucky if I can spend eight hours a month on my personal persuits. Which do I enjoy more? No question. But which gets more time? No brainer.
Hmmm. Net profit of over 400 euros a month, eh? Wow, that will buy a lot of champagne and BMWs! Yeah, that's worth having everyone on Earth hate you.
One point repeated in the editorial is the idea that the game publishers will have to invest too much to develop games for the Xbox 2. So what if Microsoft gave away development hardware and software to all those existing PS2 publishers? Remember, they have the money to do this; whether they have the brains to do it is another question.
Worst case scenario (which happens to be the best case scenario for Microsoft, and also for Disney and Dell and the rest, which is why it may happen): You're running Linux (or Windows XP) and using Thunderbird and OOo (or Office XP), and someone (your brother, your boss, whoever) emails you a document. You try to read it, but it's a Word 18 (or whatever version) document, and it's got DRM enabled (by default) so your softwear can't read it. So you email the sender and ask that they bother to save a copy without DRM. Except you don't use Outlook 23 (or whatever), so you don't send a DRM-enabled email, so their Outlook 23 rejects it as spam and they never get your email.
Here's the weird part. By switching to Longhorn and the whole DRM-enabled Office suite, that person has effectively cut themselves off from the rest of the world, yet they will frame the debate in terms that paint the rest of the world (including you) as spam-enabling, copyright-infringing luddites. That spam-enabling copyright-infringing arguement (plus a few billion in campaign contributions) will buy legislation that mandates DRM for all internet transactions, including email and simple file transfers. Just because you own the copyright on that letter to Aunt Millie doesn't give you the right to send it in plaintext! If you're really the copyright holder you should have no problem producing a DRM-enabled copy that can be legally sent to Aunt Millie, and she should have no problem with the idea of buying a new Dell just so she can run Longhorn, which is required for Office 34, simply to read your email.
Hey, I did say "worst-case scenario." But it could happen. Open source code could become illegal in the USA, simply because open source code can't deliver DRM and meet the DMCA at the same time, and the richest, most powerful company in the world is trying to make this happen, with the help of a lot of their Fortune 500 friends. In this scenario, Apple will be lucky to be allowed to use the DRM required by law. (IANAL, but I believe if the law requires you to infringe a patent then you must either negotiate a pantent royalty or get out of that business, and you'd better believe Microsoft's DRM will have patent protection, much to Apple's dismay)
Cory doesn't get it -- Microsoft is counting on DRM to drive Longhorn sales, because without DRM there's no reason for anyone to move from XP to Longhorn. I doubt anyone with the authority to change this policy was in that room. You'll note that Microsoft has repeatedly said their DRM-enabled applications will only run on Longhorn and will not be back-ported to XP.
I rest my case, and I pray I'm wrong.
Cool? It's nuts. For a fraction of the cost you could save a lot of trunk space and just velcro an iPod to your dash.
Joel's put on all this is that times have changed and Longhorn may take years to simply match the XP installed base. Microsoft disagrees, and I believe they're counting on DRM to drive Longhorn sales. DRM has the potential to literally force everyone to buy a new, Government-approved (if not mandated) PC with Longhorn. DRM will be used to fight spam ("I won't read it if I can't verify the origin"). DRM will be used to deliver music and movies ("I won't play it if it's not legal"). DRM will be used to verify on-line payment ("I won't sell it to you if you can't prove this is really your credit card"). DRM -- and thus Longhorn on a new PC -- will be required to do any of those things, if Microsoft gets their way. Apple will be lucky if they can get in on the act without becoming another PC clone maker. Linux, *BSD, and the other open/free operating systems will never gain the desktop, and will be lucky to not be DMCA'd out of North America.
I personally don't think it will happen the way Microsoft, Intel, and Disney hope it will, but there's a significant chance that DRM will be legally mandated for so many things that even if you never listen to music or watch movies on your computer you'll still cave and join the club. The only silver lining I can see in the worst-case scenario is that if you're willing to pay a premium to your ISP to deliver all the spam they won't be able to block for you because you won't use the otherwise-mandated spam-block DRM email system, then maybe before too long there will be so few of you geezer geeks using pine and elm and thunderbird that it won't be worth sending spam anymore. But, as I said, I'm optimistic that we won't see the worst-case scenario. But what we see will be bad, and at best Longhorn will be the only Microsoft OS with DRM, so if you want DRM (and they're gonna make Joe Sixpack want it, believe me) you'll buy a new Intell-inside-Dell-DRM-PC-with-Longhorn (and a whole new Office package while we're at it). Either that, or you'll buy an Apple and all new application softwear. To prevent that, Microsoft will do all it can to make sure all your existing apps run just fine on Longhorn -- they just won't be able to take advantage of the DRM features. So they won't be useful and/or legal for some tasks (like email, on-line shopping, etc.).
Even in a not-at-all-worst-case scenario, sooner or later Joel will have to migrate his stuff to the new APIs because his current apps won't open his customer's DRM-protected files.
The USA is not a 1st World nation. There is no "1st World," unless you mean Europe. Europe is the "Old World." North and South America are the "New World." The rest of the planet is, therefore, the "Third World." Which really makes no sense, since Europe knew about Asia and Africa long before they knew about the "New World." So, really, North and South America are the true "Third World" (if you're European -- the rest of the planet thinks those EU folks are awfully self-centered). Unless you're from Asia or Africa, in which case they're about 5th and 6th World.
My VCR watches TV for me when I'm not there, my oven can cook dinner for me when I'm not there, and my checking account can pay bills automatically if I'm not there. With all this convergence, will my possessions need me anymore?
Hey, I also thought we don't need no stinking proprietary operating systems. What the hell is a GNU anything doing on a Microsoft OS? Isn't that, like, illegal or against the GPL or something? What's the next GNU story, "Stallman buys SOAP"?
What have you got against TiVo? Besides, if they sue TiVo, they'll sue everyone else, too.
But the Flux Capacitor won't generate a wormhole unless you hit 88!
While you've got those signals captured, I suggest you monitor their intensity via some sort of continuous graphical display. Something that shows the signal strength as variations in color and intensity, arrainged in a series of interlaces lines on some sort of visual display device.
Hell, I'll bet Time Warner is dancing for joy over this treaty, but wait until they come into CNN's headquarters and take away all the PCs and video monitors. And what will Disney say when ABC is shut down because nobody is allowed to watch it anymore?
I'd love to see the FBI enforce this one! If you thought our government was in Wall Street's pocket now, well, wait until they try to take all computers away from the Fortune 500 :-)
Isn't Ohio also the state that checks the timestamps on your Ohio Turnpike ticket and cites you for speeding if you get to your exit "too soon"?
Large numbers of people agreeing on art doesn't mean much. At the time he was alive, large numbers of people thought Van Goah's work was shit.
Start your trolling? Why? The "BSD is dead" trolls have managed to troll up an entire story. Anything further would diminish the perfection of that accomplishment. Besides, in this case they'd be "redundant" as well as "troll". "Redundant" but not at all "offtopic".