They have also "threatened" to sue mfg'rs of toasters, PC accessories, and other computer mfg'rs for using pastel and bright color schemes on their products.
They really work to protect their brand more than anything else. I saw a cease and desist they sent to wincustomize.com for somebody emulating the OSX desktop look and feel on a PC.
Protecting IP is one thing, but Apple is tops when it comes to protecting their brand.
Personally, I think Apple is in the wrong here. I have seen some of these ads for OSX that basically say "It's just like UNIX" -I mean come-on, at least put a bullet next to the word or something.
If you could only patent what you could produce yourself, the only patents would come from huge corporations. Why do you think IBM has 30,000 patents?
The Tradmark and Patenet Office (I think) does the review of all patents. I agree that overly broad should be revoked. -But stupid? Ahh let 'em have a stupid patent. (Dog ear-warmers comes to mind)
The point is that patents allow anyone to invent. If we left invention to the "experts" or those that can afford to produce a prototype, we will be left with the big major coperations running our lives more than before.
We used Trend Micros product on Exchange and suddenly noticed that it was dumping a lot of resumes into the trash as they came in. And it was only the best resumes that it was trashing.
Any large company or small nation has need of paid technical support. It is part of expense of IT in an enterprise environment. Despite the pay tech support, MS has a vast amount of information available on-line. It is much easier to access, and there is no registration required, unlike many other software vendors.
As for stability Windows security patches are frequent, but not always needed. I get quite a bit of e-mail from Red Hat ergarding errata and patches. It's part of keeping your software up to date. As for testing for each patch, I would say, "Yes, always test a new patch." I don't care if it's another Apache patch, or a windows Service Pack.
That seems like a dump-off. Can MS take a bigger dump than Tux?
But seriously, who does MS compete against on the desktop? Linux, which is free. MS giving away Windows to these countries only competes for hearts and minds not dollars.
If Linux is free and MS Windows is really cheap (or free) the net-net is savings for that country. Sure, MS is buying loyalty by giving the price break, but the nation gets cheap software.
Is it hurting you? I see this product differently. I see this PC as a device best suited in a business environment like call centers or accounting departments. The kind of companies that would buy this PC would not consider Linux in the first place, nor would they have issues with running MS Office applications.
By working closer with the mfgr of the parts, it makes the OS better. Look at Servers, HP and IBM work very closely with MS to ensure that windows running on their server hardware is rock solid. This concept is just carrying over to some of the desktop market. - It makes sense: most business users do not need to add peripherals and make constant upgrades. Many office environments do not even allow users to save data to the PC.
I can see where you are trying to go with your slippery slope fallacy as well. I think you are missing the intent of your quote. The article shows how MS is working with Hardware vendors earlier to make a better OS, which has nothing to do with trying to prevent you from installing Netscape.
I just see this policy as backfiring on the manufacturer. This is not like Best Buy promising to stop selling Compaq computers, if Compaq started selling online. This is a company that is a manufacturer, as well as a retailer. They want to centralize the availability online.
Ultimately, they will stop selling to resellers as well. They are hoping to get synergy, and become "THE" place to buy their stuff.
It does smack a bit of Apple and Power Computing (remember them?). If a web site is selling their stuff cheaper than they are, and the do a better job of it, then they have to attack.
I don't blame them, honestly. But they do need to put money behind their web site, and get the word out.
That's a good question. And I have some anecdotal evidence that many Windows based handhelds are more stable. I have only crashed a WinCE device once, and I simply removed the battery, put it back in, and everything worked again.
That said, there is less propensity to crash in that the hardware driver conflicts that you have on a full size desktop are not as diverse.
By having some kind of control of what you plug in, and add on to your handheld, I notice a lot less crashes.
the OS is tweaked a bit by the manufacturer (in my case Compaq) so that the hardware conflicts are minimized. I think this is why you can not "upgrade" your handheld like you can a desktop.
Of course all of this limits my freedom to do what I want with my device, but allows the greater public stability.
One side note, I have never seen a BSOD on Windows CE. However when mine did "crash" I was unable to do anything. In fact the power button did not even work.
First of all, nowhere in either article does it say that Windows Update is sent info on what software you have installed. The payper view article mentions that it does send hardware info, though. But we knew that via both the EULA, and the fact that this is the intended purpose, to update drivers for hardware and OS patches.
Don't believe the alarmist titles to articles. Do you all fall into this trap with the evening news as well? "Tune in for the Radon discover that just might save your familyu's life."
I know that you guys are smarter than this. Use your brains.
not mention that he has already been modded UP to 3! (informative)
Re:Trademarks and loss of trademarks
on
Verbing Weirds Google
·
· Score: 3, Insightful
Even the threat of legal action won't have any measurable effect, I suspect, and I think that's a good thing.
The English language is a living, constantly-changing entity. New words and new meanings for established words appear nearly every day. Remember when "gay" meant "happy," or when a "joint" was a saloon? Although this may be a boon to the dictionary-makers (who roll out a new edition every year or so) and a headache for trademark lawyers (who need to take out ads in magazines to get writers not to use product names as verbs), it's evidence that our communication is constantly changing.
And sometimes it's the words themselves that change, as well as the medium in which they're embedded. Any attempt to freeze words or even to own them is doomed to failure in a vibrant language.
Besides, it's hard for me to feel sorry for the companies who seem to be a victim of their own success. Although I can certainly appreciate the irony that making something a household word is both a wonderful testament to the power of advertising and at the same time threat to a company's trademark, I am unwilling to turn control of the language over to corporations, courts and lawyers.
So I'll still do my xeroxing on a Savin machine, thank you very much. And eat generic jello. I may not go rollerblading, but I will use kleenex (even if it's not made by Kimberly-Clark).
At least we can track our elderly...
on
NYT on RFID Tags
·
· Score: 1
I don't know about you, but I am at my wits end trying to keep tabs on grandma. Hopefully this will help!
25%, 90%, Your careless attitude is part of the reason we still "ghettoize" our poor in this country. To hate and villify the poor for being poor is about as selfish and selfcentered as you can be.
To give them free wifi can only help. Think about all the municiple services that are available on-line these days. With out web access you are forced to wait on line for hours to get forms to even apply for services.
This public housing is an example of the new style that doesn't throw everyone up in a highrise, but Camfield Estates is different. This is the model of what public housing should be.
The Wi-Fi acccess is NOT a gov't project. It is all donated by companies and non-profits.
I for one certainly do not feel that MS is at middle age. Their products are still making huge profits. Windows and Office especially are very profitable. Even their hardware is making money for the company. Bill on the other hand.. is middle-aged.
Furthermore I expect to see great things for him after he retires. He is a bright guy and is doing great things with his fortune for the betterment of human kind. The Gates foundation is almost ten years old, and has given away so much money to find cures for diseases, and poverty. To those that take issue with Gates Foundation giving PCs with Windows to third World Countries, would you expect him to give Macs?
My prediction: In fifty years junior high school kids will be learning about the Gate's vaccine for Malaria. (named after the benefactor for the research)
No where near our quota. Imagine the surface of the earth were wiped clean. Then throw a small town worth of crap on the the surface. There is your space trash "problem."
The facts are most stuff we launch falls back to earth. Sure there are things up there, but they are so--- --- spread -- -- -- out.
This is pretty old news but it's got better pics. Norad has been tracking space trash for decades. Fact of the matter is, there is trash up there, yes it can hurt you or the shuttle, or the hubble, etc. But the odds are very slim for most orbits. The hubble got hit with a little piece once, but the odds are pretty slim anything we send up will get hit by debris.
HP/Compaq Servers and SUN have some similar things on their servers now. Although no web browser, and not technically BIOS. The Remote Insight Lights-out (RILo)boards provide great disaster recovery tools. Compaq An oldie but goodie is SUN Solaris PROM. Much more useful than BIOS.
I know people clammor for the good ole days of BIOS and CMOS, but now we just need to accept that these new products are going to be better.
Re:i'm not even trying to be an ass here....
on
Why Nerds Are Unpopular
·
· Score: 3, Insightful
First of all your High School class must have had like 1200 'popular' kids.
Second, why are we (and I mean we) still trying to measure ourselves against these people? I finished High School in 1993. In the past ten years my values have grown up. I am no longer jealous of the cars their parents bought them, or the nice clothes, or how many friends they had.
I don't care that they all sell fucking insurance somewhere in suburbia now. and if they are happy, good for them. If not, too bad. I think I am doing ok, but I compare myself to real peers not my peers from 10+ years ago.
Slashdot Mirror
They have also "threatened" to sue mfg'rs of toasters, PC accessories, and other computer mfg'rs for using pastel and bright color schemes on their products.
They really work to protect their brand more than anything else. I saw a cease and desist they sent to wincustomize.com for somebody emulating the OSX desktop look and feel on a PC.
Protecting IP is one thing, but Apple is tops when it comes to protecting their brand.
Personally, I think Apple is in the wrong here. I have seen some of these ads for OSX that basically say "It's just like UNIX" -I mean come-on, at least put a bullet next to the word or something.
If you could only patent what you could produce yourself, the only patents would come from huge corporations. Why do you think IBM has 30,000 patents?
The Tradmark and Patenet Office (I think) does the review of all patents. I agree that overly broad should be revoked. -But stupid? Ahh let 'em have a stupid patent. (Dog ear-warmers comes to mind)
The point is that patents allow anyone to invent. If we left invention to the "experts" or those that can afford to produce a prototype, we will be left with the big major coperations running our lives more than before.
We used Trend Micros product on Exchange and suddenly noticed that it was dumping a lot of resumes into the trash as they came in. And it was only the best resumes that it was trashing.
Want to guess what was offensive?
"Magna Cum Laude"
Umm, how funny is that?
"HomeR" Project
- Modular Windows
- "Otto" Project (SW for cars; 1992)
I wonder if the "Otto" project was an attept to drive away the Apple Lisa.
Any large company or small nation has need of paid technical support. It is part of expense of IT in an enterprise environment. Despite the pay tech support, MS has a vast amount of information available on-line. It is much easier to access, and there is no registration required, unlike many other software vendors.
As for stability Windows security patches are frequent, but not always needed. I get quite a bit of e-mail from Red Hat ergarding errata and patches. It's part of keeping your software up to date. As for testing for each patch, I would say, "Yes, always test a new patch." I don't care if it's another Apache patch, or a windows Service Pack.
Dumping against free software?
That seems like a dump-off. Can MS take a bigger dump than Tux?
But seriously, who does MS compete against on the desktop? Linux, which is free. MS giving away Windows to these countries only competes for hearts and minds not dollars.
If Linux is free and MS Windows is really cheap (or free) the net-net is savings for that country. Sure, MS is buying loyalty by giving the price break, but the nation gets cheap software.
Too bad the speed of the disk hasn't increased as quickly...
Spike! Nice Rig! NOW GO CLEAN YOUR ROOM!!
..
I saw a sock, a beer bottle, um TacoBell cup,
Yeesh!
Is it hurting you? I see this product differently. I see this PC as a device best suited in a business environment like call centers or accounting departments. The kind of companies that would buy this PC would not consider Linux in the first place, nor would they have issues with running MS Office applications.
By working closer with the mfgr of the parts, it makes the OS better. Look at Servers, HP and IBM work very closely with MS to ensure that windows running on their server hardware is rock solid. This concept is just carrying over to some of the desktop market. - It makes sense: most business users do not need to add peripherals and make constant upgrades. Many office environments do not even allow users to save data to the PC.
I can see where you are trying to go with your slippery slope fallacy as well. I think you are missing the intent of your quote. The article shows how MS is working with Hardware vendors earlier to make a better OS, which has nothing to do with trying to prevent you from installing Netscape.
I just see this policy as backfiring on the manufacturer. This is not like Best Buy promising to stop selling Compaq computers, if Compaq started selling online. This is a company that is a manufacturer, as well as a retailer. They want to centralize the availability online.
Ultimately, they will stop selling to resellers as well. They are hoping to get synergy, and become "THE" place to buy their stuff.
It does smack a bit of Apple and Power Computing (remember them?). If a web site is selling their stuff cheaper than they are, and the do a better job of it, then they have to attack.
I don't blame them, honestly. But they do need to put money behind their web site, and get the word out.
That's a good question. And I have some anecdotal evidence that many Windows based handhelds are more stable. I have only crashed a WinCE device once, and I simply removed the battery, put it back in, and everything worked again.
That said, there is less propensity to crash in that the hardware driver conflicts that you have on a full size desktop are not as diverse.
By having some kind of control of what you plug in, and add on to your handheld, I notice a lot less crashes.
the OS is tweaked a bit by the manufacturer (in my case Compaq) so that the hardware conflicts are minimized. I think this is why you can not "upgrade" your handheld like you can a desktop.
Of course all of this limits my freedom to do what I want with my device, but allows the greater public stability.
One side note, I have never seen a BSOD on Windows CE. However when mine did "crash" I was unable to do anything. In fact the power button did not even work.
I think Bill O'Reilly is a bit busy defending himself from his lies about winning two Peabody awards for Inside Edition.
Yes! Finally a gun worthy of Danny Vermin!
This has been around for years. However some people have ome great ideas. Here are a few links:
A motorized 5" screen
Here is one that is used just for monitoring resources like proc and temp: -HERE-
Some of these are pretty cool. I am actualy considering trying a 5" screen to run a visual of MP3 player.
That does bring up an interesting idea.
You could take apart a standard 15" lcd display and mount it inside a lot of towers, making it viewable via a window.
I still see many power supplies that allow you to plug a normal AC plug into it, where you could simply plug in your LCD's powersupply.
This would be very simple and not require extensive knowledge of voltage, etc.
First of all, nowhere in either article does it say that Windows Update is sent info on what software you have installed. The payper view article mentions that it does send hardware info, though. But we knew that via both the EULA, and the fact that this is the intended purpose, to update drivers for hardware and OS patches.
Don't believe the alarmist titles to articles. Do you all fall into this trap with the evening news as well? "Tune in for the Radon discover that just might save your familyu's life."
I know that you guys are smarter than this. Use your brains.
not mention that he has already been modded UP to 3! (informative)
Even the threat of legal action won't have any measurable effect, I suspect, and I think that's a good thing.
The English language is a living, constantly-changing entity. New words and new meanings for established words appear nearly every day. Remember when "gay" meant "happy," or when a "joint" was a saloon? Although this may be a boon to the dictionary-makers (who roll out a new edition every year or so) and a headache for trademark lawyers (who need to take out ads in magazines to get writers not to use product names as verbs), it's evidence that our communication is constantly changing.
And sometimes it's the words themselves that change, as well as the medium in which they're embedded. Any attempt to freeze words or even to own them is doomed to failure in a vibrant language.
Besides, it's hard for me to feel sorry for the companies who seem to be a victim of their own success. Although I can certainly appreciate the irony that making something a household word is both a wonderful testament to the power of advertising and at the same time threat to a company's trademark, I am unwilling to turn control of the language over to corporations, courts and lawyers.
So I'll still do my xeroxing on a Savin machine, thank you very much. And eat generic jello. I may not go rollerblading, but I will use kleenex (even if it's not made by Kimberly-Clark).
I don't know about you, but I am at my wits end trying to keep
tabs on grandma. Hopefully this will help!
Answers to your questions:
25%, 90%, Your careless attitude is part of the reason we still "ghettoize" our poor in this country. To hate and villify the poor for being poor is about as selfish and selfcentered as you can be.
To give them free wifi can only help. Think about all the municiple services that are available on-line these days. With out web access you are forced to wait on line for hours to get forms to even apply for services.
This public housing is an example of the new style that doesn't throw everyone up in a highrise, but Camfield Estates is different. This is the model of what public housing should be.
The Wi-Fi acccess is NOT a gov't project. It is all donated by companies and non-profits.
I for one certainly do not feel that MS is at middle age. Their products are still making huge profits. Windows and Office especially are very profitable. Even their hardware is making money for the company. Bill on the other hand.. is middle-aged.
Furthermore I expect to see great things for him after he retires. He is a bright guy and is doing great things with his fortune for the betterment of human kind. The Gates foundation is almost ten years old, and has given away so much money to find cures for diseases, and poverty. To those that take issue with Gates Foundation giving PCs with Windows to third World Countries, would you expect him to give Macs?
My prediction: In fifty years junior high school kids will be learning about the Gate's vaccine for Malaria. (named after the benefactor for the research)
No where near our quota. Imagine the surface of the earth were wiped clean. Then throw a small town worth of crap on the the surface. There is your space trash "problem."
The facts are most stuff we launch falls back to earth. Sure there are things up there, but they are so--- --- spread -- -- -- out.
This is pretty old news but it's got better pics. Norad has been tracking space trash for decades. Fact of the matter is, there is trash up there, yes it can hurt you or the shuttle, or the hubble, etc. But the odds are very slim for most orbits. The hubble got hit with a little piece once, but the odds are pretty slim anything we send up will get hit by debris.
HP/Compaq Servers and SUN have some similar things on their servers now. Although no web browser, and not technically BIOS. The Remote Insight Lights-out (RILo)boards provide great disaster recovery tools. Compaq An oldie but goodie is SUN Solaris PROM. Much more useful than BIOS.
I know people clammor for the good ole days of BIOS and CMOS, but now we just need to accept that these new products are going to be better.
First of all your High School class must have had like 1200 'popular' kids.
Second, why are we (and I mean we) still trying to measure ourselves against these people? I finished High School in 1993. In the past ten years my values have grown up. I am no longer jealous of the cars their parents bought them, or the nice clothes, or how many friends they had.
I don't care that they all sell fucking insurance somewhere in suburbia now. and if they are happy, good for them. If not, too bad. I think I am doing ok, but I compare myself to real peers not my peers from 10+ years ago.