While the users may think of buying a "Dell" or "Gateway", who do they bash when their machines become finicky? Why Microsoft of course.
Maybe those users who have just enough technical awareness to know that Microsoft is the company that made Windows... but in my experience, a good chunk of users, indeed the vast majority of the kind that buy computers off retail shelves, don't know even that. Over the four years I've been at college, I've actually asked several non-techie students if they knew who made Windows. Total blank. What about their compter? Dell, Gateway, etc.? "Um, I think it's a Gateway... I'd have to check." They're barely aware of the existence of who manufactured their hardware, let alone their OS. When their computer crashes, they blame either simply "my computer," or the one BIG word that's flashed in front of their faces when they turn on their computer: "Windows." The association they form in their minds is simple: "My computer = Windows," whatever mysterious entity this "Windows" is--they don't know it's an OS, because they don't know what an OS is. When they call me for help, they say one of two things: "My computer's messed up," or "Windows is messing up." And the first is much more common.
It is possible to remove a whole lot of the default crap that ships with Windows.
I've no doubt of that. But...
Internet Explorer
To be replaced with what? Netscape 4? Buggy and definitely not up to the latest standards. Netscape 6.2? Even slower. Opera? A pay browser with fewer features? Gah.
Media Player7 Media Player2
Quicktime and RealPlayer are horrible memory hogs compared to Media Player 7.1 (to say nothing of privacy; have you seen RealOne? Ugh!). I have them only so I can play their formats. There are alternatives for MP3s, but of the myriad of players out there, what would I use? Winamp, one of the reigning champs, which as of version 2.77 (latest is 2.79), didn't even read LAME-encoded MP3s correctly? (It was slicing off a fraction of a second from the end of the files; bad news when you're convering lots of small.wavs to MP3.)I see no reason to move away from what already works--Media Player.
I also see a lot of very useful system utilities in your list such as Disk Defragmenter and Scandisk. I realize that for certain purposes machines should be slimmed down as much as possible, but what are you going to do with bad clusters and fragmented drives? Install something else? Good lord, what would be the point of that?
Sure, it was certainly the most popular on/., but it would have been nice if you had said something like "A Beautiful Mind got the awards for best picture and best director."
That sort of general news is available at dozens of other places like CNN.com or MSNBC.com. Slashdot is "News for Nerds."
I dare say that A Beautiful Mind is also a film that alot of nerds found good. I mean, the movie is about a mathemetician who wins the nobel prize for pete's sake. And there were loads of other movies that the/. crowd really seemed to like as well.
It's about more than just liking movies. The LotR books introduced the whole fantasy genre; its author has reached mythical proportions comparable to those he wrote about. And the film has done justice to the epic. The LoTR events--the books and the film--are milestones that deserve recognition.
Re:Why does /. have to concentrate on this film?
on
LoTR Takes 4 Oscars
·
· Score: 1
Sure, it was certainly the most popular on/., but it would have been nice if you had said something like "A Beautiful Mind got the awards for best picture and best director."
That sort of general news is available at dozens of other places like CNN.com or MSNBC.com. Slashdot is "News for Nerds."
I dare say that A Beautiful Mind is also a film that alot of nerds found good. I mean, the movie is about a mathemetician who wins the nobel prize for pete's sake. And there were loads of other movies that the/. crowd really seemed to like as well.
It's about more than just liking movies. The LotR books introduced the whole fantasy genre; its author has reached mythical proportions comparable to those he wrote about. And the film has done justice to the epic. The LoTR events--the books and the film--are milestones that deserve recognition.
Must be the hour I guess, but I read the headline and my head was immediately filled with an image of Steve Jobs reclining in his office, eyes glazed, nasally droning,
I heard of a few people here who got vaguely harrassing e-mail from the Co$. Don't know if it was related to negative comments they posted after the comment removal incident, but if it was... heh heh. Come and get us. I can't think of many better technical communities to challenge than Slashdot--probably because of its unique aggressive flavor that arises in times of conflict.:)
What's the latest (non-XP) version of Windows Media Player? 7.1. Not to sound like an ass, but I really think Linux software development needs to stop playing catch-up. I remember for the longest time when Netscape 4.x was the only decent browser available for Linux--long after the far superior IE 5.x had been introduced. Stuff has to start pulling even, folks...
It's better to include solid software that is known to work, but might not have every last bell and whistle.
I don't mean to sound like an ass here, but the fact that that statement was made indicates exactly where Linux (even this distro) is compared to Windows XP. Microsoft, a portrait of coordinated software development, doesn't have to choose between unstable bell-and-whistled programs and stable less-featured programs, because it produces stable bell-and-whistled programs. I think Linux will be perpetually playing catch-up unless it finds some vast new resources...
Look at Microsoft--yes, that's right, the Evil Empire. What you have there is an absolutely massive, coordinated, and most importantly, deadline-oriented effort towards the development of Windows and associated applications. Device manufacturers can schedule the writing of their drivers for Windows because they have an excellent idea of when and what the next version of Windows is going to be.
Then, of course, there are the applications. Let's take MS Office. It is, quite simply, the best office suite out there. Its total functionality is far beyond what is offered by StarOffice or KOffice. I've heard the argument "Oh, but those two do enough for the average user." It doesn't matter if they do; they don't have the marketing or the clout to reach the average user. The only way this would happen is if the efforts in their development were to reach a level equal to that of Microsoft. This is definitely possible--look at Adobe Photoshop. It is a direct competitor to Microsoft's Picture It!, but it is the industry standard. Why? The resources and the coordination of the efforts behind its development.
It is important to understand the sheer amount of work that gets done at the Evil Empire--they're not just sitting on their butts; they work all the time. Their software development is a picture of coordination and organization; it's also a level of productivity that you will only find in paid employees that are content in their jobs.
You know, if we developed a ship capable of anything close to light speed, maybe we could use it to travel into the future. I envision a project that takes advantage of Einstein's twin paradox--the one where one twin leaves in a relativistic ship and comes back to find that his twin is now a lot older than he is. Basic relativity: the faster you go, the slower time goes (relative to zero velocity). So we could put some people on a ship, have it do a round-trip at relativistic speeds, and poof! They'd be a few decades or something in the future. I think that'd be kind of cool.
...I think it's safe to predict the winner of this year's obfuscated C contest.
Actually, a friend of mine who works with Microsoft has told me at length of strict standards for appearance and organization of code that they hold every single department to--as well they should. Chances are that a piece of Windows or Office code would in fact be extremely legible.
I just wish some people used the PDF format more wisely. The other day I came across a page that was simply a PDF file containing one image and a little text--stuff that would have been better presented as simple HTML, and would have loaded faster besides.
How long do you think it will take for LCDs to get into the mainstream, by which I mean as likely (or more) to be found in an average consumer's home as a CRT? How long will it take for their prices to become reasonable? I have this 17-inch Compaq Qvision 172, and dammit, I just want to saw off the back of it sometimes.
It is extremely likely that these men will never have sex.
Gonna have to place Star Wars beside D&D in my list of sexual repellents. I recall the following posts:
***
D&D Nitpicking (Score:5, Informative)
by taion on Saturday December 01, @06:55PM (#2642311)
AD&D is generally taken to refer to the second edition Dungeons & Dragons Rules.
Neverwinter Nights will be based on the 3rd edition D&D rules (D&D3e), which is different from AD&D.
A link to the 3rd Edition System Reference Document with all the core rules released to the Open Gaming Foundation (including Psionics!) may be found here [opengamingfoundation.org].
Re:D&D Nitpicking (Score:5, Funny)
by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 01, @07:13PM (#2642382)
I'd like to see someone manage to even get an Apple ][ (the very first) up as a server. A little more RAM, a keyboard update (lowercase add-on), a ROM card, and boom! Not that you'd want to tell many people about it of course...
as well as the infrastructure to ensure that Web sites continue to function come fire, flood, natural catastrophy or foreign invasion.
Okay, good structure, check.
Anyone remember what happened to CNN, MSNBC, etc. after the WTC thing? The sheer number of accesses brought them right down. It was a perfect testament to the fragility of the Web. This ought to be addressed as well; we may not always have Google's famous cache to fall back on.
A GeForce2 no less. Yay! I can finally listen to MP3s and scroll through webpages AT THE SAME TIME! Under my previous card--a Jaton-137 Blade3D Trident chipset 8MB pile of turd--that wasn't possible without the MP3 skipping. Oh, and I can run Celestia smoothly too. Yay!
Slashdot Mirror
While the users may think of buying a "Dell" or "Gateway", who do they bash when their machines become finicky? Why Microsoft of course.
Maybe those users who have just enough technical awareness to know that Microsoft is the company that made Windows... but in my experience, a good chunk of users, indeed the vast majority of the kind that buy computers off retail shelves, don't know even that. Over the four years I've been at college, I've actually asked several non-techie students if they knew who made Windows. Total blank. What about their compter? Dell, Gateway, etc.? "Um, I think it's a Gateway... I'd have to check." They're barely aware of the existence of who manufactured their hardware, let alone their OS. When their computer crashes, they blame either simply "my computer," or the one BIG word that's flashed in front of their faces when they turn on their computer: "Windows." The association they form in their minds is simple: "My computer = Windows," whatever mysterious entity this "Windows" is--they don't know it's an OS, because they don't know what an OS is. When they call me for help, they say one of two things: "My computer's messed up," or "Windows is messing up." And the first is much more common.
It is possible to remove a whole lot of the default crap that ships with Windows.
.wavs to MP3.)I see no reason to move away from what already works--Media Player.
I've no doubt of that. But...
Internet Explorer
To be replaced with what? Netscape 4? Buggy and definitely not up to the latest standards. Netscape 6.2? Even slower. Opera? A pay browser with fewer features? Gah.
Media Player7
Media Player2
Quicktime and RealPlayer are horrible memory hogs compared to Media Player 7.1 (to say nothing of privacy; have you seen RealOne? Ugh!). I have them only so I can play their formats. There are alternatives for MP3s, but of the myriad of players out there, what would I use? Winamp, one of the reigning champs, which as of version 2.77 (latest is 2.79), didn't even read LAME-encoded MP3s correctly? (It was slicing off a fraction of a second from the end of the files; bad news when you're convering lots of small
I also see a lot of very useful system utilities in your list such as Disk Defragmenter and Scandisk. I realize that for certain purposes machines should be slimmed down as much as possible, but what are you going to do with bad clusters and fragmented drives? Install something else? Good lord, what would be the point of that?
Sure, it was certainly the most popular on /., but it would have been nice if you had said something like "A Beautiful Mind got the awards for best picture and best director."
/. crowd really seemed to like as well.
That sort of general news is available at dozens of other places like CNN.com or MSNBC.com. Slashdot is "News for Nerds."
I dare say that A Beautiful Mind is also a film that alot of nerds found good. I mean, the movie is about a mathemetician who wins the nobel prize for pete's sake. And there were loads of other movies that the
It's about more than just liking movies. The LotR books introduced the whole fantasy genre; its author has reached mythical proportions comparable to those he wrote about. And the film has done justice to the epic. The LoTR events--the books and the film--are milestones that deserve recognition.
Sure, it was certainly the most popular on /., but it would have been nice if you had said something like "A Beautiful Mind got the awards for best picture and best director."
That sort of general news is available at dozens of other places like CNN.com or MSNBC.com. Slashdot is "News for Nerds."
I dare say that A Beautiful Mind is also a film that alot of nerds found good. I mean, the movie is about a mathemetician who wins the nobel prize for pete's sake. And there were loads of other movies that the /. crowd really seemed to like as well.
It's about more than just liking movies. The LotR books introduced the whole fantasy genre; its author has reached mythical proportions comparable to those he wrote about. And the film has done justice to the epic. The LoTR events--the books and the film--are milestones that deserve recognition.
Must be the hour I guess, but I read the headline and my head was immediately filled with an image of Steve Jobs reclining in his office, eyes glazed, nasally droning,
"INPUT... NEED INPUT..."
I heard of a few people here who got vaguely harrassing e-mail from the Co$. Don't know if it was related to negative comments they posted after the comment removal incident, but if it was... heh heh. Come and get us. I can't think of many better technical communities to challenge than Slashdot--probably because of its unique aggressive flavor that arises in times of conflict. :)
In this case, Ignorance truly is bliss.
blissblissblissblissblissblissbliss WHAM
then the insect people arise...
Pity we can't turn this into a discussion/contest of what passwords everyone here uses, unless we were to change them all immediately beforehand.
I promise you, your life will not be significantly altered if you refuse to pay $10 to be dissapointed for two hours.
I'd rather pay $10 for Event Horizon again. That movie was as funny as Pulp Fiction.
Do you complain about the lack of adult material in other films you take your kids to see?
You bet I do! I mean, where was the sex in Toy Story or Chicken Run or Shrek? Jeez!
"Apple of Steel," I think of it as. The new tough, hardened Apple. "Think different... WITHOUT MERCY." :)
What's the latest (non-XP) version of Windows Media Player? 7.1. Not to sound like an ass, but I really think Linux software development needs to stop playing catch-up. I remember for the longest time when Netscape 4.x was the only decent browser available for Linux--long after the far superior IE 5.x had been introduced. Stuff has to start pulling even, folks...
Jeez. If I didn't know better I'd say you were deliberately trying to get modded down.
It's better to include solid software that is known to work, but might not have every last bell and whistle.
I don't mean to sound like an ass here, but the fact that that statement was made indicates exactly where Linux (even this distro) is compared to Windows XP. Microsoft, a portrait of coordinated software development, doesn't have to choose between unstable bell-and-whistled programs and stable less-featured programs, because it produces stable bell-and-whistled programs. I think Linux will be perpetually playing catch-up unless it finds some vast new resources...
Look at Microsoft--yes, that's right, the Evil Empire. What you have there is an absolutely massive, coordinated, and most importantly, deadline-oriented effort towards the development of Windows and associated applications. Device manufacturers can schedule the writing of their drivers for Windows because they have an excellent idea of when and what the next version of Windows is going to be.
Then, of course, there are the applications. Let's take MS Office. It is, quite simply, the best office suite out there. Its total functionality is far beyond what is offered by StarOffice or KOffice. I've heard the argument "Oh, but those two do enough for the average user." It doesn't matter if they do; they don't have the marketing or the clout to reach the average user. The only way this would happen is if the efforts in their development were to reach a level equal to that of Microsoft. This is definitely possible--look at Adobe Photoshop. It is a direct competitor to Microsoft's Picture It!, but it is the industry standard. Why? The resources and the coordination of the efforts behind its development.
It is important to understand the sheer amount of work that gets done at the Evil Empire--they're not just sitting on their butts; they work all the time. Their software development is a picture of coordination and organization; it's also a level of productivity that you will only find in paid employees that are content in their jobs.
You know, if we developed a ship capable of anything close to light speed, maybe we could use it to travel into the future. I envision a project that takes advantage of Einstein's twin paradox--the one where one twin leaves in a relativistic ship and comes back to find that his twin is now a lot older than he is. Basic relativity: the faster you go, the slower time goes (relative to zero velocity). So we could put some people on a ship, have it do a round-trip at relativistic speeds, and poof! They'd be a few decades or something in the future. I think that'd be kind of cool.
...I think it's safe to predict the winner of this year's obfuscated C contest.
Actually, a friend of mine who works with Microsoft has told me at length of strict standards for appearance and organization of code that they hold every single department to--as well they should. Chances are that a piece of Windows or Office code would in fact be extremely legible.
I just wish some people used the PDF format more wisely. The other day I came across a page that was simply a PDF file containing one image and a little text--stuff that would have been better presented as simple HTML, and would have loaded faster besides.
Red Dwarf.
Future Rimmer: "I'm from the future! I've come to warn you: in three million years, you'll be dead!"
Past Rimmer: "Huh, will I really?"
How long do you think it will take for LCDs to get into the mainstream, by which I mean as likely (or more) to be found in an average consumer's home as a CRT? How long will it take for their prices to become reasonable? I have this 17-inch Compaq Qvision 172, and dammit, I just want to saw off the back of it sometimes.
Gonna have to place Star Wars beside D&D in my list of sexual repellents. I recall the following posts:
***
D&D Nitpicking (Score:5, Informative)
by taion on Saturday December 01, @06:55PM (#2642311)
AD&D is generally taken to refer to the second edition Dungeons & Dragons Rules.
Neverwinter Nights will be based on the 3rd edition D&D rules (D&D3e), which is different from AD&D.
A link to the 3rd Edition System Reference Document with all the core rules released to the Open Gaming Foundation (including Psionics!) may be found here [opengamingfoundation.org].
Re:D&D Nitpicking (Score:5, Funny)
by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 01, @07:13PM (#2642382)
You my friend will never ever have sex.
***
I'd like to see someone manage to even get an Apple ][ (the very first) up as a server. A little more RAM, a keyboard update (lowercase add-on), a ROM card, and boom! Not that you'd want to tell many people about it of course...
Okay, good structure, check.
Anyone remember what happened to CNN, MSNBC, etc. after the WTC thing? The sheer number of accesses brought them right down. It was a perfect testament to the fragility of the Web. This ought to be addressed as well; we may not always have Google's famous cache to fall back on.
And that's why Microsoft may win.
A GeForce2 no less. Yay! I can finally listen to MP3s and scroll through webpages AT THE SAME TIME! Under my previous card--a Jaton-137 Blade3D Trident chipset 8MB pile of turd--that wasn't possible without the MP3 skipping. Oh, and I can run Celestia smoothly too. Yay!