E-ink has made a partnership with a company that prints circuits on plastic making e-paper a reality. They go into mass production in 2005 making the paperless office a potential reality.
Well fact is that they have been losing market share in alot of ways; Firefox has been cutting into their market share as has Linux, MySQL, Apache, OpenOffice. The list goes on and on.
Just about every study out there shows them losing ground in just about every front. To stand there and blindly think that they are still gaining is ignorant; even investors have repeatedly stated that their stock has stagnated and suggested against buying it.
You still think they are doing fine? Well how about two anti trust judgements against them? Does that sound fine?
Honestly, I'm a realist. They have such a lock on the desktop that they will remain dominant for a long time to come... but the server market is another thing entirely. And as a result of the server market moving towards alternatives, you can thusly say goodbye to.NET development on anything but the desktop (regardless of MONO or other projects).
Linux on the desktop is a feint to split Microsoft's focus and it's a good feint at that forcing Microsoft to split resources and perogatives. Microsoft needs to stay focused on the desktop and start building apps for a NIX based server environment today or else lose out entirely to an industry that wants reliability and stability in a cheaper product.
Until they realize this, the demand for their products will continue to decline... albeit slowly but it still is a decline nonetheless. And when you are a company of that size, any decline is a huge drain on the gorilla.
If they haven't been cut in your area yet, it only means that someone in your department is using their 'moral money' for those things... it does not mean it wasn't cut; it just means that depts that still want those things have to declare them.
And you forgot to mention how your benefits are being cut as well. So in other words, you are still wrong.:)
Just heard from some sources on the M$ campus that in order to save money, Microsoft cancelled their X-mas party. Word is that they did it to save money.
This is the latest in Microsofts attempts to stem bleeding by cutting employee benefits; the first round cut free sodas (a classic sign in dot bomb times of impending doom), then they cut insurance benefits and towels in the changing rooms. Then they cut contractors and their game production. Now they are cutting Christmas parties?? They have also announced that they are moving more jobs to Tsunami country and are building a larger facility over there.
Things are not looking good in monopoly land when the 800 pound gorilla comes to the party covered in band-aids.
Actually there are multiple reasons why the public didn't get it and it boils down to the public and the industry avoiding it because of the following:
1. monopoly - nobody wants to give all their id's to one company to control
2. lack of understanding - why do I need one company to have my login and password to use on all these sites when I, Joe Average, already use the same login and password on all these sites?
3. security - Seriously, would you trust them with your login, pass, personal info and credit card information when they have had such a flawless run on security?
Because of one of those three things (or a combination thereof), it failed. These are (oddly enough) the same stumbling blocks that continue to stump them with all product releases. In some ways, it would have been in Microsoft's best interest's to split the company either via the courts or themselves; in that sense, the baggage of the company would not follow every product. By splitting the company, the could effectively put a new face behind each branch and each child company would have a chance to remarket themselves and their products.
On a negative, this would make it so that they would then have to compete more fairly in an open market and thus would cost them a share. It's give and take and right now no matter how you cut it microsoft loses.
I feel exactly the same way. Sure, Stallman may have INITIATED the concept but it has evolved. And rather than evolve with it and try to contribute, he has been bitching and whining the entire way about how he deserves all the credit and that everyone needs to listen to him about how it needs to work. In comparison, Linus has released virtually all control and even plays with concepts like DRM.
Sure I don't like DRM but he accepts the fact that he is an engineer first and foremost and not a social engineer; social engineering comes about as a side effect of what he does. Social engineering is not the foremost thing for an engineer to be focused on.
Yeah, Stallman is killing himself and his credibility. The Open Source community has just tried to placate him and humor him and even they are getting tired of his bullshit.
Hmmm... true. Good point. I just always assume GPL=Open Source by default. But their ARE other open source licenses out there. I guess the real answer is 'it depends on the license' then.
HA! Getting RMS to comprimise is alot like trying to melt the polar icecaps with a blow dryer and box of matches. Give me an update on your progress in about 20 years.
Open Source does not mean 'free'. It means that the source code is freely available. You can sell any project that is open source just as long as you provide the source code with it.
Some of these apps can be considered transitional apps while others need to be platform-centric. For instance, Office and Web Browser apps are TOTALLY transitional apps, making the environment friendly for those who are familiar with those apps on other platforms.
But other apps are unnecessary to port like KDE; no discernable advantage is gained by porting it to Windows because the vast majority of users only use about 5% of the operating systems functions thus something like KDE would have only a negligible effect. ASlso since this is a GUI app aimed at end users and not developers so much, this is your target audience and they would not really be switching from Windows for this.
MySQL and Apache are classic examples of transitional apps for developers and both of them are used from a command line or via a text based conf file so again, KDE would only have a negligible effect.
So far, I tend to agree with those developers that there is no point in porting it.
I myself am working on a startup company that I intend to launch next year. Sure it may not make money the first year but if it can support itself then I'll be happy.
Heh. Actually, I've managed to figure out that the company with one employee (me) can survive indefinitely with a limited budget of $300/month.
I've cut nearly every cost and automated nearly everything I can so I can work my regular job and do this in my spare time until it gets firmly off the ground.
Yep. I'm proof. I'm in the process of developing a company myself. As a web developer/designer/database developer/sys admin, I've got a nice enough set of skils to be able to cover all the bases for a web driven business.
Not that I'm a REAL coder doing C++ or anything but I still believe that it only takes a little of each skill to get the job started and halfway through you will be a pro at al of them.:)
Well actually it gave me a much needed job in a bad market when people who only knew one thing and walked out of interviews couldn't compete.
Also, by knowing all these skills, it gave me just enough to start my own company. And they will have a VERY hard time filling my shoes because not only does someone have to be able to do everything I do but they have to be able to interpet all my code, my database schema and the basic structure and classes of all the different projects.
As a web developer, I'm expected to be able to handle the web server updates (as well as security), do the database development, build applications and do web design as well.
It didn't use to always be this way: sys admin, web developer, database developer and web designer used to all be separate jobs. But in the modern economy, yes... the more self sufficient you are the better. Take some graphic design classes, start drawing in your spare time, etc.
Yeah and every movie I watch on regular TV means I will never purchase the DVD and every song I listen to on the radio means I will never purchase the CD and every book I read in the library is one less book I will buy.
I think it's only a matter of time before McDonalds starts suing people who distribute recipes online.
Slashdot Mirror
E-ink has made a partnership with a company that prints circuits on plastic making e-paper a reality. They go into mass production in 2005 making the paperless office a potential reality.
so you admit I'm right and can only attack a typo? How sad. Were there any other genetic freaks on your short bus who had objections as well?
Well fact is that they have been losing market share in alot of ways; Firefox has been cutting into their market share as has Linux, MySQL, Apache, OpenOffice. The list goes on and on.
.NET development on anything but the desktop (regardless of MONO or other projects).
Just about every study out there shows them losing ground in just about every front. To stand there and blindly think that they are still gaining is ignorant; even investors have repeatedly stated that their stock has stagnated and suggested against buying it.
You still think they are doing fine? Well how about two anti trust judgements against them? Does that sound fine?
Honestly, I'm a realist. They have such a lock on the desktop that they will remain dominant for a long time to come... but the server market is another thing entirely. And as a result of the server market moving towards alternatives, you can thusly say goodbye to
Linux on the desktop is a feint to split Microsoft's focus and it's a good feint at that forcing Microsoft to split resources and perogatives. Microsoft needs to stay focused on the desktop and start building apps for a NIX based server environment today or else lose out entirely to an industry that wants reliability and stability in a cheaper product.
Until they realize this, the demand for their products will continue to decline... albeit slowly but it still is a decline nonetheless. And when you are a company of that size, any decline is a huge drain on the gorilla.
If they haven't been cut in your area yet, it only means that someone in your department is using their 'moral money' for those things... it does not mean it wasn't cut; it just means that depts that still want those things have to declare them.
:)
And you forgot to mention how your benefits are being cut as well. So in other words, you are still wrong.
Just heard from some sources on the M$ campus that in order to save money, Microsoft cancelled their X-mas party. Word is that they did it to save money.
This is the latest in Microsofts attempts to stem bleeding by cutting employee benefits; the first round cut free sodas (a classic sign in dot bomb times of impending doom), then they cut insurance benefits and towels in the changing rooms. Then they cut contractors and their game production. Now they are cutting Christmas parties?? They have also announced that they are moving more jobs to Tsunami country and are building a larger facility over there.
Things are not looking good in monopoly land when the 800 pound gorilla comes to the party covered in band-aids.
Actually there are multiple reasons why the public didn't get it and it boils down to the public and the industry avoiding it because of the following:
1. monopoly - nobody wants to give all their id's to one company to control
2. lack of understanding - why do I need one company to have my login and password to use on all these sites when I, Joe Average, already use the same login and password on all these sites?
3. security - Seriously, would you trust them with your login, pass, personal info and credit card information when they have had such a flawless run on security?
Because of one of those three things (or a combination thereof), it failed. These are (oddly enough) the same stumbling blocks that continue to stump them with all product releases. In some ways, it would have been in Microsoft's best interest's to split the company either via the courts or themselves; in that sense, the baggage of the company would not follow every product. By splitting the company, the could effectively put a new face behind each branch and each child company would have a chance to remarket themselves and their products.
On a negative, this would make it so that they would then have to compete more fairly in an open market and thus would cost them a share. It's give and take and right now no matter how you cut it microsoft loses.
Innovation isn't really innovation if no one wants it but you.
I feel exactly the same way. Sure, Stallman may have INITIATED the concept but it has evolved. And rather than evolve with it and try to contribute, he has been bitching and whining the entire way about how he deserves all the credit and that everyone needs to listen to him about how it needs to work. In comparison, Linus has released virtually all control and even plays with concepts like DRM.
Sure I don't like DRM but he accepts the fact that he is an engineer first and foremost and not a social engineer; social engineering comes about as a side effect of what he does. Social engineering is not the foremost thing for an engineer to be focused on.
Yeah, Stallman is killing himself and his credibility. The Open Source community has just tried to placate him and humor him and even they are getting tired of his bullshit.
Hmmm... true. Good point. I just always assume GPL=Open Source by default. But their ARE other open source licenses out there. I guess the real answer is 'it depends on the license' then.
HA! Getting RMS to comprimise is alot like trying to melt the polar icecaps with a blow dryer and box of matches. Give me an update on your progress in about 20 years.
Open Source does not mean 'free'. It means that the source code is freely available. You can sell any project that is open source just as long as you provide the source code with it.
Some of these apps can be considered transitional apps while others need to be platform-centric. For instance, Office and Web Browser apps are TOTALLY transitional apps, making the environment friendly for those who are familiar with those apps on other platforms.
But other apps are unnecessary to port like KDE; no discernable advantage is gained by porting it to Windows because the vast majority of users only use about 5% of the operating systems functions thus something like KDE would have only a negligible effect. ASlso since this is a GUI app aimed at end users and not developers so much, this is your target audience and they would not really be switching from Windows for this.
MySQL and Apache are classic examples of transitional apps for developers and both of them are used from a command line or via a text based conf file so again, KDE would only have a negligible effect.
So far, I tend to agree with those developers that there is no point in porting it.
Cool. Thanks. Now it becomes an option. I was just quoting from their requirements page.
Can't wait for the hack so that it no longer requires Win-blows
... and what we have found works great is slide scanners. You can find a fairly good one for about $1000 but Linux support is unknown.
I myself am working on a startup company that I intend to launch next year. Sure it may not make money the first year but if it can support itself then I'll be happy.
Heh. Actually, I've managed to figure out that the company with one employee (me) can survive indefinitely with a limited budget of $300/month.
I've cut nearly every cost and automated nearly everything I can so I can work my regular job and do this in my spare time until it gets firmly off the ground.
Yep. I'm proof. I'm in the process of developing a company myself. As a web developer/designer/database developer/sys admin, I've got a nice enough set of skils to be able to cover all the bases for a web driven business.
:)
Not that I'm a REAL coder doing C++ or anything but I still believe that it only takes a little of each skill to get the job started and halfway through you will be a pro at al of them.
Well actually it gave me a much needed job in a bad market when people who only knew one thing and walked out of interviews couldn't compete.
Also, by knowing all these skills, it gave me just enough to start my own company. And they will have a VERY hard time filling my shoes because not only does someone have to be able to do everything I do but they have to be able to interpet all my code, my database schema and the basic structure and classes of all the different projects.
As a web developer, I'm expected to be able to handle the web server updates (as well as security), do the database development, build applications and do web design as well.
It didn't use to always be this way: sys admin, web developer, database developer and web designer used to all be separate jobs. But in the modern economy, yes... the more self sufficient you are the better. Take some graphic design classes, start drawing in your spare time, etc.
SURPRISE! SURPRISE! SURPRISE!
That's one aspect... how about the others? I notice you conveniently neglected to answer the library one.
Yeah and every movie I watch on regular TV means I will never purchase the DVD and every song I listen to on the radio means I will never purchase the CD and every book I read in the library is one less book I will buy.
I think it's only a matter of time before McDonalds starts suing people who distribute recipes online.
Let loose the lone gunmen of war!
Objects are no longer called by copying. OObjects are now called by reference.