So, this sounds great, a solar sail to Jupiter... wow! But how long would it take to get to Jupiter? I didn't see any mention of speeds or estimated travel times. And what about getting back? You can turn the "paddles" for steering, so does that mean you would use a similar strategy to sailboats tacking? How long would that take?
Another thing is, with rocket powered things we know the exact speed to use for navigation calculations. This is how photographic satellites intercepted the planets of the solar system. With something as dynamic as sailing, it seems that it would be nearly impossible to actually get to the correct point in a planet's orbit to intercept it. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So if you cold hold 2 years of non repeating music on a $5000 file server, would you actually do it? Think about it, how much time would you have to invest to actually go find 2 years worth of MP3s that aren't the same. I have about 10GB myself and I still haven't gone through all of them to remove the duplicates. Anyway, forget about this making better radio stations or whatever, even if they wanted to broadcast using mp3 or some other compression format, they wouldn't use more than 50 songs, just listen to any station out there... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You can always count on the media to point out the obvious. Larger and more intrusive is better, eh? What a bunch of geniuses. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There's more to hardware and software interaction than speed. Yes, on pure execution time, the software would be very fast, but what I was eluding to were different, more complex issues like storing the file on hard disk (when you have only 64 MB RAM) or storing in RAM (when you have 1 GB RAM.) Those sorts of hardware issues would make such a long development period illogical. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You know if I buy a CD, and I want to make a backup of it on my HD as mp3's, isn't that my right? I mean I purchased the right to own that copy of the songs, so as long as I don't redistribute them, shouldn't I be able to store them wherever I please?
I think the record companies are just like doctors, they want to make money on the comeback. Look at the last disease cured: polio. Everything else, you have to live with it, and keep coming back and buying more drugs to live with it. Doctors are still pissed off at how much money they've lost from polio. Weel the record companies are still pissed off from how much money they think/i> they have lost from tape recorders. They see this as their opportunity to not let tape recorders happen again. That is why they are doing these things, to make money on the comeback, so when the CD scratches, we have to purchase another one. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Software is not a machined product that can be scheduled and delivered in a patternistic way. Software can range from an enterprise resources manager to a digital media editor to a word processor to a web page. It's ridiculous to say that "good software takes 10 years to write." Wouldn't that be overkill for Solitaire II? I agree that time is important in the development process, that throwing huge numbers of people on an assignment is not necessarily the best way to approach things, but there is no number that can be applied to all software on how long it should take to develop. Companies should (probably never will, but should) release software packages when they are ready, not when they are due. That may not sound economical, but it would boost consumer confidence, and it would make for less cost in the realm of going back and fixing things overlooked.
One other thing, computers supposedly are out-dated in what, 18, 24 months? That means that in 10 years, you will go through 5 to 7 cycles of computers going obsolete. How in the world could a 10 year development process be viable then? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
OH, well I didn't know VPC could do that, thanks for the info. To the other dude, I'm not old, I'm an engineer. We are taught from the ground up, and yes, that means going back to 8086. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Well I said "get one of those new Pentiums" so I wasn't suggesting get old stuff. If you're going to do any work with hardware, you're going to need a PC. They told us our curriculum was all C++ when I was an incoming freshman (computer engineering) and I think I ended up using a couple of dozen different programming languages. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
OK so this might have a future for educational games or maybe even slow-action RPG's, but seriously, who has ever pressed "X" because it says "X" more than the first time you pressed it. You remember it's in a certain position or feels a certain way, and so you keep pressing it. Visual representation is just not needed on controllers, it's all about feeling.
In addition, what about button sensitivity? In certain games, like Madden football, you control the trajectory of a pass by how hard or soft you press the button, so how would a flat touchscreen do that with any sort of feel? I don't think this will be very popular. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I love Macintosh computers more than most people, even age old Mac Groupies, but I have to tell you that honestly you should just bite the bullet and go with a piece of crap PC. Get one of the new Pentium's for like $1500 and two years from now get another one. When you graduate, go back to Mac, and be happy. The reasons for this are many, here are some of mine:
1) Everyone else will have a PC - want free software from your buddies? Better have a PC.
2) Your roomate's scanner won't work on your Mac - sharing hardware in college - especially when you're strapped for cash - is commonplace and let's face it, lots of things just don't work on the Mac.
3) The school is going to have old software for your Mac - it really, really sucks but they are generally 3 years behind on the software titles they offer for academic use with the Macs, and usually the network support for Macs is terrible (probably because Macs don't need much support.)
4) Your projects will require obscure applications built for PC's only - how many 8086 simulators are out there for the Mac? How about a LISP compiler, or a FPGA writer.... not many
5) When the rest of the hall is battling it out on the latest PC game, you'll be saying "man I wish game X was ported to Mac OS!" - and that sucks
6)... there is no 6
That's all I can think of right now but I'm sure other readers will gladly contribute. Just trust me, take a Mac vacation and use some clunkers for a few years, then come back to the good side of the force once you graduate and don't have to worry about professorial whims. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hahaha, well I know I'm not a real nerd but at least I try. Work hasn't been the most exciting lately, so I have to keep myself entertained somehow. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
OK, sounds like a great idea and lots of fun, but why? Could you run GIMP or something like that on this OS? You can already write your own apps for the Palm OS, so why bother installing the Linux OS?
On the other hand, a device which could use a Linux OS is digital set top boxes. Somebody put Linux on those so we can have decent functionality, please!!! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Slashdot Mirror
So, this sounds great, a solar sail to Jupiter... wow!
But how long would it take to get to Jupiter? I didn't see any mention of speeds or estimated travel times.
And what about getting back? You can turn the "paddles" for steering, so does that mean you would use a similar strategy to sailboats tacking? How long would that take?
Another thing is, with rocket powered things we know the exact speed to use for navigation calculations. This is how photographic satellites intercepted the planets of the solar system. With something as dynamic as sailing, it seems that it would be nearly impossible to actually get to the correct point in a planet's orbit to intercept it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So if you cold hold 2 years of non repeating music on a $5000 file server, would you actually do it? Think about it, how much time would you have to invest to actually go find 2 years worth of MP3s that aren't the same. I have about 10GB myself and I still haven't gone through all of them to remove the duplicates. Anyway, forget about this making better radio stations or whatever, even if they wanted to broadcast using mp3 or some other compression format, they wouldn't use more than 50 songs, just listen to any station out there...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Haha, I was way off, thanks :-)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Do you people not understand fesicious humor?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Refer to this one posted by me to see the reason for this reply.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So I can't buy in on this IPO on the Euro Stock Exchange eh? Well good, I don't have any monopoly money left anyway...
And I fart in your general direction!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was a joke guys, come on, no need for name calling.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
... and call it Mac OS X?
... oh, and can you imagine...
...a Beowolf cluster of these?
(or however you spell that)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You can always count on the media to point out the obvious. Larger and more intrusive is better, eh? What a bunch of geniuses.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There's more to hardware and software interaction than speed. Yes, on pure execution time, the software would be very fast, but what I was eluding to were different, more complex issues like storing the file on hard disk (when you have only 64 MB RAM) or storing in RAM (when you have 1 GB RAM.) Those sorts of hardware issues would make such a long development period illogical.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I should have used the preview button!
Weel should = Well
no, I didn't mean to let the last half of the post be in italics
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You know if I buy a CD, and I want to make a backup of it on my HD as mp3's, isn't that my right? I mean I purchased the right to own that copy of the songs, so as long as I don't redistribute them, shouldn't I be able to store them wherever I please?
I think the record companies are just like doctors, they want to make money on the comeback. Look at the last disease cured: polio. Everything else, you have to live with it, and keep coming back and buying more drugs to live with it. Doctors are still pissed off at how much money they've lost from polio. Weel the record companies are still pissed off from how much money they think/i> they have lost from tape recorders. They see this as their opportunity to not let tape recorders happen again. That is why they are doing these things, to make money on the comeback, so when the CD scratches, we have to purchase another one.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Software is not a machined product that can be scheduled and delivered in a patternistic way. Software can range from an enterprise resources manager to a digital media editor to a word processor to a web page. It's ridiculous to say that "good software takes 10 years to write." Wouldn't that be overkill for Solitaire II? I agree that time is important in the development process, that throwing huge numbers of people on an assignment is not necessarily the best way to approach things, but there is no number that can be applied to all software on how long it should take to develop. Companies should (probably never will, but should) release software packages when they are ready, not when they are due. That may not sound economical, but it would boost consumer confidence, and it would make for less cost in the realm of going back and fixing things overlooked.
One other thing, computers supposedly are out-dated in what, 18, 24 months? That means that in 10 years, you will go through 5 to 7 cycles of computers going obsolete. How in the world could a 10 year development process be viable then?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
OH, well I didn't know VPC could do that, thanks for the info. To the other dude, I'm not old, I'm an engineer. We are taught from the ground up, and yes, that means going back to 8086.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Well I said "get one of those new Pentiums" so I wasn't suggesting get old stuff. If you're going to do any work with hardware, you're going to need a PC. They told us our curriculum was all C++ when I was an incoming freshman (computer engineering) and I think I ended up using a couple of dozen different programming languages.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
OK so this might have a future for educational games or maybe even slow-action RPG's, but seriously, who has ever pressed "X" because it says "X" more than the first time you pressed it. You remember it's in a certain position or feels a certain way, and so you keep pressing it. Visual representation is just not needed on controllers, it's all about feeling.
In addition, what about button sensitivity? In certain games, like Madden football, you control the trajectory of a pass by how hard or soft you press the button, so how would a flat touchscreen do that with any sort of feel? I don't think this will be very popular.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I love Macintosh computers more than most people, even age old Mac Groupies, but I have to tell you that honestly you should just bite the bullet and go with a piece of crap PC. Get one of the new Pentium's for like $1500 and two years from now get another one. When you graduate, go back to Mac, and be happy. The reasons for this are many, here are some of mine:
... there is no 6
1) Everyone else will have a PC - want free software from your buddies? Better have a PC.
2) Your roomate's scanner won't work on your Mac - sharing hardware in college - especially when you're strapped for cash - is commonplace and let's face it, lots of things just don't work on the Mac.
3) The school is going to have old software for your Mac - it really, really sucks but they are generally 3 years behind on the software titles they offer for academic use with the Macs, and usually the network support for Macs is terrible (probably because Macs don't need much support.)
4) Your projects will require obscure applications built for PC's only - how many 8086 simulators are out there for the Mac? How about a LISP compiler, or a FPGA writer.... not many
5) When the rest of the hall is battling it out on the latest PC game, you'll be saying "man I wish game X was ported to Mac OS!" - and that sucks
6)
That's all I can think of right now but I'm sure other readers will gladly contribute. Just trust me, take a Mac vacation and use some clunkers for a few years, then come back to the good side of the force once you graduate and don't have to worry about professorial whims.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Now those were some informative replies, thanks.
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Hahaha, well I know I'm not a real nerd but at least I try. Work hasn't been the most exciting lately, so I have to keep myself entertained somehow.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ohhhhhhhh, I'm a little slow sometimes
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
OK, sounds like a great idea and lots of fun, but why? Could you run GIMP or something like that on this OS? You can already write your own apps for the Palm OS, so why bother installing the Linux OS?
On the other hand, a device which could use a Linux OS is digital set top boxes. Somebody put Linux on those so we can have decent functionality, please!!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I was hoping someone would catch that :-)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thanks everyone.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
OK, so we've got: 0 = o
1 = l
2 = ?
3 = e
4 = a
5 = ?
6 = ?
7 = t
8 = ?
9 = g
Is that right? Also I'm assuming i = 33. What else is there?
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