M$ has become a master of FUD. The problem is, that's whats going to kill it.
His Billness has been dropping hints ( Read:FUD ) about M$'s "new and improved" 64-bit OS for the last 18 months.
I just love it. Whenever some PHB starts going on about Windows, I just say "...but ther's no point in wasting time developing win32 code, Bill Gates has already made it clear that M$ already has a 64-bit OS in the pipeline, so all of this Win32 code will just be legacy garbage code that we will have to maintain within the next 3-5 years and you know what *that* means...".
FUD is a two edged sword. Think about it. How many people have only just converted themselves over from 16-bit MS-DOS to 32-bit Windows? How do you think they feel about the fact that with W2K that they have to convert all of their Windows code to Windows NT ( an obvious attempt to force everyone to a common platform before forceing the transission to M$ 64-bit "whatever it's going to be called" ).
No, I haven't read the article ( it's been/.ed ). I don't need to. I've seen it all before. People can say whatever they like, but the big guns ( the Fortune-500 companies ) have just about had enough of M$ [expletive-deleted]ing them for more and more money. They are ready to dump M$ ( the same way they dumped IBM in the late 80's (and yes, I was *there* when it happened)).
Call me a hopless optimist if you like, but there is a change coming. M$ has already peaked, from here there is only one way for it to go.
Down.
Ignore the FUD. If you like Linux, then use it. Write code/test code/write documentation. Linux still has a way to go before it can become a contender in the desktop. Give it time people. It will get there when it's ready.
Where can M$ go? Nowhere. It's got 20 years worth of bad design descisions to carry with it. It's got 20 years of bloat and marketing "Whoo! Whoo!" to carry on it's back. I'll give you three guesses as to how portable cade will be between Win32 and Whatever64 - about as portable as betwwen VB 3.X and VB 4.X, which is about the same as from VB 4.X as to VB 5.X.
In other words - not at all.
Just my 20 years worth of cynisism gang.
P.S:"Beta?! This crap hardly RUNS!". Sorry for the bad grammer and spelling, but everything gets trashed is I use the "preview" button.
*Argh!* This is the third [expletive-deletive] time that I have tried to comment to this posting! Whenever I use the preview button, it trashes my comment!
*Ahem!*. Anyway, to learn about *real* *cold* *fussion*, check out the muonic hydrogen homepage at
http://www.triumf.ca/muh/muh.html
As to all of this "cold fussion", I'm sorry, but get real. Any idiot can induce "cold fussion". Just get a bar of Lithium-6/7 alloy and a neutron detector and wait for a high energy cosmic ray to hit the lithium.
It would be really nice to think that there are simple ways to produce neutrons, but I'll wait until this has been replicated by other groups before I say nay or yae.
How about something like DirectX?
on
Gaming on Linux
·
· Score: 1
Posted by ^Malt^:
I know the difference between 3d and 2d graphics. The point is, XFree86 is too slow. Take any computer with any graphics card (that is - any card I've been out for) and compare them. The difference is sometimes small, usually large enough to spot quite immediately and always in Windoze's favor. Problem is - if I can't get both vi,sed,awk and the rest and fast graphics, I'll rather choose the Junics (as a customer wrote it once):o)
How about something like DirectX?
on
Gaming on Linux
·
· Score: 1
Posted by ^Malt^:
Guess none of these are open source... How much do these cost?
MesaGL is something like DirectX?
on
Gaming on Linux
·
· Score: 1
Posted by ^Malt^:
But this requires a somehow cool graphics card, ken?
While the OSD is a nice position paper, it is not something you can use as a legal paper. Depending on your country and which jurisdiction applies you are usually bound by laws and constitutions. Anything in these 'override' whatever you state in for example your licence.
For US companies, US export laws applies. Now one could hide that fact, and rely on the implictness that they apply anyway. But what apple has done is more 'honest' so to say.
So if you have issue; you will have to take up the issue not with apple, but with your legislation.
Dw
How about something like DirectX?
on
Gaming on Linux
·
· Score: 2
Posted by ^Malt^:
How about creating something like M$'s DirectX? One can say a lot about M$ but DirectX's still fast! Is there any really fast graphics libraries for Linux? Is it possible to run X while not waiting for the Word Perfect screen update for a second or more during a normal scroll? After a diskchrash, I installed Linux instead of Windoze and the graphics speed really sucks (IBM ThinkPad 380ED P166MMX 48MB RAM)
It is nice to see this - very nice. The 'net, and/. are both very powerful entities.
i've thought of one way for financing
on
Assorted Katz Hype
·
· Score: 1
Posted by Saurus:
I've considered this problem myself for writing software. The best I could come up with other than strictly free is a contract between myself and donors that I would release whatever program GPL'ed after $x in donations. Escrow accounts could perhaps aid in this approach depending on how much money was involved.
If A needs $50K/year to create a program but B needs $0 to create a very similar program, who do you think is working more efficiently and which program do you think will be better?
Very good point. With OEMs getting on board, I'd be more likely to buy a Linux box, knowing that I wouldn't have to put my limited technical skills to the test. They focused mostly on the install, instead of the actual operations.
HOWEVER, the article did serve a good purpose -- even with Red Hat 5.2, the install on most Linux builds still needs work. If Linux ever wants to try to take on the desktop, it needs a dumbed-down install for the masses.
As far as the FUD factor, look at it this way. These articles may have introduced more people to Linux, and if they're interested enough, they'll find out more on their own.
The site's looking better every day, and those who use it every day really appreciate it. Don't let the hate mail get you down. Go get yourself that beer.
A phone modem is not an essential piece of equipment for a lot of people.
Cable modems are getting much more popular in major cities. I've had one for just over a year now. Most of that time I was using 95. Last month I installed Linux on a junker machine and most of my connection problems went away magically. Also, I can now see download speeds > 280KBYTES/ s (almost twice the speed I got in 95)
With 95, I didn't really care for the fact that in order to share a resource with another machine on the network -- I had to share it with ALL machines on the network -- now someone needs a password to access my Samba shares.
I think that more than anything, it's a mindset that makes a hacker. Does it piss you off when you can't solve a problem that should be simple? Have you ever passed up sex to finish solving such a problem? Have you ever jubilently screamed "YES!!" when some new hardware/software product that you've been waiting for gets released? Do you prefer to do things the hard way just to see if you can do it? Do your friends ever ask you "Why" whan you tell them about your current project? Do you come into work late, but then stay even later?
If you have answered yes to most of these questions you're probably a hacker.
Well, at least it's not sponsored by Ed McMahon or made as a Star Search, or something totally silly like that. Some useful information. Prevents a bit of rampant script-kiddie attacks, if it's disseminated right. (Oh, yeah, it's on/. so what the hell am I thinking- I bet only the first lucky few get to read it before it gets/.'ed into that seamless oblivion we see so much in dreams...) Try it tho, ya might like it...
Well, I always thought the twiddler was neat. But I don't know if I'd buy one. I have too many questions and concerns.
I mean, every picture I've seen of someone holding one, has the hand bent back at the wrist. This is the *exact same* position that, when typing or clicking the mouse, is (at least partially) responsible for causing carpal-tunnel, tendonitis, and other repetative stress injuries. I know when I have bad typing posture or rest my hand on the mouse, I notice pain in all sorts of places throughout my hands and arms. But when I correct it, the pain stops. Have there been any testimonials about people who had typing-related injuries, but whose condition improved when they started using the Twiddler? Have there been any reports of people developing typing-related injuries *after* starting the use of the Twiddler? These are things I'd like to know.
Also, I don't know how it works. What is the keyboard layout like? I don't understand how so few keys are used to emulate a full keyboard. What do users' typing speeds compare to their typing speed on conventional keyboards? And they say it fits comfortably into both right or left hand? But what does that mean? Just 'cause it fits doesn't mean it's just as usable. Does it have a switch to make it symetrical, or does the left hand have to learn it reversed -- I don't see how *that* would be a good thing.
And what about drivers? That sucks. If I'm gonna buy a portable keyboard, I better be able to carry it with me and plug it into anything. I mean, couldn't they make a box of some sort that converts the Twiddler's usual signal to scancodes for whichever machine-mode (PC, Mac) it's in? And there could be two cords coming out the back -- one for keyborad, one for mouse. That would solve the problem of drivers; you wouldn't need any.
I'm all for a portable, low-stress input device for computers. But is the Twiddler really it?
An Alpha WHAT? 500? Talk about comparing a Corvette to a Yugo. Of course you would take an Alpha over an iMac. I would take an Alpha over an iMac, and I'm a Mac owner. You really can't compare the two, though.
I really don't see either Gmc or Kfm as being useful...they're too much like windows explorer. If you want a really useful file manager which has easy to use associations and a good keyboard interface, try SFM.
The rest of KDE and GNOME are very useful however...I just wish they'd think a bit more about people with multi-head setups.
-W.W.
So do Harmony (Linux|Apache|BSD...) programmers
on
Harmony Rides Again
·
· Score: 1
Posted by FascDot Killed My Previous Use:
And yet THEY are programming for free. What's the diff?
Slashdot Mirror
Posted by AnnoyingMouseCoward:
/.ed ). I don't need to. I've seen it all before. People can say whatever they like, but the big guns ( the Fortune-500 companies ) have just about had enough of M$ [expletive-deleted]ing them for more and more money. They are ready to dump M$ ( the same way they dumped IBM in the late 80's (and yes, I was *there* when it happened)).
This is completly of topic, but what the hell...
M$ has become a master of FUD. The problem is, that's whats going to kill it.
His Billness has been dropping hints ( Read:FUD ) about M$'s "new and improved" 64-bit OS for the last 18 months.
I just love it. Whenever some PHB starts going on about Windows, I just say "...but ther's no point in wasting time developing win32 code, Bill Gates has already made it clear that M$ already has a 64-bit OS in the pipeline, so all of this Win32 code will just be legacy garbage code that we will have to maintain within the next 3-5 years and you know what *that* means...".
FUD is a two edged sword. Think about it. How many people have only just converted themselves over from 16-bit MS-DOS to 32-bit Windows? How do you think they feel about the fact that with W2K that they have to convert all of their Windows code to Windows NT ( an obvious attempt to force everyone to a common platform before forceing the transission to M$ 64-bit "whatever it's going to be called" ).
No, I haven't read the article ( it's been
Call me a hopless optimist if you like, but there is a change coming. M$ has already peaked, from here there is only one way for it to go.
Down.
Ignore the FUD. If you like Linux, then use it. Write code/test code/write documentation. Linux still has a way to go before it can become a contender in the desktop. Give it time people. It will get there when it's ready.
Where can M$ go? Nowhere. It's got 20 years worth of bad design descisions to carry with it. It's got 20 years of bloat and marketing "Whoo! Whoo!" to carry on it's back. I'll give you three guesses as to how portable cade will be between Win32 and Whatever64 - about as portable as betwwen VB 3.X and VB 4.X, which is about the same as from VB 4.X as to VB 5.X.
In other words - not at all.
Just my 20 years worth of cynisism gang.
P.S:"Beta?! This crap hardly RUNS!". Sorry for the bad grammer and spelling, but everything gets trashed is I use the "preview" button.
Posted by AnnoyingMouseCoward:
*Argh!* This is the third [expletive-deletive] time that I have tried to comment to this posting! Whenever I use the preview button, it trashes my comment!
*Ahem!*. Anyway, to learn about *real* *cold* *fussion*, check out the muonic hydrogen homepage at
http://www.triumf.ca/muh/muh.html
As to all of this "cold fussion", I'm sorry, but get real. Any idiot can induce "cold fussion". Just get a bar of Lithium-6/7 alloy and a neutron detector and wait for a high energy cosmic ray to hit the lithium.
It would be really nice to think that there are simple ways to produce neutrons, but I'll wait until this has been replicated by other groups before I say nay or yae.
Posted by ^Malt^:
:o)
I know the difference between 3d and 2d graphics. The point is, XFree86 is too slow . Take any computer with any graphics card (that is - any card I've been out for) and compare them. The difference is sometimes small, usually large enough to spot quite immediately and always in Windoze's favor.
Problem is - if I can't get both vi,sed,awk and the rest and fast graphics, I'll rather choose the Junics (as a customer wrote it once)
Posted by ^Malt^:
Guess none of these are open source... How much do these cost?
Posted by ^Malt^:
But this requires a somehow cool graphics card, ken?
Posted by dirkx:
While the OSD is a nice position paper, it is not something you can use as a legal paper. Depending
on your country and which jurisdiction applies you
are usually bound by laws and constitutions. Anything in these 'override' whatever you state in
for example your licence.
For US companies, US export laws applies. Now one could hide that fact, and rely on the implictness that they apply anyway. But what apple has done is
more 'honest' so to say.
So if you have issue; you will have to take up the
issue not with apple, but with your legislation.
Dw
Posted by ^Malt^:
How about creating something like M$'s DirectX? One can say a lot about M$ but DirectX's still fast! Is there any really fast graphics libraries for Linux? Is it possible to run X while not waiting for the Word Perfect screen update for a second or more during a normal scroll? After a diskchrash, I installed Linux instead of Windoze and the graphics speed really sucks (IBM ThinkPad 380ED P166MMX 48MB RAM)
Posted by Bryan Lawson:
Now if only the people could get rid of the government....
Posted by FrodoLives:
what?
Posted by Wayne Steele:
User Friendly, Seg Fault, and Be Dope all got the same letter. Picking on Microsoft is the primary thing in common between all three sites.
Posted by robho:
/. are both very powerful entities.
It is nice to see this - very nice.
The 'net, and
Posted by Saurus:
I've considered this problem myself for writing software. The best I could come up with other than strictly free is a contract between myself and donors that I would release whatever program GPL'ed after $x in donations. Escrow accounts could perhaps aid in this approach depending on how much money was involved.
Posted by FascDot Killed My Previous Use:
Exactly! Now you're getting it!
If A needs $50K/year to create a program but B needs $0 to create a very similar program, who do you think is working more efficiently and which program do you think will be better?
Posted by Open Matrix:
I agree, Way To Go Rob! You're doing a wonderful job. Keep up the good work. Thank you for making the comments bearable again.
Time is an illusion, lunchtime doubly so!
Posted by Mike@ABC:
Very good point. With OEMs getting on board, I'd be more likely to buy a Linux box, knowing that I wouldn't have to put my limited technical skills to the test. They focused mostly on the install, instead of the actual operations.
HOWEVER, the article did serve a good purpose -- even with Red Hat 5.2, the install on most Linux builds still needs work. If Linux ever wants to try to take on the desktop, it needs a dumbed-down install for the masses.
As far as the FUD factor, look at it this way. These articles may have introduced more people to Linux, and if they're interested enough, they'll find out more on their own.
Posted by Mike@ABC:
The site's looking better every day, and those who use it every day really appreciate it. Don't let the hate mail get you down. Go get yourself that beer.
Posted by mborgerd:
A phone modem is not an essential piece of equipment for a lot of people.
Cable modems are getting much more popular in major cities. I've had one for just over a year now. Most of that time I was using 95. Last month I installed Linux on a junker machine and most of my connection problems went away magically. Also, I can now see download speeds > 280KBYTES/ s (almost twice the speed I got in 95)
With 95, I didn't really care for the fact that in order to share a resource with another machine on the network -- I had to share it with ALL machines on the network -- now someone needs a password to access my Samba shares.
Posted by Lord Kano-The Gangster Of Love:
I think that more than anything, it's a mindset that makes a hacker. Does it piss you off when you can't solve a problem that should be simple? Have you ever passed up sex to finish solving such a problem? Have you ever jubilently screamed "YES!!" when some new hardware/software product that you've been waiting for gets released? Do you prefer to do things the hard way just to see if you can do it? Do your friends ever ask you "Why" whan you tell them about your current project? Do you come into work late, but then stay even later?
If you have answered yes to most of these questions you're probably a hacker.
Hackito Ergo Sum.
LK
Posted by Bocharn:
This article brings closer the moment when people stop mixing the word "hacker" with the word "cracker".
Posted by Cassull:
/. so what the hell am I thinking- I bet only the first lucky few get to read it before it gets /.'ed into that seamless oblivion we see so much in dreams...) Try it tho, ya might like it...
Well, at least it's not sponsored by Ed McMahon or made as a Star Search, or something totally silly like that. Some useful information. Prevents a bit of rampant script-kiddie attacks, if it's disseminated right. (Oh, yeah, it's on
Posted by traevoli:
Well, I always thought the twiddler was neat. But I don't know if I'd buy one. I have too many questions and concerns.
I mean, every picture I've seen of someone holding one, has the hand bent back at the wrist. This is the *exact same* position that, when typing or clicking the mouse, is (at least partially) responsible for causing carpal-tunnel, tendonitis, and other repetative stress injuries. I know when I have bad typing posture or rest my hand on the mouse, I notice pain in all sorts of places throughout my hands and arms. But when I correct it, the pain stops. Have there been any testimonials about people who had typing-related injuries, but whose condition improved when they started using the Twiddler? Have there been any reports of people developing typing-related injuries *after* starting the use of the Twiddler? These are things I'd like to know.
Also, I don't know how it works. What is the keyboard layout like? I don't understand how so few keys are used to emulate a full keyboard. What do users' typing speeds compare to their typing speed on conventional keyboards? And they say it fits comfortably into both right or left hand? But what does that mean? Just 'cause it fits doesn't mean it's just as usable. Does it have a switch to make it symetrical, or does the left hand have to learn it reversed -- I don't see how *that* would be a good thing.
And what about drivers? That sucks. If I'm gonna buy a portable keyboard, I better be able to carry it with me and plug it into anything. I mean, couldn't they make a box of some sort that converts the Twiddler's usual signal to scancodes for whichever machine-mode (PC, Mac) it's in? And there could be two cords coming out the back -- one for keyborad, one for mouse. That would solve the problem of drivers; you wouldn't need any.
I'm all for a portable, low-stress input device for computers. But is the Twiddler really it?
Posted by wonderpop:
An Alpha WHAT? 500? Talk about comparing a Corvette to a Yugo. Of course you would take an Alpha over an iMac. I would take an Alpha over an iMac, and I'm a Mac owner. You really can't compare the two, though.
Posted by wonderpop:
Why pay for an iMac? Pay $60 for an SE and run it on that. Oh and, you can get BSD for Mac.
Posted by OGL:
I really don't see either Gmc or Kfm as being useful...they're too much like windows explorer. If you want a really useful file manager which has easy to use associations and a good keyboard interface, try SFM.
The rest of KDE and GNOME are very useful however...I just wish they'd think a bit more about people with multi-head setups.
-W.W.
Posted by FascDot Killed My Previous Use:
And yet THEY are programming for free. What's the diff?