What's worse is all the AOL lusers that will see this and begin to ph33r all the d00dz that IM them with "Hi, I'm from AOL support! Please e-mail me your password and credit card number at once!"
Ever have the misfortune to catch a glimpse of their show (Yack Live?) where they had a split-screen showing music videos and an AOL chat room? It goes a little something like this:
LuSeR4078: DUDE THIS VIDEO ROX I liKe BSB 8029100: put on sum bsb! bsb's kewl MannSONN12: hi im a 12/m with a pic (repeat for an hour)
I remember seeing a Bose product demonstration where they had two large speakers mounted up on the wall. They started to play some music, and it came out with incredibly realistic sound. Then the saleswoman pressed a button, and the speaker cases folded out to reveal a pair of cubical speakers each about 2" on a side.
Don't doubt how good small speakers can sound -- especially if you haven't heard them yet. Additionally, Harman/Kardon will be marketing a product called the iSub (groan) for bass, just as the aforementioned Bose stereo system had a subwoofer tucked away on the bottom.
Even if you're not following "Microsoft's turd-trail" in that regard, web-based applications often follow Microsoft's rules of speed (or lack thereof). Let's say I want to check my e-mail.
Standalone app:
Open up the program. The program loads. I click the "check mail" button and the mail is downloaded directly to my PC (for POP) or as needed (for IMAP). I can scroll between the messages and use various functions as necessary, knowing that the program has loaded correctly.
HTML-based app: (assumes dial-up connection, which is the most common still)
Dial the ISP. Wait for the connection to complete. Pull up the web browser -- it takes as much time as my e-mail program to load. Type in the URL of my mail provider. Wait for that to load. Log in. Wait for graphical pseudo-widgets to load. When I choose to view a message, wait for the message to load along with redundant controls, buttons and a banner ad or two. The entire functionality of the system hinges on the reliability of that particular Internet site, which can be flaky for any provider.
HTML-based applications are slow, cumbersome to load and use, and deliver a more narrow feature set than standalone applications. The only way to bridge the gap is to use something along the lines of ActiveX, but of course that's not cross-platform.
The Ig Nobel winner for Sociology might sound a little bit petty and, well, meaningless, but have you ever taken a sociology course? You'll have access to volumes upon volumes (real books now, not on-line) of information that you could nominate for this award. I remember for my sociology class, I "researched" group dynamics at a music store. Basically, I made a lot of gross generalizations in my paper, stated the patently obvious, and provided some citations to other people who had done the same exact thing. And, to top it all off, I didn't come to any significant conclusion.
The interesting thing is that PCs have reached a point where most PCs are "Good Enough" and manufacturers need to get mindshare by doing something, anything special.
I saw a talk recently where the speaker compared the computer industry of today to the automobile industry of the 1950's. In the '50s, cars were very large, clunky, relatively expensive, and unreliable, and they became cultural status symbols. However, the Japanese cars that would come out were small, reliable, and cheap -- they helped to redefine the entire automotive industry.
Now look at computers today. Most people are unwilling to, or don't need to, spend a couple thousand dollars on a large, clunky, and unreliable box just to surf the Internet and do some word processing. At some point in the next ten to twenty years, one force (maybe Japanese, maybe not) will make computing light and reliable enough for everyone.
That's the future of computing -- computers haven't gotten "Good Enough," they've just gotten more colorful and powerful. I'm waiting for IBM, or any company for that matter, to release a computer which (1) you don't need to boot; (2) accepts new software and hardware upgrades without question or incident, ever; and (3) has an operating system that the user never has to interact with directly.
Many platforms have some degree of this level of usability -- many handheld systems, for example. However, I can only wonder when we'll see this level of simplicity everywhere, in every home and business system.
It might be a sure thing, but at 1-1,000,000 odds that the world WON'T end, you wouldn't make all that much money in the process. If Bill Gates were to bet his entire net worth on the world not ending, he could only make less than $90,000 on the deal.
I bought stock in Boeing a couple of weeks ago, and on a lark decided to visit their web site to see what, besides passenger aircraft, they made. You'll find an Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicle on their site as well -- unfortunately, they haven't set up an e-commerce server yet, so you can't buy one on-line.:(
ONE DOMAIN PER ORGANIZATION. Period. If you happen to be a holding company, then each of your held incorporations can have one.
Pick up a copy of any entrepreneur-oriented magazine, or wade through the spam you get before deleting it. Incorporating is almost trivially easy in the U.S. -- establishing a corporation in the state of Delaware is about as complicated as getting married in Las Vegas. Let's say it costs $45 to incorporate your own "company," and $70 to register a domain name. (If you use shady offshore tactics, you can probably get a "corporate" setup for nothing.) Big whoop -- $115 for the whole package. People were squatting on domain names back when they cost $100 a pop.
Most of the nigger* domains look like they're porn sites -- a few are WaReZ sites that are apparently run by bored white/Asian kids who listen to too many rap MP3's, but that's another story.
However, I was surprised to see the record Law Offices of D. Amkraut (NIGGERJOKES-DOM) in the list. The domain apparently isn't being used (yet) but I can only wonder what kind of marketing savvy can be used with it. ("Heard a racially offensive joke? Don't be subjected to that sort of language -- visit our law firm at niggerjokes.com!")
Like many databases, this one highlights all instances of a search term. The person that found this article and submitted the URL had done a search on "Linux," and that's why "Linux" is highlighted everywhere it occurs (even the headline).
Not quite. 3Com will retain an 80% stake in Palm, and will IPO only 20% of its value. In short, Apple can't buy Palm any more than Microsoft can buy Red Hat.
Actually, with the ucLinux project, you can load Linux onto a Palm. However, you'd have to be a moron to delude yourself into thinking that Linux is any more useful on a PDA than Windows is. The vast majority of Linux programs are either too large for, incompatible with, or unnecessary on a small palmtop computer. By contrast, PalmOS (and, for that matter, WindowsCE) programs are designed to be used specifically on this hardware platform.
Yes, there are some negatives -- namely, hardware compatibility. There are a bunch of neat add-ons for the Palm (Pilot) (III) (IIIx), and with a product called "The Bridge," you can use a Palm V(x) with them. They include the GoType keyboard, wireless modems, voice recorders, vibrating modules, extended IR transmitters (longer range than the dinky port on top), and even thermometers. The Visor's serial port, AFAIK, won't be compatible with these accessories, although the protocols will likely be similar.
Battery life has never been a problem on the Palm line. I use my Palm III pretty heavily, and I usually get between two and five weeks of battery life on a pair of AAA batteries. Some WinCE models, especially the color screen models, need to be recharged a few times a week.
People use eBay because it's the first name in auction sites. ("Oh, you're doing on-line auctions? I hear eBay is usually pretty good for that sort of thing.") Generally speaking, people will stop at the first good-looking choice they have in many regards. (This has corollaries in real life and in operating systems, but that's another story.)
Also, (1) there is a LOT of crap on Yahoo! Auctions: illegal stuff, miscategorized items, and phony auctions/bids; and (2) it's very easy to create a fake eBay account, run your bill up until they cancel the account, create another account, etc., etc., etc.
Sure, that command line looks pretty tiny for all the 70wpm typists out there, but can you imagine writing all that in with Graffiti?
People say that Windows is not meant for the handheld market, but in my opinion Linux certainly isn't, either. Why must you insist on departing from an established OS (PalmOS) designed specifically for this device, with over a thousand applications written for it? PalmOS is tight, tiny, stable, and you can write code for it with freely available tools like gcc. I give credit to Linux for its server abilities, but it's not going to be running my handheld.
Linux is finally almost kinda sorta getting the beginnings of support for DVD, yet another thing that Windows can already do just fine. I can only hope to see what kind of support we'll have for USB -- my QuickCam probably won't be supported until Windows2002 is out (which could be decades away).
First, a nifty little graphical computing device comes out on the market. Although its display is only black-and-white, its intuitive GUI and extensibility makes it an instant hit with developers. It sells quickly, but detractors are quick to point out the shortcomings of this machine, based on a Motorola processor.
Later, a very large software company designs a colorful, feature-rich operating system to compete with this earlier computer. However, it doesn't make the hardware to go with the software; rather, it licenses out the OS to many equipment manufacturers to encourage lower prices and larger selection. As it turns out, however, this causes compatibility issues, and the system is weighed down by "feature bloat" to try and solve every problem at once.
Many first-time customers are wowed by the longer feature list and higher numbers of this large software company's OS's models, even though many of them perform poorly in "real-world" applications. As a result, the realm of computing is indelibly split into two camps, and they fight tooth and nail over every little thing.
Plug in a few proper nouns here and there, and you could be talking about 1986 or 1999.
SHIFT-F10 brings up a context menu in most situations.
As a side-note, one thing I secretly admire about the Windows interface is that, since version 1.0, you can navigate around all the core components without using a mouse. Now while some people might be happy using the mouse today, people who do lots of data entry and repetitive tasks don't want to use the mouse -- there's a margin of error there. Any decent application and/or windowing environment should be navigable without the use of the mouse.
FWIW, OS/2 and Macintosh are also usable without a mouse.
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That's a Visa ad.
(Someone)'s Paints can help you find just the right shade, but you won't be able to buy it with American Express.
Somehow, it wouldn't have been as effective if they were in a costume shop, buying real face paint. Oh well...
...and they have an AOL e-mail address.
What's worse is all the AOL lusers that will see this and begin to ph33r all the d00dz that IM them with "Hi, I'm from AOL support! Please e-mail me your password and credit card number at once!"
Ever have the misfortune to catch a glimpse of their show (Yack Live?) where they had a split-screen showing music videos and an AOL chat room? It goes a little something like this:
LuSeR4078: DUDE THIS VIDEO ROX
I liKe BSB 8029100: put on sum bsb! bsb's kewl
MannSONN12: hi im a 12/m with a pic
(repeat for an hour)
I remember seeing a Bose product demonstration where they had two large speakers mounted up on the wall. They started to play some music, and it came out with incredibly realistic sound. Then the saleswoman pressed a button, and the speaker cases folded out to reveal a pair of cubical speakers each about 2" on a side.
Don't doubt how good small speakers can sound -- especially if you haven't heard them yet. Additionally, Harman/Kardon will be marketing a product called the iSub (groan) for bass, just as the aforementioned Bose stereo system had a subwoofer tucked away on the bottom.
Standalone app: HTML-based app: (assumes dial-up connection, which is the most common still) HTML-based applications are slow, cumbersome to load and use, and deliver a more narrow feature set than standalone applications. The only way to bridge the gap is to use something along the lines of ActiveX, but of course that's not cross-platform.
The Ig Nobel winner for Sociology might sound a little bit petty and, well, meaningless, but have you ever taken a sociology course? You'll have access to volumes upon volumes (real books now, not on-line) of information that you could nominate for this award. I remember for my sociology class, I "researched" group dynamics at a music store. Basically, I made a lot of gross generalizations in my paper, stated the patently obvious, and provided some citations to other people who had done the same exact thing. And, to top it all off, I didn't come to any significant conclusion.
The paper received an A+.
Now look at computers today. Most people are unwilling to, or don't need to, spend a couple thousand dollars on a large, clunky, and unreliable box just to surf the Internet and do some word processing. At some point in the next ten to twenty years, one force (maybe Japanese, maybe not) will make computing light and reliable enough for everyone.
That's the future of computing -- computers haven't gotten "Good Enough," they've just gotten more colorful and powerful. I'm waiting for IBM, or any company for that matter, to release a computer which (1) you don't need to boot; (2) accepts new software and hardware upgrades without question or incident, ever; and (3) has an operating system that the user never has to interact with directly.
Many platforms have some degree of this level of usability -- many handheld systems, for example. However, I can only wonder when we'll see this level of simplicity everywhere, in every home and business system.
It might be a sure thing, but at 1-1,000,000 odds that the world WON'T end, you wouldn't make all that much money in the process. If Bill Gates were to bet his entire net worth on the world not ending, he could only make less than $90,000 on the deal.
I bought stock in Boeing a couple of weeks ago, and on a lark decided to visit their web site to see what, besides passenger aircraft, they made. You'll find an Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicle on their site as well -- unfortunately, they haven't set up an e-commerce server yet, so you can't buy one on-line. :(
ONE DOMAIN PER ORGANIZATION. Period. If you happen to be a holding company, then each of your held incorporations can have one.
Pick up a copy of any entrepreneur-oriented magazine, or wade through the spam you get before deleting it. Incorporating is almost trivially easy in the U.S. -- establishing a corporation in the state of Delaware is about as complicated as getting married in Las Vegas. Let's say it costs $45 to incorporate your own "company," and $70 to register a domain name. (If you use shady offshore tactics, you can probably get a "corporate" setup for nothing.) Big whoop -- $115 for the whole package. People were squatting on domain names back when they cost $100 a pop.
Most of the nigger* domains look like they're porn sites -- a few are WaReZ sites that are apparently run by bored white/Asian kids who listen to too many rap MP3's, but that's another story.
However, I was surprised to see the record Law Offices of D. Amkraut (NIGGERJOKES-DOM) in the list. The domain apparently isn't being used (yet) but I can only wonder what kind of marketing savvy can be used with it. ("Heard a racially offensive joke? Don't be subjected to that sort of language -- visit our law firm at niggerjokes.com!")
Like many databases, this one highlights all instances of a search term. The person that found this article and submitted the URL had done a search on "Linux," and that's why "Linux" is highlighted everywhere it occurs (even the headline).
Not quite. 3Com will retain an 80% stake in Palm, and will IPO only 20% of its value. In short, Apple can't buy Palm any more than Microsoft can buy Red Hat.
Actually, with the ucLinux project, you can load Linux onto a Palm. However, you'd have to be a moron to delude yourself into thinking that Linux is any more useful on a PDA than Windows is. The vast majority of Linux programs are either too large for, incompatible with, or unnecessary on a small palmtop computer. By contrast, PalmOS (and, for that matter, WindowsCE) programs are designed to be used specifically on this hardware platform.
Yes, there are some negatives -- namely, hardware compatibility. There are a bunch of neat add-ons for the Palm (Pilot) (III) (IIIx), and with a product called "The Bridge," you can use a Palm V(x) with them. They include the GoType keyboard, wireless modems, voice recorders, vibrating modules, extended IR transmitters (longer range than the dinky port on top), and even thermometers. The Visor's serial port, AFAIK, won't be compatible with these accessories, although the protocols will likely be similar.
Battery life has never been a problem on the Palm line. I use my Palm III pretty heavily, and I usually get between two and five weeks of battery life on a pair of AAA batteries. Some WinCE models, especially the color screen models, need to be recharged a few times a week.
People use eBay because it's the first name in auction sites. ("Oh, you're doing on-line auctions? I hear eBay is usually pretty good for that sort of thing.") Generally speaking, people will stop at the first good-looking choice they have in many regards. (This has corollaries in real life and in operating systems, but that's another story.)
Also, (1) there is a LOT of crap on Yahoo! Auctions: illegal stuff, miscategorized items, and phony auctions/bids; and (2) it's very easy to create a fake eBay account, run your bill up until they cancel the account, create another account, etc., etc., etc.
For those that remember the Palm saga, it goes a bit like this:
A tiny start-up named Palm Computing demonstrates a prototype of the Pilot organizer.
US Robotics buys Palm Computing.
3Com buys US Robotics.
And now 3Com wants to spin off Palm Computing so that it's an independent company.
It's the circle of life...
People say that Windows is not meant for the handheld market, but in my opinion Linux certainly isn't, either. Why must you insist on departing from an established OS (PalmOS) designed specifically for this device, with over a thousand applications written for it? PalmOS is tight, tiny, stable, and you can write code for it with freely available tools like gcc. I give credit to Linux for its server abilities, but it's not going to be running my handheld.
Linux is finally almost kinda sorta getting the beginnings of support for DVD, yet another thing that Windows can already do just fine. I can only hope to see what kind of support we'll have for USB -- my QuickCam probably won't be supported until Windows2002 is out (which could be decades away).
Stick it to the man!
I'm gonna march right up to ol' Bill himself to demand my $0 back. I'm sick and tired of sending none of my money to him in exchange for this service.
Old IBM keyboard bought at a garage sale -- $2
Since when do garage sales take Mastercard?
Here's the story thus far:
First, a nifty little graphical computing device comes out on the market. Although its display is only black-and-white, its intuitive GUI and extensibility makes it an instant hit with developers. It sells quickly, but detractors are quick to point out the shortcomings of this machine, based on a Motorola processor.
Later, a very large software company designs a colorful, feature-rich operating system to compete with this earlier computer. However, it doesn't make the hardware to go with the software; rather, it licenses out the OS to many equipment manufacturers to encourage lower prices and larger selection. As it turns out, however, this causes compatibility issues, and the system is weighed down by "feature bloat" to try and solve every problem at once.
Many first-time customers are wowed by the longer feature list and higher numbers of this large software company's OS's models, even though many of them perform poorly in "real-world" applications. As a result, the realm of computing is indelibly split into two camps, and they fight tooth and nail over every little thing.
Plug in a few proper nouns here and there, and you could be talking about 1986 or 1999.
Get a load of the bowl job, Marge!
(sorry, couldn't resist)
Well, isn't that cute. But it's WRONG!
SHIFT-F10 brings up a context menu in most situations.
As a side-note, one thing I secretly admire about the Windows interface is that, since version 1.0, you can navigate around all the core components without using a mouse. Now while some people might be happy using the mouse today, people who do lots of data entry and repetitive tasks don't want to use the mouse -- there's a margin of error there. Any decent application and/or windowing environment should be navigable without the use of the mouse.
FWIW, OS/2 and Macintosh are also usable without a mouse.