What is that circular thing on the front of the case? It looks like the data port on the Death Star where R2D2 plugged in and snarfed the plans to the space station.
Depending on your hardware, that may already be the case. Here's an example - I have a Dell LS-400 laptop that had a bug in the sound driver that would lock the system when running X if you tried to load the sound driver (because the sound and video hardware shared memory or something like that.)
Last Fall, I installed Slackware 9.1 and all the hardware "just worked" as the Apple fans like to say. So I don't really have any plans to change the kernel any time soon.
The Konqueror and KDE versions in Slack 9.1 and the Mozilla version I installed are quite nice so I don't really see much need to fiddle with end-user software either.
I always got at least some enjoyment out of tinkering with my machines, even at its most frustrating, but I'm happier to not have to do it anymore in this case.
Ironica: My name is Ironica.
AC: Ironica. The Ironica? That posted the +5 insightful comment on open source vs. closed source vulnerabilities? Jesus.
Ironica: What?
AC: I just thought, um, you were a guy.
Ironica: Most guys do.
Suggest you stick strips of velcro underneath the unit and on your lap-covering garments
That's a nifty idea. And with a light enough laptop and strong enough velcro, you could probably stand up and not drop the laptop. You could even think of it as a sort of wearable computer that way. You might want to rig up a cord from the cover to your belt so that when you stand up, the lid would automatically close, too.
I'd rather have an actor spend 10 seconds talking about how much they enjoy jello in context of the show than to sit through 2.5 minutes of advertising that completely interrupts the show.
I'm a little torn on this issue myself - I find product placement more manipulative and devious than regular ads, but find commercial interruptions annoying too. I don't watch that much TV anymore, so the product placement in the films I watch is what I notice more.
Of course, what you and I think is irrelevant to the people that make these decisions.
I suspect that one factor that will keep the standard commercial break intact is that you can sell new ad space when a show goes into syndication. That's much harder with "embedded" product placement. So the content providers will fight tooth and nail to keep the existing format.
I thought we were going metric. First they start measuring storage in Libraries of Congress (LoC), now they're measuring PC sizes in antelope hands. And here I thought they had hooves. Anyway, what would an antelope need a PC for?
Here are my minimum requirements for a PDA - it's gotta look cool and it's gotta be easy to to add an address book entry when under the influence.
Here's why - imagine you're out on the town and you meet some pretty young thing. Things are going well so you whip out your Ugly-Ass-PDA with its Retard-O handwriting recognition and ask her name and number. If your potential Mrs. Geek doesn't walk away at the sight of your Dork-O PDA, then between your impaired motor function and weak handwriting recognition you're sure to get the digits wrong, which won't be too useful when you try to make that booty call a couple days later, now will it?
From what I've read here, a Zaurus will be useful in the server room where you can ssh and vnc to your heart's content, and it'll score points with other Linux geeks, but will not help with the chickies. If you want to impress the ladies, get yourself a Tungsten C. It's stylish and features the easy-to-use Palm OS. I think someone said something about improved handwriting recognition. And if you strike out anyway, you can always connect to a Wifi hotspot, go to nerve.com and hook up with someone who will be happy to spank you simply because you bought a PDA just to impress the ladies.
It seems that lots of posts nowadays have hints to moderators, so here's mine: piss off.
... it should still be noted that this is the best price/performance ratio ever achieved on a supercomputer.
Noted. And go VT, go Apple! Now, with the cheerleading out of the way, I wonder something - with Moore's law and all still applying pretty well, just getting the latest-and-greatest any home computer architecture will all but guarantee you pretty good price/performance.
As another poster pointed out, someone's recent laptop could do as well on Linpack as a 1992 supercomputer.
So what I think would be interesting would be a kind of adjustment for Moore's law, sort of like how prices are adjusted for inflation when comparing, say, the cost of building the Empire State Building with the cost of building the World Trade Center.
when we are attacked by a carnivorous intelligent giant cat-species, we can use the lasers to fight back
Definitely. We'll also need big balls of string to distract them once they get bored chasing the laser beam spots around.
Talking about giant cats reminds me of one of my favorite aphorisms about cats and dogs: If your dog was your size, he'd be your best friend but if your cat was your size, he'd try to eat you.
I'm sure it's been said many times that Linux and the BSD's played a big role in the "colonization" of the internet - that if people had been stuck with the choice between Windows or expensive commercial Unixes, there never would have been as many people trying out things like Slashdot and Yahoo.
And yet, on the other hand, so much of Slashdot is about bashing Windows; so in a way, Slashdot couldn't have become what it is without Windows either.
You feel strongly enough about registering at the NYT to mention it in your interesting post, but you registered for Slashdot where registration isn't required for reading articles or even posting. Just curious - what's the difference?
Conventional keyboards... use scanning hardware that can only recognize a limited number of simultaneous keypresses...
I... have written... software that maps a conventional keyboard into a music keyboard, and play musical chords on that.
Interesting. I'm guessing you're trying to use the regular computer keyboard to avoid using an actual musical keyboard, but I wonder about the reverse situtation - if you have the musical keyboard, how hard would it be to make it work like a chording keyboard? Surely musical keyboards can handle the simultaneous keypress problem much better than conventional ones.
Slashdot Mirror
What is that circular thing on the front of the case? It looks like the data port on the Death Star where R2D2 plugged in and snarfed the plans to the space station.
Damn, how did you guys get Gaelic past the lameness filter?
Insert Emacs joke here.
Last time I went through a metal detector at an airport, the security guard told me to keep my hands out of my pockets.
Depending on your hardware, that may already be the case. Here's an example - I have a Dell LS-400 laptop that had a bug in the sound driver that would lock the system when running X if you tried to load the sound driver (because the sound and video hardware shared memory or something like that.)
Last Fall, I installed Slackware 9.1 and all the hardware "just worked" as the Apple fans like to say. So I don't really have any plans to change the kernel any time soon.
The Konqueror and KDE versions in Slack 9.1 and the Mozilla version I installed are quite nice so I don't really see much need to fiddle with end-user software either.
I always got at least some enjoyment out of tinkering with my machines, even at its most frustrating, but I'm happier to not have to do it anymore in this case.
Ironica: My name is Ironica.
AC: Ironica. The Ironica? That posted the +5 insightful comment on open source vs. closed source vulnerabilities? Jesus.
Ironica: What?
AC: I just thought, um, you were a guy.
Ironica: Most guys do.
I tried searching for that too. That is why I am ex-employee.
And at the other end, just wear a pair of these fine products and you won't be bound by toilet availability either.
If the guy on the left here can tote a 17" Powerbook, you must be tiny!
Collars, you say? Wait 'til they have Linux-powered codpieces. Just be specific when you ask someone about his uptime.
That's a nifty idea. And with a light enough laptop and strong enough velcro, you could probably stand up and not drop the laptop. You could even think of it as a sort of wearable computer that way. You might want to rig up a cord from the cover to your belt so that when you stand up, the lid would automatically close, too.
I'm a little torn on this issue myself - I find product placement more manipulative and devious than regular ads, but find commercial interruptions annoying too. I don't watch that much TV anymore, so the product placement in the films I watch is what I notice more.
Of course, what you and I think is irrelevant to the people that make these decisions.
I suspect that one factor that will keep the standard commercial break intact is that you can sell new ad space when a show goes into syndication. That's much harder with "embedded" product placement. So the content providers will fight tooth and nail to keep the existing format.
I haven't ever mentioned it to anyone (not even my wife)
Congratulations on your amazing restraint for the period ending at 10:47 AM, December 5th, 2003.
Homer: Lisa, in this house we obey the laws of thermodynamics!
Had he succeeded, London would have been Fawked.
There were no Weapons of Mass Destruction
GWB knows there were - his dad has the receipts.
I thought we were going metric. First they start measuring storage in Libraries of Congress (LoC), now they're measuring PC sizes in antelope hands. And here I thought they had hooves. Anyway, what would an antelope need a PC for?
Here's why - imagine you're out on the town and you meet some pretty young thing. Things are going well so you whip out your Ugly-Ass-PDA with its Retard-O handwriting recognition and ask her name and number. If your potential Mrs. Geek doesn't walk away at the sight of your Dork-O PDA, then between your impaired motor function and weak handwriting recognition you're sure to get the digits wrong, which won't be too useful when you try to make that booty call a couple days later, now will it?
From what I've read here, a Zaurus will be useful in the server room where you can ssh and vnc to your heart's content, and it'll score points with other Linux geeks, but will not help with the chickies. If you want to impress the ladies, get yourself a Tungsten C. It's stylish and features the easy-to-use Palm OS. I think someone said something about improved handwriting recognition. And if you strike out anyway, you can always connect to a Wifi hotspot, go to nerve.com and hook up with someone who will be happy to spank you simply because you bought a PDA just to impress the ladies.
It seems that lots of posts nowadays have hints to moderators, so here's mine: piss off.
Noted. And go VT, go Apple! Now, with the cheerleading out of the way, I wonder something - with Moore's law and all still applying pretty well, just getting the latest-and-greatest any home computer architecture will all but guarantee you pretty good price/performance.
As another poster pointed out, someone's recent laptop could do as well on Linpack as a 1992 supercomputer.
So what I think would be interesting would be a kind of adjustment for Moore's law, sort of like how prices are adjusted for inflation when comparing, say, the cost of building the Empire State Building with the cost of building the World Trade Center.
Any economists out there with any good ideas?
Definitely. We'll also need big balls of string to distract them once they get bored chasing the laser beam spots around.
Talking about giant cats reminds me of one of my favorite aphorisms about cats and dogs: If your dog was your size, he'd be your best friend but if your cat was your size, he'd try to eat you.
I'm sure it's been said many times that Linux and the BSD's played a big role in the "colonization" of the internet - that if people had been stuck with the choice between Windows or expensive commercial Unixes, there never would have been as many people trying out things like Slashdot and Yahoo.
And yet, on the other hand, so much of Slashdot is about bashing Windows; so in a way, Slashdot couldn't have become what it is without Windows either.
I knew a trombonist who would have suggested that as a matter of course.
Q: What's the difference between a viola and a lawnmower?
A: Vibrato.
You feel strongly enough about registering at the NYT to mention it in your interesting post, but you registered for Slashdot where registration isn't required for reading articles or even posting. Just curious - what's the difference?
Respectfully,
"Mignon"
The DirectX 8.1 download page says it can't be uninstalled. I don't know about other versions of DirectX.
I
Interesting. I'm guessing you're trying to use the regular computer keyboard to avoid using an actual musical keyboard, but I wonder about the reverse situtation - if you have the musical keyboard, how hard would it be to make it work like a chording keyboard? Surely musical keyboards can handle the simultaneous keypress problem much better than conventional ones.