Would someone interested in Linux on these particular tablets be able to order one from a vendor with Linux (or no operating system) pre-installed? I couldn't find information on whether or not OEMs are restricted from selling pre-installed Linux versions of the tablet. The SoftwareFreedom website says "any ARM device that ships with Windows 8 will never run another operating system, unless it is signed with a preloaded key or a security exploit is found that enables users to circumvent secure boot." The phrase there is "ships with Windows 8," which suggests to me that Custom Boot-enabled versions could ship without Windows. Admittedly, I have a hard time seeing it as a freedom issue, as these are just tech gadgets at the end of the day. I'd rather it was framed as an inconvenience argument, not a freedom one.
Is CES still relevant? Look at the past three, the Best of CES 2011 winner was the Motorola Xoom, 2010 was the Panasonic 3D plasma TV, and 2009 was the Palm Pre. It seems like it's more about giving tech writers neat gadgets to write about with no guarantee that any of it will ship, or if it does, that it will be successful. And it also seems like the most important products don't even show up there. Not to mention that this was Microsoft's last appearance at CES and that trade shows in general are on the decline. It just makes me wonder if CES is still worth it.
There actually is a Black Mesa, New Mexico, though I don't know if the in-game location has any relation (I imagine there are probably several Black Mesas in the deserts of America.
But the effect in continental interiors -- on states not near the edge of those plates -- was a new one, the scientists said. Whether an upwelling in the gooey mantle that lies beneath the crust or a sag in the plates themselves, what exactly drives the growth remains a mystery.
Probably those experiments over at Black Mesa. By the way, the portrayal of New Mexico in Half-Life always amused me, with the cartoonish Looney Tunes cliffs and plateaus. With the exception of the northern area of the state, it's mostly just weeds as far as the eye can see, littered with the occasional beer can. We have good Mexican food, though.
Just in case you missed it with the howling of "hardcore gamers" and fanboys, the Wii thoroughly flogged them.
The Wii's sales began to significantly drop several years ago. Last May, sales were down 38% year-over-year and fell to record lows in Japan. Before you claim that its due to lifespan, the PS2 is still selling like hotcakes. 3DS sales rose 260% after the price drop but were still less than the DS's sales in the comparable time period a year prior (which shows you just how much of a flop the 3DS was at release). And the 3DS's battery life is still absurdly short.
I just have to disagree that Nintendo is "in no danger," especially after the lackluster reception the Wii U received, but if there's any company whose failure I'm willing to be wrong about, it's Nintendo.
Upgrade slots would greatly complicate development, removing one of the major advantages of consoles for game companies compared to PC development. Even established veterans like id Software are incapable of releasing a stable PC game anymore. Rage on the PC was a mess.
Does anyone else have a nagging feeling that Nintendo is doomed in the next console cycle? The Wii U didn't grab the same attention that the original Wii did, and Nintendo is being attacked on two fronts--the hardcore market with the PS3 and Xbox 360, and casual gaming with the iPhone. Nintendo always had handheld sales to fall back on, but sales of the 3DS have been underwhelming, forcing an early price drop. It seems like Nintendo backed itself into a corner with the Wii, tying the company too intimately with the casual gaming market, whose gamers are fickle and prone to jump onto the next big thing, which turned out to be the iPhone.
Yes, yes, I realize people have been declaring Nintendo to be doomed since the Nintendo 64, but just because they survived previous eras doesn't mean they will survive the next one. Nintendo's stock price jumped after a rumor that Pokemon was coming to the iPhone, which turned out to be untrue. It just seems more than ever that it makes little sense for Nintendo not to become a software developer, since that is what they are most famous for in spite of their trend-setting controllers. Yet despite the novelty of the Wii remote, I still prefer the Dual Shock.
I love Nintendo's classics, but their refusal to embrace online play on the same level of their competitors as well as their reliance on nostalgia titles is frustrating. Sadly, I haven't turned on my Wii in so long that I can't even remember the last time. I think the last game I played on it was was Castlevania: Rondo of Blood, an old PC-Engine game, and only because it's Wii-exclusive.
many techies absorb themselves in computers because it gives them a feeling of control that they lack in their daily lives
I don't believe you think more than skin-deep about the dangers of the "walled garden" approach. The problem with Apple is very simple -- they have delegated themselves a right to approve how do you use "their" device and a right to charge you a tithe for everything that comes to you on "their" hardware. In effect, you've relinquished ownership, and, unlike some other platforms, you have no legal way out.
Game consoles have had "walled gardens" (ugh, that term) for decades, approving all software that appears on their devices, and the world hasn't fallen apart. To the contrary, consoles surpassed PCs as the primary gaming platforms several years ago. The world also hasn't fallen apart since Apple began approving software on its devices; in fact, iOS remains #1 in customer satisfaction surveys.
Clearly, non-techies prefer these kinds of platforms. Like I said before, the issues you raise are not even considered a problem outside of tech forums. Normal people don't care if they can't install absolutely everything under the sun, because they wouldn't want to even if they could. Nobody is putting a gun to anyone's head and forcing them to buy an iPad, so the victim angle doesn't work either.
You need to understand that it's not a black-and-white situation. Apple platforms may be perfect for other people but not for you. Just because you don't like Apple doesn't mean nobody else should use their platforms and that the world should be rid of their evil. It just means other people use those platforms and you use whatever you use, and the world keeps on turning.
Also, software freedom is only a small part of it. Think of other possibilities that the Apple approach prevents. Even if an independent business and an owner of an Apple device both think there is a business mode they both can benefit from, which mode does not go through the Apple-approved system, they cannot achieve it easily, and hence cannot exploit the full potential of the hardware platform to their advantage. This is especially bad for the person who has paid the price for the Apple device.
If Apple isn't meeting their needs, the independent business can choose to use a different platform. Nobody is forced to use an Apple device, so again, the "freedom" argument is silly and really comes down to techies trying to maintain control in order to feel a sense of mastery over something, in my opinion.
Apple is "exciting" people about "technology" the same way Louis Vuitton is "exciting" people about, you know, apparel design and textile technology. Both companies sell an image and the fashion accessories to build it, and most people buy their products exactly as a fashion accessory.
Someone made computers cool for the general public. The horror.
With Apple it can actually get worse -- if you make the Apple device the dominant way you access information. That's fine and dandy, until you consider that when you buy the shiny little toy, you only get permission to access the world through it the way the designers of the technology believe it should be accessed, through their "approved" modes.
I think some of the Apple hatred stems from the fact that many techies absorb themselves in computers because it gives them a feeling of control that they lack in their daily lives. Mastering a system is gratifying on many levels. When a company offers a platform that doesn't allow or require that kind of micro-management and control, it's really like an attack on the person directly, especially when the product is popular among non-techies--many of the same people who alienated that person in the first place. And so there's resentment.
The only reason I say all this is that concerns like yours don't exist in the general populace; it doesn't even cross their minds that it would be a problem. They see the lack of open-endedness as simplification and refinement that makes the devices easier to use. As Steve Jobs use to say, something "mere mortals" could use. So I say again, I think it's awesome that the public is allowed to be excited about things like "ePub" and "digital distribution" rather than rely on nerds like us to trickle it down to the rest of the population.
Dubya has nominated another caveman for a federal appeals court. Refreshingly, the Democratic Party is organizing opposition.
The nominee is quoted as saying that if the choice of a sexual partner were protected by the Constitution, "prostitution, adultery, necrophilia, bestiality, possession of child pornography, and even incest and pedophilia" also would be. He is probably mistaken, legally--but that is unfortunate. All of these acts should be legal as long as no one is coerced. They are illegal only because of prejudice and narrowmindedness.
He is quite clearly advocating the legalization of child pornography possession and pedophilia. Now, if he was being sarcastic, facetious, or attempting to make some other point, it sure doesn't come across in his statement, nor has he corrected himself since.
It's also key that he's cutting and pasting the same post with minor rewrites and doing it without addressing the topic on hand in any serious way.
I don't normally respond to posts like this, but really? A four-paragraph post that happens to share a couple of links I used in a previous reply to an RMS article is cutting-and-pasting with minor rewrites and no addressing of the topic?
That bonch posts get anything other than -1 redundant/flamebait/off topic, let alone that he regularly gets moderated +5 within seconds of posting is pretty clear evidence that the moderation power of the shills in the moderating system.
I know you're being tongue-in-cheek, but Apple's ability to make normal people excited about technology is one of their most important assets. I'm glad they're around to get non-techies hyped up about things like "ePub" and "digital distribution."
The reasons for the lack of female participation in open source are a touchy subject, and I probably risk offending some folks, but the fact is that the movement is largely made up of male computer nerds with few social skills and little female contact. My guess is that women fare better in proprietary software development because it implies a level of professionalism, since if you can't interact well socially with co-workers, you usually don't work there anymore.
Richard Stallman made some infamous remarks at the Gran Canaria Desktop Summit about "EMAC virgins", explicitly defining them as women who needed to be "relieved" of their EMACS virginity as a "holy duty." RMS defended it as a parody of religion, missing the point that the complaints were about the sexism and not the religious satire (RMS also believes in legalizing pedophilia and possession of child pornography--probably not the most palatable spokesperson to get behind in the first place).
If you're a man who rarely hangs out with women, it's easy to forget what it's like for the other side, especially if they're in a field in which they're practically outsiders. Women didn't take too kindly to being singled out like that at a tech conference. The bigger problem is the backlash from male techies that always flares up when this issue is discussed, which was amplified in the case of RMS because his core supporters tend to be so rabid.
I'm subscribed to the Cocoa-dev mailing list, and one of the regular members there began submitting messages under her real name, revealing that she had previously been posting under a male name because they found that they got more direct responses and less obnoxious comments. And this is Apple platform development, where you might assume the more liberal elements of that particular demographic would lend itself to increased tolerance.
I really can't imagine what it must be like to be a female developer and hope some of them voice their opinions here.
I agree, and it's the biggest reason I still play shooters on the PC. That said, upcoming console shooters are finally starting to adopt mouse and keyboard controls, so that may remove the last reason I had for struggling to get my PC to play the latest shooter.
The fixed hardware of the console is one of its biggest advantages. It's much easier to develop for, and therefore much easier to optimize. Most PC games today are now just console parts, and they lack optimization effort (e.g., Skyrim).
However, your statement about spyware on the console to stop you from using it for other purposes is a little silly. If I want to do other tasks, I just won't use my console, because it's not good at those other tasks anyway. I guess it's just not a big issue for me in practice.
Second, the DRM of a console has never affected my ability to play its games. I never notice the DRM. I can even sell used console games without issue. Notice that I praised Steam on the PC for its non-intrusiveness.
Third, I mentioned drivers because I was explaining why PC gaming is a maintenance chore compared to consoles and why consoles are such an appealing target for both developers and gamers. That is not "trolling."
It sounds like you got extraordinarily angry over the idea over criticism of the PC platform and the suggestion that consoles might be better at something. Some people are so attached to their PCs, so bitter at the rising popularity of consoles and mobile devices, that they lash out at anyone making a valid point. As for reading the net, most people today do that from their mobile phones! Frankly, if you still think PCs are the paragon of consumer computing, you're living in some prior decade and refusing to accept the reality of the world around you.
I really have to wonder the point of bothering with PC gaming anymore. Most PC games today are now just unoptimized console ports, and there is restrictive DRM from companies like EA and Ubisoft. I do consider Steam to be a bright spot, and its DRM is so invisible that I've never actually encountered it in practice, but then again, Steam is already moving to consoles as well, and Blizzard seems to be dipping its toes in the water.
I just think integrated platforms, like consoles and mobile devices, always win out in the long-term. I certainly don't want to maintain graphics card drivers or other PC-related issues anymore. It's boring and takes time away from playing games. Consoles today practically are PCs, but without all the headaches.
It isn't just Apple that Samsung has a tendency to "draw inspiration" from. There's also the Samsung Blade, a clone of the Motorola RAZR, and the Samsung INNOV8 is a clone of the Nokia N96. So before the usual anti-Apple rhetoric starts a-flyin', keep in mind that Samsung is one of those companies whose business is centered on making commodity knock-offs of popular products. I don't blame Apple for suing to protect Jonathan Ive's design work, because if one of the knock-offs is low quality or problematic, it can end up hurting Apple's brand.
This sounds like a trade school. High School should be about learning how to think and process information.
You don't explain why you believe these things to be mutually exclusive.
In most standard high schools, you are already able to sign up for classes on particular subjects--Computer Science, Music, Drama, etc. I see little difference between that and attending a school that focuses on particular subfields of a given industry. I would have enjoyed a computer-focused high school, as I spent most of my time on computers in high anyway, and I attended multiple computer classes. It's also an opportunity for shy computer nerds to feel like they can fit in, an environment that a normal high school doesn't always provide. Sadly, a terrible social experience in high school can impact an adult for decades.
Not everything that Microsoft makes is bad. Just because someone says a particular product or technology is good doesn't make them a troll.
If you've been following the discussions on the site lately, you'll notice that if you praise a competitor to Google or Linux, you are accused of being a "shill" by a swarm of attackers, the new buzzword used to filter out opposing viewpoints. Based on moderation trends, it's working. And of course, the irony that these "shill" accusers only go after opponents of Google is lost on them.
Kind of sad, because despite occasional advocacy, Slashdot discussion really did used to be more open-minded and reflective of the tech industry as a whole.
Well thought-out, including links, bashing Google, calling for Google to be broken up.
Just to be clear, you're criticizing the fact that you believe someone will post something well thought-out and sourced with links. The horror!
Notice how the very first post to this negative story on Google is a defensive, accusatory post intended to distract people from the story by turning everyone against anyone who will be critical of Google. You don't like the position someone will take on Google, and so that automatically means they're a troll and you get modded up? That's stupid.
The moderation system has broken down. My karma has suffered from "shill" accusations because I, too, have posted things critical of Google in the past and had this same anonymous person track all my posts. The new psychosis seems to be that you are not allowed to criticize anything Google-related or else anonymous accusers call you a shill, and enough moderators go along with it to filter you off the site.
The "shill" accusations flying around on Slashdot lately are getting out of control. Any position orthogonal to the common convention is accused, trashed, and filtered off the site.
Giving guns to crime lords that will be used in murders for the next ten years isn't a crime or offense?! Lying about knowledge of the operation isn't a crime or offense? Talk about a spin machine.
Slashdot Mirror
When Wikipedia's blackout is over, look up timezones.
Would someone interested in Linux on these particular tablets be able to order one from a vendor with Linux (or no operating system) pre-installed? I couldn't find information on whether or not OEMs are restricted from selling pre-installed Linux versions of the tablet. The SoftwareFreedom website says "any ARM device that ships with Windows 8 will never run another operating system, unless it is signed with a preloaded key or a security exploit is found that enables users to circumvent secure boot." The phrase there is "ships with Windows 8," which suggests to me that Custom Boot-enabled versions could ship without Windows. Admittedly, I have a hard time seeing it as a freedom issue, as these are just tech gadgets at the end of the day. I'd rather it was framed as an inconvenience argument, not a freedom one.
Is CES still relevant? Look at the past three, the Best of CES 2011 winner was the Motorola Xoom, 2010 was the Panasonic 3D plasma TV, and 2009 was the Palm Pre. It seems like it's more about giving tech writers neat gadgets to write about with no guarantee that any of it will ship, or if it does, that it will be successful. And it also seems like the most important products don't even show up there. Not to mention that this was Microsoft's last appearance at CES and that trade shows in general are on the decline. It just makes me wonder if CES is still worth it.
Um...the weather widget looks a little familiar, doesn't it?
There actually is a Black Mesa, New Mexico, though I don't know if the in-game location has any relation (I imagine there are probably several Black Mesas in the deserts of America.
Probably those experiments over at Black Mesa. By the way, the portrayal of New Mexico in Half-Life always amused me, with the cartoonish Looney Tunes cliffs and plateaus. With the exception of the northern area of the state, it's mostly just weeds as far as the eye can see, littered with the occasional beer can. We have good Mexican food, though.
The Wii's sales began to significantly drop several years ago. Last May, sales were down 38% year-over-year and fell to record lows in Japan. Before you claim that its due to lifespan, the PS2 is still selling like hotcakes. 3DS sales rose 260% after the price drop but were still less than the DS's sales in the comparable time period a year prior (which shows you just how much of a flop the 3DS was at release). And the 3DS's battery life is still absurdly short.
I just have to disagree that Nintendo is "in no danger," especially after the lackluster reception the Wii U received, but if there's any company whose failure I'm willing to be wrong about, it's Nintendo.
Upgrade slots would greatly complicate development, removing one of the major advantages of consoles for game companies compared to PC development. Even established veterans like id Software are incapable of releasing a stable PC game anymore. Rage on the PC was a mess.
Does anyone else have a nagging feeling that Nintendo is doomed in the next console cycle? The Wii U didn't grab the same attention that the original Wii did, and Nintendo is being attacked on two fronts--the hardcore market with the PS3 and Xbox 360, and casual gaming with the iPhone. Nintendo always had handheld sales to fall back on, but sales of the 3DS have been underwhelming, forcing an early price drop. It seems like Nintendo backed itself into a corner with the Wii, tying the company too intimately with the casual gaming market, whose gamers are fickle and prone to jump onto the next big thing, which turned out to be the iPhone.
Yes, yes, I realize people have been declaring Nintendo to be doomed since the Nintendo 64, but just because they survived previous eras doesn't mean they will survive the next one. Nintendo's stock price jumped after a rumor that Pokemon was coming to the iPhone, which turned out to be untrue. It just seems more than ever that it makes little sense for Nintendo not to become a software developer, since that is what they are most famous for in spite of their trend-setting controllers. Yet despite the novelty of the Wii remote, I still prefer the Dual Shock.
I love Nintendo's classics, but their refusal to embrace online play on the same level of their competitors as well as their reliance on nostalgia titles is frustrating. Sadly, I haven't turned on my Wii in so long that I can't even remember the last time. I think the last game I played on it was was Castlevania: Rondo of Blood, an old PC-Engine game, and only because it's Wii-exclusive.
It's turtles all the way down!
many techies absorb themselves in computers because it gives them a feeling of control that they lack in their daily lives
I don't believe you think more than skin-deep about the dangers of the "walled garden" approach. The problem with Apple is very simple -- they have delegated themselves a right to approve how do you use "their" device and a right to charge you a tithe for everything that comes to you on "their" hardware. In effect, you've relinquished ownership, and, unlike some other platforms, you have no legal way out.
Game consoles have had "walled gardens" (ugh, that term) for decades, approving all software that appears on their devices, and the world hasn't fallen apart. To the contrary, consoles surpassed PCs as the primary gaming platforms several years ago. The world also hasn't fallen apart since Apple began approving software on its devices; in fact, iOS remains #1 in customer satisfaction surveys.
Clearly, non-techies prefer these kinds of platforms. Like I said before, the issues you raise are not even considered a problem outside of tech forums. Normal people don't care if they can't install absolutely everything under the sun, because they wouldn't want to even if they could. Nobody is putting a gun to anyone's head and forcing them to buy an iPad, so the victim angle doesn't work either.
You need to understand that it's not a black-and-white situation. Apple platforms may be perfect for other people but not for you. Just because you don't like Apple doesn't mean nobody else should use their platforms and that the world should be rid of their evil. It just means other people use those platforms and you use whatever you use, and the world keeps on turning.
Also, software freedom is only a small part of it. Think of other possibilities that the Apple approach prevents. Even if an independent business and an owner of an Apple device both think there is a business mode they both can benefit from, which mode does not go through the Apple-approved system, they cannot achieve it easily, and hence cannot exploit the full potential of the hardware platform to their advantage. This is especially bad for the person who has paid the price for the Apple device.
If Apple isn't meeting their needs, the independent business can choose to use a different platform. Nobody is forced to use an Apple device, so again, the "freedom" argument is silly and really comes down to techies trying to maintain control in order to feel a sense of mastery over something, in my opinion.
Someone made computers cool for the general public. The horror.
I think some of the Apple hatred stems from the fact that many techies absorb themselves in computers because it gives them a feeling of control that they lack in their daily lives. Mastering a system is gratifying on many levels. When a company offers a platform that doesn't allow or require that kind of micro-management and control, it's really like an attack on the person directly, especially when the product is popular among non-techies--many of the same people who alienated that person in the first place. And so there's resentment.
The only reason I say all this is that concerns like yours don't exist in the general populace; it doesn't even cross their minds that it would be a problem. They see the lack of open-endedness as simplification and refinement that makes the devices easier to use. As Steve Jobs use to say, something "mere mortals" could use. So I say again, I think it's awesome that the public is allowed to be excited about things like "ePub" and "digital distribution" rather than rely on nerds like us to trickle it down to the rest of the population.
The statement is on Richard Stallman's blog from May 2003:
Dubya has nominated another caveman for a federal appeals court. Refreshingly, the Democratic Party is organizing opposition.
The nominee is quoted as saying that if the choice of a sexual partner were protected by the Constitution, "prostitution, adultery, necrophilia, bestiality, possession of child pornography, and even incest and pedophilia" also would be. He is probably mistaken, legally--but that is unfortunate. All of these acts should be legal as long as no one is coerced. They are illegal only because of prejudice and narrowmindedness.
He is quite clearly advocating the legalization of child pornography possession and pedophilia. Now, if he was being sarcastic, facetious, or attempting to make some other point, it sure doesn't come across in his statement, nor has he corrected himself since.
I don't normally respond to posts like this, but really? A four-paragraph post that happens to share a couple of links I used in a previous reply to an RMS article is cutting-and-pasting with minor rewrites and no addressing of the topic?
Oh, quit whining.
I know you're being tongue-in-cheek, but Apple's ability to make normal people excited about technology is one of their most important assets. I'm glad they're around to get non-techies hyped up about things like "ePub" and "digital distribution."
The reasons for the lack of female participation in open source are a touchy subject, and I probably risk offending some folks, but the fact is that the movement is largely made up of male computer nerds with few social skills and little female contact. My guess is that women fare better in proprietary software development because it implies a level of professionalism, since if you can't interact well socially with co-workers, you usually don't work there anymore.
Richard Stallman made some infamous remarks at the Gran Canaria Desktop Summit about "EMAC virgins", explicitly defining them as women who needed to be "relieved" of their EMACS virginity as a "holy duty." RMS defended it as a parody of religion, missing the point that the complaints were about the sexism and not the religious satire (RMS also believes in legalizing pedophilia and possession of child pornography--probably not the most palatable spokesperson to get behind in the first place).
If you're a man who rarely hangs out with women, it's easy to forget what it's like for the other side, especially if they're in a field in which they're practically outsiders. Women didn't take too kindly to being singled out like that at a tech conference. The bigger problem is the backlash from male techies that always flares up when this issue is discussed, which was amplified in the case of RMS because his core supporters tend to be so rabid.
I'm subscribed to the Cocoa-dev mailing list, and one of the regular members there began submitting messages under her real name, revealing that she had previously been posting under a male name because they found that they got more direct responses and less obnoxious comments. And this is Apple platform development, where you might assume the more liberal elements of that particular demographic would lend itself to increased tolerance.
I really can't imagine what it must be like to be a female developer and hope some of them voice their opinions here.
I agree, and it's the biggest reason I still play shooters on the PC. That said, upcoming console shooters are finally starting to adopt mouse and keyboard controls, so that may remove the last reason I had for struggling to get my PC to play the latest shooter.
The fixed hardware of the console is one of its biggest advantages. It's much easier to develop for, and therefore much easier to optimize. Most PC games today are now just console parts, and they lack optimization effort (e.g., Skyrim).
However, your statement about spyware on the console to stop you from using it for other purposes is a little silly. If I want to do other tasks, I just won't use my console, because it's not good at those other tasks anyway. I guess it's just not a big issue for me in practice.
First off, thanks for calling me "stupid."
Second, the DRM of a console has never affected my ability to play its games. I never notice the DRM. I can even sell used console games without issue. Notice that I praised Steam on the PC for its non-intrusiveness.
Third, I mentioned drivers because I was explaining why PC gaming is a maintenance chore compared to consoles and why consoles are such an appealing target for both developers and gamers. That is not "trolling."
It sounds like you got extraordinarily angry over the idea over criticism of the PC platform and the suggestion that consoles might be better at something. Some people are so attached to their PCs, so bitter at the rising popularity of consoles and mobile devices, that they lash out at anyone making a valid point. As for reading the net, most people today do that from their mobile phones! Frankly, if you still think PCs are the paragon of consumer computing, you're living in some prior decade and refusing to accept the reality of the world around you.
I really have to wonder the point of bothering with PC gaming anymore. Most PC games today are now just unoptimized console ports, and there is restrictive DRM from companies like EA and Ubisoft. I do consider Steam to be a bright spot, and its DRM is so invisible that I've never actually encountered it in practice, but then again, Steam is already moving to consoles as well, and Blizzard seems to be dipping its toes in the water.
I just think integrated platforms, like consoles and mobile devices, always win out in the long-term. I certainly don't want to maintain graphics card drivers or other PC-related issues anymore. It's boring and takes time away from playing games. Consoles today practically are PCs, but without all the headaches.
It isn't just Apple that Samsung has a tendency to "draw inspiration" from. There's also the Samsung Blade, a clone of the Motorola RAZR, and the Samsung INNOV8 is a clone of the Nokia N96. So before the usual anti-Apple rhetoric starts a-flyin', keep in mind that Samsung is one of those companies whose business is centered on making commodity knock-offs of popular products. I don't blame Apple for suing to protect Jonathan Ive's design work, because if one of the knock-offs is low quality or problematic, it can end up hurting Apple's brand.
You don't explain why you believe these things to be mutually exclusive.
In most standard high schools, you are already able to sign up for classes on particular subjects--Computer Science, Music, Drama, etc. I see little difference between that and attending a school that focuses on particular subfields of a given industry. I would have enjoyed a computer-focused high school, as I spent most of my time on computers in high anyway, and I attended multiple computer classes. It's also an opportunity for shy computer nerds to feel like they can fit in, an environment that a normal high school doesn't always provide. Sadly, a terrible social experience in high school can impact an adult for decades.
Not everything that Microsoft makes is bad. Just because someone says a particular product or technology is good doesn't make them a troll.
If you've been following the discussions on the site lately, you'll notice that if you praise a competitor to Google or Linux, you are accused of being a "shill" by a swarm of attackers, the new buzzword used to filter out opposing viewpoints. Based on moderation trends, it's working. And of course, the irony that these "shill" accusers only go after opponents of Google is lost on them.
Kind of sad, because despite occasional advocacy, Slashdot discussion really did used to be more open-minded and reflective of the tech industry as a whole.
Just to be clear, you're criticizing the fact that you believe someone will post something well thought-out and sourced with links. The horror!
Notice how the very first post to this negative story on Google is a defensive, accusatory post intended to distract people from the story by turning everyone against anyone who will be critical of Google. You don't like the position someone will take on Google, and so that automatically means they're a troll and you get modded up? That's stupid.
The moderation system has broken down. My karma has suffered from "shill" accusations because I, too, have posted things critical of Google in the past and had this same anonymous person track all my posts. The new psychosis seems to be that you are not allowed to criticize anything Google-related or else anonymous accusers call you a shill, and enough moderators go along with it to filter you off the site.
The "shill" accusations flying around on Slashdot lately are getting out of control. Any position orthogonal to the common convention is accused, trashed, and filtered off the site.
Giving guns to crime lords that will be used in murders for the next ten years isn't a crime or offense?! Lying about knowledge of the operation isn't a crime or offense? Talk about a spin machine.
No wonder you posted anonymously.