You're meant to optimise for the applications, not the OS. If the OS needs the hardware optimised for it, and does much more than keeping out of the way of the apps (and making sure that the apps keep out of each others' way) then the OS is probably fundamentally broken.
Many CPUs for the embedded market are optimized for running an RTOS -- fast context switches, super fast interrupts etc.
It does make sense to optimize the CPU for a specific kind of OS.
There is no alternative to tape drives, once you have more than 50GB to back up.
But you should take the Ecrix PR with a grain of salt. Unlike the "legacy" standards DLT and SLR, the VXA drives don't even do read-after-write. The "unbeatable value" obviously comes by sacrificing security. Legacy, my ass...
Thanks, but I will stick to my SLR drives. This technology has been around for more than ten years and has an excellent track record. Going with the newest and coolest is deadly in data security.
The formerly state-owned Deutsche Telecom and its subsidiary company T-Online have driven its competitors out of business by offering a ridiculously cheap flat rate (cheap only by German standards, of course). Now that all providers who offered a flat rate are either bancrupt or in serious trouble, T-Online does not offer a flat rate anymore - and terminates all existing contracts.
Accessing the internet over a low-bandwidth connection costs ~0.02 EUR/min.
Not true. You can use splitters to distribute the signal to several receivers, and a switch if you want to receive more than one satellite.
The most important decision is to choose the right LNB (Low Noise Blockconverter - the "real" antenna, mounted to the dish with a pole).
The simple LNBs have but one connector. With them you can only receive one Band; the polarity (horizontal or vertical) can be changed by sending a 14/18V current through the cable that also carries the satellite signal (the receiver does that).
There are two different types of LNBs with two connectors. One has separate outputs for horizontal/vertical polarization. That's perfect if you have a switch. You can have many receivers attached to that switch and it will give them horizontal or vertical polarity input, whichever they request.
Another Dual-LNB is two Single-LNBs rolled into one: you will get horizontal/vertical polarity on each of the two connectors, depending on which Voltage (14/18) you apply. If you don't have more than two receivers, this solution is for you - you don't need a switch and can save on that extra dish that you would need for the two Single-LNB solution.
Then there are the Quad-LNBs. They will give you separate outputs for horizontal/vertical on two different bands (Ku-Low and Ku-High). Of course you need a switch for that baby.
A special case of both the single and dual LNB are the so-called "digital LNBs". By (not) modulating the 14/18V voltage with 22kHz they switch between the Ku-Low and Ku-High band.
I am using a 8-way Spaun Multiswitch with two Quad-LNBs to receive analog and digital programming from both Astra and Eutelsat Hotbird. The receiver and the switch communicate via DiSEqC - that's basically a cable-modem standard for this special application. Works fine. And you need it if you want to receive both Ku bands from two satellites; 14/18V and 22kHz gives you only four combinations whereas you need eight.
Ballmer is not saying Apache is better. He is saying Apache is better to host multiple web sites on a single physical machine. If you look at the market and the next push, that aspect is irrelevant.
Not only that. He also said that IIS w/ Win2000 will solve that last problem.
I got Oracle 8.0.5 for Linux from my local bookstore. The CD was free, but it severely lacks documentation. There is an installation guide and some documentation about the Linux implementation on the CD; you still have to buy the paperback reference guides if you really want to use Oracle though. Unless you already own them, of course.
DVB (digital video broadcast) is a fascinating technology, especially in conjunction with HDTV (high definition TV). But just like MP3 it has the potential for really bad quality.
Most of the German free TV programmes (on Astra) are encoded at ~3.5 Mbps. The quality is terrible; you get artefacts all over the place. I'd prefer the PAL signal (from a 120cm dish) anytime.
The most hideous bugs can lurk in memory management. You get memory leaks if you are lucky or segfaults if you are not. GC frees you from a whole class of bugs and permits leaner, more legible code.
GC was a revelation to me when I switched from C/C++ to Perl. Of course Perl's memory management goes beyond GC, but that's another story.
Rapid Application Development is nearly impossible without GC -- you can't develop rapidly when you are hunting down memory leaks and illegal pointers.
Motion JPEG encapsulated in Quicktime - Yuck! I spent an hour downloading something that can't be played by both xanim and MPEG-TV.
Why seems nobody to be able to create a plain and simple MPEG system stream? Create only I-frames if you want MJPEG... Why has it to be Quicktime and funny Codecs?
This is all about standardization -- the standards are out there. Linux supports them all. And no one uses them.
But I don't think it's in our best interest to have to have five different sets of general games libraries. [...] one has only to look at the mindnumbing confusion that besets Windows users when they have to figure out the difference between OpenGL, Glide, and Direct3D
Why not? It is all about choice -- for the developers. And I happen to like competition.
The setup procedure only has to install the toolkit which the game uses. Just like MSWin games install DirectX 2/3/4/5... It is no problem to put everything on one CD. That's what distributors like Suse and RedHat are for. The anoraks can still get the different parts from all over the net and compile the source themselves.
Well, obviously this library is not the holy grail. Whoever wants to prgram a game with many fancy features for both Windows and Linux (and MacOS, almost forgot;) will have to do a lot of architecture specific stuff, or use yet another cross-platform library.
But those who only need a framebuffer and some primitive drawing functions may give it a try; GameCode runs on top of DirectX and whatever that MaxOS thing is called. Hey, it supports buttons and menus! Simple, but effective.
If I really pay money for a Linux game, I want to get a box that has the word "Linux" in big fat letters on it. That gives me the feeling that I finally got my money's worth.
Another point is market influence. Imagine the puzzled look of a Windoze user who discovers a Linux game on the store shelf! I doubt that there will be many Linux boxes on the shelves, but the press coverage alone will be very helpful. It's all about marketing.
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You're meant to optimise for the applications, not the OS. If the OS needs the hardware optimised for it, and does much more than keeping out of the way of the apps (and making sure that the apps keep out of each others' way) then the OS is probably fundamentally broken.
Many CPUs for the embedded market are optimized for running an RTOS -- fast context switches, super fast interrupts etc.
It does make sense to optimize the CPU for a specific kind of OS.
It works surprisingly well. Of course, the battery only lasts for three or four hours of downloading. Having a power outlet near you helps.
Broadcast TV is definitely not 460x360. It is 704x480 (720x480) in North America and 704x576 (720x576) in the rest of the world.
Due to bandwidth limitations of some media (terrestrial transmission) the horizontal resolution may be reduced along the way.
Windows 2000 Pro(fessional)
But you should take the Ecrix PR with a grain of salt. Unlike the "legacy" standards DLT and SLR, the VXA drives don't even do read-after-write. The "unbeatable value" obviously comes by sacrificing security. Legacy, my ass...
Thanks, but I will stick to my SLR drives. This technology has been around for more than ten years and has an excellent track record. Going with the newest and coolest is deadly in data security.
The formerly state-owned Deutsche Telecom and its subsidiary company T-Online have driven its competitors out of business by offering a ridiculously cheap flat rate (cheap only by German standards, of course). Now that all providers who offered a flat rate are either bancrupt or in serious trouble, T-Online does not offer a flat rate anymore - and terminates all existing contracts. Accessing the internet over a low-bandwidth connection costs ~0.02 EUR/min.
Sorry, German only. It is basically something like a DiscMan which can read ISO9660 CDs and decode MPEG-I audio layer 3.
Quite expensive, though. I'd rather burn my custom collection on normal audio CDs and use a cheap portable CD player instead.
Not true. You can use splitters to distribute the signal to several receivers, and a switch if you want to receive more than one satellite.
The most important decision is to choose the right LNB (Low Noise Blockconverter - the "real" antenna, mounted to the dish with a pole).
A special case of both the single and dual LNB are the so-called "digital LNBs". By (not) modulating the 14/18V voltage with 22kHz they switch between the Ku-Low and Ku-High band.
I am using a 8-way Spaun Multiswitch with two Quad-LNBs to receive analog and digital programming from both Astra and Eutelsat Hotbird. The receiver and the switch communicate via DiSEqC - that's basically a cable-modem standard for this special application. Works fine. And you need it if you want to receive both Ku bands from two satellites; 14/18V and 22kHz gives you only four combinations whereas you need eight.
Not only that. He also said that IIS w/ Win2000 will solve that last problem.
I got Oracle 8.0.5 for Linux from my local bookstore. The CD was free, but it severely lacks documentation. There is an installation guide and some documentation about the Linux implementation on the CD; you still have to buy the paperback reference guides if you really want to use Oracle though. Unless you already own them, of course.
How's that for a compromise? ;-)
Most of the German free TV programmes (on Astra) are encoded at ~3.5 Mbps. The quality is terrible; you get artefacts all over the place. I'd prefer the PAL signal (from a 120cm dish) anytime.
That would discredit Linux once and for all!
The idea of moderation is to separate relevant postings from white noise. It is not about censorship and preferring certain political views.
Your idea is orthogonal to the current system and may be implemented additionally. Rob?
GC was a revelation to me when I switched from C/C++ to Perl. Of course Perl's memory management goes beyond GC, but that's another story.
Rapid Application Development is nearly impossible without GC -- you can't develop rapidly when you are hunting down memory leaks and illegal pointers.
Why seems nobody to be able to create a plain and simple MPEG system stream? Create only I-frames if you want MJPEG... Why has it to be Quicktime and funny Codecs?
This is all about standardization -- the standards are out there.
Linux supports them all.
And no one uses them.
This is ridiculous.
Linux was (still is?) the only OS that supported Java as binary format. It had (still has?) a few drawbacks and should be considered a gimmick.
Absolutely! Or just tell us the address of the squid proxy Rob and the others are using... ;-)
Why not? It is all about choice -- for the developers. And I happen to like competition.
The setup procedure only has to install the toolkit which the game uses. Just like MSWin games install DirectX 2/3/4/5...
It is no problem to put everything on one CD. That's what distributors like Suse and RedHat are for. The anoraks can still get the different parts from all over the net and compile the source themselves.
Well, obviously this library is not the holy grail. Whoever wants to prgram a game with many fancy features for both Windows and Linux (and MacOS, almost forgot ;) will have to do a lot of architecture specific stuff, or use yet another cross-platform library.
But those who only need a framebuffer and some primitive drawing functions may give it a try; GameCode runs on top of DirectX and whatever that MaxOS thing is called. Hey, it supports buttons and menus! Simple, but effective.
If I really pay money for a Linux game, I want to get a box that has the word "Linux" in big fat letters on it. That gives me the feeling that I finally got my money's worth.
Another point is market influence. Imagine the puzzled look of a Windoze user who discovers a Linux game on the store shelf! I doubt that there will be many Linux boxes on the shelves, but the press coverage alone will be very helpful. It's all about marketing.