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Comments · 106

  1. Re:Even an empty suit is better than... on Obama Proposes High-Speed Rail System For the US · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    True dat. An occasional empty suit moment is much preferable to an empty head.

  2. heck yeah on Obama Proposes High-Speed Rail System For the US · · Score: 1

    Sure I would. The IH-35 corridor from D/FW to Austin & San Antonio is a real pain in the ass to drive. I've lived in the Dallas area for 20 odd years and I've never driven it w/o encountering construction delays. But hop on a 100+ mph train for a trip to my hometown (Austin) ? Sign me up!

  3. Re:I think that category is fading on Apple Store Reopens With Many New Products · · Score: 1

    Hell yes. The new models of the Mini, while being decent, incremental upgrades, aren't real bargains. Knock off $100 (low end model) to $200 (high end) and Apple would sell tons of them. Apple needs a line of good quality, low-end machines whose price differentiates enough from the 20" iMac - and the high end Mini ain't it. (Hint: there's a Recession going on out there, and plenty of people aren't going to spend $1000+ for a computer)

    Sometimes I wonder if Apple really cares about gaining market share or not...

  4. Re:common sense on Texas Board of Education Supports Evolution · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Indeed. And I'll admit to being a bit surprised at my home state. Pleased, but surprised. We have a LOT of anti-intellectual, "Christian" conservatives here...

  5. Re:Seriously... on iTunes DRM-Free Files Contain Personal Info · · Score: 1

    Heh, heh...well, for $4K (in 2001) they damn well better sound good :) I'll certainly admit that my Stax 'phones cost an order of magnitude less than that.

    But in the realm of Reality®-based budgets, the Grados still provide great "bang for the buck."

  6. Re:Seriously... on iTunes DRM-Free Files Contain Personal Info · · Score: 1

    I like my Grado SR-60 cans 95% as much as my older Stax electrostatic ones. They really are that good.

  7. Re:Darn... no Mac Mini update on Apple Intros 17" Unibody MBP, DRM-Free iTunes · · Score: 1

    What sort of braindead, "can't read the documentation" moron encodes MP3s at 128 kbps CBR ? Heck, lame makes it easy to produce very listenable and reasonably well compressed music. Just add the "--preset standard" cmd line switch and you're good to go.

  8. here's an idea on Employees the Next (Continuing) Big Security Risk? · · Score: 1

    Hey, here's a novel concept: Don't treat your employees like crap, and they're less likely to treat you that way. (not a common idea in American Big Business, I know...)

  9. Re:Wii got it right on Microsoft Knew About Xbox 360 Damaging Discs · · Score: 4, Informative

    The discs only get scratched if you re-orient the console WHILE the disc is being USED. This is a stupid idea to do with ANY disc-based system.

    Uh, no. The previous generation of Apple Macbooks had this issue with their slot-loading DVD/CD drives. And Apple did the right thing about that - they fixed it. Discs, most esp. game discs, are feckin' expensive, and there's no excuse for Microsoft's (lack of) response.

  10. Re:Turn down the volume on Study Links Personal Music Players To Hearing Loss · · Score: 2, Informative

    I think you've got the wrong Enterprise captain here. It's William Shatner who has tinnitus.

  11. Re:Who's sleeping with who? on University Tries "One iPhone Per Student" · · Score: 1

    Well, my wife went to Hardin-Simmons Univ.* in Abilene and from what she's told me, she never had a problem finding a place to go dancing. Now I suppose back then the drinking age was 18, so she just went to clubs/bars that served alcohol + early 80's dance music ;)

    *(private, Baptist university in the same small, Texas city)

  12. Directron on Which Vendors Do You Trust For PC Parts? · · Score: 1

    I've done business several times with Directron down in Houston, TX. Prices are decent (not always at Newegg levels, but not too different) and the customer service is fantastic. AFAIK, they are only located in Texas, so sales tax in TN shouldn't be an issue. http://www.directron.com/

  13. Rosetta disk on Digital Storage To Survive a 25-Year Dirt Nap? · · Score: 1

    I'm surprised no one has mentioned the disk format from the Rosetta Project, tho' it may be waaaay overkill for this ;)

  14. Re:Vista: Unix's MVP on Apple Climbs Into Third Place In U.S. PC Market · · Score: 1

    Has anyone else noticed that after Vista came out, Microsoft seems to have been losing ground?

    That was the straw that broke the camel's back for me. And not that Linux on my HP laptop was unusable - far from it. But I just got tired of always having to geek-out to get things working. Apple's OS X is a decent Unix implementation that just works. I do far less dicking around with it and spend more time getting, you know, real work done.

    BTW, it's not that I couldn't geek-out enough to do things with Linux. Hell, I've got 15+ years of experience with Unix. It's that I don't have to. Oh, and as an aside, Apple's tech support service is refreshingly decent after having to deal with Dell and HP. MacBook had a bad DVD drive (making noise, scratching discs). Got an appt with the "Genius Bar" at our local Apple store, brought it in, tech agreed with me in under 5 min that it was bad, and replaced it (he was also polite, spoke my native language well [English], and displayed a good store of technical know-how). First time I ever walked away from a PC vendor's tech support with a smile on my face and extra time on my hands ;)

  15. Re:Look on the brightside on Dealing With Dialup · · Score: 1

    "Prohibitively expensive" for people that can afford a 300 yr old cottage on Cape Cod?

    No sh*t. And another thing...why does the orig poster mention contacting the gov't anyway ? Everyplace has its pros & cons. Your parents chose to live on Cape Cod for whatever quality of life issues were important to them. Fine.

    But why should the gov't bail them out by spending tax money to get them high-speed Internet access ? This sounds perilously close to "welfare for the rich" (tho' the way the Republicans have been running the place the last eight years, I realize it's becoming much more the norm) :P

    I'd much rather my tax money go to people with real needs, like subsidized school lunches for poor kids, etc...

  16. Re:Feature list on Psystar Offers $399 "OpenMac" Computer · · Score: 1

    Well, their "store" webpage has an Ubuntu Linux install as an OS option on the thing (for $0, 'natch). So I assume it runs fine. And why not ? In my experience, Ubuntu is compatible with a wide range of PC hardware.

  17. Re:WTF? on Apple Announces MacBook Air · · Score: 4, Informative
    Most people won't go anywhere without a laptop mouse, including myself. #1

    So get a bluetooth mouse. That'll leave your USB port open...

  18. Re:So what on Retail Store Scalping Wii Consoles on eBay · · Score: 1

    Oh that story is so sweet. I can't begin to count the number of times I've seen people around here pull that sort of garbage. Of course, I think the problem is that I live in the D/FW suburbs and we get a lot of people moving here from the Northeast. And I'm sorry if this plays into peoples' stereotypes, but Yankees are just plain rude. Everytime I've encountered this sort of rude, public selfishness, it's been served up by someone from who's obviously from back East.

  19. Black Cloud on Interstellar Dust Could Be "Alive" · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Ooooo...shades of Fred Hoyle's The Black Cloud !

  20. weetabix on What Breakfast Gets You Going? · · Score: 1

    Weekdays, it's strong coffee with cream & sugar first thing. Then later a bowl of cereal & some toast, a roll, biscuit or some such with butter and jam. Favorite cereal is Weetabix (when I can get it), but raisin bran or Grape Nuts will do. Then off to work with a 14oz thermal mug full of more coffee.

  21. alternative on Visa Cuts Off AllOfMp3.com · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Looks like you can point your browser back to Mother Russia at Alltunes.com and be back in business pretty quick (incl. payment with Visa).

  22. Roadie cases on Sturdy Laptop Travel Cases? · · Score: 1

    For something really rugged, how about the computer cases made by Anvil ? Same mfg who produces equip cases for bands "on the road" and such. Even makes the Pelican stuff look kinda wimpy ;)

  23. Waveceptor on Interesting Wrist Watches? · · Score: 1
    As someone opined above, "...but a $50 Timex or Boliva will tell the time just as well."

    True. Which lead me to the desire to have a least one really accurate wristwatch. Came across the Casio Waveceptor line and got what I was after. Loads of different styles (both analog and digital) and it receives a time calibration radio signal from an atomic clock in Colorado which keeps the watch accurate. Price was right, too. About the same as those Timex or Boliva models mentioned above.

  24. a good reason to be an Episcopalian on Christian Churches Celebrate Darwin's Birthday · · Score: 1
    'Darwin`s theory of biological evolution is compatible with faith and that Christians have no need to choose between religion and science.'

    Of course. And, may I add, that's one of the many, good reasons to be an Episcopalian - you get to believe in dinosaurs (and Darwin :)

  25. Re:Is It Just Me? on $20 Cellphones Possible with TI's New Chip · · Score: 2, Informative
    Second, almost all chip production nowadays is outside the US.

    Not true for TI. Our largest Fabrication plants are right here in N. Texas, and we're building an even larger one right down the highway from me. Our largest design center is also in Dallas. (BTW, TI Bangalore is a design center - they don't mfg the chips there.)