1. We as a community need to act more mature, and not flame people for using Windows, other unices, or different programs. To be honest, Windows is much more easier to initially set up, and much harder to lock down. There needs to be a medium like that with Linux. I think Mandrake, FreeBSD, and Caldera have at least the beginnings of user friendliness down.
2. AOL 5.0 did what it did for a reason. There are at least 10 different versions of the Winsock libraries and Networking libraries across the many different versions of Windows out there (95, 95 2.0, 95 2.1, 95 2.5, 98, 98 SP1, 98 SE). By forcefully implementing libraries that WORK instead of Microsoft's, they did what they had to to ensure that users were able to connect and not have to debug every PC that was sent it. Considering their user base, I don't see much of a problem. However, if you choose to connect to a network, you will have some issues. That's why I still recommend AOL 4.0 until 6.0 comes out.
2b. AOL for Linux (which I am convinced already exists in some form) would not have that issue. Linux has socket and network libraries that are actually backward-compatible, and the same code will work despite what revision of *ux you are using, unlike Windows. AOL runs their internal applications on Sun, so I don't see a disconnect in their running an AOL Client on Linux. Matter of fact, it would run better than their Windows or Mac ones, and probably would use Mozilla, which is a good thing:)
3. The user-friendly part definately needs some work. Also, it would be good to start releasing training videos for Linux starring television stars or other famous non-geeks. That was a big reason why 95 hit so big, because they showed people like Jennifer Aniston using it. The applications just need a little interface work, and they would be great. Especially Mozilla and StarOffice.
I remember reading in the December 1999 Linux Magazine that VA had other plans for SGI. I think this Andover.net acquisition is only a little part of VA's overall plan.
They are distribution-neutral, so we'll always see reviews of all distributions, and they employ developers who work on all facets of the system.
However, this increases VA's visibility and mindshare enough to make increased work with SGI and a possible big acquisition by VA more than a remote possibility. I anticipate other sites, a few small linux services firms, and quite possibly SGI as their next targets.
I don't consider this a bad thing, in that VA Linux is making major contributions to the community, most notably in SourceForge, Samba, and now Freshmeat and Slashdot.
Remember, VA's CEO co-wrote Yahoo!'s business plan. Larry Augustin knows what he is doing and has to do to make Linux a major force in the marketplace that can effectively compete with Microsoft on all fronts. By owning and/or operating the major portals by which open source software is being distributed, and NOT doing what MS does by controlling the editorial output, he's providing a complete alternative to MS.
I anticipate that you will still see banner ads for other companies, a lot more open source software, more powerful hardware for slashdot, and a refocus of VA Linux as a major player competing with Red Hat. This can be really good, since VA is contributing more and more with each step they take.
From what I have read, I have heard that the Emotion Engine chip will be used not only in the PSX2, but also a line of PC's, and a line of high-end workstations.
The PSX2 is a home system. Essentially, it's aimed at WebTV, Dreamcast, Dolphin, and AOL. That is their target user base for people that are going to use this as a device for connecting to the net. Not to say that I won't be connecting mine to play games, but still.:)
The new line of VAIO computers in late 2000 or early 2001 will feature some integration of this technology also. I would look for some very kick-butt video and audio processing on them.
However, they are also going after Sun, Fujitsu, HP, Dell, Apple, and the workstation market with a new line of workstations featuring a more powerful version of the EE chip in tandem with other processors. This I remember reading. This also looks very promising, especially if they can find a way to make Photoshop run like it does on a G4 in terms of processor optimization with the EE.
This PSX2 will not replace computers. It's not aimed at that in Sony's overall stragegy. It's squarely aimed at the low-end market of people that buy WebTV, AOL, or Dreamcast (or Sega SaturnNet Link ).
I've seen many products for UNIX, Web, and MS environments that do not meet my definition of alpha shipping as products. I define this as being able to successfully install it and get it to work on your machine, however the product will have issues concerning functionality or implementation of features. However, the basic application framework and interface code is there. The only issues should be with stability. The nastiest ones I have seen so far are the web application servers for UNIX. They must all be pre-alpha when released, especially the Sun NetDynamics server, which apparently likes to take a dive on whatever OS it is running on a regular basis, IN RELEASE AND AFTER SERVICE PACKS. No wonder they cluster them. Or they give you instructions as to what machine directives or functions to AVOID using. Silverstream, Bluestone, and the Java web server aren't too much better. And they are in general release! The scary part is that this is another product of the Sun/Netscape alliance that we had some Ex-Sun guy talking about like it was better than sex. Having to reboot HPUX, IRIX, AIX, or Solaris boxes because of memory leaks is a BAD thing. Microsoft - Let's not even go there. We know. Why beat a dead horse. However the point is that it's no longer standard practice to release working code, apparently. Testing is not being done (and I've seen quite enough supposedly final applications to prove it).
Open source is a different story though. It gets released as alpha or pre-alpha code, and it eventually works because the code is out there to fix it. Also, people are more willing to submit bug reports because they know they'll get fixed. Try that with Sun or MS. It gets dumped into a bit bucket unless it gets posted to BUGTRAQ or NTBUGTRAQ as being a security flaw. Still, we have companies out there who are trying to meet release schedules set by the Stef Murkys of the world who release code without testing it as well as they should have. In my opinion then, the only good product out there in the alpha stage is Linux, which always is in one because it's a continual work in progress. That is not a bad thing. There are stable versions of Linux that are in release, however Linux as a project will always be, which is good:). Windows is an alpha product, as is Office. Same goes for MacOS. Heck, 50% of all products I think are in alpha. Games are different because they are apparently tested a lot better than the home apps, which is bad.
Back in 1989, when Windows looked like crap, and they had many competing GUI's (OS/2, DESQview, among many others!), MS hired the designers of the Mac GUI's look and feel to work on Windows 3.0's.
Apparently, this helped MS out because they actually had an 'eye candy' product for the first time. It also had ZDNet getting way too happy.
BillG already knows of Apple's contributions, because he bought the people from there that gave the Mac its coolness factor and used them for Windows 3.0 aka It Looks Nice [but doesn't work and crashes more than Windows 2000!].
1. NT itself is a piece of crap to even maintain properly. SP2 and SP4 only proved that Microsoft does not properly test third-party products with their Service Packs. We waited until SP5, and ONLY after several rounds of serious tests to make sure that nothing got hammered.
1a. Certain clients that used third-party messaging, web server, or application server products made by competitors such as Sun or Netscape had serious issues when SP4 was installed. So did Samba in one of our test cases. Leads me to believe that M$ wanted SP4 to push the M$ products over the competing products.
2. The Install of NT itself on a bare box is abyssmal. It takes about 10 reboots to get everything installed right with the Hot Fixes and the Service Packs. Linux takes one with 6.1. By the way, the install is about 5x as fast as W2K even in graphical install mode of RH6.0.
2a. Plus, there's the monitoring of NTBUGTRAQ for the latest exploits. Sometimes they hit 5 a week. The MS people post fixes 2 weeks later.
3. Linux, on the other hand, is mostly stable. Fixes are out within hours. I don't have these issues.
4. Linux isn't tightly integrated with Apache. If I want to change web servers for reasons of security or such then I can. Can I do that easily with NT? The answer is no, unless you run Apache for NT. Then you still have the issues of the operating system.
4a. IIS is the biggest security hole of a web server I have yet seen. The bugfixes hardly fix anything. Doubt me and think NT is god? Read NTBUGTRAQ or actually run an NT server connected to the Internet. Microsoft and their COM objects are causing a whole mess of havoc.
5. Security hole in a Perl script on the hackpcweek site? I wonder why nobody tried to do the same with COM objects or the numerous buffer overflows on NT? Better yet, let's see how long it takes Redmond to come out with a fix! IF anyone wanted to not follow the rules of that contest, I am sure something like that would easily take down the box.
6. I hear too much from NT admins about "Wait until Windows 2000". Y'all can shut up about your vaporware. I interviewed two admins. One was a W2K freak. The other mentioned that MS should fix their products before releasing new ones. Guess which one got the offer? Shut up about how great MS is until I see stable shipping product or get out. Linux is right here, right now, and is constantly being updated. It's also open source and audited by thousands. Beat that, Redmond. Giving a closed source preview of a product doesn't make it like Linux. Open the source and show those API's like WNetEnumCachedPasswords.
6a. I have seen portions of that code, and it is MESSY. They probably won't release it out of embarrassment. I wouldn't.
7. ZD is advertising-driven. Guess who buys most of their advertising? Microsoft. Do you HONESTLY think ZD is going to bite the hand that feeds them? I think not. They are Microsoft's bitch. Anyone who reads anything from ZD should realize that. It's a PHB magazine, meant for people who choose not to pay attention to what is going on in IT. Until Red Hat, VA, Sun, SGI, and other non-MS companies advertise, then they will be continue to be the puppets of Redmond.
Do you really think MS or NAI cares about the people that pirate small amounts of their software?
Every MS piracy case I have seen involved large amounts of their CD's and certificates. I can go on the web and download a large amount of their stuff. I can go to a computer show and pick up Site Server 3.0 for $60, Office 2000 for $40, and Windows NT for $25. Heck, I can even go to EBay and get the same products. And I will be able to for a long time coming. That is, IF I actually used their products at home besides Windows 98. I find their stuff to be too bloated to use.
However, MS knows this too. It's MARKET SHARE. Every person that buys site server for $60, or Windows NT for $25 means one less person that bought a competing product. MS does this to hurt their competition. I also have noticed how NT at the shows is priced MUCH less than Red Hat Linux selling there.
However, tying this back in, NAI has to know this. Every user that downloads from that site doesn't use Norton or the competition. NAI does the same thing. It's business. Their big accounts drop tons of money for their antivirus and that's 90% of the sales anyway. McAfee Antivirus is not their big product. NetShield NT is. Even though it can be downloaded, every PHB will spend the exorbitant cash to slow their servers down and buy it.
And by the way, I've used it with Novell also. The only good way to use it (and I say this with much reserve) is to mount the server volumes and scan using their Windows products on a client machine.
The ONE tool I recommend to anyone for administering any kind of DB is Embarcadero DBArtisan 5.03.
It can administer Sybase, Oracle, and DB2 databases running under Linux. I've done it.
You can administer MS SQL Server 6.5 and 7.0, Sybase 11.0.3.33 (my old Linux Sybase box), Sybase 11.5 and up, Oracle 7.3 and up, and DB2 on it.
You can even share schemas between the multiple versions, and copy tables across different DBMS's.
And yes, they use "cartridges" for different DB types. This is quite good if they want to support the other Linux databases out there.
However, I don't work for Embarcadero, but I recommend their tools highly. I've never had it so easy administering DB's across AIX, Linux, and NT/98 before. If you do any DBA work, you know what a pain in the butt it is!
Compaq already has a 64-bit chip in the Alpha. Intel apparently has been having loads of problems with the Merced chip. It's the first 64-bit chip out from Intel. If you know their track record, you know why I won't have a Merced.
Compaq is streamlining. Rather than make the large initial investment in IA-64 and EPIC (which will require a large investment to just port over everything DEC wrote and get it to actually compile and run in an optimized manner, yet alone work right), they are making what they have work.
IA-64 will not be in most data centers for a few years until McKinley is out. Intel has a nasty track record with first release chips, especially the Pentium, 486, and 386.
Why build on a foundation of sand, which I consider IA-64 to be until it is tested and working, and not a Merced chip, when you have a 64-bit chip that is running in very high-end data centers already?
Compaq is doing the right thing in this case. This is a case much like AmigaOS, where the hardware and software are very tightly integrated. You just can't recompile Tru64 for another chip. Tru64 takes advantage of a lot of hardware specific to the Alpha chip and the servers itself. It's reliable, and it works extremely well for HA environments.
Having Tru64 on Merced would undercut Compaq and could possibly force them to not make Alpha chips. While this is something intel wants, it's not a good thing. Having Tru64 on Merced could cause Intel to become the Microsoft of consumer and server chips, because it would eliminate a great competitor.
I personally enjoy running Linux on those chips too, since they are just so well-designed and built to scale, unlike the x86 family.
I applaud Compaq (if this is true) for avoiding the train wreck that's going to occur when IA-64 comes out. You're going to see so many issues dealing with how IA-32 apps run on it in emulation mode (which is slow), and how compilers will have to be reworked to use EPIC to actually get the speed increase. x86 is a nasty chip design compared to the Alpha or MIPS chips.
If IA-64 catches, I would not be surprised to see Compaq offer it at all. However, with anything new from Intel of this magnitude, it is better to avoid it. They are sticking with their 64-bit design and making it better, and I applaud them for bringing competition to IA-64 in.
You would then be able to swap info with your laptop, digital camera, desktop, or any CF-compatible device.
Currently the only handheld devices that support CF are the WindowsCE units. The inclusion of a CF adapter means several things:
1. Handspring Visors with LOADS of internal ram. How many contacts can an 80MB CF card hold?
2. Easier backups and restores to desktops using the CFFS (Compact Flash File System - supported by Windows 98, NT, CE, and digital cameras, as well as Linux I think?).
3. A way of transferring data that can be MUCH faster than USB.
4. A way of e-mailing pictures stored on CF cards to people easily.
5. A good way to store LOADS of MP3 files.
6. An easier way to integrate already-existing Ethernet cards into the Handspring.
I'd also like to see a keyboard for this.
I am also reserving one now:) This device has much more potential than the Palm Computing devices because it's got the expansion slot and a faster way to connect to the desktop using USB, as well as a cell phone card.
This device could be the beginning of the end for CE devices if they market it right.
The slashdot effect can be minimalized if you do the following:
1. Look at the processor/motherboard that the server has. You will be handling a large amount of requests. Therefore, you will want to get an Athlon or Compaq Alpha. Both of these models handle multitasking OS's better than the Intel chip. I prefer the Alpha. You will want the fastest memory you can buy, with the best configuration. An Alpha motherboard and chip will give you this.
2. Your disk subsystems are also very important. You will need to maximize bandwidth between the motherboard and the disks. An Adaptec U2W SCSI controller will help you here. I also recommend the Seagate Cheetah series of hard drives. A 9GB drive will not cost you that much, and wil have plenty of performance benefits.
2.5. Your networking subsystem. Make sure your network card is directly supported by Linux and has a good chipset. 3Com Fast Etherlink XL PCI cards are my favorite choice here because of their Parallel Tasking chipset, and because installation of them under Red Hat 6 is a snap. They even work well with NT, which you do not want to run a slashdotted site on unless you want to run a Compaq Proliant 8500 and spend as much on it as you would a house.
3. Make sure your Linux installation has a large enough swap partition, and don't run any extra services. Strip it down to what you need, and preferrably put your DNS on a small extra machine, as well as other system functions that you might want, but do not need to be on that machine.
4. Check with people here about exploits. Every script kiddie that reads this site will want to crack your box and leave messages. The more immature ones will probably quote DMX or other rap artists. There are many cool people here that are really good with Linux security.
I believe the reason a lot of Linux sites get slashdotted like this is because a lot of hardware that Linux is used to run on is not what you'd want to run a commercial website on.
The reason why NT appears somewhat stable in a lot of cases is because the manufacturers of NT servers bend over backwards to make NT work on the BIOS and hardware level.
Linux can get the same effect and maximize performance off a website by tuning the hardware a bit, and knowing what hardware to use. A Celeron ain't gonna cut it. Alpha processors will do your job just fine for you without the Intel issues.
Plus, the system I quoted there can be had for about $4K and can handle heavy loads. Try doing that with 1 processor on an Intel chipset.
The 5mx apparently does have an improved screen on it. I've seen it on the site. They really did improve a lot with the 5mx in other areas besides that, too.
However, the Itsy did use a StrongARM processor also, from what I remember of reading the site. It used a 200Mhz one though, so doing any Itsy porting work would be a bit slower.
The Psion would be the perfect machine to port it to though because of two reasons:
1. OS in flash. 2. StrongARM processor.
The mere existence of an alternative OS for the device would be enough to get me to buy one, since then getting apps to work with it such as IRC, ssh, Telnet, ftp, and a decent web browser would be not hard to do.
1. It uses a better OS (EPOC32) than the other StrongARM equipped device, the HP Jornada 820 (which uses CE 2.x). The Jornada 820 runs at 190Mhz, while this runs at 100Mhz, and the Jornada 820 still seems slower!
2. It's coming from the most established company with the most established brand of palmtops worldwide, Psion.
3. The OS in it just kicks butt. Symbian really knows how to get speed and functionality out of the OS, unlike CE (which just shovels functionality in with no consequence for runtime).
4. It supports what I have found to be the most versatile and reliable modem, the Gold Card. Dell uses these in their Latitude laptops. They run about $250, but can support GSM, ISDN, US cellular standards, US phone networks, European phone networks, and is software-upgradable to any standard that it can't support. I'm willing to pay $250 for a good modem, and I've found this to be the best. Apparently, so does Dell. No WinCE winmodems is a good thing.
5. EPOC32 has a JVM, unlike the CE JVM that Symantec was working on that mysteriously went the way of their other CE Apps such as PcAnywhere and ACT!.
6. It's got more app support. This truly does have international support like the Palm does. There are a LOT more apps for EPOC than CE. It's the perfect form factor for someone who doesn't want to worry about notebook hard drives. It also can run NetBSD and Linux from what I understand, which just opens up a whole new world of apps.
7. Don't forget the IBM Microdrive. This works here too.
8. PCMCIA slot. This means you can combine this with EPOC32, NetBSD, or Linux and use many cool devices with this.
I've been reading here for a little bit, courtesy of two former co-workers of mine at Diginexus who introduced me to this.
What I've noticed is that a lot of the posts here are not really news. I have a few of my favorite posters who I look for when reading articles, but I'm seeing a lot of people who apparently have piped the output from their lower intestines to their brains, and then tee'd it to their keyboards.
I can't even read half of the articles here anymore. Between the "linux advocates" who rabidly try to rip apart anything not Linux, even BSD or BeOS, the script kiddies, and the "Let's make a beowulf cluster out of xxx type of hardware", this place is turning into quite a swamp where I have to wade through to find a good post from people I know or like because they are actually intelligent.
What I like to read are discussions about the various issues in technology today. I don't like seeing people get ripped apart because they admit working with microsoft or their products. However, I also cannot stand the rabid "advocacy" from both the pro and anti MS people. Remember how that arrogance and "advocacy" ruined OS/2? People, we're here to use technology to make the world a better place, not for KDE Vs. GNOME wars.
This is a community that is undergoing intense scrutiny. I am seeing slashdot mentioned on CNN, Wired, Microsoft-sponsored publications, Ziff-Davis publications, and by people I meet in the general public. This is ESPECIALLY after the Red Hat IPO.
You know what? People are watching the Linux and techie communities a lot more now. It just so happens a lot of us post to here. And we're looking like a bunch of idiots. Especially to the Microsoft people that read Slashdot who are looking for material to attack Linux with.
Worst off, we're turning off a lot of people that want to explore looking at Linux, BSD, BeOS, or UNIX in general. These people are getting a very negative impression about us because certain people don't discuss like humans. These people are coming away with negative impressions of technology in general, not just *ux or BeOS or MacOS.
I'm sick and tired of reading stories from posters here about Slashdot readers who read stories and react negatively. People read those emails you send cursing them out about using anything Microsoft. And since when did anyone who uses NT or any MS deserve to get ripped apart and cursed at?
Mindcraft had the right idea to post some of those mails on their web site. People here might have not liked it, but it showed us exactly who was doing the posting and what was being posted. And they did the right thing by showing those of us who choose not to curse out people because of their thoughts what the others do. This was something we all needed to see so it could be stopped or slowed down significantly.
The story about what happened to the secretary at Unisys really did make me upset. She did not make that decision, and you people (and you know who you are) really hurt a woman's feelings. How would you feel if that was your mother, sister, girlfriend, friend, or wife? That woman went home very upset. No amount of apologies from Robin Miller could have made up for how she feels. And it made us look like idiots.
The reason why I came here to post was on the recommendations of several very intelligent and nice people I met through real life (Carter Page, Matt Knecht, the guys at Datarealm, among others). I've since long wished that more people were like them on here.
I just can't help but notice how this place is giving an overall negative impression of the Linux community especially, and the tech community in general. Now I'd like to opine on what I think should be done.
Rob, I wish you had more restrictive rules for AC's. They seem to be causing the most issues. I also wish you could block IP's of those really nasty trolls. I'm already filtering words from a large amount of posts because I don't have the time to read the "advocates" who are just looking to abuse others for not thinking like them.
People, we're supposed to use these brains to think, not to discriminate against others just because they use a different OS, windowing system, or processor. You're not helping, you're hurting. And you're spreading your influence far and beyond Slashdot out into the world.
The "Slashdot Effect" means a lot more to me nowadays than thousands of people loading a web site and intelligently discussing it and the merits of the product or people behind it. It means that the people reading the sites, or the posts here, are going to get a torrent of nasty e-mails ripping them apart, attempts to crack their site, insults against their relatives, or general idiocy and ignorance relating to their product, no matter what it is.
I applaud Rob, Hemos, and the rest of the people who put this really cool site together. However, attitudes in general need to change here. This is rapidly turning into a "news for jerks" site.
I've been working with these devices for 2 years now, both on a consulting and personal level. I own a Compaq C-140 and a Philips Nino 210.
There is an IBM Microdrive out which has 340MB space and a Flash ATA interface. If there is a way to compile PCMCIA and Flash ATA support into the kernel for this HPC Linux, and use this as a file system, this will be good.
IBM will be releasing these Microdrives in increasing capacity over the next few years.
This means that an HPC device will be able to run Linux well with good storage capacities, and possibly the ability to run extended desktops and the open source databases like mySQL without the nasty overhead of WinCE. Plus, it means I can carry a lot more with me in a smaller package.
It also means that some of the vertical markets such as Data Collection that use HPC's can now use Linux instead of the three Windows variants (9x, CE, NT/NTE), and do well. It will be possible to create more reliable data collection devices that use already existing hardware, without worrying about the development issues currently in place, such as keeping three variant codebases. It also makes development and implementation much simpler, since you don't need the nasty amount of kit you need for CE to develop.
Combined with a good PIM and a web browser, these devices will more than likely work better than straight CE. That, and the apps would be a LOT smaller.
However, one issue that needs to be addressed is modems. Most of these devices, in particular the Mobilon/Clio, Compaq C-Series, Mobilon 4600 and 5000, Nino, and Casio, implement software modems. That issue needs to be cleared up, since most HPC's come with one PCMCIA/Flash slot.
I am looking forward to putting Linux on the C-140 (SH-3) and prolonging its useful life. CE just runs too slow on it. A decent shell and the ability to run apps is all I really need.
Slashdot Mirror
I have noticed several things:
:)
1. We as a community need to act more mature, and not flame people for using Windows, other unices, or different programs. To be honest, Windows is much more easier to initially set up, and much harder to lock down. There needs to be a medium like that with Linux. I think Mandrake, FreeBSD, and Caldera have at least the beginnings of user friendliness down.
2. AOL 5.0 did what it did for a reason. There are at least 10 different versions of the Winsock libraries and Networking libraries across the many different versions of Windows out there (95, 95 2.0, 95 2.1, 95 2.5, 98, 98 SP1, 98 SE). By forcefully implementing libraries that WORK instead of Microsoft's, they did what they had to to ensure that users were able to connect and not have to debug every PC that was sent it. Considering their user base, I don't see much of a problem. However, if you choose to connect to a network, you will have some issues. That's why I still recommend AOL 4.0 until 6.0 comes out.
2b. AOL for Linux (which I am convinced already exists in some form) would not have that issue. Linux has socket and network libraries that are actually backward-compatible, and the same code will work despite what revision of *ux you are using, unlike Windows. AOL runs their internal applications on Sun, so I don't see a disconnect in their running an AOL Client on Linux. Matter of fact, it would run better than their Windows or Mac ones, and probably would use Mozilla, which is a good thing
3. The user-friendly part definately needs some work. Also, it would be good to start releasing training videos for Linux starring television stars or other famous non-geeks. That was a big reason why 95 hit so big, because they showed people like Jennifer Aniston using it. The applications just need a little interface work, and they would be great. Especially Mozilla and StarOffice.
I remember reading in the December 1999 Linux Magazine that VA had other plans for SGI. I think this Andover.net acquisition is only a little part of VA's overall plan.
They are distribution-neutral, so we'll always see reviews of all distributions, and they employ developers who work on all facets of the system.
However, this increases VA's visibility and mindshare enough to make increased work with SGI and a possible big acquisition by VA more than a remote possibility. I anticipate other sites, a few small linux services firms, and quite possibly SGI as their next targets.
I don't consider this a bad thing, in that VA Linux is making major contributions to the community, most notably in SourceForge, Samba, and now Freshmeat and Slashdot.
Remember, VA's CEO co-wrote Yahoo!'s business plan. Larry Augustin knows what he is doing and has to do to make Linux a major force in the marketplace that can effectively compete with Microsoft on all fronts. By owning and/or operating the major portals by which open source software is being distributed, and NOT doing what MS does by controlling the editorial output, he's providing a complete alternative to MS.
I anticipate that you will still see banner ads for other companies, a lot more open source software, more powerful hardware for slashdot, and a refocus of VA Linux as a major player competing with Red Hat. This can be really good, since VA is contributing more and more with each step they take.
From what I have read, I have heard that the Emotion Engine chip will be used not only in the PSX2, but also a line of PC's, and a line of high-end workstations.
:)
The PSX2 is a home system. Essentially, it's aimed at WebTV, Dreamcast, Dolphin, and AOL. That is their target user base for people that are going to use this as a device for connecting to the net. Not to say that I won't be connecting mine to play games, but still.
The new line of VAIO computers in late 2000 or early 2001 will feature some integration of this technology also. I would look for some very kick-butt video and audio processing on them.
However, they are also going after Sun, Fujitsu, HP, Dell, Apple, and the workstation market with a new line of workstations featuring a more powerful version of the EE chip in tandem with other processors. This I remember reading. This also looks very promising, especially if they can find a way to make Photoshop run like it does on a G4 in terms of processor optimization with the EE.
This PSX2 will not replace computers. It's not aimed at that in Sony's overall stragegy. It's squarely aimed at the low-end market of people that buy WebTV, AOL, or Dreamcast (or Sega SaturnNet Link ).
I've seen many products for UNIX, Web, and MS environments that do not meet my definition of alpha shipping as products. I define this as being able to successfully install it and get it to work on your machine, however the product will have issues concerning functionality or implementation of features. However, the basic application framework and interface code is there. The only issues should be with stability.
:). Windows is an alpha product, as is Office. Same goes for MacOS. Heck, 50% of all products I think are in alpha. Games are different because they are apparently tested a lot better than the home apps, which is bad.
The nastiest ones I have seen so far are the web application servers for UNIX. They must all be pre-alpha when released, especially the Sun NetDynamics server, which apparently likes to take a dive on whatever OS it is running on a regular basis, IN RELEASE AND AFTER SERVICE PACKS. No wonder they cluster them. Or they give you instructions as to what machine directives or functions to AVOID using. Silverstream, Bluestone, and the Java web server aren't too much better. And they are in general release! The scary part is that this is another product of the Sun/Netscape alliance that we had some Ex-Sun guy talking about like it was better than sex. Having to reboot HPUX, IRIX, AIX, or Solaris boxes because of memory leaks is a BAD thing.
Microsoft - Let's not even go there. We know. Why beat a dead horse.
However the point is that it's no longer standard practice to release working code, apparently. Testing is not being done (and I've seen quite enough supposedly final applications to prove it).
Open source is a different story though. It gets released as alpha or pre-alpha code, and it eventually works because the code is out there to fix it. Also, people are more willing to submit bug reports because they know they'll get fixed.
Try that with Sun or MS. It gets dumped into a bit bucket unless it gets posted to BUGTRAQ or NTBUGTRAQ as being a security flaw.
Still, we have companies out there who are trying to meet release schedules set by the Stef Murkys of the world who release code without testing it as well as they should have.
In my opinion then, the only good product out there in the alpha stage is Linux, which always is in one because it's a continual work in progress. That is not a bad thing. There are stable versions of Linux that are in release, however Linux as a project will always be, which is good
True story:
Back in 1989, when Windows looked like crap, and they had many competing GUI's (OS/2, DESQview, among many others!), MS hired the designers of the Mac GUI's look and feel to work on Windows 3.0's.
Apparently, this helped MS out because they actually had an 'eye candy' product for the first time. It also had ZDNet getting way too happy.
BillG already knows of Apple's contributions, because he bought the people from there that gave the Mac its coolness factor and used them for Windows 3.0 aka It Looks Nice [but doesn't work and crashes more than Windows 2000!].
1. NT itself is a piece of crap to even maintain properly. SP2 and SP4 only proved that Microsoft does not properly test third-party products with their Service Packs. We waited until SP5, and ONLY after several rounds of serious tests to make sure that nothing got hammered.
1a. Certain clients that used third-party messaging, web server, or application server products made by competitors such as Sun or Netscape had serious issues when SP4 was installed. So did Samba in one of our test cases. Leads me to believe that M$ wanted SP4 to push the M$ products over the competing products.
2. The Install of NT itself on a bare box is abyssmal. It takes about 10 reboots to get everything installed right with the Hot Fixes and the Service Packs. Linux takes one with 6.1. By the way, the install is about 5x as fast as W2K even in graphical install mode of RH6.0.
2a. Plus, there's the monitoring of NTBUGTRAQ for the latest exploits. Sometimes they hit 5 a week. The MS people post fixes 2 weeks later.
3. Linux, on the other hand, is mostly stable. Fixes are out within hours. I don't have these issues.
4. Linux isn't tightly integrated with Apache.
If I want to change web servers for reasons of security or such then I can. Can I do that easily with NT? The answer is no, unless you run Apache for NT. Then you still have the issues of the operating system.
4a. IIS is the biggest security hole of a web server I have yet seen. The bugfixes hardly fix anything. Doubt me and think NT is god? Read NTBUGTRAQ or actually run an NT server connected to the Internet. Microsoft and their COM objects are causing a whole mess of havoc.
5. Security hole in a Perl script on the hackpcweek site? I wonder why nobody tried to do the same with COM objects or the numerous buffer overflows on NT? Better yet, let's see how long it takes Redmond to come out with a fix! IF anyone wanted to not follow the rules of that contest, I am sure something like that would easily take down the box.
6. I hear too much from NT admins about "Wait until Windows 2000". Y'all can shut up about your vaporware. I interviewed two admins. One was a W2K freak. The other mentioned that MS should fix their products before releasing new ones. Guess which one got the offer? Shut up about how great MS is until I see stable shipping product or get out. Linux is right here, right now, and is constantly being updated. It's also open source and audited by thousands. Beat that, Redmond. Giving a closed source preview of a product doesn't make it like Linux. Open the source and show those API's like WNetEnumCachedPasswords.
6a. I have seen portions of that code, and it is MESSY. They probably won't release it out of embarrassment. I wouldn't.
7. ZD is advertising-driven. Guess who buys most of their advertising? Microsoft. Do you HONESTLY think ZD is going to bite the hand that feeds them? I think not. They are Microsoft's bitch. Anyone who reads anything from ZD should realize that. It's a PHB magazine, meant for people who choose not to pay attention to what is going on in IT. Until Red Hat, VA, Sun, SGI, and other non-MS companies advertise, then they will be continue to be the puppets of Redmond.
Until next time....
Do you really think MS or NAI cares about the people that pirate small amounts of their software?
Every MS piracy case I have seen involved large amounts of their CD's and certificates. I can go on the web and download a large amount of their stuff. I can go to a computer show and pick up Site Server 3.0 for $60, Office 2000 for $40, and Windows NT for $25. Heck, I can even go to EBay and get the same products. And I will be able to for a long time coming. That is, IF I actually used their products at home besides Windows 98. I find their stuff to be too bloated to use.
However, MS knows this too. It's MARKET SHARE. Every person that buys site server for $60, or Windows NT for $25 means one less person that bought a competing product. MS does this to hurt their competition. I also have noticed how NT at the shows is priced MUCH less than Red Hat Linux selling there.
However, tying this back in, NAI has to know this. Every user that downloads from that site doesn't use Norton or the competition. NAI does the same thing. It's business. Their big accounts drop tons of money for their antivirus and that's 90% of the sales anyway. McAfee Antivirus is not their big product. NetShield NT is. Even though it can be downloaded, every PHB will spend the exorbitant cash to slow their servers down and buy it.
And by the way, I've used it with Novell also. The only good way to use it (and I say this with much reserve) is to mount the server volumes and scan using their Windows products on a client machine.
The ONE tool I recommend to anyone for administering any kind of DB is Embarcadero DBArtisan 5.03.
It can administer Sybase, Oracle, and DB2 databases running under Linux. I've done it.
You can administer MS SQL Server 6.5 and 7.0, Sybase 11.0.3.33 (my old Linux Sybase box), Sybase 11.5 and up, Oracle 7.3 and up, and DB2 on it.
You can even share schemas between the multiple versions, and copy tables across different DBMS's.
And yes, they use "cartridges" for different DB types. This is quite good if they want to support the other Linux databases out there.
However, I don't work for Embarcadero, but I recommend their tools highly. I've never had it so easy administering DB's across AIX, Linux, and NT/98 before. If you do any DBA work, you know what a pain in the butt it is!
Compaq already has a 64-bit chip in the Alpha. Intel apparently has been having loads of problems with the Merced chip. It's the first 64-bit chip out from Intel. If you know their track record, you know why I won't have a Merced.
Compaq is streamlining. Rather than make the large initial investment in IA-64 and EPIC (which will require a large investment to just port over everything DEC wrote and get it to actually compile and run in an optimized manner, yet alone work right), they are making what they have work.
IA-64 will not be in most data centers for a few years until McKinley is out. Intel has a nasty track record with first release chips, especially the Pentium, 486, and 386.
Why build on a foundation of sand, which I consider IA-64 to be until it is tested and working, and not a Merced chip, when you have a 64-bit chip that is running in very high-end data centers already?
Compaq is doing the right thing in this case. This is a case much like AmigaOS, where the hardware and software are very tightly integrated. You just can't recompile Tru64 for another chip. Tru64 takes advantage of a lot of hardware specific to the Alpha chip and the servers itself. It's reliable, and it works extremely well for HA environments.
Having Tru64 on Merced would undercut Compaq and could possibly force them to not make Alpha chips. While this is something intel wants, it's not a good thing. Having Tru64 on Merced could cause Intel to become the Microsoft of consumer and server chips, because it would eliminate a great competitor.
I personally enjoy running Linux on those chips too, since they are just so well-designed and built to scale, unlike the x86 family.
I applaud Compaq (if this is true) for avoiding the train wreck that's going to occur when IA-64 comes out. You're going to see so many issues dealing with how IA-32 apps run on it in emulation mode (which is slow), and how compilers will have to be reworked to use EPIC to actually get the speed increase. x86 is a nasty chip design compared to the Alpha or MIPS chips.
If IA-64 catches, I would not be surprised to see Compaq offer it at all. However, with anything new from Intel of this magnitude, it is better to avoid it. They are sticking with their 64-bit design and making it better, and I applaud them for bringing competition to IA-64 in.
I'd love to see a CF card adapter.
:) This device has much more potential than the Palm Computing devices because it's got the expansion slot and a faster way to connect to the desktop using USB, as well as a cell phone card.
You would then be able to swap info with your laptop, digital camera, desktop, or any CF-compatible device.
Currently the only handheld devices that support CF are the WindowsCE units. The inclusion of a CF adapter means several things:
1. Handspring Visors with LOADS of internal ram. How many contacts can an 80MB CF card hold?
2. Easier backups and restores to desktops using the CFFS (Compact Flash File System - supported by Windows 98, NT, CE, and digital cameras, as well as Linux I think?).
3. A way of transferring data that can be MUCH faster than USB.
4. A way of e-mailing pictures stored on CF cards to people easily.
5. A good way to store LOADS of MP3 files.
6. An easier way to integrate already-existing Ethernet cards into the Handspring.
I'd also like to see a keyboard for this.
I am also reserving one now
This device could be the beginning of the end for CE devices if they market it right.
The slashdot effect can be minimalized if you do the following:
1. Look at the processor/motherboard that the server has. You will be handling a large amount of requests. Therefore, you will want to get an Athlon or Compaq Alpha. Both of these models handle multitasking OS's better than the Intel chip. I prefer the Alpha. You will want the fastest memory you can buy, with the best configuration. An Alpha motherboard and chip will give you this.
2. Your disk subsystems are also very important. You will need to maximize bandwidth between the motherboard and the disks. An Adaptec U2W SCSI controller will help you here. I also recommend the Seagate Cheetah series of hard drives. A 9GB drive will not cost you that much, and wil have plenty of performance benefits.
2.5. Your networking subsystem. Make sure your network card is directly supported by Linux and has a good chipset. 3Com Fast Etherlink XL PCI cards are my favorite choice here because of their Parallel Tasking chipset, and because installation of them under Red Hat 6 is a snap. They even work well with NT, which you do not want to run a slashdotted site on unless you want to run a Compaq Proliant 8500 and spend as much on it as you would a house.
3. Make sure your Linux installation has a large enough swap partition, and don't run any extra services. Strip it down to what you need, and preferrably put your DNS on a small extra machine, as well as other system functions that you might want, but do not need to be on that machine.
4. Check with people here about exploits. Every script kiddie that reads this site will want to crack your box and leave messages. The more immature ones will probably quote DMX or other rap artists. There are many cool people here that are really good with Linux security.
I believe the reason a lot of Linux sites get slashdotted like this is because a lot of hardware that Linux is used to run on is not what you'd want to run a commercial website on.
The reason why NT appears somewhat stable in a lot of cases is because the manufacturers of NT servers bend over backwards to make NT work on the BIOS and hardware level.
Linux can get the same effect and maximize performance off a website by tuning the hardware a bit, and knowing what hardware to use. A Celeron ain't gonna cut it. Alpha processors will do your job just fine for you without the Intel issues.
Plus, the system I quoted there can be had for about $4K and can handle heavy loads. Try doing that with 1 processor on an Intel chipset.
The 5mx apparently does have an improved screen on it. I've seen it on the site. They really did improve a lot with the 5mx in other areas besides that, too.
However, the Itsy did use a StrongARM processor also, from what I remember of reading the site. It used a 200Mhz one though, so doing any Itsy porting work would be a bit slower.
The Psion would be the perfect machine to port it to though because of two reasons:
1. OS in flash.
2. StrongARM processor.
The mere existence of an alternative OS for the device would be enough to get me to buy one, since then getting apps to work with it such as IRC, ssh, Telnet, ftp, and a decent web browser would be not hard to do.
I like this device because:
1. It uses a better OS (EPOC32) than the other StrongARM equipped device, the HP Jornada 820 (which uses CE 2.x). The Jornada 820 runs at 190Mhz, while this runs at 100Mhz, and the Jornada 820 still seems slower!
2. It's coming from the most established company with the most established brand of palmtops worldwide, Psion.
3. The OS in it just kicks butt. Symbian really knows how to get speed and functionality out of the OS, unlike CE (which just shovels functionality in with no consequence for runtime).
4. It supports what I have found to be the most versatile and reliable modem, the Gold Card. Dell uses these in their Latitude laptops. They run about $250, but can support GSM, ISDN, US cellular standards, US phone networks, European phone networks, and is software-upgradable to any standard that it can't support. I'm willing to pay $250 for a good modem, and I've found this to be the best. Apparently, so does Dell. No WinCE winmodems is a good thing.
5. EPOC32 has a JVM, unlike the CE JVM that Symantec was working on that mysteriously went the way of their other CE Apps such as PcAnywhere and ACT!.
6. It's got more app support. This truly does have international support like the Palm does. There are a LOT more apps for EPOC than CE. It's the perfect form factor for someone who doesn't want to worry about notebook hard drives. It also can run NetBSD and Linux from what I understand, which just opens up a whole new world of apps.
7. Don't forget the IBM Microdrive. This works here too.
8. PCMCIA slot. This means you can combine this with EPOC32, NetBSD, or Linux and use many cool devices with this.
I've been reading here for a little bit, courtesy of two former co-workers of mine at Diginexus who introduced me to this.
What I've noticed is that a lot of the posts here are not really news. I have a few of my favorite posters who I look for when reading articles, but I'm seeing a lot of people who apparently have piped the output from their lower intestines to their brains, and then tee'd it to their keyboards.
I can't even read half of the articles here anymore. Between the "linux advocates" who rabidly try to rip apart anything not Linux, even BSD or BeOS, the script kiddies, and the "Let's make a beowulf cluster out of xxx type of hardware", this place is turning into quite a swamp where I have to wade through to find a good post from people I know or like because they are actually intelligent.
What I like to read are discussions about the various issues in technology today. I don't like seeing people get ripped apart because they admit working with microsoft or their products. However, I also cannot stand the rabid "advocacy" from both the pro and anti MS people. Remember how that arrogance and "advocacy" ruined OS/2? People, we're here to use technology to make the world a better place, not for KDE Vs. GNOME wars.
This is a community that is undergoing intense scrutiny. I am seeing slashdot mentioned on CNN, Wired, Microsoft-sponsored publications, Ziff-Davis publications, and by people I meet in the general public. This is ESPECIALLY after the Red Hat IPO.
You know what? People are watching the Linux and techie communities a lot more now. It just so happens a lot of us post to here. And we're looking like a bunch of idiots. Especially to the Microsoft people that read Slashdot who are looking for material to attack Linux with.
Worst off, we're turning off a lot of people that want to explore looking at Linux, BSD, BeOS, or UNIX in general. These people are getting a very negative impression about us because certain people don't discuss like humans. These people are coming away with negative impressions of technology in general, not just *ux or BeOS or MacOS.
I'm sick and tired of reading stories from posters here about Slashdot readers who read stories and react negatively. People read those emails you send cursing them out about using anything Microsoft. And since when did anyone who uses NT or any MS deserve to get ripped apart and cursed at?
Mindcraft had the right idea to post some of those mails on their web site. People here might have not liked it, but it showed us exactly who was doing the posting and what was being posted. And they did the right thing by showing those of us who choose not to curse out people because of their thoughts what the others do. This was something we all needed to see so it could be stopped or slowed down significantly.
The story about what happened to the secretary at Unisys really did make me upset. She did not make that decision, and you people (and you know who you are) really hurt a woman's feelings. How would you feel if that was your mother, sister, girlfriend, friend, or wife? That woman went home very upset. No amount of apologies from Robin Miller could have made up for how she feels. And it made us look like idiots.
The reason why I came here to post was on the recommendations of several very intelligent and nice people I met through real life (Carter Page, Matt Knecht, the guys at Datarealm, among others). I've since long wished that more people were like them on here.
I just can't help but notice how this place is giving an overall negative impression of the Linux community especially, and the tech community in general. Now I'd like to opine on what I think should be done.
Rob, I wish you had more restrictive rules for AC's. They seem to be causing the most issues. I also wish you could block IP's of those really nasty trolls. I'm already filtering words from a large amount of posts because I don't have the time to read the "advocates" who are just looking to abuse others for not thinking like them.
People, we're supposed to use these brains to think, not to discriminate against others just because they use a different OS, windowing system, or processor. You're not helping, you're hurting. And you're spreading your influence far and beyond Slashdot out into the world.
The "Slashdot Effect" means a lot more to me nowadays than thousands of people loading a web site and intelligently discussing it and the merits of the product or people behind it. It means that the people reading the sites, or the posts here, are going to get a torrent of nasty e-mails ripping them apart, attempts to crack their site, insults against their relatives, or general idiocy and ignorance relating to their product, no matter what it is.
I applaud Rob, Hemos, and the rest of the people who put this really cool site together. However, attitudes in general need to change here. This is rapidly turning into a "news for jerks" site.
MBP
Diginexus
I've been working with these devices for 2 years now, both on a consulting and personal level. I own a Compaq C-140 and a Philips Nino 210.
There is an IBM Microdrive out which has 340MB space and a Flash ATA interface. If there is a way to compile PCMCIA and Flash ATA support into the kernel for this HPC Linux, and use this as a file system, this will be good.
IBM will be releasing these Microdrives in increasing capacity over the next few years.
This means that an HPC device will be able to run Linux well with good storage capacities, and possibly the ability to run extended desktops and the open source databases like mySQL without the nasty overhead of WinCE. Plus, it means I can carry a lot more with me in a smaller package.
It also means that some of the vertical markets such as Data Collection that use HPC's can now use Linux instead of the three Windows variants (9x, CE, NT/NTE), and do well. It will be possible to create more reliable data collection devices that use already existing hardware, without worrying about the development issues currently in place, such as keeping three variant codebases. It also makes development and implementation much simpler, since you don't need the nasty amount of kit you need for CE to develop.
Combined with a good PIM and a web browser, these devices will more than likely work better than straight CE. That, and the apps would be a LOT smaller.
However, one issue that needs to be addressed is modems. Most of these devices, in particular the Mobilon/Clio, Compaq C-Series, Mobilon 4600 and 5000, Nino, and Casio, implement software modems. That issue needs to be cleared up, since most HPC's come with one PCMCIA/Flash slot.
I am looking forward to putting Linux on the C-140 (SH-3) and prolonging its useful life. CE just runs too slow on it. A decent shell and the ability to run apps is all I really need.