I think that his points are perhaps more realistic than you think. For one, the type of technology that Microsoft deals in is substantially different. This difference is in distribution; while IBM held a monopoly on the business market (in primarily large businesses) Microsoft holds a monopoly in the large business, small business, and home user markets. Microsoft also has substantial holdings within the media, which must have some effect on how the average Joe thinks.
What the average Joe thinks is another problem. The people today are so non-participatory, even apathetic about these issues. Actually, people are pretty apathetic about everything. Today we have so many more options to entertain ourselves, and less education to help us think objectively. Going through today's public schools teaches kids to do what the man says and don't make ripples. Microsoft (among others) is more than willing to play off this mentality.
Does our generation really have the guts to give up a little, do something the hard way, and try to reinforce the freedoms that have been continually eroded since the beginning of this country? I honestly don't know. Today protest==riot in the minds of the government, and there are many new and creative ways to deter people who make their opinions known in this way. I think that when people get trampled enough to realize what's happening, there won't be a legal way to get back control of their own lives. The dividing line between Microsoft and the government is growing fainter, as Microsoft passes legislation, dispenses EULA's and other policies like law, and even negotiates with the governments of foreign countries on a high-level basis.
If this happens, it will probably happen in my lifetime. I am an engineer and will do everything possible to keep control of my data and computing rights, I will build my own hardware and software if I have to. I only hope that doing so will not be illegal.
In the corporate world, things move slowly. I know of large companies who are just now trying to move to Windows 2000. Issues like DRM and other restrictions aren't going to get a lot of attention from these customers, until it gets to the point of hindering business.
I would estimate that if every home user were to quit using Windows today, it would take 15 years before the corporate world (major customers of MIcrosoft) followed. And if Microsoft still had the cash reserve they have now, they could use 50% of it each year for another 15 years, at which point they would have enough money to pay a few dozen salaries. IF they get absolutely no further income at all.
And Bill Gates would still have enough money to buy a small country and an army.
Every move Microsoft has made follows Machiavellian politics to the letter.
It's no longer about money, it's about power. Microsoft will continue to find ways to gain more control of computers, and eventually will try to directly attack other operating systems and make them illegal. Microsoft doesn't even have to worry about serving customers anymore. There's almost too much momentum to over- come here, folks. The only way that our computers will belong to us in the future is to make sure that we control how they are used. Keep the hardware in the hands of smaller manufacturers who have to compete. Keep the software in the public domain wherever possible.
At this point, even Apple looks good com- pared to Microsoft. They have to listen to their customers, they have adopted con- cepts from better operating systems and made it easier for users to use a com- puter for any purpose they desire.
It doesn't matter what OS you use; BSD, Linux, Solaris, or any of the other options. But by choosing something other than Windows you will help keep control in your hands. At this point it would take thirty years for Microsoft to go out of business, but we need to be looking ahead. Do not accept these incremental attacks on your freedom.
House calls are a great way to develop trust, keep people up to date, and ensure repeat customers.
You would lose considerable time and money by providing every customer with this service, so it's probably good business policy to reserve in-home support to young, single, attractive women.
Joystick pots are usually around 50K, no you do not remember correctly. And joysticks are not processor-intensive, the A/D conversion simply puts the value on the bus where it can be retrieved. Yes, the joystick port uses charge times to determine the analog value; this is used in hundreds of embedded devices to do simple A/D conversions. It's perfectly acceptable for a joystick application. In fact, I'd bet most USB joysticks do this, anyway. I've programmed USB devices and the timed-charge method is used all over the place where cost is an issue.
There is no problem getting the right thermistors. They are available in practically any reasonable resistance range necessary. Not to mention that 5 volts is about the maximum you'll see in a joystick port, and if you're running enough power to heat the thermistor, something's wrong.
While you are a moron when it comes to electronics, I agree that a 486 probably doesn't have to worry about heating. Unless it's a late-model DX4.
You know how a trackball is essentially a mouse turned upside down? This is the concept at work here.
I can't believe it took this long to come up with the optical touchpoint. I can't use those eraser-head pointers, touchpads are always interfering whenever I brush my palm on it while typing. With this technology, all you need is a tiny hole to put your thumb over. For greater accuracy, you could even have a trackball-sized device with the hole on the top and a smooth surface to move your hand on.
This can also be integrated into a regular optical mouse...your finger can control scrolling and zooming without a wheel.
Until we have MEMS displays at a virtual 50", we really won't need these in cell phones and PDA's. But it will be great for wearable computing; hold the controller in your hand and point by moving your thumb on the side of the case.
It's not that these things haven't been done before, it's just that you can now do it more reliably and with better accuracy.
I wouldn't know, I've never used a titanium Powerbook.
For the Anonymous Coward above, by "seamless" I meant "worrying about practically nothing." Since Apple make the OS and hardware, it's more of a single piece of equipment. As much as I like PC's, the architecture sometimes shows stitches like Frankenstein's monster.
The iBook has a few nice features, but lacks a little oomph. I wouldn't consider them as useful as an X86 laptop of the same price.
However, the Powerbooks are really quite nice. They are fast enough to run most useful programs, have good styling, are rugged, get good battery life, and generally are a seamless computer solution. An out-of-box Powerbook is a computer that you can use and not worry too much about whether it will work when you push the power button. I've found that Powerbooks are pretty bug-free on hibernate and suspend, something I haven't found in an X86 yet. It's nice to be able to close the computer, pick it up, and go. Open it again, and no bluescreen.
If you are going for cheap, I think you'd get more bang for your buck out of an X86. If you are willing to spend extra, the Powerbook's extra features are well worth it.
It would be more useful (and more entertaining) if each box were given a battery pack and a set of wheels, and AI to duke it out in the ring.
Somehow, this reminds me of the Rocky movies...ah yes, Intel's P4 clad in patriotic colors as Uncle Sam....
Re:TI-8x and Negative Kelvin...
on
Pet Bugs?
·
· Score: 1
Well, yeah, if you put the negative in with the number in parentheses, it does work correctly. However, it's pretty counter-intuitive. When were any of us taught that TI-85 conversion are higher in the order of operations?
Re:TI-8x and Negative Kelvin...
on
Pet Bugs?
·
· Score: 1
*picks up TI-85* *presses ON, 2nd, 5, F5* *presses (-), 5, 0, F1, F3, Enter*
Exactly why you have a checking account set up for this purpose, with no overdraft protection. No one should be stupid enough to keep their life savings in a checking account, anyway.
It would be like keeping all your money in your wallet, and then walking down a dark city street on the bad side of town.
Yes, you can dispute charges. But you've put yourself in the situation of assumed "guilt" (you made the charges yourself) until you can prove "innocence" (someone else made the charges). There is always the risk that you'll never be able to prove you didn't make the charges.
Plus, you've put yourself through a lot of hassle trying to straighten out a huge mess. The point about using a debit card is that you're not losing much to begin with, so you can absorb the loss and remember to keep the balance lower next time. If you lost 200 dollars from your checking account, how does that compare to hours spent on the phone and writing letters, and possibly still ending up with thousands in losses?
And what is the problem with check cards and gas...just because your local news did a story on it doesn't mean the gas stations are doing something wrong. People's checking balances might be zero or less. If you authorize the card, someone pumps their gas, and then the balance is not enough to pay, what happens? I've only seen this at a few gas stations anyway, and they have this information posted on the pumps. The charge is there only while pumping the gas, and then it's corrected when you quit pumping. With credit cards, they don't have to take those precautions because most people don't try to use a maxed-out card to buy gas with.
...don't use a credit card. I use a check card for all online purchases, which means that all anyone can get is what I have in that checking account. You may have a huge amount of difficulty proving that you didn't make those charges, and you could be saddled with $10,000 of debt and years of bad credit, even bankruptcy.
The worst anyone can do to your check card number is overdraw your bank account. If you only transfer in money as you need it, they can't buy anything at all.
If you really need to spend money you don't have, plan ahead and get a small loan. Credit cards are a huge risk to your financial situation, and you don't have complete control of how merchants handle your credit card information.
Well, from what I've seen, it's more likely that Stephen King is dead than Linux.
"Linux was found dead in a dark New Orleans alleyway this morning. The police are not releasing any details at this time, but witnesses claim to have seen a thin man wearing glasses and messy hair entering a limousine near the area last night, carrying a solid gold baseball bat."
1. The previous company did not patent the solution and the designer has the original design documents.
2. The previous company patented the solution, and the designer does not have the original design documents, and the resulting redesign is not identical to the original.
3. The previous company signs an agreement to allow you to use that idea (nice to have anyway).
4. If the design is used only within the company, and is not sold as a product to others, IP doesn't apply. Unless the designer specifically signed an agreement to never release information about the previous company's processes.
If you are really concerned about this, and a large amount of money is at stake, you are obviously not the person to be making this decision if you have to ask Slashdot. Get a lawyer if the potential losses are great enough.
Chalking is obvious, can be removed or altered. How about setting up a WLAN geocache site...users can update nodes via geographic coordinates. A cheap GPS and a printout of area WLAN's would get you pretty far.
"Plus, I know from experience that if you hold CD's up and just start reading them, many earth creatures become confused and/or alarmed." -- The Cube SOMAD
There is an inexpensive solution to your problem. A CAE system is available that runs on commonplace hardware, and allows the user to simulate many different types of performance modifications. Not only do you get to simulate the effect of the modifications, but you can even test drive the car in virtual reality. As an added bonus, it has an excellent soundtrack while simulating the performance factors.
Slashdot Mirror
Ford Prefect (if you are neutral about your kid)
:-)
Zaphod Beeblebrox (if you are moderately vindictive)
Slartibartfast (if you positively hate them)
Tricia McMillian isn't a bad first+second name for a girl, then you can call her Trillian for short
...at ~4 comments!
I think that's a new record low.
I think that his points are perhaps more realistic than you think. For one, the type of technology that Microsoft deals in is substantially different. This difference is in distribution; while IBM held a monopoly on the business market (in primarily large businesses) Microsoft holds a monopoly in the large business, small business, and home user markets. Microsoft also has substantial holdings within the media, which must have some effect on how the average Joe thinks.
What the average Joe thinks is another problem. The people today are so non-participatory, even apathetic about these issues. Actually, people are pretty apathetic about everything. Today we have so many more options to entertain ourselves, and less education to help us think objectively. Going through today's public schools teaches kids to do what the man says and don't make ripples. Microsoft (among others) is more than willing to play off this mentality.
Does our generation really have the guts to give up a little, do something the hard way, and try to reinforce the freedoms that have been continually eroded since the beginning of this country? I honestly don't know. Today protest==riot in the minds of the government, and there are many new and creative ways to deter people who make their opinions known in this way. I think that when people get trampled enough to realize what's happening, there won't be a legal way to get back control of their own lives. The dividing line between Microsoft and the government is growing fainter, as Microsoft passes legislation, dispenses EULA's and other policies like law, and even negotiates with the governments of foreign countries on a high-level basis.
If this happens, it will probably happen in my lifetime. I am an engineer and will do everything possible to keep control of my data and computing rights, I will build my own hardware and software if I have to. I only hope that doing so will not be illegal.
In the corporate world, things move slowly. I know of large companies who are just now trying to move to Windows 2000. Issues like DRM and other restrictions aren't going to get a lot of attention from these customers, until it gets to the point of hindering business.
I would estimate that if every home user were to quit using Windows today, it would take 15 years before the corporate world (major customers of MIcrosoft) followed. And if Microsoft still had the cash reserve they have now, they could use 50% of it each year for another 15 years, at which point they would have enough money to pay a few dozen salaries. IF they get absolutely no further income at all.
And Bill Gates would still have enough money to buy a small country and an army.
One of these days they will go too far.
Every move Microsoft has made follows
Machiavellian politics to the letter.
It's no longer about money, it's about
power. Microsoft will continue to find
ways to gain more control of computers,
and eventually will try to directly
attack other operating systems and make
them illegal. Microsoft doesn't even have
to worry about serving customers anymore.
There's almost too much momentum to over-
come here, folks. The only way that our
computers will belong to us in the future
is to make sure that we control how they
are used. Keep the hardware in the hands
of smaller manufacturers who have to
compete. Keep the software in the public
domain wherever possible.
At this point, even Apple looks good com-
pared to Microsoft. They have to listen
to their customers, they have adopted con-
cepts from better operating systems and
made it easier for users to use a com-
puter for any purpose they desire.
It doesn't matter what OS you use; BSD, Linux,
Solaris, or any of the other options. But by
choosing something other than Windows you
will help keep control in your hands. At this
point it would take thirty years for Microsoft
to go out of business, but we need to be looking
ahead. Do not accept these incremental attacks
on your freedom.
House calls are a great way to develop trust, keep people up to date, and ensure repeat customers.
You would lose considerable time and money by providing every customer with this service, so it's probably good business policy to reserve in-home support to young, single, attractive women.
You don't know what you're talking about.
Joystick pots are usually around 50K, no you do not remember correctly. And joysticks are not processor-intensive, the A/D conversion simply puts the value on the bus where it can be retrieved. Yes, the joystick port uses charge times to determine the analog value; this is used in hundreds of embedded devices to do simple A/D conversions. It's perfectly acceptable for a joystick application. In fact, I'd bet most USB joysticks do this, anyway. I've programmed USB devices and the timed-charge method is used all over the place where cost is an issue.
There is no problem getting the right thermistors. They are available in practically any reasonable resistance range necessary. Not to mention that 5 volts is about the maximum you'll see in a joystick port, and if you're running enough power to heat the thermistor, something's wrong.
While you are a moron when it comes to electronics, I agree that a 486 probably doesn't have to worry about heating. Unless it's a late-model DX4.
You know how a trackball is essentially a mouse turned upside down? This is the concept at work here.
I can't believe it took this long to come up with the optical touchpoint. I can't use those eraser-head pointers, touchpads are always interfering whenever I brush my palm on it while typing. With this technology, all you need is a tiny hole to put your thumb over. For greater accuracy, you could even have a trackball-sized device with the hole on the top and a smooth surface to move your hand on.
This can also be integrated into a regular optical mouse...your finger can control scrolling and zooming without a wheel.
Until we have MEMS displays at a virtual 50", we really won't need these in cell phones and PDA's. But it will be great for wearable computing; hold the controller in your hand and point by moving your thumb on the side of the case.
It's not that these things haven't been done before, it's just that you can now do it more reliably and with better accuracy.
I wouldn't know, I've never used a titanium Powerbook.
For the Anonymous Coward above, by "seamless" I meant "worrying about practically nothing." Since Apple make the OS and hardware, it's more of a single piece of equipment. As much as I like PC's, the architecture sometimes shows stitches like Frankenstein's monster.
The iBook has a few nice features, but lacks a little oomph. I wouldn't consider them as useful as an X86 laptop of the same price.
However, the Powerbooks are really quite nice. They are fast enough to run most useful programs, have good styling, are rugged, get good battery life, and generally are a seamless computer solution. An out-of-box Powerbook is a computer that you can use and not worry too much about whether it will work when you push the power button. I've found that Powerbooks are pretty bug-free on hibernate and suspend, something I haven't found in an X86 yet. It's nice to be able to close the computer, pick it up, and go. Open it again, and no bluescreen.
If you are going for cheap, I think you'd get more bang for your buck out of an X86. If you are willing to spend extra, the Powerbook's extra features are well worth it.
It would be more useful (and more entertaining) if each box were given a battery pack and a set of wheels, and AI to duke it out in the ring.
Somehow, this reminds me of the Rocky movies...ah yes, Intel's P4 clad in patriotic colors as Uncle Sam....
Well, yeah, if you put the negative in with the number in parentheses, it does work correctly. However, it's pretty counter-intuitive. When were any of us taught that TI-85 conversion are higher in the order of operations?
*picks up TI-85*
*presses ON, 2nd, 5, F5*
*presses (-), 5, 0, F1, F3, Enter*
Hot diggety dang!
-50 C -> K
-323.15
I'd say that's a bug.
Not to mention that most checking accounts don't offer enough overdraft protection to put you into what I would consider "deep debt."
Exactly why you have a checking account set up for this purpose, with no overdraft protection. No one should be stupid enough to keep their life savings in a checking account, anyway.
It would be like keeping all your money in your wallet, and then walking down a dark city street on the bad side of town.
Yes, you can dispute charges. But you've put yourself in the situation of assumed "guilt" (you made the charges yourself) until you can prove "innocence" (someone else made the charges). There is always the risk that you'll never be able to prove you didn't make the charges.
Plus, you've put yourself through a lot of hassle trying to straighten out a huge mess. The point about using a debit card is that you're not losing much to begin with, so you can absorb the loss and remember to keep the balance lower next time. If you lost 200 dollars from your checking account, how does that compare to hours spent on the phone and writing letters, and possibly still ending up with thousands in losses?
And what is the problem with check cards and gas...just because your local news did a story on it doesn't mean the gas stations are doing something wrong. People's checking balances might be zero or less. If you authorize the card, someone pumps their gas, and then the balance is not enough to pay, what happens? I've only seen this at a few gas stations anyway, and they have this information posted on the pumps. The charge is there only while pumping the gas, and then it's corrected when you quit pumping. With credit cards, they don't have to take those precautions because most people don't try to use a maxed-out card to buy gas with.
...don't use a credit card. I use a check card for all online purchases, which means that all anyone can get is what I have in that checking account. You may have a huge amount of difficulty proving that you didn't make those charges, and you could be saddled with $10,000 of debt and years of bad credit, even bankruptcy.
The worst anyone can do to your check card number is overdraw your bank account. If you only transfer in money as you need it, they can't buy anything at all.
If you really need to spend money you don't have, plan ahead and get a small loan. Credit cards are a huge risk to your financial situation, and you don't have complete control of how merchants handle your credit card information.
The article claims that:
Linux is only for geeks and people who want servers (people who usually have money)
Linux is for the thrifty people who can't afford decent operating systems like Windows (and probably live in trailer parks)
Plus many other contradictory statements.
Look at it this way, if Linux is little, tiny, small, cut-rate, and not a threat to Microsoft, why do they waste their time attacking it?
Well, from what I've seen, it's more likely that Stephen King is dead than Linux.
"Linux was found dead in a dark New Orleans alleyway this morning. The police are not releasing any details at this time, but witnesses claim to have seen a thin man wearing glasses and messy hair entering a limousine near the area last night, carrying a solid gold baseball bat."
A goverment agency complains that the software industry wastes sixty billion a year in bugs. So how many trillion did the government waste this year?
1. The previous company did not patent the solution and the designer has the original design documents.
2. The previous company patented the solution, and the designer does not have the original design documents, and the resulting redesign is not identical to the original.
3. The previous company signs an agreement to allow you to use that idea (nice to have anyway).
4. If the design is used only within the company, and is not sold as a product to others, IP doesn't apply. Unless the designer specifically signed an agreement to never release information about the previous company's processes.
If you are really concerned about this, and a large amount of money is at stake, you are obviously not the person to be making this decision if you have to ask Slashdot. Get a lawyer if the potential losses are great enough.
Hey. That's not a bad idea!
Chalking is obvious, can be removed or altered. How about setting up a WLAN geocache site...users can update nodes via geographic coordinates. A cheap GPS and a printout of area WLAN's would get you pretty far.
Still...the chalking has a certain appeal.
So it goes right over Antarctica, too bad it only works in the sunlight....
"Plus, I know from experience that if you hold CD's up and just start reading them, many earth creatures become confused and/or alarmed." -- The Cube SOMAD
There is an inexpensive solution to your problem. A CAE system is available that runs on commonplace hardware, and allows the user to simulate many different types of performance modifications. Not only do you get to simulate the effect of the modifications, but you can even test drive the car in virtual reality. As an added bonus, it has an excellent soundtrack while simulating the performance factors.
Ladies (?!) and Gentlemen, I give you....
Gran Turismo!