Unfortunately, little can be done with the site unless you can read celestial coordinates. I basically need a friend by my side saying "look there" while pointing a finger at some blurry object, to get anything good out of it.
*scratches his head* Post Mac-friendly propaganda and you get +1 Insightful?
As for the USB vs. Firewall connection: I agree that faster is always better. Heck, let's go full-hog: I want an MP3 player that has a PCI interface. Slap it right into the tower when I'm ready to transfer.
But most computers, nowadays, only have USB (mostly because of restrictive, expensive licensing on the part of Sony and *ahem* Apple). The fact of the matter remains, with 5 gigs of storage, 10 gigs of storage, you're probably not going to be syncing to change *all* the music that often. In a best case scenario, you can probably even rip all your CDs, copy a majority of them to the device, then only need to add new songs when a new CD comes out.
Further, if you're using something more high-end in terms of compression (like WMA for instance) you're talking about 1-1.5 megs a 3-4 minute song. 3500-5000 songs per iPod? How often are you going to sync the whole thing?
From my experience with handicapped PC users, a decent magnifying utility is 9/10 of the ball game. Most users have supplementary problems with entering input, but nearly all have a difficult time seeing the screen.
Windows XP ships with a decent magnifying utility (called "magnifier") but even they recommend in the opening dialog box getting something more robust. Popular packages to increase the entire desktop start around $19.99, but more "professional" ones can scale all the way up to $700!
Another problem is that, despite "anti-discriminatory practices", handicapped people simply aren't hired for too many computer-literate positions. Many IT managers don't want to foot the bill for high-end accessibility utilities. That's why something more robust than Gnome's project (and KDE's paltry magnifying utility) are so needed.
Actually, a far greater tool was used than Linux-boxen in creating Lord of the Rings. Artists.
You could have all the rendering boxes in the world. If you have high-school hacks, you're going to end up doing hack-level work.
Directors at Pixar once said that they hire artists that can use computers, not computer people who claim they are artists. This movie would have been just as impressive if it was made without the technology.
And let's not forget the artistry involved in writing the book, which required millenia-old technology.
OK, enough with the stories about how to crack the dumb thing. Here's a question: why don't software developers use their heads? Why would you include full installs of every MacOS component on a CD? Why not just upgrade the bits of code that need to be fixed (sort of like a high-end "diff").
And not just Apple. I wonder why a company like MS, with all its resources, can't find a way to "diff" an upgrade install. Or are they just too lazy?
Just wanted to say "love the sig". I knew quite a few "activists" in college who would argue for just about anything, regardless if they knew anything about it or not. The slightest change in subject would ruin their cause.:) "Puppies!"
Communication good, now do it full scale
on
Windows XP Embedded
·
· Score: 2
"To his chagrin, Morris learned that the debate, and the debater, simply wouldn't go away. Each day when Morris returned to the same news group, his adversary was there, armed with more ammunition. The two continued their exchange for more than a week, in full view of other Talisker beta customers who felt free to chime in about who was right.
"It can be a bit of an ego blow sometimes," Morris recalled. "But it comes down to this: We're trying to sell our product to these people, and sometimes they give us very valuable feedback."
Indeed, Morris said that Microsoft incorporated that customer's feedback in its second beta edition of Talisker, which will ultimately be called Windows CE.Net when it debuts as a full-fledged product later this year.
"
That's good. Communication is always good, whether the product is open or not.
Now do it with all of your products (including Windows XP) and I will might consider go back to Windows full-time. And stop hiding features in the registry! You listening Microsoft!?!
OK, CERT to wait until all the distros want to release their updated fixes for the bug? What about us and our "custom" distros? How much better is this than Microsoft waiting weeks before issuing a patch for a known flaw?
Uh, that's meant to say shorting the debug pins on the *motherboard*. Although, if you find a keyboard with debug pins, let me know. I'd be curious to see what happens...
*Congratulations screen: you can now type in Swedish Chef! Bork, Bork, Bork!
Offtopic somewhat, but some people are halfway there to upgrading the XBox to a decent Linux server.
Note this article for information on connecting USB keyboards and mice, what shorting the debug pins does on the keyboard, and replacing that measly ATA33 hard drive cable with an ATA100 (surprise, surprise: it actually increased performance:) ).
First, let me just say I'm an avid XBox supporter. I'm a supporter of anything that gets the PC into the living room of millions of people, and if it has a user-friendly interface it gets bonus points.
That said, I think nVidia is playing with fire in simultaneously building "NV2A" chipsets for the XBox and trying to push the envelope on the PC. I understand they're covering their bases: games on PC are wiltering in comparison to console games (at least for now -- this is a recurring cycle with every new console that comes out). However, by creating one standard that users can lock in to, what's the impetus to purchase a PC and upgrade to a higher video card?
Wired magazine had an interesting take on the "secondary benefits" to Microsoft making the XBox successful. One was the obvious possibility that they will leverage the living room as a new monopoly (which, rightfully so, they agreed was simply conspiracy theory). However, another "benefit" is getting console developers familiar with the (admitally not that bad) DirectX 8 interface, and bringing them back to the PC to develop quality ports. This, in my mind, is the only way nVidia is going to honestly stay in the computer video card game at the growth rate it's been going.
I'm wondering, perchance, if this will release the other extreme: eventually, people just kind of settle on a certain type of technology "good enough" for their present needs. The internal combustion engine was pretty much finalized 60 years ago, and very real modifications have taken place since then. Televisions, likewise, were pretty much finalized in technology 30 years ago. Outside of a few fringe stragglers, very few people now make the jump to "upgraded" tech. I wonder if PCs will be the next.
And if it is, where's nVidia's future in all of this?
"I want an X-Box so bad, or as I would call it, a DOA3-Box."
Wow, that was a quick turnaround. I've been arguing for the benefits of an XBox in the living room for awhile (one of my posts during the release day Slashdot article generated over 20 replies), but I never expected Taco to become a convert.
Makes you wonder, though, if he has some kind of syndrome?:) Swings from one technology canvas to another. There should be something in the DSVIV for CmdrTacoism.
Hollywoodworthy, if there was ever such a word. The script is negligble (like most Hollywood scripts, come to think of it), but the graphics and "camerawork" are impecable. If you play action games in the least, you owe it to yourself to try it.
XBox pushing the envelop, GameCube's standing by with classic fun, PS2's exemplary sophomore year: it's going to be a great Christmas to be a gamer.
The buzz over the newsgroups about the two different hard drive sizes has been pretty intense the past few days (8 vs. 10 gigs). I'm not quite sure what kind of cost differential we're talking about at this point for two gigs, so you'd have a hard time saying some of the consoles should be cheaper.
One interesting thing, though, is that it seems like all of the consoles have the standard "50,000 blocks" of memory to save games and music on the XBox. Where are the additional blocks for the 10 gig system? (Or less blocks for the 8 gig?)
"I don't know what would irk me more, you being an M$ fan w/ a little linux knowledge; or you being a linux user w/ the same mentality as the goatsex link crowd."
I actually found that link insanely funny. If you're such a low user number and you fall for that old trick... hehe... Hope you're not admining anything important....
"Oh wait...I can easily make my own video game console system, can't I?"
Sure, if you spend several hundred dollars more for parts, rack up 3rd party developers, and get the FCC to approve the final product. Have a blast.
Re:No more BSOD
on
XBox Released
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· Score: 3, Informative
"Um, why has an unqualified picture of an XBox Development Kit* message box been promoted to front page news?"
Mod the man up. I just pointed out the mistake to Michael (the poster of the story) now.
That's an XDK tossing up an error several months ago. And it's not a crash: it's looking for the media.
Re:X-Box Linux Contest.
on
XBox Released
·
· Score: 1
Wouldn't it have been easier to group up with a few Open Source people in the newsgroups and purchase the domain together? That's like me getting www.linuxblender.com and crossing my fingers.
Re:Sad, sad commentary
on
XBox Released
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· Score: 2
"Maybe they are hoping to be the vendor for ANYTHING electronic that you do, from checking your email to defrosting your car..."
"I'm going to do better with systems with voice recognition"
Um, XBox is also the first system to include a bonefide headset in the works for talking to other game players during games. I assume that voice recognition is just around the corner.
Slashdot Mirror
I fear purchasing one so my girlfriend doesn't think I'm gay.
-2 Stupid.
Unfortunately, little can be done with the site unless you can read celestial coordinates. I basically need a friend by my side saying "look there" while pointing a finger at some blurry object, to get anything good out of it.
As for the USB vs. Firewall connection: I agree that faster is always better. Heck, let's go full-hog: I want an MP3 player that has a PCI interface. Slap it right into the tower when I'm ready to transfer.
But most computers, nowadays, only have USB (mostly because of restrictive, expensive licensing on the part of Sony and *ahem* Apple). The fact of the matter remains, with 5 gigs of storage, 10 gigs of storage, you're probably not going to be syncing to change *all* the music that often. In a best case scenario, you can probably even rip all your CDs, copy a majority of them to the device, then only need to add new songs when a new CD comes out.
Further, if you're using something more high-end in terms of compression (like WMA for instance) you're talking about 1-1.5 megs a 3-4 minute song. 3500-5000 songs per iPod? How often are you going to sync the whole thing?
Windows XP ships with a decent magnifying utility (called "magnifier") but even they recommend in the opening dialog box getting something more robust. Popular packages to increase the entire desktop start around $19.99, but more "professional" ones can scale all the way up to $700!
Another problem is that, despite "anti-discriminatory practices", handicapped people simply aren't hired for too many computer-literate positions. Many IT managers don't want to foot the bill for high-end accessibility utilities. That's why something more robust than Gnome's project (and KDE's paltry magnifying utility) are so needed.
Contact me. My new name online will be: WFManiac47.
You could have all the rendering boxes in the world. If you have high-school hacks, you're going to end up doing hack-level work.
Directors at Pixar once said that they hire artists that can use computers, not computer people who claim they are artists. This movie would have been just as impressive if it was made without the technology.
And let's not forget the artistry involved in writing the book, which required millenia-old technology.
And not just Apple. I wonder why a company like MS, with all its resources, can't find a way to "diff" an upgrade install. Or are they just too lazy?
Just wanted to say "love the sig". I knew quite a few "activists" in college who would argue for just about anything, regardless if they knew anything about it or not. The slightest change in subject would ruin their cause. :) "Puppies!"
"It can be a bit of an ego blow sometimes," Morris recalled. "But it comes down to this: We're trying to sell our product to these people, and sometimes they give us very valuable feedback."
Indeed, Morris said that Microsoft incorporated that customer's feedback in its second beta edition of Talisker, which will ultimately be called Windows CE.Net when it debuts as a full-fledged product later this year.
"
That's good. Communication is always good, whether the product is open or not.
Now do it with all of your products (including Windows XP) and I will might consider go back to Windows full-time. And stop hiding features in the registry! You listening Microsoft!?!
OK, CERT to wait until all the distros want to release their updated fixes for the bug? What about us and our "custom" distros? How much better is this than Microsoft waiting weeks before issuing a patch for a known flaw?
*Congratulations screen: you can now type in Swedish Chef! Bork, Bork, Bork!
Note this article for information on connecting USB keyboards and mice, what shorting the debug pins does on the keyboard, and replacing that measly ATA33 hard drive cable with an ATA100 (surprise, surprise: it actually increased performance :) ).
That said, I think nVidia is playing with fire in simultaneously building "NV2A" chipsets for the XBox and trying to push the envelope on the PC. I understand they're covering their bases: games on PC are wiltering in comparison to console games (at least for now -- this is a recurring cycle with every new console that comes out). However, by creating one standard that users can lock in to, what's the impetus to purchase a PC and upgrade to a higher video card?
Wired magazine had an interesting take on the "secondary benefits" to Microsoft making the XBox successful. One was the obvious possibility that they will leverage the living room as a new monopoly (which, rightfully so, they agreed was simply conspiracy theory). However, another "benefit" is getting console developers familiar with the (admitally not that bad) DirectX 8 interface, and bringing them back to the PC to develop quality ports. This, in my mind, is the only way nVidia is going to honestly stay in the computer video card game at the growth rate it's been going.
I'm wondering, perchance, if this will release the other extreme: eventually, people just kind of settle on a certain type of technology "good enough" for their present needs. The internal combustion engine was pretty much finalized 60 years ago, and very real modifications have taken place since then. Televisions, likewise, were pretty much finalized in technology 30 years ago. Outside of a few fringe stragglers, very few people now make the jump to "upgraded" tech. I wonder if PCs will be the next.
And if it is, where's nVidia's future in all of this?
Wow, that was a quick turnaround. I've been arguing for the benefits of an XBox in the living room for awhile (one of my posts during the release day Slashdot article generated over 20 replies), but I never expected Taco to become a convert.
Makes you wonder, though, if he has some kind of syndrome? :) Swings from one technology canvas to another. There should be something in the DSVIV for CmdrTacoism.
XBox pushing the envelop, GameCube's standing by with classic fun, PS2's exemplary sophomore year: it's going to be a great Christmas to be a gamer.
But that's my point. The original post suggested that by not purchasing items, we can somehow "help the planet". I don't see the connection.
How does this help the planet? Slowing the economy down even more helps the planet?
One interesting thing, though, is that it seems like all of the consoles have the standard "50,000 blocks" of memory to save games and music on the XBox. Where are the additional blocks for the 10 gig system? (Or less blocks for the 8 gig?)
I actually found that link insanely funny. If you're such a low user number and you fall for that old trick... hehe... Hope you're not admining anything important....
Sure, if you spend several hundred dollars more for parts, rack up 3rd party developers, and get the FCC to approve the final product. Have a blast.
Mod the man up. I just pointed out the mistake to Michael (the poster of the story) now.
That's an XDK tossing up an error several months ago. And it's not a crash: it's looking for the media.
Wouldn't it have been easier to group up with a few Open Source people in the newsgroups and purchase the domain together? That's like me getting www.linuxblender.com and crossing my fingers.
Once again, X-Filish conspiracies. I'll pass.
Um, XBox is also the first system to include a bonefide headset in the works for talking to other game players during games. I assume that voice recognition is just around the corner.