The app might be good for what it is - a quick and dirty app - but surely you jest when you suggest that is the equivalent of AutoCAD.
I'm convinced that CAD/CAM will remain in the hands of commercial developers for a long time (most likely forever). Genuine 3D feature-based solid modeling with assemblies, geometric tolerances, etc. is so difficult to create well, that even the biggest names in CAD haven't got it 100% right after over a decade of massive development.
For example, Pro/E, as wonderful as it is, still has, in my opinion, issues associating assembly features with their physical geometry, because only the components of the assembly can really "own" that geometry. These are fundamental issues that are very hard to solve in a practical way. I understand why Pro/E behaves like it does with respect to assembly features and have come to terms with it, and I wish the people at PTC the best of luck in finding good solutions (if they are even mathematically possible).
I view Free Software as being driven by Natural Selection. Lots of startups, lots of failures, and only those projects with genuine leadership, insight, and luck will succeed.
For this reason, most software sucks. Actually, it sucks and blows. Most software (commercial included) is so bad that I am ashamed to use it and, occasionally, ashamed to have played a part in its creation. Okay, point made.
However, I am not suprised at how bad most software is. What would you expect after only fifty years of evolution? Only fifty years of learning and cultural penetration?
The fact that certain big corporations say we can have our cake and eat it all thanks to them has made the public delusional and impatient. Right now, I think the public is in denial about software quality, because it is not yet public knowledge that software is among the most complex things ever devised by mankind.
Do we run to the neighborhood fix-it man and say "build me a fast car in six months...oh, and make it silent and brain-dead intuitive to work with. Oh, yeah, I have only $750 to pay you." Do we ask the same of bridge contractors? How about NASA? Would you ride in a submarine to the bottom of the ocean controlled by software written by you or someone you know? How about using software written by (gasp) Microsoft?
Face it, we're still in the dark ages and in denial about it.
Not only that but there's also the claim that Wintel boxes are *cheaper*.
I'm still convinced Suns are better engineering workstations than PCs for the money. Soon, however, the Opteron will be very enticing, and will be pitted sqarely against the UltraSPARC IIIi. PTC is beginning to sell Pro/E for Linux, so Opteron/Linux workstations could be very good. I hope Sun has a business plan to beat/join this trend.
One thing I've noticed, regardless of the CPU, is that the Sun graphics cards have a very high-quality output. For example, my old Creator 3D-based workstation has great anti-aliasing in Pro/E, but a high-end Compaq/Windows NT workstation I saw about a year ago had absolutely terrible anti-aliasing. My experience with PC graphics is limited, so enough time researching PC cards would probably turn up a winner eventually.
Umm, so you're basically admitting that Linux isn't an option? Probably because you know that once she tried it, she wouldn't WANT to use it. Either that or you don't have the brain-power to install it.
I've been administering and using UNIX and Linux for years. She wouldn't want to use Linux, because she doesn't have the patience and the incentive to learn it (i.e., for me it's a profession; for her, it's just a home computer). Giving her Linux would be falling into the pit of family-and-friends-unpaid-tech-support hell. I don't have the patience and incentive to be a tech support peon after already dealing with my own full-time job, among other things. Linux is wonderful, but I know where to draw the line. It's very unfortunate that beyond this line is a Microsoft-dominated wasteland (to get back to my original point).
This statement makes no sense, proving that you lack brain-power.
My Athlon 2600 XP box puts off WAYYY more heat than my Ultra 80!;)
This is because Sun makes reasonable power consumption a genuine design goal for UltraSPARC. I would bet that controlling power consumption is one reason why UltraSPARCs appear to be falling behind in the SPEC pseudo-wars. Regardless, it is pretty impressive that 1GHz UltraSPARC III systems can have the FP throughput of 2.8GHz Pentium 4s but at only 50 or so watts per CPU.
They're mostly hobbyists and amateur programmers, and REST is easier and sufficient for the very simple things that you can do via the Amazon web services api, but if one were trying to submit more information -- say a long purchase order -- the limitations of REST would be more apparent.
I would bet there are significant numbers of professionals using REST, too. It has a pretty high usefulness threshold, because a lot of tasks don't require the complex hierarchical datasets allowed by XML.
I've personally used REST instead of SOAP in an internal project, because REST is simple to implement and totally adequate for what we were trying to do. SOAP would have required: learning, sorting through buzzwords, more learning, some more sorting, and a prototype before actually creating a working system. Basically, SOAP has a higher learning curve that can (and should) be avoided when possible. Also, the tools and libraries for SOAP are much younger than those for REST.
The fact that you think the (many) alternatives are too expensive doesn't negate the fact that they exist, and that alone is enough to rebut the accusation that Microsoft is a "monopoly."
If General Motors captured the entry-level automobile market, such that the Cavalier was the only car available for under $20,000, would that give GM a monopoly on entry-level cars? Yes, because the other genuine options are: walking (going without), purchasing the greater than $20,000 Toyota, which, in this hypothetical scenario, is the only other mainstream car in the market (a.k.a., Apple), or building a kit car (a.k.a., Linux and UNIX). Does our culture allow us to go without? Rarely, so we either buy the Cavalier or the Toyota. Wealth distribution being what it is, most people get stuck with the Cavalier.
Markets are segmented into price ranges. Microsoft unmistakably dominates entry-level comptuters. The fact that Apple, Sun, IBM, and SGI still sell alternatives, albeit in a higher price bracket, doesn't shake Microsoft's strong hold on inexpensive computers.
For myself, I chose to suck-it-up and buy a used Sun and a Solaris RTU for at home, but my sister doesn't have that luxury--she gets stuck with a cheap PC and Windows XP.
Certainly not two minutes.
My point was that there will likely be advertisements (regardless of duration) for WM9 to rub in the fact that Microsoft technology is behind the soon to start "cinematic experience."
Thanks for the feedback. I guess I'm slightly disapointed that I can't try playing through as one of the bad guys, but I'm satisifed that I finished the game.
Actually, it is. I'm going to be putting together a computer for my sister soon. I'll give you two guesses to tell me what operating systems she can choose from, and I'll give you one guess as to which operating system is the only one she really can choose. Here's a hint: she doesn't have the money for a Mac. I'd also give you a guess about her word processor, but it isn't worth it.
I don't have to fuck about for hours installing this and that, having the right hardware...
I say the same things about Solaris and Mac OS X relative to Windows.
The movie goer does not care how the movie is projected, how it gets to the cinema, or whatever.
I'd bet there will be a two-minute preview hammering into the minds of the audience how great WM9-based movies are. I'd also not be suprised if there are borderline-subliminal messages in that preview to gain even better penetration.
There are three endings, true, but you can get any of them from the last map.
Have you tried going back to assasinate the guy in the 747 hanger? I was hoping that by assasinating him rather than joining the NSF would allow me to play as a bad guy. I haven't tried it, yet, so I don't know if it is worth it.
I'll pit Duke against any of the more modern full 3D shooters.
While I haven't played Duke Nukem, I'd probably agree with you about all the "me too" 3-D shooters out there. However, I just finished one of the plot lines of Deus Ex (not bleeding edge, but recent), and I am very impressed at the depth of that game. I'm glad I kept save points along the way, so I can go back and excersize the dillemas pitted against the character (there are at least three ways to end the game; I'll soon see if there are more).
Also, I couldn't miss the parallels between the story in Deus Ex and the some of the things we are really seeing in the world today. It's quite interesting.
You really don't want to know how much company-money can be saved by ditching windows, office and way too powerfull desktops and replacing them with a xserver/xterminal-setup in which the admin only has to admin a single box.
This only works if the company is committed to maintaining and upgrading that server. I worked in an X-terminal-based shop just a few years ago, where, at that time, the servers were already five years old. I'm talking SuperSPARC-based servers trying to handle sessions of Netscape 4 and Windows-emulators for a whole dev team. It was painful.
I think X-terminals and thin clients like the Sun Rays are a wonderful idea in both theory and practice, but the company buying the system can't treat that server like it's some sort of set-up-and-forget appliance. The server itself is an ongoing investment for adding CPUs and RAM, and every few years a brand new server.
Your ultimate pattern is both funny and sad, because it is so true in many people's experiences.
I wonder if this is another reason why so many projects run themselves into the ground in spite of all the warning signs. For a project that experiences leadership turnover 80% of the way through, the money-holders think, "Well, turnover is a risk and costs money and time, so here's more money and time to get back up to speed."
this is why I laugh when Microsoft calls SQLserver 'Enterprse ready'. it is not.
Agreed. However, don't forget that it and most Microsoft software aren't even ready for the small business.
Think about how many businesses are now trapped by quickly implemented Access databases and Excel macros, for example. They not only get blocked from accessing their own data without Microsoft's helping hand, but they also face annual upgrade dilemmas by Microsoft's marketing and sales departments. Microsoft's strategic business partnerships and aquisitions/eliminations ensured that those businesses often had no real choice in the first place, and when those businesses grow beyond Microsoft's capabilities they are trapped again unless they can afford to dump their prior investment and move to a better platform (UNIX, Mainframe, etc.).
I know this sounds trollish, but these sorts of things can't be repeated enough, IMO.
I'd be more worried about all those '1's standing up on that one half of the drive. This causes an aerodynamic drag imbalance that will induce harmonic vibration. Not only is the buzz annoying, I have heard from an aquaintance that the drive bearings will wear into an elliptical pattern causing all the cylinders on half the drive to be off-by-one. If the drive begins malfunctioning, tapping one side of the drive with a 20-oz. hammer will reset the bearing geometry.
I'm interested as to why someone who has "nothing to hide" should be worried about mass surveillance by their government?
Because politicians, law enforcment officials, etc. often have agendas. Whether it is simply getting re-elected, getting legislation passed for Disney, or "making peace" with black market criminals, government employees are human and will act like it. They are both in positions of power and in positions of conflict of interest (think of our administration's stock portfolio, for example). Some officials who have access to the surveillance data can destroy you with a simple "update X set criminal='yes' where Y='YOUR NAME'", if they don't like you (my SQL is fuzzy, but you get the point).
If your payment is lost, your next statement will show it.
The next bill did show it, but it was so counter-intuitively organized that it was very easy to miss. This reminds me of one other type of bill that is far worse than any water bill: nursing home bills. I've seen only one, but that was enough for me.
Most utilities and banks will just simply warn you if you are late.
This depends on whether they are in a position of conflict of interest. I can imagine credit card companies and loan companies stalling to rack up pentalties. This might be illegal, but I wouldn't be suprised if it is common.
Many times, you might buy something, and due to one reason or another, the transaction never gets sent to your account - so, free stuff (or at least until they figure it out, which I have yet to encounter)!
Also, I've had bill payments get lost in the mail. If I didn't catch this myself, who knows if I'd still have running water (and still have excellent credit).
READ THE ARTICLE. Sun is NOT leaving the Linux market. They are simply dropping Sun-branded Linux in favor of sticking to a handful of existing distributions, such as Red Hat Advanced Server. Sun is doing this because their customers want it this way.
I've never used it, but it certainly seems like a worthy contender.
Using GnuCash is just fine. It works well and is robust in my experience so far.
However, compiling it from source is the single most painful experience I have ever had with open source sofware without exception.
Re:Good For Interchange / Bad For Applications
on
Why XML Doesn't Suck
·
· Score: 2, Interesting
XML forces you to commit to one specific view of your data.
This is why XML serves best as an interchange format, where files are immutable snapshots of more complex data sets. Perfect for EDI-type apps or reports, but not for "live" data.
I know from experience with MCAD files (Pro/E, etc.) that static snapshot-type files are much easier to generate and work with than "live" files (files that are modified, stored, modified again, stored, ad nauseum). This is because data that changes over time has to stand up to such wear and tear without wearing out (i.e., the data model has to be outstanding and elegant), but snapshot data models can be pretty crappy and still get the point across.
Basically, my point is that 1) I agree with what you said and 2) XML does nothing to avoid the fundamental difficulties people already cope with in every data format ever invented (i.e., data models are hard and people should just live with that fact and stop whining).
A friend of mine bought a nice ultraspark on Ebay a while back and he was provided with all that he needed.
Well, to be totally legitimate, your friend needs to buy a $99 right-to-use license from Sun if he runs Solaris, because the EBay vendor is most likely not Sun-authorized. However, Solaris will certainly work without it, because the RTU license is just a slip of paper (this is one reason I like Sun--no activation, no questions, no guilty-before-innocent crap).
With or without that piece of paper, sunsolve.sun.com is certainly freely accessible for patches and other documentation, so your first statement is completely correct. In fact, SunSolve has patches going all the way back to SunOS 4, if you need them. Their hardware documentation also goes back to the early SPARCstations.
NT 4.0 *is* 7 years old now (released 1996) and supporting it is probably a major headache for them, at least until June when it reaches end of life (bear in mind that end of life for most software is 5 years).
I'm always suprised in how much volatility we've come to tolerate in software. In other industries, the customers would be fleeing in hordes.
I take all this as just more evidence that the software industry won't reach maturity for at least several more decades.
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The app might be good for what it is - a quick and dirty app - but surely you jest when you suggest that is the equivalent of AutoCAD.
I'm convinced that CAD/CAM will remain in the hands of commercial developers for a long time (most likely forever). Genuine 3D feature-based solid modeling with assemblies, geometric tolerances, etc. is so difficult to create well, that even the biggest names in CAD haven't got it 100% right after over a decade of massive development.
For example, Pro/E, as wonderful as it is, still has, in my opinion, issues associating assembly features with their physical geometry, because only the components of the assembly can really "own" that geometry. These are fundamental issues that are very hard to solve in a practical way. I understand why Pro/E behaves like it does with respect to assembly features and have come to terms with it, and I wish the people at PTC the best of luck in finding good solutions (if they are even mathematically possible).
I view Free Software as being driven by Natural Selection. Lots of startups, lots of failures, and only those projects with genuine leadership, insight, and luck will succeed.
For this reason, most software sucks. Actually, it sucks and blows. Most software (commercial included) is so bad that I am ashamed to use it and, occasionally, ashamed to have played a part in its creation. Okay, point made.
However, I am not suprised at how bad most software is. What would you expect after only fifty years of evolution? Only fifty years of learning and cultural penetration?
The fact that certain big corporations say we can have our cake and eat it all thanks to them has made the public delusional and impatient. Right now, I think the public is in denial about software quality, because it is not yet public knowledge that software is among the most complex things ever devised by mankind.
Do we run to the neighborhood fix-it man and say "build me a fast car in six months...oh, and make it silent and brain-dead intuitive to work with. Oh, yeah, I have only $750 to pay you." Do we ask the same of bridge contractors? How about NASA? Would you ride in a submarine to the bottom of the ocean controlled by software written by you or someone you know? How about using software written by (gasp) Microsoft?
Face it, we're still in the dark ages and in denial about it.
Not only that but there's also the claim that Wintel boxes are *cheaper*.
I'm still convinced Suns are better engineering workstations than PCs for the money. Soon, however, the Opteron will be very enticing, and will be pitted sqarely against the UltraSPARC IIIi. PTC is beginning to sell Pro/E for Linux, so Opteron/Linux workstations could be very good. I hope Sun has a business plan to beat/join this trend.
One thing I've noticed, regardless of the CPU, is that the Sun graphics cards have a very high-quality output. For example, my old Creator 3D-based workstation has great anti-aliasing in Pro/E, but a high-end Compaq/Windows NT workstation I saw about a year ago had absolutely terrible anti-aliasing. My experience with PC graphics is limited, so enough time researching PC cards would probably turn up a winner eventually.
Umm, so you're basically admitting that Linux isn't an option? Probably because you know that once she tried it, she wouldn't WANT to use it. Either that or you don't have the brain-power to install it.
I've been administering and using UNIX and Linux for years. She wouldn't want to use Linux, because she doesn't have the patience and the incentive to learn it (i.e., for me it's a profession; for her, it's just a home computer). Giving her Linux would be falling into the pit of family-and-friends-unpaid-tech-support hell. I don't have the patience and incentive to be a tech support peon after already dealing with my own full-time job, among other things. Linux is wonderful, but I know where to draw the line. It's very unfortunate that beyond this line is a Microsoft-dominated wasteland (to get back to my original point).
This statement makes no sense, proving that you lack brain-power.
Juvenile.
My Athlon 2600 XP box puts off WAYYY more heat than my Ultra 80! ;)
This is because Sun makes reasonable power consumption a genuine design goal for UltraSPARC. I would bet that controlling power consumption is one reason why UltraSPARCs appear to be falling behind in the SPEC pseudo-wars. Regardless, it is pretty impressive that 1GHz UltraSPARC III systems can have the FP throughput of 2.8GHz Pentium 4s but at only 50 or so watts per CPU.
They're mostly hobbyists and amateur programmers, and REST is easier and sufficient for the very simple things that you can do via the Amazon web services api, but if one were trying to submit more information -- say a long purchase order -- the limitations of REST would be more apparent.
I would bet there are significant numbers of professionals using REST, too. It has a pretty high usefulness threshold, because a lot of tasks don't require the complex hierarchical datasets allowed by XML.
I've personally used REST instead of SOAP in an internal project, because REST is simple to implement and totally adequate for what we were trying to do. SOAP would have required: learning, sorting through buzzwords, more learning, some more sorting, and a prototype before actually creating a working system. Basically, SOAP has a higher learning curve that can (and should) be avoided when possible. Also, the tools and libraries for SOAP are much younger than those for REST.
The fact that you think the (many) alternatives are too expensive doesn't negate the fact that they exist, and that alone is enough to rebut the accusation that Microsoft is a "monopoly."
If General Motors captured the entry-level automobile market, such that the Cavalier was the only car available for under $20,000, would that give GM a monopoly on entry-level cars? Yes, because the other genuine options are: walking (going without), purchasing the greater than $20,000 Toyota, which, in this hypothetical scenario, is the only other mainstream car in the market (a.k.a., Apple), or building a kit car (a.k.a., Linux and UNIX). Does our culture allow us to go without? Rarely, so we either buy the Cavalier or the Toyota. Wealth distribution being what it is, most people get stuck with the Cavalier.
Markets are segmented into price ranges. Microsoft unmistakably dominates entry-level comptuters. The fact that Apple, Sun, IBM, and SGI still sell alternatives, albeit in a higher price bracket, doesn't shake Microsoft's strong hold on inexpensive computers.
For myself, I chose to suck-it-up and buy a used Sun and a Solaris RTU for at home, but my sister doesn't have that luxury--she gets stuck with a cheap PC and Windows XP.
Certainly not two minutes.
My point was that there will likely be advertisements (regardless of duration) for WM9 to rub in the fact that Microsoft technology is behind the soon to start "cinematic experience."
It makes absolutely no change to the plot.
Thanks for the feedback. I guess I'm slightly disapointed that I can't try playing through as one of the bad guys, but I'm satisifed that I finished the game.
how it's a monopoly (which, it isn't)
Actually, it is. I'm going to be putting together a computer for my sister soon. I'll give you two guesses to tell me what operating systems she can choose from, and I'll give you one guess as to which operating system is the only one she really can choose. Here's a hint: she doesn't have the money for a Mac. I'd also give you a guess about her word processor, but it isn't worth it.
I don't have to fuck about for hours installing this and that, having the right hardware...
I say the same things about Solaris and Mac OS X relative to Windows.
The movie goer does not care how the movie is projected, how it gets to the cinema, or whatever.
I'd bet there will be a two-minute preview hammering into the minds of the audience how great WM9-based movies are. I'd also not be suprised if there are borderline-subliminal messages in that preview to gain even better penetration.
There are three endings, true, but you can get any of them from the last map.
Have you tried going back to assasinate the guy in the 747 hanger? I was hoping that by assasinating him rather than joining the NSF would allow me to play as a bad guy. I haven't tried it, yet, so I don't know if it is worth it.
I'll pit Duke against any of the more modern full 3D shooters.
While I haven't played Duke Nukem, I'd probably agree with you about all the "me too" 3-D shooters out there. However, I just finished one of the plot lines of Deus Ex (not bleeding edge, but recent), and I am very impressed at the depth of that game. I'm glad I kept save points along the way, so I can go back and excersize the dillemas pitted against the character (there are at least three ways to end the game; I'll soon see if there are more).
Also, I couldn't miss the parallels between the story in Deus Ex and the some of the things we are really seeing in the world today. It's quite interesting.
You really don't want to know how much company-money can be saved by ditching windows, office and way too powerfull desktops and replacing them with a xserver/xterminal-setup in which the admin only has to admin a single box.
This only works if the company is committed to maintaining and upgrading that server. I worked in an X-terminal-based shop just a few years ago, where, at that time, the servers were already five years old. I'm talking SuperSPARC-based servers trying to handle sessions of Netscape 4 and Windows-emulators for a whole dev team. It was painful.
I think X-terminals and thin clients like the Sun Rays are a wonderful idea in both theory and practice, but the company buying the system can't treat that server like it's some sort of set-up-and-forget appliance. The server itself is an ongoing investment for adding CPUs and RAM, and every few years a brand new server.
they made IE and Outlook seperate programs.
They could certainly continue this trend and make Outlook into the half-dozen things it tries to do (poorly) in one.
The ultimate enterprise pattern
Your ultimate pattern is both funny and sad, because it is so true in many people's experiences.
I wonder if this is another reason why so many projects run themselves into the ground in spite of all the warning signs. For a project that experiences leadership turnover 80% of the way through, the money-holders think, "Well, turnover is a risk and costs money and time, so here's more money and time to get back up to speed."
this is why I laugh when Microsoft calls SQLserver 'Enterprse ready'. it is not.
Agreed. However, don't forget that it and most Microsoft software aren't even ready for the small business.
Think about how many businesses are now trapped by quickly implemented Access databases and Excel macros, for example. They not only get blocked from accessing their own data without Microsoft's helping hand, but they also face annual upgrade dilemmas by Microsoft's marketing and sales departments. Microsoft's strategic business partnerships and aquisitions/eliminations ensured that those businesses often had no real choice in the first place, and when those businesses grow beyond Microsoft's capabilities they are trapped again unless they can afford to dump their prior investment and move to a better platform (UNIX, Mainframe, etc.).
I know this sounds trollish, but these sorts of things can't be repeated enough, IMO.
I'd be more worried about all those '1's standing up on that one half of the drive. This causes an aerodynamic drag imbalance that will induce harmonic vibration. Not only is the buzz annoying, I have heard from an aquaintance that the drive bearings will wear into an elliptical pattern causing all the cylinders on half the drive to be off-by-one. If the drive begins malfunctioning, tapping one side of the drive with a 20-oz. hammer will reset the bearing geometry.
I'm interested as to why someone who has "nothing to hide" should be worried about mass surveillance by their government?
Because politicians, law enforcment officials, etc. often have agendas. Whether it is simply getting re-elected, getting legislation passed for Disney, or "making peace" with black market criminals, government employees are human and will act like it. They are both in positions of power and in positions of conflict of interest (think of our administration's stock portfolio, for example). Some officials who have access to the surveillance data can destroy you with a simple "update X set criminal='yes' where Y='YOUR NAME'", if they don't like you (my SQL is fuzzy, but you get the point).
Whom do you trust, now?
...two great tastes that go great together!
Nuts and gum, together at last!
If your payment is lost, your next statement will show it.
The next bill did show it, but it was so counter-intuitively organized that it was very easy to miss. This reminds me of one other type of bill that is far worse than any water bill: nursing home bills. I've seen only one, but that was enough for me.
Most utilities and banks will just simply warn you if you are late.
This depends on whether they are in a position of conflict of interest. I can imagine credit card companies and loan companies stalling to rack up pentalties. This might be illegal, but I wouldn't be suprised if it is common.
Many times, you might buy something, and due to one reason or another, the transaction never gets sent to your account - so, free stuff (or at least until they figure it out, which I have yet to encounter)!
Also, I've had bill payments get lost in the mail. If I didn't catch this myself, who knows if I'd still have running water (and still have excellent credit).
If they're leaving the Linux market
READ THE ARTICLE. Sun is NOT leaving the Linux market. They are simply dropping Sun-branded Linux in favor of sticking to a handful of existing distributions, such as Red Hat Advanced Server. Sun is doing this because their customers want it this way.
I've never used it, but it certainly seems like a worthy contender.
Using GnuCash is just fine. It works well and is robust in my experience so far.
However, compiling it from source is the single most painful experience I have ever had with open source sofware without exception.
XML forces you to commit to one specific view of your data.
This is why XML serves best as an interchange format, where files are immutable snapshots of more complex data sets. Perfect for EDI-type apps or reports, but not for "live" data.
I know from experience with MCAD files (Pro/E, etc.) that static snapshot-type files are much easier to generate and work with than "live" files (files that are modified, stored, modified again, stored, ad nauseum). This is because data that changes over time has to stand up to such wear and tear without wearing out (i.e., the data model has to be outstanding and elegant), but snapshot data models can be pretty crappy and still get the point across.
Basically, my point is that 1) I agree with what you said and 2) XML does nothing to avoid the fundamental difficulties people already cope with in every data format ever invented (i.e., data models are hard and people should just live with that fact and stop whining).
A friend of mine bought a nice ultraspark on Ebay a while back and he was provided with all that he needed.
Well, to be totally legitimate, your friend needs to buy a $99 right-to-use license from Sun if he runs Solaris, because the EBay vendor is most likely not Sun-authorized. However, Solaris will certainly work without it, because the RTU license is just a slip of paper (this is one reason I like Sun--no activation, no questions, no guilty-before-innocent crap).
With or without that piece of paper, sunsolve.sun.com is certainly freely accessible for patches and other documentation, so your first statement is completely correct. In fact, SunSolve has patches going all the way back to SunOS 4, if you need them. Their hardware documentation also goes back to the early SPARCstations.
NT 4.0 *is* 7 years old now (released 1996) and supporting it is probably a major headache for them, at least until June when it reaches end of life (bear in mind that end of life for most software is 5 years).
I'm always suprised in how much volatility we've come to tolerate in software. In other industries, the customers would be fleeing in hordes.
I take all this as just more evidence that the software industry won't reach maturity for at least several more decades.