Oh don't get them started on textbooks. One "insightful" freetard already claimed selling software is a flawed business model propped up by copyright laws, and the cost of distributing commercial software once it's written is exactly $0 (just like books, I'm sure)
I think you're right about cost of software being irrelevant though. When you consider all the other things we pay for in our lives, most of which are quite far from being "open", and what good software empowers us to do, I don't see what's wrong with selling software, closed or open. Who's to argue that monetary incentives don't lead to better software?
While that is indeed a cool feature, I'm surprised by how far behind the PC gaming experience console gaming is. My friends and I have been doing this for years now. We have a Ventrilo (or Teamspeak) server and we all log in and talk about whatever games we're playing in a channel we all hang out in. Some days we might even be playing completely different games from each other. In fact, some people I know even run multiple copies of Ventrilo at the same time so they can participate in team chat in whatever game they're playing, as well as talk to their friends in another channel.
It's about time console gaming caught up to PC gaming.
Right, so what about the other twenty players on a server that can't hear you? What about the people on the OTHER TEAM eavesdropping on you? (on the public vent servers) On a console, the voice chat is integrated, and has been fairly standard for quite a long time now. On consoles, headsets are the defacto standard, Bluetooth wireless for this generation even. I bet half the people you run into on Vent are trying to pick voices out on their main speakers.
The console's advantage is standardization. ALL players on a server can hear other players with headsets (on the same team, where enforced), nobody is using a $5 PC mic without a headset (with the possible exception of those using the PS Eye as a mic to prove it wasn't a waste of money). The remaining 3.1 sound channels our sound systems support are actually USED, even in low end games. The PC will NEEEEEEEVVVVVVVVEERRRRRR beat the console when it comes to standardization.
Wild guess, you don't/haven't played console games online much? Cause I played the shit out of PC games the last decade, online and off, and I have no delusions as to where consoles have progressed. PC games today are basically console games now, with a mouse and keyboard. Most of your big PC title are cross platform (but hey it's an excuse to ship more PC games with surround sound, look on the bright side) The days of playing on public servers with modded textures, models or sounds are gone. Launching games from your IM or IRC client is mostly (all?) gone. Client side scripting in online games is gonzo. What made PC games stand out from console games back when consoles started to match PCs in terms of features is mostly gone now. Modems used to be pretty much exclusive to PCs. Consoles all have the same broadband access a PC does now, they all have more ubiquitous, integrated features that PC players have to configure manually. PC game modding is mostly commercialized, shit, I can buy what started as a PC MOD for my playstation right now... WTF is that about? PC's even killed the f'ing joystick!!!! How do you propose a game like Warhawk be created for the PC? It couldn't happen today, or maybe it would, players would just be lumbering around clumsily like in Descent. Ahhh, good times... Descent, back when PCs DID have the advantage... Where did all the multiplayer (on single system) PC games go? Where are the quality (not three year old) $10 PC games? $10 console games display at 1080p with online ranking - standard (Playstations anyway). Where do we find most surround sound systems, on PC's or in entertainment centers? How many PC gamers use headsets? What was the last PC game to ship with bundled headset? That gaming rig come with Bluetooth? And you want to tell me the console is behind when it comes to voice chat, ROFL. Please try again, at least pick text chat, multitasking, web surfing, anything to redeem yourself.
Face it, once game console vendors start pitching mice... PC games wont die, I'm not saying that, but the PC game's uniqueness will be long gone at that point. There will be no need to cater specifically to PC gamers. I'm not just talking about losing RTS exclusivity, I mean at a deeper level, there will be nothing unique to commercial PC games because it won't be special anymore, the nerdy PC game culture would be history. Let's just hope indies can
Not to mention lack of knowledge or care. I posted in another story how my parents pay land tax for local schools, yet someone in town who doesn't pay land tax (because they rent, etc.) will vote for a levy to gain school funds because it sounds like a good thing to them. It's not coming out of their pocket.
Wrong.
The landlord pays property tax and that cost is passed along to tenants as part of the rent.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't lack of knowledge or care the whole point the parent was making? Who the hell gets a statement from their landlord every month with itemized charges for each and every tax the landlord pays? We're not talking cellphones here. I'm really doubting most renters are even remotely aware what the property taxes look like in their area, BECAUSE they rent. I'd love to hear any evidence otherwise.
This helped me understand it a little better. The difference is not really artificial, RedHat is tiering their offerings based on different business needs and support requirements. CPU count and size of virtual server environment are rough ways of estimating those needs. It's more like they are pricing them for different uses, and the uses are not, well.. artificially different by any means.
Someone using an OS to run an business critical app on a 16-way system perceives the value differently than someone using the same OS to host a blog.
I understand what you're saying though, the technical differences between what you get seem to be mostly artificial, but consider what they're _really_ selling and how they use the small technical differences to help enforce it. (check that link)
Enterprise software is always like this, you pay buttloads more money for probably 10% more functionality than commodity software. The enterprise software vendors know exactly who needs that 10% you can't get anywhere else.
I do not disagree. The kernel is where they overlap. UI is a matter of choice. Linux has shown that the same Kernel can be compiled to do the server job AND the desktop job. You can even compile the kernel and OS to do BOTH jobs.
The functionality required for a good server OS differs entirely from that which makes a good desktop OS. They are used very differently, you admit this. An OS may include components suited for either or both uses, but the distinction remains because they are still totally different uses that really don't overlap at all. The fact that these components can often be removed from different tiered OS offerings suited for different uses such as what Microsoft does should cue you in to the relevance of the desktop/workstation/server distinctions. How do you compare tiers to one another?
The Linux kernel has blurred the distinction for many. Solaris (staying on topic) has been a server OS and not a desktop OS.
Both of these have components that make it more useful in either case. Including both does not blur the distinction between what a desktop OS DOES, and what a server OS DOES.
Now, they are taking the Linux route and making two versions, just as your example of Ubuntu does.
No, this is not what they're doing. They are making an open source distribution of Solaris, primarily targeted at developers*. They are very upfront about this. This is aimed very, very squarely at young developers. A developer workstation (or desktop) does not really fit the description of the average desktop. The end goal is to increase use of Solaris and other SUN solutions... you know.. to make money? *gasp* Personally, I feel Sun has a better vision for the future of computing in the datacenter/workplace and is more capable of delivering it than RedHat, Novell, or Canonical. *Someone from SUN correct me if I'm wrong.
I find that for a given application on given hardware, one makes more sense than the other for various reasons. In each case, a decision about server vs. desktop was made. In several cases, I have chosen a server setup that also has a desktop interface as that most suits the needs of the application.
If one is using server hardware as a desktop, or vice-versa, something is very wrong. There is a distinction between server/desktop/workstation hardware for the same reasons as the OS. Can they all use the same RAM and expansion cards? Maybe, but as with the OS that's completely missing the point of the distinction. BTW, a GUI does not make something a "desktop" application or OS. Have you ever met Windows Server? Also, Oracle DB requires use of GUIs even on UNIX systems; it is very much enterprise software that rarely sits on desktop hardware or OS.
I'm sorry, but you are wrong... they do overlap. Your particular needs for servers might not include overlap, but they do indeed have overlap in functionality and form.
How do they overlap in functionality? I can drive my Scion on the same track as a Formula 1 car, but you'd be hard pressed to claim there is any overlap between the two cars unless you're just being argumentative and say wheels. There is no way to meaningfully compare something like OS X and Solaris if you don't limit the comparison to either the subset of desktop functionality or server functionality. Just because OSs CAN ship with all the same bits to perform both tasks at its best doesn't mean we can drop the distinction. Just like with cars, a Corvette does pretty fine on a track and is street legal, but if you wan to compare it to a F1 car, you're talking about a very specific subset of the vette. There are distinctions for different uses even though the vette might claim more than one.
Right, but most of the Linux user community was using Windows until relatively recently (or did they appear out of thin air). I'm going out on a fairly solid limb here, but I believe trying something different for the sake of it is what lead them to Linux. If you have good reason to believe something else might be driving Windows to Linux migrations, I'd love to hear it. That's not all Linux users, just most. It's a shame to think that this inquisitive, compulsive nature might just end with Linux. I know I sure didn't give up a Windows only world just to live in a Linux only world. I mean that's like giving up a religion but finding another one... once you figure out that "This is the one true way - just because" isn't a good enough explanation, why buy the exact same premise again? At some point you'd have to realize they could _all_ be partially right or even completely wrong:\
It's also possible to contribute to Linux system development and *shudder* use a non Linux system for inspiration. Can you honestly, honestly imagine a Linux where all your developers have no experience outside of Linux. How do you get that experience, by watching TV ads?
I was interested in trying OpenSolaris for this very reason, since I wanted to see e.g. if I could build Makefiles that worked with GNU make, Sun make and BSD make, and that type of stuff. But to my surprise the userland tools I tried were all GNU.
This is one of the big areas where OpenSolaris differs from Solaris. There are many more GNU utilities installed by default and in your PATH, but I don't believe any of the versions from Solaris have disappeared, just moved elsewhere.
The community had access as soon as the device came out. Granted Q/A from the COMPANY was shitty
That's what I said. I think I even gave them a letter grade equivalent to 'shitty'.
but the users making the fix is what makes FOSS great.
I'm sure fixing stuff on their own gives geeks wet dreams, but the rest of the world wants a responsible party to test and deliver fixes. We might as well be talking about how wonderful open cars are because people can fix their own buggy restraint systems. Sure, nice, but it's not ever a replacement for centralized responsibility, testing, repairs, etc. Lets open everything in every industry and just end product recalls because the community can fix things.
The fact users can implement a fix, and have it sanctioned (whereas Microsoft and Apple most likely wouldn't sanction a user-fix,) makes the FOSS community even better. The information isn't FUCKING RESTRICTED LIKE YOUR MOTHER'S SNATCH, it's open like Las Vegas whores! Anyone can inspect it and determine the quality once it's available on the street!
Sure, and I should be able to draft up blueprints for a better restraint system, send them off to Ford and expect to see them in next years models. And my microwave, the user interface sucks, I should send them detailed circuit diagrams and designs for a better interface panel. I don't like the way my TV remote feels either, why doesn't Sony implement the design I carefully engineered for them in my free time? The windows in my office building are kind of dreary, I should send a note to the architect. These are fucking cellphones, not a creative playground, or a fund raiser, or a soup kitchen, or any other project where community involvement really is relevant. I know it's your wet dream to feel like you're a part of something big, but this is a business you freak, send in your resume. Nobody gives a shit about the Andriod hacker community, all they care is their cell phone provider doesn't let their phone implode. The community is not responsible for a fucking thing here, which is convenient because they can't be blamed for letting this giant bug through. Nobody cares about FOSS ideals other than the boner sporting geeks writing it. The ONLY thing everyone else cares about are the price and features. FOSS fails because all of it's advocates care more about their own freedom to do whatever they want than the FOSS consumer's interests such as ease of use and feature completeness. FOSS wins where it offers real value in the crazy features commercial vendors won't risk implementing - the stuff only geeks could appreciate. It's a big geek circle jerk. Personally, I generally consider myself part of that circle; I am a geek, but unlike the rest of you bozos, I can step out of it and see that open source is completely irrelevant outside the geek circle. FOSS is a totally closed circle philosophy, this is pretty fucking clear when you only consider your own geek desires and don't see the greater population that just wants a better phone. Don't try a "this phone is only meant for geeks anyway" defense with me here, that is total bullshit.
Besides, how many whores are you going to get to inspect before they hit the street? Unless you're the pimp, you aren't going to likely see that at all. Same goes for most products. You still have to wait until it's on the street, but once it's there, everyone can look at it.
NO, nobody really wants that responsibility! Who wants to _have to_ look up every hookers snatch to find a good one? This is exactly the point I'm trying to make, NOBODY DOES! If we pay $50, we expect a shitty whore, if we pay $1000, we expect top notch. We expect, no DEMAND that, because we're not in the business of finding good whores, the pimp is. We do NOT setup online message boards to rate and discuss whores' vaginal health. Only assholes that think gynecology should be everyone's God-damned hobby th
Bingo - You won't see this sort of turnaround time for a fix for the iPhone. and this is why FOSS is a champion to me - the community fixes the issue and everyone else can check the fix to make sure it's not malicious.
Hah, was it a short turn around because it was an extremely nasty bug, or because the fix was only a few lines in an rc file? Oh no, surely it's because of the 'community'. The community is responsible for testing cellphone software? WHERE? The community has any involvement with deploying software updates to cellphones? WHEN THE FUCK DID THAT HAPPEN?
And this is why all gov't entities in the USA should use FOSS. The people/community as a whole can do a better job of keeping the government secure than corporations can.
Everything you typed was unknowingly redirected to a root shell, and you have the BALLS to say that this took the community at large to detect and correct the issue, therefor the government should use FOSS. Sorry, the free in FOSS doesn't have anything to do with preventing or correcting bugs, and a bug like this screams why the fuck didn't the 'community' QA/test process detect it before shipping? If fewer bugs like this appeared in open software, MAYBE you'd have a leg to stand on, but no, this was a shipping product, and one fugly ass bug. You can't blame open source for the bug, and you sure as shit can't give it extra credit for the fix.
I'm sick and fucking tired of coolaid drinking, rosy glasses wearing assholes that attribute all this bullshit to open source. Open software is good for a tremendous number of things, but when the community code review process misses a bug THIS fucking huge, how can you possibly give FOSS credit? It had absolutely nothing to do with delivering the fix, everything to do with finding it, and you know full well a bug of this nature should have been caught in any standard QA process. This is not a "only a giant army of warrior geeks armed with source could have spotted it" bug, though those DO exist. They shipped with a big 'ole chunk of debugging code enabled.
Android QA team: F- Community process: failure to appear
No, you can't. Maybe it's the just new moderation system, but that would be a huge regression IMHO.
This is what you you get after hitting reply. "You are not logged in. You can log in now, Create an Account, or post as Anonymous Coward." The "log in now" link returns you to main page. It has to be a bug.
You know, I do seem to remember doing what you say, so maybe it is the new system. That just worsens the situation, it's pretty silly that something like Slashdot can't login and submit at the same time.
I don't understand the complaints, if all the information you need is in the filesystem structure, then just ignore the contents of iTune's media library. It will be pretty damned empty with no metadata anyway. Configuring iTunes to leave files in place is easy too.. presto, Finder or Explorer is your new media library.
How does it _remove_ anything from your wav files + directory structure? The biggest reason to use iTunes is that it manages a music library _with_ metadata. If you have none, then just double click the fuckers from your filesystem browser and if sound comes out your speakers, to hell with what plays it.
I think that was a polite way of saying a discussion with the type of audience this article will draw is not worth the effort of logging into Slashdot. If I weren't already logged in, I wouldn't either. You know how much of a pain it is to copy the message you just wrote, log in - this confusingly takes you to the main page, find the article again, find the dork you were replying to, paste and finish editing.. bah, for what, +1? A chance to be heard? HAH!
You know, there is nothing wrong with supporting free software without supporting Linux. Linux as a whole lost interest to me. A couple of individuals used it to pervert free software into an anti-Microsoft vehicle, and now the guns are pointed at everything not Linux, like Solaris, Mac, etc. I felt used when I caught up with the real history of free software. I suspect many more would too if they took the time to look it up and forget Linux for a moment.
Anyway, please don't stop supporting the Linux kernel, it is wonderful free software, even if it doesn't take over the world. However, you can help me convince others that "The Linux Movement" is NOT a healthy way to promote free software. It has hurt free software more than anything by spreading the wrong message and polarizing software companies, scaring them from free software ideals. It's not a fight, no us vs them, just some ideas that can make software better for all of us, including those that sell it.
Also, free software is doing fantastic! That list of software is proof! Well, GPLv3 may be a shot in the GNUs foot... I can't see how free hardware is related to GNUs free software goals. It's asking a liitle to much if you ask me. One thing at a time:/
Lets be real here, all a ratio better than 1/10 Linux to Windows says is the devices are attractive to geeks. That's cute and all - give Asus a cookie, but it doesn't speak for consumer acceptance of Linux.
Contrary, huh? Out of stock could mean the supply was low. Who in their right mind would _overestimate_ sales of Linux clients? Sitting on shelves could mean they shipped more than enough. Without knowing how much of each shipped, WTF is the point? Guaranteed, they shipped assloads more with XP than Linux. We just throw supply out the window and pretend demand for Linux is uber high here??
Look, Linux needs to take off on its own merits, not with silly twisted theories on Slashdot where things are cheerier than they really are. Linux & OSS are going to start getting some black eyes if you all keep pretending it's something it's not.
Well, is he right? Has Opera even been submitted yet? What does anything else he has written matter? Oh noes, do we believe the first unconfirmed blog posting, or the second? Slashdot, please tell us what to think!
OK, imagine a car that starts ONE MINUTE after you turn the key. Doesn't that sound hot?
It is true that everyone takes more than one minute to adjust their controls/mirrors, put a seatbelt on, fiddle with the radio, wait for a SO or kids to settle down, check for your wallet/purse, find your house keys, check yourself in the mirror, etc.... or is it?
Psychological... pffft. When I turn a computer on it's for a damned good reason. Just as when I start my car, when I turn a computer on, I already have a destination in mind. Everything between me and that end is NOT COOL. To hell with it being "psychological", to the end user it is a valid issue.
Oh, and the agonizing amount of time spend waiting at red lights, that's just psychological too, because I wasn't really planning to use those five minutes for anything exciting anyway.
You'd save more power by shipping OS's with better default power saving settings than by praying that quicker boot times leads to more people power cycling their machines every day - it wont, not until a power cycle is as quick as wakeup from standby AND remembers your last running state.
"The Cell processor in the PS3 is much faster doing Folding@Home calculations than a regular Intel or AMD CPU for example, but isn't well designed for other workloads."
Sorry, my 9800GTX+ TEARS up F@H and goes through more folds than my PS3.
ROFLMAO because the quote you selected specifically says "regular Intel or AMD CPU", NOT "9800GTXOENZOSTANGAERON++ GPU" What are you feeling sorry for? Modern GPU performance is really undisputed in all but your little world, but care to explain why there are no games using it for anything other than rasterizing? All the folds in the world don't make PC games any better;)
PC gaming - Bad as hell on paper, enough bullet points to choke a horse, overpowered machines, and you STILL get 20 fps with no better gameplay to show for it.
I'm confused, can Glyn Moody read Russian, or is the article based on the Google translation? From this, no one is being forced to use anything, they are given free software, and individual schools must foot the bill of commercial software. I'm sure this will help spur free software adoption, but isn't the real story about the Govt not buying school software anymore? A story like this in the states would imply the schools are now rejigging their IT budgets, not necessarily adopting free software wholesale. A story about govt funding to schools being cut probably wouldn't be taken in such positive light either. Just my two cents.
[Via Google Translate: By the end of 2009, all school computers will be installed package of free software (PSPO). This is how transfers Prime-TASS, today announced Minister of Communications and Mass Communications of the Russian Federation Igor Shchyogolev at the plenary session Information Society and the modern technologies of information in the international exhibition InfoCom-2008.] [Via Google Translate: The Minister also noted that by 2010 it is expected that the number of computers in schools will reach a million. According to Schegoleva, after three years of school will be able to make a choice: pay royalties to use software products, buying them at their own expense, or go to the domestic free software.]
Man, you nailed it. I'm still craving some original TF, err, MegaTF. Mods started with Quake & QuakeWorld. Not technically, but that when mods really took off, IMHO. Maybe the author was focusing on more modern games, but he could have shown a little respect where it's due.
QuakeWorld, "Mega" TF, and a crazy map like cross the border, or football, THAT's a mod! Or a mod in a mod in a mod in a mod... plus custom textures/models/sounds allowed before all the sophisticated anti-cheat measures today.. PLUS client side scripting. None of the "mods" today can hold a freaking candle to what took place during the long reign of Quake & QuakeWorld.
PC games were killed by greed, and constant upgrade churn. They had crazy huge, organic, online communities, the stuff every publisher is trying to artificially create today, and murdering with the next ridiculously overpowered sequel. Imagine if Blizzard was just now releasing WoW 4... I'm sure that would've gone over real well.
What? This isn't between Infiniband and ETHERNET! This is the convergence of Fibre Channel with Ethernet. This LOWERS the price of Fibre Channel, which is already king of storage networking in the enterprise. There is no way in hell this will HELP Infiniband in the corporate world. Infiniband will continue to live in HPC land.
Slashdot Mirror
Oh don't get them started on textbooks. One "insightful" freetard already claimed selling software is a flawed business model propped up by copyright laws, and the cost of distributing commercial software once it's written is exactly $0 (just like books, I'm sure)
I think you're right about cost of software being irrelevant though. When you consider all the other things we pay for in our lives, most of which are quite far from being "open", and what good software empowers us to do, I don't see what's wrong with selling software, closed or open. Who's to argue that monetary incentives don't lead to better software?
While that is indeed a cool feature, I'm surprised by how far behind the PC gaming experience console gaming is. My friends and I have been doing this for years now. We have a Ventrilo (or Teamspeak) server and we all log in and talk about whatever games we're playing in a channel we all hang out in. Some days we might even be playing completely different games from each other. In fact, some people I know even run multiple copies of Ventrilo at the same time so they can participate in team chat in whatever game they're playing, as well as talk to their friends in another channel.
It's about time console gaming caught up to PC gaming.
Right, so what about the other twenty players on a server that can't hear you? What about the people on the OTHER TEAM eavesdropping on you? (on the public vent servers) On a console, the voice chat is integrated, and has been fairly standard for quite a long time now. On consoles, headsets are the defacto standard, Bluetooth wireless for this generation even. I bet half the people you run into on Vent are trying to pick voices out on their main speakers.
The console's advantage is standardization. ALL players on a server can hear other players with headsets (on the same team, where enforced), nobody is using a $5 PC mic without a headset (with the possible exception of those using the PS Eye as a mic to prove it wasn't a waste of money). The remaining 3.1 sound channels our sound systems support are actually USED, even in low end games.
The PC will NEEEEEEEVVVVVVVVEERRRRRR beat the console when it comes to standardization.
Wild guess, you don't/haven't played console games online much? Cause I played the shit out of PC games the last decade, online and off, and I have no delusions as to where consoles have progressed.
PC games today are basically console games now, with a mouse and keyboard. Most of your big PC title are cross platform (but hey it's an excuse to ship more PC games with surround sound, look on the bright side)
The days of playing on public servers with modded textures, models or sounds are gone. Launching games from your IM or IRC client is mostly (all?) gone. Client side scripting in online games is gonzo.
What made PC games stand out from console games back when consoles started to match PCs in terms of features is mostly gone now. Modems used to be pretty much exclusive to PCs. Consoles all have the same broadband access a PC does now, they all have more ubiquitous, integrated features that PC players have to configure manually. PC game modding is mostly commercialized, shit, I can buy what started as a PC MOD for my playstation right now... WTF is that about? PC's even killed the f'ing joystick!!!! How do you propose a game like Warhawk be created for the PC? It couldn't happen today, or maybe it would, players would just be lumbering around clumsily like in Descent. Ahhh, good times... Descent, back when PCs DID have the advantage... Where did all the multiplayer (on single system) PC games go? Where are the quality (not three year old) $10 PC games? $10 console games display at 1080p with online ranking - standard (Playstations anyway). Where do we find most surround sound systems, on PC's or in entertainment centers? How many PC gamers use headsets? What was the last PC game to ship with bundled headset? That gaming rig come with Bluetooth? And you want to tell me the console is behind when it comes to voice chat, ROFL. Please try again, at least pick text chat, multitasking, web surfing, anything to redeem yourself.
Face it, once game console vendors start pitching mice... PC games wont die, I'm not saying that, but the PC game's uniqueness will be long gone at that point. There will be no need to cater specifically to PC gamers. I'm not just talking about losing RTS exclusivity, I mean at a deeper level, there will be nothing unique to commercial PC games because it won't be special anymore, the nerdy PC game culture would be history. Let's just hope indies can
Not to mention lack of knowledge or care. I posted in another story how my parents pay land tax for local schools, yet someone in town who doesn't pay land tax (because they rent, etc.) will vote for a levy to gain school funds because it sounds like a good thing to them. It's not coming out of their pocket.
Wrong.
The landlord pays property tax and that cost is passed along to tenants as part of the rent.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't lack of knowledge or care the whole point the parent was making? Who the hell gets a statement from their landlord every month with itemized charges for each and every tax the landlord pays? We're not talking cellphones here.
I'm really doubting most renters are even remotely aware what the property taxes look like in their area, BECAUSE they rent. I'd love to hear any evidence otherwise.
This helped me understand it a little better.
The difference is not really artificial, RedHat is tiering their offerings based on different business needs and support requirements.
CPU count and size of virtual server environment are rough ways of estimating those needs. It's more like they are pricing them for different uses, and the uses are not, well.. artificially different by any means.
Someone using an OS to run an business critical app on a 16-way system perceives the value differently than someone using the same OS to host a blog.
I understand what you're saying though, the technical differences between what you get seem to be mostly artificial, but consider what they're _really_ selling and how they use the small technical differences to help enforce it. (check that link)
Enterprise software is always like this, you pay buttloads more money for probably 10% more functionality than commodity software. The enterprise software vendors know exactly who needs that 10% you can't get anywhere else.
I do not disagree. The kernel is where they overlap. UI is a matter of choice. Linux has shown that the same Kernel can be compiled to do the server job AND the desktop job. You can even compile the kernel and OS to do BOTH jobs.
The functionality required for a good server OS differs entirely from that which makes a good desktop OS. They are used very differently, you admit this.
An OS may include components suited for either or both uses, but the distinction remains because they are still totally different uses that really don't overlap at all.
The fact that these components can often be removed from different tiered OS offerings suited for different uses such as what Microsoft does should cue you in to the relevance of the desktop/workstation/server distinctions. How do you compare tiers to one another?
The Linux kernel has blurred the distinction for many. Solaris (staying on topic) has been a server OS and not a desktop OS.
Both of these have components that make it more useful in either case. Including both does not blur the distinction between what a desktop OS DOES, and what a server OS DOES.
Now, they are taking the Linux route and making two versions, just as your example of Ubuntu does.
No, this is not what they're doing. They are making an open source distribution of Solaris, primarily targeted at developers*. They are very upfront about this. This is aimed very, very squarely at young developers. A developer workstation (or desktop) does not really fit the description of the average desktop. The end goal is to increase use of Solaris and other SUN solutions... you know.. to make money? *gasp* Personally, I feel Sun has a better vision for the future of computing in the datacenter/workplace and is more capable of delivering it than RedHat, Novell, or Canonical.
*Someone from SUN correct me if I'm wrong.
I find that for a given application on given hardware, one makes more sense than the other for various reasons. In each case, a decision about server vs. desktop was made. In several cases, I have chosen a server setup that also has a desktop interface as that most suits the needs of the application.
If one is using server hardware as a desktop, or vice-versa, something is very wrong. There is a distinction between server/desktop/workstation hardware for the same reasons as the OS. Can they all use the same RAM and expansion cards? Maybe, but as with the OS that's completely missing the point of the distinction.
BTW, a GUI does not make something a "desktop" application or OS. Have you ever met Windows Server? Also, Oracle DB requires use of GUIs even on UNIX systems; it is very much enterprise software that rarely sits on desktop hardware or OS.
I'm sorry, but you are wrong... they do overlap. Your particular needs for servers might not include overlap, but they do indeed have overlap in functionality and form.
How do they overlap in functionality? I can drive my Scion on the same track as a Formula 1 car, but you'd be hard pressed to claim there is any overlap between the two cars unless you're just being argumentative and say wheels. There is no way to meaningfully compare something like OS X and Solaris if you don't limit the comparison to either the subset of desktop functionality or server functionality. Just because OSs CAN ship with all the same bits to perform both tasks at its best doesn't mean we can drop the distinction. Just like with cars, a Corvette does pretty fine on a track and is street legal, but if you wan to compare it to a F1 car, you're talking about a very specific subset of the vette. There are distinctions for different uses even though the vette might claim more than one.
Right, but most of the Linux user community was using Windows until relatively recently (or did they appear out of thin air). I'm going out on a fairly solid limb here, but I believe trying something different for the sake of it is what lead them to Linux. If you have good reason to believe something else might be driving Windows to Linux migrations, I'd love to hear it. That's not all Linux users, just most. It's a shame to think that this inquisitive, compulsive nature might just end with Linux. :\
I know I sure didn't give up a Windows only world just to live in a Linux only world. I mean that's like giving up a religion but finding another one... once you figure out that "This is the one true way - just because" isn't a good enough explanation, why buy the exact same premise again? At some point you'd have to realize they could _all_ be partially right or even completely wrong
It's also possible to contribute to Linux system development and *shudder* use a non Linux system for inspiration.
Can you honestly, honestly imagine a Linux where all your developers have no experience outside of Linux. How do you get that experience, by watching TV ads?
I was interested in trying OpenSolaris for this very reason, since I wanted to see e.g. if I could build Makefiles that worked with GNU make, Sun make and BSD make, and that type of stuff. But to my surprise the userland tools I tried were all GNU.
This is one of the big areas where OpenSolaris differs from Solaris. There are many more GNU utilities installed by default and in your PATH, but I don't believe any of the versions from Solaris have disappeared, just moved elsewhere.
The community had access as soon as the device came out. Granted Q/A from the COMPANY was shitty
That's what I said. I think I even gave them a letter grade equivalent to 'shitty'.
but the users making the fix is what makes FOSS great.
I'm sure fixing stuff on their own gives geeks wet dreams, but the rest of the world wants a responsible party to test and deliver fixes.
We might as well be talking about how wonderful open cars are because people can fix their own buggy restraint systems. Sure, nice, but it's not ever a replacement for centralized responsibility, testing, repairs, etc. Lets open everything in every industry and just end product recalls because the community can fix things.
The fact users can implement a fix, and have it sanctioned (whereas Microsoft and Apple most likely wouldn't sanction a user-fix,) makes the FOSS community even better. The information isn't FUCKING RESTRICTED LIKE YOUR MOTHER'S SNATCH, it's open like Las Vegas whores! Anyone can inspect it and determine the quality once it's available on the street!
Sure, and I should be able to draft up blueprints for a better restraint system, send them off to Ford and expect to see them in next years models. And my microwave, the user interface sucks, I should send them detailed circuit diagrams and designs for a better interface panel. I don't like the way my TV remote feels either, why doesn't Sony implement the design I carefully engineered for them in my free time? The windows in my office building are kind of dreary, I should send a note to the architect.
These are fucking cellphones, not a creative playground, or a fund raiser, or a soup kitchen, or any other project where community involvement really is relevant. I know it's your wet dream to feel like you're a part of something big, but this is a business you freak, send in your resume. Nobody gives a shit about the Andriod hacker community, all they care is their cell phone provider doesn't let their phone implode. The community is not responsible for a fucking thing here, which is convenient because they can't be blamed for letting this giant bug through.
Nobody cares about FOSS ideals other than the boner sporting geeks writing it. The ONLY thing everyone else cares about are the price and features. FOSS fails because all of it's advocates care more about their own freedom to do whatever they want than the FOSS consumer's interests such as ease of use and feature completeness. FOSS wins where it offers real value in the crazy features commercial vendors won't risk implementing - the stuff only geeks could appreciate. It's a big geek circle jerk. Personally, I generally consider myself part of that circle; I am a geek, but unlike the rest of you bozos, I can step out of it and see that open source is completely irrelevant outside the geek circle. FOSS is a totally closed circle philosophy, this is pretty fucking clear when you only consider your own geek desires and don't see the greater population that just wants a better phone. Don't try a "this phone is only meant for geeks anyway" defense with me here, that is total bullshit.
Besides, how many whores are you going to get to inspect before they hit the street? Unless you're the pimp, you aren't going to likely see that at all. Same goes for most products. You still have to wait until it's on the street, but once it's there, everyone can look at it.
NO, nobody really wants that responsibility! Who wants to _have to_ look up every hookers snatch to find a good one? This is exactly the point I'm trying to make, NOBODY DOES!
If we pay $50, we expect a shitty whore, if we pay $1000, we expect top notch. We expect, no DEMAND that, because we're not in the business of finding good whores, the pimp is. We do NOT setup online message boards to rate and discuss whores' vaginal health. Only assholes that think gynecology should be everyone's God-damned hobby th
Bingo - You won't see this sort of turnaround time for a fix for the iPhone.
and this is why FOSS is a champion to me - the community fixes the issue and everyone else can check the fix to make sure it's not malicious.
Hah, was it a short turn around because it was an extremely nasty bug, or because the fix was only a few lines in an rc file? Oh no, surely it's because of the 'community'.
The community is responsible for testing cellphone software? WHERE? The community has any involvement with deploying software updates to cellphones? WHEN THE FUCK DID THAT HAPPEN?
And this is why all gov't entities in the USA should use FOSS. The people/community as a whole can do a better job of keeping the government secure than corporations can.
Everything you typed was unknowingly redirected to a root shell, and you have the BALLS to say that this took the community at large to detect and correct the issue, therefor the government should use FOSS. Sorry, the free in FOSS doesn't have anything to do with preventing or correcting bugs, and a bug like this screams why the fuck didn't the 'community' QA/test process detect it before shipping? If fewer bugs like this appeared in open software, MAYBE you'd have a leg to stand on, but no, this was a shipping product, and one fugly ass bug. You can't blame open source for the bug, and you sure as shit can't give it extra credit for the fix.
I'm sick and fucking tired of coolaid drinking, rosy glasses wearing assholes that attribute all this bullshit to open source. Open software is good for a tremendous number of things, but when the community code review process misses a bug THIS fucking huge, how can you possibly give FOSS credit? It had absolutely nothing to do with delivering the fix, everything to do with finding it, and you know full well a bug of this nature should have been caught in any standard QA process. This is not a "only a giant army of warrior geeks armed with source could have spotted it" bug, though those DO exist. They shipped with a big 'ole chunk of debugging code enabled.
Android QA team: F-
Community process: failure to appear
No, you can't. Maybe it's the just new moderation system, but that would be a huge regression IMHO.
This is what you you get after hitting reply.
"You are not logged in. You can log in now, Create an Account, or post as Anonymous Coward."
The "log in now" link returns you to main page. It has to be a bug.
You know, I do seem to remember doing what you say, so maybe it is the new system. That just worsens the situation, it's pretty silly that something like Slashdot can't login and submit at the same time.
Music players don't play music when you double click a music file? WHERE?
I don't understand the complaints, if all the information you need is in the filesystem structure, then just ignore the contents of iTune's media library. It will be pretty damned empty with no metadata anyway. Configuring iTunes to leave files in place is easy too.. presto, Finder or Explorer is your new media library.
How does it _remove_ anything from your wav files + directory structure? The biggest reason to use iTunes is that it manages a music library _with_ metadata. If you have none, then just double click the fuckers from your filesystem browser and if sound comes out your speakers, to hell with what plays it.
I think that was a polite way of saying a discussion with the type of audience this article will draw is not worth the effort of logging into Slashdot. If I weren't already logged in, I wouldn't either. You know how much of a pain it is to copy the message you just wrote, log in - this confusingly takes you to the main page, find the article again, find the dork you were replying to, paste and finish editing.. bah, for what, +1? A chance to be heard? HAH!
You know, there is nothing wrong with supporting free software without supporting Linux. Linux as a whole lost interest to me. A couple of individuals used it to pervert free software into an anti-Microsoft vehicle, and now the guns are pointed at everything not Linux, like Solaris, Mac, etc. I felt used when I caught up with the real history of free software. I suspect many more would too if they took the time to look it up and forget Linux for a moment.
Anyway, please don't stop supporting the Linux kernel, it is wonderful free software, even if it doesn't take over the world. However, you can help me convince others that "The Linux Movement" is NOT a healthy way to promote free software. It has hurt free software more than anything by spreading the wrong message and polarizing software companies, scaring them from free software ideals. It's not a fight, no us vs them, just some ideas that can make software better for all of us, including those that sell it.
Also, free software is doing fantastic! That list of software is proof! :/
Well, GPLv3 may be a shot in the GNUs foot... I can't see how free hardware is related to GNUs free software goals. It's asking a liitle to much if you ask me. One thing at a time
Lets be real here, all a ratio better than 1/10 Linux to Windows says is the devices are attractive to geeks. That's cute and all - give Asus a cookie, but it doesn't speak for consumer acceptance of Linux.
Contrary, huh? Out of stock could mean the supply was low. Who in their right mind would _overestimate_ sales of Linux clients?
Sitting on shelves could mean they shipped more than enough. Without knowing how much of each shipped, WTF is the point? Guaranteed, they shipped assloads more with XP than Linux. We just throw supply out the window and pretend demand for Linux is uber high here??
Look, Linux needs to take off on its own merits, not with silly twisted theories on Slashdot where things are cheerier than they really are. Linux & OSS are going to start getting some black eyes if you all keep pretending it's something it's not.
Well, is he right? Has Opera even been submitted yet? What does anything else he has written matter? Oh noes, do we believe the first unconfirmed blog posting, or the second? Slashdot, please tell us what to think!
Option-Arrow Up
Option-Arrow Down
That'll even work on full sized keyboards. :)
OK, imagine a car that starts ONE MINUTE after you turn the key. Doesn't that sound hot?
It is true that everyone takes more than one minute to adjust their controls/mirrors, put a seatbelt on, fiddle with the radio, wait for a SO or kids to settle down, check for your wallet/purse, find your house keys, check yourself in the mirror, etc. ... or is it?
Psychological... pffft. When I turn a computer on it's for a damned good reason. Just as when I start my car, when I turn a computer on, I already have a destination in mind. Everything between me and that end is NOT COOL. To hell with it being "psychological", to the end user it is a valid issue.
Oh, and the agonizing amount of time spend waiting at red lights, that's just psychological too, because I wasn't really planning to use those five minutes for anything exciting anyway.
You'd save more power by shipping OS's with better default power saving settings than by praying that quicker boot times leads to more people power cycling their machines every day - it wont, not until a power cycle is as quick as wakeup from standby AND remembers your last running state.
"The Cell processor in the PS3 is much faster doing Folding@Home calculations than a regular Intel or AMD CPU for example, but isn't well designed for other workloads."
Sorry, my 9800GTX+ TEARS up F@H and goes through more folds than my PS3.
ROFLMAO because the quote you selected specifically says "regular Intel or AMD CPU", NOT "9800GTXOENZOSTANGAERON++ GPU" ;)
What are you feeling sorry for?
Modern GPU performance is really undisputed in all but your little world, but care to explain why there are no games using it for anything other than rasterizing? All the folds in the world don't make PC games any better
PC gaming - Bad as hell on paper, enough bullet points to choke a horse, overpowered machines, and you STILL get 20 fps with no better gameplay to show for it.
I'm confused, can Glyn Moody read Russian, or is the article based on the Google translation?
From this, no one is being forced to use anything, they are given free software, and individual schools must foot the bill of commercial software. I'm sure this will help spur free software adoption, but isn't the real story about the Govt not buying school software anymore? A story like this in the states would imply the schools are now rejigging their IT budgets, not necessarily adopting free software wholesale. A story about govt funding to schools being cut probably wouldn't be taken in such positive light either.
Just my two cents.
[Via Google Translate: By the end of 2009, all school computers will be installed package of free software (PSPO). This is how transfers Prime-TASS, today announced Minister of Communications and Mass Communications of the Russian Federation Igor Shchyogolev at the plenary session Information Society and the modern technologies of information in the international exhibition InfoCom-2008.]
[Via Google Translate: The Minister also noted that by 2010 it is expected that the number of computers in schools will reach a million. According to Schegoleva, after three years of school will be able to make a choice: pay royalties to use software products, buying them at their own expense, or go to the domestic free software.]
Man, you nailed it. I'm still craving some original TF, err, MegaTF. Mods started with Quake & QuakeWorld. Not technically, but that when mods really took off, IMHO. Maybe the author was focusing on more modern games, but he could have shown a little respect where it's due.
QuakeWorld, "Mega" TF, and a crazy map like cross the border, or football, THAT's a mod! Or a mod in a mod in a mod in a mod... plus custom textures/models/sounds allowed before all the sophisticated anti-cheat measures today.. PLUS client side scripting.
None of the "mods" today can hold a freaking candle to what took place during the long reign of Quake & QuakeWorld.
PC games were killed by greed, and constant upgrade churn. They had crazy huge, organic, online communities, the stuff every publisher is trying to artificially create today, and murdering with the next ridiculously overpowered sequel. Imagine if Blizzard was just now releasing WoW 4... I'm sure that would've gone over real well.
Bzzzzzzzt!
Those are not network protocols. You know, the N in SAN and LAN? Also, SATA nor USB can operate at 10Gbps.
What? This isn't between Infiniband and ETHERNET! This is the convergence of Fibre Channel with Ethernet. This LOWERS the price of Fibre Channel, which is already king of storage networking in the enterprise. There is no way in hell this will HELP Infiniband in the corporate world. Infiniband will continue to live in HPC land.